Mark Struczewski, Host of The Mark Struczewski Podcast, Talks about the Author that Made Him Dream Big
Mark ‘Ski’ Struczewski is a Productivity Problem Solver. He is a productivity and time management specialist, speaker, author, trainer, and workshop facilitator who helps entrepreneurs, corporations, small businesses and individuals take their productivity to the next level.
His passion is to teach people how to become productive and watching them achieve their goals. He’s a strong believer that no matter who you are, what you do, or where you are, anyone can improve their productivity. Mark’s obsession is to help the world become a more productive place…one person at a time.
Besides his work as a trainer and speaker, Mark is also the host of The Mark Struczewski Podcast, a productivity-themed podcast and also the the author of two books, How to Overcome Roadblocks on the Path to Your Success in 2014 and A Succès Fou Life: What It Is And How You Can Live It in 2011.
So keep on reading if you want to find out what book made Mark realize he was dreaming far too low and how he manages to read being blind in his left eye. And by the way, if you’re struggling to pronounce Mark’s name, that’s “Stru Chess Skee”.
What’s your favorite book and why? Business and non-business, if possible.
My favorite book which could be read for business as well as non-business reasons is the Bible. I read it every morning as part of my morning routine. Other books that I highly recommend is Grant Cardone’s “The 10X Rule” and Tony Robbins’ “Awaken the Giant Within“.
Was there a moment, specifically, when something you read in a book helped you? Can you tell me about it?
YES! I love what Grant Cardone writes in The 10X Rule, “wouldn’t coming up short on a 10X target accomplish more than coming up short on one-tenth of that goal?” In other words, he says it’s better to fall short of a one million dollar goal than a $100,000 goal.
What books had the biggest impact on you? (perhaps changed the way you see things, dramatically changed your career path)
Grant Cardone: The 10X Rule, Sell or Be Sold, If You’re Not First You’re Last and Be Obsessed or Be Average. Grant is the real deal. He helped me realize that I’ve been dreaming far too low!
What five books would you recommend to youngsters interested in your professional path? Why? (no number limit here)
Grant Cardone: The 10X Rule and Be Obsessed or Be Average; Tony Robbins: Awaken the Giant Within; Mel Robbins: The 5 Second Rule; and Maxwell Maltz: The New Psycho-Cybernetics. These books will encourage you but more than that EQUIP you to win!
Can you tell us more about your reading habits? How do you make time for reading?
I don’t read nearly as much as I would like but I always read for a minimum of 30 minutes a day. Good days are an hour plus but I do have a business to build and a podcast to do so there’s that. I prefer ebooks on my iPad because being able to only see out of one eye, I need the ability to make the font larger and to inverse the screen at bedtime (white lettering on a black screen).
And how do I make time for reading? Schedule it! Rarely will I find time to read if I don’t.
Do you take notes or have any other technique for conquering the torrent of information?
I highlight extensively. And when I am re-reading an ebook, I will use a different highlight color each time I re-read a book. Things that really affect me will be added to my Day One journaling app and even shared on social media.
How do you choose what books to read next? Do you prioritize the books recommended by certain people?
I choose books based on recommendations from people mainly. Right now, I am big on Grant Cardone as I’m sure you can tell. I prioritize books written by successful people. I want to find out how they got to where they are.
Last question: what book are you currently reading and what are you expecting to gain from it?
Book? Ha! I’m not reading one book right now. That’s crazy. LOL. Right now, I am re-reading Tony Robbins’ “Awaken the Giant Within” as part of my morning routine, I’m re-reading Grant Cardone’s “Sell or Be Sold” and, yep, there’s more, I’m reading Dr. Michael Oren’s “Six Day War“. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to do all the reading I want AND run my business.
Links where you can follow Mark Struczewski or find out more about his projects:
- The Mark Struczewski Podcast
- Mark’s website
- Follow Mark on Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook
All books mentioned by Mark Struczewski in this interview:
- The 10X Rule: The Only Difference Between Success and Failure by Grant Cardone
- Awaken the Giant Within : How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny! by Tony Robbins
- Sell or Be Sold: How to Get Your Way in Business and in Life by Grant Cardone
- If You’re Not First, You’re Last: Sales Strategies to Dominate Your Market and Beat Your Competition by Grant Cardone
- Be Obsessed or Be Average by Grant Cardone
- The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage by Mel Robbins
- Psycho Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
- Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East by Michael B. Oren
