What It REALLY Takes To Build a Billion-Dollar Brand from Nothing Feat. Andy Frisella

31:54You know what I'm saying? And I looked at people who could stick to a program or follow through or people who could, you know, stay, keep in shape. And I always thought, why did they get that gift? And I didn't get that gift. And I thought of it wrong. I thought of it as a gift or a trait that they had when in reality, mental toughness is an actual skill that we need to develop. And once I figured out that I got my mind kind of on the, on the track of like okay this is not a trait this is something i need to develop that's where like the pieces started coming together for 75 hard and live hard and uh you know i worked a couple years really hard i lost 100 pounds but i was still soft and uh and then i met james lawrence the iron cowboy okay and he came on my podcast mfceo project and he said one sentence to me that kind of made it all go together um and really kind of made 75 hard come come to fruition um he said you know to develop mental toughness you have to intentionally put yourself in hard situations on a daily basis and overcome them and that intentional hard that part of the intentional intentionally do hard is the part that kind of made me the pieces come together and uh And then 75 hard was born because I picked all the things that I had done over the course of my life when I was operating at the highest level.

33:16I thought about them for a long time. Right. And then I just did the 75 hard myself. I got on the podcast. I said, hey, I'm doing this thing. 75 hard. Who wants to do it? I mean, a ton of people did it with me and they had incredible transformations. And and that's kind of how it was born. And so for me, dude, like when I started thinking of it as a mental thing and not a physical thing, the game switched to me. because dude, you know how I am competitive, right? Like, I don't want to, like, it's, it's one thing to say like, okay, I'm not in the best shape. It's another thing to say, you're not in the best shape because you're, you're, you're mentally soft as and you're not, you're not competitive in that area.

33:54And so that flipped it for me when it became a mental test, as opposed to a physical altering that I'm trying to do, that's what switched the perspective for me. And I think that's what switches for most people because we're told in diet culture, you know get in shape so you can look good at the pool or put your clothes on or go buy normal clothes you know when you're 350 bro you can't buy much clothes and when i started looking at it like i didn't have control like like someone could set a beer in front of me no matter what time of day no matter what i had going on no matter what i told myself i was going to do that day and i'm drinking it and and someone like i could walk into a restaurant and i would have in my mind the meal that i should eat but then as soon as the waitress comes over dude i'm ordering pizza I'm ordering wings.

34:37I'm ordering beers. And I'm telling myself this lie in my head, which is, Hey, don't worry, dude, we'll start tomorrow. You know, you work hard. You've been successful. You deserve this. And I started becoming aware of my internal dialogue around these things. And then I got pissed off that these inanimate objects have control over me. Like, like when I started thinking about it just at that level, like a beer or a piece of food has control over me, that offended me you know what I mean like that pissed me off I started making those things the enemy mentally and um that's where I connected it all and that and like dude I've been able to maintain it pretty pretty good you know um for the last seven eight years so you're on to something I want to ask you about by the way first off that you became aware like I said you're more self-aware so here we go this is kind of the root of what I think you stand for in your work and I know you mean this in a kind way I think when people see you yelling at everyone I think if they don't know you well they'll think this dude thinks he's got everything together and he's arrogant yeah but what I know and I mean this is a brother I'm trying not to get emotional when I say this but like I know all your insecurities yeah and I know that a lot of times you're still looking at this stuff like a fat dude yeah I'm a fat dude right and and so I want to go to this work because this contradicts most of what everyone's going to hear in personal development and here's the truth you're right and they're wrong and here's what it is uh you just got to love yourself as you are yeah it's a big thing in personal right now you're perfect as you are yeah you're amazing as you are self-love okay now you and i both know the what that means i mean self-loathing and self-hatred is not a healthy thing right but but self-delusion is a more unhealthy thing correct to tell yourself everything about you is perfect and you're okay.

36:31So you don't say this in an unkind way. You say this is somebody, I want everyone to hear this before he says it. He says, this is someone who has lived way overweight, who has lived with not being proud of himself, who has lived with being ashamed of himself and angry at himself and heavy and been suicidal many times since I've known him. If you might be Frank, right? So what do you say now that I've set the context to this notion of self love yourself as you are you're perfect as you are show up as you are as opposed to being self-aware and allowing yourself some pain and discomfort because that causes you to want to move away from things about you that don't serve you that make you unhealthy mentally or physically so speak to that well first off i think anybody that watches my content no matter what i'm saying you should understand i'm talking to other people like me i'm talking to the past version of me yeah and i'm not for everybody not my message isn't for everybody it's for people who are wired hot who want to win who are having a hard time and the reality of life is this the world's relentless and it will not stop beating your ass until you wake up and start beating it back and um you know when i see self-love and all this i do understand where they're coming from Those people are talking to people who are on the brink, right?

37:54And they think their entire world's crumbling and they're telling them it's okay. But I actually think that's the wrong message. I think the right message is this. Hey, this is how it is if you don't go hard. This is what you're going to get if you do not try hard to develop yourself and get off the bench and get in the game. And I say that out of a place of love and caring for people because I want them to feel better and I want them to do better. And I know what's not going to get them better is just accepting themselves and all their behavior and all their vices and inaction and procrastination and low standards is creating the way you feel.

38:32And so when we tell people that self-love is just accepting ourselves who we are when who we are is a combination of unacceptable standards and bad behavior. I personally, I believe we're violating our covenant with God. I look, I don't have kids, but if I did, I would want the kid to be the best version of themselves. And if I were to give that kid all of his gifts and all this ability and all this upside, and they were just say, well, I'm perfect the way I am, I would feel insulted because I put you here for a reason. And that's how I feel like God looks at us when we don't capitalize on our gifts.

39:12And I feel like that's what I feel like. I feel like God put me here, gave me some tools. I think the journey is supposed to be hard. But for me to do what I'm supposed to do when I'm here is required. It's part of the deal that, that why I'm here, you know, and I think that's for everybody. And I think if we all live like that and we thought about that just a little bit, the world will look completely different. Cause we have a lot of people who are just coasting, who are, who are hearing the self love talk. Right. And then they're, they're hearing it in the toxic way, which is just accept yourself and your standards.

39:46and that's denying the world of gifts and and solutions and inspiration and stories and I mean do we have a whole generation of people coming behind us they got to have something to look at you know what I mean like we did and uh I just take that very seriously and I think it's real and when we break down the meaning of life you know a lot of people just see it different than me. They see the meaning of life as being a fun, enjoyable journey. And maybe that can be for some people, but I know that's not what I was here to put. So when I speak and people hear me and they might say, what the f*** is too much?

