so I make mistakes like a lot of people
and and how I handle my mistakes and
talk about them
is also a big responsibility yes how I
take responsibility for my actions for
my mess ups for my mistakes how I've
heard people like I'm not a person and I
think that's important for me as well as
to constantly take ownership
responsibility for everything continue
to live from a loving place learn and
grow what do you do if you're dead broke
badly injured and living on a couch with
no plan for your future from being
abused as a child having a learning
disability to being broke on his
sister's couch for almost two years
Lewis house has become an inspiration to
millions this high-performance business
coach and keynote speaker is also a New
York Times bestselling author with one
of the top 100 podcasts in the world
Louis hosts the school of greatness
which now has over a hundred and fifteen
million downloads sit down with Dan
Locke as he interviews Louis house on
how you can achieve success and
significance regardless of your age
background or skills
[Music]
welcome tonight episode of the Dan Locke
show today I'm super excited I have a
friend of mine new a time best-selling
author
you probably already know him maybe you
listen to his podcast if you're an
entrepreneur right former pro athlete
earns lifestyle entrepreneur super proud
and his most famous known voice show the
podcast I'm a fan of the school of
greatness over a hundred million
downloads now yeah 200 million doubts so
welcome to show buddy
reach it it's rockin low lock it lock it
down lock it down so share with us a
little bit about your journey maybe give
us a like a 3 5 minutes over how you got
into entrepreneurship I wanted to be a
professional athlete since I was
probably 5 or 6 years old and I always
dreamed about sports that was a thing
that my my dad admired we'd watch TV
together college football and he was
always so excited about these
all-american athletes I'm the yet sudden
you want to be that yeah so I was like
yeah what I want to be all-american
athlete so my goal was to be an
all-american athlete and then to be a
pro athlete and I accomplished both
those things and I didn't have a back-up
plan after that my life went until pro
sports and that's as far as I could
dream so when the dream was over I got
injured playing football and when the
dream was over I also went through a
very challenging experience with my dad
my dad right before I went to play pro
football I've had a traumatic brain
injury and it's something that I'd
actually don't talk about a lot got a
traumatic brain injury and he always
told me you know go chase your dream
when you're done you can come sell
insurance with me he had like a life
insurance company and I remember I got
it was with Northwestern Mutual so he
had his own like division Guinness in
the city kindly good take over the
business it was like come take over my
book you know work with my clients yeah
so I remember going to do the internship
I did my I can't remember with the light
the test was but wasn't serious 7 but it
was like the life insurance test and you
can only take it three times before you
have to wait like a year or two years to
do it again and I failed twice
ok so if for me test taking was the
worst thing yeah I would get nervous it
was hard for me to remember things from
a book yeah that was like I don't know I
learn
with my hands I learned from playing
sports so I remember I don a third tribe
barely barely passed so I had this like
back-up plan I guess yet it wasn't
something I wanted to do yeah so my dad
gets injured he be on a car accident was
in a coma for three months and we didn't
know if he was gonna live or die so is
this very uncertain time and when he was
in the coma I said you know what would
he want me to do he would want me to go
there my dreams and so I went after
playing professional football right
after that and he eventually woke up but
we had to teach him how to write how to
talk how to you know did you know change
him constantly like he wasn't a
functioning person that he used to be it
wasn't my dad anymore yeah so it was an
emotionally challenging experience
because I lost the relationship with my
father but he's still in front of me
yeah I had to teach him how he was like
a kid almost and so to watch my father
be this you know provider
larger-than-life hero of mine now I have
to we have to take care of him it was a
challenging experience for me as a 23
year old and I remember so his he had to
sell his business to his business
partner at the time so there was no more
financial support that I had he was kind
of funding my athletic endeavors
training everything he was like you go
chase your dream like I'll take care of
stuff so when that was when that
realization came to me like I no longer
have my dad to fall back on I no longer
have I played football got injured he
wasn't there from he wasn't able to be
there for me financially emotionally
mentally spiritually as a mentor he
wasn't able to be there for me yeah and
I didn't have his company to fall back
on
nor did I really want to I mean I almost
failed three times in a row I didn't
really like it yes I like people but I
don't want to sell insurance is just
what he knew for 33 years and that was
probably the biggest thing that happened
to me because if he was still healthy
and alive might be just a hobby is there
selling life insurance in Delaware Ohio
you know and be rising up and that city
or whatever you know maybe
move to the big city of Columbus Ohio
you know but I saw as much as it's sad
for me to to know that he's still alive
but it's like a completely different
relationship and it's sad for me to know
that happen but I also think it had to
happen for me to be able to become the
man that I am today and to have the
courage to be able to go after something
that I didn't even know was possible so
when that happened I was on my sister's
couch after this accident for about a
year and a half trying to figure out who
I am the world You Know Who am I without
this identity as an athlete you know
everyone liked me because I was good at
something right but now that 2.0 yeah
but now that I can't do this what are my
skills what are my talents I'd light
direction I had seven years of college
it took me to graduate like I wasn't
skilled at anything but sports and
people I learned how to at an early age
observe people yes and I became very
intuitive about how people think why
they do the things they do and I started
to be aware insensitive and very
emotional to people's feelings their
desires their dreams their past their
everything I didn't know that was a
skill that I could use for you know my
greater good and the greater good of
everything and I started to find mentors
and this is going on one three minutes
but I started to find mentors during
that time because my dad was my mentor
now that he was no longer able to be
there looking for movement I was like
who's the father figure that I can fund
and look up to you respect yeah and I
needed to find many of them because he
was you know a great mentor in all areas
of my life so I had three key mentors
that who are the mentors so the first
mentor was a guy named Chris Hawker so
when I got it when I had surgery I broke
my wrist and they had to put a bone for
my hip into my wrist you see a skull
scar here they took a bone out of my hip
put it in my wrist I was in a cast for
my shoulder to my fingers for six months
like this I was in this position and
when you're in a cast like this I could
move it here I can move it here I can
move it here like gonna straighten my
