Adam Marburger: I Was Told I Would Fail — The 10 Things School Never Taught Me
Adam Marburger says "I assert, as the principal maxim of this discourse, that you are not your past, and liberation from antecedent circumstances constitutes the foundational imperative for any person intent upon constructing a meaningful life and enterprise. I distill ten critical lessons I have learned—among them that money functions as a vehicle of freedom, that deliberate appearance and personal branding matter, that a disciplined morning routine and ongoing personal development are indispensable, and that one’s circle of influence determines future trajectory. I underscore the peril of deferment and the necessity of decisive action today rather than postponement into tomorrow. I counsel discovery and monetization of one’s gifts, establishment of multiple revenue streams, pursuit of mentors and coaching, and the practice of gratitude, forgiveness, and reciprocal responsibility to those who depend upon us. I exhort listeners to audit relationships, accept the inevitability of resistance and haters, and commit to sustained growth so that we may transcend circumstance and create generational value. I recount a trajectory from a turbulent adolescence to purposeful leadership and distill ten vital lessons that were absent from formal schooling. I describe how a single, stinging encounter with a counselor catalyzed a fire in me and set the stage for sustained ambition. I insist that we are not our past, and I explain why releasing inherited narratives enables deliberate progress. I treat money as a modality of freedom rather than an end in itself and relate specific practices: show children how business finances operate, view entrepreneurship as a sport to be trained for, and surround yourself with peers who amplify rather than diminish your aspirations. I also emphasize the practicalities of personal presentation and routine. I urge that appearance functions as a communicative asset and that a disciplined morning ritual and personal development plan are nonnegotiable for high achievement. I outline the necessity of multiple revenue streams—investing in markets, maximizing retirement accounts, whole life insurance as a vehicle, and real estate for passive income—and I close with a call to action: act today, not tomorrow, and invest in mentors and coaches to expedite growth."
Takeaways:
- I am not defined by my past or my family lineage, and I can alter generational outcomes through deliberate, sustained effort.
- I regard money as a means to freedom and agency, and I therefore pursue wealth creation to serve my family and to impact my community responsibly.
- I cultivate my personal appearance and brand deliberately, understanding that presentation materially influences opportunities and external perceptions in both professional and social environments.
- I maintain a disciplined morning routine, engage in continuous personal development, and deliberately seek mentors to accelerate my competence and measurable outcomes.
- I audit and curate my circle of influence, excising relationships that impede progress and surrounding myself with individuals who exemplify high achievement and reciprocal support.
- I embrace risk and eschew conformity, electing the less traveled course when necessary so that I may access disproportionate opportunity and long-term growth.
- I identify my core gifts and monetize them through diversified revenue streams, including investments and real estate, while acting promptly rather than deferring aspirations until tomorrow.
- I forgive others and myself for past errors, engage a coach to refine strategy and accountability, and recognize that when I fail to win numerous dependents and communities consequently suffer.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Humans That Build
- Ascent Dealer Services
- Cuzo's Pasta and Pizza
- Alton Elite Jiu-Jitsu
- Lambert–St. Louis International Airport
- Gucci
Transcript
This is Adam Marburger.
Speaker A:And this is humans that build real conversations with real people.
Speaker A:Not just about what they've built in the world, but what had to be built inside them first.
Speaker A:No hype, no shortcuts.
Speaker A:Just humans doing the work.
Speaker A:Humans that build.
Speaker A:Real people.
Speaker A:Real work.
Speaker A:Welcome to another episode of Humans to Build.
Speaker A:I'm your host, Adam Marburger, and today I'm your guest.
Speaker A:I have a rant and the one thing that you guys and gals will appreciate about me is every now and then I go on tangents.
Speaker A:I deliver sales meetings or I do talks, or I journal, or I come up with these ideas in the shower and then I kind of piece them together and I feel like I need to share them with the world.
Speaker A:I do a lot of it on social media.
Speaker A:But humans that build is just started to really become a huge part of my life and I really want to document as much as I possibly can here on these platforms for a you to hear, get some value and.
Speaker A:And then in the future, the future generation.
Speaker A:The lesson I'm going to give today is titled the 10 Things I Was Not Taught in School.
Speaker A:This was a talk that I gave.
Speaker A:Actually spoke to a group of high school kids about the topic I'm about to share with you.
Speaker A:But I'm going to tell you a quick story after I take a drink of my water here.
Speaker A:It's been a tough week.
Speaker A:I'm going to tell you.
Speaker A:I've been.
Speaker A:Lack of sleep.
Speaker A:The team from Ascent Dealer Services was in town.
Speaker A:A lot of team building, lot of late nights and staying in hotels with, like, the softest pillows in the world.
Speaker A:Not conducive to a good night's sleep.
Speaker A:So that's the negativity.
Speaker A:That's all the negativity you're getting from me.
Speaker A:But your boy's leaving tomorrow for Italy, so I got to get my crap together.
Speaker A:I need to get rested up.
