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Jeremy
Jeremy after that one. Right.
Jeffrey
Oh, my gosh.
Jeremy
It's crazy.
Jeffrey
Crazy. And it's just. I mean, it's just. It's crazy how an episode before lauding him because he turned down a million dollars.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
And there was. I mean, it could have gone up to 2 million, 3 million. Jeremy wouldn't have taken it.
Jeremy
Wow.
Jeffrey
Because he's just the kind of guy that if you put your trust in him and you ask him to do something, he's not going to screw you.
Jeremy
Okay, guys, Beast Games winner here today in Las Vegas. Jeffrey. About to be a fun week for you, man. Thanks for coming.
Jeffrey
I know. Glad to be here.
Jeremy
Yeah. You got a lot of fun stuff planned. WrestleMania, right?
Jeffrey
Yeah. A little bit of WrestleMania, then David Blaine, and then heading down south to go to. Or heading over west to go to Disney.
Jeremy
How fast has your life been changing lately?
Jeffrey
Yeah, a lot. A lot different. I mean, sitting here with you is super cool. A lot. Still the same, you know, still coach my son's baseball team, taking the kids to school. But yeah, it just. I. Every few days I kind of have these sprints where a podcast recording, sitting down with the TV station, whatever it may be. But life is good, man.
Jeremy
I love it. Does it feel kind of unreal?
Jeffrey
Yeah, I know. I was sitting last night with my son in the hotel, and it's just, like, so much to be grateful for it. I mean, it truly is almost a miracle that I won. And then I actually. We get to do other things my wife and I wanted to do for our family.
Jeremy
Yeah. And you got a great head on your shoulders because when you look at the stats on lottery winners, a lot of them end up broke again or they blow the money. But it sounds like you're. You're still doing.
Jeffrey
I'm not spending a thing. You know, it's. Yeah, we've. We've spent a little bit, you know, family vacation, got my wife something nice for her birthday. But other than that, it's kind of going, how do we make this work to ultimately achieve our goals?
Jeremy
Yeah. And your goal, your son is a big part of your goals, right?
Jeffrey
Huge part. Yeah. It's with. With a rare disease, it's. That doesn't have a treatment, doesn't have a cure. Just trying to figure out ways and, you know, and part of me is like, how do I. How do I look at this fresh, you know, forever. You want to throw money to academia to do academic research. But I do think there's other ways to try to help get creatine to his brain. And I think I got to get creative to do it.
Jeremy
Yeah. I'm sure a ton of different people reached out to you with their opinions. Was there anything interesting that caught your eye for that?
Jeffrey
I mean, yeah, you get everything. And again, I'm. I'm probably open to too much. Um, but, like, everything from, hey, I'm an expert. I've been studying plant medicine my whole life, to. I am a prayer specialist who knows how to connect with people telepathic. Telepathically. To a protein researcher at a prestigious academic institution who's like, hey, like, I think I can help implant certain cells into the brain to be able to accept creatine. So, like, wow. I got. Part of me is like, I need someone to help of. Make sense of what's. What's reasonable and what's not.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
But either way, people want to help, and that's, like, the biggest. One of the biggest takeaways from Beast Games is I don't have a ton of people saying, hey, can I have some money? Can I do this? Of course. I get that in my DMs. But these are perfect strangers. I have more people saying, how can I help? Or I'd love to help, or I'd love to pray or I'd love to support.
Jeremy
That's beautiful.
Jeffrey
Yeah.
Jeremy
I think Jimmy did a good job painting your story on the show.
Jeffrey
Yeah, It's Jimmy Mack. The entire team. Yeah. I mean, I couldn't be more satisfied with the edit.
Jeremy
Yeah. Your character arc was brilliant, man.
Jeffrey
It worked out well.
Jeremy
Yeah. Because they waited about halfway to start telling your story, and then it really grew on people, I think.
Jeffrey
And that's probably by design, but also, like, I didn't get to tell my story until you get deeper into the games, because that was my whole aim, was I want to go on the show to tell Lucas's story. But to do that, like, I need to have a camera in my face and have these questions being asked. But it really didn't happen until. Until we got to the island, Episode five, six.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
And so, like, I just. I'm like, I just gotta keep going. I have to keep going through each challenge to actually make it far enough to. To share the story.
Jeremy
How tempting was the island? Did you want to be one of the ten on that one?
Jeffrey
Not at the time, but once. Like, once we saw the helicopter go by with the Navy SEALs, and we were watching it on a big, giant screen, like, Hunger Game style.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
I'm like, oh, my gosh, I would love to be hiding from Navy SEALs. But in retrospect, obviously I wouldn't change a thing.
Jeremy
Yeah. Statistically, it didn't seem like the right decision.
Jeffrey
It didn't. Especially when you look at the people who went for the island like they were absolute studs.
Jeremy
Athletes. Right.
Jeffrey
Yeah. And like Mia who won it is just unbelievable. Like she is so tough, so resilient and just knows how to get stuff done.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
So like it was just. Wouldn't have been worth it for me.
Jeremy
Yeah. Shout out to her for winning that I did not think she would. When I first saw the 10 laid out. She was the only girl, right?
Jeffrey
She was the only girl. And there was like, there's just some really amazing athletes. And again, with Mr. Beast, you just don't know like, what you're getting into. Like when I trained for Beast Games, like I was lifting weights, I was sprinting. Like I thought it was going to be super physical.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
And the only physical challenge in the Amazon Prime Games was episode six, pulling the monster truck and doing the sprints. But you had to choose into it. Everything else was mental, chance, psychological, emotional.
