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all states and situations If

0:41

there is one core message I want

0:43

people to take away from my work

0:45

from the seminars I give in conferences

0:47

all over the globe from my best-selling

0:49

books from Interactions with me in person

0:51

and of course from my personalized cassette

0:53

series. It is this Invest

0:56

in yourself. I

0:58

want that to be my message. It has

1:00

been my message It will always be my

1:03

message under everything. I've told you so far

1:05

is the simple but profound subtext invest

1:08

in yourself You Every

1:20

action you take every choice you

1:22

make can cause you to either

1:25

appreciate or depreciate in value Your

1:28

actions are constantly impacting how you

1:30

are perceived and how you are

1:32

perceived impacts how you are valued

1:35

So make good choices Take

1:37

good actions Dress well eat.

1:40

Well, take care of your body

1:42

and your soul You are all

1:44

you have and you want your whole self

1:46

to sparkle and shine to hum and purr

1:49

To race and rev like the finest car on

1:51

the road You want to

1:54

be a reliable tool for yourself never breaking

1:56

down or petering out invest

1:58

in the infrastructure of you. A

2:02

crucial component of this investment

2:04

should always be diversification. Diversify,

2:07

diversify. This

2:09

is true for physical investment, of course, but it

2:12

goes far beyond that. Eat a

2:14

varied diet, not just so your body

2:16

will reap the benefits, but so that

2:18

your knowledge of cuisine is widened. Take

2:22

part in many forms of exercise,

2:24

not just so you will be

2:26

fit, but so you will have

2:28

an understanding of many sports, of

2:30

dance, of your own musculature. Have

2:33

many different hobbies, expand your

2:35

mind in many directions, read

2:37

widely as this will enrich

2:39

your vocabulary. Learn a

2:41

musical instrument as this will give you a

2:43

sense of rhythm and flow. Visit

2:45

art galleries, travel abroad, experience

2:48

as much as you can.

2:51

Your mind might shy away from some things,

2:53

don't let it. It is not

2:55

good enough to let yourself think, this is

2:57

not for me. Make it work

2:59

for you. Look at

3:01

it closely and try to find what it is

3:03

that repels you. Explore it

3:06

until you find its value. Take

3:09

evening classes. Be a

3:11

perpetual student. You will never run

3:13

out of things to learn, so

3:15

be learning constantly. This will prevent

3:17

your mind from stagnating. Stay

3:19

awake, stay alert, stay alive.

3:22

All of this will build you into someone

3:24

who is ready for anything, any

3:27

conversation, any job, any

3:29

possibility. You

3:32

never know where opportunity will meet you, do you Brian?

3:35

So you'd best be waiting for it at every street

3:37

corner and as I have told you again and again,

3:40

opportunity is unpredictable,

3:42

capricious, disinterested.

3:45

Opportunity takes what it can get and you need

3:47

to be there for it when it comes. Not

3:51

everyone gets to join my premium package, Brian.

3:53

That would be impossible. Think

3:56

about how much has gone into this cassette

3:58

series, how much time I've spent learning. about

4:00

you so that I can give you the

4:02

assistance you deserve. Imagine

4:05

how many applications I get every

4:07

day to take part in this

4:09

intensive, personalized improvement experience. Do

4:12

you think I can give this kind of time

4:14

to everyone? I cannot.

4:17

I have to be selective. I

4:20

look for a very particular type of person. I

4:23

look for those who invest in themselves. I

4:26

look for those who love flute solos as

4:28

well as pie charts. I look

4:30

for those who throw themselves as deeply

4:33

into market research as they do

4:35

into Petrarchan sonnets. And

4:37

I would never allow someone into my

4:39

program who does not invest in the

4:41

whole of themselves. I do not wish

4:43

to waste their money nor my time.

4:46

The premium package is exclusively for those

4:49

who have a chance to become

4:51

great. Two

4:54

years ago, a man applied for the premium

4:56

package and I accepted him. I

4:58

say I accepted him, but at that point I

5:00

was denying no one. I had only just launched

5:02

the premium offering and I had no idea how

5:05

many people would want it. I

5:07

will call this man Louis, not his real name, of

5:09

course. His real name was much

5:11

worse. So I

5:14

was not yet carefully examining each applicant who

5:16

wanted to receive custom attention. I figured if

5:18

someone was willing to pay for my talents,

5:20

then it was worth my time to offer

5:22

my talents to them. I

5:25

was wrong. I can reflect

5:27

on how and why I was wrong in detail

5:29

naturally, as you will understand from cassette number three.

