- People ask me the question, "Danny, if you could
start all over again, you can go back early in time,
what would you have done differently?"
Maybe you're starting over again in your 20s.
Maybe you're starting over again in your 30s,
or in your 40s or 50s.
Today, I'm gonna share with you three things that
I would've changed if I have the
opportunity to go back in time.
(hip hop music)
Looking back in my career, I've done so many things.
I've had a lot of accomplishments.
I've had probably way more failures
and just disasters in my career.
Looking back, a lot of things I wouldn't have changed.
I wouldn't have said, "Oh, I don't wanna ... "
I wouldn't wanna make those mistakes
because if I didn't make those mistakes,
I would not have learned.
Without those lessons, I wouldn't be where I am today.
But looking back, if there are things that I
would've changed about my life, what I would've
done differently, I think the first thing is
I would've found a mentor early in my career
because with all those business failures,
if you follow my work, then you would know that I
started and failed at 13 businesses
before having my first success.
That's when I found my mentor.
At the time, I was studying all these businesses.
I lost all my money and I lost all my mom's savings.
I maxed out my credit card and I
blow money on family and friends.
I was $150,000 in debt.
If I would've found my mentor earlier,
I don't think I would've failed in that many businesses
and I wouldn't have lost that much money.
I would've lost still some money,
but I wouldn't have lost as much.
So I wish I would've found my mentor earlier
because I was just young and naive.
Even the concept of the whole mentorship,
I didn't think about that.
I was just thinking, "Hey man, entrepreneurs,
you're supposed to be lone wolf.
You're supposed to figure shit out on your own."
I never thought about asking and seeking for help.
That's, I think, the problem with a lot of entrepreneurs,
that the ego gets in the way.
Last night, one of my mentees sent me a little thing.
He's in a conference.
He was seeing other people, and he sent me a message
at how much he finally got what I was
teaching him for two years.
He now has so much more appreciation for
what I've taught him.
He gave me a little quote.
I loved it.
It's like, "S-T-F-U and listen to Sifu."
Basically, shut the fuck up
and listen to Sifu. (laughs)
He said, "I'm ready to shut the fuck up
and listen to Sifu," after two years.
And I wish I would've learned this the same way.
When I even found my first mentor, Allen,
in my early 20s as a young guy trying to prove myself,
still have ego and all this stuff, that even though
I listened to my mentor in some way, but I was still
trying to, "Yeah, I know.
Yeah, Allen, I got it, but I wanna try my way.
I wanna do my thing."
I wish I would've not done that. (laughs)
I wish I would've just listened
and fucking followed the advice.
I would've, again, made a lot less mistakes.
First thing I would change is I would
find a mentor earlier and I would've fucking listened.
I would've been more coachable.
I would've just, "Yep, that's fine.
Allen, you said do it this way.
I'll do it your way versus trying to do it my way
and prove myself and all this shit."
Because there was a reason why I found him as a mentor.
There was a reason why he's where he is today.
So I would've listened a lot more.
That's number one.
The second thing that I would've changed is
I would think bigger.
Because at the time, when I got into
the whole business thing, the first thing I thought of,
I just wanted to provide for my mom.
That was my motivation.
I just wanted to make enough money that I can
provide for my mom, and it's good,
live a comfortable life.
And then after I got that, my goal was just to
make enough so I can sit on the beach and do nothing
and retire and become financial just free.
And when I did that, I thought, "Oh, that's good,"
but it just was so boring.
Bored out of my mind, actually.
I wish I would've thought bigger.
Because by thinking bigger,
it doesn't mean that you are greedy.
It doesn't mean that it's a bad thing.
By thinking bigger, let me give you an example.
If you wanna make $100,000 a year
versus you wanna make $1 million a year
or you wanna make $10 million a year,
it's a very different level of thinking.
If you wanna think bigger, you want to do
bigger things, when you think bigger,
it changes the way that you look at things.
Then when changes the way you look at things,
if you're not just a dreamer, you're actually
an action taker, it would change the way that you operate.
You would look at what you do very, very differently
because now you're thinking ...
You are making your goal 2, 3, 5, 10 times bigger.
Just like my mentor said when he shared with me,
"Whatever goal that you have, just add a zero to it."
Suddenly, when you do that, "Oh, add a zero there?
What do you mean?"
It fucks up your mind.
When you calm down, you think about what you do, "Oh, okay."
Let's say, hypothetically, let's just brainstorm
what it would look like if I am 10 times bigger,
if I were to 10x what is it that I'm doing.
I want to increase my income by 10 times.
What does it look like?
Who do I have to be in order to earn that kind of money?
Who do you have to become?
It changes the way you think about things.
You know you would not get to that by just
working a little bit harder.
You know you're not gonna get to that by ...
Maybe it's a little bit incremental improvement,
5, 10%, but definitely, you're not gonna 10 times it.
It requires you to be a different person.
I think I would change that.
I would think bigger.
Now I think much, much bigger, but it took me
so many years to build the confidence
to develop my abilities.
But I think if I would've thought a little bit bigger,
I would operate a little bit differently.
The third thing that I would change, the biggest thing
I would change is, I wish I would've spent
more time with my father.
I think that's one of my biggest regrets in life,
that when he passed away that I wasn't there with him
because I'm in here and he's in Hong Kong,
although I went back to see him a few times.
But as a father and son, we didn't spend
a lot of time together, even when I was growing up
and after I emigrated to here and he was in Hong Kong.
That's probably one of the things I wish I
could've changed, that if I could go back,
I wish I would've have one more dinner with him
or have one more conversation with him to
show more of my appreciation and love,
although I did, but I think I could've done more.
I think that would be the one thing
I wish I would've changed.
So those are the three things.
Two business, but one is more personal.
Of course, your journey, you're building your business,
you are hustling, you're working hard,
and you're building your dream.
You're doing it for your family.
But do spend time with the family.
I think do spend time with them,
and don't say, "You know what, I'll get there."
You'll get there.
Of course you gotta make some sacrifices.
But once you experience a little bit of success,
once you are okay, you're stable, you're comfortable,
spend some time with them.
I wish I would've done that.
I really wish I would've done that.
When it's too late, it's too late.
I can't write a check, I can't spend money to say,
"I wanna buy the time back."
I can't.
All I could do is now
remember him, honor him, doing what I do, make him proud.
I'm sure he can see it.
But I really wish I would've spent more time.
So those are the three things.
If I could go back in time, I would say
find my mentor earlier,
listen to my mentor, really listened.
Number two is I would've think bigger.
And number three, spend more time with my dad.
I hope that answers your questions.
Think about what you would've done differently.
If you could go back in time,
what would you like to have changed?
What would you like to have done differently,
or maybe even regrets that you have?
Sometimes it's too late, sometimes it's not never too late.
Comment below, share with me your story.
Share with me what you would've done differently.
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On my way to work, this is what I do.
Turn on the camera and answer your question.
If your question is good, comment below.
I'll answer that in the future episode.
Until next time, I'll see you in my Bentley.
(jazzy hip hop music)
So there you go, it's a new car for my wife.
When it comes to big decisions, really,
the wife makes the decision.
- Of course. - Of course.
And if you check out a little bit more about
our relationship, maybe how we work together as a couple,
how she works with me, make sure you check our video,
our new show, Alpha Man, Smart Woman. (Dan's wife laughs)
(jazzy hip hop music)