Mob Secrets for Business Success: What I Learned from Being on the Inside
Most people think Mafia guys are drug dealers. Not so.
The Mob is a mixture of large labor unions, lobbyists, bankers, cartels, Wall Street, war machine corporations, and top government officials and agencies-they are just one big happy mafia family playing different parts of the Game.
Since my impressionable younger years were in this world, their fucked-up wisdom was my education.
On Sundays, many of the bosses got together at our house. I spent days preparing food for their weekends, smoking cigars, betting on football, and talking deals.
As I was always accommodating the group, I heard everything. I was not listening purposefully, as I was too naive to know this might be a good idea. Through the osmosis of being immersed in this routine, I learned what the business of the day was.
After leaving and starting on my own, it was brutal, as when you leave, you receive no alimony, funds to start over, or even child support.
Lawyers and judges were bought off, and I was always at the mercy of what my husband felt like giving. I could never depend on anything.
This is where I learned the value of having a F*ck You account. I never wanted to be without my own money and resources again.
After leaving, I slowly learned to go it alone and grew into my own significance. I navigated through years of fear, sleepless nights, fighting to keep my two daughters, and worrying about what my future would be.
I learned how to make Badass decisions when I needed to.
Although I had no respect for their business dealings, these mob guys were some of the best dealmakers and negotiators out there.
Here are some insights and ways I used that knowledge:
Clever Solutions and Solving Problems
I saw how mob guys were masters at handling uncertainty. They looked at everything as matter-of-fact — what is. Even though they always had money and backing, awareness and positioning was their tool.
Their intuitive thinking was like none other, and their understanding would expand as they assessed their situation. They seemed to have the where-with-all to navigate in fractions of seconds and had no time for fear.
It’s because they had confidence.
Believing in Yourself
Mob guys believe in their own BS, giving them a good sense of themselves and the power to do what they need.
With their strong self-reliance, they place their bets based on what they know they can achieve on their own.
You would never see a mob guy wasting years working a low-level position for a company in a cubicle or in any other demeaning way.
Mob guys own and buy into their ideas and intentions, even if it is messed up. As they devise strategies and plans, they never get caught up in wasting time and energy. They stay focused on their game and continuously explore new boundaries.
Back Your Position with Many Alternatives
Mob guys spend considerable time positioning and leveraging their business deals. They always backed themselves with many alternatives, so they came out on top no matter how the deal went.
They had clarity and worked strategically, which meant they could formulate a plan and follow it. And they never missed new opportunities that were only a glimpse.
When Working for Others, Never Take Responsibility Unless You Have the Authority to Make Decisions
Never do this in any position you hold! This is how mob guys set people up.
If you take responsibility and things go wrong (as they always do), and you cannot make a decision because you have no authority, you will become the fall person.
I also learned it’s best never to take a title.
One example is a consulting project I took to rebuild a wellness retreat for a resort. I watched as over twenty people were hired, given titles, and then fired within a few months.
I observed the situation as a mob guy would; “don’t take a title, and don’t take the responsibility because no one here has the authority to make a decision.”
The company gave me the title of General Manager, but I did not take the title. I said I would work the contract but wanted no title. Nonetheless, and even more so, everyone then considered me the boss.
In the Zen arts, this means leading even though you are behind. You move last but arrive first.
This is your best position.
Develop Your Legend and Brand Yourself
Every mob guy had their own nickname, style, and power. Whatever they were well known for was because they were the best at what they did.
In a sense, they built their own Brand. It served them well, even if it was for all the wrong reasons.
It takes reinventing yourself often.
Reinventing yourself helps keep you sharp and able to breakthrough living a life of dull habits, which blocks your ability to see.
It takes immense self-observation to be different. You need to be alert to it and have the essence of grabbing an opportunity and working through it.
Recognizing the Energy of a Deal
From watching mob guys and how they do business, I learned that recognizing a good deal from a bad deal is an art. It’s about seeing into the energy of the deal before giving your power.
It’s also about being aware of not seeing the opportunity when it’s right in front of you. Something good may be right in front of you, but you may not see either side of the situation if you are stale in your energy and awareness. You become stale when you are not reinventing your ideas or yourself often enough.
Always have Control or Own One Side of the Deal
When you get into an entrepreneurial venture with others, always have control or own one side of the deal.
Never work a deal where you do not own or have leverage on one side or the other, as then you will be in the middle, battling from two fronts, and have no idea where you stand. You’ll always be chasing the deal and not be operating from Personal Power.
Engage with the right speed or flow while getting a deal done. This takes practice and using your intuition. It’s the practice of observing people. Where is the potential of the idea coming from?
Do Not make Life Decisions Based on the Promises of Others
It’s a dangerous game to give any one person or situation too much power.
“I’m going to introduce you to someone incredibly influential.” — — So many people hear these words and immediately put their trust in someone else.
Don’t bank on other people’s efforts and rely on them to dictate the direction of your life. It’s far better to chart your own course.
You do so Much for Others! Now, Call in the Favors
Through years of watching deal-making schemes, I observed why mob guys always have so many projects that end successfully.
I saw how they set up their deals in three ways: either providing a favor, calling in a favor, or calling it a trade-off.
And no matter what the deal was, everything was just a phone call away and handled quickly.
No matter who it was; government agencies, greedy corporations, or greedy people, everyone could be bought in some way. Also, it appeared every person was compromised in some way. There was always dirt on someone that could be used if you dug deep enough.
It’s all about deciding who gives what — who does what — who owes who, and the needed outcome.
And what I realized is that none of this business was ever done for the good of humanity or others outside the circle.
And it still isn’t. It’s the same story.
Imagine how much good could happen in a short period of time if all these greedy people contributed to projects that would move humanity forward in a positive direction.
These dirty deals go down worldwide — all the details and people are in place and already working together. Just think if they used some of their connections and talent in a good way instead of hoarding their greedy and ugly self-interests.
They may seem Badass, but they are not.
I learned about business in all the negative ways — but I also learned the value of the strategies that could be used with integrity and grace.
It’s all about forming your own solid integrity and style — this is Personal Power!
As a lifestyle coach and plant medicine host, I provide Vision Quest Retreats in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for reinventing oneself, finding your inner warrior, and inspiring creative ideas.
Reach out to [email protected]
Originally published at https://mastersmisfitsandmentors.substack.com.