We asked Michael Bergdahl a few questions regarding his new book High Expectations are the Key to Everything and here's the long awaited interview:
Q. Michael, you’ve written three successful
books before HEATKTE, all related to Sam Walton and Wal-Mart. What gave you the
inspiration to write a book independent of them and more about individual success
stories?
A: My
newest book is personal. My wife,
Sheryl, to whom I have now been married for 37 years, suffered a catastrophic
“stroke” which changed our lives.
Initially she was in a coma due to brain swelling and might have
died. Though permanently paralyzed, she
survived, adapted to her permanent disability, and she now continues to thrive
ten years later. In this book we discuss
the changes each of us went through, and how we ultimately became stronger
individuals as well as a stronger family.
Sheryl and I decided to write this book to share our inspirational story
of overcoming adversity but more importantly it is written to help readers
overcome the obstacles they face to achieving success in their lives.
Q. Can you tell us about one experience, apart from the ones in the book that made
the most profound impact on your life?
A: Sheryl
and I had always been city dwellers for most of our lives. When our children were at the age when they
were about to start school we decided to give them a different lifestyle. We left the confines of city dwelling and
instead bought a spacious farm. Our home
sits high on a hill overlooking the farm, and the creek which bisects our
property. We see a steady stream of wild
animals throughout the day that stop by the creek for a drink of water. Many of the life lessons we talk about in the
book would never have been experienced by us if we hadn’t lived on a farm,
where we could learn from our natural surroundings. My home office window overlooks the farm and
the creek, and that beautiful setting is where I have written all my
books. Farm living fundamentally changed
Sheryl, our children and I, in profound and wonderful ways.
Q.
The book beautifully describes all that you need to do in order to attain your
dream and achieve success but what would your advice be to those individuals
who even now struggle to find their dream, let alone work towards it?
A: Keep believing in yourself; you were meant to
achieve your goals in life! Everyone
fears failure but some of us actually fear our own potential success! I believe everyone has something special to
offer the world, and sometimes the biggest impediment to attaining that special
something and achieving dreams is lack of self-esteem. In actuality, many people set their goals
too low, which guarantees no better than average or even mediocre performance
throughout their lives. Achievement in
life starts with believing in your own ability and then overcoming founded and
unfounded fears. The fact is we all
have fears, but in order to reach our full potential we must confront and
overcome those fears. Is it fear of
failure that causes people to set their goals too low or, are human nature and
our own psychology structured in such a way that deep down inside each of us
fears our own success? We don’t know for
certain, but what we do know is this: if
you don’t have high expectations for everything you do, you will achieve far
below your true capability. It is a shame
when any one of us sets our goals so low that they are easy to reach; with that
strategy you can only achieve average performance and results.
Q. For
every individual, the definition of success is different. What does success
mean to you?
A: At
different stages of my life I had different standards for personal
success. For much of my working life I
worked in large corporations where I viewed success as bringing home a paycheck
to make my family’s lives comfortable and safe. I was a “hunter/ gatherer” and Sheryl was the “nurturer” of the
family. After Sheryl’s stroke I was
forced by circumstances to become the “family nurturer” for the first
time. I became “Mr. Mom.” I had to help the children with their
homework, cook the meals, wash the dishes, do the laundry, clean the house, buy
the groceries, pay the bills, take care of the farm, and earn a living. Really for the first time I was forced to get
to know the details of each of my family member’s day to day lives. Today, my definition of success is much
broader. It’s about being a good
father, husband, caregiver, and provider.
To be honest, being really connected to my family is success to me.
Q.
What would your message be to all the new, young people, fresh out of college
and b-schools in terms of achieving success in their chosen careers?
A: You can
have a balanced life with a good job, time to spend with your family, and
financial security. But let me answer
this question by asking the reader a few of my own. Are you willing to invest the time, energy,
and effort that is required to achieve your goals? Do you have higher standards than your peers
for what you want to achieve in life?
Are you confident in your own ability; do you believe in myself? Is there something you are really passionate
about achieving in life? Are you willing
to take risks in order to achieve my goals?
Are you realistically optimistic about your future? Are you prepared to face and overcome
adversity? Most importantly, are you
willing to work harder than you've ever worked before to get what you
want? If you answered “YES” to these
questions you've got the right outlook!
But did you know that when you strive to achieve your dreams, along the
way you’ll need to confront unwarranted criticism from your peers, friends,
family members, naysayers, and self-defeating negative internal self-talk. It is in those times you must continue to
believe in yourself. Embrace these 14 two
letter words as your personal mantra for success:
If It Is To Be, It Is Up To Me, To Go Do It!
Q.
Lastly, any plans for another bestselling book on the horizon?
A: I am
just finishing a follow-up book to HEATKTE.
In this new book I have written 365 of my best “high expectations”
quotations to provide daily inspiration throughout the year!
~***~
MICHAEL
BERGDAHL is a professional international business speaker, turnaround
specialist and author. He has appeared on CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Univision, CBS
National Radio and Bloomberg TV. Bergdahl was the Director of “People” at the
Wal-Mart headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. He worked in the FMCG Industry
for PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay Division in the sales organization and headquarters
staff assignments. Bergdahl received the Senior Professional in Human Resources
(SPHR) life certification from SHRM. He is a graduate of Pennsylvania State
University with a B.S. in Sociology/Behavioral Sciences.
SHERYL
BERGDAHL is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, Sheryl was awarded
a B.S. degree in Social Welfare. Professionally, she has been a teacher and
social worker, and she has assisted her husband, Michael, on his professional
speaking engagements.
You can buy the book High Expectations are the Key to Everything here: http://bit.ly/HEATKTE.
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