Speaker A:I'm going to Italy.
Speaker A:I'm going to do some experience.
Speaker A:Rome.
Speaker A:I'm going to go to Venice, and then I'm going to Croatia.
Speaker A:So just trying to make you a little jealous.
Speaker A:But let me tell you a quick story.
Speaker A:When I was in high school, I was a little different.
Speaker A:I didn't really follow the crowd, per se, because I was always told that I would get lost in the crowd.
Speaker A:I did a really good job of making friendships and building relationships with, like, multiple different groups of people instead of just one click.
Speaker A:I wasn't that one person that was in a clique.
Speaker A:I truly loved and valued everyone.
Speaker A:Now Having said that, at a very young age, I found myself running with folks that were quite a bit older than me.
Speaker A:You know, When I was 16, 17 years old, I had a lot of friends that were 21, 22, 25, 26.
Speaker A:And I mean, hopefully my mom doesn't hear this or my daughters ever listen to this episode.
Speaker A:But I had a fake id, So I was in the club scene and a different type.
Speaker A:I lived a different life that I don't regret because it built the foundation for what's next in my life and the things that happened.
Speaker A:With that being said, let me land the plane on this ramp, you know, before you graduate high school, you know, and I barely graduated my senior year in high school.
Speaker A:I had enough credits to where I went to school till 11 o' clock every day.
Speaker A:I had my first semester.
Speaker A:You guys will love this.
Speaker A:I had PE and then I had foods with Mrs. Ayres.
Speaker A:Oh, my gosh, she was such a sweetheart.
Speaker A:Wonderful foods teacher.
Speaker A: of school, I think it was at: Speaker A:I went down the road to my restaurant, Cuzo's Pasta and pizza.
Speaker A:And then I cooked for all of my classmates.
Speaker A:They would come in, I made all the food for the buffet, and I worked there at nights as well.
Speaker A:And then second semester, listen to this schedule.
Speaker A:It got really tough.
Speaker A: oods and pen, so I got out at: Speaker A:So my whole senior year, I was done at school at basically 11 o'.
Speaker A:Clock.
Speaker A:Graduated high school with a 1.8 point, 1.8 grade point average.
Speaker A:You know, at the time, you know, there were certain people out there that kind of made fun of me and, you know, didn't take me serious.
Speaker A:But there was a conversation that I had with my school counselor that pierced me to my core, that lit the first fire in my belly to say, I'm going to do big things.
Speaker A:I am going to chase the biggest dreams, climb the biggest mountains, take the biggest risk, and do whatever the hell it takes to win in life.
Speaker A:Due to this conversation with this woman, this woman, I'm not going to say her name.
Speaker A:I had a couple good teachers.
Speaker A:I had a couple great teachers in my high school, but I also had some really terrible ones.
Speaker A:Really, really bad, awful ones.
Speaker A:But my counselor told me that I was a loser.
Speaker A:I would never amount to anything.
Speaker A:And I'm just basically a waste of space.
Speaker A:And typically I could handle rejection or I could handle somebody being not so nice to me.
Speaker A:But coming from this woman and the way she said it, I think there was a moment where I kind of believed her and it hurt me.
Speaker A:I'm not going to lie.
Speaker A:There were some tears shed after walking out of that office.
Speaker A:Then shortly thereafter, a fire was lit in my belly and I was going to run and take over the world.
Speaker A:I share that story with you so you know a little bit more about me.
Speaker A:I. I was a kid that, yeah, I had my paper out at 13.
Speaker A:I knew how to make money at a young age.
Speaker A:I understood salesmanship at a very young age.
Speaker A:I always knew that if you didn't ask, the answer is always no.
Speaker A:At a very young age.
Speaker A:That was given to me by God, and I praise God for that.
Speaker A:I give him the glory for that.
Speaker A:I was gifted with salesmanship.
Speaker A:I wasn't necessarily gifted with entrepreneurship and business building.
Speaker A:That came over time and lessons.
Speaker A:But I'm going to give you today, this is a solo episode of Humans that Build.
Speaker A:That I feel the world should hear.
Speaker A:But definitely this is targeted to my younger generation.
Speaker A:This is titled.
Speaker A:I even got notes for you all the 10 lessons I was not taught in school.
Speaker A:The first thing I want to talk about is this.
Speaker A:You are not your past.
Speaker A:You are not your past mistakes.
Speaker A:You are not your parents.
Speaker A:You are not your grandparents.
Speaker A:You could be the individual that changes your bloodline forever.
Speaker A:You could be the difference maker.
Speaker A:You could be the one that sets the table for generational wealth that your grandkids will benefit and share your name and tell your stories.
Speaker A:See, I had a wonderful childhood.
Speaker A:The childhood that I had I wish everyone had today.
Speaker A:I wish my kids could experience a world of no cell phones and less technology and riding bikes and having fun and actually playing more sports and being outside more.
Speaker A:I wish that was the case, but it's not.
Speaker A:I had those things.
