This transcript records a ~10-minute talk by Joe Foley (introduced by Joe Polish) titled "The Dash." Foley centers the talk on the metaphor of the dash—the life lived between birth and death—reading Linda Ellis's poem "The Dash" and using a personal anecdote about finding a son’s journal to contrast two mindsets (present vs. distracted). He profiles several clients to model daily behaviors (smiling, gratitude, listening, serving others) and urges the audience to slow down, enjoy small moments, and commit to "focus on my dash daily." The talk mixes motivational references (Zig Ziglar, Peter Diamandis, Dan Sullivan), speaker bio details (runs disc.com), practical tips (mindfulness, pay-it-forward actions), and a closing group pledge.
Questions this video answers
Born 1926; died 2012.
Over 100 employees.
Print over 100,000 pages/day; duplicate 100,000 CDs or DVDs/day; ship over 100,000 products/month.
In excess of $250,000.
Has been alive 21,798 days and plans to do 20,000 more days.
Chapters
Zig Ziglar, the great motivational speaker, said, you will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want. Zig was born in 1926 and died in 2012. That's 86 years in between. The dash on his Texas tombstone. Those are two of the things Joe Foley is going to talk to us about in this 10 minute talk. Joe isn't a speaker and is experimenting with PowerPoint slides to stretch himself, which is true. What Joe is a genius at is helping over 100 Genius Network members, 25 of which were his clients before joining six years ago. Joe heads up disc.com with over 100 employees. He and his team can print over 100,000 pages a day, duplicate 100,000 CDs or DVDs a day, ship over 100,000 of your products every month. He does everything from graphic design to delivery. Faster, cheaper and better than almost anybody else that I know. That's why he does so much work for us. I've been using him for many years. In this message, Joe will ask you to make a slight shift in your focus and reap the rewards. In excess of $250,000. His title is the Dash. Please help me welcome Joe Foley.
Thank you, sir. Thank you. Picture all of us at the Genius Network member graveyard. Each of our tombstones have our birth date, then a dash, and then the date of our death. Thanks to Peter Diamandis. I mean, I really want to have an abundant future and I've learned from Dan Sullivan, my other clients, about abundance tools. But I really believe I'm going to live to 106. But realistically, I might not. That possibility is why I'm compelled to share with you this very important message. It's worth much, much more than $250,000. Now I'm going to read an awesome poem called the Dash by Linda Ellis. I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning to the end. He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke of the following date with tears. But he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years. For that dash represented all the time that they had spent alive on earth. And now only those who love them know what that little line is worth. For it matters not how much we own the cars, the house, the cash. What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash. So think about this long and hard. Are there things you'd like to change for you Never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged. It could just slow down enough to consider what's true and real. And always try to understand the way other people feel. Be less quick to anger and show appreciation more. Love the people in our lives like we've loved them before. If we treat each other with respect. And more often, wear a smile, remembering that this special dash might only last a little while. So when your eulogy is being read with your life's actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you spend your dash? I'm going to give you a copy of that, you know, after my talk. This. It makes you stop and think, doesn't it? This book called the Dash was co authored by my client Mac Anderson with Linda Ellis. The book, this poem and the story I'm going to tell you now changed my life. Ten years ago, I did completely embellish this story in hopes of getting a few smiles today and for our benefit. It goes like this. A Genius network member, just like us, goes down to the basement of his fancy house to find something at the request of his spouse. It rhymes. Typical ADHD entrepreneur gets distracted when he sees a bright blue journal. Go figure. Opens it. Oh my God. February 23rd. Wow, that's today. Went fishing with my dad. Best day of my life. Right away, the guy tears up because he realized he didn't even know his son kept a journal. And he didn't even remember fishing. Of course, Mr. Big successful genius Network member had his own career journals. Matter of fact, they say winners find ways. And I helped Joe get with those. He has logs everything in there. Sure enough, he verifies it. 223. Wasted. Entire free day fishing. Didn't catch a damn thing. Wow. That's two different mindsets. Luckily, his son had an amazing day, even though his dad wasn't really present. Probably thinking about work. Starting today, starting now, you have an opportunity to improve how you spend your dash. Let's get busy with some strategies on how to change our lives and focus daily on the dash. Slow down. Enjoy the moments every day. Life's not a race to 10x your business. It's an art project to 10x your life. And most important, the lives of the people you impact each day. Watch a sunrise, a sunset. Admire flowers, trees. Meditate. Hear beautiful music. Enjoy your senses, taste, pleasures. But the most important thing you do is you got to spread the joy around you to the people you contact with. Besides Peter and Dan and Mac, I have some awesome clients in this room. So I decided to highlight a few of them today to help us learn. I suggest you constantly smile with incredible spirit. Like my friend and client, Joel Weldon. This incredible man has the nicest smile and genuine make it a great day kind of attitude. Every communication with this man makes me feel good. He makes people smile. Yeah, I'm sure it's helped him make a lot of money, but for me, I think it's more important is the amazing effect he's had on other people, I suspect. How many great days has he affected? Well, plenty of mine, and I suspect lots more for others. As a side note, I've been alive 21,798 days, and as of today, I plan on doing 20,000 more days. But I want to focus on my dash. Will you guys join me? Promise me today that never a day will go by when you're not grateful. It's important to light a torch deep inside and have it grow and then expand. Maybe spark a torch in somebody else. Don't be a sourpuss entrepreneur like I've been occasionally in the past. Consumed. Being so busy with all my important work that I couldn't be alive or be present for the benefit of everybody around me. Why don't you be like my friend and client, Mike Koeninks? That guy, he's grateful every day and he's so much freaking fun to be around. The knowledge you can get from him, it's a pleasure to receive. His high energy is amazing. Chief disruptor source. That dude cracks me up. His crazy outfits, his antics. He gets a crazy amount of stuff done, but he's always super nice. Or how about my client, Cathy Mock, who I met six years ago at Genius network meeting? Do something for others with no expectations for anything in return. Pay it forward. That's what she did for me once at a previous meeting. She figured out she could help me. Scheduled a 30 minute call and then another 30 minute call and another 30 minute call. And she gave me her wisdom. I listened, and now I'm a better person. And she's a sweetheart. How about this guy, man? He's my friend and client. Kevin's a champion at listening and serving others through making connections. He hears every word you're saying and he even feels what you're feeling. Talking with Kevin's like getting a bear hug. He hears things you don't even know you're saying. He has made a huge impact in my life. He thrives on how he can help you daily, which is what the dash is all about when you talk to Kevin, good things happen. Don't get high on yourself. Don't walk around with your cool attitude. Get sunburned under your nose or mistakenly think your shit doesn't smell. Thankfully no one in this amazing group is like that. But I do want to suggest a little tough love. I think some of us could do a little better. I mean, I know I could. I think it'd be wise for us to target just a small increase of time spent on being a nice person every day to everybody you meet. I know we have our important big missions and our life's purpose. Just do a little bit more on the daily dash. Make your inner glow grow and shine on somebody else. In closing, we must concentrate on how we act each day. Every person you encounter, you got to show them respect. Have a daily impact on others. Please repeat after me. Starting today, starting now, I will focus on my dash daily. I believe in you. Thanks.
