June 13, 2013

Superpower!
How to Think, Act, and Perform
with Less Effort and Better Results
Ford Saeks

©2012 by Ford Saeks

Adapted by permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-118-27786-7

Key Concepts Introduction

• Wrestling with personal demons is the first step to
tapping into superpowers.
• Thoughts determine the beliefs, behaviors, habits,
and actions that determine success.
• Skills security is the only real job security.
• Goals must be SMART: specific, measurable, at-
tainable, realistic, and timely/tangible.
• Humans can only do one thing well at a time.
• Embracing technology helps achieve goals.
• Mentors include professional coaches, mastermind
groups, and legacy masters.
• At this very moment someone, somewhere is think-
ing, “I can,” and is actually accomplishing a goal.
• Celebrating increases positive thoughts and moti-
vation.
Superpower! by Ford Saeks challenges readers to dis-
cover new ways to face obstacles, solve problems, and
improve their performances at work and on a personal
level. Saeks disputes the benefits of multitasking,
admonishes readers to distinguish between being
productive and being busy, and advises them to focus
their energy to increase productivity. In addition,
he introduces and outlines an action plan designed
to build momentum, and he teaches readers how to
maximize their strengths and leverage technology to
save time and effort. Saeks also shows readers how to
measure their progress and make adjustments when
necessary. Using strategies, concepts, and ideas that
he developed over the course of his career—which
started at the tender age of 15—Saeks reveals how to
stop procrastinating and use critical thinking skills to
produce desired results.