5:31

Feel free to listen to it again if you

5:34

would like a refresher on keeping a journal for

5:36

self-reflection and growth. I

5:38

owe no one anything. The

5:41

money you give me is only a gesture

5:44

of respect for my time and resources. But

5:46

the product I give you is exactly

5:48

that, the gift. Something

5:51

I feel that you deserve. And

5:54

Brian, I want you to get what you

5:56

deserve. I've wanted

5:58

it for a long time. But

6:02

Lewis, this small man who paid for

6:04

a premium cassette package from Tony Tallinger,

6:07

did not actually want to hone his

6:09

leadership. He did not

6:11

want to become a smarter business mind.

6:14

He did not want a more

6:16

well-rounded persona. He wanted to hear

6:18

my voice. He was a

6:20

fan. He had been

6:22

to my lectures in Toronto and Brussels. He

6:25

even traveled all the way to Jakarta to

6:27

hear me speak because, as he said in

6:29

his questionnaires, he found

6:31

my words inspiring. That

6:34

is not the attitude of a leader. That

6:36

is the attitude of a follower. Respect

6:38

me. Yes, love me. You may. Great

6:42

leaders are masters of love and

6:44

respect, but worship me? No.

6:48

No truly great mind has

6:50

ever worshiped anyone or anything. And

6:53

after only five cassettes, I

6:55

could no longer tolerate Lewis. And

6:58

do you know what I did, Brian? I

7:00

did what anyone should do in a case like this. I

7:04

reached out to Lewis with a letter, not with

7:06

a bespoke recording. I wrote, Dear Sir,

7:08

I am terminating your involvement

7:10

in the Ken Cassette Premium Package because

7:12

I do not feel this program is

7:14

the correct fit for either of us.

7:17

Good day, Tony Tallinger. Cold?

7:20

Kurt? Let's call it

7:22

direct. I

7:25

was investing in myself, Brian.

7:28

I was giving myself more time to do what

7:30

I enjoy doing, to do what

7:32

benefits me. Helping Lewis

7:34

is someone's job, but it is not mine. Notice

7:38

I did not say his name in

7:40

the letter. I did not give him

7:42

specifics or reasons. I kept it brief.

7:44

Like the guillotine of former France, I

7:46

was swift, merciful, painless. And

7:49

Lewis had only but a moment of

7:52

recognition before darkness dawned. You

7:55

are not like Lewis, Brian. You are

7:57

not a fan. You are a

7:59

spy. You have

8:02

dipped your toe in so many areas.

8:04

You have followed so many people. You

8:06

are ambitious and to some extent ruthless.

8:09

Do you know this about yourself? You

8:11

should. I'll talk more

8:13

about that later. But

8:15

this week, we are talking about investing

8:17

in yourself. Who

8:20

are the Lewis's in your life, Brian? I'm

8:23

not talking about people who stand in your

8:25

way. I'm talking about people who drag you

8:27

down. Those who

8:29

can get in front of you are worthy

8:32

of confrontation. Those who pull

8:34

you from behind need to be cut

8:36

loose. They are parasites.

8:40

I've seen the way you look at your coworkers,

8:43

Brian. I've watched you in groups. You

8:45

know who's in front of you and who's behind you

8:47

at all times. This

8:49

is easy to see with coworkers, what with the

8:51

existing hierarchy and all, but what of our friends

8:54

and loved ones? How

8:56

do you feel when you look at Andre? It's

9:00

a difficult question, but you didn't sign up

9:02

for passive listening, did you? Part

9:05

of investing in yourself is giving something to

9:07

yourself. And here,

9:09

I'm asking for you to give honesty. Invest

9:13

some truth into that soul of yours,

9:15

Brian. Nasty

9:17

fights can be common among romantic partners.

9:20

Each person knows the others so intimately

9:22

that to strike a blow is to

9:24

cut deeply. This does

9:26

not mean two people do not love each other. It

9:28

simply means that they have had a fight. The

9:31

fight means nothing. In

9:33

your case, ongoing fights mean nothing.

