Reality TV shows are like human chess games.

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." -Rob Cesternino

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• How are reality TV shows like Survivor and Big Brother microcosms of real life?
  
• Why it doesn't always work to your advantage to be known as the influencer.
  
• If you don't see the power struggles around you, Rob explains why.
  
• How to respond when social alliances shift.
  
• The two keys you need to get past anything.
  
• And so much more...
  

Have you ever watched Survivor, Big Brother or The Amazing Race? Or maybe you've just wondered why these shows have such mass appeal. Whether or not you watch any of these reality TV shows there are relevant strategies and techniques you can take away and apply to your real life.

Rob Cesternino, a two-time contestant on the Survivor TV show, joins us to talk stratagems and share what reality TV teaches us about real life on this edition of The Art of Charm.

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Growing up Rob Cesternino always loved games, especially the strategy-type games. So when reality TV shows like Survivor and Big Brother became popular he wanted in.

Not having any outdoors-type skills he originally applied to be on Big Brother. He got to the very last stage of the audition process and thought for sure he'd be chosen. He wasn't. But a few months later he got a call from the same production team asking him if he would want to be on the upcoming season of Survivor. He said yes and was on his way.

Today having been both a contestant and an avid watcher of reality TV, Rob has learned lessons from his experiences and observations. He joins us to talk about how to take winning strategies from these shows and apply them to our everyday lives.

One of the first suggestions he has is to figure out the existing power structure and where you fit within it. This applies to social networks as well as your office or business. Watch carefully to find out who is actually calling the shots, it may not be the person you perceive as being the leader.

Often leaders are under the radar and have messengers sending out their instructions, this could be true in any of your circles so carefully observe what's going on and who's doing what; eventually you'll figure out who the leader really is and you can adjust accordingly.

When entering a new network or a new company, the best way to get ahead and become a part of that group is to be well-liked. Don't be an a-hole, Rob says and you'll get off on the right foot!

From there you can begin to develop relationships and firm up your connections. Even if you don't necessarily like someone you still want to get to know them and know what's happening on all fronts so you can be prepared for anything.

And that's one of the key takeaways we can all get from reality TV shows: being prepared for anything, being adaptable. Your level of adaptability will determine how far you go in work settings, in social settings and any other area of your life. You've got to be able to roll with any punches and make changes as needed.

Rob and I also talk about how to identify any threats, why sometimes you're strongest ally stabs you in the back and so much more. Have a listen to get all the goods from this episode! Then join me in thanking Rob for being on the show and thank you for joining us. We'll see you next time.

If you enjoyed this session of The Art of Charm Podcast, let Rob know by clicking on the link below and sending him a quick shout out on Twitter:

Click here to thank Rob on Twitter!

Rob Cesternino's web site
Rob's podcast
Rob on Twitter
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