How to Train Fleas - Insights From a Motivational Speaker

How to Train Fleas: Zig Ziglar on Change, Marketing & Breaking Barriers

Yesterday, I revisited a classic Zig Ziglar quote and re-listened to some short episodes of The Ziglar Show. One title immediately caught my eye—"How to Train Fleas."

Ziglar says if you’re going to make it in life, you need to know how to train fleas. That statement alone is packed with insight—about change, limitations, and what holds us back. But before we dive into the motivational lesson, let’s talk about the marketing lesson hidden in plain sight.

Even if marketing doesn’t seem relevant to you, pause for a moment. Marketing isn’t just about selling products; it’s about communication, perception, and influence. You already engage in marketing every day—whether it’s how you interact with colleagues, negotiate with a bank manager, or explain important values to your kids.

Marketing isn’t a dirty word. It’s a tool—one that helps you navigate change, communicate effectively, and present ideas in ways that resonate with others. Zig Ziglar was a master at this. He took complex topics and turned them into simple, memorable stories—like How to Train Fleas.

The Flea Training Story

Ziglar explains that if you place fleas in a jar and screw on the lid, they will keep jumping—banging into the lid repeatedly. Eventually, they adapt. They stop jumping so high. Over time, even when you remove the lid, the fleas won’t escape. They’ve been conditioned to stay within limits they no longer need to obey.

Sound familiar? People do the same thing. Early in life, we set ambitious goals, but setbacks—failures, rejections, external opinions—train us to stop reaching too high. We hit an invisible ceiling and never push beyond it.

SNIOPs and the 4-Minute Mile

Ziglar warns about becoming a SNIOP—someone Susceptible to the Negative Influence of Other People. Many of us let others define our limits. But successful people refuse to be controlled by external doubts.

Take Roger Bannister. Before he broke the 4-minute mile, experts insisted it was physically impossible. Some even claimed it could kill a runner. But Bannister wasn’t influenced by the naysayers. He studied his stride, made a plan, and broke the barrier. Once he did, others followed—because the psychological barrier was shattered.

Your Takeaway

Change is already out there, waiting for you to step into it. The first steps are the hardest, but they’re the most important. If you’re reading this, you’re already on your way.

Zig’s How to Train Fleas episode is only five minutes long, and while his delivery may feel old-school, the message is timeless. Don’t dismiss wisdom just because of the style it comes in. Keep digging—you’ll find the gems.