The Proximity Principle

by Ken Coleman

  © 2019 Lampo Licensing, LLC

  Published by Ramsey Press, The Lampo Group, LLC

  Brentwood, Tennessee 37027

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Dave Ramsey, The Dave Ramsey Show, EveryDollar, Financial Peace, Financial Peace University, The Legacy Journey, Smart Money Smart Kids, Rachel Cruze, The Total Money Makeover, and Retire Inspired are all registered trademarks of Lampo Licensing, LLC. All rights reserved.

  This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering financial, accounting, or other professional advice. If financial advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

  Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

  Book Development: Matt Litton, Preston Cannon, and Cathy Shanks

  Editing: Amanda Johnson, Ami McConnell Abston, and Jen Gingerich

  Cover Design: Brad Dennison and Chris Carrico

  Interior Design: Mandi Cofer

  Ebook formatting: Mark D’Antoni, eBook DesignWorks

  ISBN: 978-0-978562-03-8 PRINT

  ISBN: 978-0-971855-43-4 EPUB

  Printed in the United States of America

  19 20 21 22 23 WRZ 5 4 3 2 1

  Dedication

  To Stacy, proximity to you has made me a better man and this life an incredible journey.

  To our children Ty, Chase, and Josie, you make us so proud. May you practice this on your journey to fulfill your purpose.

  To my parents, thank you for your love and the sacrifices you made to get me in proximity to people and places that molded me.

  Contents

  Foreword

  Acknowledgments

  Introduction

  Chapter 1 — What Is The Proximity Principle?

  PART 1 — The People

  Chapter 2 — The Professors

  Chapter 3 — The Professionals

  Chapter 4 — The Mentors

  Chapter 5 — The Peers

  Chapter 6 — The Producers

  PART 2 — The Places

  Chapter 7 — The Place Where You Are

  Chapter 8 — A Place to Learn

  Chapter 9 — A Place to Practice

  Chapter 10 — A Place to Perform

  Chapter 11 — A Place to Grow

  PART 3 — The Practices

  Chapter 12 — Creating a Web of Connections

  Chapter 13 — Making Your Connections Count

  Chapter 14 — Seizing the Opportunity

  Chapter 15 — Adopting a Proximity Mind-set

  Conclusion: Pressing On

  Notes

  Foreword

  Dave Ramsey

  When I was about twelve, I asked my dad for some money to go with my buddies down to the local convenience store. I’ll never forget his response.

  “You don’t need money. You need a job!”

  Next thing I knew, I was knocking on doors all over Antioch, Tennessee. Whenever someone would answer, I’d hand them one of my business cards and request the “privilege” of serving their lawn care needs.

  Pretty soon Dave’s Lawns had dozens of clients, and I spent a blazin’ hot summer cutting what seemed like every blade of grass in my entire neighborhood.

  Of course, I’ve had a few jobs since then. I started selling real estate right out of high school and through college. And if you know my story, you know that I made a lot of money as young man, lost it all, then with God’s help, built Ramsey Solutions from the ashes of my bankruptcy.

  It’s been a wild ride! And a lot of work. But hard work is something the Ramseys have been known for through the years. In fact, our family crest includes two Latin words. The first is pray. And the other is work.

  Plus, as a Christian, I believe that work is a blessing, not a curse. In the earliest chapters of the Bible, Adam and Eve have a job to do—taking care of a garden. God gave those first people a purpose through work before sin entered the world. And He still wants people to find purpose in their work today.

  That’s right! God wants you to find something you love and do it for His glory—not just settle for a J-O-B and a paycheck.

  If you’re reading this book, I’m guessing you aren’t afraid of hard work either. You’re willing to put in the hours to really win at what you do—as long as what you do has purpose. You’re looking for work that matters.

  And that’s where Ken Coleman comes in.

  Ken is a man of many talents. For example, he’s a world-class interviewer, having gone one-on-one with some of the biggest names you can imagine. He’s talked with business leaders and successful coaches, prominent pastors, and former presidents. And absolutely nobody does it better!

  That’s one reason we asked him to join our team!

  But I’ll let you in on a secret: Ken’s greatest passion is helping others discover their own passions—especially when it comes to their careers. Sure, he makes interviewing dignitaries and speaking to crowds and hosting his own radio show look easy. But Ken has worked his way through the ranks, and he knows from personal experience what it takes to turn a dream into reality.

  In other words, he’s been where you are—and he can help you get where you’re wanting to go.

  That’s really what The Proximity Principle is all about.

