Leonardo da Vinci said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” What does that mean? I think it means that in a world full of chaos, complication isn’t fancy, it’s counterproductive.
On a recent volume of Psychology of Entrepreneurship, in a conversation with one of my oldest friends, Luke Coutinho, we got into the nitty-gritty of keeping it simple. Luke is the founder of a mega-popular $250 million Integrative Lifestyle Medicine and Life Coaching business. He grew the company from scratch when he realised that many health care professionals were missing the simplicity amidst the chaos of disease diagnosis. “I’ve learned to look for simplicity within complicated health problems. That’s what my gift is,” Luke explains.
And a gift it is, that’s for sure. Luke has patients sometimes waiting up to a year to work with him and his incredible team. He’s healed patients with acid reflux, kidney issues, high blood pressure, diabetes and even cancer. Yes, that’s right, even cancer. So, what’s his secret? Stay away from the complicated.
“I could never understand complicated. Whether it was an equation in chemistry or physics, whatever it is, I could never understand complicated, I still can’t,” Luke mused. And I can vouch for that. Back in our school days, Luke and I were among a group of friends that would constantly ditch class to go to the movies or play a game of cricket. We loved to keep it simple. Because for us, school was a bit too complicated. Not because it was too hard, but because it was just too much.
Inner World vs. Outer World
Luke and I discussed the oversaturation of content in modern society. We are continuously bombarded with information. From social media, to texts and messages, to news alerts on our phones – it never stops. These distractions are all part of the outer world. The outer world, with all its complications, is constantly trying to pull us from our inner world.
“The inner world and the outer world, these are the two worlds we live in. Period,” Luke explains. “Everything else is superficial. So most people today are connected to the outer world. Which means if you’re constantly connected to the outer world, you’re also controlled by the outer world.”
Again, the answer is simplicity. Once we are able to take breaks from all the complications being so connected to the outer world causes, we can breathe and connect within. Turn off your phone, or at least put it on silent. Schedule quiet times for yourself throughout the day, and just be. Simple, right?
For Luke, and his patients, connection to the inner world is crucial. “We try to get them to connect inside. If we can establish that connection, that we can effect change,” Luke explains.
“Otherwise, there are tons of people telling them what’s good for them, what’s bad for them, what exercises to do for a six-pack, but the thing is, the world lacks discipline and consistency. And that’s what we try to get people to do.”
Simplicity in Every Aspect
When it comes to running his business, Luke keeps it simple there, too. “There was just one vision,” he said. “Just be good at what you are, be good at what you’re good at. Which is to be effective. I don’t want to be the best, I want to be effective.”
Luke hires the best people, and he pays them well. This is another simple secret to keeping the best team. “We beat all American standards of pay, Australian standards of pay. We pay way above. The simple model is ‘If I grow, you grow’,” he says.
So he hires the best people. He pays them well. He runs his business the way he wants to, and works the way that works for him. The end goal is always the same. Help people get healthy and enjoy the simple things in life.
For more of this conversation with Luke Coutinho about simplicity, click here.
Author: Ronsley Vaz
Ronsley is the founder & chief day dreamer at AMPLIFY. He is an author, speaker & serial entrepreneur.
He has a Masters’ degree in Software Engineering and an MBA in Psychology and Leadership. He is known as the creator of We Are Podcast – the first Podcasting Conference in the Southern Hemisphere, and the host of The Bond Appetit Podcast and Should I Start a Podcast. He has an audience of over 3 million in 133 countries.