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Fresh Perspective Interview with Greg Summers

Written by Aaron Pinkston, Mon, Feb 15 2010
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Greg Summers, better known to some as the Lean Life Coach, has over 25 years experience in sales, management, and consulting. After discovering how the principles of Lean Management helped businesses succeed by eliminating waste, he realized it might work in his own life too. At his website Eliminate the Muda, he helps people like you make that same connection.

I had the chance to ask him a few questions. Hop on over to his website after you check out some of his thoughts.

AP: You write a lot about how Lean Management principles interact with our personal lives. What are the beginning steps you would recommend to those who want to get more out of life by eliminating waste?

GS: The first step to getting more out of life by eliminating wastes is awareness! Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to accept the status quo and infrequently take a step back to really question if our choices and actions are truly value added.

Based on personal and professional relationships, I have no doubt, few of us take full advantage of the time they are given and it is a shame. We are to busy to have fun, to busy to learn and to busy to share special moments with those we love.

We all have a finite amount of time. How much of it is really being used productively? When I really started to question everything I did, I found a number of opportunities to improve my work and home life by eliminating wasteful activities. Today this allows me to focus not only on things that were more important financially but also personally.

AP: Do you think living a better life is just about running your personal life like a business, or is there something more to it than that?

GS: Living a better life is not just about running your life like a business. Thinking about finances from the perspective of a running a business can be an effective method to keep focused on managing your money as effectively as possible. The benefit of this, however, is that doing so allows you the freedom to pursue the lifestyle you choose.

Personally, thinking about the effort and money that I invest in life versus the free time and profits (savings) that I get out of it helps to ensure that I capitalize on opportunities I have. However there is definitely more to it!

Since adopting a “Lean Life” I’ve been able to enjoy more time with my family, had the pleasure of many more hours pursuing my hobbies of woodworking and woodturning and I have even been able to tackle some new interests like building and playing guitars; though so far I am better at building than playing! Sometimes I have to pinch myself. Not only have I really enjoyed life over the past 10 years of my lean journey but my wife and I have also eliminated over $20,000 in consumer debt and made significant progress on our retirement savings.

AP: You write a lot about how different things are a waste of time or money. Is there anything worthwhile?

GS: Wasting time, effort and energy frustrates me, no doubt. It is disheartening, for example, to be forced to waste time or spend more money because of someone else’s inefficiency – DMV or Doctors office anyone? Worse, is when wasting time, effort or money is my own fault and preventable! The more you become aware of all the wastes in life, the more you see.

This awareness also allows you to see value in life better. A great example is Clarifinancial. Had I known about it a few years ago, we wouldn’t have had to cancel my wife’s insurance.

AP: You encourage people to make more optimal decisions. Clarifinancial makes the power of a reverse auction accessible to people buying life insurance, so they can make wiser choices with greater ease. What other products or services have you seen that people should take advantage of to eliminate the muda?

GS: Elimination of waste is more about using the knowledge of lean principles in everyday life than taking advantage of services or technology. A calculator, stopwatch, pedometer and a willingness to challenge the status quo are the basic tools that one needs to identify and eliminate wastes from life.

When you start questioning everything you do and everything you spend money on, you can’t help but identify opportunities to get more value out of your time and from companies you do business with. Clarifinancial would be a great example of saving yourself time by letting others do the legwork for you.

AP: Okay, so how can we use the power of elimination to actually create more?

I’m really glad you asked this question. The greatest benefit of eliminating wastes is that by doing so, you are left with more – more time, more opportunity, and even more money. Getting more organized, for example, enables one to accomplish more with less effort. Following the first principle of Lean, investing in yourself will make it possible for you improve your financial management skills. In all, there are 10 lean principles and 9 forms of waste that can be applied to help you create more value in your life.


Last time, I talked with Adam Baker about finding your path in life and why globe hopping with a baby isn’t that crazy. This interview also includes audio.