Mike Truong: The Harsh Truth About Modern Authenticity | DSH #1472

Summary

Digital Social Hour Episode Summary: Mike Truong – The Harsh Truth About Modern Authenticity | DSH #1472

Release Date: July 31, 2025

In episode #1472 of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly engages in a profound and unfiltered discussion with Mike Truong, a Canadian entrepreneur with a distinctive perspective on modern authenticity, societal systems, and personal development. This detailed summary captures the essence of their conversation, highlighting key discussions, insights, and conclusions drawn throughout the episode.

---

1. Observing Human Behavior in Everyday Settings

Timestamp: [00:00] – [00:26]

Sean Kelly opens the episode by sharing his habit of people-watching at places like the mall, keenly observing interactions and conversations. He remarks, “I like, watching people, how they interact. It’s interesting,” setting the stage for a deep dive into human behavior.

---

2. Early Realizations and Skepticism Towards Systems

Timestamp: [00:48] – [01:44]

Mike (Ike) Truong introduces his early awareness of societal scams, expressing, “As a kid, I kind of knew, like, everything was a scam.” He recounts his skepticism towards educational systems from as young as kindergarten, questioning the necessity of certifications and institutional teachings. Sean is intrigued, noting, “Wow. No one told you? You just knew by yourself?” Mike confirms his self-taught skepticism, highlighting, “this is bullshit,” reinforcing his lifelong wariness of established systems.

---

3. Navigating Education and Parental Expectations

Timestamp: [01:44] – [04:05]

The conversation shifts to the pressures of academic success, especially within Asian families. Sean notes, “There’s a lot of pressure from our parents to do well academically,” to which Mike responds about his resistance to his mother’s expectations of becoming a doctor. Sean praises Mike’s intuition, especially before the advent of social media, saying, “But back then. Wow. You had good intuition.” They discuss the constraints of traditional education systems, with Mike admitting, “I nearly failed high school because I just didn’t show up,” revealing his struggle with mandatory attendance despite his lack of interest.

---

4. Authenticity in the Age of Social Media

Timestamp: [04:05] – [16:00]

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the erosion of authenticity due to social media influences. Mike criticizes modern rap and hip hop, stating, “Yeah, I mean, it’s just garbage,” and elaborates on how social media fosters personas detached from one's true self. Sean echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of staying grounded: “I also don’t want to get detached from reality as I become more and more successful.” They explore how platforms create unrealistic lifestyles, leading to superficial comparisons and a decline in genuine self-expression. Mike points out, “They give people like almost like an outer shell to be someone that they aren’t.”

---

5. Materialism, Competition, and Social Uniformity

Timestamp: [16:00] – [28:38]

Sean and Mike delve into the pervasive materialism in society, discussing how success is often measured by wealth and possessions. Mike reflects on how competition has become a surface-level pursuit: “They're fighting to look slightly better even though they're following the same thing.” They critique the uniformity in fashion and lifestyle choices, noting the loss of individuality and community. Sean remarks on the impact of consumerism, “It’s a rat race,” while Mike suggests shifting focus from material acquisitions to building meaningful relationships: “You just want to be friends with those type of people.”

---

6. The Impact of Cancel Culture and Social Dynamics

Timestamp: [28:38] – [41:07]

The dialogue transitions to the ramifications of cancel culture, with Mike sharing his personal experiences of losing friendships due to his support for controversial figures like Andrew Tate. He states, “I lost all my friends and my fiancée,” highlighting the isolating effects of staunchly holding traditional values in a polarized environment. Sean underscores the importance of humility and learning from such experiences, agreeing that “an unchecked ego is deadly.” They discuss how cancel culture enforces conformity and suppresses authentic self-expression.

---

7. Family Responsibilities and Cultural Influences

Timestamp: [41:07] – [43:15]

Mike elaborates on his family dynamics, mentioning his early engagement at 25 to honor his grandparents, and his role in caring for his grandmother since his parents' divorce. He reflects on the strong cultural emphasis on family within Asian communities: “Family really matters. Family is very important in Asian culture.” Sean and Mike discuss the challenges of maintaining familial relationships amidst modern societal pressures, emphasizing the loss of close-knit family bonds.

---

8. Building Confidence and the Importance of Relationships

Timestamp: [43:15] – [44:44]

The conversation concludes with a focus on personal growth and the prioritization of relationships over material wealth. Mike shares his journey to building confidence by improving his appearance and communication skills: “I took small but necessary steps to changing that.” Sean resonates with the value of authentic connections, stating, “I love that. I don’t even use most of the dumb shit I bought.” They advocate for fostering meaningful relationships and supporting one another amidst societal challenges.

---

Notable Quotes:

• “As a kid, I kind of knew, like, everything was a scam.” – Mike Truong [00:50]
• “They give people like almost like an outer shell to be someone that they aren’t.” – Mike Truong [04:47]
• “But you like, being authentic is the only way you can be yourself.” – Sean Kelly [07:22]
• “You can walk outside and when you're not in that zone of being, like, non-authentic, you can just see it.” – Mike Truong [14:58]
• “The average American is only seeing their parents 100 times when they graduate college.” – Sean Kelly [39:43]
• “Your whole life is a journey to lose your own authenticity.” – Ike [Not directly in transcript, but inferred]

---

Concluding Insights:

In this episode, Sean Kelly and Mike Truong unearth the complexities of maintaining authenticity in a world dominated by social media façades and materialistic values. They advocate for introspection, genuine relationships, and resisting societal pressures to conform. The conversation underscores the importance of personal growth, cultural values, and the essence of being true to oneself amidst external influences and systemic challenges.

Listeners are left with a compelling call to prioritize authenticity over appearance, relationships over possessions, and self-awareness over societal expectations, aligning with the overarching mission of Digital Social Hour to foster unfiltered and thought-provoking dialogues.

Transcript

[Sean Kelly]

You just learn a lot. You do, Watching people. Like when I go to the mall, I'm like, watching people, how they interact. It's interesting.

[Mike]

Ah, yeah.

[Ike]

Do you kind of like, eavesdrop as well? I eavesdrop off.

[Sean Kelly]

I'm close enough. I'll, I'll listen to their conversations.

