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Habits and Hustle
Episode 499: Kim Perell: Building a $235M Company from the Kitchen Table + Why Perfectionism Kills Success
01:05:56
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- [00:01]
A
Hi guys, it's Tony Robbins. You're listening to Habits and Hustle. Crush it.
- [00:08]
B
All right, you guys, today we have a very special guest, one that I've known about for many years, have been hearing a ton about, but never really met you until just now. Her name is Kim Perel. She is a nine time serial entrepreneur, a true badass, and she wrote a new book, it's called Mistakes that Made me a Millionaire. And there is so many amazing nuggets of wisdom throughout this book. So if you are somebody who is wanting to start a business, feel stuck, don't know where to begin, or afraid. This is the podcast to listen to. And thank you for being on the show.
- [00:44]
A
I'm so happy to be here. I've heard so many great things about you. So be in the same room is amazing.
- [00:48]
B
It's really amazing to meet you, I swear. And I'm not just like saying that because you have to be polite, you know, when people come on your show. But like everything, I mean, you actually like walk the talk a lot of times. You people say a lot of things, but they don't have the. They don't really actually have the chops. You have the chops. So this book is a really, I think I also, I read it and I thought like, wow, this is actually really helpful and actionable for people who are in a situation where they're entrepreneurs or they're attempting to be entrepreneurs. So anyway, thank you for being on the show. We do this thing here on Habits and Hustle where we take a healthy shot because I'm healthy, you know, where I try to be healthy. And these are their magic minds. We shake it and we cheers. And it keeps you super focused and sharp. Not like you need to be focused or sharp.
- [01:38]
A
Oh, I love anything to make me smarter. I'm in.
- [01:40]
B
Yeah, well, I think you're playing smart, but here you go. Let's go.
- [01:42]
A
Yeah.
- [01:45]
B
I should be careful again. I always start this. I've taken like three today. I should not do so many.
- [01:52]
A
When am I gonna feel it?
- [01:53]
B
Right now? No, no, no, you're gonna feel it in like. Listen, you tell me, actually tell me after the podcast how you feel because you won't really know until after. Okay, like, you'll start and like, tell me if you feel more focused, have like more energy, sharper. You'll let me know, as you know, when we're done. Yeah, we'll see. I'll let you know. How about that?
- [02:11]
A
Yeah, let me know how you feel after how many ever shots you've had.
- [02:14]
B
I've taken too many. And then I. If I. I'm doing a lot of podcasts today, so probably I should be very careful. I think, like the. They told me, like, they actually said to me, you gotta be careful. Like, you can't take like five. I'm like, okay, fine, I'll just take like two or three. But anyway, let's start. I have so many questions for you.
- [02:31]
A
Great, let's. Let's kick it off.
- [02:33]
B
All right, so the book is called Mistakes that Made Me a Millionaire. What is the number one mistake that you think you made that made you a millionaire?
- [02:41]
A
Oh, my gosh. Well, I made so many, but I think the number one mistake that I made, and I think everyone else makes, is. Is waiting to feel a hundred percent ready to start. And I overthink things and I get lost in analysis paralysis. And I'm a perfectionist. I have so many tendencies to wanna make sure everything's perfect before I take it to market, before I get it out there to start a company, to do anything. And that waiting kills success. And so early on, when I started my first company, I heard this amazing advice from a Marine Corps general, and he said in the Marines, they give the 70% solution, which is if you're 70% ready and you have enough information, 70% of the information, to take action, you should do it. And I thought, well, if the Marines are doing this, I can do this too, right? I'm young. I have no idea. So great, 70%, let's go. And honestly, I used that really early on. I still use it today because else I will get stuck in just perfecting things, perfecting my pitch, perfecting my marketing deck, perfecting social media, it's just like, put it out there and then iterate along the way because until it hits the market, you have no idea and it's never gonna be ready anyway.
- [03:50]
B
No, I agree with you. The only question I have with that. Cause I have heard you mention that before, the 70% rule, right? Like, if you're 70% ready, then that's enough to start. But how do you Quantify if you're 70% ready, 50% ready? Like, how do you know? How does somebody. No, right. Because like you said, people are scared, there's hesitation, they're not sure. So what is like a. A way someone knows?
- [04:18]
A
I think it's when you start perfecting the edges, right? When you start just looking at the small things. Now you're just making excuses why you're too scared to put it out there. Whether it Be your website or anything that you're doing honestly, you can use this personally or professionally. Like, I have four kids. I was never ready, ever. So at least if I'm 70% ready, you just gotta, you know, make the jump.
- [04:43]
B
I think people are never, ever 100% ready anyway. And we fool ourselves to think that we'll ever be that place. Like, you're right. Like, I've got two kids. I never in a million years thought I would ever be ready to be a mom. But it's analysis paralysis. The more you think about it, it keeps you stuck and you never propel, right? And like, even if you make a mistake, like, I, I, you say, I think, was it here or somewhere else? I heard the idea of, you don't have to innovate. You can iterate. As you just said, the it like, the iteration is where the money's at, right? Like, you're not gonna have to reinvent the wheel to be successful, and you shouldn't. And you shouldn't.
- [05:19]
A
And it's a waste of time.
- [05:20]
B
It's a waste of time.
- [05:22]
A
And I think focusing on progress over perfection, just remind yourself just, just a little bit farther every single day. And you're not gonna, you know, dream really big, start really small. What can you do right now to push your dreams forward?
- [05:34]
B
Like, even think about, like, your new, like, the project you do with Jay Shetty. This is called June or Juney.
- [05:39]
A
Juney.
- [05:39]
B
Juney. Like, I think that in the bed, like, food and beverage, right? Let's just talk about food and bread. Like, just like energy drinks or all the things, right? Like, at what point? Like, Poppy is a great example that sold for 1.2 billion. Like, I was like, oh, my God, who needs another one of these, you know, beverages, right? And then boom, another one just, like, crushes, right? Like, it's. I think that there's, there's room for so much and finding your audience and figuring out what your niche to iterate is, what is important. You're not going to, like, there's a million drinks out there, right? Like, but that doesn't mean that your particular product can't fit in the noise.
- [06:20]
A
There's so many drinks. But even take a look at Poppy. They've done an amazing job of having a modern soda. And I think with us, we have exactly what is the modern version of tea. You know, it's something fun and flavorful and sparkling, and it's packed with adaptogen. So you don't have to innovate. You just have to do it better than the last person.
- [06:41]
B
And also, like, yeah, I look at Poppy as a great case study because that's just one of, like, before that, there was something called by five. Do you remember them? Or buy six or buy. Maybe it's not by five. It's spelled bai. And they sold, I think, for 5 billion or Celsius. That's worth like 10 billion. I can go on and on. Okay. The truth of the matter is, like. And this is what I wanted to ask you, because it really is about the branding and the storytelling behind the brand. Right. If you can tell a really good story, your brand has legs.
- [07:13]
A
Yes.
- [07:13]
B
Right. The supplement company. Just think about the world of wellness and supplements. There's a bazillion supplements, and then, like, all these new ones come out. And I'm like, how the hell is that one, like, worth $2 billion? So I guess my question to you is, do you know what makes something a good story? Or how do you teach somebody how to tell a story or market or brand? Well, so they even have a leg up for me.
