Cars to Company
A Day of High Performance Driving Training to Instill Company Growth Principles
Experienced CEOs and executives (like you) are “behind the wheel” operating at high speeds. Every turn is an instinctive decision to innovate, prioritize, and push the company to the edge of grip – but with control, predictability, and confidence.
To level-up performance you might look beyond the familiar and seek out parallel experiences. Analogies can codify brain connections to unleash new learning, specially if that training stimulates all of the brain.
I’m a serial entrepreneur and performance driving enthusiast / coach (bio). When I started driving cars, I felt many similarities to my experience driving a company as a CEO. In short, I found the analogies of high speed car control to company growth are meaningful, memorable and useful. Now, I aim to help other highly competitive CEOs (and their teams) learn lessons of accelerating company growth in a fun environment that leverages brain science to make it stick!
What are these cars to company parallels? Here are a couple examples:
Control: To The Edge of Grip
You're going to learn to drive a car sideways. When you slide it feels like you're losing traction, but what you're doing is riding the edge of grip. It feels exciting and wrong, similar to when a company is growing fast or large. It is unsettling to feel like you might lose control. But there are literally controls to stay in control. True for cars to company. Sequencing and finesse of these inputs allow you to steer INTO the slide and stay on course.
Vision: You Go Where the Eyes Go
To get a car where you want you will learn the eyes are your most important asset. In short, the car goes where your eyes go. "Target fixation" is when you can't help but look at the thing you DON'T want to hit. And, of course, you hit it. Keeping eyes up -- aimed at the exit or cone -- will cause your body parts (i.e. control system) to align so that your car hits the target. And predictability is what you want, same for cars to company. If your organization is the car, the leader keeps the eye on the target and helps others do the same. Your "eyes" for the organization are ways you express purpose, values, goals and challenges. From here the body (your people) react in a way that ensures you hit the target.
There's a ton more lessons that cross over 7 categories: vision, planning, teamwork, focus, speed, control, and change.
From these I’ve constructed a ONE DAY high-performance driving and leadership experience for CEOs and founders to unlock business growth practices through car control practices. The skills and techniques you FEEL behind the wheel will trigger actions at the office. This training will be visceral and instinctual, and it will serve you well to accelerate company growth.
Interested?
What Does a Cars to Company Day Look Like?
The Agenda...
One Week BEFORE Track Day
To kick things off, we start with an intro lunch or coffee. We will talk about your business, your goals, and key challenges. Everything from here is confidential (NDAs signed).
Track Day
7:30am
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Sam picks you up at your home or hotel with coffee and breakfast tacos.
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1+ hour drive discussion on key business / leadership challenges and principles to focus on during the day.
8:45 AM
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Car and drift course safety debrief, sign release form.
9:00 AM
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Optional: stick shift driving refresher
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Drift Initiation: Learn how to Clutch / Turn / eBrake into a corner to initiate and maintain a slide sideways. You learn to purposely let go, lose grip, and experience discomfort, learning to feel the edge of traction.
10:00 AM
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10 min Break & Chat
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Donuts – you will maintain consistent donuts around a cone, practicing to finesse and balance while keeping the eye on the goal.
11:00 AM
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10 min Break & Chat
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Transitions / Drift Course – learn how explicit inputs lead to handling transitions with grace
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Hard Park – learn to slide precisely (oxymoron?) into a desired destination
12:00 PM
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Lunch and discussion on business topic
12:45 PM
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Hot Lap – 60 mph speed “clutch kick” drift and manji, plus technical Gymkhana “barrel lane”
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T-shirt and pictures.
1:00 PM
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One hour business drive discussion on leadership development topic with driving lessons learned.
2:30 - 3:00pm Home!
Cost
1x1 day is $1,800 (prepaid) and includes:
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Intro lunch or coffee
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Personal to and from transportation (home or hotel)
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3+ hours of high performance driving & coaching
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On track lunch
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High speed and "gymkhana" hot lap
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Texas Drift Academy t-shirt
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Drone video highlight clips
A group day of up to 3 executives is possible for additional cost.
Schedule / Dates
We can schedule a Cars to Company track day on any Monday through Thursday depending on our availability. The day starts at 7:30 am and I have you back by 3pm at the latest. Questions? Ready? Email me here.
TWO Reasons Car Performance and Company Growth Lessons Go Together:
1) You Learn Car Control Skills that Will Trigger Better Company Growth Decisions When you Need Them
As you get behind the wheel, you will "feel" driving techniques lessons learned and connect them to business growth situations. When the time comes in the office, you will recall the principles learned.