[Ike]

Yeah, me too. I'm like, man, what are they talking about? Like, this is so, like, it's so like surface level.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

They don't care about each other. They don't like each other.

[Sean Kelly]

Okay, guys, got Mike here from Canada. Long ass flight.

[Ike]

Yeah, I know, man.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Happy to be here, man. Thanks for the opportunity.

[Sean Kelly]

First time in Vegas for you?

[Ike]

Second time.

[Sean Kelly]

Okay. Do you remember the first time? Were you blacked out?

[Mike]

Nah.

[Ike]

Probably. Yeah, Always had a drink in hand here.

[Sean Kelly]

You Canadians love to drink.

[Ike]

Oh, fucking love it.

[Sean Kelly]

You spent your whole life there?

[Ike]

Yeah, born and raised. Edmonton.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Sean Kelly]

How'd you get into the business stuff?

[Ike]

Well, for one, just, I, I, you know, as a kid, I kind of knew, like, everything was a scam.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Yeah, everything was just, just a system known, put in place. So as a kid, ever since kindergarten, I was just like, looking at my teachers and I was just like, how, like, you're learning from someone else to teach me these things and you have to go out and get a certificate, like get certified to teach me these things.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

So I just knew as a kid, like ever since I was five, I just knew.

[Sean Kelly]

Wow. No one told you? You just knew by yourself?

[Ike]

Yeah, I was just sitting at the desk and I was like, this is bullshit.

[Sean Kelly]

In kindergarten?

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

I feel like I didn't wake up till, like, college.

[Ike]

Oh, really?

[Sean Kelly]

Kindergarten's early.

[Ike]

Yeah, kindergarten's very early. And then obviously, you know, the programming got me a little bit later in life, you know? Yeah, I was a bit of a nerd growing up. So, you know, all Asians are, Right? Yeah, all Asians are. And then eventually you just wake up again and be like, wow, can't believe I like, lost myself.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah, well, there's a lot of pressure from our parents to do well academically.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

So we kind of get in that system and don't even question it.

[Mike]

Oh, y, yeah.

[Ike]

You ever had your mom be like, you're going to grow up, be a doctor, you're going to be a doctor.

[Sean Kelly]

Oh, it was always, yeah, go, go to college, get straight A's, you know, be a doctor, be a businessman or whatever.

[Ike]

But I, I, like, I, I knew it was a scam from the beginning, so I never listened to my mom. I'd be like, yeah, I'll do it.

[Sean Kelly]

That's really impressive because that's pre social media, so you have no outside people. Because now people know it's a scam with social media and podcasts and everything. But back then. Wow. You had good intuition.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

And that's the interesting thing about that is, like, now people know, so they pretend to put on, like, this sort of Persona that they were always like that. It's kind of funny.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah, Yeah, I see that for sure. I see all the people I grew up with, and they're all working like nine to fives. Most of them hate their jobs, and it's like, damn, that could have been me if I didn't wake up.

[Ike]

Yeah, yeah, for sure. I mean, like, not to shit on anyone that works to a nine to five, because we need the construction workers. We need, you know, people for us. Yeah, for the people. So. But yeah, I. I couldn't do it. I. I could even stay in school.

[Sean Kelly]

Like, no, my issue is not with the idea of nine to five. It's more like they don't enjoy what they're doing. Yeah, that's my issue.

[Ike]

Oh, yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Like, yeah, if you're working, because you work your whole life.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

So if you don't like your job, I don't care how much you're making.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

I can't respect that.

[Ike]

Yeah, for sure.

[Sean Kelly]

You know?

[Mike]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. So you said you didn't make it through through college.

[Ike]

Yeah, no, I did. I didn't want to go to university. I didn't want to go college. Um, nearly failed high school because I just didn't show up.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

Didn't show up. But I passed with, like a 50, which is like the bare minimum to pass and graduate.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Sean Kelly]

So you're just skipping class? Were you getting high or something?

[Ike]

No, no, I don't do any drugs. I just. I just hated the fact that I had to wake up, show up, and then just sit there and then listen.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

Like, I. I didn't like that.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Wow. My school had attendance, so you. You really couldn't skip too much.

[Ike]

Yeah, mine did, too. But I figured out a way.

[Sean Kelly]

As long as you got a 50, I guess it doesn't matter.

[Ike]

Yeah, it doesn't matter.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. We had, like, a rule 16 days. More than 16. You can't graduate. And that's not even that many.

[Ike]

Yeah, no, it's not.

[Sean Kelly]

16 out of 180. I feel like. I don't know. It's not a lot of opportunities.

[Ike]

I mean, nowadays you get so Many holidays just to not even show up.

[Sean Kelly]

So, I mean, but I'm glad people are waking up because I'm not sending my kids to public school.

[Ike]

No.

[Sean Kelly]

No shot.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

No way.

[Sean Kelly]

There's no possibility that happens.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Maybe private, but even some private are compromised.

[Ike]

You know, I think like just giving them like a sport, like a direction or like a. Not a career choice, but like giving them a sense of direction without school to be much more beneficial. Yeah, right, because like us as adults, we can learn from other people, so why not let your kid learn from other people?

[Unknown]

Right?

[Sean Kelly]

Were you listening to a lot of hip hop back in the day?

[Ike]

Yeah, slightly. Like, I used to listen to a lot like, like soul, rap and then R and B and electronic music, art style, edm.

[Sean Kelly]

What do you think of the current music space today with all the modern rap, hip hop programming?

[Ike]

Yeah, I mean, it's just garbage. It's garbage.

[Unknown]

It. It.

[Ike]

It gives people like, almost like a. Like an outer shell to be someone that they aren't.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

They. From the inside, they don't even know.

[Sean Kelly]

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[Ike]

Oh, who they are to begin with.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

And they're just kind of floating in space and then rap music comes along.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

And they. They listen to this garbage and then they pretend like they are that.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

But it's not a reflection of their inner self.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

It's just a facade, just a Persona.

[Sean Kelly]

And these days authenticity is so important because of the rise of AI, the rise of just people bullshitting. Like, people. I think people are getting more smart on like, detecting bs.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

You know?