arm so it kind of rested and it would
like scratch my shirts when I was
shirtless it would like surratt my
skin it smelled it was dirty all these
things I was like you didn't look good
so I invented this cast cover actually
still have one l homme well I think it's
in that locker we sort of that it was
over 15 years ago I think I invented
this cast cover that I actually went on
Alibaba calm I had like 60 bucks to my
name I was like here's what I want
here's the design I want it to be like a
wristband cuz I wore wristbands and
football yeah I was like I need a long
wristband
yeah that's double-thickness yes that's
different colors there's a thumb hole I
call these do you were just think of
doing it for yourself that's it I just
wanted the solution you're creating a
product no obviously I need a solution
for my pain yeah that's what that was it
okay that's my first entrepreneurial
idea I didn't know what it what it was
so I got this thing back from China that
was like six weeks later after I sent
him wired this money I was like I'm
never to get this money back yes and no
clues are going on he was a difficult
communicating with John oh yeah back and
forward to let us stand and try to
understand what this no clue toes did
yeah yeah but I want a nollie Bob would
you know posted something is yeah and I
got this box back with all these these
cast covers right that I made and I
remember saying myself wow this thing is
amazing
it's I could change them out with
different colors you know it fits over
the thumb hole it looks better now how
do i maybe I can make some money with
this wonder who else these did yes
there's lots of guys who break the wrong
leg there's got to be a few of them
Ellen you know okay so I remember I was
dating a girl at the time and I was just
like I need to meet an inventor someone
who can who's done this before that can
help me please this was an invention
right even though it's just a piece of
cloth yeah and she goes I know an
inventor oh wow and he just moved back
to Columbus Ohio that's where I was
living at the time he just moved back
okay
and I need to meet this guy now like put
me in front of him call him I need a me
know okay I meet the guy the next day
and night at the time I was a couple
months out of football okay it was a
football player I was looked like pretty
much like a thug I was wearing a
backwards cap I had baggy pants I had
like I was just this astley jock
mentality yeah so I show up with these
baggy pants and backwards cap to a bar
to meet this guy
yeah in this cast and I was just like so
passionate yeah what's he scared of
you're like yeah I got imagine yeah
little timid rough around the edges you
know yes and he I was just like
convinced this guy knew the answer yes
because he'd done it before
yes he may be you may be afraid to say
no to you was complete opposite of me
you know he was more like analytical and
nerd you know God really yes it was just
like but I brought this passion in his
energy though it's just like I didn't
make this happen yes and I want to work
with you I want to make this happen I
don't know why but he brought me on for
six months I worked in the for free for
him for six months at his invention shop
Wow in the kitchen he had a closet that
I had like a little desk that he put in
for me and I was working for him doing
phone calls trying to like promote his
other products going to trade shows with
him and just learning about how to take
an idea and bring it to reality so how
do you make the idea something that is
marketable how do you brand it how do
you design it 3d model everything patent
there patent is so I learned this crash
course on bringing an idea into life
from idea that a concept to prototype to
the marketplace and that was probably
some of the best education I ever had
because I just had an idea for this
solution of a pain that I had so he was
a great mentor at the time for me that
taught me everything about you know
naming he and it were 85 products you
brought the market so he was always like
let's brainstorm the name of this the
concept the message the messaging before
you and everything yeah so he taught me
so much and short amount of time about
how to bring an idea to life and make it
successful
right I remember being so afraid to
speak in front of people at the time I
couldn't speak in front of an audience
of five without trembling stuttering
very insecure even though you're pro
athlete like you know you presence yeah
yeah but I was horrible in school
communication formal in school the
teacher would always ask us say open up
chapter whatever page could have read
and read aloud the class and I would
just wish they wouldn't call my name
yes they always like like they like
don't call me yeah but I wanna tell you
that I was such a slow reader it was
just I couldn't even read the simplest
things and I would stutter so I just
always felt like everyone was laughing
at me mmm I always felt like everyone's
laughing at me all the time when I would
read aloud yes so that kind of condition
you you don't you don't want to feed you
I want to be in front of an audience
unless I'm playing a sport something I'm
comfortable in then you don't have to
speak that's the way it's all of you
seek here I said yeah because I could
inspire people through my my way of
being my performance so I was always
very insecure around speaking in front
of other people and I remember someone
told me at some point if you really want
to change the world you need to learn
how to communicate in front of an
audience whether it's a boardroom of
people trying to share you know your
message the whompin or one-on-one or if
you want to move a society you need to
be able to communicate yeah with
confidence and yes and I don't know
whatever it was the reason I think I was
willing to explore all the areas of my
life that I was not good at at the time
yeah because my dad wasn't around I had
money I was the dumbest it sounds to me
always are you trying to find yourself
we're trying to I was like what can I do
yeah to improve my life yeah I joined
Toastmasters oh yeah oh yeah you'll be
shocked like everything you share well
done it okay my my dad when banker when
I was 17 years old so I had to gonna
figure it out exactly like that back
against the wall yeah yeah and then my
mom they got the boys or with just me
and my mom so I got into business
because I needed to get my mom
right and what changed me or not a
turning point what's men why did my dad
had a stroke it was in hospital for four
months and saying couldn't sue couldn't
like the man that I knew that look up to
father figure and that's why I look for
other mentors like yeah very similar so
a Toastmasters because I couldn't speak
a word of English
I got bully in school no friends so I
had to learn Toastmasters
right and powerful man yeah so I'm like
gangjae yeah yeah so so if I'm
Toastmasters and then what happen yeah
it's funny I met someone I was so I was
afraid to dance as well
yes so before Toastmasters I started
going to a salsa club oh yes every week
and I was terrified of my image really
my image was always at stake I didn't
want
I was scared of people's opinions about
yeah yeah so dancing in front of people
I've getting made fun of because it
wasn't good yeah
so thinking a big guy like big guy not
easier is amazing being to become the
white butterfly on the dance floor yeah
but I would go for month after month to
watch these people dance yeah I would
never get on the dance floor
it's terrified yes girls would ask me to
dance I say no I don't to make you look
