Rob Sakalas rocks commencement addresses, corporate speaking engagements, and college pre-for-the-real-world academic series events. Use the contact page to inquire about availability for your event.
Read MoreResources and Links
Buy the [ESC][AVG] Book
Reading the Escape Average book offers a different experience, complimenting the masterclass episodes with greater detail and depth. Not only does it grace your bookcase, it makes a nice gift […]
Read MoreKiller “Hack” for Staying Calm Under Pressure (from Episode 37)
Watch Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk. Amy did an amazing service to everyone with her fantastic work on the subject.
Read MoreVisualization Works: Practice in your Mind’s Eye (from Episode 37)
Visualization works. If you practice in your mind, you are likely to perform better in physical tasks like sports. Check out this article.
Read MoreThe Happiness Advantage – Link to TED Speech by Shawn Achor (from Episode 35)
This TED Talk by Shawn Achor is brilliant and will help you succeed. Watch it! Shawn has a book too. Check it out on Amazon: The Happiness Advantage.
Read MoreMeasure What Matters – John Doerr (from Episode 32)
If you measure it — whatever “it” is — you are going to improve it over time. It makes sense, therefore, to measure what matters. John Doerr’s book, although primarily […]
Read MoreThree Investment Books to Get a Fantastic Start (from Episode 30)
Capital investment is essential to building and sustaining financial wealth and the freedom to pursue your goals and dreams. Read these three books as a primer as you start becoming […]
Read MoreInvest Time Thoughtfully and Systematically – Strategic Planning System (v7) (from Episode 26)
Time is our most precious and fleeting resource. If you invest time wisely, it will pay great dividends. If you spend and squander time, you will struggle to get ahead. […]
Read MoreEscape Average EA20 and EA100 (from Episode 24)
Below is an evolution, inspired by Harvey MacKay’s original 66 questions. Here are the Top EA20 and Top EA100 Questions you should learn about everybody that you meet. The Top […]
Read MoreHarvey MacKay’s 66 Questions (from Episode 24)
Harvey MacKay was a fountain of great business sense. His MacKay 66 Questions (if you fill them out) will help make you a rainmaker. Download the 66 from his website. […]
Read MoreAll Time Classic – Read Seven Habits (from Episode 24)
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is an all-time classic worth reading more than once. Stephen Covey will be remembered most for this book which was a runaway best seller. […]
Read MoreImprove your Memory, Sharpen your Axe (from Episode 23)
When given a challenge, we usually forget to sharpen the axe. Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. […]
Read MoreBecome More Compelling Checklist (from Episode 17)
Success depends on clear compelling communication. Checkout my KeynoteRefinery.com whitepaper for helpful tips and best practices to follow.
Read MoreChoose How You Think – and What You Think About – David Foster Wallace (from Episode 17)
David Foster Wallace was brilliant. This may be one of the greatest commencement speeches of all time.
Read MoreMore than a Decade of Thoughts @ Optimisman.com (from Episode 13)
Long before Escaping Average came to life, there was my original blog, Optimisman.com. Feel free to check it out 🙂
Read MoreBest of Tim Urban and Procrastination (from Episode 11)
Tim Urban’s TED talk is an incredible achievement: Checkout Tim’s Wait But Why website for more greatness.
Read MoreBig Rocks (from Episode 10)
Being focused on doing the first things first matters a lot. Stephen Covey illustrated this with Big Rocks:
Read MoreSwallowing Frogs (from Episode 10)
People who are not top ten percenters avoid doing the next true #1 thing that they know they should do because that step looks like an ugly frog that will […]
Read MorePermanotes: Your secret weapon for life (from Episode 9)
Most people don’t take any notes, let alone detailed notes. The minority who take notes don’t take them in an organized way that they can be easily found years later. […]
Read MoreFactfulness and Abundance: Books Worth Reading (from Episode 8)
The world is getting better quickly although the daily news continued to sell fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Humans are invariably motivated by their fears and those are the articles that […]
Read MoreBalance! Roles in Life (from Episode 7)
A great life requires balance and priorities across a number of roles. People who focus on only one thing, at the expense of everything else, rarely end up in the […]
Read MoreAre You Wealthy? It is not just about more stuff (from Episode 7)
America, God bless her for her multitude of virtues, has a bit materialistic focus in her society. Capitalism, at our time of nearly unlimited media penetration and a populous that […]
Read MoreReprogramming your Habits (from Episode 6)
Learning how reprogram your own internal operating system starts with learning proven techniques to mindfully add good habits while getting rid of bad habits. The following two books are a […]
Read MoreGet a Masters Degree — Usually a Good Bet (from Episode 4)
There has been a lot of debate in recent years about the “relative value” of a college education, especially in light of skyrocketing college costs and the corresponding student debt. […]
Read MoreEmbrace Change to Thrive (from Episode 3)
Change happens. Too many people resist change and tell themselves that they don’t like change. But change is a constant and every person will have “unexpected change” hit them over […]
Read MoreExplore Resources
Throughout the masterclass, a number of videos and elements are recommended for additional exploration. Visit the resources tab on the menu to expand your knowledge and understanding.
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