Speaker A:But I also lived in a household that money was a sensitive topic.
Speaker A:It was a very sensitive topic.
Speaker A:There was hostility that surrounded finances in my home.
Speaker A:So I knew that I did not want to be that.
Speaker A:So when I look back, and I love my dad, I love my mom, I'm very close to them.
Speaker A:And I'm so glad that I was never given anything.
Speaker A:I was so glad that we lived in a household that we were on a tight budget.
Speaker A:We got to go on a vacation every year.
Speaker A:Our needs were met.
Speaker A:We had what we needed.
Speaker A:We didn't necessarily have what we wanted.
Speaker A:But there was a profound moment in my life that changed me.
Speaker A:And it was the day that my dad pulled out his billbox and he was paying bills.
Speaker A:And the anger and the frustration and the hostility that surrounded the room.
Speaker A:I knew then at a 13 year old boy that I didn't want that.
Speaker A:So I share this with you for one reason is you are not your past, you're not your parents.
Speaker A:You don't need to measure up to anyone other than to you and the best version of yourself because what matters in life is you become a better version of yourself on a daily basis.
Speaker A:So here's the plane is getting landed, we're on the tarmac almost.
Speaker A:You're not your past.
Speaker A:Let's focus on today.
Speaker A:And tomorrow is a very dangerous word.
Speaker A:So we need to act today, today, today, today.
Speaker A:Forget about everything that happened in your past today.
Speaker A:Let's move forward.
Speaker A:Number two, money is a sensitive topic and people get weird.
Speaker A:I even got family members that like I try to avoid certain conversations about business with because I got family members that are like, you only care about money, money this, money that.
Speaker A:Here's the deal with me.
Speaker A:Entrepreneurship is a sport.
Speaker A:Could I retire today and figure it out?
Speaker A:Probably could.
Speaker A:I don't think it would work out too well for me.
Speaker A:Inflation's real.
Speaker A:Things are getting expensive and I have daughters that aren't married yet.
Speaker A:So I still have to work.
Speaker A:But I'm not playing this for money.
Speaker A:I don't even have a dollar amount.
Speaker A:I don't even care.
Speaker A:I don't even know how much money I want to make.
Speaker A:But what I do know is this.
Speaker A:I love to win.
Speaker A:And I look at entrepreneurship and business as a sport and I don't want, I play to win, right?
Speaker A:So I just a little more about me.
Speaker A:And I want you to understand that money is freedom.
Speaker A:That's what money is.
Speaker A:Success to me is I'm going to give you my formula, what success is.
Speaker A:For me, it's just a simple formula.
Speaker A:I just want to do what I want.
Speaker A:I want to do it when I want with whoever I want.
Speaker A:I want to do life with people I love and care about.
Speaker A:I don't want anybody telling me I have to be somewhere at a certain time.
Speaker A:I'm unemployable at this point.
Speaker A:I work my tail off.
Speaker A:And we have a culture in all of our companies that are family first, family focused.
Speaker A:There's no such thing as pto.
Speaker A:You want to take time off.
Speaker A:We are all about family and culture, freedom.
Speaker A:Getting back to the money part, we have to look at money a little bit differently.
Speaker A:Money's a means to an end.
Speaker A:It's currency.
Speaker A:It's a decimal point.
Speaker A:It's a dollar amount in your brokerage account, your savings account, your checking account, in your 401 blah blah, blah, blah.
Speaker A:It's just currency.
Speaker A:Money is freedom.
Speaker A:It allows you to do things differently, it allows you to serve people differently.
Speaker A:It allows you to help people in silent in your community that really need help.
Speaker A:That's what money does.
Speaker A:So I want to really share that with you because it's important.
Speaker A:For those that get weird when you talk about money, those are people you run from.
Speaker A:I want to sit at the table with people that want to talk about money.
Speaker A:How do we build more wealth collectively so we can impact communities, counties, countries and then the world?
Speaker A:That's the mindset, you know, Real quick story.
Speaker A:My middle child, Arabelle, she helps out at my.
Speaker A:I'm wearing it today at one of my babies, Alton Elite Jiu Jitsu.
Speaker A:This is one of my companies, it's one of my babies.
Speaker A:And Arabelle's involved.
Speaker A:Aston, my baby, my 8 year old, she's a student, she's doing really good, by the way.
Speaker A:But Arabelle's involved.
Speaker A:She helps out in the playland.
Speaker A:And she came to me several months ago and she said, hey, dad, I want to know more, I want to be involved more.
Speaker A:I would like to understand how the business operates.
Speaker A:And I said, I need full commitment if I'm going to prep meetings for you and we're going to sit down and talk through this.
Speaker A:Arabell, I need you to be committed to this.
Speaker A:Are you committed?
Speaker A:She says, yeah.
Speaker A:The last couple of months I went over the P and L with her.
Speaker A:We went over line by line, every expense.
Speaker A:You know, why?
Speaker A:What was the expense?
Speaker A:Why did we need the expense?