bad and I would just sit in the corner
and be mesmerized by these Latinos just
like twirling girls around
unbelievable yeah eventually I got over
the fear and I went on the dance floor
for the first time I was trembling I was
looking down on my feet I was
embarrassed it's like everyone's
laughing at me and I looked up after ten
minutes and no one cared don't care what
I looked like and all that I wasn't they
were doing their own thing yeah and that
was a big turning point for me because I
looked around and everyone was like
having fun doing their thing no one
stopped to look at me to be like what an
idiot
no one said that to me they're all like
great job you got out of there good yeah
that was a moment I said like I'm gonna
overcome all my fears and insecurities
of what people think about me and I'm
just gonna do it mm-hmm so I started
salsa dancing every day religiously for
the next three and a half months until I
got to a point of semi mastery where I
wasn't afraid right proficient
proficient then I met a salsa dancer one
of these nights and I was like what do
you do for a living and he was like I'm
a professional speaker I speak around
the country oh wow I got you get paid to
just speak yes yeah it's a full-time
thing there is such a thing yeah it's a
thing because I can go to colleges I
speak of corporations and I was like I
wanna learn how do you got into that
he's like let's go out confer tomorrow
take a coffee I went to Barnes & Noble
Starbucks right in Columbus Ohio and I
said what do I need to do said you need
to join a Toastmasters I said okay Don
next week I went to five Toastmasters in
my city because I wanted to research
which was the most challenging one from
yeah
yeah I finally went to one that was
everyone was in suits there was like
professionals oh man that's exactly what
I did they were like that's exactly I
got stuff yeah I would do businesses
Yeah right clothes man I had a cut-off
t-shirt because I had this huge cast
yeah and these guys are all in suits and
I'm watching them and mesmerized my god
yeah I'm so young guys where I need to
be yes and I went there every week for a
year
damn every single week and I met a guy
at Toastmasters who became my next
mentor got it I saw one of the first
ones I went to he was presenting and I
was just so amazed by his charisma his
confidence as if I could do that right
what if I could be like that yeah you
know model that yeah and I asked him
this is so funny the story he tells the
story at the time I had no money and
there was like a little bit of like
bread and like hummus and chips and
carrots in the back of this Toastmasters
oh yes yes yes yes yeah I was like a
special day or something and he speaks
and at the end of the day I'm literally
like this bum that is all I know all the
food in my pocket I'm putting like bread
wrapping it and the guy comes up to me
he goes why do I was like I got every
money Larry food mm-hmm I'm a big guy he
goes I'm gonna take you to lunch right
now
okay so he took me he paid for lunch Wow
I became a mentor of mine his name's
Frank Kagan and he was like I'm gonna
help you like I love your pad I love
that you're here you're showing up yeah
because you're showing up on a show for
you yeah so I would train with him I
would record my speeches they were
horrible I used to think a five-minute
speech was five hours you sit feel like
this was forever ya know the first
speech is called the ice break oh yeah
that's like what I'm gonna talk about
for five minutes
yes I don't know to talk about yeah now
you can't get a stage for five hours
ahead of time it's like that's it so he
was my second mentor and he also helped
me write my first book was called which
is a book about little Danny because I
was using LinkedIn to build
relationships at that I see I bought
your LinkedIn course back then I like it
man links working yeah linked influence
yeah so I bought the toys that's good
man so during this time I was just like
trying to learn as much as I could I was
on LinkedIn all day
doing public speaking what are you
trying to go on link they also to guess
speaking geeks again learning how to do
that at the beginning I was just trying
to get on there to find opportunities
okay something because my third mentor
told me to go on LinkedIn okay got it so
my third mentor was a headmaster of the
University they went to club Principia
college and he was an Olympic qualifier
in the in the marathon he was just like
this great spiritual business leader for
me he just always had the right moral he
just always knew like which direction
you should go in I can go to him for
advice and he would just he was kind of
like a sensei where he would never give
me the answer the Agassi question ask
myself yeah you know that's a great
teacher with great team that's a great
teacher yeah I'm just kind of wait for
me to like know the answer you know it
was and he I'm not calling him and
saying I'm broke I don't know what to do
I'm getting food out of the back of a
Toastmasters like people have to have to
beg people to take me to lunch and he
said you should join LinkedIn and at the
time I think there were 14 million
people on LinkedIn almost 2007 yes early
on he's like I've heard some people are
getting jobs I wanted to check it out
yeah so I said all right
I'm gonna yeah whatever you tell me to
do so I'm spending six hours a day on
LinkedIn for the next year and a half
during this time just reaching out to
people trying to connect with local
leaders in Columbus Ohio business
leaders successful people just anyone
some sports background of business to
whatever may be anywhere I could find
like a tie where I went to school with
or they went to the same school or they
like football anything at all I was like
what do we have in common that I could
reach out connect to people after about
a year of building my relationships and
profile people just started coming to me
and saying hey can he introduced me to
this person how do you know that person
I need help here can you connect me to a
sales rep or marketing rep you know I
just started to become the connector
mm-hmm then people like can you show me
how to use LinkedIn the way you're doing
it yes and I started showing my friends
yes and one guy gave me $100 after I
showed me goes you have no idea it's
gonna help my business so much and I go
this is a thing I can make money
teaching what I already know really well
yes and that was a big spark for me I
was like okay I can
make money doing this yes started doing
events around LinkedIn around the
country then one of my mentors was like
let's write a book together about
LinkedIn okay
the speaking coach mentor who had
written a book he's like I'm gonna help
you write your first blog yeah so we
shared that together yes where did you
had your first break in business you
feel like okay because this this was a
long night it was summer of 2009 okay it
was this time ten years ago okay so this
was from 2007 until she doesn't not yeah
me having three mentors public speaking
training every week for a year yeah
salsa dancing training learning to write
my first book building on LinkedIn
everyday but it was a day of everything
going to meet it's just like learning as
much as I can about myself two years of
this while we're covering with a cast on
rehab training everything and I started
to build like a kind of a name and a
personal brand around being like this
LinkedIn guy Twitter was becoming big in
2007-2008 yes well I was going to tweet
ups and promoting myself as he had a
LinkedIn guy and one day I went to an
event it's called Affiliate Summit oh
