– An excerpt from a recent interview with John Von Achen –

With John Von Achen being such a popular and interesting personality, we thought most of our readers would like to get to know him better. In a recent interview, we met with John Von Achen to learn more about him, his businesses, his popular books and what he is up to.

PERSONAL

Is it really true that you have worked in Russia and the C.I.S. countries for the last 15 years?
“Yes it is.”

That is a long time ... do you like Russia?
“Yes, I do ... very much!”

Can I ask why?
“Sure. From a career stand point, Russia (and all emerging markets for that matter) is where the action is at. I find that opportunity is everywhere and most professionals [in Russia] want to learn, grow and be a part of something dynamic and interesting. Concerning Russian people, I just love working with them. I find Russians generous, fun and highly intelligent. For me, working and being a part of what is going on in Russia is like living on the cutting edge, so I always feel alive.”

So, you live in Russia full time?
“You ask as if you are surprised. Yes I do, specifically in Moscow. However, I travel extensively through out Russia, the C.I.S. countries, central and eastern Europe and many other countries in the world regularly.” - (John moved to St. Petersburg in 2007 and back to Moscow in 2009)

Do you speak Russian?
“That depends on who you ask. I do not speak Russian during my seminars and public appearances. They are always simultaneously translated primarily for two reasons. First, when I am communicating I want to ensure that the audience understands not only the words I am saying, but the specific message I am conveying. I have found that a native speaker is far better at that than I am. Second, I believe that everyone has specific gifts and talents and languages is not one of mine. However, I would not suggest saying anything in Russian in front of me that you do not want me to hear because I understand Russian very well. And on a good day, I even speak quite a bit.” - (John’s Russian continues to improve)

From what I know, you were born in the United States, where specifically?
“Orlando, Florida.”

Did you grow up there?
“Yes. Until I began working in Russia, I was a real “Floridian”. I was born in Florida, grew up there, attended university there and worked there.”

Can I ask you a few questions that are more personal?
“Uh .... I suppose, as long as they are not X rated.”

What is your astrological sign?
“Really, I do not care because I do not believe in the stars, rather, I believe in the one who made them!”

What is your favorite color?
“Orange, but that is a recent discovery.”

Do you have any heroes or role models?
“Sure, I have several heroes, including, Jesus Christ, Jack Welch, Rick Renner, Sergio Zyman, Ben Konkel, Meg Whitman, Tom Peters, Richard Branson and Ben, my son.”

What do you like to do in your free time?
“Free time ... ha ... that is a laugh! When I have it, I sleep and chase my son . .. . he has a lot of energy.”

What is the first thing you do in the morning and the last thing you do before you go to bed?
“What kind of question is that ... well ... let’s see ... should I answer this question literally?”

Yes.
“[Laughing] I would guess that in the morning most people start off by doing the same thing I do when I get up, but aside from that, in the morning I spend time exercising, checking my email and I pray and mediate every morning. Before I go to bed, I usually, again, check my email, read for a bit or work on writing a portion of an upcoming book. I have found that if I wind down my brain and get it off of business and the stress of the day I sleep better at night.”

And do you have any hobbies or special interests?
“Yes .... scuba diving, photography, sailing, studying history and deep sea fishing.”

Do you have any pets?
“Honestly, I have never been very successful with pets. My fish died ... twice, my hamster escaped and my turtles ... oh my gosh ... the turtles ... I do not even want to talk about those evil little biting things. Nevertheless, I want a dog (a pug) and I am planning on getting one soon.” - (John added “J “ the Pug to his family in 2007 and has recently added a second Pug to his crew named “K”. Both Pugs are named after Agents J and K from the popular movie franchise Men In Black . . . click here to see J and K)

ELECTRONICS

What brand of computer are you using now?
“An IBM Think Pad. I am a die hard IBM Think Pad fan and have been for years. However, Steve Jobs over at Apple is doing a good job at convincing me to switch.” - (He did it . . . John is now a happy Mac Book Air owner)

And your mobile phone?
“A Motorola RAZR V3. However, with Apple’s entry into the mobile phone market, I just may become a Steve Jobs disciple ... the new iPhone coming out looks pretty cool. ” - (Yes . . . here John is a convert as well . . . he has two iphone’s)

And what about an MP3 player? Do you have one?
“Yep .... an Apple iPod. Yes, I know it would seem I am turning into an Apple freak.” - (Now he is)

And your TV?
“Uh .... I do not remember. I do not watch TV very much. I am more into getting my information and entertainment through the Internet.”

