Alex Pettes is the President of TFI Food Equipment Solutions, a Toronto based specialty restaurant equipment distributor. Alex has spent his career in sales and sales management, and this book is a collection of thoughts gathered along his own personal and professional development journey. Included in the book are thoughts on sales, sales management, self-development and serving others. You’ll learn:• the importance of developing a personal mission statement, • the method of "idea canvas" and why it might help you; • ways to use lists to focus and achieve your goals; • the nine keys to succeed in love and life; • ways to harness concentration, consistency, and cooperation to succeed. Known as "The Commander" or "Cmdr Pettes", Alex has developed this persona as the Sales Fighter Pilot Squadron Leader over the past dozen or so years. His enthusiastic, positive and "Super Good" approach to all he does has been well received by those he has had the privilege to serve.

FROM THE FLIGHT DECK

Thoughts on Sales, Life, and Personal DevelopmentBy ALEX PETTES

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2010 Alex Pettes
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4502-8158-4

Contents

Preface.............................................................................1Introduction: Who Is Commander Pettes?..............................................3Notes from the Idea Canvas..........................................................13The Best Ideas I Ever Took .........................................................30Put Your Own Oxygen Mask on First...................................................35Even This Shall Pass Away: Enjoy All of Life's Fleeting Moments.....................41Lessons on the Wing.................................................................47Goal Setting: How Can You Hit a Target You Don't Even Have?.........................54Sales Signs along the Way...........................................................64The Cmdr's Perspective on Sales Management..........................................74Parenting 101: A Collection of Ideas for Parents....................................84The Lessons of the Pump.............................................................93Final Comments......................................................................101

Chapter One

Notes from the Idea Canvas

Once I had conceived the idea for this book, I wanted to find a way to record the various ideas and insights that might be useful when I finally got around to the actual writing. I had a journal that I was using, but I am a visual person and needed something "in my face" to keep me motivated.

I was reading a blog by a great marketing writer named Seth Godin. He referenced an artist named Hugh MacLeod's blog, so I clicked on the link and kept reading. One of things on the blog was a regular update on Hugh's progress as he created a piece of art. This art was a canvas that was becoming ever more filled with what I think was small detailed words in black ink.

Suddenly, the idea came to me.

So on April 2, 2009, I went out to the art store and bought a 28" X 32" blank framed canvas and hung it on the wall in my office at home. I bought four different-coloured Sharpie markers and that day started what I called my Idea Canvas. The concept was that anyone could add a thought or a note to the canvas. With the various colours of markers and the "random" method in which the various sayings would be written, not only would this be a great vehicle to keep ideas, but it would also end up as a piece of personal art.

Over the next fourteen or so months, if I was reading and found a particularly interesting or inspiring thought, I recorded it on the canvas. I really got to like this simple idea. The Idea Canvas became significant to me in a few ways. First, it was a simple and inexpensive way to publically make sure I kept my word and wrote my book. Second, I often would review the items written down, further reinforcing the personal development journey and the lessons I was learning. Third, it became a conversation piece, and now that it is filled (although there is always space for more ideas!), I think it is quite an interesting piece of personal art and a part of me. I created the art for myself, but as with all art, the viewer can take away whatever message and meaning it creates for them. Whatever your feelings about it, you won't hurt mine!

Below I have recorded all the items written on the Idea Canvas. I have tried to order the random nature of these thoughts into a few helpful categories. As you read the variety and quantity of ideas below, I hope that you will find some that resonate with you. They are varied in nature and have been taken from many areas (I have tried to note the source where possible), along with comments from my kids and my nephews, who also added a few points. With each subsection, I will try to relay a summary of what the points mean to me. In this and all the following sections, the text written in point form is as it appears on the canvas. And the order in which the points appear has no real meaning or substance. They are random, like the ideas that came to me over time as I filled the canvas. Enjoy!

Ideas for the Book

As I started the Idea Canvas, the initial idea was to record some ideas that I might end up putting in the book. Below are the random ideas that came to me, some of which have actually ended up as chapters or as ideas that were developed further.