9:36

What's important is that you understand where

9:39

these fights will take you. Are

9:41

they important battles for defining peaceful

9:43

boundaries or are they endless

9:46

wars that will leave the land untenable

9:48

and torn? Is

9:51

Andre standing in your way? Is

9:54

he holding you back or

9:56

is he at your side? before

10:00

you answer. In

10:02

fact, don't answer it now. Promise

10:05

yourself to hold on to that answer

10:07

until you've truly considered all sides. What

10:11

about me, Brian? This

10:14

might be an even tougher question. Am

10:17

I standing in your way, dragging you

10:19

down, or by your side, a

10:22

champion of your cause? The

10:25

fact that you paid for the premium package

10:27

doesn't mean anything. You could be

10:29

lying to me and your weekly questionnaires, though I've

10:31

done enough research to know that's unlikely. But

10:34

you do fill out your questionnaires. Maybe

10:37

you're pleased with this course, or

10:40

maybe you're scared of it. You

10:42

should be both. I

10:44

aim to please, but I am also an

10:46

intimidating force. I

10:49

ask you that question because I know that you've been trying

10:51

to find me. I

10:54

know a lot about you, much

10:56

more than you reveal in your correspondence and you

10:58

want to know, who is this

11:00

Tony Tallinger? Does he

11:02

mean me harm? Do

11:04

I know him already? Is

11:07

he for real? And

11:10

what would you do if you found me, Brian? It's

11:14

laughable, really. That's a rhetorical question.

11:17

You've been looking for weeks trying to find out where

11:19

I live. You know I'm nearby, don't

11:21

you? But you're not even close.

11:25

Or maybe you are. I know

11:27

better than to tip my hand. I'm

11:30

the lecturer, Brian. You

11:33

are the listener. Know that. Invest

11:37

in yourself and one day, maybe,

11:40

you will be just like me. Hey,

11:51

Jeffrey Craner here. This holiday season, I want to

11:53

give a gift to my loved one. I'm

12:00

giving the gift of StoryWorth. StoryWorth is an

12:02

online service that helps you preserve memories and

12:04

stories for years to come. It's a thoughtful

12:06

and meaningful gift that connects you to those

12:08

who matter most. So here's how it works

12:10

when you give it as a gift. Every

12:12

week, StoryWorth emails your relative or friend a

12:15

thought-provoking question of your choice. You

12:17

can pick from StoryWorth's many options, stuff like, what's the

12:19

bravest thing you've ever done in your life? Or, if

12:21

you could see into the future, what would you want

12:23

to find out? But you can also create your own

12:25

questions, too. After one year, StoryWorth

12:27

compiles all your loved ones' stories, including photos,

12:29

into a beautiful keepsake book that you'll be

12:31

able to share and revisit for generations to

12:33

come. I already have a space on my

12:36

bookshelf full of old letters and photos from

12:38

my family's history, and that's where the

12:40

StoryWorth book will go, too. With

12:42

StoryWorth, I am giving those I love

12:44

most a thoughtful, personal gift from the

12:46

heart and preserving their memories and stories

12:49

for years to come. So go to

12:51

storyworth.com/wires and save $10 on your first

12:53

purchase. That's storyworth.com/wires

12:55

to save $10 on

12:57

your first purchase. The

13:09

way I see it, the problem with you, Brian, is that

13:12

you don't know how to focus. You have

13:14

so many talents. You have always

13:16

adapted insanely well to instruction and demonstration.

13:19

I don't use the word insanely lightly

13:21

here. It's almost

13:23

like your brain is wired differently the way you

13:25

can watch a person and pick up immediately how

13:28

they do what they do. You're

13:31

a block of granite, enormous,

13:33

weighty, beautiful. You have

13:35

chiseled away at yourself to form a shape,

13:38

but the edges need rounding. The

13:40

form needs a theme. You

13:43

have a sculptor's strong but agile

13:45

hands, yet you lack his vision,

13:48

his attention to detail, his attention

13:50

to the big picture. You're

13:53

hacking away at this incredible slab without

13:55

an awareness of what you want it

13:58

to be. This

14:01

is not a sailing, not unless you allow it to

14:03

be. This is your challenge, to

14:06

see the tiniest details, every line

14:08

of every knuckle, every curl of

14:10

every hair, but at the same

14:13

time understanding the entirety of the

14:15

body itself. What

14:17

does the final sculpted figure represent?