- [07:38]
A
And I invest a lot of companies. I've invested about 150 companies. And I think it is about the story. It has to be something truly authentic to the person creating it, the founder creating it. I mean, that's what I'm investing. I'm investing in founders, founders that are so passionate about something that they have to bring it to life, and that's exciting. And I think that's actually what makes great entrepreneurs because it comes from their own personal story. And so it's really important to start with the story and to make sure that it's truly authentic to you, because it's going to get hard. And I talk about it. It's going to. You're going to make a thousand mistakes, you're going to want to quit. And it's only that passion that will push you through when everyone else wants to give up. So it has to be something that's deeply rooted in something that you really love.
- [08:26]
B
What would be the first step that you would tell an entrepreneur that is the best step to take forward, to move whatever they're doing forward?
- [08:35]
A
Well, first you have to decide, is this a hobby or is this a commercially viable product? So I would say it's getting to a minimum viable product and take it to market. And the market does not have to be going to the biggest supermarket. It could be going to your farmer's market and trying to sell it and seeing if anyone will buy it. Because if you don't have product market fit, you will never be successful. And so many amazing individuals with amazing ideas, no one wants to buy them.
- [09:05]
B
That's a great point. I think that that's not thought of enough because people think they got to go big or go home. Right. And it's. You need to have market research to know if your product or your thing people even want or care about. Right, right. And, you know, it's interesting. The farmer's market thing is. I mean, in la, I think I've seen a lot of products that started at the farmer's market have gone on. Isn't. Isn't Poppy or Olipop one of these? One of these that like, it was so successful at the farmer's market. Oh, is it even maybe Slate? I don't remember. There's a million brands that I'm involved with as well. I can't remember. But they use the farmer's market as a great testing ground.
- [09:45]
A
Yes. You get feedback right there with customers. They can tell you about the taste, they can tell you if they like. If they like the product, if they would buy the product, if the price points too high, if the price point's too low, would they buy it for more, would they buy it for less? There's so much information gathering you can get if you just collide your idea with the actual customer, because the customer is going to dictate if your product's going to be successful.
- [10:06]
B
Right. And then what about, what do you think about following trends? Like, Right. Let's just talk about, like, currently, right now, everything is about protein. If you're like someone in the between the ages of like 38 and 58, all you hear about are like, weighted vest and protein, protein and menopause and hormones. I mean, these are the things that you con. You constantly see. Now if you think, okay, you know, this is, this market's. I'm just giving you an example. Right. Oh, this market is really popping right now. Right. I should then put. Make a product within, maybe a protein product because it does well. Like, everyone's putting protein in everything. And gummies and brownies and soda. And soda, yeah. Protein soda, protein water. I mean, I can go on and on. You can go upstairs and see the plethora of different companies sending me protein snacks and beverages. Now, do you think that's a good idea or a bad idea? Because if you're just following a trend because you think you can make money at it versus something that you think, like you said is authentic to what you want to do, what, like, what would, what kind of advice would you do if you saw that, or would you. Do you see that a lot that people just do that?
- [11:15]
A
I mean, listen, ideas are a dime a dozen. It's all about the execution. And if you're passionate about protein, go all in. But if you're not, probably not the right business for you to start. It's great to, you know, look at trends and understand if there's an opportunity. But the reality is the hard work comes in actually creating the business, and that is the challenging part. So if you're not truly passionate about protein, you definitely should not start a company for it.
- [11:41]
B
Because I know there are some, like. I think that's like, a question I always hear or people always talk about, is that, well, this is really hot right now. Should I get into this business? But if you don't like it, then you're not going to do well with it. Right. Which then leads me to this. You said earlier, also like entrepreneurs. So is there one particular thing that you see or you've kind of shifted your. Your opinion on what makes a successful entrepreneur?
- [12:06]
A
I think that passion beats skill.
- [12:09]
B
Mm. Okay.
- [12:11]
A
So early on, I would have said you have to really have the skills in order to become an entrepreneur. But now, no, you just have to have the relentless hust, the grit, the tenacity. It is so hard being an entrepreneur. And that, honestly, is why I wrote the book, because I wanted to share the struggles that I have. So other people, they're going through the same challenges. And so if I can be transparent and vulnerable about the challenges that I've gone through on my journey, it gives permission for other people to fail forward, make mistakes, but also pivot and change business models and do something different. Because in today's age, the market is moving so quickly that if you don't adapt and you don't have flexibility, you will get left behind.
- [12:59]
B
I love that part in your book where you talk about pivoting. The power. I think the power of the pivot, because that is something that's really hard for people. Right. You get so stuck in your ways. And I think a lot of times the businesses that do the best is when they can pivot. Yeah. So can you just talk more about pivoting? What happens the past, like, oh, my gosh, I wrote a note here. Even though I can't see that we. That we. I want. I want to unpack this idea of pivoting, because I think that people don't focus on that enough as a way to kind of, like, next level what you're doing.
- [13:35]
A
Well, think of the most successful companies we know. YouTube started as a dating site. Twitter started as a podcast platform. Netflix started sending DVDs by mail. You know, Shopify started selling snowboards. All of these businesses had a vision and changed along the way, and they pivoted based on market feedback, why it's so important to get to market. And I think if you're not willing to pivot and open to the idea that whatever your original idea may change because it will change. 99% of the companies I've invested in have pivoted at least once. If you're not pivoting, you're. You're probably. Honestly, here's where you should know if you should pivot or persevere. Number one, you should pivot if your sales are declining, if for some reason you feel stuck in your current business, or if somehow the customers aren't renewing. Right. So you're in. Anyone that's listening and thinking, I'm my business is stuck or I'm not growing means you should probably pivot. And we talk about five different pivots in the book, which I want to from my own experience. It could be a market pivot, it could be a product pivot, it could be a people pivot. Maybe you have the wrong team, and maybe it's time to pivot and get a new one. Like, these are challenges that most entrepreneurs face, and they have to be okay with recognizing they are challenges. And now I have to adapt to them.
- [14:56]
B
See, I think that that part of the book is so interesting to me because this. Can you name the five pivots? I know you just said a few, because I think they're all, like, they're all its own entity that can really change the whole business model, the whole. Your entire life, really. Right. Like, if you stay stagnant, everything is a ripple effect. Right.
- [15:18]
A
So you have the market pivot, the product pivot, the pricing pivot, the customer pivot. There's another.
- [15:24]
B
The people pivot and the people pivot.
- [15:25]
A
Those are the five.
- [15:26]
B
So the people pivot. I think it's very, very important. Right. Because people can be holding you back and you don't even know it. Or you have a B team, a C team, or you're just loyal to.
- [15:36]
A
People that have gotten you to where you are, and you don't know how to get to the next level. Well, those people are holding you back, and not because they're bad, but because they don't know how to get to the next level either. So unless you get better people that have Actually been where you want to go. You will not be successful. You're holding yourself back because you don't want to make the hard calls. You don't want to make the changes that are necessary in order for your business to thrive.