Business Book Summaries® June 13, 2013 • Copyright © 2013 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • All Rights Reserved
Superpower! Ford Saeks
Part 1: Where Are You Now?
Unlocking Your Superpowers
Many kids grow up reading comic books, watching
TV series, and pretending to be superheroes such as
Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Spider-
man. Children believe that these characters can do
anything, and when they are pretending to be their
favorite superheroes, they also believe that they can
do anything.
Along the way, children stop believing in superheroes
and superpowers, and settle into a life of mediocrity.
However, Saeks believes that the superhero narra-
tive plays an important role in human success and
achievement. This journey begins with performing a
personal assessment in every area of life. Being bru-
tally honest, possessing self-knowledge, and being
able to wrestle with personal demons is the first step
to tapping into superpowers.
Creating the Success Mind-Set
Individuals must have an established belief system
in order to make the right choices and decisions
regarding what they believe they can and cannot do.
Thoughts determine beliefs, beliefs determine behav-
iors, behaviors determine habits and actions, and
habits and actions determine success.
At the age of 15, Saeks was living in public housing
and was enrolled in a school-work program for high-
risk students who were not expected to graduate
from high school. He attended school for one hour in
the morning, and spent the rest of the time working
and learning a craft. He decided that he would rather
be his own boss than work for someone else, so he
started a painting company. He got a friend to create
a logo, and he printed business cards and distributed
them around the community.
Saeks never painted anything in his life and knew
nothing about the business, but he was determined
to be a success. When speaking with potential clients,
he projected an aura of confidence, and he thought
through the process well enough to know that he
needed to contract the actual work to someone else.
By the end of his first year in business, the 15-year-old
Saeks had three painting crews working for him—
mostly men in their 40s—and his first year’s profit
totaled more than $35,000. While this was back in the
Business Book Summaries® June 13, 2013 • Copyright © 2013 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • All Rights Reserved
1970s, Saeks calculates that amount in today’s econ-
omy would be the equivalent of $150,000.
The Power of Prosperity Consciousness
Saeks defines “prosperity” as not only having mone-
tary wealth, but also having peace of mind, happiness,
and spirituality. A prosperity consciousness is devel-
oped by listening to audio messages and reading
books on prosperity; Saeks recommends that people
listen to Randy Gage’s Prosperity series. He also
advises people to increase personal productivity by
decreasing the amount of time they spend watching
TV by at least 50 percent for the next month. Addi-
tionally, they can evaluate family members, friends,
and associates to determine their levels of prosperity
and then limit the amount of time spent with nega-
tive people. Although this may sound harsh, Saeks
believes that most people have experienced so much
negativity during their childhood, and their current
home and work environments, that the only way
to reverse this constant flow of negativity is to take
active steps to embrace positivity and reject people
and environments that are counterproductive to this
goal.
Blinding Flash of the Obvious
If the only difference between geniuses and other
people is that geniuses write down their ideas, there
Further Information
Information about the author and subject:
www.superpowerbook.com
Information about this book and other business titles:
www.wiley.com/WileyCDA
Related summaries in the BBS Library:
Idea Agent
Leadership That Liberates Creativity and
Accelerates Innovation
By Lina M. Echeverria
Creative Execution
What Great Leaders Do to Unleash Bold
Thinking and Innovation
By Eric Beaudan
Page 2
Superpower! Ford Saeks
is no excuse for readers not to write down the many
good ideas that they have every week. Saeks believes
that there could be many more inventors and success-
ful businesspeople if they would capture their ideas
and follow-up on them to determine what it would
take to transform the idea into a successful venture.
However, regarding their ideas, most people either
ask the wrong questions, or they
simply give up without asking Practice doesn’t
any questions at all.
Even if you’re an expert, you can always better your best.
Saeks also warns that job security
does not exist. Skills security is
the only real security, so people must focus on gaining
more knowledge and enhancing existing skills to add
more value. This produces more options for generat-
ing income and creating wealth and success. The only
way to earn more money is to add more value.
Part 2: Where Do You Want to Go?
Success Footprints
In order to be successful, people must make a list of
every goal they have, including both short-term goals
(this month or year) and long-term goals (three to five
years and beyond). They must then categorize the
About the Author
Ford Saeks is the CEO of Prime Concepts Group,
Inc., an integrated marketing services company
that specializes in helping organizations find,
attract, and keep their customers through inno-
vative strategies. He has successfully founded
10 companies, received 3 U.S. patents, and is
the genius behind many successful ventures.
He speaks on business and personal success,
innovation, Internet marketing, and social influ-
ence, and audiences around the globe love his
interactive approach, fun style, and idea-packed
action plans. As a professional speaker and con-
sultant, he has worked with organizations such
as Comcast, AstraZeneca, IBM, Staples, Bank of
America, and many others. Saeks is the author
of several audio and video programs and the
host of the Profit-Rich Results radio show.
Business Book Summaries® June 13, 2013 • Copyright © 2013 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • All Rights Reserved
goals as personal, professional, relationships, wealth,
or health, and then list 10 reasons why each goal has
to be achieved. Included in this list should be every-
thing that will be gained by achieving each goal as
well as everything that will be lost by not achieving it.
This last step will provide individuals with the moti-
vation and leverage to reach their goals.
make perfect . . . practice makes improvement.
Each goal should be SMART: specific, measurable,
attainable, realistic, and timely/tangible. For example:
• Specific: Getting in shape is a general goal, but
weighing 150 pounds by a set date is specific.
• Measurable: A person driving a car while blindfold-
ed has no idea where they are going, how fast they
are going, or when they need to turn or stop. It is
impossible to make modifications if there is no way
to measure progress.
• Attainable: The belief that one has the willingness
to pay the price required to reach a goal. This price
may include sweat equity, persistence, risk of fail-
ure, or developing the necessary skills.
• Realistic: A realistic goal must be doable. For exam-
ple, a person over the age of 60 cannot realistically
expect to play in the NBA.
• Timely/Tangible: Phrases like “someday,” or “in the
future,” are counterproductive to goal attainment.
Goals must include timely benchmarks and dead-
lines.
Add Value . . . Increase Success
Value is added by increasing peoples’ skill sets, and
successful people never miss an opportunity to learn
more. They know that lessons can be learned from
anyone and in any situation, and they have an insa-
tiable desire for improvement. When businesses add
more value by better understanding and meeting cli-
ents’ needs, they generate more profits and achieve
more success.
Solving customers’ problems causes them to frequent
the business more often and tell others about the
advantages of the company’s products or services.
Page 3
Superpower! Ford Saeks
However, many companies are bogged down by