Do you have a favorite TV show?
“Not really, I can not say I have a favorite show. What I can say is that I do like watching historical shows and I DO NOT like to watch reality shows.” - (Here John has made a 180 turn. He is a big fan of “24”, “Lost”, “Stargate Atlantis”, “My Name is Earl” and “Ugly Betty”.)

Why don’t you like reality shows?
“Because my whole life is like a reality show and it is far more interesting. And, when I get home, I do not need or want any more “reality”

STYLE

What do you like to wear?
“Clothes .... oh, you mean what type of clothes. Cufflinks and watches for work and shorts and a t-shirt when no one is interested or looking.”

Who is your favorite designer?
“My favorite designer ... I never thought about that? Let me see ... for business, if I had to choose, I would say Valentino, however, I am more partial to having my clothes tailored. Otherwise, I buy what I want, not necessarily what is supposed to be cool.”

What shampoo do you use?
“Is that a trick question? Remember, you promised to only ask nice questions! Let me ask you a question ...‘shampoo for what hair’? I do not have much left.”

And what brand of conditioner?
“[Laughing] Ha ... come on ... next question.”

What about your favorite perfume?
“Ok, that question is an easy one ... Boss #1!” - (Channel Platinum is now John’s preferred choice, even though he still loves Boss #1)

And what toothpaste?
“Where are you getting these questions from? I don’t know ... what ever I can get while I am traveling.”

Where do you like to shop?
“ I am a man, so in principle I don’t like to shop, but when I have to, I like to shop online, at Smolenskya passage and Nautilus in Moscow, on Park Avenue in Winter Park Florida and on Savile Row in London.”

And what is your favorite article of clothing?
“Ahaa .... another one of your fun questions? I don’t know ... probably whatever is oldest and most comfortable. By the way, what did you think I would say ....’ socks’?”

No, but since you brought up socks, are you like most men who think that it is normal to wear white socks with everything?
“You must be joking ... do I look color blind to you?”

No, you look very nice and well dressed.
“Thank you.”

And your favorite brand of jeans?
“Not more clothing questions. Uh ... Feraud, if I have to look presentable and the ones I have with the most holes in them if I can get away with it.”

What kind of watch do you wear?
“I collect watches, so I have quite a few.”

What kind of car do you drive?
“My last car was a BMW 735. I want to buy a BMW X5 for the winter and a 1982 Corvette Stingray collector’s edition for the summer.” - (John still has not bought his Corvette Stingray because he has not been in one place long enough to drive it. However, his hope is to have one for the summer. And, rather than a 1982, he wants a 1969 model)

And what about shoes?
“What about them? I have a lot, and I do not have a particular brand I am especially in love with.”

CULINARY DELIGHTS

What is your favorite food?
“The cheese omelet served during breakfast in the Victoria Hotel, Chelyabinsk, Russia (I am not kidding) and what ever won’t make me fat again, for example nowdays I very much enjoy fried green beans with omelet that my wife makes with her Grandmother Zoya's classic recipe.”

Which restaurants are your favorites to visit?
“Pushkin Cafe in Moscow, Russia and The Bubble Room on Captiva Island, Florida.”

If you had to choose, do you prefer steak or sushi?
“Sushi .... but a good steak is nice as well.”

What bottled water do you drink?
“Evian mostly, however, because I travel a lot, most often I will take whatever I can get as long as it does not look too dangerous.”

Do you prefer coffee or tea?
“Coffee .... but I am working on limiting my daily coffee intake from pots a day to cups.”

Do you prefer beer or wine?
“Neither really, I do not drink alcohol very much. But if I had to choose, I would choose beer ... specifically Corona Extra.”

What is your favorite cocktail?
“I do not have a favorite. Again, I do not drink alcohol much.”

Do you prefer Coke or Pepsi?
“Used to be Pepsi ... now I rarely drink either.

CULTURAL

Do you consider yourself “cultural”?
“Uh .... I do not know. I never thought about it. I know that most people think Americans are not very cultural. If you are wondering if I like to visit museums, the answer is not so much. And, I do not visit the theater, ballets or the opera very often either. I would rather see a movie or go out and do something more active.”

What are your favorite movies?
“Apollo 13, Remember the Titans, Pay it Forward, Breakin' All the Rules, Any Given Sunday, Bad Boys1 & 2, Goal, Casablanca and all Star Trek movies.” - (John has now added 300 to the list)

What kind of music do you listen to?
“Rock from the 70’s and 80’s and blues.”

Do you like to travel?
“No!”

Really?
“Yes, really. Understand that I travel a lot for work, so traveling has lost the intrigue for me that it used to have. And, by now, I have seen a lot of the world. Plus, traveling is such a hassle these days; traffic to the airport, long lines, insane security checks and delays. I do like to visit somewhere new; I just do not like the process of getting there.”

