Review by Jullian Ephina
Amplifying Average by Tim Schmidt is a story that will make you laugh, get you pumped up, and set you up for success if you take mental notes and more importantly, take action on those notes.
He breaks down the art of being able to go to happy hour and turning it into a financial win by avoiding being a bar fly and instead being a socialite, which when you read how he urges you to do that, is quite informative. He shows you how to meet the right people, how to get introduced to them, and more importantly, get in their ear about whatever it is you want to talk to them about, all while being respectful an not sounding like you have an agenda.
Self-help is a focus in this book, and one way he teaches you how to learn more about yourself is to get out of your comfort zone. When he took a chance on creating the life he always dreamt of, he saw times where his credit card bills looked unpayable and getting out of debt, unachievable. Yet he continued at it, crediting his father teaching him the value of good credit and how to take advantage of balance transfers like an absolute pro.
Citing mentors and role models in front of him, he talks about how it’s important to learn from someone who has been in your shoes, done what you’ve done, and seen through their lens. More importantly, getting schooled on the importance of hard work was something he learned growing up in the Midwest, citing how he had to shovel snow at 5 in the morning so his father could get to work.
Tim also opens up about failures in this book, citing his failed Nubag Male Freshening Spray venture, that perhaps wasn’t the most profitable business venture, but one that made a lot of people laugh, including the ESPN television hosts who read his advertisement each day as they tried not to laugh. Those personalities were none other than Stugotz and Dan LeBatard, who air on television every day between 10 AM and 1 PM EST.
Another great lesson was putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. I found it admirable that he had execute the role of every person in his company before hiring them so he knew where he could reward them, and where they were messing up. You never know how to do do someone’s job, until you’ve done it, I guess.
If you are looking to get results out of your daily routines and learn from someone who has made his life a storybook life, despite being raised in very average conditions, get yourself a copy of Amplifying Average on either Amazon or Audible. It’s not very often a self made millionaire gives up their secrets, shares their upbringing, and stops at nothing to let you feel like you were there the entire time.