Jeremy
Yeah. Yeah. Shout out to Kinsta, today's sponsor. You know, when we first started building our brand online, I had to teach myself everything from marketing to monetization. Monetization. But one of the biggest pain points, hosting. It felt like I needed a computer science degree just to keep our site running smoothly. That's why we switched to Kinsta. And honestly, it's been a game changer. Kinsta managed WordPress hosting takes all the stress off your plate. You get blazing speed, enterprise level security and a dashboard that's actually fun to use. No outdated clutter, just clean, intuitive control. And let me tell you, when things go sideways, I don't want to deal with a chatbot or some copy pasted script. With Kinsta, I get real knowledgeable humans available 247 who actually solve problems fast. We've had sudden traffic spikes and zero downtime. Our SEO has improved with the speed boost. And it's a huge relief knowing our site's protected with the best security out there. If you're ready for hosting networks, visit kinsta.comdsh to get your first month free. And yes, they'll migrate your site for free too. That's K-I-N-S-T a.comDSH if I had to pick, I would. I think I would have picked the mental one.
Jeffrey
Yeah.
Jeremy
Chances to. I don't want to lose on chance. I want to lose on a skill based game.
Jeffrey
But like going into that game, like you Just you. It's like you get sucked into these narratives that people plant and people are planting. Hey, I think chance is going to be like, we're going to get rewarded if we choose chance. And so people start buying into that. Granted, they could have. They spun that wheel, and it could have been, hey, we're going to save 16 of you guys. But instead, I think 12 out of 16 had to go home.
Jeremy
I know that was rough.
Jeffrey
Super rough. Like, I would have. I'm so glad I didn't choose chance. And there was, like, a small part of me that was kind of like, is this my time to let chance take me? And I'm so glad it did.
Jeremy
Yeah. Was there any part of the show where you thought you were gonna get out, get out?
Jeffrey
100 episode two, when. I mean, we literally got eliminated for an hour on the ball drive.
Jeremy
Oh, yeah, I remember that.
Jeffrey
Yeah. And so, like, I was processing, what am I going to do? What is. Today, I'll fly home. Tomorrow I'll hang out with the family for a day, Then I'll be back to the Grind, episode three and the cubes. I thought I was going to get out after episode four in the helicopter. Like, I didn't realize how much of a kind of a ruckus Jeremy caused with his handing out the tickets.
Jeremy
Right.
Jeffrey
So, like, I had to, like, earn trust back with people. Like, so there was, like, three episodes in a row, or, you know, three challenges in a row where I go, oh, my gosh, my back's up against the wall. After the monster truck, I felt, like, super confident and kind of. I don't want to say I. I sailed, but I was remarkably calm kind of after that.
Jeremy
You saw that on the show, too, just with your demeanor.
Jeffrey
Yeah. It just. You kind of get into the zone, and then you realize, gosh, like, I looked around, and I think part of it, Part of the thing that helped me win was the people.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
And there was just. Out of the people who were on the island, there were 60 of us. I'd say 90% were really good people who didn't want to screw people over. And that helped.
Jeremy
Yeah. I think that surprised Jimmy. I saw him talking about it on an interview. He thought there'd be more backstabbing. Right.
Jeffrey
And I think season two is going to have it. I mean, I think season two. I think people are going to know what kind of game they want to play.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
And I think season one, like, this was so brand new to everybody that it was like, I don't want it to end and if you don't want it to end, guess what? Like, you don't step in the shit, right? Like, you don't backstab people. So I think. I think season two people will know what kind of game they want to play from the get. I think it's going to get. Going to get nasty.
Jeremy
I can see that. Yeah. Because on season one, when someone backstabbed, they were a target for everyone else, like, right away. Like the brothers.
Jeffrey
Yeah. And even, like, the slightest backstab, like, people would, like, get really offended by.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
So it's. But I think going into season two, it's going to be cool.
Jeremy
Yeah. How many of the final 10 contestants were you on good terms with?
Jeffrey
I'd say all of them.
Jeremy
Really?
Jeffrey
Yeah. You know, there was a couple I did, like, going into the final 10. There's a few I didn't know very well, but I'd say eight out of 10. I was. There was four of us who were part of an alliance that we were on good terms with. The other four I knew really, really well. And the other two, I would say I'm neutral with. So for me, when I look at relationships, you're either negative, neutral, or positive. And I don't think I was negative with anybody in the top 10, and I don't think there was really anybody who was super negative with each other.
Jeremy
That probably helped you in the phone game, right? Being on good terms with everyone.
Jeffrey
Totally. Yeah. And I think being interested in others, truly interested in others and getting to know them, it's. People want to help people they know. And when you are interested in others, they reciprocate and become interested in you and you kind of form this bond. And the phone game really, really helped me.
Jeremy
I think that was my favorite game to watch because it was all mental.
Jeffrey
Psychological game, and you have to. You eventually have to make a move, you know, and, like, I was. Obviously, I was there, but after I get out, like, I have no clue what's going on with the phones. And so when I watched that and I saw yesi947 make her move, which was awesome. So she planned to see it, I think, in round three to get voted in round four.
Jeremy
Right.
Jeffrey
And then Gage made his move, I think in round five, I'm like, oh, my gosh. Like, these are two people I knew pretty well who made moves that I did not expect them to make.
Jeremy
Gage's move was no one expect that one. The way they edited too.
Jeffrey
I mean, that the. That edit was. I have goosebumps thinking about It. It was just brilliant. And Gage is, like, the sweetest guy, a really talented musician, and he would never harm a fly. And then he makes this move.
Jeremy
No one expected it.
Jeffrey
Oh, and just him giving the throwaway vote for Mikey. 4, 5, 3. I'm like, that was brilliant.
Jeremy
Yeah, that was an iconic move, and it helped you win another 5 million. So.
Jeffrey
I know. I mean, again, like, Gage. Gage will become a legend in the creatine transport deficiency because he, you know, in essence, gifted me more money to invest into a cure. So, like, he's going. Our next conference we have. I'm going to make sure Gage is there to meet the kids.
Jeremy
I love it.
Jeffrey
Yeah, he's. He's an absolute stud. I love, love the guy.
Jeremy
So you have conferences for this?
Jeffrey
Yeah. So every couple of years, we have conferences where we bring together families and scientists, because it's one thing for scientists to be in a lab, you know, working in petri dishes under a microscope, but when they can see the families and the kids that they're trying to help, it transforms everything because it actually puts a human being behind the science.
