You've Got To Be HUNGRY For Greatness with Les Brown: An EOFire Classic from 2021

0:01Boom! Shake the room, Fire Nation. JLD here and welcome to Entrepreneurs on Fire, the only daily show interviewing the world's top entrepreneurs seven days a week. Today, we'll be breaking down how you've got to be hungry for greatness. To draw these value bombs, I brought Les Brown into EO Fire Studios. Les is regarded as one of the top five motivational speakers of all time and was the recipient of the Golden Gavel Award, the highest honor awarded by Toastmasters International. In today, Fire Nation, we talk about how you have to have the feeling and determination to do something different in your life.

0:34And when your prayers aren't answered, you keep your faith in your faith. And whatever you are going through, you will learn strategies and techniques to turn adversity into your advantage and oh, so much more. And a big thank you for sponsoring today's episode goes to Les and our sponsors. Is this your year to grow a successful business? Attend the world's highest rated business growth workshop taught personally by Clay Clark and now featuring Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki and Eric Trump at Thrivetimeshow.com slash EOFire. Again, request life-changing tickets today at Thrivetimeshow.com slash EOFire.

1:13Have you ever said to yourself, one day I will write a book? If yes, then I have an opportunity for you. Author 100 is a 100-day program where I will personally guide you one-on-one to create, write, publish, and market your book. I will provide daily guidance and mentorship every step of the way. Head over to author100.com to sign up for a free call with me to chat about the details. author100.com Let's say what's up to Fire Nation and share something that you believe about becoming successful that a lot of people might disagree with. First of all, I want to thank you for the work that you've been doing.

1:54giving people a larger vision of themselves beyond their mental conditioning and the adversities that they face in life. The work that you do, the hope that you provide is needed now more than ever before in and out of the pandemic. So kudos to you. Thank you. And in response to your question, that most people believe, one, that you have to have a vision for what you want, and two, that you have to know how you're going to go about doing it. And I disagree with that. I think that you have to have the feeling and the determination of I'm going to do something different in my life. This is where I am right now.

2:39This is not me. And you're willing to make the commitment to do whatever you have to do to create a new reality for yourself because the life that you are now living does not resonate with who you are as a person, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And so from that place of power, you begin to create. From that place, you go to this place, you know, people say necessity is the mother of invention. No, refusing to accept things as they are is the motion, is the element, is that most important part of changing your life. Fire Nation, you can already tell that today's going to be a special episode.

3:27I've gotten to meet Les a handful of times in person and his energy, his genuineness, seeing him speak from stage. If you ever get the opportunity, Fire Nation, do not let that slip through your fingers because it is truly a special experience. And I have already shared just how awesome you are in the introduction, Les. I broke down all of your achievements and everything you've accomplished over the years, but I do want to dive a little deeper into who is Les Brown. Here I am in my 77th year on the planet, and I just connected with my birth family and laid eyes on a picture of my birth mother and father for the first time.

4:11And I had no idea that my birth mother, Dorothy Bell Rucker, she was a motivational speaker, educator, singer, and pianist. And my grandmother, Beulah Rucker, she was a motivational speaker. And they have the Beulah Rucker Museum in Gainesville, Georgia. And my father, he was just a common, everyday dude. He was a sharp dresser and good storyteller. But that was the only story that I heard about him. And he loved the ladies. So I got the worst of him and the best of my mother.

4:57Yes, I'm a combination of a whole lot of stuff. I'm like the lady who said, Lord, I ain't what I want to be, ain't what I'm going to be. But thank God I sure ain't what I was. so I told my kids when I go don't let them embalm me right away hold me for three days and and and when they try to summarize my life I want them to say he aspired to inspire until he expired and that's who I am as a person I wake up in the morning thinking about how can I inspire, motivate, and help someone to go to a place in themselves that they can't go by themselves and begin to live a different life. Well, you accomplish that goal well more often than you don't.

5:45And I told you, Fire Nation, this is going to be a special episode, and it truly is. We're going to continue to weave who Les Brown is in throughout this entire episode, because I want to talk right now about your new book. And I knew this was a labor of love. I wrote my first traditionally published book earlier this year. So I know the work that goes into these things, the blood, the sweat, the tears, and you've been on this planet for 77 years. So you have a lot to share and you called the book, You've Got to Be Hungry. That's the title. But my question to you is why. Why that title? What does it mean to you?