complex processes, a poorly trained staff, or ineffec-
tive marketing and branding instead of focusing on
how to add value.
Ideas and Solutions Out of Thin Air
According to Saeks, there is no such thing as a money
problem; there is only a lack of ideas. The key to earn-
ing more money is to generate more ideas. Although
creativity and innovation are two of the biggest
superpowers, the formal education process often
squelches innovation. By emphasizing memorization,
and focusing only on logical approaches to math and
science, creativity is stamped out of most school-aged
children.
In addition, the majority of people maintain the same
routines on a daily basis, including what time they
wake up, the way they drive to work, what they eat,
and who they socialize with. While routine has its
place, it does not contribute to stimulation, curiosity,
or variety. Creative individuals are exposed to a vari-
ety of different cultures, attitudes, and people, and
this variety provides them with a broader knowledge
base for problem solving.
Everyone, including you, is naturally creative and not subject to
any required personality or intelligence limitations.
Critical Thinking Tactics
Critical thinking is another superpower. Most people
simply react to situations, operating in survival
mode and making poor, fear-based decisions that
shift responsibility and blame. However, the key to
critical thinking is to assume responsibility, exercise
discipline, and take constructive action. For example,
Americans spend billions of dollars on fad diets, gym
memberships, weight loss supplements, and exer-
cise videos. However, if a person who wants to lose
weight exercises critical thinking, they will realize
there is only one way to achieve this goal: burn more
calories than they consume.
Critical thinking skills can be developed by:
• Approaching problems with an open mind.
• Defining the desired outcome.
Business Book Summaries® June 13, 2013 • Copyright © 2013 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • All Rights Reserved
• Viewing the situation from all angles.
• Researching other people who have solved the
same problem.
• Challenging assumptions to see if they are based
on facts or emotions.
• Defining at least three options. Having no options
creates stress, having only two options creates a di-
lemma, but having three choices creates empower-
ment.
• Making a decision and proceeding.
Part 3: How Are You Going to Get There?
Tuning in to Your Instinct and Intuition
People must always gather as much information as
possible within a realistic timeframe, and then take
time to process the information. They must also learn
to trust their instincts and intuitions, otherwise known
as “gut feelings” or “following their hearts.” Discov-
ering how to develop intuition is another superpower.
It requires silencing the many thoughts running
through the human mind. In addition, instincts are
similar to muscles. The more they are worked, the
stronger they become.
It is important that people develop
their own instincts and intuitions
before others chime in with advice
about what to do and what direc-
tion to go in. Some peoples’ ability to influence choices
and change decisions can often produce undesirable
results, but being firm in their own beliefs and desires
can often help individuals come to the right decisions.
Are You Making It Too Hard?
Processes and procedures can help improve perfor-
mance, but too many levels can complicate simple
situations and decisions. On a routine basis, individu-
als must evaluate strategies and performances to see if
there is a simpler, easier, or better way to accomplish
their goals. They must not make it more difficult than
it has to be. To do this, they should look for ways to
eliminate steps and still achieve the same—or better—
results. Many times the answer is so simple that it is
overlooked.
Individuals must also spend time decluttering, or
taking care of themselves. They must eat food that
Page 4
Superpower! Ford Saeks
nourishes their bodies, exercise, get enough sleep,
and not try to be “people pleasers.” They must learn
to take chances and not be afraid to learn something
new—or get rid of something old. They must learn
the difference between being productive and being
busy, accept change as a natural part of life, learn to
go with the flow, and make adjustments as necessary.
Multitasking or Delusion?
Many people talk themselves into believing that they are pro-
Many people pride themselves ductive when they’re actually not. They’re just busy.
on being able to perform several
tasks at one time. They consider
this an admirable trait, but according to Saeks, these
people are delusional. He believes humans can only
do one thing well at a time, and when they multitask,
they are really distracting themselves from being as
productive as they could be.
Saeks believes that people have a “learned” atten-
tion deficit disorder, which is a result of technological
advances including iPads, iPhones, laptops, and GPS.
Contrary to popular belief, jumping back and forth to
check every email that is received is counterproduc-
tive, and checking text messages while driving—or
even walking across the street—can be dangerous.
Saeks calls this phenomenon a multitasking myth, and
states that readers need to manage interruptions,
whether they take the form of technology or cowork-
ers. He lists “staying focused” as another superpower,
and says that he has learned to use only one technol-
ogy tool at a time, open only one computer window at
a time, and focus on only one task at a time.
Your Massive Momentum Action Plan
A massive momentum action plan (MMAP) clearly
lays out the steps needed to achieve success. It starts
with individuals identifying everything they want to
accomplish. They must then categorize these ideas
into no more than 5 or 6 sections. Next, they must
prioritize the outcomes—not the tasks themselves.
They must then determine what needs to be done to
reach these outcomes, and estimate the resources and
amount of time required.
The key to MMAP success is for people to make sure
that their planned activities are exciting enough to
motivate daily action toward their intended goals.
This can be a result of wanting to decrease a current
Business Book Summaries® June 13, 2013 • Copyright © 2013 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • All Rights Reserved
level of pain or increase a current level of pleasure.
Their actions must be “lifestyle friendly,” meaning
they have to be something that will be maintained
on a consistent basis. Saeks believes that creating an
MMAP is a critical step on the path to success, and
will make the difference between a life of desperation
and a life of health, wealth, and satisfaction.
Part 4: Getting Leverage
Simple versus Easy: Getting It Done
Just because something is simple does not mean that
it is easy. For example, there are only four ways for a
business to make money:
1. Get more customers.
2. Increase frequency of purchases.
3. Increase the average transaction value.
4. Lower operating expenses.
While this process may seem simple, it is not always
easy to execute. Businesses must determine their own
core competencies and discover how to get the best
results. Then, they must perform the work and del-
egate the duties that fit within their competencies.
Many people spend their time engaged in approach
avoidance, meaning they do everything except what
they are supposed to do. These distractions may keep
them busy, but they are not making them produc-
tive. Saeks notes that when he works with clients who
are salespeople, he makes them keep a stopwatch to
determine how they spend their time during the day.
Usually, they discover that less than an hour a day
is actually spent selling products. Since sales are the
most important part of their job, this is not effective
time management—which Saeks reveals is another
superpower.
Cloning Time: Leveraging Technology
Embracing and leveraging technology can help to
achieve goals easier and faster. However, this is
dependent on a lot of “ifs,” for example, if the right
tools are chosen, if those tools are used for the right
Page 5
Superpower! Ford Saeks