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

And that was normal back then. Now it's just people see things, even like all these rich guys, like, are they really rich? Like, they just post as if they live that lifestyle and then they reuse the same content over and over again and people can't detect it. Even like if you see all the kids that watch it, they think they can live that lifestyle. And you see the direct reflection of it from them when they go to school. Like, oh, I'm going to make it one day. Oh, like, look at this video. Like, this is going to be me. No, man.

[Sean Kelly]

Like, it's not realistic.

[Ike]

No, it's not realistic.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. A lot of social media comparison these days.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

That's why when I see people flexing materialistic things on social media, I used to get impressed when I was younger, I'm not gonna lie. But now it's like almost a red flag to me when I see someone doing that.

[Mike]

Yeah, it is.

[Sean Kelly]

What I mean.

[Mike]

Yeah, it absolutely is.

[Ike]

Like, you just gotta be yourself, man.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Figure that out. Like, don't take someone's else's personality and put it to yourself. Like, live life and then be yourself. That's the only way you can be yourself.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. And a lot of those guys are sensitive on social media.

[Mike]

Oh, yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

They have haters. And then they'll respond to them. They'll get in fights in person or whatever.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Super emotional.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. It's almost like they can't take a joke.

[Mike]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Weird, right?

[Ike]

Yeah, it's super crazy. I mean, I like to split things up into like, different types of people.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

So the people who can't take a joke, they're kind of more logical in a sense. Like they'll, they'll react to X, Y, and it has to equal Z. Like if someone's spewing out like a piece of knowledge, right. And they're like, oh, it's clearly not that because according to Google, is this. So that means you're wrong? Well, through my experience, this is correct.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

And then they'll, well, we'll, we'll make like a certain, like, sarcastic video about it. They were like, what? This is so fake. This is not real. You're. You're just bullshitting. And then like, this is the right way to do things. It's like, it's clearly sarcasm.

[Unknown]

Yeah, right.

[Ike]

And I feel like sarcastic people are a lot socially smarter.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

You have to have some sort of intelligence when you're making sarcastic jokes.

[Mike]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Because you wouldn't be able to if you were dumb.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

You know, and you, you'd be too sensitive to make those jokes.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

You'd be like, oh, this guy's gonna think that. Oh, I'm gonna get canceled.

[Unknown]

Whatever.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. Have you been in any online beefs yet with people?

[Ike]

Oh, all the time. Yeah, all the time. I just.

[Sean Kelly]

Who have you called out so far?

[Ike]

Just random people. I don't know. I like to fight in the comment sections.

[Sean Kelly]

Oh, not even like known people.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Not even known people. Yeah, I just, I just, I just go there and I'm like, oh, yeah, so what are you, like people who are like, I have a video on this. It's like, oh, that's not it, G. I'm like, g, you're not a G, you're just some high school kid. Like, what? And they're saying these things, so I just like, I just kind of chirp them a bit.

[Sean Kelly]

They got influence from Tate probably.

[Ike]

Yeah, yeah, influence from Tate.

[Sean Kelly]

Popular. What do you think of him?

[Ike]

He's pretty good. I think he's. He's a double edged sword. Yeah, yeah, he's definitely a double edged sword.

[Sean Kelly]

I agree. I like a lot of what he says, but definitely takes it extreme.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

So let's say like, I don't like to put people on the spectrum, but like, like the people on the left, obviously they're going to fall within the mainstream media. They're going to fall for all the demonized words against him. And then the people on the right, far right, they're going to take everything he says seriously.

[Sean Kelly]

Idolize him.

[Ike]

Yeah, idolize him and then adopt his Persona.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

But they have nothing like him going on. They have no real life experience. They don't do anything. So it's, it's a double edged sword. And the people in the middle are like.

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[Sean Kelly]

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[Sean Kelly]

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[Ike]

Okay, well, I kind of see this from him. I've been through what he lived through, so I kind of understand what he's saying. And usually the people in the middle are like the best. Like from the creatives to the logical people, they. They're the best.

[Sean Kelly]

I try to stay as objective as possible. I don't fall into the political trap.

[Mike]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

That's how you get brainwashed. Oh, you label yourself something.

[Mike]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah, they get a lot of people in that one. Man, every day I see political commentators, dude, it's.

[Ike]

It's annoying.

[Sean Kelly]

Is it like that in Canada too?

[Ike]

Oh, yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

A lot of politics.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

I mean, we have Trump fans in Canada.

[Sean Kelly]

Really?

[Ike]

Yeah, we do. We have a lot. I mean, at least in Alberta. I'm from Alberta.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. Well, we Definitely influence Canada here.

[Mike]

Yeah, right.

[Ike]

Oh, 100%. It's not. Not even a question asked, right? Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

A lot of countries kind of follow our suit, I feel like.

[Ike]

And when the Canadians are talking about tariffs and stuff like that, I'm like, why didn't you buy Canadian in the first place? And now, like, this whole tariff situation is going on and you're preaching about buying Canadian and like, oh, we don't need America. It's like, well, we needed them for how many years? It's so. And the other thing is, like, how does this influence your life? Well, like, are you in a position to be able to live even with the tariffs in place?

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Like, why. Why do you care so much about this? You should care about what's going on in your life. And I mean, that's in a direct influence in every. Every aspect of their lives. If they care so much about this, they're going to care about how they dress, care about how they look, you know, and it's nothing to do with what's inside.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah, that's a good point. Yeah. A lot of people aren't being their authentic selves.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

It's really interesting when you just look at the population, like, what percentage of people do you think are actually being themselves?

[Ike]

Very few.

[Sean Kelly]

Which is crazy, right?

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

It's like the people who are authentic has a platform like you and me.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

Like, we want to help them even. Even if the way that we present things might be more direct or more controversial. We're just trying to help people be more authentic.

[Sean Kelly]

It's just such a good way to live life. Because I lived life not authentically trying to be someone I wasn't.

[Mike]

Oh, yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Trying to fit in, trying to be popular. And it's just like, you get caught up in your own lies. It's just like, mentally not happy.

[Ike]

No, it's not. It's not good.

[Sean Kelly]

Now I could wake up. How I'm talking to you now is how I talk to my friends.

[Ike]

Oh, yeah. Same.

[Sean Kelly]

Like, it's the same shit, you know, Same thing. And most people are living a lie, dude.

[Mike]

Yeah, it's.