you know Affiliate Summit oh yeah yeah
yeah so I was hosting a LinkedIn
networking event in Cleveland Ohio yeah
and a guy who came this name's Jim COO
Kroll was a marketing guy he said you
need he's like how are you doing all
this from LinkedIn how do you get 500
people to show up here I'm just LinkedIn
yeah so you need to come to this
conference called Affiliate Summit yeah
I was like what I'll have any money till
I get to Vegas I can't pay for the
ticket he goes I know the event owner
yeah
like I'm gonna get you a press pass so
you can get a free ticket if you like
write a post about this and your blog
you just got to get yourself there so I
think it got like a $39 flight on
Southwest so like middle back seat yeah
I got the free ticket I went there yeah
in the first hour there was a kind of a
networking session people had tables yes
and I went up to my friend who told me
about the event he had a little booth
yes and within five minutes this guy
named Joel comm walked up and I knew who
he was at the time through a New York
Times best he was back then I think
focus on essence right Joe ads yes
look yeah he had one of the biggest III
phone apps at the time called I fart
apps came out in the App Store yeah he
was making so much money on this farting
app yeah that was like you push a button
it makes a fart yeah he crushed it
yeah so he had this kind of big persona
at the time in that space I remember II
came up and I was really nervous yeah
and my friend Jim who introduced me or
who was there he said this is Louis
how's the LinkedIn guy you got to know
him that's it
the Joel yeah and Joel if somebody goes
tell me why I need to know about
LinkedIn in 30 seconds
I don't remember what I said that's just
like elevators like I just had this like
energy International's like leaked is
amazing here but I could do both he's
like okay cool and I didn't hear from
them after that okay
six months later he messages me look the
emails me and says I'm doing this social
media bootcamp online like this webinar
series yes I've got the person on
Facebook to talk I've got the person on
YouTube I'm doing a second whatever
leading because I don't know anyone else
who's talking about LinkedIn this is
still 2009 yeah no one cared about like
them yeah he's like no one else is
talking about it but you yeah do you
want come on and I said yes let's do it
I had never done a webinar a
presentation still I was like early
stages of the public speaking I was not
a problem
yes but I said I'll do it I watched the
other people beforehand I kind of just
mimic their presentation yeah but my own
kind of the flow the structure
everything I was so nervous this isn't
the summer in Columbus Ohio yeah I'm
living on my brother's house now my
sister kicked me out
that was some pain guys I know you were
sitting you're living in her couch for a
year and a half and then she said you
you got to start paying rent or you
gonna move yeah so she empowered me to
like get off my butt meaning she kicked
you out we are empowered you love yeah
and I begged my brother to take me in so
you made me pay two hundred fifty
dollars a month for a room in his house
yeah which was great for me because it
made me have more responsibility and so
I'm in his place I'm about to start this
Web and I'm freaking out it's so humid
so like a virtual son
like an online yeah whether or not God
rich will stomach Oh but they can't see
me but they can hear me it's got its gut
and got it and the webinar starts I'm
talking it probably takes me 30 minutes
to actually say something coherent cuz
Joel about 30 minutes in he's like okay
let's start getting into some content
yeah
must have been rambling yeah but for
whatever reason I just like blacked out
and started delivering the the most
incredible value of my life and at the
end I didn't have a product I didn't
have your source doesn't offer yeah I
don't have anything but I said hey guys
here's a PayPal link if you like this
here's a link in a couple of weeks I'll
send you an email and we'll do some more
advanced training on this what it looks
like
don't know how many no idea what this is
gonna be I love it but if you like this
stuff like I'm like do you want more you
want more I'm gonna teach you stuff like
you'll get an email a few weeks for me
let's just trust me you like I'm gonna
send you something I had no clue I'm
gonna do yeah but I just told them
that's what I was gonna do yeah webinar
completes I open my email and it was the
most beautiful thing I've ever seen
every line said you've received naman
how much were you offering the course
for it's a couple hundred bucks
197 yeah I think it was at that time and
so I made sixty two hundred dollars I
was in my PayPal account instantly the
debt-free QLD lays the most money I've
ever seen in my life here let alone made
and I thought I was the richest person
in the world yeah but there's something
that unlocked it was just 10 years ago
literally probably maybe 10 years and a
month ago where it showed me what was
possible like two years of training on
this skill set of learning of developing
myself now I found something that people
needed another pain they wanted learn
how he was LinkedIn to grow their
business or get a job I had a skill set
that even wasn't aware of and people
wanted it and they were willing to pay
for it and that's was my first kind of
first kind of big break and realizing
okay I could do this every day for the
rest of my life one of my see $200 an
hour yes any first time you do it maybe
if you tweak in or if I make it better
at this yeah yeah I was hacked this
webinar together I have no clue what I'm
doing yeah so I've been doing webinars
for 10 years now
but I think people it's it's amazing you
sure your story because people look at
what you do today in Lewis house today
on TV right your book and your show
honey on downloads they would think oh
is easy for for you to do because you
know you're good-looking you're ticular
and you know right I do you know easy
you know it's all of that but look at
this journey how long of a struggle that
was for forget just achieving that
little bit of success but through this
learning finding yourself building your
confidence yeah
finding mentors and I think let's see if
this is right
people see the success you have and one
talk about a podcast - there's a locker
I think the guy in the podcast for the
wrong reasons you know what I mean any
money you want to make well I've done
two interviews I how come like I'm not
generating leads yeah how did you get
into the podcast so I moved to so so
once I started doing the webinar I
started doing that pretty much every
week with another business partner of
mine yeah that I found in Columbus we
started partnering on them for about
three four years three or four years we
were just doing them and it kind of took
off so from that first one to the rest
of the year we generated in sales half
million dollars we're gonna have nine
dollars in six months mmm yeah you again
system I just did it every week I just
said let's keep doing this you keep
doing this and I was using LinkedIn to
promote my webinars to get people on so
I just kept doing that what were you
promoting back then they was it was like
a LinkedIn course but yes I took that
okay so no I created like that and then
we created a $1,000 offer that was more
of a a general social media and how to
get traffic leads and sales using
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook and YouTube
okay so podcasts they didn't have the
podcast okay okay so just got just like
slavery and women honest with God it's
