Synopsis

Introduction 

“You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” 

—Alan Alda 

Throughout my career, I have had many obstacles and challenges in finding ways to accomplish my goals, manage my responsibilities more effectively—and with outcomes that met with my expectations. Those attempts have resulted in a losing batter. However, I have discovered ways to Hack the Gap which by definition is “The shortest distance between two points, encountering the least amount of resistance, growing personally and professionally, and optimizing your human potential.” Over the years, I’ve shared my discoveries with hundreds of clients that have engaged me to provide advice and obtain improved results in their businesses, while they have grown personally and professionally. 

Ironically, while giving this advice, I personally became the testing grounds for many of the ideas that I will be sharing with you throughout this book. Many of these ideas worked and produced successful results, while many have failed. The lessons learned from the failures has strengthened my passion to keep trying to find new ways to work more effectively and to find better ways of Hacking the Gap in all areas of my life. 

Hacking the Gap 

Before I go any further, it is important to give you some context on how I acquired my knowledge, expertise, and wisdom, by way of background, education, and business experiences. I will keep this brief, as to give you a perspective of the make-up of my personal character and work ethics. 

I am a serial entrepreneur with many start-ups to my credit. I decided to embark on the entrepreneur path very early in life. My first business venture was called Lenny’s Bar & Grill, (Lenny is short for Leonard, my birth first name). At eight years of age, I set up a fort behind our family’s garage, with a borrowed barbeque, paper plates, plastic utensils, and all the fixings. I was in business selling hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and candy to all my friends. I would walk through the neighborhood letting my friends know that Lenny’s Bar & Grill was open for business. I even made up a flyer as an invitation to join us at Lenny’s Bar & Grill for some fine fixings. In my eyes, this first venture into business was a huge success. I was making a little extra spending money; the only thing I forgot about was the cost of goods. My parents were paying for the hamburgers, hot dogs, candy, and soft drinks that I was selling. All I had to do was cook the food and collect the money. You can be assured this was not a moneymaking venture for my parents, but I learned a very early lesson in entrepreneurship about how to market and sell. My parents never asked for a return of their invested capital, and I was very appreciative for their interest free non-recourse loan. 

While in high school I opted to open several businesses. My first venture was with a good friend of mine who was Hawaiian, and he convinced me that selling puka necklaces would be a great move. He was my supplier, and I was the distributor/salesman. I sold the puka necklaces to whoever would purchase them; I received lots of orders from the kids at school. I went door-to-door to the local surf shops in town and sold the puka necklaces wholesale to the shop owners. I soon became known as the “Puka King,” selling strands of puka beads throughout San Diego County. 

The next business venture while still in high school was with my good friend Dwight Johnson. I got the wild idea that while on a trip with him to Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico, that I would purchase turquoise squash blossom necklaces, along with turquoise rings and bracelets and bring them back to San Diego and sell them to friends and family. Talk about risk! I used all of my savings at the time which was about $1,000 to purchase the jewelry. We transported the jewelry across state lines in the VW Van without incident or duty, by hiding the merchandise under the seats. Upon my return to San Diego, I called on local shops, and vendors as well as friends and family and doubled the money I invested in the jewelry. I made a 200% return on the invested capital which was a considerable sum of money for a high school kid. 

I graduated from high school six months early and decided to take a three-month excursion to Europe upon graduation. While I was there traveling the countryside on my Eurarail Pass, I met a young Swedish man by the name of Sven Benediktusson. After hours of talking and traveling together in Germany, I asked him about unusual items that were unique to Sweden. You guessed it—as we talked I found out that Sweden was known for making really cool clogs, and they were not yet fashionable in the United States. I had another entrepreneurial flash. I could import clogs into the United States from Sweden—thus my career as a “clog” salesman began. 