- [15:59]
B
Yeah. Did that happen to you?
- [16:01]
A
Yes. Oh, my gosh. I get it. I can speak from experience. I, you know, your business, your team becomes the team that grew with you. And at some point, you need to get better people that have better experience onto the. Onto the deck, because you actually don't have. I don't have the experience myself. I'm building a beverage brand. I have no experience building a beverage brand. Now I consider myself a great beverage entrepreneur, but a couple years ago, I'm like, I have no idea. I'm a tech entrepreneur. Right. But I did surround myself with beverage executives that have been in the business for 20 plus years. So I don't need to be the smartest. I just had to be able to surround myself with the smartest people in order to be successful.
- [16:41]
B
Are you spending most of your time on this right now?
- [16:43]
A
Yes. Oh, and having so much fun.
- [16:44]
B
Oh, really? Oh, yes. Because you had your first company when you were 23 or something, right? Yes.
- [16:49]
A
So I had my first company. I was 23, and I sold it by the time I was 30.
- [16:52]
B
What was it like?
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A
That's an Internet marketing company.
- [16:54]
B
Okay. Which. What did it do?
- [16:57]
A
It basically sold ad space on the Internet.
- [16:59]
B
Oh, okay.
- [16:59]
A
You can go to Yahoo. You see an advertiser.
- [17:01]
B
That's you.
- [17:02]
A
That's me.
- [17:02]
B
Oh, okay. And you just 23.
- [17:04]
A
Yes. At 23. When the Internet. You know, to be honest, it was very early 2000s, when all of the dot com. I remember going bankrupt, and I asked my grandma for a $10,000 loan because I wanted to start an Internet company. And she's like, what's the Internet? And. Yes. And so. But that was the catalyst that started. Honestly, I didn't feel ready. Everyone told me I was crazy. Everyone told me, get a real job. You have no experience. You've never run a company. And like, you can't do this. And you know what? I did it anyway. And that was the pivotal point that changed my life.
- [17:37]
B
You pivoted?
- [17:37]
A
I pivoted. I said, you know, but I think it's also the confidence in yourself has to be greater than anyone else's doubt in you. And people are gonna doubt you. There's the naysayers, the critics, the dream killers. I still tell anyone, if you've got these type of people, and I write about in the book, these toxic people in your life, they are prohibiting you from reaching your greatest potential.
- [17:58]
B
What happens if the toxic people in your life or your family though? I know. And that happens. I think that people talk about toxicity and talk about people and getting the toxic people out of your life. But it's not so easy when they're like your blood. Right. Like if it's your wife, your husband, your sister, you know what I mean? Whoever it is that's close to you, it's not like it's hard to kind of just drop them. If you're a loyal person.
- [18:21]
A
Yes it is. But you also have to again, put yourself first. I think it's really important because if they're toxic, that is going to drag you down. I also believe in balance. If you're spending time, let's say your family, you go to your mom's house and she tells you why your company's not gonna work.
- [18:37]
B
Right? Right, right.
- [18:37]
A
You need to balance that with five more people that are telling you why it's going to. So you have to offset it. And really being conscious. I also think boundaries are really good for a family. I don't want to talk about my company that I'm going to build because you don't think it's going to be successful anyway. So let's just talk about something else. And I think putting up boundaries for family is really a good idea because what they're saying really hurts. Right. If your family doesn't like what you're doing and they think it's a bad idea, you take that very personally. So I think just let's not talk about it.
- [19:06]
B
Right. Or there's always other reasons. Like people are usually a lot of things. I think people are very fear based and so they put the fears onto you. Like not always it's a bad intention. Right. Sometimes it's jealousy, which by the way happens too, but also could be just like because of their own fear. They're just like you, self imposing it on you.
- [19:25]
A
Yes, they're self imposing. They're limiting beliefs on you because they don't think they could do if they were in your shoes. And so you have to identify that is them, not me.
- [19:35]
B
Yeah, exactly. So then when you sold your first company, you were 30 years old, how much did you sell it for? 20 million. And then what did you, what did you do after that?
- [19:44]
A
I had a very big earn out for another 20.
- [19:47]
B
So did you get investors to help you with that?
- [19:50]
A
Nope, nope, Just my nanny. So then I called my nanny, I told her nanny. You made your money back like a hundred times.
- [19:56]
B
Your nanny?
- [19:56]
A
Yes, she gave me the first $10,000.
- [19:59]
B
Oh, I thought your nanny.
- [20:00]
A
Oh, my nanny. My grandma, Your granny.
- [20:01]
B
I was like, your nanny?
- [20:03]
A
Yes. Oh my gosh, yes. My grandma. I called her. She's my only investor, so.
- [20:07]
B
Okay. Cause you just said nanny. I was like, yes. I got confused between the granny and the nanny.
- [20:11]
A
The granny, same. My nanny is my granny and she's amazing.
- [20:15]
B
So your nanny was your granny? Yes. Okay, so your granny wasn't.
- [20:18]
A
Yeah, I call. It's not my nanny. Like, that's my kid's name. It's actually my nanny, as in my granny.
- [20:25]
B
So your granny gave you the money and then she made her money.
- [20:28]
A
You imagine my nanny gave me the money.
- [20:29]
B
Well, that's what you said, nanny. I was like, did I miss something?
- [20:33]
A
No, that's good for you.
- [20:33]
B
Okay. I just was like paying attention. I was like, nanny, granny. Maybe it's my hearing. I know my eyes are bad, but I thought my hearing was still pretty okay. I'm all about finding sustainable ways to optimize performance. The kind of work that actually moves the needle on how you feel and function. And that's why I really need to tell you about Prolon's five day program. Most of us are chasing quick fixes that never get to the root of the problem. And the result is sluggish energy, brain fog, and bodies running below its full capacity. But Prolon changes that by triggering your body's natural repair and renewal process at the cellular level. It's not a cleanse or crash diet. Prolon is the only patented fasting mimicking diet developed at USC's Longevity Institute. It's a plant based program with soups and snacks and drinks that nourish your body while keeping you in a fasting state. The benefits are backed by science. Deep cellular rejuvenation, fat focused weight loss, no injections, and better metabolic health and energy. Plus improved skin and even reduced biological age. And here's my favorite part. It's a complete reset in just five days. No willpower battles, no extreme restrictions. Just a structured plan to let your body do what it's designed to do. Repair, renew and optimize. And right now, Prolon is offering 30% off site wide plus a $40 bonus gift. When you subscribe to their five day program, go to prolonlife.com Jennifer Cohen and use Jennifer Cohen to claim your discount and bonus. That's prolonlife.com Jennifer Cohen and use code Jennifer Cohen. So then you made that money and then what did you do after that?
- [22:38]
A
I honestly, I started investing in other people, so I wanted to pay what she gave me. You get a lot of rejections and it only takes one person to make a bet on you and to believe in you to change your life. And so that's why I invest in so many companies and so many entrepreneurs, because I want to pay that forward. I want to be that one person that makes that first check into an entrepreneur that just has an idea and have that be transformative.