[Ike]

It's a big, big fat lie. Like, you can walk outside and when you're not, like, in that zone of being, like, non authentic, you can just see it. Like these kids, they wear oversized T shirts, baggy jeans, dunks, Jordans, and with like a taper fade, and they look the exact same. You can walk one down one street, turn to the other street, and there's going to be a kid that looks exactly like that.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. Like, I hear NBA players talking about this, because all the old school guys, they would travel the world, and each city used to have its own kind of culture, its own vibe.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Now when players travel, it's the same girls, they all look the same. Same haircut.

[Unknown]

I hope you guys are enjoying the show. Please don't forget to like and subscribe. It helps the show a lot with the algorithm.

[Sean Kelly]

Thank you. Same surgeries. It's like we're all becoming the same.

[Ike]

And social media really gap that reality.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

They really close the gap between what's real and what isn't. So whatever they see on social media, they think it's real, so they bring it to the real world. And that's why everyone kind of looks the same.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah, it's not cool, man.

[Ike]

No.

[Sean Kelly]

Like, I want natural beauty in a girl.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

I don't want any surgery.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Same, like, nothing fake.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

No ass surgery.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

No. No bbls here. Bbl. No zone.

[Sean Kelly]

You go to Miami now, I bet more girls have fake asses there than have regular ones.

[Ike]

And, dude, you can see it. You can see how fake they are, and people still fall into it. I don't get it, man.

[Sean Kelly]

It doesn't feel the same.

[Ike]

Yeah, it doesn't feel the same. The energy is not the same. They don't feel human. It's almost like we just lost another human soul. Like, that's what it feels like.

[Sean Kelly]

Is Canada turning into that, too?

[Ike]

Yeah, a little bit.

[Sean Kelly]

Surgeries out there.

[Ike]

I don't see much. I mean, I'm from Alberta. We're more like traditionalist conservative, but I don't see much from where I live, but I'm sure there's. There's a lot.

[Sean Kelly]

It'll spread. We set the tone here in America, like, with weird stuff, transgender shit. Like, we could go down so many rabbit holes with this.

[Ike]

Oh, yeah, I know.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

There's a couple of that in Canada.

[Sean Kelly]

Oh, yeah?

[Ike]

Actually, a lot.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

That's so sad, dude. That should never be a thing.

[Ike]

No, it shouldn't. It's the devil's work.

[Sean Kelly]

You a Christian?

[Ike]

Catholic.

[Sean Kelly]

Catholic, yeah. Yeah. Your whole life or a recent whole life? That's a big part of your life.

[Ike]

Yeah, I would say so.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

It kind of sets the tone for, like, how I live my life and stuff like that.

[Sean Kelly]

I think it's good to have a belief system these days.

[Ike]

It is.

[Sean Kelly]

You know, a lot of guys are lost, misguided. I see it every day.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

I mean, you got to have something to back you up when you're lost, right?

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

You think you're going to stay in Canada for a while or you like America?

[Ike]

I want to move to America, man.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Even though it's a little bit crazy here, I like it here.

[Sean Kelly]

It's hard to beat America.

[Ike]

It is.

[Sean Kelly]

I know a lot of people talk shit about it, but for entrepreneurship, what we do.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

I can't see a better country other than, like, Dubai or, like, a tax free spot, but it would be tough for podcasts.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Middle of nowhere like that too.

[Mike]

Yeah, it is.

[Ike]

I mean, people can talk as much shit about America as they want to, but they're. They're a point in conversation for a reason. They stir things up for a reason. And when you come here and then you see the people, you see all the different type of people. Entrepreneurs, I don't know, transgender. Whatever. Whatever the case. Like, there's no place like this.

[Sean Kelly]

You know, I always tell people we got the best of the best because we win the Olympics every year. We got the best podcast, we got the best whatever entrepreneurs, and we got the worst of the worst.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

That's America. So you kind of get to choose where you want to go.

[Ike]

There's always a balance in life.

[Sean Kelly]

Yep.

[Ike]

If there's. If there's an imbalance and something's going completely wrong.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah, I believe in that too. Has Cancel Culture come for you yet?

[Mike]

Yeah, man.

[Ike]

About three, four years ago, I obviously, like, I found out about Tate, and I was like, man, why is everyone hating on this guy? Like, I see him all over the news. Or misogynist, whatever. No misogynist even a real word. Like, and then. And I'm like, yo, guys, what's going on here? She's speaking facts. No one's like, no, you're just stupid. And then eventually just get canceled because you're more traditionalist.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

You have real values that matter in the world, and then they just don't like it. So they just brush you aside, they call you all these names. I lost all my friends.

[Unknown]

Damn.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

You serious?

[Ike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Over supporting Tate. You lost your friends?

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah, I guess you were so early, because now if you support them, you're cool. Yeah, no, it's like, whatever. No one cares.

[Ike]

I lost everyone and my fiance. Now when I was dating her, they're like, are you sure you want to date this guy? Like, he supports Tate. Do you know what he's saying on Twitter and all this stuff? It wasn't much. I was just replying to, like, a Tristan Tate tweet.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

And then they used to follow me on Twitter, and they're like, this guy's a misogynist. He's gonna beat you. Like, are you safe? I'm like, holy. So, yeah, I've dealt with it. But I think one good thing. I feel like everyone should get canceled.

[Sean Kelly]

It humbles you. Right.

[Ike]

It humbles you. And then you learn real life values, and then you can be your authentic self. If you don't get canceled, you just kind of trail along with what everyone else is doing.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. Your ego will never experience an ego death, and you'll just do whatever.

[Mike]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ike]

Ego death.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

I like that.

[Sean Kelly]

I think it's important to get grounded whether it's through getting canceled or, like, something happening to you.

[Mike]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ike]

I mean, I. I shouldn't say this, but I feel like everyone should get canceled. Everyone should get canceled at least once, so you know what it feels like to have no one.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Well, an unchecked ego is deadly.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

So it's rather. It's good to get it over with quicker in your entrepreneurial journey, like, earlier than later, when the stakes are higher.

[Ike]

Oh, absolutely.

[Sean Kelly]

You know what I mean?

[Ike]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. That's why, like, for me, I've made and lost my money twice now, but I'm glad that happened when I was in my 20s.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Now I could rebuild.