- Dog tags as chapter headings - What is the objective of writing the book? Why? For Whom? - The inspiration for this came from Hugh MacLeod's blog and his "DesertManhattan" art - Remove the ego behind why and a better book and message will occur - Cmdr Mission Statement - I am thinking of From the Flight Deck as the book title - Narrative hook - Challenge Coins or CD/DVD - A journey of personalities and influences I have encountered - The Sailor, The Seal, and The Swami - Lessons from the Mouse - Chart of The Mastery Grid - Lesson's from Mario

Comments from the Kids

Before I get too deep into the list of ideas, I wanted to start with the thoughts and ideas that were given by the kids. I wanted to have this Idea Canvas to be a way to involve others in the process of developing the book. While most of what the kids wrote is funny and light, there is definitely some wisdom in the words of these youth.

a. Tabitha Pettes (my oldest daughter) - I have read Holes for every report I had in grade school. Make your book that good! I love you - "Out damned spot, out!" Lady Macbeth - Marry rich and you will live a good life - Chapter Title: Tabitha, my Favourite Daughter

- Behind this canvas is everything you'll never understand - Will it be first person or third person? That is the question b. Nicole Pettes (my youngest daughter) - The three little pigs is one of the most rewarded stories of all time! - (A drawing of a heart with "I love you") Your book should symbolize something you are passionate about - I see said the blind man to his deaf wife as his paralyzed children came running—Tell the truth in your book - Men are like trees; it takes them 50 years to grow up - A good friend will bail you out of jail. A true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "That was Awesome!" - A hug is like a boomerang; you get it back right away - Life without love is like a chocolate chip cookie without chocolate chips ... boring - "When you are in love, you have to share the 'starism'" - "MMM. Sprinkles. Crunchy little balls of sugar" - Goal setting triggers your subconscious computer - Good things come from hard work - Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you react to them c. Nephews - Keep your ears open wider than your mouth (Tyler Marshall) - If you see something, it doesn't mean it's not alive (Lucas Lafleur) - The road ends 2 ways; which one will you choose (Lucas Lafleur)

Service to Others

One of the themes that came out very clearly in the reading and thinking I did over the past couple of years was the nature of service to others. The idea that man's highest ideal is in service to others dates back thousands of years. It is interesting how the same message has pervaded the generations and has been stated in so many ways. I hope that many of these comments resonate and inspire you in some way.

- "They also serve who only stand and wait." John Milton, "On His Blindness" - "Life is to give, not to take." Victor Hugo - "He is best among humans who is best at repaying." Mohammad - "Through service to the whole, we open our lives to a larger purpose." Judith Anodea, Waking the Global Heart - "This is mans highest end; to other's service all his powers to lend." Oedipus in Sophocles' The Oedipus Trilogy - "Make it your guiding principal to do your best for others and to be trust worthy in what you say." Confucius Book 1–8 - "The era in which we live belongs to people who believe in themselves, but are focused on the needs of others." Jeff Immelt, CEO of GE - "So in everything you do, do unto others what you would have them do unto you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." Jesus, Mathew 7:12 - "'Selje.' Norwegian for sell, which means 'to serve.' To sell means to serve." Zig Ziglar - "The law of success is service; that we get what we give. And for this reason we should consider it a great privilege to be able to give." Charles Haanel, The Master Key System - Be a hummingbird; do all you can! - "Nobody makes a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little." Edmund Burke

Self and Personal Development

I have considered myself a student of the science of personal development for many years. I owe much of my personal and professional success to the fact that at a young age of about twenty-six, I discovered a number of great teachers through books, most notably Zig Ziglar. Much of who I am I learned directly from the authors I read and listened to. And I did my best to try to put what I learned into action, as that is where true growth occurs and results show up.

- Discipline: "I have never accidentally eaten anything." Zig Ziglar - "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels." Zig Ziglar - Pursuit of an ideal or goal develops initiative, energy and enthusiasm - Fighter pilot pyramid:

Whatever it takes! Ever learning, improving Know the mission, environment Calm, confident, and yet slightly cocky

- "The quality of our life's journey can never be higher than the level of personal development we have attained." James Hollis, Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life - "If I had to pick a single indicator of a future top leader, I would say it's the degree of his commitment and determination to improve himself, on his own." General Tony Zinni, Leading the Charge - "You can't build a garden with withered flowers; you must start within!" Mathieu Ricard - "The greatest treasure humans can have is self confidence." Buddha - "Whether you prevail or fail, endure or die, depends more on what you do to yourself than on what the world does to you." Jim Collins, How the Mighty Fall and Why Some Companies Never Give In - "Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine AND puts them into practice is like a wise man who builds his house on the rock." Jesus, Mathew 7:24 - "Persistence is self-discipline in action." Brian Tracy - "I am responsible!" Greg McMaster, President, Taylor Company - Pain is weakness leaving the body - Take the Best, forget the Rest

- "I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self." Aristotle

As You Think ...