  Have you ever noticed you become who you hang around with? If you hang with readers, you’ll read. If you surround yourself with people training physically, you will too. We even talk like the people we hang around. Our accents, dialects, and sentence structure reflect who we spend the most time with. For this reason, we don’t let our children run with kids who misbehave because we quickly see that bad behavior in our children. It should come as no shock to you, then, that to get into and excel in a field, you need to be in the proximity of people who are in that same field.

  I have used this principle unknowingly to shape my speaking style, learn to write, do a radio show, be a successful husband and parent, and lead our company. The people around me have made deposits into my life over the decades that have paid huge dividends, and I am grateful. Be in proximity to what you want to be. Wow. It sounds so simple, but there is more. You can live the life you want.

  And Ken uses the “Proximity Principle” to show you how to make that happen.

  One of my favorite quotes comes from automotive icon Henry Ford: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” I’ve shared that with audiences across America because it’s absolutely true. Change is always possible in your life and in your career, but that change always depends on you.

  And I can’t think of anyone more qualified to guide you toward that change than Ken Coleman. So dive in and put The Proximity Principle to work. I believe it has the power to transform your career.

  And your life.

  Acknowledgments

  Iam living my dream. Countless people have played roles in this book becoming a reality, but none more than Dave Ramsey. Dave, your belief, support, and generosity mean more to me than I can describe. Thank you for the opportunity to work on the Ramsey Solutions team. It is an honor to serve with you on this crusade.

  Preston Cannon, your support for this content and leadership of the process has been invalu
able. Thank you for the many brief huddles along the way.

  Matt Litton, it was a privilege to lock arms with you on this book. Thank you for your work, the constant encouragement, and for your passion for the message.

  Jen Gingerich, Cathy Shanks, Rick Prall, and Michelle Grooms—this book could not have happened without your skills, guidance, and commitment to excellence.

  Chris Carrico, it was so much fun working with you as you led the collaboration on the book cover.

  Elizabeth Cole and McKenzie Masters, thank you for your tireless and effective work to help me help others.

  Suzanne Simms and Cody Bennett, thank you for your leadership and support as this idea became a book.

  Bill Hampton, Jeremy Breland, and Les Parrott, you model the way, challenge me, and cheer me on.

  Ty, Chase, and Josie, your questions, excitement, and prayers inspired me.

  Stacy, your love, belief, prayers, and constant affirmation are a big reason why this book and everything I do happens. I cannot imagine being on this journey without you.

  Introduction

  If it is to be, it is up to me.

  —William H. Johnsen

  Every one of us wants to do work that matters—work that aligns with our personal values, talents, and passions. Work that makes a difference in the world. Yet 70 percent of employees report they are completely dissatisfied with their current work situation.1 Seventy percent! That means millions of people face each day with zero desire or excitement about their jobs.

  The question is: Why?

  Every one of us wants to do work that matters.

  Why do millions of people go through the work week like zombies waiting for the weekend? Don’t misunderstand. Those 70 percent aren’t indifferent. Many are excellent employees. They just feel stuck in a job they are not passionate about. So why do so many people avoid taking that first step to a job they love? The problem is fear, pride, or plain old confusion about how to get started on their journey to a dream job.

  I can tell you story after story of people who used to be part of that miserable 70 percent. Like my friend Jim, who spent forty years running his family furniture store instead of pursuing his passion for law. Or Rachel, who spent ten years in a banking career, daydreaming of being an event planner. And Noah, a sales executive in his thirties who always wanted to coach high school football. All three of them had a longing to chase their dreams and do more.

  I understand that feeling because I have been there.

  SOMETHING HAD TO CHANGE

  For years I’d dreamed of being a broadcaster, but I was also one of the 70 percent—stuck in a job I didn’t love.

  Then one morning it hit me.

  I was sitting on my back patio, coffee in hand, staring into the woods behind my house. I was lost and completely frustrated. All I could think about was the distance between where I was and where I wanted to be. My mind was racing. Is it too late to start? And if it isn’t too late, what if I try and fail? What will my wife, family, and friends say if I quit my job to try something new? Is a broadcasting career even possible for me? To be perfectly honest, I was ashamed that I hadn’t made any progress toward my goal. I knew something had to change.

  My Dream and My Dream Alone

  Then it came to me. My dream was real to me and only me. I was fully expecting someone to just drop a broadcasting job in my lap. When that didn’t happen, instead of doing something about it, I decided to throw myself a pity party. The truth is, no one in the entire world was sitting on their back patio thinking about how they could help Ken Coleman get his dream job.