Jeremy
Yeah. That's so cool. How long has this disease been around? Is it a new thing?
Jeffrey
It's been around for. For probably forever or. But, like, it hasn't been discovered. It was discovered in the year 2000 at University Cincinnati. But. But we have people who are in their 60s who got diagnosed recently, so. Meaning they had it in the 50s or 60s or 70s. So I think it just. It's. It got misdiagnosed forever. And it takes. It took us with. We put every ounce of energy into trying to find a diagnosis. It took us almost two years.
Jeremy
Whoa.
Jeffrey
Yeah.
Jeremy
Yeah. You probably went to tons of doctors.
Jeffrey
And tons of specialists. You know, one doctor would say one thing, another doctor would say another, and usually they just say that, you know, he's developmentally behind, he's developmentally delayed.
Jeremy
Yeah. Like autism or something.
Jeffrey
Yeah. And eventually, like, I think a lot of people just kind of throw up their hands, kind of go, okay, it is what it is. But for us, we really wanted to see what it was so we could try to. Try to help.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
And then once we got diagnosed, it was kind of bittersweet, like, oh, my gosh, we have a diagnosis. Quit Google search. Oh, no, There's. There's no treatment, there's no cure. So, you know, fortunately, there's an association that funds a ton of. Ton of research, but they also provide resources to families and just kind of support. And my wife and I are good balance I'm like the eternal optimist. She's so pragmatic. So, like, I'm like, hey, everything's gonna be okay. And she's kind of going, okay, this is what we need to do to make sure our family can move forward.
Jeremy
I love that. It's a good duo though, right? You need both.
Jeffrey
It is. And it's like, it's one of these things where, like, you don't know why you find the partner you have. And, you know, clearly, you know, Jen and I, you know, have an awesome relationship together, but we were meant to be Lucas and Jack's parents together.
Jeremy
Beautiful. Have you always been optimistic? Like, you had that growing up?
Jeffrey
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I. I grew up a great childhood. And, you know, obviously most people say you grew up at the best time, but a product of the 80s and 90s where I had an analog childhood. So you think about summer when you're 12 years old. Like, I get on a bike, I go away with my friends, and my mom has no clue where I'm at. I come home for dinner, so they can't get a hold of me. There's no phones, there's no pagers, there's nothing. And then once I get in the high school, we start getting Internet, you know, it's like, okay, now I can get online and have an email, and then you get to college, and obviously it's full blown. So it's just a neat way to. To have a. To have a childhood.
Jeremy
Yeah. Last generation with growing up without tech, I feel like now it's good.
Jeffrey
It's. It's analog and digital, so I. I'm not too old or I'm like, how does this thing work? Um, but I'm not too young to not have experienced what life was like without a phone.
Jeremy
Yeah. And now you're having to step into the digital world more and more. Right.
Jeffrey
It's weird. Yeah, it's. You know, I used to post like twice a year for fundraisers, and now I'm like, oh, I'm creating content. Okay, how's this work? And it is so much more challenging than I ever thought it would be.
Jeremy
It's a lot of work.
Jeffrey
It's a lot of work. And it's like you can. You can literally not turn it off, and you have to, like, force yourself to turn it off or at least kind of set boundaries.
Jeremy
Yeah, it's definitely addicting.
Jeffrey
Yeah, it's crazy.
Jeremy
They call it tick tock brain now. I don't know if you're addicted to tick tock but just non stop scrolling.
Jeffrey
Yeah. And it's like if something doesn't catch your attention literally in a second and a half.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
You move on. Yeah.
Jeremy
For real. Wow.
Jeffrey
So have you always been interested in kind of social media and tech?
Jeremy
So I grew up not similar to you. I didn't really care about it in high school, in college, but then once I started making money off it, that shifted my perspective.
Jeffrey
When was that?
Jeremy
That was probably right. When I dropped out of college, I went to. I grew up in Jersey. I went to Rutgers.
Jeffrey
Yeah.
Jeremy
And then I figured out how to make some money off Instagram.
Jeffrey
Sweet.
Jeremy
And that to me was like a switch.
Jeffrey
Yeah. It's like there's no turning back.
Jeremy
Yeah. Cause then I felt like I wasn't wasting my time. I was being productive with it.
Jeffrey
And I'm sure you've shared this with people, but like, what is your advice for people who have this kind of entrepreneur spirit, who are junior, senior in high school? Like, how do you assess whether they go to college or not?
Jeremy
Ooh, that's tough. Yeah. For me it's. It's passion based. You know, like, if they, if they really feel like college isn't the answer, like, test some stuff out beforehand too. Don't just drop out. Or like not go with no plan.
Jeffrey
Yeah, exactly.
Jeremy
Like, I, at least when I dropped out, I had some money that was coming in.
Jeffrey
Yeah. Yeah.
Jeremy
I could show my mother, who was pissed obviously at the time, but I showed her I had like this amount of money coming in and I was really passionate about it. Let me take a break.
Jeffrey
What's your mother say now?
Jeremy
She loves it. She watches every episode.
Jeffrey
No way.
Jeremy
Shout out to my mom.
Jeffrey
Hey, mom. Yeah, she's still back in New Jersey.
Jeremy
Yeah, she's in Pennsylvania now.
Jeffrey
Okay.
Jeremy
You've been out to Jersey ever?
Jeffrey
Yeah, I grew up in Ohio.
Jeremy
Oh, nice.
Jeffrey
Yeah, I grew up in Ohio, so just spent time all over. It's just a nice. Meets an hour 15 minute flight from the city.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
And then I lived a little bit in Pennsylvania too.
Jeremy
Where was these games filmed at originally?
Jeffrey
The. The episode zero was in Vegas. Oh, yeah, at Allegiant Stadium. So the one on YouTube. And that was, that was a trip that was a ton of fun.
Jeremy
That was 2,000 people or 4,000.