In the 1960s, a great simple book was written by Earl Nightingale called "The Strangest Secret." The premise he went on to talk about was that as humans, "we become what we think about." I listened to this book on tape over fifteen years ago, and it was a very powerful thought. Early in the twenty-first century, a compilation book by Rhonda Byrne called The Secret took the stage as a simple and powerful book for the modern age. Its premise is that The Secret is the Law of Attraction: what you think about, you will become. My first thought after reading this was to think that I had heard this already from Earl Nightingale. What a surprise to discover that this same message had been spoken by many sages thousands of years ago. Wisdom of the ages is truly ageless.

- "Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life." Proverbs 4:23 - "Let one therefore keep the mind pure, for what a man thinks, that he be becomes. This is a mystery of eternity." Maitri Upanishad, Indian sages from 5000 BC - "All we are is a result of what we have thought." Buddha - "All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts. As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains." James Allen, As a Man Thinketh - "You become what you think about." Earl Nightingale, The Strangest Secret - "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things." My baptism verse, June 2, 2002, Philippians 4:8 - "No experience is terrible unless you make it so." Plutarch - "The Secret is The Law of Attraction: Ask-Believe-Receive." Rhonda Byrne The Secret - Bad VERBs that weaken your Personal Power: Victimization; Entitlement; Rescue; Blame - All are focused on giving responsibility for your feelings and happiness to others. I AM Responsible!

Life Lessons

Many of the ideas and thoughts on the canvas could be considered Life Lessons. The quotes in this section did not really fit under the other headings, so I created a smaller chunk of wisdom to digest!

- DesireWealth = Poverty - To earn more, learn more - Leisure is a luxury best enjoyed in small portions - A life worth living is a life worth recording - Weddings optional, funerals mandatory - Life is full of setbacks: Success is determined by how you react to them

- Focus + Daily Improvement + Time = Genius - Robin Sharma 'The Greatness Guide' - Trial + Error + Reflection+ Perseverance = Desired Result - Gift + Passion = Better World

Little Lists for Life

I am a list person. I studied in school with lists, and I enjoy the simplicity of lists and the messages they convey. I had a number of lists that appeared on the canvas, some philosophical, some practical, and all worth reviewing.

- Think of 3 things: * Whence you came * Where you are going * To whom you must give account * Benjamin Franklin - 3 requirements for meaningful work: * Relationship between effort and reward * Complexity * Autonomy * Malcolm Gladwell, The Outliers - Body – Mind – Intellect – Self - "Nine things you must do to succeed in love and life" * 1. Dig it up * 2. Pull your tooth * 3. Play the movie * 4. Do something * 5. Act like an ant * 6. Hate well * 7. Don't play fair * 8. Be humble * 9. Upset the right people * By Dr. Henry Cloud, 9 Things a Leader Must Do - Understanding the lessons of the pump will revealthe secrets of success! * 1. Prime the pump – put in first * 2. The deeper the water the purer it is – hard work is the sweetest * 3. Don't stop! – the water goes down and you start over again * 4. Once the water is flowing, a little easy, steady, pressure is all you need for the water to continue to flow - The 3 basic interests in life: * Sense of purpose * Health * Relationships (others and God) - The 3 C's to success: * Concentration * Consistency * Co-operation * Swamiji Parthasarathy - The masculine journey: * Boyhood * Cowboy * Warrior * Lover * King * Sage * John Eldridge, Fathered by God - 3 Universal reasons for working: * Survive * Save * Serve * Bob Burg and John David Mann, The Go-Giver

Wisdom Proverbs and Great Quotes

There are many great quotes, and the vast majority of the ideas I ended up writing down on the canvas were quotes. I could not sort these into nicer, smaller chunks of thought. Review this list more slowly, as each quote bears the seed of a great tree of wisdom.

- "Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet releases as the foot crushes it." Mark Twain - "Men will not die for gold, but men will die for ribbons." Napoleon - "Where wealth accumulates, men decay." Oliver Goldsworth - "But they whom truth and wisdom lead, cangather honey from a weed." William Cowper, "The Pineapple and the Bee" - "The greatest burden a child must bear is theun lived lives of their parents." Carl Jung. - "I promise to live a great, full life and relieve my girls of this burden." Alex Pettes - "Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways. You will eat the fruit of your labour. Blessings and prosperity will be yours!" Psalm 128: 1–2

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Excerpted from FROM THE FLIGHT DECKby ALEX PETTES Copyright © 2010 by Alex Pettes. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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