SCOTT'S Playbook
These are the principles, beliefs, and mindsets that Scott developed through decades of building JMP Solutions and that now guide his approach to the Canada Ocean Racing campaign. They connect his business chapter to his sailing chapter and every principle has been tested in the real world, first in business and now on the water.
"Any test that will show you what you are capable of is a difficult test. And doing hard things and taking on big challenges is scary, which makes sense. The biggest treasures are guarded by the biggest dragons. In my years in business, I learned a few things about tackling big goals and challenges. I’ve put them into a playbook of sorts that I’d like to share with you."
12
Be Thankful and Humble
Be grateful for the experience, what you learned, and what you achieved. You had a lot of help from others along the way. And as it turns out, you were a bit lucky too.
01
It’s Up to You
You are in charge. No one is going to design your life for you. Scott learned this early, first from his parents, who told him that if he wanted to go to university, he’d have to find the money himself, and later from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People in his early business days. This principle is the philosophical root of the entire campaign: you own your choices.
02
Dream Big
You have to imagine it before you can do it. Big dreams are more exciting, to you and to everyone around you. You don’t need to have all the answers now. Someone is going to be number one, so why aim to be mediocre? At JMP, this meant setting a Big Hairy Audacious Goal and building a company people wanted to be part of. With Canada Ocean Racing, the big dream is the Vendée Globe itself.
03
Go Public
Declare your goal out loud. This takes courage, people will call you crazy, but it creates commitment and buy-in. Courage comes well before confidence. At JMP, Scott had to get all employees onboard with a new vision that even he barely thought was possible. With the Vendée Globe campaign, going public turned a private ambition into a shared mission.
04
Get Immersed
Once you commit, it’s time to become an expert. Research everything, talk to everyone, learn all you can. Scott went from engineer to owner and president, learning leadership, sales, management, acquisitions, international expansion, and the cultural norms of doing business across borders. Now he’s applying the same total immersion to ocean racing.
05
Believe in Yourself
Expect to be overwhelmed and to have doubts along the way. Have somewhat unrealistic confidence in yourself. Have faith that you can figure it out, because you kind of have to. Scott took over his company by borrowing a significant amount of money, and two years later a major recession hit. He always believed that if someone else can do it, why can’t he?
06
Enlist Support
It will be easier if you admit that you could use some help and don’t know it all. People want to help others achieve big goals. Don’t be shy, you’re giving them an opportunity to be part of something great. In business, Scott leaned on Young Presidents Organization, an advisory board, and his management team for strategic planning. In racing, he’s built a team of professionals and enlisted mentors across the sailing world.
07
Do the Next Thing
You don’t need to see the path to the end; you just need to see the next step. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. At JMP, Scott had a theory for how to grow to a billion-dollar company but had never done it before. The strategy was to set five-year plans with one-year targets and execute. During the 2008 financial crisis, he couldn’t see the end of the month. He had to focus on what it would take to get people paid that week.
08
Hard Work Is Your “Luck”
Hard work is what gets the job done in the end. The more you do, the more you put yourself in a position to be lucky. People will call you lucky and fortunate because they won’t see the hard work. That’s just the way it is. Scott’s financial freedom didn’t come from luck; people don’t see the decades of hard work and sacrifice it took.
09
Have Fun
It’s going to be a lot of hard work, so seek out and savour the fun moments. Embrace the concept of Level 2 fun, the kind that’s only fun in retrospect, like a vigorous hike in a rainstorm. Enjoy the experience.
10
Persevere
There will be setbacks and days you want to quit. The key is to persevere and keep going. Scott has many business examples of try, fail, try again. In racing, retirements from the Fastnet and Transat Jacques Vabre were setbacks, not endings, and still provided opportunities to learn and grow.
11
70% Is Better Than 0%
Sometimes it doesn’t work out despite your best efforts. Failure is the best teacher. It’s better to aim for the stars and hit the moon than to never have left the ground.
12
Be Thankful and Humble
Be grateful for the experience, what you learned, and what you achieved. You had a lot of help from others along the way. And as it turns out, you were a bit lucky too.