purpose, and if time is invested to stay abreast of survival skill. Sometimes, appreciation takes the form
the latest technological changes. Saeks recommends of simply acknowledging a bad situation and taking
businesspeople use a smartphone, which is an Inter- the necessary steps to get out of it.
net-enabled cell phone. This time-saving device can
Many people give up on their dreams and goals
be used to send text and email messages, surf the
because of bad situations. However, one event—or
Internet, and connect with others on social networks
even a string of events—should not determine the
such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
course of the rest of their lives.
You need to know where your strength lies and spend most of People are so much more than their
job titles or roles. When something
your time and energy, your wattage, and your power on that. bad happens, they must not spend
days, weeks, months, or years
For businesses, Saeks also recommends using a cus- rehashing the problem or holding a grudge against
tomer relationship management system (CRM). CRMs the person who caused the situation. Instead, they
are the equivalent of an electronic Rolodex; they keep must deal with it and move on.
track of people, events, schedules, and sales funnels.
Part 5: Measuring Your Success
He also recommends using iPads over any other type
Metrics
of tablet computer because they are both easy and fun
to use. Although society has been conditioned to expect
instant gratification, success usually does not come
Mentorship Magic
quickly. Many of the most successful people in the
There are three different types of mentors: world failed many times before achieving their goals.
1. Professional coaches provide advice and one-on-one In fact, Henry Ford, Walt Disney, and George Forman
accountability. An example of this type of men- each experienced bankruptcy before making their for-
torship is an executive who coaches a promising, tunes.
young protégé. Andrew Carnegie was a profes- Since success takes time, and often many attempts,
sional coach who mentored Charles M. Schwab— progress must be measured to determine if the plan is
U.S. Steel’s first president. Professional coaches working. If it cannot be measured, it cannot be man-
should be experts who tell the truth and are non- aged. There must be a way to confirm that the time,
judgmental. energy, and effort invested in an activity is deliver-
2. Mastermind groups provide another type of mentor- ing the desired results. For example, in a business
ship. These groups should contain between 3 and environment, financial statements, sales reports, and
10 diverse, prosperity-minded people who are crit- conversion ratios are the metrics that determine prog-
ical thinkers and appreciate the value of construc- ress.
tive feedback. Depending on the situation, they Management
take turns leading and being led.
While managers do not have to do the same work as
3. Legacy masters are mentors that are studied through their employees, they do need to stay on top of what
their books, audio recordings, social media pres- is going on and provide help and guidance. They also
ence, and YouTube videos. need to provide accountability on a daily, weekly,
Gratitude and Appreciation monthly, and yearly basis. However, this entails
knowing the difference between key performance
Saeks lists gratitude and appreciation as two more indicators (KPIs) versus targets. For example, a sales
superpowers. Showing gratitude and appreciation manager who only measures whether a sale closes is
involves thanking mentors for taking time to share ignoring other factors that could determine the out-
their lives, and expressing thanks to employees who come. By the time the client has decided to go with
help achieve company goals. Developing the ability another company, it is often too late to make adjust-
to express gratitude and appreciation is an essential ments.
Business Book Summaries® June 13, 2013 • Copyright © 2013 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • All Rights Reserved Page 6
Superpower! Ford Saeks
Instead, managers should focus on KPIs such as:
• How many prospecting calls were made?
• How many appointments were set?
• How much face time was spent with prospects?
• How much face time was spent with customers?
• What percentage of income came from repeat cus-
tomers?
• What was the customer attribution rate?
For a manager determining the success of a website,
the KPIs could be:
• How many first time and repeat visitors were
there?
• How many web pages were visited?
• How many minutes did the visitors spend on the
website?
• Did they sign up, buy something, or request infor-
mation?
Part 6: Course Corrections
Innovation Insights
Innovation insights involve finding new ways to tackle
problems. If the traditional problem-solving strate-
gies do not work, this may be a wake up call to find
new and innovative ways to reach goals. For example,
people who want to lose weight may decide to restrict
their calories and join the gym. But, to be more cre-
ative, they could also park further away from their
office buildings to get more exercise.
People can solve problems creatively by remembering
that someone, somewhere is thinking, “I can,” and is
actually accomplishing a goal. In order to overcome
an “I can’t” attitude, people must remember that
individuals such as Thomas Edison, the Wright Broth-
ers, and Henry Ford all found creative new ways to
accomplish their goals despite the odds against them.
Test, Track, Modify, Repeat
Making course corrections is necessary when actions
do not produce desired results. However, the only
way to measure results is to test, track, modify, and
repeat. First, people must establish a baseline, and
then perform a test. For example, they can create
two website home pages, page A and page B, and
Business Book Summaries® June 13, 2013 • Copyright © 2013 EBSCO Publishing Inc. • All Rights Reserved
test them to see which one generates the best results.
If page A wins, they can use it as a control page for
future tests. They can also modify one element on the
page B site, and perform the test again. This provides
concrete proof of what works rather than just guess-
ing or speculating.
Part 7: Celebration
Reward Yourself
People must not wait until arriving at their final des-
tinations before celebrating their accomplishments.
Each step along the way is cause for celebration, and
can help foster a grateful attitude. In addition, cel-
ebrating increases positive neural pathways in the
brain, which in turn increases positive thoughts and
motivation. It also reinforces desired behaviors and
increases the chances of continued movement toward
the goal.
There are several ways to celebrate success:
• Tweeting the accomplishment.
• Sending thank you cards to everyone who helped
with the achievement.
• Throwing a party.
• Capturing the moment in photos.
Focusing on negatives is a dream killer that lowers
motivation and eats away at self-esteem. When
thoughts of discouragement come, people must ask
themselves: “What are three things I did right today?”
g g g g
Features of the Book
Estimated Reading Time: 4–5 hours, 224 pages
Superpower! by Ford Saeks shows readers how to
unlock their hidden potential and unleash creativity
and innovation. Saeks explains how to create a success
mindset, clearly define goals, play to strengths, and
develop an action plan. He also explains the power
of harnessing technology, learning from mentors, and
stopping to smell the roses. Saeks uses examples from
his clients and his personal life, and throughout the
book, he provides links to websites with additional
information. The end of each chapter includes rel-
evant motivational quotes from several leaders and
Page 7
Superpower! Ford Saeks