I imported clogs through my new friend and called on local stores in North San Diego County selling clogs to men and women who spent long hours on their feet. I eventually solicited doctors and nurses who worked in the operating rooms of hospitals. It was a great business, but the reliability of receiving the merchandise on a timely basis from Sweden was really a challenge. Also, stocking the inventory to supply males and females with different sizes, colors, and styles was quite an issue. After eighteen months in business, I imported my last shipment of clogs and called it quits. 4 Introduction 5 

My challenges with all of these ventures was that I was only working part-time on the businesses, and once I purchased the goods—be it squash blossoms, puka necklaces or clogs I did not have the buying capacity to obtain great pricing because my capital investment was not enough to get the deep discounts necessary to have high enough margins to remain in the business. I did have connections in Sweden, Santa Fe, and Hawaii, but my suppliers lost interest after my purchases of merchandise became sporadic and did not meet the volumes they required. These lessons learned in high school were invaluable relative to importing, selling, and managing businesses finances. 

The biggest lesson was that we can either work hard or we can work smart. I wouldn’t say that I was particularly working smart, but I was learning from my mistakes and found new ways of not taking the challenging road to success, thus Hacking the Gap. Everything we do in business prepares us for Hacking the Gap—to move from our ideas to implementation with much greater ease grace and speed—and to do so with less resistance both personally and from the outside world. 

After tackling the inconsistencies and challenges associated with importing and selling both retail and wholesale merchandise, my next venture was just as a salesman without the risks of sourcing, storing, and financing the purchase of the merchandise. 

I decided to take up my hand as a Fuller Brush salesman. While all the other high schools kids were working jobs at Jack in the Box or McDonald’s, I decided to sell Fuller Brush products. I know it probably doesn’t sound glamorous, but it beat flipping burgers (remember I already has experience flipping burgers at Lenny’s Bar & Grill). Fuller Brush provided me with the salesman bag that had all of my essential samples, and I had a route, calling on people 6 

door-to-door. I sold everything from horsehair brushes to air fresheners and household cleaners. I was really well suited for this type of work and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the pursuit of new customers. I had clients who would purchase and repurchase from me and were very generous with the volume of their orders. I remember people telling me that they had not seen a Fuller Brush salesman in years, and their orders reflected that fact. I consistently earned about $400 per week as a commissioned salesman, and would frequently receive bonuses on top of that—remember this was 1972 and part-time after school generating $400 per week was really great money for a teenage kid. 

At this point in my story, you probably have gleaned that the drive to be an entrepreneur and salesman runs deep, and that I enjoy the whole process of innovation. You also realize that I am not afraid of risk and I am willing to do things that are out of the box. My love of start-up ventures has been a lifetime passion that likely will not end anytime soon. 

I love pursuing new ideas, ventures, and exciting technologies that will change the world. I am the early adaptor, the tester, and guinea pig for many of the technology products being introduced into the marketplace today. I really have a passion for exploring, discovering, and finding new ways of Hacking the Gap that make our work as business owners and entrepreneurs fulfilling and rewarding. 

Life’s Twists and Turns 

I learned from my father at an early age the meaning of hard work and taking risks. My father packed up our family and moved to Southern California in 1963 to help his brother in the construction business. He was following his dream to join my uncle who was a building contractor in a small city outside of Los Angeles called Introduction 7 

Clairemont, California. My father and uncle were probably the biggest risk takers I had ever encountered, except for maybe the guy who walked the tight wire with no net. 

I remember going with my uncle to the saving and loan. I was only nine years old and my uncle left the bank with a check for $1,000,000 to fund the building of his tract homes—and this was in the early 1960s when a $1,000,000 was a significant sum of money. As time went on and my uncle’s construction company was flourishing, he needed someone to landscape the model homes. He approached my father, and my dad thought that this would be a good way for him to start up his own business, thus the birth of a landscaping company called Blue Ribbon Landscape. My father did all the landscaping for the model homes, and subsequently for the property owners who purchased the homes that my uncle built. 

Yet, as for many, life had its ups and downs for both my father and uncle, but one thing for certain was that they both provided a wonderful life for their families. The lessons learned from each of them were innumerable—the biggest and best lesson was never give up. When adversity is facing us head on, we find a way to preserve. We apply our talents and skills, and if we don’t have the appropriate skills, we learn from others and then apply our newfound skills. My father and uncle were masters at Hacking the Gap. They found ways to improve their efficiencies and try new ways of mastering a skill. My personal ability to be persistent when faced with adversity is a direct lesson from my father and my uncle. I’d never encountered two men who worked so hard to make a better life for themselves and for their children and families. 