The key lessons are within 7 areas: vision, planning, teamwork, focus/presence, speed, control, and change/transitions. These, of course, are relevant in many business situations...
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Company Purpose and Vision
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Strategic planning process
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Leadership & team development
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Building and maintaining a positive company culture
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Sales and marketing strategy
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Product strategy & innovation
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Market expansion strategy & sequence
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Competitive positioning
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Product marketing and sales enablement
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Change management and adaptability
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Branding and company positioning
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Employee performance management
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Hiring, retention, and team structure
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Scaling and infrastructure
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Managing risks and uncertainty
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Fundraising and Board/Investor Management
2) An Experiential Learning Process Gets the Whole Brain Involved
Research suggests that physical activity and movement help enhance learning and memory.
Studies in the field of neuroscience show that physical activities can activate brain regions that are associated with memory, attention, and learning, including the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex.
University of Minnesota found that students who participated in an outdoor adventure program scored significantly higher on a test of leadership skills.
Research suggests that adrenaline can increase alertness, attention, and motivation, which can help to improve the ability to learn new information and retain it. Adrenaline also increases the release of glucose, which can enhance memory and recall.
Adrenaline can have a positive effect on the emotional aspect of learning, making the experience more memorable and meaningful. This is because the emotional state of the individual when the information is first learned can influence the ability to recall the information later.
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Co-founder of Capital Factory in 2009
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Investor, mentor, board member and/or advisor to over 500 startups.
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Former VP of Marketing for three silicon valley startups
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Former leader of Dell.com ($3.5B consumer web site)
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Former co-founding CMO of Bazaarvoice (IPO in 2012)
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Former founder and CEO of Mass Relevance (exited to Spredfast)
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Former founder and Chairman of Clearhead (exited to Accenture)
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Former Executive Coach to Silvercar (exited to Audi)
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Founder and Chairman of Fairworlds (VR/AR)
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Board member of Interplay Learning (Series C VR for skilled labor training) and Axial Shift (Series A restaurant software)
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Co-owner of Texas Drift Academy
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Author of “301 Do-it-Yourself Marketing Ideas” and “How to Market With Computer User Groups”
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Former board member of 10 startups and non-profits
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Inventor of 3 patents for use/measurement of user generated content
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2015 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist
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Emmy Award Winner (in Technology)
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Husband & father/step-father to five, ages 13 to 25.
AND
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Co-owner / partner of Texas Drift Academy with 6 years of experience in performance driving in track, rally, stunt driving and drifting. Graduate of AMG Driving Academy Pro & Drift (5x), Bobby Ore Stunt Driving Academy, Rally Ready, Driveway Austin Drift Course, Bob Bondurant Racing, Rally Project, and Texas Drift Academy (100x).
Outside Recommendations:
"As a venture capitalist who had the privilege of investing in two companies led by Sam and serving on its board, I can attest to his exceptional ability to identify patterns and capitalize on opportunities for growth. He quickly analyzes complex issues and develops innovative solutions in realtime that unlock a company's hidden potential. He possesses a unique left/right brain combo of creativity and analytical thinking, with an ability to inspire others. That makes him a valuable asset to any CEO or organization."
Chris Pacitti, Founder & Partner at Elsewhere Partners (previously Partner at Austin Ventures)
"What’s super cool talking to Sam about business is the immediate deep engagement and connection. His personal approach and broad experience makes Sam rapidly effective with advice and ideas that are AHA moments. He cuts right to the heart of the issues, making the time spent together dense with impact."
Ellis Winstanley, Founder/CEO of Axial Shift, CEO of El Arroyo
“Sam is the most creative start-up marketing executive I have ever worked with. He has a tremendous amount of "pattern recognition" ”
Brett Hurt, founder of Bazaarvoice and Data.World
I have known and worked with Sam Decker for 13 years. Sam is a strategic leader who brings a unique balance of creative thinking and analytical ability to his work.”
Debbie Kristofferson, former VP Marketing Peet’s Coffee and VP Ecommerce for Walmart
“At some point, success isn't about how smart a guy is. It's about his ability to inspire others. That's Sam. I would invest my own money in any company in which Sam Decker is materially involved.”
Harry Joiner, #1 Ecommerce recruiter
“Sam is a very forward thinker. He has an acute awareness of the key focal points for not only marketers but also investors”
David Liu, Former Managing Director of Intrnet Investment Banking for Jefferies, Author of “The Way of the Wall Street Warrior”
Interested? Email Sam