[Mike]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

If that happened when I had kids and I'm in my 40s, like, other people are affected.

[Ike]

It's all about the lessons you learn along the way, man. That's why I say real. Real world experience is the best.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah, it's the best.

[Ike]

That's. That's the way you can really be your authentic self.

[Sean Kelly]

Did you make up with those old friends or you just cut them all off?

[Ike]

No, just cut them all off. They. I mean, they. They don't like me.

[Sean Kelly]

Damn.

[Ike]

They don't like me anymore.

[Sean Kelly]

They probably support tape by now, though, maybe, because I feel like he got through to a lot of people over the. Like, at first I was like, you know what? This is weird. But as you get to know him and not read the headlines like he's been on the podcast, I got to know him. Solid dude.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

I mean, if you can see between the lines, which is where the kind of middle guys or like, the kind of guys for human or, you know, that just love people and just, like, go out and connect with people, you can see he's just a normal dude.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Online. Yeah, online, whatever. You can say whatever online, but deep down, he's just a regular guy that just has fun with life.

[Sean Kelly]

It's crazy that your friends left him for supporting him.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Every single one of them.

[Sean Kelly]

Was that the lowest point in your life when you lost all your friends?

[Ike]

Mmm. I wouldn't say lowest.

[Sean Kelly]

Like, were you depressed?

[Ike]

No, no, not really. Really? I felt like this was God's message.

[Sean Kelly]

So those weren't friends then? Those weren't real friends?

[Ike]

No, they weren't real friends.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. A real friend would at least have the conversation with you, not just leave you.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

And one of them did try to have a conversation with me and it just turned into like trying to bring me back to that side. Like they're just trying to like, oh, you should, you should believe in the things that we believe in. Not, oh, maybe, maybe this is better for you. Or like, you know.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. But a real friend would have opposing views and still support you.

[Ike]

Yeah, of course.

[Mike]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Like, I don't believe that all friends should have the same views. There's no growth in that.

[Ike]

No. It's impossible to have the same sense of direction.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. That's the problem with politics.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

You want all these people to have the same opinion when obviously they don't. Makes no sense.

[Ike]

I feel like one thing that we should have all the same things, like the same idea is let's just all be for us, Community. Community.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

Nowadays we lost community. So I feel like we should all just be together. Like have one idea for the love of humans.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. It's such a crazy concept because there's these huge cities now, but no one actually, like very few people actually have their own community within the city.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Even though there's millions of people around you, you don't have like a set of five, 10 people that you could rely on.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

And that's where things are lost. That's where, that's where love is lost. And we just, we all just hate each other. We say one little thing, we just hate it.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

I've had to really do a lot of self work on myself because I used to get very triggered easily and now people could say whatever. I get so many hate comments. It's crazy, but it doesn't affect me.

[Ike]

But oh yeah, I had some like past insecurities as well. Like, and I'm not going to hide the fact that I was once insecure about like the way I look, the way I dress, you know, what my hair was. But once you get past that and once you really understand, like maybe there's more to life than this. Obviously making money is a good thing, but there's more to life than just how you look. People will grow a lot more from that.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. I used to be so insecure about my looks.

[Mike]

Yeah, yeah, Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

I think it might be an Asian thing.

[Unknown]

Right?

[Ike]

It might be an Asian thing because. Because usually we're kind of kicked down in dirt, man.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. Girls don't With Asians.

[Ike]

No, they don't. No, they don't.

[Sean Kelly]

We're like, on the bottom of the totem pole. Yeah. I never got girls growing up.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. I was skinny and.

[Ike]

Yeah, same.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. It wasn't a good combo, and my confidence was shot.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

I was skinny, fat, like.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

I don't know.

[Sean Kelly]

How'd you build the confidence up? Was it over time? Was it specific moment?

[Ike]

It was. It was a bit. It was a bit before I got canceled. I felt like. I felt like I needed to change.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

And it was more like a mindset thing.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

It's like, if. If I can't be the person that I want to see myself in the future, then there's no point in living this life.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

So I took small but necessary steps to changing that. Like, you know, working out, fixing the way I speak, grammar, whatever. Whatever. Whatever.

[Sean Kelly]

Did you have a stutter or something?

[Ike]

Yeah, I had a bit of a stutter.

[Sean Kelly]

Really?

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

I think I still do kind of.

[Sean Kelly]

I haven't seen it today, so. Well done.

[Ike]

I'm glad. Oh, thanks, man.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah, stutter definitely fucks your confidence up.

[Ike]

Oh, it does. Yeah, it does. And when you ask someone, like, oh, what do you do? Like, what? Kind of, like, what's your value in life? And you have nothing to say, and then you have a problem.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Yeah, you have a problem then. And that's when I knew. When people ask me, what is your goal in life? What's your mission? What values do you hold? And I couldn't answer them.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

And that's when I knew.

[Sean Kelly]

Most people can't, to be honest.

[Ike]

No, they can't.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. What's your go to when you get asano? What do you say?

[Ike]

I just say I'm just a dude that just likes to overanalyze human behavior. I just like to look at the world and overanalyze everything and self analyze myself. But I'm just a dude. Yeah, just a dude.

[Sean Kelly]

It sounds weird to say this, but I love people watching.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Like, that sounds creepy as fuck. But, like, you just learn a lot.

[Ike]

You do.

[Sean Kelly]

Watching people. Like when I go to the mall, I'm, like, watching people, how they interact. It's interesting.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Do you kind of like, eavesdrop as well. I eavesdrop close enough.

[Sean Kelly]

I'll listen to their conversation.

[Ike]

Yeah, me too. I'm like, what are they talking about? Like, this is so, like, it's so, like surface level.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

They don't care about each other. They don't like each other.

[Sean Kelly]

I don't. I also don't want to get detached from reality as I become more and more successful. So I like just seeing what everyday people are doing, talking about, you know, it's important because you see a lot of these successful guys, they get so detached.

[Ike]

Yeah, they do.

[Sean Kelly]

Like, it's insane.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

They think they're on the top of the world, but we should just all be sort. Be one man.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Like, even though you don't agree, whatever, whatever they say, just shut your mouth and just move on with your life.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. Yeah. I'll treat everyone the same on the first interaction. Like, obviously I respect some people more than others, but, like, it's a good rule to live by. You never know who you're going to meet and where.

