Unique Results Blog

Ralph Lauren, the Colorado Ranch and losing that belly!

November 19, 2011 at 7:12 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

I have just finished watching one of the most inspiring interviews I have seen for a long time! Oprah in her final farewell season (before shifting her show to her own NETWORK!) spent some time with American Icon and world famous fashion designer Ralph Lauren on his 17,000acre (YES! 17,000acre!) Colorado Ranch called the ‘Double RL’ after himself RALPH and his wife of 46 years RICKY.

You may be thinking ‘What has this got to do with ME?’ and ‘What are YOU writing this for?’

Please bare with me.

Ralph was born 71 years ago in Brooklyn NYC to Russian immigrant parents who moved to America, like millions of others in search of a better life for themselves and their future family. His parents passed on values to him (probably unconsciously) about working hard, being passionate, loving what you do and creating the life of your dreams.

At 16 he started working in a department store replacing clothing to the racks once it had been tried on and left in the fitting rooms, this was his introduction to fashion. He started to develop his own philosophy on fashion and in his early 20s in his spare time designed a new style of tie (I won’t pretend to know anything about fashion but apparently it was a lot wider than those that were common at the time) he had some of these ties manufactured and personally visited shops all over New York seeing if they would stock his ‘new’ style ties. Bloomingdales loved the ties and wanted to stock them but only if his name was removed from the ties and they were rebranded. He walked away from the meeting and refused their offer because he believed in his product and believed in his brand (which at that stage did not exist – except in his own mind!)

His decision proved to be wise. 6 months later Bloomingdales called him back into a meeting. They said they had loved his product and were unable to find anything else as good and agreed to stock Ralph Lauren ties with their own branded display and a fashion Icon was set on his way.

Ralph went onto form his brand and company ‘Polo’. He chose the name because he wanted to appeal to an international sophisticated market. Ralph Lauren has been at the top of his industry for over 40 years and continues to pioneer and develop. He states that he doesn’t just design clothes; he creates stories, ways for people to dress, to live the lives they want to live. He dresses people, homes and has come to embody the American dream that his parents first cherished over 70 years ago.

When Oprah asked him how it was that he was 71 years old (he moves and looks like he is in his 50s!) and still has so much passion and energy after he had achieved so much in his life he answered with a simple sentence:

“The CLARITY and CONSISTENCY of my VISION”

When asked what he was most proud of in his whole life he answered simply ‘my family’. Ralphs vision was not about designing clothes it was and is about influencing the way people live and feel.

If you have a health and fitness goal for yourself, how big is it?

Is it a GOAL or is it a VISION?

Look at the biggest picture possible on the grandest canvas of your life. I would encourage you to have a health and fitness VISION for your life, not just goals that you set and reach.

How do you want your life to be?

How do you want to show up each day?

How much energy do you want to possess?

How much confidence do you wish to feel?

What kind of example do you want to set to your family?

How much love do you want to give?

and……

How much of a difference do you want to make?

When you explode your goal and look at it from a mile above ground level it will become more important, more powerful, more compelling and a little less mundane than just:

‘I want to lose my belly!’

Yours in health,

James St Pierre