Risky is the New Safe (3 page)

—
Rebecca Morgan
, international management consultant and bestselling author of 25 books, including
Calming Upset Customers

“I wouldn't say that
Risky is the New Safe
is a good book, or even a great one. It is a manifesto of individual and global magnificence—a rare, seminal read. Ignore this instant classic at your own peril and that of those who matter to you.”

—
Tim Durkin
, author of
Moving from PROMISE to PERFORMANCE: 17 Sure-Fire Strategies for Better Results at Work and Home

“Our prayer is that all politicians would read this book! Since we already know all politicians won't read it, YOU really have to read it, because it gives you the insight to why we have all the problems we have today and how you can be pro-active and still enjoy getting rich. We will also give you a warning before you dig into it, because a few of Randy's examples are crossing the line of what we think should be in print. But when that is said, Randy's message is profound and is what all of us need to become leaders in this new economy.”

—
Finn Orjan Saele
and
Hilde Rismyhr Saele
, co-founders, Zinzino AB, Scandinavia

“There couldn't have been a better book to talk about the new safe and the new normal for those seeking prosperity than
Risky is the New Safe;
and there couldn't have been a better (and more fun!) person to write about it than Randy Gage . . . characteristically contrarian, at times controversial, and all the time real . . . This is for those who dare to step out of the discomfort of their comfort and dare to be part of the new world order, where opportunities and prosperity abound like no other. It's risky, just the way we like it!”

—
Donna Imson
, executive chairperson, QNet Ltd, Hong Kong

“Fasten your seatbelts, Randy Gage takes you boldly where you've never gone before. At warp speed he brilliantly explores disruptive technology, cloning, free markets, the ego, prosperity, and cataclysmic change. He brings it all together and shows the kind of critical thinking required for success, and why playing it safe is the greatest risk of all.”

—
Kathy Zader
, president, Zoom Strategies, Inc.

“In this new world economy where there is more complexity, more uncertainty, but also more opportunity than ever before, you need Randy Gage. This book is required reading for winning on the new economic playing field.”

—
Patrick Stinus
, co-founder, Seventh Element LLC

“In this thought-provoking book, Randy Gage brilliantly illuminates the path for entrepreneurs who are open to new ways of thinking about prosperity and success.”

—
Gina Carr
, MBA, CEO, Gina Carr International

“Just like the genie, Gage is out of the bottle with his focused road map for embracing the future.
Risky is the New Safe
offers transformative perspective with a shot of inspiration. It will help you get out of the safety zone, embrace risk, and move ahead of the future.”

—
Ruby Newell-Legner
, CSP, author of
7 Star Service Culture
—
Turn Every Customer into a Fan

Cover image and design: Paul McCarthy

Copyright © 2013 by Randy Gage. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at
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Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Gage, Randy.

Risky is the new safe : the rules have changed : a rock opera / by Randy Gage.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-118-48147-9 (cloth); ISBN 978-1-118-50854-1 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-50856-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-50857-2 (ebk) 1. Risk. 2. Success in business. I. Title.

HB615.G34 2013

658.15'5—dc23

2012030211

To Charles “Chuck” Dima, who taught me how to win at softball . . . and life.

RIP, Coach.

Mad Love To . . .

My brilliant mastermind friends who reviewed early chapters and provided insights: Bob Burg, Dan Burrus, Terry Brock, Joe Calloway, Gina Carr, Joachim de Posada, Lisa Jimenez, Art Jonak, John David Mann, Ian Percy, Nido Qubein, Scott Stratten, Patrick Stinus, and Kathy Zader.

My copyeditor, the amazing Vicki McCown.

The lovely and talented John Wiley & Sons team, led by Matt Holt, with Adrianna Johnson, Christine Moore, and Peter Knox.

And my very own version of Pepper Potts: Lornette Browne.

You guys are the best!

Synopsis

Safe Is the New Risky

Human workers are now being replaced with monkeys and cloning is fast becoming a reality. The old economic model is broken. Huge, household-name companies that play it safe will vanish, and emerging, upstart companies willing to take risks will prevail.

Mobile apps, the cloud, and disruptive technology are eliminating millions of jobs, but they will also create remarkable new opportunities. What happens when virtual reality sex and holo-suites become a reality?

Class warfare creates a dictatorship and entitlement programs enslave the masses. The best ways to protect yourself when the euro collapses and governments go bankrupt.

The West is getting lazy and there is potential for a new world order. In the new economy, ideas will become the most valuable currency.