it God webinars LinkedIn and in a course
that was it I was doing some events but
I wasn't really making that
a little bit few hundred washers yeah
and I had that LinkedIn book that's not
really making money then we created a
thousand dollar course that started to
be well then other people started to
promote us and they were like hey we
promote my course and we'll give you a
few 2% so I learned about affiliate
marketing at a time too and I started
make a lot of money promoting other
people yes m'dear it was what you
2010/2011 started winning affiliate
contest being a top ten and then I
learned about the masterminds and that's
when everything shifted I went to my
first mastermind to do six months after
my first webinar yes because I was in
the top ten for this thing with Ryan
Deiss yeah
Perry Belcher and I remember going to
their masterminds yes and I meant first
I learned a ton a lot of stuff that I
didn't know about it but I also met five
people that became affiliates in the
next 30 days
I mean 250,000 in sales in 30 days after
that mastermind yes so six months did
half a million 30 days later it'll 2015
I go wow relationships yeah master mods
yeah being a part of these I know you've
got your own master minds and high-level
coaching it's like everyone needs to be
a part of your group if they're not yet
because of the power of that community
collective mind the relationships the
opportunities it's hard to beat that
yeah it's where they are to beat that it
also expands your contacts so much right
because I bet you folks in LinkedIn
webinar you may not be aware of these
other models no clue so I started to
learn so much connect with people and
that went on for a couple of years we
had a nice run my business partner and I
had different visions I wanted to go
more mainstream he wanted to keep needed
at marketing was making lots of money
but I saw that as a for me I got really
tired of like trading lists and
affiliate content for me was just
exhausting I felt that I faked and I
didn't an identity exactly the same way
and I didn't also respect or align with
some of them the content of other
courses and how did it business nothing
it was like right or wrong I just didn't
align with
yeah it's not where I wanted to grow
into yeah so it's just like I don't
wanna promote anyone else yeah you know
yeah in that way yeah and so I sold my
company to him I moved to LA for a girl
that I fell for I was living in New York
City at the time moved in New York City
fell for a girl moved here for her we
broke up very quickly okay and I was
kind of going through another phase of
my life of like Who am I yes because
because so before right athlete and it's
to now transition to connect internet
marketing right and there was making me
money got to me a certain level like
that's not what I want
yes yes at least you're not living on
this morning yeah yeah right some money
yeah I was like I'm not fulfilled
anymore yeah like it was fun to chase
this money and to build this thing and
become known as this guy yeah but this
money is not fulfilling meaning this is
interesting is when I observed your
journey even from mallika outside
perspective or LinkedIn oh how come like
it was just like kind of changes yeah
like that's interesting because that's a
because I could see it from a marketing
branding perspective oh that's it more
into mainstream I would call the self
growth self development right but that's
like first of the LinkedIn to this one
what what is going on but now I didn't
understand it that I did now I'm not
pleased people are standing and people
thought I was crazy why would you use
something that was making so much money
yeah they thought I was crazy yeah but
you built this brand everyone knows he
was this guy yeah for some reason I just
knew I wanted something different in my
life I was not built to be the LinkedIn
marketing guys with my life yeah it's
not my mission yeah and I moved here it
kind of had a not another identity
crisis I was in this relationship and
you ended I kind of felt like lots of
things were ending in my life like this
business partnership ended right then
the relationship ended right then I
didn't know what I was going to do with
my future anymore and I started to get a
lot of arguments with people I started
to argue with people I got in a fight on
a basketball court right down the street
here which kind of woke me
to being like what am i doing why am i
reactive there's a lot of kind of an
aggression and aggression yeah you know
as a football player I had a safe way to
like legally hurt people yeah
now I can't get my aggression out you
know a safe maybe martial arts you have
like a safe environment so like be
aggressive when you lose that yeah and
that's that energy is still inside of
you and you haven't healed certain
things in your past yeah I'm sure you're
aware this it's like it comes out
somewhere yeah and triggers triggers so
I remember I've never heard riving down
the street one day and I pulled up to
like a stop sign and instead of looking
right I looked left first usually look
left to see if the cars coming and I
think I put up too too fast and there
was a runner who came and I was in his
way and so we had to stop and he
couldn't keep running past me right and
he punched the back of my car
trigger I felt like this is a personal
attack against me yeah I chased the guy
in my car like he kept running he did
like a nephew or something flipped me
off ice like when my car's wheeled out
and after the guy for about ten minutes
yeah he would turn Iowa turn he turned
around cuz he saw me chase him I jus
turn and stop traffic and it was just
stupid man yeah I literally got out of
my car started chasing this guy oh it
was that triggered and and I remember
thinking that this is just who I am
until I got a fight on a basketball
court
why reacted to a guy he head-butted me
and I reacted to him and I and I got a
really big fight physical fight you know
blood everywhere on the ground
everything and my friend said to me who
was with me at the time he goes I don't
hang out with you anymore
and that was a big turning point for me
I was like my best friend that I know
for over a decade doesn't want to spend
time with me doesn't like who you
becoming yeah he was like I don't like
who you are this instance you're so
reacted you're so frustrated now I was a
loving from the happy guy mmm-hmm until
you triggered me mmm then it was like I
couldn't control the frustration of rank
or whatever was yeah and I started to I
started doing a lot of work on myself
during that time I asked myself what I
want to do this is to thousands
six and a half seven years ago 2012-13
yeah yeah
so I remember saying like who do I want
to be what I want to do in my life
personal life business everything and I
was like man I really want to develop a
school of my own mmm school of all the
things I was never taught growing up
that I need to know yes because I wish
they would have taught me certain things
that I learned in sports certain things
that these mentors have taught me yeah
and certain things that I need to know
about how to overcome these emotions
yeah and I was like I'm gonna call it
like the school and I was in traffic I
was driving in traffic during this time
stuck in traffic triggered by other
people around me and I was like
something needs shift yes I want to
create something to help myself but also
help everyone else who feel stuck like
me stuck in traffic or life and it was
just like school of like Gradius like I
just want to be great
yes it's almost like you you you
building a school for all this I'm also
