Michael Levine's EXCELlent Adventure

Q: Youve had a successful P.R. agency and written a number of books, what made you pivot to the new area of life coaching?

A: Great question. Actually it was born out of my seeing the need. I only wish that I had had a coach long ago and I had to learn the hard way, making many, many, many painful and difficult mistakes along the way. The reality is that I looked around the world and saw all of the top Fortune 500 companies had a board of directors, all filled with brilliant, well paid advisors, helping these companies navigate the course to victory and avoiding defeat. Well if thats true, for every one of the Fortune 500 companies, why isnt it true for people as well? A success coach can help massively with efficiency. The reality is that it is possible through the use of enough force to build a house without the use of a hammer and nails, its just not very effective or efficient, and I wouldnt try it on a skyscraper. Everyone needs a coach.

Q: What is your central message to clients?

A: Everyone needs a coach. Trying to see yourself clearly is a as absurd as trying to perform surgery on yourself. High performance individuals all have coaches and my central message is that all people with big dreams that hope to accomplish them need a good coach.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish with Excel?

A: The Excel Community was formed in an effort to provide low cost video life lessons for people. For a hundred dollars a year you can receive a five minute weekly video, helping you learn a life lesson that is something you did not learn in college. In fact, Im often trying to undo many of the nonsensical notions people learn in school.

Q: How does it work?

A: You receive a five-minute video on a particular topic of the week. The video is meant to instruct, inspire and motivate you to think about the big lessons of life and how you are performing.

Q: What life lessons do you enjoy sharing with your clients?

A: The most important notion is that the game, though not easy, though not fair, is winnable. But that success is not easy and there are many, many sacrifices that people are called to make for a big dream. Steve Jobs said that he said a thousand nos so he could have one magnificent yes. This ones completely counter to the thinking of today.

Q: What are the typical mistakes people make when it comes to their own brand and work?

A: The most significant mistake is failing to realize that human beings are brands in the same way that Calvin Klein is an American male but also my and perhaps your underwear. If you do not brand yourself, the world will brand you, though you wont like it very much.