14:20

Nobility? Pride? Strength?

14:24

Wisdom? How is

14:26

it positioned to show this? This

14:29

is why I tell people who spend their life

14:31

in numbers to study art. You

14:33

don't want to know what I tell the people who

14:35

spend their life in art. They're much more difficult than

14:37

you can imagine. You

14:40

need a single-minded goal, Brian. You've

14:42

talked about the one who stands in your way.

14:45

His name is Mark Ramirez. Mark

14:47

has been undermining you for years,

14:49

always has something dismissive to say

14:51

about your ideas, talk shit about

14:53

you behind your back, and in

14:55

recent months, things have escalated, haven't

14:57

they? He's made

14:59

formal complaints about you, claims

15:02

of harassment, stalking. You

15:04

weren't told the complaints came from him, of

15:07

course, but it's important to have accurate information

15:09

about what is affecting your work life, and

15:12

so you sought out his files one night

15:14

when you were alone in the office after

15:16

hours. If

15:18

you have been completing your weekly assignments, you

15:20

will have gathered plenty of information on Mark.

15:23

You will have records of his time

15:25

in childhood and education centers, details

15:27

about his home life, reports of

15:30

any run-ins with the law. I

15:32

have not asked for the specifics, of course, but

15:35

in my own research on Mark, I have unearthed

15:37

plenty that could be useful, and I assume you

15:39

have discovered them too. The

15:41

work of the underground PI he hired to

15:43

find his sister, perhaps, the photos

15:45

of the two of them together. Mark's

15:48

name on a list of attendees

15:50

at an anti-society meeting. These

15:53

things are much more significant than workplace

15:56

drama. These are things the

15:58

IID takes very seriously. These

16:00

things are considered treason and

16:03

now you're in a position to take the next step

16:06

You might be asking Tony. Is

16:09

it wrong to bring down another even if he

16:11

is my adversary Even if he

16:13

stands in my way, this is business

16:15

not war. This is an upstanding career

16:17

not an organized crime hit Brian

16:21

a nemesis is a nemesis The

16:24

business world is filled with those ready to bring

16:26

you down In fact, you should hope that people

16:28

want to bring you down because it means you

16:30

are feared. It means you are

16:32

respected You fear and respect

16:35

this mark even as you say you do not To

16:38

focus war like energy on another

16:41

is to fear and respect them This

16:43

is how we know who is strong enough to be

16:45

at the top This is

16:47

part of what has kept us at the top of the food chain

16:51

We have spent millennia overcoming attacks and

16:53

with each challenge. We were refining

16:55

ourselves That does not

16:57

mean the attacks stop They will never

16:59

stop and we are grateful for that

17:01

because each attack is an opportunity to

17:03

refine ourselves Further and

17:06

if an attack takes someone down it only

17:08

serves as proof that they were never strong enough to be up

17:10

there in the first place We

17:13

sometimes refer to aggressive executives as

17:15

sharks Are sharks

17:17

committing crimes against nature when they devour

17:20

another animal? No, they

17:22

are perfectly obeying nature's rules Life

17:26

is death is life Brian

17:28

and those who do not wish to participate Will

17:31

be excluded from intentional harm, but they will

17:33

also be born from victory. I Assure

17:37

you that Mark Ramirez is participating in the

17:39

rule of nature just as you are He

17:42

knows that the only real insult is

17:44

not being recognized as a threat He

17:46

would expect nothing more than to be

17:48

a target. He wishes he were a

17:51

target It is his dream as

17:53

it is my dream. I Have

17:56

been betrayed before and it

17:58

hurt I was lost.

