Don't Do Business with Dicks

How to Ditch Toxicity and Align Yourself with Positive Influences

Pragmatic principles for success and strategies to help you overcome your biggest obstacle—you—by surrounding yourself with the right people, ideas, and environments

As Chairman of the Napoleon Hill Institute and former CEO of Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment (the inspiration for Jerry Maguire), where his first major task was to bring home negotiations for returning the NFL’s Rams to Los Angeles from St. Louis, David Meltzer followed his boss’s instructions: “Don’t negotiate to the last penny. Always be fair. Don’t do business with dicks.”

Since then, David’s taken this advice on as his mantra, not just for negotiating high-stakes deals but for navigating life. In Don’t Do Business with Dicks, Meltzer distills his wisdom into actionable strategies for cultivating meaningful relationships, aligning yourself with positive influences, and holding fast to your integrity.

Packed with anecdotes and practical advice, you’ll discover how to fill your life with all the right stuff and leave behind the negativity and pettiness that stunt growth. Adopt a guiding philosophy that empowers you to:

• Avoid negative influences and build positive connections
• Align your actions with your values
• Cultivate gratitude and accountability
• Master the art of clear and honest communication
• Make wise choices in partnerships
• Navigate the dynamics of different environments
• Foster a growth mindset

Don’t Do Business with Dicks is a call to eliminate toxicity and create your own “gold standard” for success, one built on kindness and integrity. Instead of just focusing on getting what you want, ask yourself—what’s standing in your way?

©2026 by David Meltzer. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

A masterpiece I will listen to repeatedly

David is such a masterful and wise storyteller. I’m so grateful he has made his principles of success so easily accessible through his humble stories. His wisdom and compassion are imbued in each and every page and are pages everyone, whether one is an entrepreneur or not, should pay close attention to.