I also witnessed how hard work would take its toll on our family. In 1972, our family moved to San Diego, and in 1975, my father passed away from a massive aneurism and heart attack. This was  devastating for our entire family, but the impact on my mother was one of complete heartbreak and emotional breakdown. My mother was in her mid-fifties with no experience running a landscaping company, let alone a business as demanding as the landscaping business was. I had three older brothers, but none of them really wanted to get involved in the business so I stepped up and ran the company with fifteen employees, while taking fifteen credits at San Diego State University to get my Bachelor of Science in Business Management. 

Talk about a horrific workload! This demanding pace ultimately caught up with me, and on my nineteenth birthday, I collapsed on our kitchen floor from what I am going to term as a nervous breakdown. I was burning the candle at both ends for too long, and something had to give—and that something was me. 

This major turning point prompted great introspection about everything in my life. I questioned my personal beliefs, my work life, and the incredible impact and toll this had taken on both my physical and mental health. I knew that I had to make a change and that I couldn’t continue to keep up the pace that was required to run the business and attend school. At this intense pace, I would end up having more physical health challenges. My father’s voice echoed in my head—“Get your education; don’t be like me with an eighth grade education.” So I opted to sell the company give the funds to my mother for her support, and return to San Diego State University full time to complete my degree. 

Up to this point in my life, I knew nothing but hard work. That mantra had been programmed into my DNA by both my parents. Don’t get me wrong; hard work is not a bad thing, but working smarter is far easier and takes much less of a toll on your life. I believe that learning how to Hack the Gap and to innovate a life Introduction 9 

that is filled with meaning, reward, and success is a much more rewarding path to pursue while giving time to enjoy the fruits of your labors. 

Listening to Your Soul Calling

As a result of all the pain I had experienced, I had glimpses of better way. I knew that this would include finding guidance from my inner guidance counselor. I had to hear the voice from a higher power. So I started on a path in my twenties of reading and listening to the words from Terry Cole Whittaker who was affiliated with the First Church of Religious Science. 

Attending her sermons and reading Ernest Holmes books, I was exposed to a very positive way of living my life. This lead to listening to personal growth tapes from Nightingale Conant and Norman Vincent Peale. I can remember driving for hours from one appointment to the next listening to the inspirational messages from hundreds of positive, motivating, and inspiring people. 

This positive content opened my mind and my heart. It healed my personal pain and suffering that so desperately needed healing. It allowed me to access my soul for the first time and listen to a small inner voice that wanted me to be healthy, happy, and have a fulfilling life. Over time, this state of consciousness would ebb and flow. I had not become a master at calling in my soul’s voice. I didn’t always hear the voice of my intuition because it was drowned out by the stronger voice of the ego. 

However, as a result of continuing to listen to and reinforce my soul’s voice, I discovered a better way, one that allowed me to experience a connection to God. I had my faith reinforced, and my life changed in a way that impacted how I expressed myself to the world. People took notice, and my life became more in sync, and I was having greater insights into who and what I wanted to become and experience in life. 

By focusing on and listening to my inner voice, my intuition, my soul—or whatever term you might choose to use—I found my true life work and calling. And so can you. This is not a dream; you can do it just like myself and thousands of others I have encountered on the personal and spiritual growth journey. This is the purpose for me writing this book—to instruct others on the path of return—the return to your true self. 

If my personal story and the stories of others that I will tell you as part of this book move you to take action, then I have accomplished my goal. If you truly listen, and take action on your intuition, then I have inspired you to explore new ways of Hacking Your Own Gap. 

You will awaken with new ideas, projects, and initiatives—and have the drive and ambition to see them through. My illustrator and I created a visual of what I believe the Hacking the Gap process looks like. On the next page is the chart that explains the steps in the process. I hope you relate; but if you don’t, don’t sweat it there will be lots of supporting evidence as you continue reading the book. 