40:21Well, dude, I'm too much because I f***ing love you, man. I'm too much because I know you got more in you and I know you can do better. And it takes a certain kind of person to really resonate with who I am. And, you know, unfortunately, because of the tone that I have, you know, I find that here's what I get a lot of, bro when I first heard you I hated you yep but I listened to like three episodes yeah dude you're just a good dude that wants more for people and that is it it's one of the best answers in the history of the show everyone should go back to last three or four minutes of what he just said and the first off with you the reason is it comes out intense comes out with a lot of f-bombs and so that immediately some people hear a certain way yeah you look a certain way but the truth is I know what's inside there and I know your heart very handsome unbelievable and more handsome with more of that smoke around your face because it's a filter.

41:09But I got to tell you what he just said is true. When you really love somebody, self-love is belief. People that really love you believe in you. And so accepting a lower standard of yourself, that's not love. That's some other perverted, weak emotion. And the truth is real love comes with belief and knowing that someone can rise to a higher standard and do better in their life. It's not judgment of where you are. It's love and belief of where you could be. Yeah. And so when some says you get up and work or get in better shape or improve your life or start a business, it's not judgment as to where you are.

41:44It's belief in what you could be. And that's the difference in the two things. And that's what he's describing right now. Let me ask you a question. Yeah. I'll ask you a question. Okay. So you played sports at a high level, just like my brother did, just like a lot of our friends did. A lot of our friends do. Who was the best coach you ever had? Coach Dennis Paul. Was Dennis Paul good to you and nice to you? So hard on me, bro. I just posted about it a few weeks ago to the point where, I mean, I went home some nights in tears. Like just, he pushed me so hard. And the truth is that I ran into him.

42:15I hadn't seen him in 30 years. He came to a speech of mine. And he was standing in the picture line. And I saw him down on the line. And I immediately almost fell to my knees in tears. Because next to my dad, I'm most grateful to Coach Paul for where I am in my life. because he got me to accept a pattern of my life of high standards of believing I could do more that if I actually put work in that eventually there's a payoff for it. And if he'd held me to a lower standard and accepted me as the dude that I was, I would be a miserable human being right now. And by the way, I've only had three or four or five of those people.

42:46And you're one of them in my life. It's like, no, bro, you're better than that. You can do, but I don't want friends that accept me as my R. I want, I want friends that see me as I could be. Well, that's the other context of where I'm coming from. Like, you know, I said earlier in the show, I'm hard to be friends with. The reason I'm hard to be friends with is not because I yell and scream at people. Not at all. It's because I demand high standards from you. Yes. Like if you're in my circle, bro, you're going to get all you can out of yourself or you're not going to be in it. And that's reality.

43:13I cannot do one of the, you know, this dude, one of the, I am such a hot wire competitor that any level of mediocrity or apathy about not caring it literally i dude i can't tolerate you detest it it drives me insane yeah and so this is why my circle's so small because like dude i'm really incapable of sitting around i mean i am capable like you get a couple smokes in me yes you know i like to smoke guys all right that's what it is he likes to smoke all kinds of things yeah just not crack all right anymore not 100 buying shit i'm not smoking parmesan cheese man but here's the deal like once i you know i like i got some my buddies that come in for the podcast you know i do my podcast a little different than you like you you have the the names on i can't i just have buddies on yeah and uh they always come over here after the show and we smoke and drink and hang out and in that environment i can be a bro right but like dude any other time like i'm here to do yeah i think some people look at you like i don't i don't know that i want to be that hard, which is okay.

44:17Some guys look at Goggins that way, and you and Goggins are different, but there's this thing Grover talks about. I love Goggins. So do I. We both do. We brought David into our group, I think, a couple times. We've done it twice, I think, and we both love David, and we both love Goggins, which there's two different people, right? There's Goggins and then there's David, and there's two different people, but we love... He calls himself Goggins. Right. The Goggins dude is the dude. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart choice. Progressive loves to help people make smart choices.

44:52That's why they offer a tool called Auto Quote Explorer that allows you to compare your Progressive car insurance quote with rates from other companies. So you save time on the research and can enjoy savings when you choose the best rate for you. Give it a try after this episode at Progressive.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates Not available in all states or situations Prices vary based on how you buy

45:23When it comes to what your family eats and drinks You know your choices matter You're the expert Because you know what fits your life And getting it right starts with good information That's why America's beverage companies Are sharing more information about our ingredients at goodtoknowfacts.org. No spin, no judgments, just the facts straight from the experts for more than 140 beverage ingredients. Visit goodtoknowfacts.org. Very short intermission here, folks. I'm glad you're enjoying the show so far. Be sure to follow the Ed Milet Show on Apple and Spotify. Links are in the show notes. Here's an excerpt I did with our next guest.

46:04So everybody, this is Jesse Itzler. Jesse, thanks for being here. Thank you so much, man. I appreciate it. success isn't being good in one bucket it's not about like i made all this money you know and i know oh it's easy for you to say no success is not about being good in one bucket it's about being good in all the buckets yeah all the buckets it's about being a good dad it's about being you know good to your employees it's about giving back in the charity bucket it's about doing the right thing when you do it it's about standing up for something that you see is wrong that's success. When I see people that are mega wealthy, they're just fucking wealthy.

46:39Yes. No, they're just wealthy. Yeah. That's not what it looks like. And it's, and you don't have to be wealthy. If you're struggling in one area, you can still be good in all the other areas. You can't spiral down because success, the way you look at it, isn't happening. Well then go be successful in the other buckets and fill up your plate. And then what it does too, by the way, I can feel you coming at me with that because you feel so strong about it your physiology change too but what also happens is when you and you talk a lot about this but when you get wins in other areas you get life momentum and and people just i did a training on this the other day but like you're to me i look at you i go okay look the thing he said about associating with these people and their habits i didn't have a jet card company but i joined the club where i could meet these kinds of guys what is your schedule what's your workout routine how do you eat what do you think about How do you talk?

47:27I'm sorry to interrupt you. Habits, you're getting me all fired up. Everything comes around your day. We're talking about all these successes. They took years. Yes. Years. I remember walking into the president of Coca-Cola about the Zico thing. He's like, it takes eight years to build a brand in this country. Of course, there's get rich quick things and now it's a little faster, but it takes time. But the foundation of that is your daily habits. It's creating winning habits, winning routines, and a winning mindset. That's the formula. It is. There's no way around it. It is. It doesn't happen without that.

48:04One of the unique things for me, because I completely agree, one of the things that you and I is we both will be creating this content for a while, and then when we looked at each other's stuff, we're like, my God, we so believe the same things. We say it a little bit differently, but we so believe the same things. One of the unbelievable things about social media or podcasts like this is that you kind of can peek into what you had at Marquee Jets doing this. If someone follows you on Instagram or follows myself, you get access nowadays to something you and I never had. You can get access daily to some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world or fitness people or parents or people of faith or whatever your area is through digital connection now.