almost putting a school for yourself
it's always it's always like a cellar
yeah huling yeah everything and it's
funny if people follow my journey of
life suits in half years I usually bring
people on that I need to work on the
most yeah and I'll ask the questions for
me but also were you know listening and
I said okay I called two friends who had
a podcast I was in the car yeah I called
two friends during that car ride you I
knew had a podcast and asked them what
is this podcasting thing this is before
podcasting was a thing yeah and this is
when it was like just a couple tech
podcasts you know six seven years ago
right and both of them were like it's my
most favorite thing to do I get the best
leads for my business yeah and it's just
I have so much fun doing it yeah I'll
say these guys can do this I could
figure it out yeah I've never done this
before but I could figure it out and
talk to people you can come my whole
life I'd been observing and interviewing
people just not recording it yeah and so
I said okay I'm gonna launch this thing
to be called school of greatness never
said you're crazy you can't do a podcast
that's like personal development asking
about relationships and that and
business and mindset you need to need a
niche yeah and this is what I would
teach as well
yeah everyone's like no you need to do
like the entrepreneur show or like an
online marketing show that's what's
you're great at a link did you out there
like you need to do online marketing you
can't do this like broad thing it's not
gonna work everyone told me that's not
gonna work yeah I go I really don't care
if I make money yeah like it doesn't
matter to me it's just something I
believe in I think like people realize
you want to talk to people you want to
talk to it yeah I just want to talk to
people I want to talk to you I'm saying
some might be billionaires some might be
like spiritual teachers I didn't care
yes and they and my friends were like
the I don't think it's the right move
man like it's cool name but I just don't
think it's gonna work cause you you
could confuse your audience right and I
said I'm gonna do it for a year and I'm
I don't want to make money the first
year I didn't want to try to make money
I'm gonna think about money yeah I just
want to do something I love yeah I want
to help myself and I'll help other
people yeah and it took off man you took
like in the first year like it how many
Donald you got the first yeah it took
out for the sense of it was well
received it only got seven hundred fifty
thousand downloads as a reputation in
the year Bryan reputation you built yes
it didn't even get a million downloads
the first year I think it's what people
need to be aware of my whole first year
podcasting didn't even hit a million
downloads yeah second year was only
three million downloads it's nice but it
it wasn't like boom overnight it was
like this huge success but people loved
it in the impact and the results they're
getting their life was amazing yeah and
I was loving it
yeah and so my passion is what's kept us
alive for six-and-a-half years over 800
episodes and they're just consistently I
have no techniques I have no strategy
for like growth it's not a hack there's
no way I've tried to figure it out I've
tried to interview people I've tried to
ask people every what what what I cause
if just just do love what you do is well
yeah you know we did three times a week
you do something consistently enough for
many years eventually you're going to
rise when did you stop monetizing the
part I started with in like the second
year a little bit little bit sponsor
started climbing sponsors yeah and I was
rejecting a lot of them yeah it sounds
like yeah it doesn't feel right it
doesn't feel lined the brand yeah and I
don't need the money
yeah it wasn't really until two years
ago
when I started to really monetize it
okay so four and a half years in yeah
when I said all right let's turn it on
yeah I was taking some money here and
there and I was using as a tool to
promote my book that I came out with my
courses my membership money all that
stuff yeah so it was a total for more
things I had in my business yeah
but I didn't turn on sponsorships about
it it's about two years ago but now it's
like full steam ahead man yes
what what what does your company look
like now with your personal brand yeah
how's the one available personal brand
like what does it look like right now so
you the podcast
the goal is yeah I mean if we got the
podcast we're talking about mechanically
I've got the podcast which is kind of
the main hub for everything engine
that's the engine and then I said like
the email list and the social media
channels are like it's worth connecting
people to the engine yeah it's a way to
deliver it within my internal stuff yeah
along with press and then fans promoting
for their fans whatever we've got our
membership site we've got our mastermind
so a $50 month membership site for
$50,000 a year mastermind or other
seven-figure in theatres I used to have
a lot of courses we got rid of them all
mmm cuz I did it for so long almost nine
years I had courses probably over 15
different courses for me I just kind of
get tired of doing courses I'd rather
have people on a membership yeah so I
transitioned from courses to membership
just try to make it cleaner membership
mastermind books books invent one of any
year yes do you find that the membership
that's more for the mass they're our
audience right people who want maybe the
end of the deal known already for the
50k mastermind but they can at least $50
to pollution rights it yeah it's awesome
and then this and then the podcast is a
big business and sponsorship a lot yes
so that's one of the main engines is the
podcasting sponsor she got it and over
the years how has cuz what's your take
on personal brand because then you've
shift right from LinkedIn into the
marketing to cuz you and I went through
something very similar it's all curious
transition from one brand to a different
brand problem into the market because I
don't want to be in turnout then I
started online feedback in 2004
right so I was actually talking with
Mach jointed about this oh yeah yeah
with my mug was on my show right guys
what's on my show we're just talking
about some of these concepts that that's
good but that's not where I want to be
yeah it's the same thing a lot of money
remain in their marketing in a great
business not wrong with it it's just I
think those are moneymakers I'd only the
actually wheelbase is this the from my
perspective yeah right and also for me
mass credibility is important
mainstream credibility is important
because I think that's when you can
really influence people yeah and in
payload of people and I noticed that I'm
not going to say their names I think
they're all great guys a lot of these
guys who are successful in marketing
Oprah Ellen GMA today showed none of
them were being called to be on the show
yeah and I was like if I want to impact
the country in the world I need all the
big press to say hey there's something
about this guy or his mission or his
message that we like when you got to
have them long yeah
and I remember when I was on my sister's
couch thinking like I got a someday I
want to be on Ellen yeah I'm gonna be
dancing what I saw I saw it I said I'm
gonna be dancing with that I thought and
I was just like it's not gonna be
teaching LinkedIn yeah it's not to be
being an affiliate marketer yeah guys
just to knocking the internet yeah it's
just not it yeah how do people email
list yeah that's it and I was just like
I need to build something that is