Jeffrey
And I had no clue. Like, I like when I signed up, I thought it was. This was beast games, like, I'm gonna be gone. And then a video. Jimmy gives us a video like an hour before we turn our phones. Like, hey, by the way, this is 2,000 people, we're gonna cut it down to a thousand and then you'll go to the Amazon Beast Games. I'm like, apparently most people knew, but I just wasn't in the loop. And then the remainder was. Amazon prime show was on, filmed in Toronto, aside from the island, which was in Panama.
Jeremy
Wow, that's cool. I didn't know that. Yeah.
Jeffrey
And we had all these ideas of, oh, because in the contract chairs, a few countries that you might go to just make sure that you have kind of proper credentials. Yeah. And it's like it said, France and Germany and Italy. So we're like, oh, we're going to leave here. Then we're going to go to a chateau in Italy. And now we were just in Toronto the whole time.
Jeremy
I love it. The first few games were a lot of luck based stuff, right? Chance.
Jeffrey
But yeah, I mean, I think when you watch it, you think it's chance, but you know, there's this wild cascading effect to Beast Games where things that happen in this challenge impact the next challenge. So for example, like people ask me like, oh, were you just randomly assigned number 831? No, that. That was the flag I got in the challenge number three in the YouTube episode. So if you look at challenge number three in the YouTube episode, we had to capture these flags and there's 1100 flags and there's 1400 contestants left. You can either try to go like a free for all, I'm going after my flag, you know, screw everybody else. Or you can try to work together and kind of go, who's getting what flag? We help each other out.
Jeremy
Right.
Jeffrey
I was kind of the part of the crew that was helping each other out. So the people who were kind of in the first couple hundred were like, hey, I need to go get this flag. I'm a go getter. I'm going to get that number one flag. Um, those were the first two rows that got eliminated in, in the first challenge on, on these games.
Jeremy
Oh, I didn't know that.
Jeffrey
And guess what? Because like you had to like in, in that challenge is like you have to. Someone in your row and the row is like 80 some deep has to eliminate themselves and in order for the rest of the row to move on.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
And if you're thinking about your, how you're a type A charger, like, are you really going to eliminate yourself? No. So like the rows that were safe were the ones at the end which were either the helpers or the more altruistic folks who needed help. So it's Like, I think on paper it looks like chance, but actually it's the makeup of those rows that is really cool that you chose into.
Jeremy
Yeah. And look how the final two players were similar numbers.
Jeffrey
Crazy, right? We were right next to each other for two and a half days on the first episode.
Jeremy
That's nuts. Did you see her at the stadium, too?
Jeffrey
Yeah, she was kind of a prominent leader at the stadium.
Jeremy
Okay.
Jeffrey
Like, for me, like, at the stadium, I was like, what am I doing here? Like, I'm such an old man and obviously I'm not a bit. Like, I was probably in the, you know, the top 10% of age.
Jeremy
Yeah. On the show, there's a lot of young people.
Jeffrey
A lot of young people. But, like, the cool thing is, like, age and everything else, age, color, sex, gender, all disappears. Like, you just connect with people if you want to.
Jeremy
Right.
Jeffrey
And so I became great friends with people who literally could be my daughter or son based on age. But, yeah, in episode zero, she was. She was a leader. She was a force.
Jeremy
It seemed like throughout the show, she sort of had a group. She was leading. Right.
Jeffrey
It's. It's interesting. She didn't have, like, an alliance per se. She didn't have a group. Just she led everybody. Like, if people called on her to lead, she would step up. She was. She's awesome. She's an absolute force. Like, she's super talented, big heart, played hard. But that's. That's who I wanted to. Like, I literally wanted to go against her. At the end, episode one, I told her, like, I want to go against you at the end.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
It's crazy how it happened.
Jeremy
Wow. You manifested it because she turned down a million too, Right.
Jeffrey
A couple times for other people. So she turned on a million for 60 people in episode two, episode three.
Jeremy
Yep.
Jeffrey
She turned on a million when she could have taken it in the money grab in episode eight and nobody would have got eliminated. And at the end, when it was three of us, me, Gage 974, and Tawana, 8:30, she could have taken a million dollars to eliminate herself.
Jeremy
Oh, yeah. And she got written down on that one, too. Surprisingly crazy.
Jeffrey
I was surprised. I was shocked.
Jeremy
Yeah, I was shocked.
Jeffrey
Yeah.
Jeremy
I was watching it with my fiance and I told her, there's no way it's her. It's one of the other three.
Jeffrey
And I don't know, because for me, I just figured everybody viewed her like me. I had a ton of respect for. She always put herself behind others. Super integrative, integrous. So when I saw That I was, like, I was shocked. And obviously, I think that helped me too. I think that kind of shook her a little bit.
Jeremy
It definitely did.
Jeffrey
You know, and so, like, going into the final episode, I think her, like, her mindset might have been kind of a little shaken.
Jeremy
You felt like you could have read her a little easier.
Jeffrey
Yeah. Or I just feel like. I feel like she was not expecting that. And kind of like when you. When you get news that you're not expecting is directly assigned to you, it's like you start questioning things.
Jeremy
Yeah. Were there any decisions you regretted on the show?
Jeffrey
You know, I mean, I wouldn't know. I'm not.
Jeremy
Regret's a strong word. Maybe, like, felt bad about.
Jeffrey
Yeah. So. Because, like, again, I don't like to have regrets. And obviously I was the winner. So, like, I have to thank everything that happened. Happened. Episode four on the helicopter. I wish, like, I didn't. I didn't. I wasn't privy. I didn't realize how much of kind of a hubbub there was about Jeremy and taking girls.
Jeremy
Right.
Jeffrey
Like, I wish he would have whispered my ear, like, hey, I really. I really hope he takes somebody. And I would have taken from my friend Maddie, 8, 5, 2, who's just amazing. She ended up making it to the island anyway. But that was one of the. That was one of the instances where it's like, ah, maybe I would have done something different, but I. I picked my friend 9:30 Patrick, who made it to the top 10.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
So, I mean, like, I don't have any regrets, but that's something that, like, I don't say I lost sleep on it, but I thought about a lot.