48:45It's not the same as live, but it's incredible the information you can tap into now. You are my virtual mentor. No, you are. I mean, I'm in tune to what you say. It resonates deeply with me. Thank you. You're in it for the right reasons. Like, there's a lot of reasons why the things you say really have stickiness with me. Thank you. But you are, to millions of people, you're a virtual mentor. And that's exactly your point. Yeah. And we didn't have that growing up. No. Our mentor was my dad and anyone in my small town. Yeah, me too. Don't you think part of your life, Jesse, that you got some life momentum going though, right?

49:17I mean, the journey is, I think it's the most, I mean, you're a young man, but I think it's the most remarkable journey that I've, of anybody I've talked to because of the breadth of different areas. It's just bananas to me. So let's even move out of one for a minute. Let's go to another thing because I just would love the formula because you talked about the formula. So you have these wins in business, which we'll talk about more of them in a minute, but then you like go uh like i'm gonna go run like ultra marathons this guy's run a hundred miles in a day there's some stat like 36 000 miles you've run in 25 years is that right yeah what like do you hear that it's just consistency though i know the number is big and i'm proud of it but it's it's because you know what it it's it's just part of my lifestyle so again we talk about daily habits yes it's I have a very very unique lifestyle that's worked for me I only fruit until noon I've been doing that for 27 years unwaveringly happy to talk about that I run it why because it's all about energy okay and you use more energy to digest food then everything else you'll do in your life combined you'll eat about 70 tons of food in your lifetime and it to you digests all that food takes a lot of energy so if you could streamline your digestion and use less energy for digestion you'd have more energy to have a vibrant life to deal with infection disease and um i'm i have boundless energy i mean knock on wood you have balanced energy and by the way here's how real this is when he showed up at my house today he's like someone's dropping off food right like he's that meticulous about what he's going to put into his body i also enjoy on your social by the way the tips he gives on instagram about the different things that are in some of the foods we eat that harm us so badly too.

51:03Think about this. I'm going to tell you why it's so important to me. Let's say you're a billionaire. Yeah. Okay. You have a billion dollars. You got the helicopters, the farm, Laguna. You got all this stuff. You own sports teams and everything. And you're on a beautiful island in Hawaii with nine Victoria's Secret models feeding you grapes, Ed, and massaging your feet. And life is good. Except you got a sore throat. and every time you swallow it kills the house the planes the masseuses the grapes none of that matters all you want to do is get rid of your sore throat yeah that's how important health is so true and there's a famous quote if you have health you have hope if you have hope you have everything so nothing means anything if you don't so i take it very very very very very seriously i don't play games with that.

51:53I don't think you play games. Well, actually, it's funny. I think you actually, life has sort of been this game to you that you're winning, but like you, you, I just got to understand something, man. Like you do things now and I just think you, you kind of take them for granted. Like it's same for me. Like if someone repeats back to me, some accomplishment I've had or something I've done, it just, I don't even know how I feel about it. It's weird. I'll tell you how I feel about it. I don't care about it. I mean, I, we have an audience that want to know the story and I'm happy to share it if there's value.

52:21But the way I look at my life, I'm 50. I'm about to be 51. You talk about this all the time. The average American lives to be 78. So that means I have 27 summers left if I'm average. All the past stuff, that's done, man. My life is this window. 51 to 80. That's it. And I want to do this much shit in this much amount of time. So I have to be mega efficient. I have to focus on the things that I want to do with the people I want to do them with. And I got to eliminate the other stuff. So like the past, when people talk about it, it's like, okay, but who cares? Do you care that the Dallas Mavericks won the championship a couple of years ago?

53:00I could care less. No, this is the window. Yep. I am very, very excited about today's program because I've got a legend with me here in the fitness industry and in the personal coaching industry as well. And that's Bedros Koulian. So Bedros, thank you, brother. Thank you, sir. Thank you for having me. I feel like even prior to you going to therapy though, you, you feel to me like someone who's really worked on themselves. And so I think if I were betting, had I met you even the three or four years ago before this, I still would have met one heck of a higher identity guy who'd worked on himself, who had kind of this mark on his identity.

53:32Right. I don't think, I don't think that that's a really good way to define it. Okay. Yes, exactly. Okay. That's what seems like to me. So talk a little bit about even your journey, because I know guys like you, right? I have lots of friends, several who grew up as immigrants, really rough backgrounds. Santa Ana, for those of you that don't know, the parts of Santa Ana, it's a wonderful place, but parts of Santa Ana that Bedros is from is not white picket fences and, you know, rosy, you know, perfect families all around him. The good news is we did eventually move to Anaheim, which was a lot nicer.

54:02That is that, that is that, that is that, right? But so you had that environment you grew up in, learning the language, immigrant mentality, probably a stricter upbringing in your household than other people, some cultural differences too. Lots of friends like that. If you grew up in Southern California, you have friends like that, right? And so I'm curious, was part of you becoming you like a ferocious dedication to personal development, self-improvement? Like talk a little bit about that piece of your life and how important it has or has not been for you. Yeah. Yeah. Well, as we were talking about earlier in the other room, I was a personal trainer.

54:34Right after high school, I decided to become a personal trainer. And one of my personal training clients, his name is Jim Franco. We're still dear friends to the state. One day I asked him, I said, Jim, I'm a personal trainer and a fry cook and a bouncer at a gay bar. And the reason I was at a gay bar, because they paid$4 more per hour and I needed the money. As it turns out, the reason they paid a lot more is because skinheads would come every weekend to gay bash and it was our job. Wonderful. They didn't tell you that before they hired you? No, no. So the good news is that by this point, I've gotten so many fights that you're equipped.

55:08I was equipped to fight, but I was starting to learn that I don't think I want to fight anymore because Jim Franco gave me a cassette tape from Tom Hopkins. Me too. I love Tom Hopkins. And he goes, listen to this Tom Hopkins cassette tape so you can learn to sell so you can get rid of your side jobs. And Tom Hopkins leads to Brian Tracy, Brian Tracy to Zig Ziglar, then to Dan Kennedy and Jay Abraham and Tony Robbins. Before you know it, I'm learning sales and marketing and personal development and influence. And so I was building this side of my life really well. I was doing everything I could where personal development was concerned to become a better entrepreneur.

55:42I chose to put what happened to that little boy into a box and put it far away. And I still, till this day, I still have the gift of compartmentalizing, which is probably... It is another strength. It is another strength. Yeah, it is another strength, but I use it for good. I mean, you know, someone crosses me, I don't just put them in a box and put it away. These days I like to communicate. Hey, Ed, why were you late? What can we do about it? Et cetera, right? See, I'm nicer. For the record, you weren't late. It was just a hypothetical. No, I was early. But anyway, all that said, I was very fortunate that Jim Franco helped me become a better entrepreneur soon.