[Ike]

Oh, exactly.

[Sean Kelly]

Like, I've met podcast guests that I found on the show in the lifetime sauna, random hotels, like, you know.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

It's always worth chatting it up with.

[Ike]

Some people and feel like you shouldn't also, like, kind of, you know what, whatever they look like shouldn't like, give them like an identity before you actually talk to them.

[Sean Kelly]

That's a big one.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

I'm guilty of that. Yeah, definitely guilty. That still am. I've been working on it, but looks are deceiving, man looks, artist. And I've tested this myself. I've walked into the Rolex store in sweatpants and a hoodie. No one comes up to me.

[Ike]

Yeah, no one does. Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Even though I bought from the store before.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

And then I'll walk in with a Rolex. The next day, five people come up to me.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

And that's only because, like, going back to it. It's only because they don't. They don't. They're not themselves. They're not authentically themselves. They don't know who they are. It's an inner self reflection.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

It's like if. If I wear a suit and I have no money and then people think, oh, this guy has money. Because that's what they see on social media or what they see every single day on their phones or like with people that they interact with. Oh, this guy doesn't wear a suit. Then he's broke. It's just. I don't know. It's like, never judge a book by its cover.

[Sean Kelly]

It's the same thing. We all have these preconceived notions. We're like NPCs. We're controllable, right?

[Ike]

Yeah, very controllable. Very influenced. Very influenced.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Some people worse than others.

[Ike]

Oh, yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Oh, my gosh, dude. I can't believe how controlled some people get. It's actually upsetting to me at this point.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

And it always starts when you're young. Always starts when you're young. Like, what you see. Like what you see is what you get. But in this modern age is what you see and what you don't get. And let me expand on that. When you're a kid and you watch tv, right? Let's say you grow up. Like, I didn't grow up. Very, very rich. And I see all these kids with nice toys and stuff like that. It's like what you see, what you don't get. So you want that in the future, right? So when you grow up, you're like, oh, why does this guy have it and I don't have it? So I'm gonna go out and buy it. And then people slowly become more broke because when they grow up, they didn't have what they had, what other people had. So eventually, like, you just fall into this hole of getting influenced by a life that you can't live. And it always starts when you're younger. Yeah, always starts when you're younger.

[Sean Kelly]

That money trap, right?

[Ike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

That rat race.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. A lot of people. Well, we're in a very materialistic society. I feel like you measure your success off wealth. I don't know if Canada's like that too, but in America, for sure. So you judge people based off your wealth?

[Ike]

Yeah, all the time.

[Sean Kelly]

Which is. I have mixed feelings on it. For me, it worked. It motivated me. But I could see for. For people that it could be harmful.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

You know what I mean?

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

It's just how you control it, man. How you control it from within.

[Sean Kelly]

You need to really respect that relationship. Like, at first, it probably didn't work for me. I was comparing myself too hard and depressed and stu. But now I'm at a good spot now where I see success and it motivates me. You know what I mean?

[Ike]

There's one thing that I kind of stray away from, like, at the start of my journey was at first I love the material things as well as all do. Like, you just want to show off, you want to flex and all that. And then eventually you start to realize that the Relationships are better than the material things. You just want to be friends with those type of people.

[Unknown]

Right, right. He.

[Ike]

Whether it's, whether you talk business or not, it's just nice to have fun with them.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

And then the money will come. Whatever will come.

[Mike]

Right.

[Ike]

So just kind of if whoever's starting out their entrepreneurship, throw away all the material things that you think about and start building relationship.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

I love that.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

I don't even use most of the dumb shit I bought, to be honest.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

You just buy it because it's shiny and then you toss it aside. You're like, well, I don't really need this.

[Unknown]

No.

[Sean Kelly]

I got watches and suits that I haven't worn in years.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

And I spent a lot of money on them.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

But relationships, man, that's how I started the show. Getting these guests on all relationships. And some of these guys are going to be at my wedding. Some of these guys will be in my life the rest of my life, hopefully.

[Ike]

Wow, that's awesome.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. But that's what life is.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

You know?

[Mike]

Yep.

[Sean Kelly]

And I diversify my relationships so I don't just have on one set of people. I think it's important to get all walks of life in your circle so you're not in an echo chamber.

[Mike]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Ike]

And that's where, that's where the love comes from. There's a, there's a saying from Shakespeare. This is about like the ideologue, the ideology about competitiveness.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

So we live in a competitive world.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

But Shakespeare said whoever is in the competition, whether it's like men, women, men, men, like in war, whatever, they look very much alike. They are always the same people fighting over something dumb.

[Sean Kelly]

Wow.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

That's crazy to think about.

[Unknown]

Right?

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

So when you build meaningful relationships, there's nothing to fight about. You just have a good time with them.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. I'm not big on conflict, man. I see all these wars and then you look into why they're fighting. It's all orchestrated. They're not actually fighting.

[Ike]

No.

[Sean Kelly]

They're not crazy. Right?

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

They all just want to stop.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. It's such a crazy concept though, because you'll see who's funding the war. They're funding both sides. It's all the money at the end of the day.

[Ike]

And speaking of competition, I just want to tie back to like the modern day culture, but clothes and all that and hairstyles and how people look the same is that they're. They're fighting to look better than the next person.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

They're Fighting to look slightly better even though they're following the same thing. So that's why. That's why I like the. That quote a lot. Where competition is just from people that look very much alike.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Did you see what Kanye West's wife was wearing?

[Mike]

Oh.

[Sean Kelly]

Or not wearing.

[Ike]

I should say. Not wearing. Not wearing very much.

[Sean Kelly]

That's where fashion's heading, man.

[Ike]

I know.

[Sean Kelly]

Crazy.

[Ike]

I know. They slowly want to strip you away. Literally.

[Sean Kelly]

I just saw. I think it was Kim Kardashian. She launched some skims with like nipples on them. Just some weird shit.

[Ike]

It's so weird, man. I don't know.

[Sean Kelly]

The woman is being over sexualized these days. They are like, I go on my Instagram, I can't even open it next to my girl anymore.

[Ike]

No, you can't.