- [23:01]
B
So do you have a fund?
- [23:03]
A
I have my own family fund, yes.
- [23:04]
B
Yeah, your own family fund. So name some companies that you've been an investor that really hit.
- [23:09]
A
Oh my gosh, the trade desk. I invested very early on and now it's worth it did an IPO, so it's probably at 30 billion.
- [23:16]
B
Okay, so that's a good one.
- [23:17]
A
Okay, that's a good one. Let's see. I'm an investor in a company called Crisp, A company called Kapari. I'm an investor in Okapari.
- [23:26]
B
I know that one.
- [23:27]
A
Yeah, that great coconut.
- [23:28]
B
I like that. Yeah, I love that.
- [23:30]
A
Stod, which clothing brand? I mean, so, I mean, I've got.
- [23:33]
B
A laundry list a lot. Yes.
- [23:35]
A
A laundry list of amazing companies or how.
- [23:37]
B
What kind of fund is it? Is it like.
- [23:39]
A
Yeah, I mean, that's what I do. So.
- [23:41]
B
So you run the fund, I would imagine.
- [23:42]
A
Yes, I make my own personal investments. Yep.
- [23:45]
B
And so how, when you look to invest in someone, are you looking for the passion and the entrepreneur?
- [23:50]
A
Oh, yes, because I know I am an entrepreneur. I know that it's going to take more than whatever you think is going to happen. It's not going to happen. It's going to take twice as much time, it's going to take twice as much money, and it's going to take twice as much heart as you ever thought.
- [24:05]
B
Totally agree. So, you know, it's my belief, I'm actually talking about this next in a couple days, that I believe that VCs and the research backs this up. It's not just my own personal opinion that VCs invest in founders more than they do the business model. So you could have like an okay business model, but the founder is really like impressive and dynamic. You'll put your money there versus the opposite. Like, you could have a stellar business model, but the founder's not that great. You're not really that stoked on them. You won't put. You will. You will not put money in. It's actually a 40% change. And you'll get a 20% higher valuation. If you like the guy or the girl. Oh, for sure.
- [24:47]
A
I think I look at three things when I invest. It's one. Is that so? Three T's. One is the team, the founder and the people they have surrounding themselves. So they're like, I'm going to do it alone. You're not going to. So that's a huge red flag for me if you just think, oh, this is my idea. I don't need a team, or I don't care about my team. As a founder, you really need to care about your team. The second is a tam, which is a total addressable market. I want to know there's a big market opportunity for me to make a lot of money. And I usually look for technology companies now, because I come from a tech background, it makes sense for me. And my investment thesis, obviously, I go outside of that, depending on my own passion. So I'm really into health and wellness. Obviously, that makes the cut for Juni or some of the other companies that are aligned with my own personal values.
- [25:31]
B
Yeah. So you think that. So of the three that you just said, you said team. If you're going to make team's number one, team's number one. Is there a big gap between number one and number two if you don't have the.
- [25:42]
A
I mean, people first. Exactly what you're saying. People invest in people. So if you do not have the right people, it doesn't matter what business you're in.
- [25:51]
B
Yeah, no, I totally. I totally agree. I gotta look at my thing now because I told you I'm blind and I can't see anything. But. So let's go into something else that I think that you were talking about. The five traps that hold us back. Let's go through those. Besides the obvious one. I think fear holds us back.
- [26:04]
A
Yes.
- [26:05]
B
Well.
- [26:06]
A
And comfort holds us back. We're comfortable.
- [26:08]
B
Right.
- [26:08]
A
And I think that goes back to the mistake of staying too long. And I mean, I've stayed too long in a job. I know so many people have stayed too long in a relationship and a job, and they just stay because they're in these traps. These traps of comfort, loyalty, fear. I mean, there's so many traps, right, that they just can't get out of. And we look at all those in the book, and I think at the end of the day, there's two things that I recommend people do, which is one, really think about yourself and think about where you are in your situation and ask yourself if you're earning or learning These two things, if you're not earning more money, and you should be, you should leave. And if you're not learning new skills, new opportunities, if you're not actually getting intellectual stimulation, you should go too, else you're just trapped.
- [26:59]
B
Yeah, I told. So those are. Those are really good ones. I really like the fact that I think that the loyalty can. Is everyone can relate to that. Well, not everyone. If you have a heart and you have, you know, some kind of. It's hard not to. But you also. I think the other one is like, we are our own worst enemies, like, conquering that inner critic kind of thing. I think you talk. You talk, talk about that in the book because we can talk ourselves really in or out of anything. How do you suggest somebody can conquer their inner critic?
- [27:30]
A
I think it comes with action, to be honest. Like, action creates confidence, and I think you have to act in order to. And act by doing something that scares you and excites you.
- [27:42]
B
Right.
- [27:42]
A
And that creates the confidence that I can do hard things, hard things that I didn't think I could do, hard things that scare me, hard things that I'm afraid of. But that gives you the confidence to think, okay, I did, that I could do it again. I mean, I have. And honestly, when I look at things that I'm like, oh, my gosh, how am I going to be able to overcome this? I look back at all the things I've done previously, and that gives me confidence to push forward because I know I've overcome certain challenges on my own journey. That gives me the confidence to know I can overcome nuance.
- [28:13]
B
So this is what I'm going to. I agree with you, but I'm going to push back for one second, right? Because you're somebody who comes from. You did it. You took a chance on yourself and it worked. Right? Like, you had a payout and you had all these other successes to kind of build your confidence. Let's talk about the person who maybe did. Who tried maybe once or twice, and it didn't work out for them. They actually had failures that didn't kind of pay off yet, but yet they're still, like, itching to do something. How do you get somebody who has, like, now a poor track record to take a chance on themselves again?
- [28:48]
A
I mean, first of all, failing does not make you a failure. So you have to be able to separate those two things from your mind. And then you have to know, statistically speaking, if you failed once, you're actually twice as much, twice likely to be more successful. So great. We're now on the road to success. So I think knowing that gives you the confidence to say, I've actually been to. I hit rock bottom. You know, rock bottom's a great place to start again. And knowing statistically that you likely will be better because you learned, you know, not what not to do.
- [29:18]
B
Yeah, not always.
- [29:20]
A
Don't do that. And. And I think. But you do learn a lot through failure, and I think I've learned more from my failures than I have my successes.
- [29:28]
B
So let's talk about a couple of your failures again that have then led you to your biggest successes.
- [29:35]
A
Well, I've had so many failures and so many. Well, first of all, I talk about in the book the mistake of partnering with the wrong people.
- [29:40]
B
Yeah, you know what? That's a great one to talk about partnering. See, I'm very interested in all the, like, the kind of, like, that type of the interpersonal EQ parts because to me, that that's what makes or breaks anything. You know, like, picking the wrong people, staying too long because you're loyal. These are the things that really stumble, like, stop people from getting to the next place. So let's talk about picking the wrong people. How do you pick?
- [30:05]
A
Well, first, I picked a lot of bad ones.
- [30:08]
B
Right. Like.
- [30:09]
A
Yes.
- [30:10]
B
Yeah.