56:18I didn't have my side jobs. And before you know what, I had five personal training gyms, and I was successful with those. and at a time this company came through and bought out my five gyms and it was the first time I'd sold something for six figures okay it's like holy cow like you can build and sell a business like I didn't even know that I thought business is just being self-employed right owning a job and so I started coaching and consulting personal trainers okay and I really loved coaching and consulting trainers because I can teach them and give them the shortcuts that I never had and so So I would hear these trainers, man, you know, I'm making now$8 ,000,$9 ,000,$12 ,000,$15 ,000,$30 ,000 a month on reoccurring income.

56:56Wonderful. Because most personal trainers sell five, ten sessions at a time. They've got to come and resell you. My whole thing was we're going to put you on EFT, electronic fund transfer and build the reoccurring revenue. Okay. So before long, I've got 43 ,000 customers over a 10-year period. My gosh. Yeah. Who buy my courses, come to my workshops and live events, et cetera. and in 2010-11 came up with the idea of Fit Body Boot Camp and franchised it by 2012. And so I was able to go to all these customers and say, hey, look, I've created this franchise brand. Do you want to be a part of it? So it's everything about fitness, but all the systems are built in.

57:33And boom, it took off. Now, there was a lot of work involved, and I had to evolve into becoming a leader to be able to build a team around me. Yes. And that was a work in progress. Yep. But holy smokes, man. How many of them are there? 612? 619 Fit Body Boot Camps worldwide. You're growing. I mean, all the time you're talking about every other month in here, you've got 20 to 40 people coming in here that you guys are training. We're adding an average of 15 to 20 locations per month. Unreal, brother. I mean, unreal. And those of you that are in the fitness industry, if you want to build any sort of fitness practice, this is the Mac Daddy right here.

58:00This is the guy. Either getting involved with the Fit Body Boot Camp or just getting coached on how to grow your practice. You've got all this content, all this material. This is the guy. But let's talk about all entrepreneurs for a second. So you built this environment here, right? You're the leader here. What's unique when I walk around here is what I would consider to be the energy level. There's a positive energy in here. There seems to be a mutual inspiration or affection that you have for them and that they have for you in creating a culture. So all of these entrepreneurs are listening. By the way, most people that are listening that think they're entrepreneurs are actually still only self-employed.

58:34I'm so thrilled to have this woman here today. You would know her best probably from Shark Tank, which airs on Friday nights. She's got an awesome podcast called Business Unusual. Barbara Corcoran, welcome to the show. Thank you for being here. Thank you so much. All your compliments are a little bit premature, Ed. Why don't you wait a little bit on it? Well, at the end of the interview, if it's not very good, I'll amend my remarks, but I'm pretty sure we're going to crush. You see it on your face when you talk about it. You said wired earlier, and then you said these traits. And I think that's an important, I get asked this too, and I don't know that I answer it very well.

59:04So I'm curious what your answer is. What are some of those traits? I'm sitting here, I'm driving in my car, I'm on a treadmill, I'm watching this on YouTube, wherever I am listening to this. I'm like, you know, I want to be an entrepreneur, or I am one, but I'm still not totally sure I should be. What are a couple of those traits in your mind that are just you must have these or you shouldn't be one? I believe front and foremost is competitiveness. Wow. I've invested in a lot of businesses. I have to tell you there's not one really successful one where the principle isn't fiercely competitive.

59:33You know, and I don't mean competitive like I want like Saban and Jim of Cousin Maine Lobster, they're equally competitive. It's not like I want to be the biggest lobster brand in America. Not that kind of competitive, but Luke's did what? Luke's Lobster? Oh, they're out of the shop. Their horns come out. Whether they wanted the shop there, whether they wanted the city there, whether they even had an interest, but their competitors there, it's like a fast fuse. My most successful entrepreneurs are sickly competitive. I know for myself, I used to compete for things in my field that I had no interest in just to show them that I could get it.

1:00:09That's sick. I needed a shrink, not a job. Right. But it's a wiring that you hear that growling, you know, that you want to be competitive. And I think that's the number one trait. I think the number two trait. And if I only had an hour to two and there's so many things you tap into when you're an entrepreneur, you've got all guns ablaze. But the second one I would say is that you have to be able to get back up fast. Everybody, you know, gets a hit and feels badly. And you have a lot of excuses to rest a bit and stay low or make yourself right. He told me he was right, whatever. But I think it's the ability to just like get in the habit of getting up.

1:00:49I am such in the habit of getting up. I'm almost, not really, almost at the point now where somebody slaps me around, I don't feel it. because I'm so much in the habit, the good habit of getting back up. And the interesting, if I could add, even though that wasn't your question, I'm going to throw it in here. It's interesting how often I'm asked by parents how to build a child's confidence. If only they find something they're really engaged in, if only they're really, if only, you know, I believe parents can very much help children find their thing by getting them in the habit, trying things, failing and getting back up.

1:01:22And you can control that. Force your kids to go back out and try. Back up at bat. try out that sport if you're not going to try it that sport or you can't do your homework try harder go do it again i think that kind of building a habit of trying is where all children get their get their uh confidence from and as dumb as i was in school man i was not allowed to coast i was shoved out back and back and back and back and back so i i didn't think that lying down was an option i got in the habit and what an asset that was as an adult to have all that practice as a kid i had an advantage you see so that's i think i answered your question maybe not you ask it again i think i dropped a piece of it on you or something it's so good and it's interesting i have to tell you because i've asked that i i don't i would like to have a different answer i got asked that a couple months ago at a speaking engagement i have and i said the word competition oh there you go because when i was done though i wasn't so sure i but that was the one thing but i actually i just we just did this new podcast deal and i you know i'm starting new businesses and somebody asked i asked the other day to my friend i said why am i still you know i'm like i'm doing all these things i said what is do i need to shrink like what you said you do need a shrink yes don't get one you won't be as profitable that's what he said almost verbatim he said he goes because eddie listen dude here's the deal you're competitive you want to you just you want to and also you're competitive with yourself you want to see how much you can expand how much you can contribute and he said you'd be dead just sitting around, man.

1:02:48Like I told him, I said, I live here on the ocean. I'm looking at the beach. I said, I have not put my feet on that sand in like four weeks. He goes, you'll get out there. You find a way to do it, but you're competitive. And I actually enjoy doing this more than I do just sitting there. And it doesn't mean I don't like to rest. It doesn't mean I don't like to, you know, you know, recuperate, but I like expanding. I like contributing. I like growing. I want to compete. And so I completely agree with your answer. And And this has been a trend with you. So now I'm like, okay, how's she going to shark tank?

1:03:17You have the exit in 2001, bunch of money. And then you're, I think you think you're going to get the show. Yes. I had the show. They hired me. Yeah. I signed the contract. They hired you. And then it was like, maybe not. You got it. This is amazing. I mean, think about this. What's happened to your brand, to your reach, to your influence. I mean, this one decision, we're one decision away from altering our life, right? one little competitive psycho streak in you. So tell them what happens. You get the show and then what? Then I get the call from the Mark Burnett's assistant and same one who called me in the first place saying, I'm sorry, the show's changed its mind.