Speaker A:Every single dollar we brought in associated with students.
Speaker A:I showed her a lost student report explaining that, you know, some students move or pause memberships, showed her the new student intake forms, the students that we added, so she got to see the money that we made.
Speaker A:Why not share that with your kid?
Speaker A:Think about this.
Speaker A:For my older folks listening, if you had a parent or a mentor, an aunt or an uncle or somebody older and wiser than you that sat you down at 14 years old to show you the mechanics of a small business, how much better would you be in life?
Speaker A:How many mistakes would you have not made if you would have had that opportunity?
Speaker A:So at the end of the day, I'm sharing this with you because if you're a business owner, it's really not a bad idea.
Speaker A:You know, you may want to keep some of the finances and may not want to share, open up the entire kimono, but go ahead and share these business transactions and share the profit loss statements and share how the business Operates to help educate them.
Speaker A:That's the best education you can give them.
Speaker A:So let me land the plane and I'll shut up and move on.
Speaker A:Money's freedom, y'.
Speaker A:All.
Speaker A:That's really what it is.
Speaker A:Money allows you to do things that most people will never get to do because most people won't take the risk.
Speaker A:And I challenge you, my friends.
Speaker A:The risk is worth it.
Speaker A:Number three, your appearance matters.
Speaker A:Now, today, I'm in a T shirt.
Speaker A:I'm always supporting one of my companies.
Speaker A:I do leave town tomorrow.
Speaker A:It's been a very busy week.
Speaker A:I have three podcasts scheduled in studio here today.
Speaker A:And then I have to catch up with my assistant to get through my list so I can leave the country with a nice clean slate.
Speaker A:When I go on vacation, I want to enjoy my vacation.
Speaker A:So I want to talk about appearance for a minute.
Speaker A:You know, show up.
Speaker A:Well, outdress your competition if you are.
Speaker A:I used to say this on the sales floor at the dealership.
Speaker A:You know, if, you know, if you got, you know, half your staff and, you know, wrinkled khakis and maybe a polo, why not wear a suit?
Speaker A:Why not wear a tie?
Speaker A:Why not stand out from the rest?
Speaker A:I challenge you.
Speaker A:Even in social settings, you never know where the next business deal comes from.
Speaker A:And if you got a nice blazer on and a nice sport pair of jeans and you look good, you got your hair done right, you're clean, you're tight.
Speaker A:Ladies, same thing.
Speaker A:You get it?
Speaker A:Ladies are better than men at this.
Speaker A:The ladies seem to always know how to dress.
Speaker A:Men, I think, struggle in this area sometimes.
Speaker A:I've helped a lot of my friends this area.
Speaker A:But your appearance matters.
Speaker A:It really does.
Speaker A:And, you know, for me, for business owners, I like to wear my logo as much as possible.
Speaker A:Like, it is 100.
Speaker A:It might get to 105 today here in Alton.
Speaker A:Like, I'm going to have an Ascent Dealer Services T shirt on, or I'm going to have an Alton Elite Jiu Jitsu T shirt on.
Speaker A:Because when I'm standing in line at the grocery store where I'm getting my coffee or wherever I'm at, I love it when people say, hey, I've heard about that, Jim.
Speaker A:Hey, I've seen your marketing.
Speaker A:I love to have those conversations.
Speaker A:So pay attention to what you're wearing, guys.
Speaker A:And I'm going to tell you a real quick story.
Speaker A:I was in the airport in Lambert.
Speaker A:I was in Lambert Airport.
Speaker A:I think it was four months ago, might have been five.
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker A:This older man noticed my shoes he said, those are nice shoes.
Speaker A:I said, thank you, because I noticed they're Gucci.
Speaker A:Are those real?
Speaker A:Those fake?
Speaker A:I said, no, no, they're real.
Speaker A:How long have you been shopping at Gucci?
Speaker A:I said, well, I personally don't shop there a lot.
Speaker A:I mean, I have a few of their items.
Speaker A:My daughter has a Gucci purse.
Speaker A:I bought her a Gucci purse.
Speaker A:Probably a mistake.
Speaker A:I told him.
Speaker A:He goes, hey, let me ask you, how are you related to the family?
Speaker A:How are you related to them?
Speaker A:I go, what do you mean?
Speaker A:I go, I'm not related.
Speaker A:I'm not related to the Gucci family.
Speaker A:I wish.
Speaker A:He goes, okay, why do you feel so strongly about their brand?
Speaker A:What is it about their brand that brings so much value that you're willing to spend the money that you spend?
Speaker A:Then I pondered for a minute, and it has to do with vanity and status.
Speaker A:My daughter Ana wanted a little Gucci purse because it's a Gucci purse, right?
Speaker A:The shoes that I wanted were really comfortable.
Speaker A:I'm full disclosure, I'm not buying another pair.
Speaker A:So if Gucci ever hears this, which I doubt Gucci ever will, thank you.
Speaker A:I love you.
Speaker A:I invest in my personal brand.
