I don’t know what took us so long to feature today’s guest since you all truly enjoy our backstage episodes. I am thrilled to bring you Phil Gerbyshak. In today’s conversation, Phil takes us through his shut up moments, which start at a young age growing up in a small, rural Wisconsin town where he was told he would never make anything of his life. The fear continued when gave his IT job a two-year notice and started his Make It Great Institute out of his home. In 2013, Phil embarked on a personal journey losing over 57 pounds in just over a year and most recently he has started a new venture to help financial services professionals.
Check out our conversation today as we talk about “peeling back the layers and shedding unwanted weight.”
Watch the show (uncensored & unedited)
Share Some Shut Up Love –> “How can you outgive those people in your life that really and truly need to be given to?” – @PhilGerb on #shutupshow (click to tweet)
Fun Facts:
- Phil Gerbyshak works with small businesses and organizations to increase employee & customer engagement by using social media to create and build relationships.
- Phil worked in IT for much of the past 15 years, and has focused his efforts on understanding and leveraging the social media space for over 8 years.
- In addition to professional speaking, Phil coaches others in the simple strategies and tactics that make life great.
- Phil’s first book 10 Ways to Make It Great! was published in 2006 and inspired many to make the changes in their life to go from good…to GREAT.
- Phil has written over 2000 articles on improving your life, your business, and your relationships.
Defining Shut Up Moment:
In eighth grade my guidance counselor told me, “You know, Phil, you should take easy math because you’ll work at a gas station the rest of your life.” I signed up for harder math and, no lie, my teacher had a quadruple bypass and I ended up doing some teaching with the substitute teacher. I helped teach some of the algebra and tutored mostly off the record with my high school friends. My junior year in high school I wanted to go to the airforce academy. The recruiter told me to piss off and I decided to do something else. The only option left for me to get out of little Crivitz, Wiscosnin, was to join the navy. I want to be a nuclear engineer. But the problem I was color-blind. I ended up going into naval intelligence and my job was to deliver email by hand. I did that for four years. After that, I went to school to be a teacher. Then I went to an internet provider. After that, I became a stock broker and did online trading by hand.
Then 9-11 happened and I wanted to get back in IT but the job I wanted was frozen. I ended up working at Robert W. Baird starting at the help desk. In 2005, I started my “Make it Great” journey. I wanted to be anybody but Phil Gerbyshak. So I started writing articles recapping what my favorite luminaries said and added a little spin on that. A couple years later, one of those figure and now my friend Steve Farber said, “Gerbyshak, you want to know the secret to success? The secret to succss is three words. Be more you.”
I self-published my first book 10 Ways to Make It Great! and started my speaking career. My wife at the time left me because she read my book and decided she wanted to make it great and didn’t want to be married to me anymore. Then at my year end review at Baird, I gave my two-year notice. While I was searching for my replacement, I was coaching advisors, running my Make It Great Institute out of my house, and writing my second book. After leaving the company and starting my business, in 2013 I decided that I should just covet my shut up moment and when Berni asked me to co-host the show, I decided heck yeah. My newest venture is working for Advisology full-time as the VP of Sales and Marketing.
Shut Up Tips:
I just know I’m awesome. – Phil Gerbyshak
I think as a human being I make bad decisions sometimes. I pick bad partners. I am a bad partner. Its just the truth. I screw stuff up. When I do, there’s two choices. One: Phil, you suck. Or two: Phil, learn from this. – Phil Gerbyshak
Whatever you do instead of reacting, pause. That’s how I released 57 pounds since December 2012. I didn’t do anything radical. I took control and made intentional choices. – Phil Gerbyshak
To hell with intention, be intentional. – Phil Gerbyshak
For me, I just want more energy. It’s not about the weight loss. – Phil Gerbyshak
I choose me. If there are two words that are different for me, it’s “Me first.” – Phil Gerbyshak
I’m trying to make my bucket bigger for me so I can have more to give. – Phil Gerbyshak
I am not motivated at all to lose weight and I still lost 57 pounds. I wanted to feel better. The outcome is I wanted more energy. – Phil Gerbyshak
It’s about learning more about me and spending more time with me. It’s not easy but so worth it to be released of that weight. I have more energy, more encouragement, sleep better. – Phil Gerbyshak
People matter. Decisions matter. Intention maters. It’s all about action and determination. – Phil Gerbyshak
I pick me first so I can be more me. I want to give more. The better you are, the more you can give to other people. – Phil Gerbyshak
I encourage and challenge you to ask yourself, “How can you outgive those people in your life that really and truly need to be given to?” – Phil Gerbyshak
Phil Recommends:
Phil recommends the book Instant Influence by Michael Pantalon
If you’re in financial services and you want help integrating social media into your existing sales process, check out Phil’s new venture Advisology.com.
Find Phil:
Tweet with Phil on Twitter at @PhilGerb
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