1:03:56They've hired another woman for the lone female seat. I couldn't believe my ears. You know, you have to remember at this point, I had already bought Hollywood outfits, just going to sign autographs. Oh, I had my movie going. I had new leather luggage. Wasn't going to be plastic in Hollywood. it's going to be leather matching luggage and so i i was already there told my friends i'm going to hollywood i'm going to hollywood i'm going to hollywood uh so i was mortified more than anything i honestly the first thought i had is what will my what will my friends think what will i explain i hate to be that shallow but i really thought of that and then i hung up the phone i couldn't believe it i had to shake my head but then i did the thing that's more important than anything else in life, which I had learned to do, get back up.

1:04:40So I got back up and I typed out a very brief email to Mark Burnett, whom I hadn't met, and called the assistant to promise she promised she would deliver it to him because I didn't think he'd read it. And she said she'd walk it over and promise that he'd read it. And I told him, I consider him to be my lucky charm. All the best things in my life happened on the heels of rejection. When Sister Stella Marie told me I'd never learned to read it right. She was wrong. I learned when the big boys in New York said I couldn't compete, I became the number one rival. When Donald Trump said I'd never see a penny of the$4 million commission, I collected every penny in federal court.

1:05:16I just went right like that. And I said, I'd like you to invite both women out to compete, and I expect to be on that plane on Tuesday. And what do you think happened? He invited us both out, and thank God that was 13 years ago. Pointing again to the power of of not being so smart and not working so hard or all the rest of the stuff you have to do in life, but the power of getting back up. You know, just take another swing. By the way, Ed, what was shocking to me, well, I was not so shocked I turned it around because I was used to turning things around. What was shocking to me is my Clay, my producer, two weeks after that, we were on Shark Tank.

1:05:54He said to me, you know, we hired four times more business owners than we needed, and we rejected three out of four. He said, and not one wrote an email. I was like, what? No one objected. So I got the seat purely for writing that email, not because I earned it or I had good luck, but that email got me that seat. No doubt. That is just an amazing story. And by the way, not only did you respond, I was going to give you a little, everyone just a paragraph of the email. Not only did you respond, but you did it in such a way that just had a level of certainty. I think certainty I was faking it I love that though but see but certainty is influence this is she says Mark I understand you've asked another girl to dance instead of me yeah great opening line even I laughed at that one it's so good it would get your attention you would laugh at it and he says although I appreciate being reserved as a fallback she says I'm much more accustomed to coming in first that's another good line I might say so again it is it's just I gotta say guys I mean, there's moments that define our lives.

1:06:58And do we get back up? Do we compete again? Do we dig deep? And these things may seem sort of hokey. They're real world things that end up deciding whether or not you've had a pretty successful life or you're one of the most influential entrepreneurs on the spinning earth, which is what Barbara's become. Isn't that amazing? And it's just remarkable. Now, someone pitches on the show. I'm curious. What are you looking for? In other words, is it the business model itself? Are you evaluating the jockey or the horse? Or is it both? And how do you end up reaching a determination? Like, this is at least one I may be in on.

1:07:36Or can they say one thing and you're like, I'm out? Is there something in particular you'll notice where you're like, I'm out? A few hot buttons. First of all, I really form a first impression before they ever say a word. Based on how they look, they're standing in front of the sharks, slower than us, intimidating, come through the doors, they're standing there. They are told not to talk until they're asked to start. So there's this long silence while they set the camera shots up close in their face, very intimidating. And I watch how they handle the pressure. Okay. So when somebody's falling apart, looking at the ground, shifting, can't handle that pressure.

1:08:13I just am out right away. I mean, I can't say I'm out, but I know I'm out. No matter what they say, that it would be digging out of a hole. I just can't really believe that this would be a strong business partner. That's one. I do pay attention to the model to the degree that I say, hey, will enough people buy this service or product? Is there a need for it? And will enough people buy it? And if it seems, yeah, reasonable, I'm okay with the business model. All the details that we go into, the margins and blah, blah, blah. I'm honest to you. As a dyslexic, I'm going to sleep on the wheel. I'm often making a shopping list while it's going on because I can't hide in there to pay attention.

1:08:49Okay. But I already have formed my opinion on the very important piece. Hey, does it make sense with enough people buy it? Now I'm just watching at the person and just thinking to myself, can I picture them as my business partner? Do I like them? Do I trust them? And if I do, there's one last question. Do they have enough energy to make it to the finish line? Because I've never met a successful entrepreneur who didn't have a ton of energy. So if they don't have that energy, I think they're going to run out of gas. Now, I could be wrong. Who really knows? But I know in hiring people my whole life, thousands of people, when people don't have high energy, they're never great.

1:09:25So that's like a breathing test almost. So that's kind of the summation of it. And then you have to hang in there for another 45 minutes before you can say I'm out and make up another reason why they're out. Because you don't want to say to everybody, I don't like your energy. You're not competitive. I don't like the way you look. You have to come up with something more businessy. and I spend the rest of my time trying to come up with something more businessy that makes sense for the show, you know? Businessy. I love that. I do that all the time on this show. Let me sound more businessy so I can just fit in.

1:09:53I know exactly what you're talking about.

1:09:59When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans, Send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom's 60th. And never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end-to-end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp. Message privately with everyone. Learn more at whatsapp.com. Next up is a little song from CarMax about selling a car your way. You want to sell those wheels. You want to get a CarMax instant offer. So fast. Want to take a sec to think about it. Or like a month.

1:10:39I want to keep tabs on that instant offer. With OfferWatch. Want to have CarMax pick it up from your driveway. Get it done to it. You want to do it all. So, want to drive? CarMax. Pickup not available everywhere. Restrictions and fee may apply. Very short intermission here, folks. I'm glad you're enjoying the show so far. Be sure to follow the Ed Milet Show on Apple and Spotify. Links are in the show notes. You'll never miss an episode that way. We've been doing ads for Tommy John forever. They're my favorite ads to do because I'm a raving fanatic, not just a client, because that's what they have.

1:11:14And I want to pick his brain about that and life in general. So Tom Patterson, welcome to the show. Thanks, Ed. It's an honor. I'm so grateful to be here. In building this business, you had to give up a lot of different things as well. But if someone was to start right now and said, hey, I think I'm going to become an entrepreneur. This is sort of an open-ended question. I want to become an entrepreneur, but I'm not really totally sure where to start. This thing you said earlier in the interview about solve a problem, that type of thing. Do you think everybody is an entrepreneur, or do you think that that's reserved for a certain type of person?