Speaker A:Now, your shoes are very, very comfortable.
Speaker A:But what the guy really said to me was this.
Speaker A:He goes, if you're not receiving royalties for wearing those shoes, if you're not participating in any of the profits and the company, why are you investing so much into their brand and not your own brand?
Speaker A:And that really stung.
Speaker A:That whole flight, I was really thinking through that.
Speaker A:And so, you know, my daughters make fun of me because I wear.
Speaker A:You know, I've got like 30 of these T shirts.
Speaker A:I've got 20 of these hoodies.
Speaker A:You know, you see me out and about in the community.
Speaker A:I support my brand.
Speaker A:I'm telling you guys to do the same.
Speaker A:Be proud of your brand.
Speaker A:Show up.
Speaker A:Well, your appearance matters.
Speaker A:Really, really share who you are and what you wear.
Speaker A:Your personality can come through your.
Speaker A:You know, how you dress.
Speaker A:When you go to cocktail parties, when you go to dinner meetings or you're out at dinner.
Speaker A:Think about how you look, all right?
Speaker A:It will help you a ton.
Speaker A:Number four, we need to move on because my goal was to keep this at 30 minutes.
Speaker A:We'll see if I can do that.
Speaker A:Number four, this is critical.
Speaker A:This is non negotiable.
Speaker A:By the way, my friends, so I met a guy years ago, dear friend of mine.
Speaker A:We do some business together.
Speaker A:His name's Glenn Lundy.
Speaker A:Glenn Lundy is a superstar.
Speaker A:He's a powerhouse.
Speaker A:He's the realest of the realest.
Speaker A:We both retired from retail automotive within 30 days of each other.
Speaker A:We both took the biggest risk of our lives.
Speaker A:We both have families.
Speaker A:We jumped off the deep end and he jumped off the deep end down in Lexington, Kentucky.
Speaker A:And I jumped off the deep end here in Alton, Illinois.
Speaker A:And I started following this man and I started following his morning show.
Speaker A:And the common theme to all of these super achievers on this show in the morning at 4:45am that I would watch was everybody had it dialed in morning morning routine.
Speaker A:Everybody had a personal development plan.
Speaker A:Everyone had mentors and surrounded themselves in circles of people that were doing things at a high, high level.
Speaker A:So this isn't just for the younger generation.
Speaker A:You could be 75 years old hearing this today.
Speaker A:Have structure in your morning.
Speaker A:Listen to something every single day that gives you positive inspiration and motivation.
Speaker A:Study the things that you're most interested in.
Speaker A:And for those in your vocation, you should be reading publications, you should be listening to podcasts, you should be journaling and repurposing and giving sales meetings to your team on the information that you've received from those greater than you.
Speaker A:That's what we got to do.
Speaker A:So put a personal development plan in place.
Speaker A:I'm not going to give you.
Speaker A:We don't have the time for me to really give you the blueprint.
Speaker A:If you want to reach out to me personally, I can help you with that.
Speaker A:I'm happy to do so.
Speaker A:I do return messages, I return calls, I return emails.
Speaker A:But you can get online.
Speaker A:There's a lot of information out there on those Internets.
Speaker A:You can find a lot of people at a high level and find out what their morning routines are look like and what their personal growth plan looks like.
Speaker A:I want to talk next about something that's very important.
Speaker A:You show me your friends, I'm going to show you what your future looks like.
Speaker A:Your circle of influence is absolutely everything.
Speaker A: My life changed in: Speaker A:Now, some of these were online relationships and some of these were relationships in the community.
Speaker A:I just started spending more time with people that were doing big things, you know.
Speaker A:So you've heard this statement, you're the sum of the people, the five people you spend the most time with.
Speaker A:You're the sum of that.
Speaker A:You're the sum of the the five people you spend your most time with.
Speaker A:Now, some of these individuals we have to cut out of Our lives might come in the form of family, and they might come in the form of close friends.
Speaker A:You may not believe this, and I'm going to talk about this on my next comment, but there are people in your life that don't want you to win.
Speaker A:And sometimes those people are in disguise.
Speaker A:And sometimes it takes events and situations for that exposure to come to light.
Speaker A:So I just want you to prep yourself for that.
Speaker A:Not everybody wants you to win.
Speaker A:You need to be in circles where people are applauding you.
Speaker A:And you got to be in those same circles when you fall on your ass.
Speaker A:Pardon my language, Mom.
Speaker A:You're going to fall.
Speaker A:If you're an entrepreneur, you're going to fail and lose a whole lot, because that's how we win.
Speaker A:But when we fall, that circle needs to be lending a hand to help you get up.
Speaker A:So think about that.
Speaker A:Your circle is everything.
Speaker A:Circle audits.
Speaker A:Here's an exercise.
Speaker A:Get a legal pad and pen.
Speaker A:I am a psychopath for legal pads.
Speaker A:I have them everywhere.
Speaker A:But write out a list of the people you spend your most time with.
Speaker A:Take a look at that relationship.