Marketing is dead; social media is alive. Pharmaceuticals are out; tofu burgers are in. Retail is cold; multi-level marketing is hot. Contrarians will win the day when down is up and up is down.

How genius entrepreneurs harness and channel their ego for results. A look at the high-level achievers Napoleon Hill studied, as well as the new billionaires of today, reveals they have strong egos.

Can selfishness really be a virtue? How people—and companies—make the journey from self-consciousness to cosmic consciousness.

If you ask the wrong question, the answer doesn't matter. Dare to risk—because in the new world, risky is the new safe.

I was at an eco-preserve outside of Phuket, Thailand, when suddenly I realized that the world had changed forever.

The reason for my visit was to cross another item off my bucket list: riding an elephant through the rainforest. There was a wait for the elephants, so they asked if I wanted to see the monkey-training show.

Monkey training? Who could resist, I thought.

But these monkeys weren't being trained to dance to organ music or perform parlor tricks. They were being taught to harvest coconuts.
In place of people
. It was quite fascinating, really. Each tree had a wire running from the ground to the top of the tree. The monkeys climbed the wire to the treetop, where they hung on with one hand and one foot. With their other hand and foot, they spun each coconut round and round until it fell to the ground.

It costs about US$300 and takes a couple months to get your monkey trained. Once trained, the average monkey will harvest 1,000 coconuts a day!

Coming home from the same trip, I overnighted in San Francisco to break up the travel. In the airline lounge the next morning, I noticed a couple who had a cute little puppy peeking out of a travel carrier. Since I love all animals, I asked if I could play with him. They agreed and said something quite shocking:

“Our puppy is a clone.”

Of course I thought they were joking. They weren't. They informed me that they were returning from South Korea where they had picked up the dog after it had been cloned from the DNA cells of their beloved family pet who had died.

I was about as skeptical as anyone could be. This frisky puppy with bright eyes was as adorable as any dog you've ever seen.

The couple and their puppy were on my flight home to Miami, where the husband took the dog to the economy cabin several times to show it to people back there. I was intrigued but still doubtful, until we arrived at Miami International Airport. There was a phalanx of reporters and camera crews milling around the baggage carousels, all waiting to greet the guest of honor.

The puppy's picture was on the front page of the
Miami Herald
the next day, along with the story of his cloning. Turns out he wasn't the first puppy ever cloned, just the first to come to the United States. And, of course, sheep and camels and other animals have been cloned as well.

Recently Oxitec, a British biotech company, created an uproar in Key West, Florida, with their proposal to eradicate the Dengue virus by introducing a genetically modified mosquito. Within a few weeks, a petition against the idea collected 100,000 signatures, with people expressing fear about “Robo-Frankenstein” and “mutant” mosquitoes.

How long will it be before someone else is proposing a genetically modified wolf, shark, or other animal to correct a population imbalance, spread of disease, or other ecosystem problem—which is probably the result of man changing the natural order to begin with?

And then, when someone starts offering genetically modified humans, things really get fascinating . . .

You think abortion creates controversy now, wait until this science evolves. Will parents decide on abortions because their tyke is going to have brown eyes instead of blue? How much will prospective mothers pay to ensure their newborn child has no congenital disorders, no hereditary diseases, and Maya Angelou's poetry gene? How much will prospective fathers pay to ensure their newborn son has enough athletic ability to start in the NFL or NBA?

You can debate the ethics of this and hate it like a poison—but it is coming soon. And someone will make enough money with this to fill the Grand Canyon.

We'll likely be debating the ethical and moral dilemmas of genetic modification and cloning for years—but the genie isn't going back in the bottle.

When I was growing up, my mom told me to go to school, earn a degree, and get a job with a big company—then, I would be set for life. That was the safe thing to do, and millions of other parents around the world were telling their children to do the same thing.

Today, however, that might be the riskiest thing you can do
. . .

Fortunately, I was expelled from high school, so I never got a chance to follow my mother's advice. And
not
following that safe path has made me a very rich man.

If you work in the corporate world today, you have a target on your back. And the longer you've worked for a company, the bigger that target is. Long gone are the days when an employee's longevity at a job was a guarantee for security and a company's loyalty. Companies today often see long-term employees as liabilities. They want to figure out whether they can turn an employee into a contractor or replace them with someone younger who works cheaper, has less accrued vacation time, and receives fewer benefits—or better yet, maybe they can outsource that job overseas and pay even less.

Imagine an executive at American Airlines seeing that monkey training show in Thailand. Can't you just picture him thinking, “Hmm . . . I wonder if we could replace our flight attendants with monkeys?”