6:27The world is designed to help those who have get more and those who have less get less. That in order to break through, that you got to be hungry. You can't not be casual about your dreams or your dreams will end up a casual tea. There's a book call average is over. Just think about this. We're in the pandemic. Before the pandemic, 47 million jobs were lost due to artificial intelligence. Since the pandemic, millions of more jobs have been lost, and they're not coming back. So people have to rethink their lives. This is a major disruption, and they have to make a radical change on how they've been showing up.

7:13They have to change their mindset. They have to have a resolve that I'm going to make it no matter what. They have to find a way or create a way. And that hunger allows you to do that. Most people don't have a hunger to win. Most people will settle for the life that they have been given due to the circumstances. We show up in life based upon the conversations that we hear, the observations that we make, and the experiences that we have and the people around us. And to step out of that and get into your greatness, that requires a hunger, an unstoppable, driven part of yourself that refuses to be denied.

8:03Man, I just have the hairs on the back of my neck standing up right now, Fire Nation. And that is exactly why I brought Les on was to inspire you, to motivate you, to show you that you've got to be hungry if you want to leave your impact and real message of meaning in this world. And what exactly was that inspiration, Les, for this title? What was the boardroom like when you were talking with your team? What were some other titles you maybe threw around? I just love this conversation about how you settled on this title. It happened for me a long time ago. I was 10 years old. My mother, I'm adopted.

8:45I'm one of seven children that she took in as foster kids and then she adopted us. I was working with her on Miami Beach. She's working for this lady named Miss Harrison. She said, Mamie, I want you to go in the room and find my purple hat. I want to wear that today. And my mother went in that room and all of a sudden I heard her clapping her hands. And I was curious. I said, Mama, she asked, what is it, Leslie? I said, why are you clapping your hands? She said, don't you worry. You clean those spots up off the floor in the kitchen. And then after a while, she came out of the room and she said, Miss Harris is not in there.

9:24Ms. Harris said, well, go down to the room on the right, go in there and look for it. Once again, I heard my mother clapping her hands. And I said, mama. And she asked, what do you want now? She was irritated. I said, why are you clapping your hands? She said, did not tell you to pay attention to what you're doing. I said, yes, ma 'am. And at that moment, Ms. Harris came over to me. I was on the floor scrubbing up spots in the kitchen. She said, I can tell you why she's clapping her hands. And I asked her, why now? She said, because when I have colored people clapping their hands, I do that because I can't see them.

10:13And I make them clap their hands to make sure they're not stealing. At that moment, I dropped the washcloth. I stood up and I looked her in the eyes. And during this time, Black people were not allowed to look white people in the eyes. And I said, Ms. Harris, my mother is not a thief. She's a Christian. She loves you. She loves your children. She loves your family. She looked forward to serving you. She's not a thief. You don't have to make her clap her hands because you think she might be stealing. And she was shocked. And she looked at me, and she didn't say anything. And she turned, and she walked out of the room.

11:01And I went back down and started scrubbing the spots on the floor. and water was flying everywhere, mixed with my tears. And I said, never again. When I become a man, nobody would never make my mother clap her hands because they think that she's stealing. And that created a hunger in me. Fire Nation, you're going to get these type of stories from Les, whether it's in person, whether it's on the interview, you because he is the storyteller. He is such a crafter of stories that it just draws you in and it brings you there. I mean, I felt like I was there when he turned to that woman and said those words.

11:50And that's just such a special gift that you have, Les. And one thing that I want to do right now is kind of do a little jump in time because, you know, a lot of us are living here in 2021, and we're amidst a pandemic. I mean, it started a while ago. It's lasted for some time. We don't know what the future looks like. With everything that you've learned over your years, what do people need to do in order to thrive during, like right now, and then after this pandemic is over? What people need to know, not believe, belief is in the mind, knowing, is in the heart. Where your heart is, there your treasure is also.

12:35People need to know what they are going through, they will get through. A lot of people right now, because we're going through a major transformation, when you're transformed, you have to make a radical change in how you show up in life and the things that you do. Einstein said, the thinking that has brought me this far has created some problems that this thinking can't solve. So it requires that you learn a new set of skills. We've gone from brick and mortar to click and order. It requires that you assess yourself. Who am I? How is it that I must deal with what I'm facing right now. You know, it was Victor Franco who said adversity introduces a man to himself.

13:30Most people in a fearful situation, they forget everything and run, but there are few who face everything and rise. And so what's most important is to know that I have in me the power, the ability, the authority to handle whatever life throws at me. And I'm going to get through this and look for ways to win or create a way. Fire Nation, hear these words, implement these words every day when you're waking up. Take these steps, follow these actions. And we have a lot to talk about here today. I want to talk about what keeps less going. There's actually a question I've always wanted to ask less, and a couple other things are coming up as soon as we get back from thanking our sponsors.

