(marker squeaking)
- You can either make money or you can make excuses.
You can't do both.
I guarantee you, every single poor person that I know
don't have a lot of money,
don't have a full pocket of cash,
they're pocket full of what?
Excuses.
What is an excuse?
An excuse is nothing more than a well planted lie.
So, I don't embrace excuses.
I embrace solutions.
Cause when I was getting started
I had all the excuses.
I was a Chinese...
Things I might like: I am a Chinese,
I'm too young, I don't have enough experience,
I don't have a degree,
I'm like I'm not very smart,
I don't know enough people,
my English is not that good.
A lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of excuses
and I was fucking broke.
I was broke.
So, you can either make?
Money - [Audience] Money.
- Or you can make?
- [Audience] Excuses. - Excuses.
It's very very very interesting.
When I launched this particular group,
I had people adding me on Facebook
and telling me a lot of different things.
Let me tell you some of the...
Before I get to that, this is interesting.
It will be interesting before I forget.
Let me ask you this.
You have people...
Are there people in the same industry as you?
Yes or no?
- [Audience] Yes. - Same industry, yes?
- [Audience] Yes.
- Okay, there are people out there,
they're competitors, they sell similar services.
Yes or no?
- [Audience] Yes. - Similar services.
Are there people out there in the same city?
Yes or no?
- [Audience] Yes.
- Then how come there are people making
twice, three time or four times,
even five times more money than you?
In the same industry, selling the similar services
in the same city.
Why?
What is the only variable?
That's the only variable.
It's not like they have access to special services
only they could sell that you don't have.
It's not like, 'Well, I'm in Vancouver, they're in Toronto.'
No, same industry, same service, same city.
The only variable is what?
You.
That's the only variable.
So, it's an equal playing field.
It's an equal playing field.
So, as I started the meetup
and I got different messages, it's very interesting,
here's the first one I got.
'Dan, why is your meetup so far away?'
(laughter)
It's like it's 20 minutes from my home.
It's a 20 minute drive.
- [Audience] In rush hour.
- In rush hour.
'Maybe when you do it in downtown I'll come.'
I thought there was a lady who came from...
Who do you think you came from the furthest distance?
By a show of hands.
Who do you think you came from just the furthest distance?
Yes.
Stand up.
(mumbles)
Where you drove from to here?
- [Audience member] Washington state, not that far.
So it's (mumbles)
but I did have to cross to the border to get here.
- Washington D.C.
(applause)
Washington D.C.
In fact, come on up, let me give you a book, a gift.
Come on up.
A round of applause.
(applause)
How many have heard of The E-Myth by Michael Gerber?
Great book. - Thank you.
Awesome, thank you.
Round of applause.
(applause)
Washington D.C.
That's a winner, that's no excuse.
- [Audience] State, state.
- State, sorry, Washington state.
(laughter)
Sorry, Washington state.
D.C. would be too...
That would be really something.
Anyway,
so think about it.
Now, if you're thinking,
'Oh, but Dan, you can do it closer to my home,' guess what?
I can do it near their home for five minutes...
Five minutes away from home
they still won't fucking show up.
(laughter)
It wouldn't make a difference.
Do you know why?
Because they have this mindset
'If you'd come closer to me, I'd have showed up.'
No, you won't.
I can bet your sorry ass you won't.
I just know it.
If I do go five minute away,
'Well, I'm kinda, I'm busy.
I've got the kids, I've gotta work, I'm tired.'
Right?
Same excuse.
Oh, here's another good one, 'I don't have time.'
You don't have time?
Interesting, so why don't you have time?
'I'm so busy in my business, I'm exhausted.'
Then you need some help, my friend.
Cause the definition of insanity
is keep doing what you're doing and expect a
- [Audience] Different result. - Different result.
'I don't have time.'
Here's a good one, here's a good one.
'But other meetup is just five dollars,
how come you charge 20 bucks?'
(laughter)
'It is too expensive.'
(laughs)
I don't know how to answer that.
Well,
let's put it this way.
If you've been in business for any length of time
and you can't even afford 20 bucks
to learn some strategies to grow your business,
I don't know what to say.
I don't even know if I can help you, quite frankly.
You know, I've got nothing to teach you.
So, those are the excuses.
But isn't that interesting?
Same meeting, same group.
Excuses, they are not here.
It doesn't affect me, quite frankly.
My life is good as it is.
It's not going to change my life if they show up or not.
Believe me, I'm not getting rich off that 20 bucks.
(laughter) Just believe me, okay?
Most of that money goes to venue, goes to my team anyway.
If you actually calculate,
you talk to Ricky, you talk to DJ,
calculate how much I make per year
you divide it by how much money I make per hour
compared to how much time I put into creating this group.
It's costing my money.