Brilliance from the Biggest Boss
Rick Ross, The Biggest Boss
Rick Ross’ second book, “A Perfect Day to Boss Up,” reveals wisdom from the world of hip hop entrepreneurship that can better any brand.
As a father of two young kids I find myself at the public library from time to time. And one of those times I happened into the business section, which consists of about 25 books, approximately half of which have “For Dummies” at the end of the title. But on a recent occasion, I came upon an unexpected source of inspiration starting back at me in a Coogi sweater and gold Versace sunglasses. The following quotes were taken from the Biggest Boss himself, and are being delivered directly to your brain and brand without the potential threat of a minimal late fee.
On the danger of excuses…
“The dangerous part of excuses is that a lot of them make sense. But you’ve still got to find a way. Stop looking for someone else to solve your problems for you. Nobody owes you shit.”
A practical approach to empire building…
“Rome wasn’t built in a day. The idea is to remain patient when you’re working towards your goals because all great things take time. People get confused and think hustling hard means moving fast. You don’t need to move fast. You need to move correctly. Empires are built brick by brick.”
Who you know affects how much you earn…
“I may be the head of this empire, but all these people make up the backbone. A backbone consists of many vertebrae, and if just one of them is out of alignment, the whole body suffers. Your network affects your net worth.”
The complicated relationship between work and money…
“Bosses don’t just work for money. They put their money to work.”
Success sold separately…
“The dream is free but the hustle is sold separately. And your hustle is what ultimately determines your salary.”
Do more to earn more…
“I put my all into everything I do. If you do more than what you’re paid for, eventually you will be paid for more than what you do.”
Avoiding extinction…
“Bosses stay students, and having that beginner’s mindset will take you far. This is a fast-paced world, and things are constantly changing. If you’re stuck in your ways and can learn, adapt and evolve, you’re going to end up like the megalodon shark. Extinct.”
Speak it into existence…
Muhammad Ali said, “I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was. Don’t tell me I can’t do something. Don’t tell me it’s impossible. Don’t tell me I’m not the greatest. I’m the double greatest.”
Failure builds fortunes…
“Being in denial of your fuckups will only hold you back. Accepting your flaws and missteps is the first step toward making changes and improving yourself. At the end of the day, that’s what bossing up is all about.”
It’s nearly impossible to pick which of these I like the most, but if I had to narrow down to one piece of Bossed Up advice that I think could benefit most brands, it’s the idea that “bosses stay students.” No matter how big or “best” or badass your brand gets, there is always more to learn. It’s reminiscent of a quote from the Notorious B.I.G. that I put on the first page of our employee onboarding manual:
“Just stay busy, stay working. Puff (Daddy) told me, like, the key to this joint, the key to staying on top of things is to treat everything like it’s your first project...Like it’s your first day like back when you was an intern. Like, that’s how you try to treat things like, stay hungry.”
Ok, gotta run and get this book back to the library so someone else can be blessed by the brainpower of the Biggest Boss. Remember what they say about libraries…they’re built book by book.