Jeremy
I could see that. You never know with the way they edit it. So was it really that bad with the girls? Like, they were pissed that it.
Jeffrey
I didn't realize it. Like, again, this is. I was naive. So, like, when people were going around kind of saying, hey, we give Jeremy your coin, I was going around telling people the math and kind of going like, it doesn't matter who you give the coin to, but it does you no good to keep your coin. Because if someone doesn't get a hundred coins, this helicopter goes off empty. And our chance, your chances, my chances of getting to the island are less.
Jeremy
Right.
Jeffrey
It's just simple math. It's like, I didn't hear all the. All the conversations until. I mean, I heard about it afterward. But when we got to the hotel, while we were staging to go to Panama, like, there was definitely some evil eye looking at me and Jeremy like, and I'm like, oh, my gosh. Like, what happened?
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
So it was. I didn't. I didn't realize how bad it was until after.
Jeremy
There was a lot of people after Jeremy after that one. Right.
Jeffrey
Oh, my gosh.
Jeremy
It was crazy.
Jeffrey
Crazy. And it's just. I mean, it's just. It's crazy how an episode before lauding him because he turned down a million dollars.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
And there was. I mean, it could have gone up to 2 million, 3 million. Jeremy wouldn't have taken it.
Jeremy
Wow.
Jeffrey
Because he's just the kind of guy that if you put your trust in him and you ask him to do something, he's not going to screw you over.
Jeremy
How shocked were you when all four turned down the million?
Jeffrey
I don't want to, because I knew Harrison 251. I sat next to him on a bus for four hours. Awesome guy. Like, super talented content creator Tawan I got to know. And Jeremy I knew really, really well. Only person I didn't know was Dino380. And kind of once I asked around, I'm like, oh, wait, so no one's going to take this? This is crazy. Who was the most shocked was Mac and Jimmy. Like, they were blown away. And this is the crazy thing about Beast Games is if somebody took the Money, I mean, 60 people get eliminated. That changes every episode after that because, like, now you have 25% less people. And it's just, it's. It's weird how they have to have all these plan A, plan B, plan C's.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
It's like they were shocked nothing happened.
Jeremy
They probably planned for someone to take it, I'd imagine.
Jeffrey
Of course. I mean, but they. But they also kind of went, okay, in the crazy event that no one takes it, what do we do?
Jeremy
Yeah, that's smart. What did you. How did you feel about the hate on Dino? Because that was interesting to me.
Jeffrey
It. It was interesting. The hate. The. The experience in the game is very different, what people thought we were experiencing. So, like, in the game, you go through these challenges and you bond to people. So, like, for example, the most bonding I had was the physical challenge. So the monster truck, the sprint and the dead hang. So we had eight of us on our team. It was me, Eric990, Gage974, Patrick930, Dino380, Mike453, Moniece182 and Jazz697. I didn't know Jazz or Moniz until that I got so close to them. Like, Jazz is one of my favorite players in the game. And so we have this strong bond that we just went through. And then. So for Dino to choose Jazz was just like, what are you doing? Like, we just went through this, and Jazz and Tawana weren't great friends. So, like, we knew that they weren't great friends, and it wasn't like they didn't like each other, but it was just neutral.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
We're like, man, like, I. So it. I think in retrospect, what popped Dino was his social game kind of kind of got turned off on the island. He kind of went dark, and so, like, he didn't know who Tawana was close with. Like, he would have been better off choosing, you know, me or Patrick930, who were kind of close with Tawana. Wow. But at the end of the day, I don't think it mattered. He was. Tawana was going to choose him. And no matter who he chose.
Jeremy
You think?
Jeffrey
So that was the. That was the. That was the trap.
Jeremy
Yeah. Because the other choice was her best friend on the show.
Jeffrey
Well, the thing about Tawana is you don't know who. Like, she kept her car, her card so close to her chest. Like, you don't know who her best friends were.
Jeremy
Interesting.
Jeffrey
Because, you know, if that was her best friend, why didn't she choose her when she gave out the second key in episode. Episode eight?
Jeremy
True.
Jeffrey
There's a lot of questions. I would. I mean, to want to be a great guest.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
Like, I think she has so much to share.
Jeremy
Yeah. I'd love to dive into her mindset.
Jeffrey
Yeah.
Jeremy
I'm also curious with the people that turn down the money, like, if they regret it, you know, I'm sure. I mean, a million dollars.
Jeffrey
A million dollars. Or even, like, you look at the first episode, like, you literally could have pressed a button, eliminated six or seven people, and taken home 100,000.
Jeremy
Crazy.
Jeffrey
Like, 100,000 is not chump change.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
You know, it's just it. But you get into this fomo, like, oh, my gosh. In the first episode, your whole goal is, I want to get to the city. Now you're in the city. Oh, my gosh. I want to get to the island. Once you get to the island, you're like, I want to make it to the top 10.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
So you have these things that just kind of override money.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
Which is. It's an. It's like an amazing psychological experiment. Like, I would like. I would love to see what psychologists who analyze this say about it.
Jeremy
They had one on set. Right.
Jeffrey
They had a couple on Set. So they had one on set 24 7. So there's multiple psychologists. So if you ever needed to speak with someone, you could.
Jeremy
Did you ever get to that point where you had to talk to someone?
Jeffrey
No, I mean, I. I talked to one at the end. Cause, like, I think when you get down to the final 10 or final 20, when you get eliminated, you. It's part of your kind of deprocessing or out processing. So I sat with one about a half an hour after I won.
Jeremy
Yeah. Yeah. I bet when you're that late in the game, it's a lot of mental trauma if you don't make it.
Jeffrey
It is. And just even kind of orienting back at home, Like, I remember my wife was like. I was like. She was super kind, but, like, I didn't know what to do. Like, you're so used to being told where to go. You don't have any technology at all when to eat. Literally, you wear the same thing. Like, what you see on. On the episodes is what we wear in between the episodes. So it's not like we're wearing street clothes during the day.
