Digital Social Hour: Why 'Prey Drive' Will Change How You Succeed | Michael Burt DSH #1152
Released on January 31, 2025
In Episode #1152 of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly engages in an insightful conversation with Michael Burt, a former women's basketball coach turned renowned author and business coach. The episode delves deep into Burt's groundbreaking concept of the "Prey Drive," exploring how this innate instinct can be harnessed to achieve unparalleled success in both athletic and business arenas.
Introduction to Michael Burt and 'Prey Drive'
Sean Kelly begins by introducing Michael Burt, highlighting his impressive portfolio of 22 authored books and his transition from coaching to business mentorship.
Michael Burt [01:05]: "Started early, started at 25 years old, really, just to explain what I was doing as a basketball coach. So I had no intention of writing 22 books. Just started and really enjoyed the process and enjoyed packaging a method."
Burt elaborates on his most successful book, which became a Wall Street Journal bestseller, focusing on the psychology behind activating the "Prey Drive."
Michael Burt [01:25]: "It's the psychology of activating what we call the prey drive, which is your instinct to pursue. And I trademarked those two words."
Personal Background and Conditioning
The conversation shifts to Burt's upbringing, emphasizing the role of his single mother in instilling discipline and toughness, which later fueled his "Prey Drive."
Michael Burt [02:42]: "I was raised by a single mom and had me when she was 16 years old. She was tough, man. She taught me we don't whine, we don't complain, we don't make excuses."
Burt credits his early experiences on the baseball field and in the gym, along with influential coaches who served as father figures, for shaping his relentless drive.
Michael Burt [03:41]: "A lot of it is just conditioning. Right. Like environmental scripting, like what you're exposed to as a kid."
The Five Activators of Prey Drive
Burt introduces the five key activators that can ignite the "Prey Drive" within individuals:
- Fear: Fear of loss is a significant motivator.
- Competition: The desire to be the best pushes people to excel.
- Environment: Exposure to stimulating environments encourages growth.
- Embarrassment: Personal embarrassment can catalyze action.
- Motivation: Intrinsic and extrinsic motivators drive persistence.
Michael Burt [04:00]: "Fear is an obvious activator. And so think of fear of loss. Huge activator. Right. Competition, big activator of prey drive... embarrassment can be an activator."
Transition from Coaching to Business Mentorship
Michael Burt recounts his pivotal meeting with Grant Cardone in the early 2010s, which significantly expanded his vision from local coaching to a global market.
Michael Burt [05:05]: "He made me think a lot bigger. And he said one day, he said, man, your market is not Nashville, your market is planet Earth."
This encounter led Burt to transition from coaching to business mentorship, culminating in the establishment of his coaching company that intersects athletic principles with business strategies.
Michael Burt [07:03]: "Companies started offering me, you know, six figures and I'm like, man, I'm not leaving until I win a championship."
Building a Successful High School Basketball Program
Burt shares his journey of building a nationally recognized high school women's basketball team, emphasizing the importance of discipline, methodology, and the activation of the "Prey Drive."
Michael Burt [10:22]: "When I got there, it was not a place you expected to win, hadn't won in 30 years. So to spend 10 years building something..."
Despite retiring at 31, Burt's legacy is evident as his former team continued to win multiple state championships.
Michael Burt [14:22]: "When you leave, everything goes down the drain. But a level 5 leader builds something that sustains."
Applying the Athletic 'Prey Drive' to Business Success
Drawing parallels between sports and business, Burt explains how the intensity, persistence, and structured feedback from athletics can revolutionize corporate environments.
Michael Burt [16:59]: "There’s so many things that you learn in athletics. There’s intensity in athletics... as soon as you play on Tuesday night."
His coaching methodologies have led businesses to achieve significant growth without the need for additional manpower, underscoring the universal applicability of his principles.
Michael Burt [18:10]: "I could literally take the same people, add no new people, not fire anybody, and get a 30 or 40% increase with the same people they had."
Differentiating Effective Coaching from Commoditized Coaching
Burt criticizes the saturated coaching market, emphasizing the importance of unique experiences and proven results over generic advice.
Michael Burt [21:10]: "All of those years of me studying under Covey... everybody is paying them for that past. Their past helps you build your future."
He contrasts his approach with that of average coaches, highlighting his success in both sports and business as evidence of his effective coaching strategies.
The Greatness Factory: Integrating Real Estate and Coaching
One of the standout topics in the episode is Burt's innovative venture, the Greatness Factory. This venture seamlessly blends real estate with coaching facilities, creating environments that foster growth, collaboration, and success.
Michael Burt [24:05]: "It's like, I love real estate, I love coaching. How do we build a greatness factory where everything feeds everything."
The Greatness Factory offers state-of-the-art facilities, including podcast studios and event spaces, serving as hubs for entrepreneurs and thought leaders to collaborate and thrive.
Michael Burt [26:05]: "Every member gets access to coaching. Every member gets access to these events. So it's not co-working, because I think co-working is becoming outdated."
Packaging and Monetizing Unique Skill Sets
Burt discusses the critical importance of packaging one's unique skills and experiences to create multiple revenue streams. He emphasizes that true value lies in the unique combination of one's past and how it can be leveraged to solve real-world problems.
Michael Burt [28:03]: "Packaging is anything the consumer can feel, touch, taste, or see... how do you package your X factor?"
He outlines a formula that involves identifying one's unique factors, applying diverse monetization strategies, and effectively marketing these packaged skills to maximize profitability.
Building the Confidence Factory for Kids
Understanding the challenges faced by today's youth, Burr introduces the Confidence Factory, a spin-off of the Greatness Factory dedicated to building and maintaining confidence in children.
Michael Burt [42:10]: "We're working on a concept for kids called the Confidence Factory... teaching people how to build, maintain, and protect their confidence."
This initiative addresses the prevalent issues of low self-esteem and victim mentalities among children, providing structured environments to foster resilience and self-assurance.
Closing Remarks and Future Ventures
As the episode concludes, Burt shares his involvement with an AI-driven healthcare company, Healthcare Integrated Technologies (HIT C), highlighting the intersection of technology and human care.
Michael Burt [44:14]: "AI can track people in healthcare facilities that have fallen down. It notifies people immediately."
He envisions expanding the Greatness Factory nationwide and continues to emphasize the importance of mentorship, structured coaching, and strategic planning in achieving lasting success.
Notable Quotes
- Michael Burt [03:12]: "I believe in more va duja day versus deja vu, which is like a fresh twist on an old way of thinking."
- Michael Burt [05:28]: "Persistence is the ability to sacrifice. Passion means to sacrifice."
- Michael Burt [21:10]: "You are paying them for that past. Their past helps you build your future."
- Michael Burt [30:28]: "Something's got to do with your upbringing as well, your conditioning as well."
- Michael Burt [38:20]: "What I think activates it. After 33 years of coaching people, there must be a persistence to that drive."
- Michael Burt [41:27]: "Confidence is a memory of success. It's an internal knowing that I can create or manifest what I envision in my mind."
Conclusion
In this compelling episode of Digital Social Hour, Michael Burt shares his transformative insights on the "Prey Drive" and its application across various facets of life. From his disciplined upbringing and successful coaching career to innovative business ventures like the Greatness Factory and Confidence Factory, Burt illustrates how innate instincts, when properly activated and harnessed, can lead to extraordinary success. Sean Kelly's engaging interview uncovers actionable strategies for listeners to activate their own prey drives, overcome limiting beliefs, and achieve sustained excellence in their personal and professional lives.
For those seeking inspiration and practical methodologies to unlock their potential, Digital Social Hour with Michael Burt is an unmissable listen.