Hey there!

This is a slightly uncomfortable newsletter issue for me to write.

Why?

Because...

Shy of my inner circle of clients and friends...

I typically do not talk about this stuff.

And also because...

Even though I still think the whole world revolves around me...

Sharing the foundations of my thinking always feels a bit weird.

In spite of what you might think: I am NOT a genius.

I've been told on many occasions by people with very suspicious good intentions that they'd love to bottle up my brain and do unspeakable borderline sexual things with it...

But...

I am no genius.

In a weird sort of way...

I am very proud of the fact that I graduated with a third class degree in Business Management...

I'll tell you why some day.

And...

At various points I have considered paying for a life experience based honorary MBA and PhD from Berkshire University...

Just for the pleasure of seeing the look on people's faces when I'm introduced as Dr. Victor Ekpo Bassey PhD...

And I tell them that I got my MBA & PhD in 3 days...

#evillaugh

That said...

Whilst I'm definitely not a genius by any standard I'm currently aware of...

This I will say...

I have worked hard to develop the single biggest advantage any person in any

industry could possibly have:

Intellectual security.

I have zero desire to be the smartest person in any room..

No desire to have the last word.

No desire to be right...

No desire to convince anyone of my ways.

I am more than willing to be "wrong" and let others "win"...

If it means moving forward in a favorable way.

Intellectual security is being willing to sacrifice the need to be right in favor of closing the gap between where you want are and where you want to be.

This by the way has done wonders for my relationships.

In terms of my business model...

I don't particularly care if I get credit for anything I do...

That doesn't mean I'm stupid or that I don't take measures to protect myself...

It just means...

I don’t have to convince anyone that my ideas are valuable...

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Question: Why do smart, high profile, successful people keep showing up and thinking “CTM is Smart”?

Answer: Because they are smart.

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Smart people have a high level of brainpower which gets them pretty far in life.

But...

They are still human...

They come hardwired with the same biases as the rest of us.

And at a certain level they begin to use that brainpower to strengthen their beliefs...

Even the beliefs that don't serve them or get them closer to what they want.

Smart people get far in life on their own because they are smart.

They also get in their way because they’re smart.

The easiest way to get them out of their own way is to simply remind them of who they are and help them see their blindspots...

And when you point something out that they’ve never seen before...(Good or bad)

You get credit even if it’s been there the entire time.

Everyone else is so busy trying to market to them...

Trying to sell to them...

Trying to prove they are smart and belong

Because they are intellectual insecure...

And so they miss what in my humble opinion is one of the biggest opportunity for massive growth in our space:

Help intelligent people remember what they already know.

Do that and they will make quantum leaps forward - take you along with them

Be careful though...

Because as soon as you worry about getting credit for it...

Or getting recognized for it...

Or being “right” about it..

You dilute the process.

For instance...

Sometimes...

I will purposefully be wrong to help the person across from me realize what they need to realize to quantum leap forward.

And I'd rather have them leap forward as a result of our interaction than get

credit for it.

That's called Intellectual security.

Want to make quantum leaps yourself?

First...

Know what you know and be secure in it...

Not because you know it for sure...

But because you’re always stress testing your assumptions.

Second...

Know what you don’t know and be secure with it.

Focus on creating the most favorable outcome...

Instead of getting credit for any of it...

And be secure in it.

Every time you try and position yourself as super smart in your marketing or sales...

You will lose power over sophisticated buyers because...

THEY KNOW YOU’RE PUTTING EFFORT INTO POSITIONING YOURSELF.

How much you talk about yourself being valuable is inversely related to how much other people talk about you being valuable.

Which do you think opens more doors?

If you can develop intellectual security you won’t need to worry about positioning

yourself.

Everyone else will handle that for you.

Tomorrow I share with you two key things that keep most of us from reaching our potential.

If you've ever wanted to explore your potential but find yourself being held back by your family and friends...

You're going to love tomorrow's email.

By the way...

In a few days the final public version of the 97 day challenge will be starting.

As my gift to you..

You can get in for N167,000 a month for 3 months rather than the usual N900,000.

Let me help you lay the foundation for a practice that brings in $10,000 a month.

Interested?

Hit reply and let me know.

Till tomorrow...

Get out of your own way.

CTM