Remember, all your attempts at inventing something new or making a modification to an existing product or service better don’t have to be successes; you are going to have failures. The key is to listen to your intuition (your voice), follow the guidance, and take risks. Nothing will happen if you don’t take risks. 

Thomas Edison’s said about his thousands of attempts at inventing the lightbulb, “I have not failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.

So let’s embark on this journey together exploring how to Hack the Gap, and move your inspired ideas and dreams into reality. Let’s work on you manifesting those ideas into something tangible, and something that will change the world for the better. 

Outline

Contents 

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 

CHAPTER 1 

Developing the Voice of Intuition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 

CHAPTER 2 

Insight & Aha Moments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 

CHAPTER 3 

Ideas: Capturing and Recording Your Brilliance. . . . . . . . . .39 

CHAPTER 4 

Inspiration: Realizing Your Knowing’s Not Your Beliefs. . .59 

CHAPTER 5 

Incubation: The Evolution of Your Insights, Ideas, and Inspiration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 

CHAPTER 6 

Ignition: Energy Management: Understanding and Identifying the Types of Energy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 

CHAPTER 7 

Innovation: Creating, Designing and Building Your Products, Services and Reinventing Yourself in the Process. . 115 

CHAPTER 8 

Implementation: Growing Your Business with Actions and Accountability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 

References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177

Audience

The audience for this book is entrepreneurs and budding inventors looking to grow and find a way to "Hack the Gap".  My perfect audience are the kinds of people that apply to Shark Tank or are working to breakthrough with a new product or service.  They want to change the world, and are social change agents with the next best idea.  

Promotion

The following is the list of ways that we will market "Hacking the Gap" 

1. A social media strategy using Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter. 
2. Use of our current database of listeners to our show Inside Personal Growth.  Our database of regular subscribers is about 7,000
3. We will incorporate ads on Google Adwords and Facebook ads. 
4. Regular blog entries will be written for Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter about the book.  
5. A book website is currently being developed and will be completed in 6 weeks. 
6. A Youtube channel will be developed with 6-10 short videos about the book and the benefits. 
7. We are working on two courses, one is a full day program and the other is a half-day program for corporate employers attempting to spark more innovation in their businesses.   We are looking to use a platform like Crowdcast.io for the hosting of the videos etc. 
8. A press/speakers kit is being built both digitally and PDF for use with meeting planners. 
9. A campaign calendar is in the works with events on TV, Radio and Podcast.
10. Author will be calling on his clients-- 250 for bulk sales of book, and will include webinar or live event for the corporations.  
11. Author will be contacting all of the authors he has interviewed for the Inside Personal Growth show and asking them to do a campaign with him so the offering that is created has high value. 
12. People who sign up at the Hacking the Gap website will be able to put in their name and get two free chapters. 
13. We also have interviews with thought leaders in innovation that will be downloadable from the website.  We will also include a PDF transcript of the interviews. 
14. We will have 8 downloadable PDF, one for each chapter with exercises the reader can do and accompanies the book. 
15. A separate "Hacking the Gap Idea Generator" Journal is in the process of design and can be purchased separately or in a bundle. 

Competition

1. Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard Hardcover – February 16, 2010 by Chip Heath Dan Heath  (Author) Crown Business; 1st edition (February 16, 2010)
2. Beyond the Idea: How to Execute Innovation in Any Organization Hardcover – September 24, 2013 by Vijay Govindarajan Chris Trimble  (Author)  St. Martin's Press (September 24, 2013)
3. The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail (Management of Innovation and Change) by Clayton M. Christensen  (Author) Harvard Business Review Press; Reprint edition (January 5, 2016)
4. The Business Idea Factory: A World-Class System for Creating Successful Business IdeasKindle Edition by Andrii Sedniev  (Author) Amazon Digital Services LLC  July 20, 2016
5. Creative Change: Why We Resist It . . . How We Can Embrace It Kindle Edition by Jennifer Mueller  (Author) Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (January 17, 2017)