Speaker A:How long have you had that relationship?
Speaker A:How did that relationship form?
Speaker A:Form?
Speaker A:How often do you spend time with this individual?
Speaker A:What positive energy does that individual bring into your life?
Speaker A:And also be honest with yourself.
Speaker A:What energy are you putting into theirs?
Speaker A:Are you reciprocating?
Speaker A:Is there a level of reciprocation in that relationship?
Speaker A:Are you growing in that relationship?
Speaker A:Are you in a plateau or are you stagnant?
Speaker A:Now, I'm not saying ride or die.
Speaker A:Best friends for life and close friends.
Speaker A:I'm not saying cut them, you keep them, but you don't say yes to every little thing.
Speaker A:You can't go out every Friday night with these type of people.
Speaker A:You got to explain that.
Speaker A:I'm in a season of growth right now, and I've got goals and aspirations, and I know that I have a limited time on this earth, so you may see me a little less right now.
Speaker A:But it's not in vain.
Speaker A:I'm just trying to get to this level that I believe I can get to.
Speaker A:So take a look at your circle of influence.
Speaker A:Make decisions the next thing we weren't taught in schools.
Speaker A:Haters are a part of the process.
Speaker A:The more you do in life, the more people will criticize you and ridicule you.
Speaker A:Like I said a minute ago, there are individuals that are on the sidelines right now that are just patiently waiting for you to fall so they could clap.
Speaker A:There's people out there just waiting for you to Fall on your butt so they can brag to their friends and gossip behind your back.
Speaker A:I'm telling this for a reason.
Speaker A:To my younger generation.
Speaker A:You know, it's hurtful at first.
Speaker A:Until you understand the principle, it hurts.
Speaker A:It kind of stinks.
Speaker A:When you don't get the support from your family that you think you deserve or it's like you've earned and deserved and you don't get the support for certain people, it kind of stings a little bit.
Speaker A:But it's going to happen.
Speaker A:You have to be prepared for that as part of the process.
Speaker A:Grant Cardone says if you don't have any haters, you're not doing enough.
Speaker A:So I just want you guys to know that.
Speaker A:All right, so next thing you're not taught in school.
Speaker A:We're taught conformity.
Speaker A:We're taught follow rules.
Speaker A:We're taught go to school.
Speaker A:We're taught get good grades.
Speaker A:We're taught go to college.
Speaker A:We're taught get married.
Speaker A:We're taught to get the house with the white picket fence and have kids and, you know, take that vacation once a year and just work until you're 65 and then you can retire.
Speaker A:It's kind of what we're taught.
Speaker A:See, I believe when everyone goes left, I typically choose to go right.
Speaker A:It's how I've always been.
Speaker A:Because if you follow the crowd, you're going to get lost in the crowd.
Speaker A:People pleasing, approval, addiction.
Speaker A:It's an epidemic.
Speaker A:It's an epidemic.
Speaker A:I mean, look at all these young kids that are looking for validation so much online.
Speaker A:It's like what is missing in their lives that they need the validation.
Speaker A:You don't need validation.
Speaker A:The only validation we need is from our Lord and Savior.
Speaker A:We need validation from our spouses and our children and our close circle of influence.
Speaker A:And if you truly follow, you will get lost.
Speaker A:You know, I challenge time alone.
Speaker A:Some of the best stuff in my life is sitting in a coffee shop, putting some headphones in, listen to some thought provoking music without words so I can journal and really meditate, think what do I really want?
Speaker A:And create that path and take that path and stay on that path.
Speaker A:And that path is lonely.
Speaker A:Eddie Panero, I did an interview with him recently.
Speaker A:It's going to come out and you're going to love it.
Speaker A:He's a superstar and he, he has a talk or it's a, it's a, it's a four minute video that he created.
Speaker A:It's called the Last.
Speaker A:It's called the Second Train.
Speaker A:The Last Train.
Speaker A:Train home.
Speaker A:Sorry.
Speaker A:And in this video, it's.
Speaker A:There's two trains.
Speaker A:The.
Speaker A:The first train is.
Speaker A:It's very comfortable.
Speaker A:It's going to get you to your destination.
Speaker A:You're going to get there on time.
Speaker A:It's simple.
Speaker A:It's full.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's just.
Speaker A:Everybody's on that train, by the way.
Speaker A:Everybody's there.
Speaker A:It's the train everybody wants to be on.
Speaker A:It's just simple.
Speaker A:It's convenient.
Speaker A:But then there's the second train.
Speaker A:And that second train is less travel because there's unknown.
Speaker A:It may not get you to the destination that you're looking to go to.
Speaker A:It's very lonely because so many, so few people are on that train.
Speaker A:And I challenge people when I say, you know, I say it a lot like, take the second train.
Speaker A:Because you never know where that second train leads you.
Speaker A:Because if you follow everyone else and you continue to do what you're doing now, you're going to continue to get what you're getting now.
Speaker A:And if what you're getting now is what you want, then I guess continue to do it.
