I had the opportunity to meet author & speaker Joachim de Posada through a mutual friend in Los Angeles about six months ago. As part of this small social group gathering, I learned about his latest endeavor, a book entitled “Don’t Eat the Marshmallow Yet.” With a name as compelling and catchy as that, how could you not be intrigued to learn more?
The book is essentially about how success relates to delayed gratification and our ability to the do the latter to reap the rewards of sustained success. (sustained is the key word here). It is based on a Stanford University study where they left children in a room, each with a marshmallow. They were given the choice of eating it then or fifteen minutes later, when they were promised an extra marshmallow as a reward for waiting. Some ate theirs right away, others waited. A decade later, the researchers learned that the children who held out for the reward had become more successful.
Joachim was so interested in the study as it would apply to his work and as an example in his talks, where he speaks to thousands of corporate executives and professional athletes. The book is the result of his intrigue and his mission is to use it as a way to motivate many, not one, into having a better outcome in their lives.
He does this by telling a story of a young twenty-something year old chauffeur named Arthur who works for a billionaire named Jonathan, both talented men, both intellectually curious. The question is posted: why is Jonathan in the back seat of the limousine and Arthur in the front? What explains the difference between success and failure? And what does it mean to you and your children?
The book is funny and insightful, yet simple and short as he brings you into the heads of both men as Jonathan takes Arthur on a journey of marshmallow eaters and marshmallow resisters. “Marshmallow resisters” achieve high levels of success while others eat all their marshmallows at once, so to speak-accumulating debt and dissatisfaction despite their occupations or incomes.
Here’s a link to the TED talk Joachim gave about the concept and a link to the book if you’d like to read it yourself. (Ellen Singer is his co-author).
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