Since you have traveled to many places in the world, where is your favorite place?
“Definitely underwater.”

And why underwater?
“Because, as I mentioned, I love to dive and there are no phones, computers and everything is quiet.”

I read on your web site that you like to dive with sharks, is that true?
“Yes it is true. There is a special diving site off of the coast of Nassau, Bahamas where you can feed sharks and I go whenever I have the time.” - (For the skeptics, to see John with the sharks, click here)

To me, sharks do not seem to be very quiet.
“That is true, most of the time they are not. Shark diving appeals to the adventurous side of me. Still, most of my diving is geared towards rest and relaxation. I love to explore in general, and to me, exploring underwater is more fun than on land. Plus, I enjoy taking pictures and shooting video underwater. - (To see what John takes pictures of underwater, click here)

CAREER

What is your profession?
“Good question. Let me answer it this way. My profession is sales and marketing, my job is CEO with the primary responsibility of building the leaders and organizations around me, my passion is helping people and organizations achieve greater results and my hobby is venture capitalism and disruption. I love to be a part of innovating something new and changing the status quo in traditional industries, companies and ideologies.”

Why do you think you have been so successful in your career?
“When considering success in anything, I do not believe there is ever just one thing. To me, success is a lifestyle that consists of daily actions taken every day. Concerning my own success, it is based on many things, including the fact that I love what I do, I always know what I want “strategically” first before trying to use “tactics” to get it and in part (a big part) because God has blessed me.” - John is still disrupting, especially in the sphere of social media and social networking and through his latest books on the crisis)

What advice would you offer for people interested in succeeding in business?
“Above all else, know what you want, decide you are ready to pay the price for it and never give up. In addition, I believe that if you want to succeed in anything and keep your success, it is important to always be growing, learning, asking questions and innovating.”

What has been your greatest professional moment?
“The day I realized that I was actually making a positive difference in the world we live in.”

What has been your most embarrassing professional moment?
“The time I was speaking at a seminar to a group of about 200 people and realized my zipper was open. Interestingly, I did get a standing ovation, so I guess all turned out well.” - (Still at the top of the list)

Is it true you are the author of over 30 books?
“Yes, it is true.” - (Currently, John has authored 39 books. His most recent books are a trilogy of “CrisisProof Survival Guides”, for management, sales and marketing due to be released in 2009 in Russia, and then - globally)

Which one is your favorite?
“Lucky, 7 principles to ensure “luck” remains your permanent life companion”.

What irritates you in business?
“The notion that anything can be done step-by-step in the hyper cometitative business environment we live and work in today. Sure, in the past, that may have been an option ... but not today. I love the quote from Andy Grove, ‘There are two types of companies, the quick and the dead.’ How true that is! And, I am also irritated when business leaders fail to place enough emphasis on what I see is their greatest responsibility, not to mention their greatest opportunity for increased profitability and differenation, the dedicated commitment to developing the people under their command.”

Do you have any unrealized business or career goals?
“Good question ... I guess whatever I am working on trying to achieve now. For the most part, I ultimately end up achieving what I set out to do. That is not to say that everything I ever go after works exactly like I hope or plan. Still, because I take time to carefully consider what I want to focus on and systematically plan out my goals, most of my goals become a reality to some degree.”

What are you working on now that is most interesting to you ... what is your next big thing?
“Right now, most of my time is spent building my media company. Our focus is to provide premium content to emerging markets in a variety of formats, including print, audio and video. One project we are working on is that is of particular interest to me is my Internet based TV show that will hopefully begin to be broadcast in the Spring of this year. - (After a delay of 18 months, John launched two regular Internet TV shows, SOLD and DRIVE)

AND ...

What irritates you most [in general]?
“Having to repeat myself, the process of traveling by air, poor service, waiting under any circumstances and doors that are supposed to open and do not.”

Is it true that you have recently lost over 50 kilograms?
“Yes.”

How did you do it?
“I created a system for myself to help me control my behavior, habits and mind. But what really motivated me was I was just tired of being fat!”

Where can someone find out about your system?
“I am releasing a print book about my system in the spring of 2007.” - (This project has been postponed)

Who is the “coolest” person you have ever met?
“My son”

What stands out as your “greatest moment” in life?
“The moment I saw my son for the first time.”

And what about your “worst moment”?
“During my son’s birth, there were complications and I was stranded in another country (I was unable to get a flight for two days). So, not only was I unable to get home, but my son’s life was in danger. I thank God that he was listening to my prayers.”

What is the one thing you would take to a deserted island with you?
“A boat”

Is there anything you want to see or do before you die?
“Who said anything about dying?”