Sharpen Your Axe: Episode 3

In this episode of Sharpen Your Axe, Mike Hardwick, Churchill Mortgage founder and president, and Matt Clarke, COO/CFO of Churchill,  discuss how fear can be paralyzing.

Mike gets personal and talks about a time in his life when he suffered from depression. “I overcame it with the help of family and friends holding me accountable and helping me see there would be better days ahead–out of the darkness I was experiencing.” For him, depression created an inability to get out of bed and start the day. “During those times of my life, it was so important to have a good structure of family and friends standing around me who could help to figuratively pick me back up and carry me through the hard times. I’ve learned that no man is an island,” states Mike.

Mike and Matt go on to discuss how important it is to be vulnerable enough to let your trusted family and friends help you and to listen to their advice on how to weather a personal storm. But how do you keep momentum going in business when difficult times strike? Both Mike and Matt agree that everyone has a slump and needs a coach to help survive life’s difficulties and downturns.

Everyone should work with a coach to make a plan and then be willing to be held accountable to execute it. Mike stresses the importance of simply working harder in difficult times. “In sales, it’s all about the numbers. Get up, get to work early, make more sales calls and grow your depth of knowledge to become better,” explains Mike.

• Become an expert and improve your ability to articulate with your customers
• Build daily disciplines and follow them without exception, so you can become the best version of yourself
• Hold yourself accountable

The one word that Mike believes best describes how to be successful: consistency. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary the definition of the word “consistency” is showing steady conformity to character, profession, belief, or custom. Plain and simple, consistency is important in business and is often overlooked. Mike truly believes that consistency can be the difference between failure and success.