This episode started out about compounding, and how a small investment in a person at a critical time in their lives can make a massive difference. I guess it's still about compounding. But there are times you can take a small thing—an offer of space or access—and give it to someone to see what they'll do with it. It happened with Bill Gates and his access to the computer lab in his town. It happened with my daughter and her baseball teammates here in Bedford, N.H. Sometimes it's the happenstance of access and someone believing in you that really creates the opportunity for growth.

Shane Parrish had a great quote in his Brain Food newsletter in late July about life rewarding action. We'll review the quote here and how this ties into becoming a champion, and why hard work wins.

Sometimes things just tie together. We have just finished reviewing the Core Values for UNC Women's Soccer, and I was reminded of a quote from their legendary coach Anson Dorrance to Mia Hamm. He saw her working out on a cold morning and wrote her a note that said "The vision of a champion is someone who is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when nobody else is looking.”

Others, including Dr. Rob Gilbert, have said similar things. But these quotes all revolve around doing more than expected. If you want the same results that other people get, the best way to get them is to do the same things they are. If you want different results, you have to do more.