I richly remember growing up in this gem of the world watching Barry Crump hooning across our T.V screens in his red Hilux. To me he personified the Kiwi dream…making it in this world based on who you are! That’s right we live in a world where everyday people can achieve extraordinary things. It’s our imagination that sees us standing on the highest pinnacles, sailing the seas and flying the skies to make a world of difference.
To me my belief is that we do not live to survive but we live to thrive. We thrive through adhering to the skills we’ve evolved since learning to tie our shoe-laces, they include hard work, passion, commitment, determination, preparation and embracing our fears when within a safe environment, we exceed with these when we do what we love.
I had the privilege the other day of meeting a young salesman at the end of one of my talks. He enthused me through two very simple things. Firstly he was thriving when he was selling what he loved. When he wasn’t connecting to the product he wasn’t doing anyone any favors. Secondly and perhaps a message that echoed my beliefs so positively was he lived to thrive. When his manager was setting the annual targets everyone was given the same – 7500 units. The salesman asked “would you award me if I went for 10,000 units?” “Why of cause I would” the manager said, “infect I’d reward you for anything you achieved above 7,500 – because no one else has asked”. 7 months into the year the young salesman had hit 7,500 units easily because his target was 10,000 and now he’s well inline for a promotion.
To survive is to do what is expected, to thrive reaps the reward and not only from a financial perspective. We gain confidence, connections, mobility, trust, opportunity…we gain more than we initially imagined.
So how does this tie back to being a Toyota ambassador? I expected myself to drive, I expected myself to drive in style, but I knew I would thrive when connected with a brand that believed their success was not through what they achieved individually but through believing in others.
New Zealanders are adventuress, we demonstrate this through farms, offices, pitches and abroad, I like connecting with those who value that spirit, they are the ones worth sharing the journey with.