Jeremy
Yeah, it was a month, right?
Jeffrey
Yeah, it was about five weeks.
Jeremy
Holy crap. You're away from your family.
Jeffrey
Yeah.
Jeremy
Was that the longest you've been away from them?
Jeffrey
Oh, yeah. I mean, that's the longest I haven't talked to my wife since I've known her.
Jeremy
Yeah, because you don't even have your phone or anything.
Jeffrey
Yeah, no phone, no Internet. You don't even know what day it is. A lot of times you don't even know what time it is.
Jeremy
Wow. No clocks anywhere.
Jeffrey
I mean, people have them, but no one is wearing a watch. There's not. They're not on the walls.
Jeremy
Crazy. So you got a lot of time to just reflect about your life. About.
Jeffrey
A lot of time to reflect, a lot of time to chat with others. I mean, it felt like you're in the 90s again, early 90s, where you go hang out versus you go hang out with your phone.
Jeremy
I saw you on Bradley Martin Show. Say you. You applied to the Amazing Race few years ago. Right.
Jeffrey
It was like. It was. I think it was before my wife and I were married, so it had to have been 2012 or so, and we weren't fully committed. So I think we submitted a video and that was it. So, like, we never moved any any more forward, but we would. We would crush.
Jeremy
That show was fun.
Jeffrey
It'd be so fun.
Jeremy
I think you'd do well.
Jeffrey
It'd be a lot of fun. It'd be great to do with my wife. It'd be great to do with my oldest sister Stacy.
Jeremy
I love it.
Jeffrey
It'd be a ton of fun. Have you ever done a show like this?
Jeremy
No. I want to get on one. Survivor interests me. There's one called the Traders. Yeah, have you seen that one? Yeah, that one's very interesting to me.
Jeffrey
Yeah, that one. That one would be a ton of fun.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
I mean, so what about season two?
Jeremy
I might have to apply, but it might be closed by now, right?
Jeffrey
No.
Jeremy
Oh, it's not.
Jeffrey
Not yet.
Jeremy
Okay, I'll apply, man.
Jeffrey
You should. I'm telling you, it. It even. Obviously I'm biased because I won.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
But even if I didn't like, it was, it was life changing. It was, it was just good to step away for that long and connect with people. And obviously, you know, I'm a 44 year old man. Like, to do. It's like to do these challenges, to be competitive again was awesome.
Jeremy
Yeah. What a turn for you. Because I saw you say on Brad's show also that you, you recently got laid off, right?
Jeffrey
Yeah, so, yeah, I, I've been kind of healthcare sales and sales leadership for my whole life. And last April I got laid off from a sales leadership role and I was kind of like, oh gosh, you know, what am I going to do?
Jeremy
Right?
Jeffrey
So I was going to. I was exploring some kind of entrepreneurial stuff and God bless my wife for being patient with me. And I applied for this. It just kind of as it wasn't. Desperation was kind of like, I got the time, why not? And here we are.
Jeremy
Crazy how cyclical life can be. Because that was probably one of your bottom moments.
Jeffrey
And then, yeah, it's. I mean, I think one of the things about Lucas is just giving me a ton of perspective. You know, I think there's a handful of parents who might go, you have a child who's a rare disease, special needs, and kind of go f this. I didn't sign up for this. Why did you do this to me? But really looking at it, Lucas has helped me find the beauty and the bumps and seeing that, you know, things are either blessings or curses. And you can decide which one it is. And so for me, I remember when I got laid off and like I literally was emailing who I reported into, emailed the CEO like, hey, thanks for the opportunity. It was great. However, I can help you guys. Cause I just realized it was business, like they didn't have the funding. I was an expensive kind of price tag. You know, they have to move on. So it's not. It's not like, screw them, but some people could say screw them.
Jeremy
Yeah. Wow. You're good at controlling your emotions. That's impressive.
Jeffrey
It's help. I mean, I. Lucas. You know, and this is one of the gifts, like, you have to. You can choose what you get upset about, and I'd rather choose the things that really, really matter.
Jeremy
Yeah. A lot of people, their emotions control them, you know, see it all the time.
Jeffrey
Yeah. I mean, you seem pretty calm. What kind of work do you do?
Jeremy
Just been through some stuff, man.
Jeffrey
Yeah.
Jeremy
You know, had to address it, and instead of, like, running away from the trauma, I actually addressed it. And then from there, that acknowledgement and that awareness was huge.
Jeffrey
And being a serial founder, it's like.
Jeremy
Yeah, entrepreneurship will test you.
Jeffrey
Oh, my gosh.
Jeremy
Oh, my gosh. Even now, like, I'm going through some struggles, no matter what level you get to, but.
Jeffrey
But that's where. That's where the light is and that's where. That's where you, you know, get a bigger vessel to be able to do bigger things.
Jeremy
Yeah. And it's a very lonely road at first.
Jeffrey
Yeah. Well, I mean, because you got people who, you know, you were hanging out with, doing whatever before who kind of want to bring you down. Yeah, yeah, people. People typically want to cheer you on when you've made it or when you have nothing, but when you're actually doing it, people are kind of.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
Yeah. It's weird.
Jeremy
Yeah, it is weird. Did you have a lot of long lost friends hit you up once you won the money and family?
Jeffrey
Yeah, I mean, in a good way. You know, I mean, I've been. I've been. I've been blessed to have amazing friends since I was a kid and just good colleagues. I mean, I've worked with some cool companies who have met some amazing people. So just, you know, and there's people who I'm texting with who their numbers aren't in there. I have no clue who it is, but it's. A lot of people send a ton of well wishes. They know. They know our story, and they know that we'll do good with. With the prize and with the platform.
Jeremy
That's beautiful. How tough was it not telling people when you won? Because you had to wait months, right?
Jeffrey
Yeah.
Jeremy
Starting people.