- [30:10]
A
So.
- [30:11]
B
Because, you know, people think that if they have a great resume, that's the perfect person for them, which is completely not true. Oh, my gosh.
- [30:17]
A
I talk about in the book, the pop. The perfect on paper. Oh, I have. I've hired the perfect on paper. You know, they look so good. The resume is perfect. They came from the perfect background. They look perfect. Everything about. And then they get them in and they're terrible.
- [30:33]
B
That's like men also, actually.
- [30:35]
A
Yeah, probably right.
- [30:36]
B
Yeah, it is. Or women, too. Like, that's the thing. Like, it's like the sales representative is perfect. You know, they look perfect. They went to Harvard. They have this. They're the have the perfect job. They have the perfect pedigree, the perfect family. And then in real life, they're awful. Oh, awful. Yeah.
- [30:50]
A
How did you get this far? But they look really good. I don't know. I got suckered in. I hired one. And I talk about someone in the book that I hired, and it was a disaster. Talk about this disaster. So I hired a head of sales many years ago, and he looked perfect. Literally perfect. And I was so excited because I needed a new sales lead. And this is such a crucial position, you know? You know what the red flags were, though, is when I asked for references and I think references are really good. He always had an excuse like, oh, the person left. Or I, you know, these excuses of why I couldn't find or call or verify. Yeah, but the resume looked great. But the reference. And I kind of let it slide. Right. Okay. The person. You know, it seemed plausible.
- [31:35]
B
You know, it's funny you say the references. I don't trust that from as far as I can throw it because anyone could put any Tom, Dick or Harry on there. You call them, they're not going to say. They're not going to put a reference down that would say anything bad about them. They're going to obviously pick people. It could be their brother, for all you know, or their sister. And they can, you know, who, who will obviously say nice things about them. So I think that the referencing is a total farce.
- [31:58]
A
But if you ask around, it's so interesting because I did pick the wrong people. And then people said, I could have told you once, really let them go. They're like, why didn't you just ask me? And I'm like, I don't know. I didn't. I don't know.
- [32:09]
B
Do you know what I find I found recently now because of the Internet, the World Wide Web. Yes. If someone talks a big game and then you can't find anything about them online in terms of like. No, I'm not talking social media. I'm talking like, you know, in like, in like business stuff.
- [32:24]
A
I agree.
- [32:24]
B
Online, that's a red flag. Red flag for sure.
- [32:27]
A
If you don't have a LinkedIn profile and you're trying to get a job.
- [32:30]
B
Red flag, red flag.
- [32:31]
A
Amen.
- [32:32]
B
I also feel, and tell me if you agree that a lot of times, like, it's a gut thing. Right. Like, I can meet people recently, even like who we were saying, like, who have the perfect pedigree. They went to Wharton, they did this, they did that. And then I met someone who barely even has a, Like a college, any. No college. Have like a high school diploma. But they have such grit and self and they're so motivated. I'd hire that person any day of the week over the person that looks perfect.
- [32:57]
A
A hundred percent. I could not agree more. And I think when you're looking at who to hire and actually I put in specific interview questions that now I use because I want to write them down. I mean, now I'm tell us. Yes, because, well, I mean, listen, it's like, what is one thing that I would learn about you 3 months from now that I don't know that I wouldn't learn just in the interview or what would your previous boss say is one thing they want to change about you? Because that will give you insight into like things that they may or may not be good at or who's someone that you admire because likely that's the person that they aspire to be like. So I give a list of questions that I, you know, that are not so surface level, like actually trying to understand if you had a team, what would that team say that they would want to change about you? And it really makes you think because they have to tell you something that is not favorable for them.
- [33:50]
B
Right. And also like when, like I think that the idea that I think, I think it was in the book or something. I was watching or reading about you. You were mentioning how you're not gonna find your perfect job by just throwing in a resume. Right. Like it's personal relationships. Like you're not hiring someone based on, you know, because it was like resume number 27. Oh no. Right. Like you're going to be like, usually it comes from a referral.
- [34:16]
A
Yeah, I think 85% of jobs are coming from referrals. Someone in their network, someone that knows someone. And honestly, if someone comes to me and they recommend someone, I'm more likely to take that meeting.
- [34:29]
B
Absolutely.
- [34:30]
A
Even on investment, I'm like, I maxed out on current investments. But if you are someone I know.
- [34:34]
B
When you come, you better say that because everyone's going to hit you up.
- [34:37]
A
I'm currently on a poll cause. But, but it's not, to be honest, it's not true. Because if you came to me and you said, hey, I'm investing in this company, right. And we're friends, I'd be like, okay, I'll look at the deal.
- [34:47]
B
100. Because you, it's like your network is your net worth kind of in a way. Like, I hate that sentence, but it's the truth. Like you trust the people that are within your group. Right. And then what about. Which is interesting because what do you think of mentors?
- [35:02]
A
I'd love, I love. I talk a lot about mentorship. First of all, I think 93% of self made millionaires have a mentor, first of all, which is amazing. So if you want to make millions, let's. If you don't have a mentor, it's time to get one. Think of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett or Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs or Luke Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi. Right. Think of people that every single person I know that is successful has A mentor and say you're not an entrepreneur. Say you're just in a corporate job. People in corporate jobs are five times more likely to be promoted if they have a mentor than those that don't. So simple.
- [35:39]
B
You know what I think the problem is? People get caught up in having this fancy mentor, right? Like this rock star mentor. Like, oh, unless I get, you know, Mark Cuban from the shark tank, I don't want a mentor. You know, people like he was saying, like, how many people hit him up like a day, an hour to be his mentor? But you can find a mentor that is down the street or within your network who's just doing just a little bit better than you or done better than you that can help guide you and actually care about you.
- [36:09]
A
Yeah, right. I totally agree. I think we look to your point to someone that's so far and actually they may not be the best mentor because they did it 20 years ago. You want someone that did it two years ago.
- [36:20]
B
I agree.
- [36:21]
A
And that they can help you. And honestly, I have so many incredible mentors in my beverage company because I don't know what I'm doing.
- [36:28]
B
Right. And you're learning as you go.
- [36:30]
A
I'm learning as I go.
- [36:30]
B
So.
- [36:30]
A
But the faster I can learn. And so people that you know, yes. I've got one that's 20 years in beverage. I also have one that's two, two years ahead of me. That's crushing it. And so I call them all the time and I'm like, hey, what do you think about this? What do you think about this? Always getting great advice. So it doesn't have to be someone so far ahead of you. It could be someone down the street that's opening up a new. That has a store.
- [36:51]
B
I also think you're. And I was going to say something as you were saying that about the two years, I was going to say something that I think that I've recognized and noticed. I think the older you get, unfortunately, the more stuck in your ways you get and more regimented you are. Right. I'm speaking for a friend, no joking, but like, but what I was going to say is the people that I've learned the most from in the last few years are these like new hot young entrepreneurs who know who are doing it differently because what, what worked 10 years ago doesn't work anymore. Oh, my gosh. Even what worked five years ago doesn't work anymore.
- [37:27]
A
Right.
