I’VE BEEN SO EAGER FOR THIS EPISODE TO DROP because I know that this conversation with Mike Zeller is going to be one that stays with you for a lifetime.
Gearing up for this particular conversation, God just kept dropping in my lap these hints that you, my wonderful listeners of the Luminary Leadership Podcast, needed to have these conversations around the idea of shifting away from just pursuing what is easy, comfortable and what feels like it will bring success and tapping into who you’re called to be and what you’re meant to do, things that will bring you those feelings of fulfillment and joy.
During his career, Mike studied under industry masters like Tony Robbins and Russell Brunson, his business has skyrocketed and he’s got over 600,000 followers on Instagram. But, none of that even holds a candle to the depth of conversation that we have today around the concept of really discovering the genius within (which is also the name of his book). He has an actual process that he talks about today; a four step process to help you discover your true zone of genius, that category of your work life and your personal life that is going to take you into a state of flow where you feel both productive but also purposeful in what you’re doing. Let’s get to the episode!
IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:
[3:43] Meet Mike Zeller
Originally from Kentucky, Mike went through a season where he started a bunch of businesses in 2018 and ended up losing over a million dollars. He realized that his zone of genius helped him grow to a certain level but because he was playing out of position, it also undermined his success because he didn’t fill in the gaps appropriately enough.
So, he went through that super painful divine storm and now, he gets to mentor and lead other entrepreneurs from around the world in their transformation and help them find their deepest area of genius.
[5:27] Significance With Success
We’re all craving a better understanding of what it is we’re actually called to do, who we are actually called to be in the process, and how to get there in a way that’s aligned with how we want to feel in the process.
Mike explains that when we’re going through a transition from one level to the next, there’s a lot of things that come up. There’s an upper limit problem. If you’re shifting into a higher level, it feels dangerous to your brain and your brain is designed to protect you. So, when you have an upper limit problem, how do you leap above it and create that transformation?
Well, according to Mike, the first thing that needs to happen is the identity transformation, creating your own alter ego. Many different men and women throughout history have often had powerful alter egos and if you pair that with “flow” aka stepping into your deepest area of genius, you get the greatest accumulation and greatest clarity than ever before about your strengths, your weaknesses and your highest level of impact.
[9:24] How Do We Discover Our Zone of Genius?
Mike believes that our zone of genius is a natural pathway into wealth, fulfillment, impact and a place where success and growth and possibility start to happen more naturally. But how do we discover our zone of genius?
The key to this process is gathering of the data, because if you gather the right data about yourself, certain patterns will emerge. Mike’s process has four different quadrants:
- Your unique talents
- Your defining “aha” life moments
- Your key relationships
- Your values and passions
When you assemble all those things together, you’ve got the greatest accumulation of clues about who you are and what you’re meant to do.
[12:52] Being In Your Zone of Genius
How can you tell if you are in your zone of genius?
You probably have things within your company and your business that you can do with a blindfold on, that are fun and easy and you can do them quicker than anyone else on the team.
This is because those things are your zone of genius.
When you are in your zone of genius, it’s easy and it’s fun. It doesn’t mean there’s not a struggle, but it’s a fun struggle. It’s a rewarding struggle. It’s a struggle you know you can get through.
[21:10] Good and Bad Habits when Stepping Into Your Zone of Genius
According to Mike, one of the biggest habits a lot of entrepreneurs adopt as they grow is that they just add more to their plates instead of deleting and delegating. The to-do lists just keep growing and growing and growing.
Part of it is there’s a middle class mindset that a lot of entrepreneurs have to bust through. You have to rewrite your money story of your self-worth and the value that you’re creating in the world. There will be a point in your business where you can’t just work 10x more or 10x harder, but you can add 10x people, you can 10x your organization, which is where you’re flourishing.
Measure your self-worth by smart decisions.
Also, you’ve got to let your ego stay at the door. Once people in your team or your organization start to tap into where they’re supposed to be, they’ll become so confident and bring so much more value to the organization which ultimately affects the bottom line. When you let your ego stay at the door, what happens is you get greater clarity on your genius and you come to appreciate others’ genius more effectively, too.
[24:29] Mike’s Mission
Mike always believed that there had to be a blueprint to help people step into their zone of genius and discover for themselves who they are and who they’re meant to be.
His mission is to design his organizations in his genius because it’s more fun, fulfilling and rewarding and allows his team to be in their genius and do the work they love. And because he has self-awareness around himself, he can coach and guide him as well.
It’s a joy to see people step into their potential and Mike feels that his core mission in life is to unleash people’s divine potential.
If today’s episode spoke to you, please leave us a review and be sure to hit the follow button so you don’t miss out on the next episode. Come connect with me on Instagram @elizhartke! If there’s a topic, a question or a guest you want to hear on the show, just reach out and share that. We do this for you so the more you tell us, the more we can serve.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:
- Get your FREE copy of The Genius Within (just pay shipping and handling!)
- TEXT Genius You to 474747 for “How to Find Your Genius” e-book
- Connect with Mike on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/themikezeller/
- Did this episode resonate with you? Help spread the message by grabbing your phone to rate and leave a review for the show here!
- Connect with me on Instagram!