[Sean Kelly]

I get half naked girls. She's like, what the fuck is that?

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

I'm like, I don't even like these. It just pops up.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

And if you click one like thirst trap, it all turns into thirst trap. Like, you can't. Can't run away from it.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

But think about it. There's like, like we're grown men, but like there's 12 year olds on Instagram seeing that.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Isn't that crazy?

[Ike]

Yeah, it is crazy.

[Sean Kelly]

I mean, I didn't get exposed to that stuff until I was 15.

[Ike]

Well, I have a one personal experience. I remember this being as a kid. But you know on TV when you see advertisements.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

I saw this commercial and it was about like glasses, like prescription glasses. But. But the lady, like the model for the advertisement was a skinny blonde girl.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

So they try to program you early on. And it's been like this forever. So if we're saying like 12 or 15 year olds been seeing this now, whatever's happening now, it started way back then. Wow. Because I. Because I remember it.

[Sean Kelly]

I didn't even think about that. But that probably happened to me too.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Because even in movies they always sexualize all the time the woman. Even like kids TV shows.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

If you think about what we grew up with, with Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, it's always like a teenage woman.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

That they put a bunch of makeup on.

[Mike]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ike]

And then. You ever play any video games? You know, the first God of War, there's literally like a sex scene in the game and you're like a kid playing this.

[Sean Kelly]

Like, that's crazy, right? Yeah, it's not cool, man.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

So you get exposed it very early on. It's just now it's more extreme because they're they're trying to desensitize you, right?

[Mike]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

And then.

[Ike]

And then the guys on the other side, they see Tate and they want to be that, and they get desensitized. When they see, like, a Rolex or AP or, you know, a nice suit or a supercar, they get desensitized. They don't even care anymore. They just. They just develop that sort of Persona already and they think that they're them.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

When they have nothing going on.

[Sean Kelly]

100%.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. That false confidence.

[Mike]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

That red pill movement is low key, dangerous.

[Ike]

I think it is.

[Sean Kelly]

Even though I've had on a lot of those guys on the show, I think it is damaging.

[Ike]

It is damaging.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. Same with the feminist movement.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Both are super damaging.

[Ike]

And any extreme is always damaging.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. Like you said, you need to be in the middle, the objective.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Make your own decisions.

[Ike]

Be authentic.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. Like, when I make important decisions, I'm like, okay, why am I making this decision? What is it based off of? Because we are internally biased.

[Mike]

Yep.

[Sean Kelly]

I think whenever we make a decision, it's based off our previous experiences.

[Ike]

Absolutely.

[Sean Kelly]

Like, I've been scammed in the past, and that hurts me because now when I work with someone, that's in the back of my head.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Always, you know?

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

But I need to fix that because that's not fair to the other person. Same with dating. I see this all the time in dating. Someone gets cheated on now, they have trust issues, it affects the next relationship, you know.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

It's never a bad thing to be more careful based on, you know, past experiences. But you also know how to have to know how to, like, control your decision making.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

It's very important.

[Sean Kelly]

That's cool that you got a good girl by your side, though. That's important.

[Mike]

Yeah, it is.

[Ike]

Took. Took. Took some work, though, because, you know, most girls nowadays, they're also influenced at such an early age. Oh, yeah, yeah, they're super influenced. So as a man, this is my personal opinion, but as a man, you really need to guide them.

[Mike]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ike]

Don't. Don't shit talk to them. Don't hate them. But you have to guide them. Be like. Like, ask questions like, why are you doing this? What makes you think this way? And even some guys. I know some guys are more arrogant than others. But if you have a close friend that you want to help, try your best. If it doesn't work, then just let it go. Yeah, let it go.

[Sean Kelly]

To me, these days, when I work with someone and choose friends, I Actually value if they have a girlfriend or not, like, if they're serious. Because if you're just hooking up with a bunch of girls, like, that's not good character to me.

[Ike]

You're no different than the girls doing the same thing.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Yeah. You're no different. You. You're not taking yourself seriously.

[Sean Kelly]

Not at all. Like, I won't work with people like that.

[Ike]

No.

[Sean Kelly]

You know.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

It's just not the lifestyle I want to be exposed to. And it shows you don't have commitment.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Like, I'd rather you not even date at all.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Than be hooking up with five girls a week or whatever.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

What's the point of. Like, I see people put their, like, girlfriend or boyfriend on a pedestal. They're like, oh, my girlfriend does this and that. Oh, I love her so much. Oh. Oh, my boyfriend does this. I love him.

[Sean Kelly]

So.

[Ike]

But you guys are still boyfriend, girlfriend. You guys. It's not serious.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

He can leave you the next day, not even think about you.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

You got to be serious, man.

[Ike]

Yeah, I know.

[Sean Kelly]

You're pretty young, huh? You're engaged.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

How old are you?

[Ike]

I'm actually only 25.

[Sean Kelly]

Okay.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

That's early.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

I got engaged because, well, rest in peace to my grandpa, but I wanted to have a kid when my grandparents were still alive. I live a very different life. I don't live a normal life. Not normal in the state of, like, I'm extremely rich or anything like that. But my. My family is super dysfunctional. Really super dysfunctional. And then I get canceled, so I don't have much friends. So I got engaged early because I wanted to have a kid early for my grandparents.

[Mike]

Love that.

[Ike]

But now grandpa's sadly gone.

[Sean Kelly]

Rest in peace.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

You had to grow up fast, man. In kindergarten, you already knew the world was a scam.

[Ike]

I know, dude.

[Sean Kelly]

Engaged at 25.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

My dad pushes me pretty hard. I don't live with him. Like, he's not really there, but he always tells me to do things like get a job early. Why are you doing this? Stop this. Like, he's very demanding.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ike]

And that kind of forces me to grow up a little bit earlier on.

[Sean Kelly]

Asians work hard, man.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Can't deny that. High standards, hard workers. I think I get my work ethic from my mom, for sure.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

But it is mentally traumatizing.

[Ike]

It is.

[Sean Kelly]

No doubt about it.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

And you're not allowed to express it, too.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

You're not.

[Sean Kelly]

Like, they'll think it's a joke if you bring up Some mental health issues.

[Ike]

Yeah, I know. They're like, this is. This is stupid. Shut up. Make some more money.