14:25One of the coolest opportunities that comes with being an entrepreneur is being able to travel to new places and speak on stage. Later this year, I'll be going to Nepal to speak at an event, and I'm tacking on a couple extra weeks to trek the Mount Everest base camp with my dad. Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So if you're like me and traveling this year, don't let your home just sit there. Host on Airbnb. Even though you might be thinking that hosting will be overwhelming, especially when you're traveling, think again. With the Co-Host Network, it's easier than ever, and it's also a great way to earn some extra cash.

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15:35See thousands of success stories and testimonials from real people just like you who Clay Clark has mentored and coached into prosperity at thrivetimeshow.com slash eofire. Clay's proven business coaching program is month to month, and it costs less than hiring a minimum wage employee. Yes, it's month to month, and it costs less money than hiring a minimum wage employee. Schedule your free 13-point assessment with Clay Clark himself today at thrivetimeshow.com slash eofire. Because Clay only takes on 160 clients and only allows 300 attendees to each business conference, you will interact with Clay directly, see thousands of real success stories, and learn about attending the Thrive Time Show two-day in-person workshop featuring the legendary Robert Kiyosaki and Eric Trump today at thrivetimeshow.com slash EOFire.

16:22Become the next success story. Schedule a free consultation and request tickets to join Eric Trump and Robert Kiyosaki at Clay Clark's next business conference today at thrivetimeshow.com slash EOFire. Les, we're back and you are 77 years old. Most people your age, they stopped working 12 years ago. What keeps you going today? Man, I have five boys and five girls and 15 grandchildren, and I have five great-grandchildren.

16:57Oh, let me tell you, that'll keep you going. But the Lord said, be fruitful and multiply. I took him seriously.

17:09And, you know, I just, I'm going through an experience right now. My granddaughter, who a year and a half ago, she had a full-term baby that was, it passed when she delivered it. And just a month ago, Matthew, which means a gift from God, he passed two days ago. And I asked God because we prayed so hard for him. He was a fighter. The doctor said he wouldn't live for a week. He had Down syndrome. He was blind. He had a bad heart. He had kidney problems, but he lived for a month. Matthew was a fighter. And I don't ask God why. What I do ask is, what are we supposed to do with this? and the answer was to live the life that Matthew didn't get to live.

18:29And that drives me. That means that I'm still here, that because I'm 77, I don't get to call myself out of the game of life and go on the bench and to play Lion King. Simba, you are more than that which you have become. And so I'm a robber. I'm determined to rob the cemetery of my gifts, of my abilities to inspire, to motivate, and to train people how to tell their story. I'm going to rob the cemetery of my talents and my skills and my determination to live a life that will outlive me. and Malik was my first great grandson who is in heaven, who is welcoming Matthew. I'm going to represent them extremely well and live out, full out the life that the two of them didn't get to live and to be used by God as an instrument, as Mother Teresa would say, to become a pencil in his hand to start creating new chapters in other people's lives with the stories that I share with them.

19:50I just want to let that sit there for a second, Fire Nation, because the phrase that Les used, I want to circle back on, I don't get to sit on the bench. This is a 77-year-old talking, and I want you, wherever you are right now, driving in your car, running, walking your dog, folding your laundry, ask yourself one honest question. Are you sitting on the bench? Are you sitting on the bench right now at 25, at 45, at 85? Well, Les is not, and he's never going to. And I teased this in the intro, Les. I just teased it right before the sponsorship break, and we're going to get into it right now because it's a question that I've always wanted to ask you.

20:35What do you do when your prayers are not answered? Oh, I'm so glad that you asked that question. I was in the hospital and they were ready to radiate my spine. and the nurse when I went in the restroom and I saw an X on my throat and I asked her what is this X doing here and she said well we're going to radiate your spine you're dealing with fourth stage cancer and sometimes people lose their voice and I said never to speak again she said yes and I called the doctor I said hey man you didn't tell me this he said I thought somebody had prepared you I said no and I talked about what do you do when your prayer is unanswered and what dropped in my spirit.

21:51You keep the faith in your faith. Faith not tested can't be trusted. It's easy to have faith when things are going your way. The doctor looks at you and say, hey, we made a mistake. You don't have four-stage cancer. Or your marriage is working out or you have enough money in the bank. But the true test of faith is when things happen. And that's when we have to stand. Therefore, taking you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day that having done all to stand. And we have to stand up inside ourselves in the face of all the things that happen. And if things work out the way we want them to work out, fine.