1:11:47That's a great debate. I mean, I think I have a different answer at five-year periods. I think everybody has a million-dollar idea. I think some people struggle with the discomfort and the uncertainty. And being an entrepreneur is all about uncertainty. You have to be ready to move and pivot and change. And, again, I'm going to go back to sports. Like sports and being that Roomba vacuum and failing. And I had a coach that said to me, Tom, you're never going to increase your capacity to grow unless you fail. And if you don't fail, you're going to be an underachiever in life. So by not failing, you're not reaching your potential.

1:12:28And I think for me, I always got pushed and wanted to drive more and more and more. And I think seeing entrepreneurs and seeing the type of family and the type of life that they were living, it was really inspiring for me. I wanted more. I wanted to do more. I wanted to travel more. I wanted to be around different personalities. So for me, I think it's a question are entrepreneurs born or made? I think for me, it was probably born. I had lawn mowing businesses. Dude, I shoveled sidewalks and snow blowed sidewalks before basketball practice in high school. I would knock on doors and ask to do the mowing for the summer.

1:13:08So I always worked, and I was always curious about learning ways to make more money. but I would say for anybody here, I didn't have the perfect network. I didn't go to the perfect school. I didn't have the perfect connections. I didn't get the right internship. It was really people. I valet cars in Scottsdale when I went to college. I sold cell phones at a kiosk and you know, fashion square mall in Phoenix, but those people skills and interacting and understanding how to read nonverbal cues, that EQ part, I think really prepared me to be in a position to see the signs or opportunity to start a business.

1:13:46And I think that there was a preparation through my childhood and through things I was involved in that allowed me to see those signs. So, and you know, but I didn't grow up in an environment of entrepreneurs. My parents weren't entrepreneurs and you, you say this, um, middle class, I would say we were middle class, maybe at times lower or upper, but middle class is the hardest one to get out of. It is. And I oftentimes wonder, how did I get out or why did I get out? And I wouldn't say, I don't know if I have the perfect answer. I don't know either. In my case, I'm thinking about it. I'm thinking of listening to you.

1:14:21You just said some more real brilliant stuff that I want to unpack there. But I think my dad wasn't an entrepreneur. I don't know any entrepreneurs in my family. My grandfather worked in a union, right? My grandfather was a printer. So what does this come from? I remember when I was a little boy, I used to sell sodas at the golf course and candy bars through the fence. I had that little business when I was young. Then I had a baseball card business. Then I had an auto detailing business. So somehow as a little guy, I was experimenting with being an entrepreneur and wanting to make money and wanting to expand.

1:14:52And then one thing I always had, and I think you have too, I've always been fascinated with growth. And I think sports, to your point, sports gave me that competitive thing you talked about earlier. Sports gave me and you both the ability to deal with and accept failure. Almost like, of course, I'm going to strike out. I'm going to get out seven out of 10 times. Of course, you're going to miss a jump shot, right? You always miss something, right? Of course, I'm going to drop a pass or, you know, so I think that helped. But you said something earlier, man, that I have never thought of before, which is this notion.

1:15:23I'll probably say it wrong, but that to be successful, you actually have to become comfortable being uncomfortable. But then you said the reverse. And it describes me very well. and you. I'm uncomfortable being comfortable now. I've gone all the way the other way. It wasn't my problem is not being comfortable being uncomfortable. My problem is I'm uncomfortable being comfortable or content. Yes. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that it's like, man, I want that to be on some speech I give because that's a really profound thing that you just said right there and super describes me. What was the what's a hidden huge benefit?

1:16:00I ask hard stuff. What's a hidden huge benefit of making your dream come true most people wouldn't know about? Forget just the wealth or you could travel. I mean, he could live anywhere in the world. This dude lives in South Dakota. So he's not like, you know. So what's it? No offense to South Dakota. Some of my really good friends are there. But it's not. I invited you. There's parts you'll like. There are parts I'd like, but I'm not going there. I can tell you right now I will not be there in January. But I will go there with you. And especially the golf place that you described. We need to go do that.

1:16:28Having said that, though, what's a little thing that happens, and I'll give you mine after you give me yours, that you didn't think would be cool about making your dream come true that now is? I think I'm still always surprised about how many people are aware of the brand. Gosh, it's so huge. Right. It still blows my mind, blows our mind that people are so familiar with it and wear it. And the types of people that we meet that are wearing it, that have not met us, that didn't know our brand values or beliefs and just found the product, it's connected. One, it creates a lot of fun conversations, which we've had of just the underwear category by nature.

1:17:09But it's got us in a lot of rooms that I would have only dreamt of being in. And it's one thing to get in the room, but it's another thing to stay in the room. And I think there's, Jim talked about this where we were, like everybody in this room fought to get in this room, right? Jim Rome. Yeah, Jim Rome. There's this mutual respect for some of the rooms because a lot of people don't understand what it took or the sacrifices that were made to get in there. And it's like, man, it's not lonely. There's other people that have been here, right? And I think when you're running a business, it's really lonely.

1:17:43There's not a plan. There's not a playbook. and for me, that's been one of the most exciting things to meet, honestly, like you, meeting your heroes, meeting people that have impacted you in so many ways, and just not it being awkward. My grandpa taught me, he's like, treat everybody the same, whether it's the front desk receptionist, the janitor, they're all people at the end of the day, and I think for me, one of the gifts I've realized I have is I'm not intimidated by people, but I have a lot of respect for people. And people are like, how did you get to this level that you're at? I'm like, I've never been scared to ask questions.

1:18:19I've never been scared to send Kevin Hart some product and talk to him on the phone. At the end of the day, there are real people that wanted to be treated just like anybody else. Nothing makes you more uncomfortable than being treated like you're this fanning out. And I think being around people and just getting to know them, who they are behind closed doors. There's been, I think, one of the really cool, exciting things about building a business, but it wasn't the intent. That's just, I think, a side surprise benefit of it. By the way, I think you're right about that. And the thing is, is that I think what everybody, I want everyone to hear, and the reason I asked you the question is, there's lots of side benefits, to use your term, to making your dream come true that you can't imagine right now.

1:19:02And there will be lots of things. There'll be an experience or a moment, or I think for me, it's all the stuff I didn't calculate as I was doing it, because I think when you have a dream, you kind of picture you in the dream. But for me, it was when I got to the other side of it and live it now, it's all the things I never dreamt of doing for other people or moments I could be there for somebody when they need me that I didn't calculate that. And if you would have told me back then, the reason I want everyone to hear this is if you would have told me back then that you'd be able to do this, that, or the other thing for another person, I'd have worked even harder.

1:19:35I'd have taken more hits. I'd have gone through more pain if I knew that the dream wasn't just about me, but it's about all these other people, these lives you can affect and you can impact in small and big ways. If I'd have known all that was going to come with the package of winning, I'd have gone forward even harder and faster. I'd have gone bigger. I'd have done more. So I want everyone to know this. There's more that comes with making a dream come true than you can even possibly imagine. And as good as you think it's going to be, in many ways, it's a thousand million times better, but maybe not even in the way.