  It was my dream and my dream alone.

  That realization was both frightening and freeing. It was frightening because I knew if I was ever going to be a broadcaster, I was the only one who could make it happen. And it was freeing because it gave me just the kick in the butt I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and start doing whatever it took to chase my dream.

  Man, I was fired up! But I was also a little scared. Okay, a lot scared. Over the next few days as I was processing what had happened, I remembered a passage I read once by William Hutchison Murray that gave me the courage I needed to press on:

  Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets: Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!2

  Murray was a Scottish mountain climber in the 1930s. He became famous for winter climbing in the Western Highlands.3 Can you imagine the determination and skill it takes to climb mountains? In the winter? As I thought about Murray’s words, I realized that chasing after your dream job is a lot like climbing a mountain. Both require bravery. Both require that you have the right people around to help you. Both require that you learn as you go. And ultimately both require that you take one bold step at a time.

  One Bold Step at a Time

  That first step toward a dream job is always the scariest. My friend Jim took that first step by enrolling in law classes at the age of fifty-two. Rachel used her evenings to work as an intern at a local event company. And Noah went back to school and began volunteering after work with a local high school football team.

  That first step toward a dream job is always the scariest.

  Me? I got off the patio and began pursuing my own dream job. It wasn’t always easy. There were days—weeks even—when I felt scared, crazy, and hopeless. Other days I’d go from feeling excited and full of momentum to wondering if I should just give up. But I pressed on, and each step I took up the mountain got me in closer proximity to where I wanted to be. And now, seven years later, I’ve reached the summit! I’m the host of my very own daily radio show, The Ken Coleman Show, where I get to help other people get closer to their dream job.

  Are you one of the 70 percent? Do you dread going to work each day because you’re not passionate about your job? Are you looking up at your personal “Mount Everest,” unsure of how to take the first step? The plan outlined in this book can help you reach the summit. And here’s the exciting truth: finding opportunities to do what you love is as simple as getting around the right people and being in the right places. This is what I call The Proximity Principle.

  So if you’re ready to take that first bold step, let’s begin it now.

  Chapter 1

  What Is The Proximity Principle?

  The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.

  —Mark Caine

  Let’s take a minute to talk about the word proximity. Proximity simply means to be near or close to something. When you are closer to something, it is often easier to access that thing, isn’t it? That’s not a hard concept. It isn’t rocket science. It’s actually common sense. It’s just that common sense isn’t so common.

  And when you’re far away from where you want to be, it makes things more difficult and challenging, right? I experienced this that morning on my patio. I was looking at a mountain without a plan for how to get to the top. I felt stuck in a job I didn’t love, and the distance between my reality and my dream of becoming a broadcaster seemed insurmountable. But as soon as I realized no one was going to just hand me a radio show, I knew the first step was up to me. So I started brainstorming ways to get closer to my dream.

  THE PROXIMITY PRINCIPLE

  In the introduction, I said that finding opportunities to do what you love is as simple as getting around the right people and being in the rig
ht places. That’s The Proximity Principle. In order to do what you want to do, you have to be around people who are doing it, in places where it’s happening. My first step, then, was to think about the personal connections I already had in the broadcasting industry. I’d recently heard about a new cutting-edge thing called podcasting, and I was eager to try it out. This was back when iPods had just hit the market. Very few companies had even heard the term podcasting, and they certainly weren’t putting money into it. I knew I was pretty good on a mic, and starting a podcast was the perfect entry point into a radio show. So I went to a leadership training company in Georgia called Catalyst. Why? Because I already knew some of the people who worked there. I was using some of the relationships I had already developed to try to get my foot in the door. I told these folks about this new thing called podcasting—and even cut out an article from a technology magazine to show them that it was a real thing!

  In order to do what you want to do, you have to be around people who are doing it, in places where it’s happening.

  Because the guys at Catalyst knew and trusted me, they realized there was very little risk involved for them and possibly some potential upside, so they allowed me to launch a podcast. Now this is where it gets good: the place. The only space they had available for me to record in was a five foot by five foot sound booth in a warehouse. And I’m being generous when I say “sound booth.” You would almost have to see it to believe it. It didn’t even have air conditioning. Have you ever experienced a summer in Georgia? Let me tell you, the humidity and heat take your breath away the second you walk outside. But that didn’t matter to me because being in that sound booth—no matter how small and stuffy—meant I was on the right path.

  Practicing The Proximity Principle