- [37:28]
B
So, like, what I think is a really good thing to tell people or what I tell people when they ask me is like, don't look at your peer to peer like someone who's like done it 10 years ago. Look who's doing it like right now or who's on the up and coming. Get good with, get in with those people because they know what's hot, what's working. They know social media, they know digital, they know technical. Like, they know AI better. So like, if you're somebody who is like in middle age, and I'm being totally honest, like, I think the best piece of advice is get a mentor who's younger than you.
- [38:00]
A
Yes, I love that you know, and, but the reality is you both bring a strength to the table 100%. Those individuals also need someone that knows how to actually scale a business with the operational infrastructure that it takes in order to truly be successful. So how do you complement each other? Right. I think that's a really important thing.
- [38:19]
B
100%. Like, I don't think, I think that you're very, it's very myopic to think, okay, well, I have to, I have to pick. The word mentor usually assumes that the person has to be like 20 years older than you. But I'm, I'm just going to like change that whole thing and say that I think the word mentor has, should have nothing to do with age and whatever. It could be younger, it could be, it could be somebody who's innovative and knows like, there's like one of these guys that I work with, he's like 29 years old and I kind of like pooh poohed his, his whole thing like, oh, this is how I learned all this like a couple years ago. Meanwhile, he's like gonna hit 100 million in his product. Now two years later he is so, I mean, way smarter than I actually thought and gave him credit, credit to for because I thought to myself, oh, no, no, no. Like, you know, I was very like rigid and myopic in what I was thinking. So just be open minded. You'd be shocked.
- [39:13]
A
Yes, I agree. And there's so many biases that we carry with us that totally are limiting our potential because to, oh, how could they know? But they do know.
- [39:23]
B
They do know.
- [39:24]
A
And I think I'm smart enough to know that I don't know anything. So I think if you can. And this is where I talk about a lot, asking for help and being okay that you don't know everything. I'm not the smartest person in the room. I know what I know and I'm very good at that. But I also know what I don't know and I know I don't know everything. So now I'm gonna try to reach out and find the people that are better than me. To your point, in social media, in whatever it is that their skill is focused on.
- [39:50]
B
Exactly.
- [39:51]
A
Let's find them and build a great team.
- [39:59]
B
You know, I'm all about finding an edge. The small daily habits that give you more energy focus and resilience. But that's why I am hooked on mono vitality. Most people are mineral deficient and that means low energy brain fog, slow recovery and dull skin. But mana flips the switch by giving your body a complete spectrum of minerals it actually knows how to use. We're talking shilajit from the Himalayas, Ormus from the Dead Sea and marine plasma from the ocean. Plus amino acids and 88 other trace minerals. The benefits are real. We're talking steady all day energy, sharper focus, faster recovery, a stronger immunity plus glowing skin. But the biggest win, it fuels your cells for real longevity. Think of it as like a cellular switch on formula, not as a stimulant, but the raw power your body needs to create energy and repair itself. Try it now and I bet you'll be hooked too. Go to manavitality.com and use code Jennifer20 for a discount. That's manavitality.com m a n n a vitality.com and use code Jennifer20. Let's talk about money because I think it's important to mention this, right? It's easier to build a brand or build, build a business or start when you have like that safety net. When you have money to play with, would you suggest. And not like. And I'm not telling you like I'm saying, you know, you go to the farmers market, all those things, which by the way, that also costs money. It costs money for space. What do you tell people about money? Like if you don't have money to start, how do you get money? How do you start when you don't have like that type of safety net of money?
- [41:58]
A
Well, I didn't start with much. I did have a loan like my grandmother.
- [42:01]
B
But Granny Nanny.
- [42:03]
A
Yes, granny nanny. Start where you are with what you have. And so look around. I mean it's never been easier to start a company because of the Internet. Artificial intelligence. You can actually create entire pitch deck in 90 seconds. I mean this is insane, right? You can do financial models. When I started I was on a dial up Internet connection like where it beeped and stuff. I mean it was, you know, very, very hard. And so I think you can create A lot and get to market with very minimal investment in costs. And obviously I understand from a CPG perspective trying to get that minimum viable product, but I also think now with such a global world, we're able to do that much quicker and much more efficiently with less capital.
- [42:49]
B
Yeah, no, so you're saying. I also think though, people don't have to like we're saying reinventing the wheel. We don't have to like start big. We can do little things like that we can afford and then iterate as we go. Right? Yes.
- [43:01]
A
And I always say, don't quit your day job. If you got a day job that pays a lot of money, got eight hour, you know, every day is 24 hours. You got eight hours to work your current job. Eight hours work on your side hustle or whatever it is. Eight hours sleep. I don't know what you're using your eight hours for, but to be honest, if you're just working 40 hours, you're not going to be a millionaire. Like that is not enough time. In order to actually create the dream and the life that you want, you actually have to put in more time.
- [43:28]
B
I think that's like, that's also the fallacy, right? People think they can have work life balance. If I hear that word again, I'm gonna puke. Because there's no such thing as work life balance. I need to grind to make it. I mean, be like, oh, that's so like passe to say the word hustle and grind. It's what it is. Hard work and time is what gets you from A to B to Z. I mean like it's, people think, oh, I can just like, you know, I can just wake up and have my matcha and do my five hour morning routine and then work for 36 hours. And then they're, then they're wondering why they're not crushing life and why their career is stagnant or their business is not taking off. You have to put in a lot of hours.
- [44:05]
A
Yes. If you're going to work an average job, you're going to have an average life.
- [44:09]
B
And if you even work below those average hours, you're going to have a below average life.
- [44:13]
A
You know what I think?
- [44:14]
B
And that's fine. But.
- [44:15]
A
Yes, but be honest, be honest with yourself.
- [44:17]
B
Be honest with yourself. This is what I think the problem is. I think there's such mixed messages and because of social media, people are seeing manifesting your life. Well, listen, you can manifest all you want, but if you're not like laser focus and like working Your ass off. Good luck to you.
- [44:33]
A
Yes, I agree. I tell my team, it's like, ask, believe, work hard since the 99%, and then receive. It's like, I love the manifestation. I'm 100%, but the 99% and the work hard part is like, where the magic happens 100%.
- [44:47]
B
And I. It drives me crazy when. And like, the. And the best thing is every. Don't believe everything you see. Because a couple of my friends who are on social media who, like, are the ones, like, preaching manifestation, they work like dogs, okay? They're working from, like, they don't. They don't have a life. They're not working out. They barely have the. They don't have kids. They're working 24 hours on their manifestation because they want to be successful. So I think you have to know, like, you got to be realistic with what actually moves the needle and not just listen to some random influencer who tells you that you can just, like, believe and vision and it's gonna work for you. Not happening.
- [45:23]
A
I completely agree. And that's honestly why I wanted to write the book. Because everything looks perfect. Everyone's a success on the Internet, and the reality is the messy middle. And I talk about it is where everything else is happening.
- [45:36]
B
Totally.
- [45:37]
A
It's like no one's talking about it. So let's talk about how hard it is. Let's talk about the grind. Let's talk about the late nights, the early mornings, the things. Times when I want to quit. The times when I don't even think I'm going to make it out of bed. Why don't we talk about that?