1:20:05Like having lots of money. It's cool, right? But it's probably, I don't think it's quite as cool as I thought it was going to. Not being broke is super cool, right? But being super rich, I don't, it's not quite as cool as I thought it would be. But other parts that come with it are for me. Is that the same for you? Yeah, I think once you've been poor and struggled, you want to do everything possible not to be there again. Yeah. Right. But I think you brought up a good point. and it's something I want to talk to you a lot more about after this is, you know, this success, this significance transition that you've made, right?

1:20:39Had you made that earlier, right? And I think as you go on, how do you make sure you're impacting others? And I think they always say the people that you can help, you probably said this, the people you can help the most are the ones who are walking through the path that you walk through. And I think if there's one person I can reach today or 10 people, or you can send this to someone that has a story that resonates with what we're talking about, that's really what people want to hear. And I think anybody that's listening, that's the beauty about podcasts and YouTube today. They're like these masterclasses and like Blinkist cliff notes on the stories.

1:21:12Yes. And I think a lot of people get caught up. I read this one. I heard this one. I listened to this one, but they're not taking any action. And the hardest part is people know what to do. The hardest part, I think I keep seeing is just getting started. Yeah. You know, well, they did it this way. Like, let's talk about that for a second. Because you're right. Like, if I could figure that out, we'd have way more millionaires, way better marriages, way more parents raising wonderful kids, whatever it might be in life. Way more people creating cures for diseases. What is that thing that got, like, you just started.

1:21:46Like, if we go all the way back to the beginning, I'm thinking to myself, this dude has no fashion background. He's walking around selling these medical devices. All of a sudden, he wakes up and goes, I think we should have better undergarments. Like, what the? And then you go to the fashion district, and I know where that place is. That's not the most comfortable place to go. You make a couple freaking shirts with the Donald Duck thing on there, and now you're sitting in my studio with a brand that everyone that's listening to my show has heard of before. There's got to be a part of this. On the spinning earth, your existence on 2008, the dude you were, flash forward 15 years later, bam.

1:22:25It's got to be unbelievable to you. But you did get started, right? Do you think it's because you were naive and you didn't know how hard it was going to be? What do you think it was that got you started that holds other people back? Is it that they want to be perfect? Like, what is it? I just didn't want to play it safe. You know, I wanted to play it big and go big or go home. And for me, I wanted to take a big swing and see if I could do it, right? I like getting out of my comfort zone and doing uncomfortable things. so I think when we started that was really the mindset really to do it but I don't know I think everybody's different I think some like at this uncertainty or how it's going to be perceived or I don't want to live a life and like downsize and go from two cars to one car but if you're not comparing yourself to the others like the keeping up with the Joneses mentality like I don't know anybody that's made it that didn't struggle that didn't go through the tough times and there are very, I think, more exceptions than aren't.

1:23:25So I think for us, that was really just the mindset that we had. I think there's something in you, bro. And I want to ask you this last. So I think you're stepping into it. You know, I think you all probably know a lot about Gunner. There was a lot of kind of anticipation about the show here today. And I don't want to go down this direction. So I just want to get this out of the way in the beginning. If you don't know, Gunner trained some of the most successful business people that walk the earth, some of the most successful entertainers and athletes, anyone from J-Lo to the Kardashians to Sampras to NBA players.

1:23:55But I'm also in the right zip code, in fairness. I'm in the right space for that. I get people reach out at trainers. I want to do what you do. I live in Coeur d 'Alene, Idaho. I live in Scotland. Those are great, wonderful places. But the demographic of the potential clientele is just not there to do what I do. You're a trainer. But you approach the business. I thought this was awesome because it's true of almost any business we would describe. What business are you really in? So you're a trainer, but what business would you say you're in above all? I'm great at connecting people. I can't monetize it for shit.

1:24:33I wish there were a way to say, let me introduce you. Oh, you need a contractor? Oh, you're looking for a car? Your wife needs a new OBGYN? Oh, you want, I can connect to so many things that have nothing to, and, you know, we all, in our trade, we develop certain go-to lines. And I always say, I can't get into any restaurants or clubs, but anything in health, wellness, medical, I got you. I know the top shoulder surgeon. I know the top knee surgeon. I know the top nutritionist, the top dentist. Dentist? I got dentists. I got orthodontists. And then I have just. That's amazing. Yeah. So, but it's being years where I am.

1:25:09Yeah. And I can also call them on their cell and connect you like that. Yeah. Right? Yeah. But I'll tell you, clubs, I don't even know what clubs are hot now. Restaurants, I got a couple go-to restaurants, but it's nothing that you'd probably want to go to. Right. And it makes me happy. Nothing makes me happier than someone, I had a call two weeks ago, yeah, a couple weeks ago. Somebody said, I chipped my tooth. What can I do? And it was a Friday afternoon, and I go, stand by. Boom. Yep. And they were in the chair within two hours getting the video. And I thought, yeah, that's what I can do. Because you approach it like a, I've never heard this before.

1:25:46You approach it, this is such a lesson because a lot of trainers watch this, how do I grow my practice, right? That goes both ways. If that dentist gets someone who's lying there going, you know, I feel so fat when I lie in this chair, it makes me really see my stomach. Well, I mean, the analogy I would use is a restaurant analogy, right? It's you pull in, you pull into the gym, you pull up to a restaurant. Is there a place to park? And I goof about parking, but in L.A., parking is a very real thing. Is that difficult? How much of a headache was that? Getting into the place. You walk in, is there someone who stops you, greets you?

1:26:20Do they remember you? Is there a rhythm and a flow to what you do when you get there? Or is it a whole check-in, who are you again? I mean, little things like that can slow the roll, and it's a lot less fun overall. And the next time the person has to go to that, they go, I'm not going. And then to me, then your cancellation rate goes up. Even if you're charging for cancellations over time, that goes away too. You won't go back to the same restaurant if, forget the food, the food I take for granted. If the whole experience that preceded the meal was a pain in the ass. I had one of those last night.

1:26:58The food was great. The experience was crap. And the experience can be bad on either end. Yeah. Right? Usually we tend to selective amnesia. We tend to forget what happened in the middle if the food was good, right? But if you ask for the bill and it's 20 minutes, puts you in a bad mood on the way out. You get to valet, 20 minutes, and valet is a real thing in LA. Every restaurant is valet, or a lot of them. Right? That kills the whole vibe. Yeah. Or the waiter just disappears and you can't even ask it. You're like, we've been here 15 minutes. You were at my dinner last night. All of those things.