Speaker A:But if you're striving for more, and there's more to have, by the way, if you're striving for more, you're not going to get more by doing the same thing you're doing today.
Speaker A:So I will shut up on this part.
Speaker A:Be very careful in who you're following.
Speaker A:And don't be afraid to take a walk alone in a dark alley, depending on what city you're in.
Speaker A:By the way, don't do that in St. Louis.
Speaker A:Just kidding.
Speaker A:Kidding, but not kidding.
Speaker A:But don't be afraid to take the road that's less traveled.
Speaker A:That's where the good stuff comes.
Speaker A:Now, next thing I want to talk about is discover your gift and monetize on it.
Speaker A:See, God hardwired us on purpose.
Speaker A:With a purpose.
Speaker A:A lot of people don't understand this concept that we were given gifts and talents.
Speaker A:I mean, we were all hardwired for greatness.
Speaker A:Each and every one of us has something that we're really, really good at.
Speaker A:Like, we all have a thing.
Speaker A:Like, I'll tell you, I suck at so, so many things.
Speaker A:Like, I'm just so bad.
Speaker A:I can't fix things.
Speaker A:I get frustrated.
Speaker A:Like, even putting together my daughter's vanity with all these different freaking screws.
Speaker A:I have an anxiety attack, guys.
Speaker A:Like, there's so many things in this world that I am not good at, but there are a few things that God gave me that I'm great at.
Speaker A:And I Double down on those things.
Speaker A:And I monetize on those things.
Speaker A:And those things helped me build companies and those things have allowed me to bless people.
Speaker A:I challenge you to really think about what is it that you're really great at, what is it that gives you joy and bliss and passion and you do better than everyone else.
Speaker A:That's the next thing you should take to the marketplace.
Speaker A:Think about it.
Speaker A:What if you could create something that you love more than anything, anything, and you're really great at it and it solves a problem and it helps people and then you get paid.
Speaker A:I mean, you don't need to leave your day job here.
Speaker A:This show is kind of entrepreneurial based, but not everybody's an entrepreneur.
Speaker A:On this show, humans that build is about talking to interesting individuals that have built or in the process of building something great to make an impact in the world.
Speaker A:That's what this is really about.
Speaker A:But I do know this and I'm going to talk about multiple streams of revenue here in a minute.
Speaker A:We're going to.
Speaker A:I'm at the 30 minute mark, guys.
Speaker A:Give me five more minutes, please.
Speaker A:So at the end of the day, our gift is our gift.
Speaker A:And the idea of being on your deathbed and looking back, they say moments before death you're at most peace.
Speaker A:But then there's the regret mechanism before the piece.
Speaker A:There's the regret.
Speaker A:It's that thing that I didn't do that I should, or that person that I really wanted to have an honest conversation with that I just didn't have the person I wanted to tell that I love that I just didn't.
Speaker A:The idea for this really cool business, that man, I really wanted to try and I just didn't.
Speaker A:That scares me to death.
Speaker A:And I want it to scare you to death.
Speaker A:Capiche?
Speaker A:Are we good?
Speaker A:All right, let's wheel it.
Speaker A:Multiple streams.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:All high level entrepreneurs have multiple streams of revenue.
Speaker A:I'm not going to go deep into all of them.
Speaker A:Yes, you need to invest in the stock market.
Speaker A:You need an agent, you need a financial advisor that you vet, that you trust that you could start small with and find, follow their lead.
Speaker A:And you need to start investing some money into the marketplace.
Speaker A:You need to maximize your 401k.
Speaker A:If you have a company that matches, you absolutely unequivocally need to get in there and match a 401k.
Speaker A:You need to also have a whole life insurance policy.
Speaker A:Some will agree with this, some will disagree with this.
Speaker A:My returns on my whole life insurance policy are good.
Speaker A:I've been able to Borrow against my policy in the past to new business deals.
Speaker A:It's a great thing to have.
Speaker A:Whole life insurance policy.
Speaker A:It's just another vehicle.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:The real estate market's unavoidable.
Speaker A:If you want to build substantial wealth and you want to create an income that's passive, one day, you need to invest into real estate.
Speaker A:You cannot depend on one single form of revenue, one single source of revenue.
Speaker A:The reason is because things happen.
Speaker A:Pandemics happen, inflation happens.
Speaker A:There are situations where the economy is not so great.
Speaker A:And that's why we have to have these multiple streams of revenue so when one goes down, another can maintain and you're not out of business.
Speaker A:So most entrepreneurs that I know have at least five streams of revenue.
Speaker A:Now.
Speaker A:Study these, study the grades, Study.
Speaker A:Study these different fields, get educated.
Speaker A:The best thing you can do as a young entrepreneur is educate yourself on all these other streams of revenue, opportunities, do your investigation, start saving a little bit of money and start taking some action.
Speaker A:Because lack of action is what keeps people from pretty much everything in life that's worth something.
Speaker A:So I'm going to close out with the framework to building a business.