- [45:49]
B
Because it's not pretty and it's not. It doesn't look nice on social media. Listen, social media is like a highlight reel, right? You're. You're seeing them, like, you know, doing their little saunas and cold plunges and then like, you know, having their six pack. Meanwhile, most of those people are on Ozempic. They're starving themselves, and they've also gotten a tummy tuck because, like, this is what it is, though. But people are not honest or they. Even though they may know that psychologically, they are unable to believe it, and they are believing these people, and then they're killing themselves in other ways. So that's why I like things like, I like the name of the book. I think it's great.
- [46:28]
A
Thank you.
- [46:28]
B
And I like when people talk about the messy middle, because that's exactly what life really is.
- [46:33]
A
It really is. And, you know, it's fun because I'm in so many companies right now, and I share a lot about them in the book, as I'm not. I sold for 235 million, like at the end of the journey. But I'm in it right now going through the ups and downs and the roller coaster of entrepreneurship with so many companies. And I felt that now's a good time to share it while I'm going through it. I know, you know, I guess for me, knowing I've already, I've gone through it 100%. I have confidence I came out the other side. It's okay to now share. Let's just talk about all the chaos. I mean, some of the stories in the book you can't even believe actually.
- [47:10]
B
Happened, I think, and I love that. And I like, you know what? But someone like you, again, like, is that some. This is where I get, you know, I always think to myself, is it like innate or can you learn it? Like, you made your money, right? You've done so much great things and you've, you've been so successful professionally, but yet you're still hungry, right? Can you teach hunger? Like, either. Like, I think that the other thing is not everybody's built and made to be a hungry entrepreneur. And that's okay.
- [47:39]
A
That is okay. But don't kid yourself.
- [47:41]
B
Don't kid yourself.
- [47:42]
A
I, I think it's. And I think it's. It is okay. But I wrote this book for the high achieving individuals that want to reach their greatest potential.
- [47:50]
B
Well, right. But Mike. And so my. Yeah, so I didn't even tell you, Michael. My thing is like, do you believe that we are either people who are just genetically more ambitious and can you teach drive? Can you teach ambition? Can you, can you teach hunger? Because you already, you, you already did it and you still seem to have it.
- [48:09]
A
Yeah, I think it's a balance both. I'm very blessed, obviously. Growing up, I was hoping I'd never become an entrepreneur because I have two entrepreneurial parents. And it was, it was always like, we're, we, we can't pay bill or both of them.
- [48:21]
B
I thought your dad was my mom too.
- [48:23]
A
Oh, my gosh.
- [48:24]
B
What did your mom do?
- [48:25]
A
She did corporate consulting. On, you know, going into corporations and.
- [48:30]
B
Doing consulting, like for a big firm.
- [48:32]
A
No, she's herself. Herself.
- [48:34]
B
Oh, really?
- [48:35]
A
Yes, yes, yes. And so that's hard on your own.
- [48:39]
B
As a corporate consultant.
- [48:40]
A
Oh, my gosh. Yes. And so it was always just a constant fight. I mean, and they end up getting divorced. So obviously it's not good to have entrepreneurs in one house because you never know what's going to happen. So I said, I'm going to get a real job. I do not want anything to do with entrepreneurial roller coaster ride. I want stability. What I learned is there is no corporate stability.
- [49:01]
B
Yeah, well, not anymore. No.
- [49:03]
A
And I think the best bet you can make is a bet on yourself. But to your question, are you born with it? Can you learn it? I think it's probably a little of both, you know, I mean, only because I saw early on how hard it was and how much work it took. And so it ingrained in me a sense of normalized work ethic and failure. And I think that gave me an appetite for more risk. But anyone can hustle like that is something that you have to think in your mind, do you want to do that? Do you want to wake up? Is what you're doing like you're so passionate about. You cannot wait to get up and do it. Because that is, I mean, that's what I do every day. It's so fun.
- [49:44]
B
Yeah. And you like it because I want to circle back to something that we kind of. I went on a tangent probably, but something about doing it alone versus with partner. Because you talk about that a lot. How do you find it? How do you find someone who would be a perfect partner besides not looking at the resume, besides asking those questions, do you give people, like, do people. Should people have like also like a, like a probation period to know like, because you don't. It's a lot of it's personality types together too, isn't it?
- [50:14]
A
Yeah. I think number one, when I look at it and partner could be, let's just say in a business or in a relationship. I think it's really anchored in your values. And so what do I value versus what do you value? If we value health and wellness, we likely will be on the same page in terms of what is most important to us. So if we value hard work, I mean, listen, I don't want to partner with someone where I'm working. You know, when you're in school and you're working and you're doing a school project and you're doing all the work, well, that's not a fun partnership. So it's trying to understand the values of someone before going into a partnership.
- [50:46]
B
What happens if the people like and this happens, I see this a lot of times you get along with someone really well. Right. Like we click, we connect, we think we both love health and fitness. We love the same thing. And so we want to Start a business, and then you realize pretty quickly that your strengths and my strengths are exactly the same. So we're missing the. The other part, right? Like, we're both great with, like, sales and marketing and the front facing. Well, then who's going to be stuck doing the actual nitty gritty? The operations, the spreadsheets. I see that happening a lot.
- [51:19]
A
But that's an important part to hire the right team. So if I hire the team to compliment your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses, and I think that's really important, so. And recognizing what are you truly good at? Because sometimes we then would say, okay, well, I'm going to try to be good at the back end. And you're just.
- [51:37]
B
You hate it and not good at it.
- [51:40]
A
Everyone's disappointed, and the partnership doesn't work. So really understanding what are my strengths? How much time am I going to be able to give to this? How much money can I contribute to this? Like, all these things. Just, like, probably marriage. Like, before you get into a partnership, we should really have a conversation. Conversation, Right.
- [51:57]
B
So. Because I think that's what I see a lot happening. Like, people have the same strengths. Right. Versus the. Yeah.
- [52:02]
A
Because you like people like you. Right?
- [52:04]
B
Exactly.
- [52:05]
A
Makes sense.
- [52:05]
B
Happens. Do you see that all the time?
- [52:07]
A
Yes, I see it all the time.
- [52:08]
B
And then it fails, or does it not fail?
- [52:11]
A
I think it fails if you have different. If your expectation is you're gonna be the other side of my coin and you're actually. We're all the same side. So I think that's where it fails, is saying, no, no, I'm gonna be me. And you're like, well, no, we have the same strengths, which is actually fine. But where's the third. Think of a stool. Right? Three legs of a stool. Great. Me and you can be great. But we need the third leg, which is gonna balance us to make sure that the back end is getting done.
- [52:35]
B
Yeah, absolutely. Is there anything specific that I didn't ask you? Because I'm thinking, like, I'm forgetting something. Am I that, like, oh, I have a question for you while you're thinking about that. I want to know what. What is the. What is the most popular question that people ask entrepreneurs ask you that they want to know about entrepreneurship?
- [52:55]
A
Right now it's about probably raising money, right?