22:47But if they don't work out, we'll just keep it moving. We won't stop. We wake up in the morning and we're instructed, this is a day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let us be depressed and feel defeated in it. Let us rejoice. Count it all good. Be grateful you're still here. Pray unceasingly and keep it moving. That's the name of this thing called life. My prayer in the morning when I wake up, all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who have called according to his purpose. and I say an affirmation, Lord, whatever I face today, together you and I can handle it.

23:41And I want to make this clear. I'm not a religious person. Religious people are afraid of going to hell. The spiritual people have been there. and hell to me is what you experience when you die and you meet the person that you were supposed to become and you see the work that you were supposed to do boom fire nation i mean that is again powerful words a powerful message from less and just how you dealt with that experience to me can just really show so many people who are listening here today a right way to approach what's going to come at us here in life. And with the time that we have left together today, Les, I really want to talk about your book, You've Got to Be Hungry.

24:36We talked about it a little bit before the break, and I want to end the show with you sharing why Fire Nation will find what they're looking for within this book, if they're looking for what you have to offer, and where we can go to learn more about what you have going on with this book, and then just everything in general. They can get the book on Amazon, and there are some people now I'm doing coaching and building a community of greatness. People can go to less at lessbrowncoachme.com, less at lessbrowncoachme.com, me.com. And what they will find in this book, stories that will help them to begin to realize that what they're facing, it has not come to stay, it has come to pass.

25:34What they're facing, the story they're sitting on, somebody is waiting on. What they're facing, they'll learn the strategies and techniques of how to turn adversity into their advantage because they have it within them. We have built in greatness, power, authority, and dominion to handle the challenges that we invariably will face in life. And sometimes life can knock you silly. It will drop you to your knees. I was calling on Jesus, Yahweh, Allah. I was chanting, nomi yo ho, rengue, kio. Let me tell you something. I mean, I sometimes will drop you to your knees, beat you up. You say, you the motivator?

26:23No, somebody lied on me. I'm not the motivator.

26:31Oh, man, this thing called life. We will all have our moments in the Garden of Gethsemane. However, we were born to win. Life is God's gift. to us and how we live our lives is our gift to God. Fire Nation, I can think of no better way to end this episode with such a titan of our industry. So make sure you go to Amazon, you check out You've Got to Be Hungry, read the book, listen to the audio version of it. Quick question, Les. Did you read the audio book yourself? I did it live. My son read the book, my youngest son, but I did a live version because what it takes to write for the eye and what it takes to speak for the ear are two different things.

27:22And so I speak to the ear and he spoke those words that were written for the eyes. Powerful. Love that. You've got to be hungry, Fire Nation. Find it at Amazon. Make it part of your next month of consuming content. And lessbrowncoachme.com. Is that the correct URL, Les? Yes, I think so. I tell you, let me make it simple. They can go to lessbrown77 at gmail.com. lesbrown77 at gmail.com lesbrown77 at gmail.com Make that happen, Fire Nation. You get to connect with Les, with his team. They will point you in the right direction to learn from Les, to learn where he's going to be speaking next because that's something that he does.

28:23He speaks a lot. And again, it's something you do not want to miss because you're the average of the five people you spend the most time with. You've been hanging out with LB and JLD today, so keep up the heat. If you head over to eofire.com and type Les, L-E-S, in the search bar, the show notes page will pop up with links to everything that we've been talking about here today. Les, thank you for sharing your truth, your knowledge, your value with Fire Nation today. For that, we salute you, and we'll catch you on the flip side. Thank you. You have something special. You've got greatness in you.

28:55That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Hey, Fire Nation. Today's value-bound content was brought to you by Les and Fire Nation. Successful entrepreneurs accomplish big goals, which is why I created the Freedom Journal to guide you in accomplishing your number one goal in 100 days. And we're talking step-by-step. So visit thefreedomjournal.com and I'll catch you there or I'll catch you on the flip side. Is this your year to grow a successful business? Attend the world's highest rated business growth workshop taught personally by Clay Clark and now featuring Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki and Eric Trump at Thrivetimeshow.com slash EOfire.

29:36Again, request life-changing tickets today at Thrivetimeshow.com slash EOfire. Have you ever said to yourself, one day I will write a book? If yes, then I have an opportunity for you. Author 100 is a 100-day program where I will personally guide you one-on-one to create, write, publish, and market your book. I will provide daily guidance and mentorship every step of the way. Head over to author100.com to sign up for a free call with me to chat about the details. author100.com.