Speaker A:You know, framework for maximizing your day in your business is what I meant to say.
Speaker A:You have to start every single day with gratitude.
Speaker A:You got to wake up, you got to have a plan.
Speaker A:You have to have structure.
Speaker A:You have to start every single day with gratitude.
Speaker A:You need to forgive.
Speaker A:And we talked about forgiveness earlier.
Speaker A:Forget your past, but we have to forgive those that have done you wrong.
Speaker A:In business.
Speaker A:Holding a grudge on somebody in the marketplace, there's no place for that.
Speaker A:It'll actually set you back.
Speaker A:So forgive those that have done you wrong.
Speaker A:And then here's a tough one.
Speaker A:Forgive yourself for the mistakes that you've made in the bad decisions.
Speaker A:You've made some bad ones.
Speaker A:And I'm going to tell you something right now, you're going to make more of those.
Speaker A:And you got to be quick to give grace.
Speaker A:You got to be quick to give grace to others.
Speaker A:But most importantly, you need to give grace to yourself.
Speaker A:Because without that, you can't grow to that next level.
Speaker A:You need to find mentors.
Speaker A:You need to study those mentors in the field that you're in.
Speaker A:That is some of the best advice that I was ever given.
Speaker A:And I will tell you that learning from the greats is the best decision you can make.
Speaker A:The blueprint has been given to us.
Speaker A:The blueprint has been given to us in the form of books.
Speaker A:But a lot of us read these books, and we'll take a few notes and we don't take action to what we read in these books.
Speaker A:And here's my final statement.
Speaker A:And I kept this podcast, solo podcast.
Speaker A:Hopefully you guys enjoy these.
Speaker A:We're right at 35 minutes.
Speaker A:I'm going to sound off with something very profound.
Speaker A:My coach, Danelle Delgado has become a dear friend of mine and she's changed my life.
Speaker A:You should hire a coach.
Speaker A:If you're an entrepreneur and you don't have a business coach, shame on you.
Speaker A:You may be successful, but you could 10x that success just being in the right room with the right people.
Speaker A:Donnell said something years ago is if I don't win, who loses?
Speaker A:On the surface level, it's like, okay, if I don't win, who loses?
Speaker A:Well, my competitor that maybe I pitched against.
Speaker A:If I don't win, who loses?
Speaker A:I lost, so I lose.
Speaker A:But if you're like, for me, I'm going to share what I think here and I want you to think so I'd like you to write that down.
Speaker A:I want you to write that down and really think through your personal life and all the people that lose if you don't win.
Speaker A:And when I say win, I'm talking about in all aspects of my life, my health, my wealth, my circle of influence, my vocation.
Speaker A:Like there's all these buckets in life.
Speaker A:Like, we got to make sure that we're balanced.
Speaker A:Like, if I'm not winning in life, who loses?
Speaker A:I'm going to tell you right now who loses.
Speaker A:My kids lose.
Speaker A:That stinks.
Speaker A:If I'm not winning my best self, my kids suffer.
Speaker A:That's a non negotiable.
Speaker A:My people that trust me to lead them in my organizations lose.
Speaker A:If I don't win, my community loses.
Speaker A:If I don't win because I can't pour into my community and serve, I've got so many people counting on me in my life, my parents, there's so many people that count on me that if I don't win, the ripple effect of loss breaks my heart.
Speaker A:It's one of these non negotiables for me.
Speaker A:The reason I'm so much into personal growth, the reason I'm in these masterminds, the reason I invest in myself, the reason I put myself out there to try to meet new people and connect with new people is because I have to continue to grow, I have to continue to elevate so I can be a better version of myself for the people that depend on me, that are responsible to me.
Speaker A:So with that being said, I'm going to sound off with this.
Speaker A:This was a lot, guys.
Speaker A:Tomorrow is the most dangerous word in the human dictionary.
Speaker A:So today, if you hear this, today's the day we make some change.
Speaker A:Hope you enjoyed my rant.
Speaker A:I wanted to share this meeting that I gave with a group of high school kids that resonates to high level entrepreneurs, mid level entrepreneurs, startups, those that maybe want to build a business one day or just anyone out in the world that wants a better life.
Speaker A:Hopefully you enjoyed it.
Speaker A:Thanks for tuning in.
Speaker A:I appreciate the support that I'm receiving here on Humans to Build.
Speaker A:Get a lot of messages from you guys and and it means the world to me.
Speaker A:Out of all of my initiatives, this initiative right here, I'm really, really having some fun with and I've got some great guests lined up.
Speaker A:I've got a bunch of in the hopper, I've got some incredible humans.
Speaker A:I want to share my people with you so you can get some wisdom and go out and help somebody else.
Speaker A:That's the plan.
Speaker A:So thanks for tuning in.
Speaker A:Another episode of Humans that Build.
Speaker A:I will see see you sooner than later, my friends.
Speaker A:Humans that Build.
Speaker A:Real people, real work.
Speaker A:See you next time.