1:27:33No, but I think as you're an entrepreneur, if you are one watching this, how conscious are you from the entire experience the client has with you? Are you in the service business from the minute they got there? Cold water or room temp? Some of my clients like cold, some like room temp. We have water and towels out for every person. That's a service. Well, I don't provide that. Well, you should. And if you don't, we can't afford that. But raise your rates. If I ran a hotel, the minibar would be free. Now, the room would cost a lot more, but the minibar would be free all the time. Yes, you're going to get a couple of jerk offs who empty the mini bar out as they leave.

1:28:07Okay, fine. But you're also going to get people who don't touch it. And you need to find that sweet spot in your price point to make that work for you. Because nobody at the higher end of any service wants to be nickel and dime. I 100 % believe that. And I think you entrepreneurs, listen to this, I don't care what you know. I don't care if you have a bakery, a dry cleaners, or you're a software engineer. All of these things are so important as an entrepreneur. See, these are the things like, and I mean this with respect, you know this, it's not just the zip code. Because for someone, they have to want to come back.

1:28:39They have to want to keep coming back. It's their disposable income. Watch this. It's their disposable income, their limited free time for something that is arguably painful. How are you making that, hey, want to come back? Right, right. You have to make it as fun or as positive as it can be. There should be so many, and in fact only, positive associations with their experience with you that when training comes up, when cold water comes up, or room temp water, or your name comes up, there's a positive association that happens. That is the best PR machine you could ever create. You were saying earlier, we were talking, I hope you don't mind me saying this, but you're very well known that you don't have a publicist.

1:29:25I've never had a publicist. And I think the reason you're so well known is what you just described. When your name comes up, there's a positive association and your clients are raving fans about you. Cody Sanchez, welcome to the show. I'm excited to be here. I've been a fan of yours for years, Ed. I think it's really cool what you do online. Theoretical business sounds really, really good. Day-to-day business, if we're really being candid, we sort of share, I'll call it like a misery amongst company almost to some extent. When you meet another real business owner, I think the stuff online is really good or kind of But you hear certain conversations.

1:29:58But most of my conversations with real operators or real business owners is most of the time dealing with the emotional burden of the stress of it. And I don't think that part of it's – Andy and I talk about that a lot, Priscilla and I. What about that? Like the real of business. Like how much of it day-to-day, even today, the last week for you, is like, woo, this is bliss and joy. And we're making deals. And I'm closing. And I'm a dealmaker. and we're growing and top line's awesome and the bottom line's good too. Or like, what is it really like? Like really, really? Yeah. Well, I think, you know, there was a line from Michael Jordan that I loved where he said, there is no I in team, but there is in win.

1:30:38And that always resonates with me because when you are in charge of a business, when it's yours, there is an I in team because the only person at the end of the day that is on the line is you. And so, you have to work harder than everybody else. You have to work longer than everybody else for a period past what you want to, at least in the beginning. At some point, you get people that are more competent than you, but that really takes a long time. Long time. And so I do think that there will be a point in every business owner's life where you're like, what am I doing with my life? And would you like to hire me, Ed?

1:31:11Yes. For sure. Yeah. And if you want to know if this is true or not, go talk to a business owner. And if you want to cuddle up to them pretty quickly, say, I'm running a business right now, but it's definitely hard. There are days when I might ask you for a job. How about you? And I guarantee you, no matter if they're a billionaire or not, they're going to say, oh yeah, I've thought about that before. Never seriously, but that little twinkle. And so - And that's, by the way, why most businesses are viable. Because you catch an entrepreneur on the right day or the wrong day, they may want to take an exit from it.

1:31:41I just, I always want people, like, I'll ask you this, like, who do you think should be an entrepreneur? Like if you were described the woman or the man that should be an entrepreneur, there's certain characteristics that are invisible. Yeah. They're not visible to people typically. What are some of those things? Like for the real, real thing, what is it? Because by the way, one thing about you that I've noticed, I don't think it's talked about enough. And because then people think, well, then I can't do it. You're a very smart woman. You're very well read. So I'm not naturally intellectually bright.

1:32:13I'm not. but I've overcompensated for that with really being well-read. I read a lot. I've updated my knowledge base about a lot of different things so that I can have conversations and dialogue with people that do a lot of different things so that I'm valuable to them. And that's one trait in knowing. You have to have grit and resilience. Okay. Yep. You do. I think that's been covered. Yes. But what about like knowledge, like real knowledge about business? Like I surround myself with attorneys and accountants, boring people, because I learn a lot from them and you're going to need them as an entrepreneur.

1:32:46So what are your thoughts on all that? Well, that one, for sure. I think if you want to make money, surround yourself with the people who understand money. And people who understand money are attorneys, accountants, bankers, investment bankers, people who understand real estate and financial advisors. Those are the people, if you hang out with enough of them, it's wild how contagious money can be. True. I do think though that you're right on the well-read part. You know, I was at a friend's ranch this weekend. Her name's Wink. Wink? Wink. Okay. She's 85. She runs a ranch that is 30 ,000 acres.

1:33:23Some of it is government lease land in Arizona. And she had this line that was so incredible to me. I was talking to her. I'm like, Wink, you're like 85. You're on this horse. You're running this land. You know, what's going on? And I was talking about, you know, the fact that business was tough. And she goes, well, you know, at some point, you know, you just, it's that bootstrapping thing, right? And I'm like, oh yeah, it's that bootstrapping thing. And she goes, but you know, we have a saying because wolves are a problem here where they are. They eat their cows. She's like, we got a saying about wolves.

1:33:53And I'm like, well, you're not allowed to shoot wolves, Wink. Like, what do you mean you got a saying about wolves? And she goes, well, yeah, we know you're not allowed to shoot wolves. So we got the three S's. And I said, what are these three S's? And she goes, well, you shoot, you shovel, and you shut up.

1:34:10And she goes, and that's business. You shoot, you shovel, all the ****, all the nonsense, all the difficulty, and you shut up and you keep going. And so, sometimes I remember those three S's. And I think real business owners know that that's there. The last thing I'll say, though, is I think too many people tell other people that they can't be entrepreneurs. And that actually bothers me because there are a bunch of people online like, Cody must be nice for you and Ed, you know, must, and like, you know, all these people aren't actually doing it. And I think, show me somebody who tells you that you shouldn't go become an entrepreneur because it's too hard for you.

1:34:48Fine. But watch what they do, not what they say. Are they an entrepreneur, but they think you can't do it? And I think for most people, there is an ability to have some ownership. It does just suck sometimes and you got to deal with that. I do too. I'm amazed by how many people will take advice from somebody who's not successful in the area you're seeking the advice. Right. Meaning it doesn't mean they're a bad person or that they're unsuccessful. They may be an incredible father or mother, but they're not an entrepreneur. They shouldn't be giving you advice on that. Or they're like an amazing person of faith, but they've never made any money.

1:35:21Why are you taking money advice from them? Or vice versa. Yeah. Taking faith advice from someone who's got no faith just because they have a bunch of money. This is the Ed Mylon Show.