Jeffrey
It wasn't as hard as you'd think. I mean, obviously, like, I wanted to tell my mom so bad.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
Like, just because, like, my mom, her. My mom and I talk multiple times a week and she's great. She's always been a huge supporter of mine. And, like, I wanted to. Like, I wanted to watch the show with her too. She lives in Ohio and I'm living in California. So, like, that was the one who I wanted to tell the most. But other than that, like, I like the power, like, the concept of restriction. Like, I used to drink. I don't drink anymore.
Jeremy
Nice.
Jeffrey
Used to gamble.
Jeremy
Really?
Jeffrey
I don't gamble anymore. And like, restricting these kind of selfish desires in order to kind of do something that's more. Sharing is something that, like, a concept that I believe in. And I've seen my life transform through it. So it's like always knowing that, hey, if I. If I restrict and don't tell anybody, there's going to be greater light that's shared through it. And if you see my family's reaction video, it's like, it's unbelievable because they had no clue. And I just told them, hey, it's the final episode. There's six left. Like, everybody's going to come out a winner in some way. I encourage you guys to watch it early, like, treat it like a football tailgate and, like, set up videos because you'll get to see how my journey ends. And the. The, like, the. The videos of them watching it are awesome.
Jeremy
I love that. That's so cool. When did you cut the gambling and the drinking? Was it recent or.
Jeffrey
Yeah, it was a long time ago. Last bet was here in the city. 2014.
Jeremy
Wow. 10 years.
Jeffrey
Yeah, 11 years.
Jeremy
Well done.
Jeffrey
Yeah, it was cool. No, and it was like, then for me, like, it's just wild how the world works. Like, literally within a year of me not gambling, money just starts flowing, you know? So a company I was at had an exit. I got a nice distribution, was able to put that as a down payment on a home. And I quit drinking nine years ago. I just took a break and it was awesome. And kind of go home cash. You know, I don't need to drink to socialize, and I feel so much better. And this is at the same time where I had my oldest son. That's like, I want to be able to wake up and be able to roll around and play versus, like, try to struggle through a hangover.
Jeremy
Yeah. Yeah. A lot of people drink to. They feel like they need to fit in.
Jeffrey
Yeah.
Jeremy
But it's. You really don't.
Jeffrey
Yeah. Once you, like, once you realize you don't like, it's like, if we're talking about regrets, like, I wish I would have kind of trimmed my Drinking or quit drinking earlier. Like, it would have been so fun to be in my 20s and actually go meet people versus just drink and hang out at bars.
Jeremy
Were you a big partier back in the day?
Jeffrey
Yeah, I'd say so.
Jeremy
Yeah. In Cali.
Jeffrey
I was living in Ohio.
Jeremy
Ohio, yeah. Yeah. You don't know Better, right?
Jeffrey
Yeah. And it was just the rear. When you grow up, it's like, hey, like college football Saturday. You drink until you pass out. And don't be wrong. I mean, I had some great times. I'm not. I was just one of those ones who. I couldn't just have one drink. If I had one, I was going to have 12.
Jeremy
Were you an angry drunk?
Jeffrey
No, I wasn't. I was just. I would smile and I typically fall asleep.
Jeremy
Oh, you were the ones that shut down in the corner.
Jeffrey
Oh, yeah, yeah, that's me, too. Yeah.
Jeremy
I stopped talking.
Jeffrey
Yeah, that's how I was.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
I was like, it's good that I wasn't angry or picked fights, but. Yeah, just. It was one of these. I'd wake up in the morning, kind of go, wait, who did I talk to? Who did I lie to? Who did I maybe overshare with that I shouldn't have. It was just one of those things. My. My physical hangovers weren't too bad. It's the emotional and psychological that I was like, hey, I gotta be done with this.
Jeremy
Yeah, it's not worth it. You still watching sports?
Jeffrey
A little bit, yeah.
Jeremy
NBA.
Jeffrey
I'll watch the playoffs.
Jeremy
Yeah, same.
Jeffrey
Who's your team?
Jeremy
Lakers. Okay, you too?
Jeffrey
I'll root for them. Oh. I grew up being a Cavs fan.
Jeremy
Okay.
Jeffrey
Yeah. And so, I mean, I really don't, you know, and I live in the Bay Area, so Golden State is the team. I really don't have a team, but I typically, in the NBA, I'll root for, like, an underdog.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Jeffrey
Whoever's not supposed to win is who I want to win.
Jeremy
Well, this year there's a good chance of that, you know.
Jeffrey
Is Golden State still in?
Jeremy
Yeah, they're the six or seven seed. They're looking good.
Jeffrey
Sweet.
Jeremy
They got Jimmy Butler now.
Jeffrey
Well. And it's just like, you just can't count out Curry. Yeah, he's so good.
Jeremy
How's it down there? I hear mixed things about living in San Francisco.
Jeffrey
It's. It's getting better.
Jeremy
That's good.
Jeffrey
Yes. I mean, I. I don't live in the city, but, I mean, it's so damn beautiful. Like, it's like, one of the prettiest cities in the world. So, like, I don't think it's ever going to go away. Like, you can't recreate that scenery. But I think the, I think some policies could change where it could encourage, you know, more business owners and kind of be a friendly environment on business and tourist. It's just, I think they've made some decisions that kind of have come back to bite them and it's, I think we've hit rock bottom and it's starting to bounce back up.
Jeremy
That's exciting. Yeah, it is beautiful. You can't knock that.
Jeffrey
Yeah, but like, but a place like Vegas, it's like, I love Vegas. My, my wife grew up here, and it's just people out here are hustling. People out here know how to, like, survive and get through stuff. If you want to get something done, guess what? There's people around you who want to help you. I don't want to say the bay is not like that. The bay is just a little bit more kind of cerebral, a little more kind of head focused. I mean, that's where all the ideas are coming from with social media and tech. But yeah, I, I, where I live, it's just a great community of, you know, head and heart. So I like where I'm at.
Jeremy
That's cool. It is hard to be Vegas, though.