18:01

I needed time to heal, and I did

18:04

heal. And I came back

18:06

stronger. I

18:08

always come back stronger, and I focused

18:10

on what I wanted to do, what

18:12

I wanted to become. And I became

18:14

this. I became a

18:16

teacher of leaders. Someday

18:19

I will not do this anymore, because I

18:21

will have been destroyed, or

18:24

I will have transcended. I

18:27

keep my senses open to the world around

18:29

me. I want to know when

18:31

I am being hunted. I

18:33

can hear footsteps. I can

18:36

smell the breath of my hunter. I

18:38

can see them move based on the

18:40

shadows all around me. I

18:43

have been prey before. I

18:45

will make every effort to not be

18:47

prey again. This

18:49

is my focus. To

18:52

see the details of my enemy,

18:54

but envision the larger picture of

18:56

my success. And

18:59

you will need to find the same for

19:01

yourself. Don't be sleepy. Don't be aggressive. Be

19:04

efficient. Look for

19:06

potential betrayers. Smell them. Hear

19:09

them before they hear themselves. If

19:13

I sound intense, it is because

19:15

I am. I find you fascinating,

19:17

Brian. I have devoted

19:19

quite a bit of time to you,

19:21

getting to know more about your work,

19:24

your husband, your lovely Catahoula leopard dog,

19:26

and your life as a whole. I

19:29

research every single one of my clients,

19:31

but you are special. I

19:34

am dedicating everything I can to helping

19:36

you become the powerful man you want

19:38

to be. I

19:41

give so much of myself to you,

19:43

not because you have paid me. And

19:45

remember, you have paid for my time

19:47

and resources. What I give

19:49

in return is just that. A

19:52

gift. And

19:54

you deserve a very nice

19:56

gift. But

19:59

I don't know. if you appreciate this. You've

20:02

seen me many times, once just last week

20:04

in your own home. You've

20:06

looked me in the face, but do you really know

20:09

me for who I am? Do

20:11

you appreciate my generosity? Think

20:15

before you answer that. Promise

20:17

yourself that you will think about all possible

20:19

answers before you decide that you know. Maybe

20:23

you require some research of your own,

20:25

more study before you answer that question

20:28

for yourself. In

20:30

our seventh cassette, I said there would be

20:32

no more questionnaires, yet I was surprised to

20:34

find an envelope waiting for me this week.

20:37

The post office box address I gave

20:39

you is for premium package questionnaires only,

20:41

Brian. I do not answer personal communication.

20:45

I will tell you I received your letter, but I will

20:47

not address any of your questions or comments in it, as

20:49

that would be crossing a line. I

20:52

bring it up so that, one, you

20:54

understand where the peaceful borders

20:56

between us lie, and two,

20:59

because it got me thinking about my challenge to you this

21:01

week. There is, again,

21:03

no questionnaire to answer. We are nearing the end

21:06

of our course, and I have learned so much

21:08

about you already, but there is an assignment, or

21:11

perhaps it is a test. Try

21:15

to find me. Look

21:18

me in the face and know me for

21:20

who I am. ["In

21:22

the Wires"] Within

21:38

the Wires is written by Janina

21:40

Mathewson and me, Jeffrey Cranor, with

21:42

original music by Mary Epworth. Find

21:44

more of Mary's music at maryepworth.com.

21:47

This show is produced by me and directed

21:49

this season by Janina. The

21:51

voice of Tony Tollinger is Joey Rizzolo. Also,

21:54

read our novel set in the Within the

21:56

Wires universe. It's called You Feel It Just

21:58

Below the Ribs. It's available wherever

22:00

you get your books. Support

22:03

us at patreon.com/within the wires.

22:05

Within the wires is part

22:07

of Night Vale Presents. Listen

22:09

to other amazing podcasts at

22:11

nightvalepresents.com. Okay,

22:14

our time is done. It's you

22:16

time now. Time to

22:18

lead your company to success. Set

22:20

objectives for achieving a fugue

22:23

state. Communicate a shared vision

22:25

of erotic lawn

22:27

art and reward success

22:29

with indifference. From

22:35

the creators of Welcome to Night Vale, Alice

22:37

Isn't Dead, and Within the Wires comes a

22:39

new Audible original, Unlicensed. In

22:42

the outskirts of Los Angeles, where

22:44

the cul-de-sacs and strip malls sprawl

22:46

into the desert, two unlicensed private

22:48

investigators scrape by on whatever small

22:50

cases come their way. But

22:52

when a teenage girl pleads for them

22:55

to take the strangest case of their

22:57

career, this unlikely pair, with no resources

22:59

and no backup, will follow a trail

23:01

of seemingly unconnected cases, which will lead

23:03

them to a ransom, a murder, a

23:05

mysterious wellness center, and a conspiracy that

23:08

might go all the way to the

23:10

governor. It's important to catch small fires

23:12

early. They don't stay small

23:14

for long. Unlicensed,

23:16

available now at

23:19

audible.com/unlicensed. PRX.