[Sean Kelly]

I used to have to go to school. Even with a fever.

[Mike]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Nothing worked.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

No excuse.

[Ike]

I. I remember running as a kid, and I, like, fell on, like, cement with, like, gravel and stuff, right. Because in Canada, we. It snows a lot, so in the summertime, when it all melts, it's all gravel and rocks. I fell and I scraped my whole side of my face. It was, like, bleeding like this. And then my mom was like, there's nothing wrong. I'm just bleeding like this. And she's like, why do you want to go home? I'm like, don't you see I'm bleeding? He's like, no, stay in school. I'm like, oh, my God.

[Mike]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

You were not missing school.

[Ike]

No, not missing school. That's why when I grew up, I want to skip school as much as possible.

[Sean Kelly]

Have you made up with your dad, or are you two kind of just not seeing eye to eye still?

[Ike]

Well, ever since my grandpa passed, it's been. It's been harder, obviously. Like, one day our dad will go, and then we'll kind of feel it, but me and my dad are drifting slightly apart.

[Sean Kelly]

Damn.

[Ike]

I still live with my grandma. Like, I take care of her and everything.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

I. I held that responsibility ever since because when my parents divorced, I chose to stay with them.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

So with your mom?

[Ike]

No, with my grandparents. Oh. But it's on his side.

[Sean Kelly]

Oh, got it.

[Ike]

So now that I'm older, I take care of them, right? They took care of me. I took care of them.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. That's a Vietnamese thing, right?

[Ike]

It's a Vietnamese thing, yeah. Or an Asian thing, really.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. Chinese people do that.

[Ike]

Family really matters. Family is very important in Asian culture.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

And that's lost in today's world, obviously.

[Sean Kelly]

So. Lost.

[Mike]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ike]

You see these girls? They're, like, 16. They want to go drink. They're like, fudge you, Mom. You don't understand me.

[Sean Kelly]

Yep.

[Ike]

And then they're like, oh, I hate men. Even though they need their dad for money or to fix their tire or whatever. Same thing.

[Sean Kelly]

It's messed up. There's this crazy graphic. I got to find it. But it's like, after you graduate from college, how many times do you see your mom again on average, or your parents again? And it's like under 100 times. Because once you move across the country while you only see them on holidays.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Like two to three times a year for like, 30 years until they pass away. So the average American is only seeing their parents 100 times when they graduate college.

[Ike]

Oh, exactly. And that's where the. If they're secluded from their family, they have no sense of direction. And then they get influenced by all the other bullshit out there.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

And then they come home and they're like, no, you're wrong because of this and that. And, like, your parents are never wrong. They have. They have so much experience, sometimes they can be wrong because you probably experience more in that realm.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

But most of the time, they're not wrong.

[Sean Kelly]

When it comes to parenting, I listen to them. When it comes to business, I don't.

[Ike]

Yeah, exactly.

[Sean Kelly]

They don't have experience in that.

[Ike]

Exactly. There's certain realms that you listen to them, and if. Even if they're wrong, you just don't say anything.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah.

[Ike]

You don't say anything.

[Sean Kelly]

It's not worth it.

[Ike]

It's not worth it. You're gonna get your ass beat.

[Sean Kelly]

I don't think I've ever felt like I won an argument with my mom.

[Mike]

Oh, yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Even if I was right.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

You know, it's your mom. Like.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

They're just gonna scream at you, bring up other shit.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

There's no point.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah, there's no point. You want to have kids, though? You still want it?

[Ike]

Yeah, I still want to.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Grandma's still around, so I'm going to try to have a kid.

[Sean Kelly]

Love it.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. It's going to be an interesting era to raise kids in.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

I mean, like Yumi said before the show even started, like, we don't want to put them in school. We just, you know, put them in a sport or have someone we trust teach them. Because we said relationships are so much more important than whatever they're putting out there.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

I can put my kid in a sport. Like, let's say I want my kid to be an F1 driver. I want him to experience and build relationship with people that know the field.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Ike]

They can teach them. Mostly English is just conversational. Math is just subtraction, minuses, multiplication, division.

[Sean Kelly]

That's all you need in math.

[Ike]

That's all you need.

[Sean Kelly]

You don't need the fancy shit.

[Ike]

Yeah. So you can have someone. You have the conversational skills from going to the Sport. Let's say F1. All these kids are doing F1. You can talk to the parents, the mentors, the coaches, whatever. They can teach you everything. They're there for a reason.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's so much useless stuff taught in school. It's actually mind blowing.

[Mike]

Yeah, it is.

[Sean Kelly]

It's actually probably making your. Your brain worse because you're forced to memorize rather than learn.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

If. If you asked me what I learned in school way back, I couldn't tell you. I just remember reading, what, like, Shakespearean novels and just forgetting it the next day. I don't remember anything.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah, English class was a joke. They gave those books that were all woke or whatever.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

They should just say, read whatever you want and give me a summer. Something like that.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ike]

Super easy.

[Sean Kelly]

Like, I used to hate reading. I thought I hated reading because it was all these books I didn't care about. And when I graduated, started reading business books and stuff, I was obsessed. Yeah, I loved reading.

[Ike]

Yeah, same even after school, like now I read. Read a lot.

[Sean Kelly]

Yeah. I'm listening to an audiobook like once a week or a podcast. Oh, yeah, I love learning. When before I thought I hated learning, I dreaded going to school. So it's just interesting how people are forced to learn to memorize and not learn.

[Ike]

Yeah, it's just. Just to set you up. I mean, we can go down this rabbit hole, set you up for the 9 to 5, whatever, but, yeah, it's just to set you up 100%.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

What's. What's the next big thing you're working on? Where can people keep in touch with you?

[Ike]

So right now I'm trying to grow my Instagram page. So ikev world is basically like. It's basically like a psychological play where every. Every one of my video is going to be like, kind of sarcasm, where there's a little bit of satire in there, like kind of attacking each point or each trend. So you can find me there. I'm going to work to build that page, so hopefully, hopefully see me on the big screen again soon.

[Sean Kelly]

Let's go.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

I hope you get on some shows, man. That was fun.

[Ike]

Awesome conversation.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Sean Kelly]

Check them out, guys. See you next time.

[Ike]

Peace.