Jeffrey
It's cool. I mean, it's like one of these things where growing up, you just think of Vegas as you go through your phases. I'm gonna go there to gamble. I'm gonna go there to party. Yeah, I'm go there for girls, whatever it may be. And then like, at my age, I'm like, you can go there for shows, for food, for hiking. I love it, man.
Jeremy
For podcasts.
Jeffrey
For podcasts, Exactly. To the podcast I've been on. Yeah.
Jeremy
You want iced coffee hour?
Jeffrey
Yeah.
Jeremy
That was a great episode too. Those guys, they were great. What's the next show you're on or next project?
Jeffrey
This is it for now. I, you know, I have some kind of unique opportunities ahead from, like, kind of a branding perspective that I'm looking at. But, like, ultimately, I just want to share Lucas's story, and the more I can kind of share his story, I just, I've had people reach out to me and I've made some amazing connections, facilitated some awesome meetings with researchers, philanthropists, and people who are doing some cool stuff in startups around tech because of these podcasts. And so for me, it's like, I never know who's going to listen to this, who kind of go, Hey, I want to help Jeff. I want to help Lucas. I want to help their family. So I'm gonna keep doing it as long as people have me.
Jeremy
I love that, man. I know you're starting a foundation.
Jeffrey
Yeah.
Jeremy
Link that below when it's read, if it's up yet.
Jeffrey
Cool.
Jeremy
And also conferences as well.
Jeffrey
Sweet.
Jeremy
Yeah. Anything else you want to close off with?
Jeffrey
No, I think. I think we're good. Anything we're missing?
Jeremy
No, I think we covered it all, man. Thanks so much for inspiring, and I hope we find a cure one day for this thing.
Jeffrey
Yeah. And once we do, I'd love to come back and chat about it.
Jeremy
Absolutely. Check them out, guys, in the links below. I'll see you next time.
Jeffrey
Sa.
Digital Social Hour: Episode Summary
Title: How I Turned $5M Winnings Into a Mission | Jeffrey Allen DSH #1347
Host: Sean Kelly
Release Date: April 21, 2025
In this compelling episode of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly engages in an in-depth conversation with Jeffrey Allen, a remarkable contestant from Beast Games who transformed his $5 million winnings into a mission-driven endeavor. Jeffrey shares his journey, the strategies he employed to manage his newfound wealth, and the personal challenges that fueled his dedication to a greater cause.
Jeffrey recounts his time on Beast Games, highlighting the intense physical and psychological challenges he faced. He discusses the unpredictable nature of the competition and the strong bonds he formed with fellow contestants.
Jeffrey: "Every few days I kind of have these sprints where a podcast recording, sitting down with the TV station, whatever it may be. But life is good, man." [00:45]
Jeffrey emphasizes the mental aspect of the games, explaining how choosing to cooperate over competing was pivotal to his success.
Jeffrey: "The rows that were safe were the ones at the end which were either the helpers or the more altruistic folks who needed help." [18:21]
Upon winning, Jeffrey adopted a disciplined approach to managing his $5 million prize. Unlike many lottery winners who succumb to financial mismanagement, Jeffrey focused on sustainable growth and impactful investments.
Jeffrey: "I'm not spending a thing. We’ve spent a little bit, you know, family vacation, got my wife something nice for her birthday. But other than that, it’s kind of going, how do we make this work to ultimately achieve our goals?" [01:27]
He credits his practical mindset and strong support system for his ability to maintain financial stability.
A significant portion of Jeffrey’s mission revolves around his son, Lucas, who suffers from Creatine Transport Deficiency—a rare and untreatable disease. Jeffrey’s goal is to fundraise and support research efforts to find a cure.
Jeffrey: "Lucas has helped me find the beauty and the bumps and seeing that, you know, things are either blessings or curses. And you can decide which one it is." [31:26]
He discusses the importance of bridging the gap between scientists and families affected by the disease through conferences and collaborative efforts.
Jeffrey: "Every couple of years, we have conferences where we bring together families and scientists because it transforms everything when they can see the families and the kids they’re trying to help." [11:01]
Jeffrey provides a candid analysis of his experience on Beast Games, detailing the social dynamics and strategic decisions that influenced his victory. He reflects on the importance of maintaining positive relationships and staying true to oneself amidst competitive pressures.
Jeffrey: "Being interested in others, truly interested in others and getting to know them, it’s… People want to help people they know. And when you are interested in others, they reciprocate and become interested in you." [09:38]
He also touches upon the unexpected twists in the game, such as fellow contestants turning down lucrative offers, which underscored the integrity and camaraderie among participants.
Jeffrey: "It's crazy how an episode before lauding him because he turned down a million dollars." [23:02]
Winning Beast Games was a catalyst for significant lifestyle changes for Jeffrey. He discusses his commitment to personal growth, including quitting gambling and alcohol, which he attributes to a more focused and fulfilling life.
Jeffrey: "I don’t drink anymore. And like, restricting these kinds of selfish desires in order to kind of do something that’s more… sharing is something that I believe in." [33:18]
Jeffrey shares how these changes have positively impacted his family life and overall well-being, allowing him to be more present for his children.
Looking ahead, Jeffrey is dedicated to expanding his mission beyond managing his winnings. He plans to establish a foundation, continue supporting research for Lucas’s condition, and leverage his platform to inspire and connect with others facing similar challenges.
Jeffrey: "The more I can kind of share his story, I just, I've had people reach out to me and I've made some amazing connections, facilitated some awesome meetings with researchers, philanthropists, and people who are doing some cool stuff in startups around tech because of these podcasts." [39:39]
He remains optimistic about future projects and the potential to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others.
Jeffrey Allen's journey from Beast Games winner to mission-driven philanthropist is a testament to the power of purpose and disciplined financial management. His story, as shared on Digital Social Hour, offers valuable insights into overcoming personal challenges, fostering meaningful relationships, and leveraging success to drive positive change. Jeffrey’s unwavering dedication to his son’s wellbeing and his proactive approach to combating a rare disease serve as an inspiring example for listeners seeking to make a difference in their own lives and communities.