building a movement and transforming
lives yes you know what I mean yeah
whether it be spiritually financially
health-wise like it's got to be a bigger
transformation there's how to make money
and I was like gosh how do I do this and
whenever you internet marketer was doing
courses and just coaching by itself I
said okay I'm gonna keep doing that cuz
only generate revenue but I'm gonna
build this podcast into a mainstream
brand how do I do that I can't talk just
about money I need to bring on
celebrities I need to bring on thought
leaders I need to bring on billionaires
a bigger society global mainstream
people yeah I need to interview them not
just the internet marketing celebrities
which everyone else was doing that I
knew I was like I can make a lot of
money doing this but I need to afford go
money and do whatever I can to build
relationship equity yeah to get these
people to come on my show to trust me to
tell their story yeah
through association I'm going to become
that ya know yeah
you become when you hang out with you
become those people that you're
surrounded with the most yeah and so
people just started say well I was in
those conversations everyone just be
like you know Lewis house do you know
Lewis house is a cool guy like yeah man
he's with this person but this person
like was a great interview yeah that's
this house guy you just become
associated with that crowd
the Oh mainstream celebrities credible
whatever it is yeah you interview all
world-class athletes you become known as
world-class yes and then I said I need
to okay the podcast was a great
foundation it's not enough like
podcasting didn't have a big enough name
still six years ago five years ago not
even tell it's really a year ago says
what can I do I need to write a book
everyone who's credible and this is my
second book the first book I was like I
need to write a blogs a great little by
the way thank you I go I need to write a
book and everyone was talking about
self-publishing you know five years ago
yeah and I go it it's gotta be with a
big traditional publisher yes cuz I need
to go mainstream because no one in ever
marketer who writes a book gets me
rotonda star list they're not getting
press
I need mainstream press mainstream
publisher any in front of Barnes and
Noble
yeah I need airports I need what
celebrities and credible Ted speakers do
yeah that's what I need yeah and I was
committed to it I went after the best
agent in the world Tim Ferriss his agent
Steven Hanselman who's incredible and I
said and I was working on trying to get
him as my agent for five years yeah
until I became the person I needed to be
for him to take me on I had a vision and
I was just like I know boom he took the
book tour yeah yeah I was like I didn't
do everything that a celebrity would do
everything not a New York Times
bestselling author would do what do they
do yeah they do big book tours yes they
have other celebrities with photos of
the book posting that we remember after
the book to I think was listening to you
I think you would be you on a show or
something like that you're like going
like it's a that's a that's a tall
there's a lot it looks like a little bit
there's so much energy yeah I was like
this is a moment in time that I have
yeah just to make it to make something
special happen yeah
can't write a book every year yeah have
a chance at the New York Times
bestsellers unless that's all you're
doing is a writer yeah I was like I need
my first book to make a splash
yeah and here's a moment where I can
call in every favor from every guest
I've had on cuz I never asked them for
anything to go is where I can ask for
every favor email every journalist I've
ever talked to
yeah all my affiliate marketing contacts
everyone yeah to promote one thing yeah
for one week well when we give myself a
chance yeah it was in the front of all
the Barnes and Nobles
because I built a relationship with a
bunch of noble team yeah I was in
magazines I was on TV I was on
everyone's email list in every podcast
all social media I was omnipresent yes
for a couple of weeks yes and I remember
when I got the phone call from my agent
congratulating me that I hit number
three in the New York Times bestseller
list in the first week I was just like
kind of like this like oh my gosh we put
all this energy even if we didn't hit it
I would've been disappointed if we
didn't hit it but I was like you know
what we went all-in and it worked and I
knew that just having New York Times
bestseller next to my name as an author
would be another bump in credibility
yeah another bump towards mainstream yet
another bump towards mass audience reach
yeah so I do things very intentionally
that are very challenging yet to do yeah
in order to give myself that yeah during
the podcast three times a week for six
and a half years it's challenging to do
for people most people would not do that
and to build relationships with people
for years before they come on yeah is
not fun yeah to write a book and think
of it as a New York Times bestseller
not as a moneymaker yeah but as a
mainstream book yeah it's
counterintuitive to my marketing roots
right like it what can I do as a funnel
to have a back-end anything no what can
I do that's gonna change Manatee yeah
and that's why I'm launch my new book is
exactly is exactly then I said okay
what's the next phase I need a talk show
yeah so last year I did at the first
talk show for face book watch they came
out a new platform we launched their
first-ever talk show and that was
another bump it was like getting
credibility getting pressed getting all
this his attention
that's like you know what what else do I
want to do that's challenging that
people aren't willing to do because it
takes time money and energy I love I
love the way you're thinking about it
because I have you asked me all the time
I got let's take me and see my youtube
channel right what's the secret what's
the secret sauce how do you track the
algorithm I said one video a day I say
man people are going to do is that what
what do you mean one veto that yeah one
dido day for like three four years years
if you're not gonna like don't think
months don't think weeks years and then
it's not gonna take off until your for
you know yeah you might not get the you
may not even take off in the year for
right and also there's so many factors
when people listen to that like I want
to run some ads I want to get paid an
excitable stuff yeah and I was like
alright what's the next thing I'm gonna
do a documentary like it's hard to do a
documentary it's hard to do and you just
finished just finish this finish yeah
I've never chase in greatness tracing
greatness anything greatness I'm not a
filmmaker I didn't go to film school I
have no clue I'm doing yes but I find
the right teams I put it in place I do
the time and it's just a great piece to
share your stories of art yeah and it's
evergreen you can ever bring you here
with us a little legacy pieces so I'm
always thinking of doing things I also
am very intentional about my design and
branding yeah I think a lot of marketers
miss out on yeah where I invested in my
I went to Iceland four years ago just to
do a photo shoot for my website it's
been five days all this time all this
money yes hiring a celebrity
photographer you know everything just to
be able to say I want photos that look
different than everyone else online yes
I want to stand uniques position yeah
and not just look like every internet
marketer yes so I'm very intentional
about like what do mainstream people do
yeah I'm doing that I'm not doing what