experts, in addition to questions designed to spur Other Titles by Ford Saeks

action. The book is best read from cover to cover.
Recommended Resources
Contents Business Growth Summit Event with Ford Saeks
Read This
Index
Part 1: Where Are You Now?
Chapter 1: Unlocking Your Superpowers
Chapter 2: Creating the Success Mind-Set
Chapter 3: The Power of Prosperity Consciousness
Chapter 4: Blinding Flash of the Obvious
Part 2: Where Do You Want to Go?
Chapter 5: Success Footprints
Chapter 6: Add Value . . . Increase Success
Chapter 7: Ideas and Solutions Out of Thin Air
Chapter 8: Critical Thinking Tactics
Part 3: How Are You Going to Get There?
Chapter 9: Tuning in to Your Instinct and Intuition
Chapter 10: Are You Making It Too Hard?
Chapter 11: Multitasking or Delusion
Chapter 12: Your Massive Momentum Action Plan
Part 4: Getting Leverage
Chapter 13: Simple versus Easy: Getting It Done
Chapter 14: Cloning Time: Leveraging Technology
Chapter 15: Mentorship Magic
Chapter 16: Gratitude and Appreciation
Part 5: Measuring Your Success
Chapter 17: Metrics
Chapter 18: Management
Part 6: Course Corrections
Chapter 19: Innovation Insights
Chapter 20: Test, Tract, Modify, Repeat
Part 7: Celebration
Chapter 21: Reward Yourself
About the Author

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Superpower! Ford Saeks

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