internet marketers do yes I'm using
internet marketing principles yes so I
can make money and run a business yes
but I'm not going to be in anymore
and I want to be completely
disassociated with that industry yes so
I know everyone I still say close with
everyone I still go to master lines and
learn but it's how can I apply mass
mainstream media strategies branding
mission vision and apply it to what I'm
doing and that's something I'm always
thinking about is how can I be different
there's a Sally hogshead says different
is better than better very very true
very true so what's next for you what's
the next step what's the old vision for
the next movie a couple years in terms
your brand or even just personally I
think my mission from the beginning of
the podcast is to impact 100 million
people a week to help them live a better
life in different areas of their life
and we just crossed 100 million
downloads it took six years yes 100
million grunts by the way thank you
that's me thank you man thank you man
that's like that's that's an
accomplishment it's fun it's fun so the
goal now is how do we do a hundred
million downloads in a year yeah man and
a month you know then in a week yes and
then every week with it every week so
that's the goal it's it's continuing to
do what I'm doing now on a more scalable
level you know who do I need to become
in order to can reach other million
people yes and that's why the pr2 means
everything to press who do i what do I
need to learn still what what fears
learning to overcome what's the Gil's
what's who do I need to meet still what
distribution you were talking about some
sites that you you acquired I'm not sure
if it's public information now but I've
got greatness comm that we're looking to
build the the mainstream media site of
inspiration personal growth you know so
it's figuring out I've never done
something like this like a Netflix gonna
for that or like I think it's always
gonna be evolving it's going to be you
know a Content engine so written
articles audio video and then that's one
of the things that about that's a domain
name that's that's a link stream
mainstream and so I spend as the money's
a my a word yeah that I've had for two
years I haven't done anything with
that's big stream yeah it's a ton of
money there's a lot of energy but it's a
greatness calm its yeah
internet marketing secret stock yeah you
know I mean it's like a word that Apple
News will put on your newsfeed
and that's the goal how do you go more
mainstream into a broad audience yeah
yeah so I'm just trying to figure it out
I'm still having no clue what I'm doing
yeah and a lot of things but I find
people like you and I last question is
not learn from smart mentors who've
already done stuff yes I mean that's the
key it's fine you know when people watch
your show and it was Steven you read
your books and I go to your events they
learn a skill that they can apply
instantly get results yeah and that's
what I need to do more for myself I'm
sure you're doing it in a certain that
was well on it and you know I feel I
think feel Aseema I feel like now
because you have to influence it's even
more responsibility so much to guess
before you I'm talking to this more
group people now what you say actually
Manas a lot of people right and how I
show up yeah and shifting in this listen
I'm not some perfect human being here so
I make mistakes like a lot of people and
how I handle my mistakes and talk about
them is also a big responsibility
yes how I take responsibility for my
actions for my mess ups or my mistakes
how I've heard people like I'm not a per
person yeah and I think that's important
for me as well as to constantly take
ownership and responsibility for
everything continue to live from a
loving place and continue to learn and
grow you talk about responsibility you
know not to like plug this book review
this book was something that I felt like
as I started to heal from my past on
this journey of self-discovery and let
go of a lot of anger and resentment I
was holding on to as a child from being
sexually abused and a lot of those stuff
I realize like wow there's so many other
men that I know who are suffering mmm
and I want to give them these tools that
I'm learning mmm I'm gonna find the
experts and learn from them and write
about in that book and this book was
everyone was like again like they said
the podcast they're like don't do this
book do a marketing book do a business
book next my first book was a huge
success we gotta build a momentum now
the business version yeah I was like I
just don't want to talk about business
yeah I'd rather talk about how mana can
heal yeah
and become more vulnerable loving caring
manners and they're all like that's a
dumb business move and I go I don't care
if it's dumb words needed yes
and I'll feel like a fraud if I do
something else because people healing
and having better relationships with
their partners and their children is
more important to me than teaching
people how to build in business it just
is someone else can teach it better but
because of that that resonates with
people that's what's different it's not
I did the different thing and I did the
thing that mattered to me that I cared
about and and again it gets attention I
got tons of press it continues to level
up Who I am it's it's shifting my brand
into something else yes as opposed to
just the podcaster okay he's written a
book you know 10 bestseller now another
book about emotional intelligence with
men and how to understand men better
like that's a different thing that's
completely different than a LinkedIn guy
yeah oh that's yeah so the goal is every
year you ask what am i doing now it's
like every year how can i reinvent an
idea to add depth to who I am as a
personal brand into who we who we are as
a business making an impact on people
and I think if people can think of like
how can you develop yourself to reinvent
every year mmm and by doing taking risk
you know this was risky this is not like
the smart move it took a year of my life
writing it six months promoting it like
I said you lose money in other ways you
have that energy
yeah but I think it adds to your your
character does to like your depth of who
you are as a human when you're willing
to put yourself out there like yeah yeah
I love it
so the fact that you're not just like
this sales guy but you're doing martial
arts you're trying other things you're
always like developing yourself it
brings you so much more depth than just
like the high ticket sales guy yeah and
it's interesting what I said I want to
upload martial art videos on YouTube
everyone said that's a bad idea it's the
same thing it's exactly cool because
it's different it's like wow I want to
learn from this guy who's like show me
some stuff and teach me the psychology
about how you can apply this in your
life and but just me I just do like same
thing with you you just do what salsa
dancing videos with me on there yourself
right some people resonate with that I
put iron man stuff and for like oh
that's that's silly that's not nah
and I like diamonds yeah what's but that
actually resonate with people who that's
what it is from yeah I love it
what's the best wait for almost love
listen to your podcast greatness it was
house everywhere at the book yeah it's a
really really good book it's a really
really good thing about I actually when
I read the books okay no I was like the
emotion in town just for more like after
a couple chapters now thanks man I love
the book thank you thank you thank you I
thank you so much Lock and Load baby
lock and load