- [52:58]
B
For sure. Raising money. Okay. So do you want to. So what do you say to them?
- [53:02]
A
Well, I want to know what's your market track?
- [53:04]
B
Oh, just those three things. Yeah, like, that's what you hear all.
- [53:06]
A
Yeah, all the time. And it's great. You should be looking to raise money, but do you have to? I mean, I started at my kitchen table of ten. Ten grand? You like? Listen, I think again, yeah, you don't. People usually say I'm looking for money when the reality is they're not. They're looking for mentorship. That is what they need, not my money. They actually. My mentorship is 10 times better than my money, for sure.
- [53:32]
B
That's a very true point. I think people assume that they need money or they feel like that's the way to kind of like. I think also they just need help guiding. That's what the mentorship.
- [53:42]
A
They just need to know, when I get here, what do I do? Have you been here? How do you negotiate that? Who do you. You know, who can I. You connect me to? So it's not other people's money, it's other people's mentorship that you really need.
- [53:50]
B
Are you mentoring anybody right now?
- [53:52]
A
Oh, my gosh, yes. So many, actually.
- [53:54]
B
So many. How can you mentor so many?
- [53:56]
A
You know what? Because I'm passionate about what they're doing. I'm passionate them as people, and I like to. I like to see them succeed.
- [54:03]
B
How many people are you mentoring?
- [54:05]
A
Probably five.
- [54:08]
B
So how do you have time to mentor five people? Like, how much time are you spending? Like, how is. What kind of structure is it?
- [54:14]
A
I'm really good on the start or, like, if something's wrong.
- [54:18]
B
Oh, okay.
- [54:19]
A
So you call me in, like, a crisis. I'm like a great crisis person. Like, oh, I can't figure out how to.
- [54:25]
B
If you.
- [54:25]
A
I'm running out of money. I have a product problem. I have a team problem, like, the operational problem. So I'm really good at that, and I'm able to give very clear instruction. I love my mentees. When I mentor them, they actually come back and say, I just did what you did. Now what do I do next? I'm like, oh, you're the best person. Yes. Please don't ask me for advice if you're not gonna take it.
- [54:44]
B
That's in life, by the way. How annoying is it when someone takes and drains all your energy and time and then they don't listen to you?
- [54:51]
A
Right. But then you know how much fun it is when they do listen.
- [54:54]
B
I know.
- [54:54]
A
And then they come back and you're like, oh, we see progress. Then I'm. I'm emotionally involved in your success.
- [55:00]
B
Exactly. Which is so fun. That's 100% true. So then you see five people. Yeah.
- [55:05]
A
But mentorship, I think, like, how do you view mentorship. For me, it's. Are we setting you up for success? Have I given you whatever you need to be successful? So it's not a. We're not talking every day.
- [55:15]
B
No, no, no.
- [55:16]
A
I mean, we're talking if you're in a period that you need help.
- [55:20]
B
Right, right, right, right. Okay. So you're. And also, you're not necessarily an investor in all the people that you're mentoring. No, not that way. No.
- [55:28]
A
I don't think, honestly, I could be an investor. But no, I'm not. I'm just invested in you being successful.
- [55:34]
B
That's amazing.
- [55:34]
A
Yeah.
- [55:35]
B
So then other. So, because you say that you do mostly tech or you like to do tech besides this product, what do you think about the take? Do you see besides AI, Any area that there is such extreme growth that people should be looking to get into in general.
- [55:49]
A
Oh, man, I love health and longevity.
- [55:51]
B
Yeah.
- [55:51]
A
Like, that's a great.
- [55:52]
B
Preaching to the converted.
- [55:54]
A
Right? That's such a great place to be.
- [55:56]
B
But it's, again, super noisy again, like we talked about.
- [55:59]
A
But if you're super passionate, then it makes a difference.
- [56:02]
B
Right? I wouldn't know how to do anything besides that. Like, I Even though, to. To your. Like, to your point, like, the tech stuff is clearly obvious that that's where a lot of. Where the world is going and money. But I'm not interested in that. I love the health. Definitely fitness. Exactly.
- [56:18]
A
Right.
- [56:18]
B
So I don't even bother. Yes. Right. But if you're to. If you tell me about another supplement that I need, which I don't. I mean, a bazillion or another drink or another this, like, I just love that stuff. Me too. I mean, I just love it. What other companies are you involved with besides Juni, in this. In the space of health and wellness? Oh, my gosh.
- [56:36]
A
Well, I usually just use a lot of things.
- [56:38]
B
Oh. Invest in them.
- [56:39]
A
Right. I'm like. But I would. I think, like, I look at them and I'm looking at new opportunities. I'm in a femtech company called Prove. With this female wellness I love. Obviously, there's great opportunities in the. In, like a menopause space right now.
- [56:52]
B
People love them, but I feel like it's hormonal speed.
- [56:54]
A
Like, there's.
- [56:55]
B
Is that overdone, though? That's what I was gonna say.
- [56:57]
A
No, it's never over. Listen.
- [56:58]
B
I know, I know.
- [56:59]
A
Just finish saying you got 10 people that pitch me the same idea. It's always about execution. Oh, my God.
- [57:05]
B
I know. I just. I. I like, fall into the same trap that I talk about, right? Like I'm always like. And I, by the way, like that, like fitness apps, right? Like I had an app, I sold it years and years ago. And then people would come to me all the time, like with the same type of app, and I'd be like, it's kind of like, aren't apps done? Meanwhile, then that company sold for like a half a billion dollars. I'm like, I guess I was wrong. You know what I mean? And that happened like 50 times. Yeah.
- [57:28]
A
It's never too late.
- [57:29]
B
It's never too late.
- [57:29]
A
Never too late.
- [57:30]
B
And like again, I have to take my own advice. Your advice? Iteration, not innovation, execution. Everything is like, everyone in their dog has a good idea. But then how do you execute is like where the money is.
- [57:41]
A
Oh, my God. And it's hard. So hard. Right? But you know, listen, it's hard in beverages, hard in beauty. It's hard. And everything's like, choose your hard.
- [57:50]
B
Exactly. Okay, we're going to leave with me asking you, what is your daily routine? What are your habits every day we know your hustle.
- [57:56]
A
Yeah. Now we know you're definitely hustle. So I get up. I love, let's see, I meditate, I've got a red light. I do the sauna. I work out all in the morning. Juice, have a protein shake. Yeah.
- [58:10]
B
Okay, this is again. How long is that morning routine?
- [58:13]
A
Oh my gosh.
- [58:14]
B
Well, four hours.
- [58:15]
A
No, I mean, because I'm like in a 10 minute, you know, red light, while meditating, while on a Beamer mat. I'm doing like three things at the same time.
- [58:22]
B
Multitasking.
- [58:23]
A
I'm multitasking my health and fitness. Then I work out and then the sauna's right there. So I go in the sauna 20 minutes while I'm taking a phone call. Like, I'd say like I'm quite the.
- [58:31]
B
I love it.
- [58:32]
A
So you. Okay, so I'll be on the peloton taking a phone call. I mean, I'll take a phone call from anywhere.
- [58:35]
B
You would. Okay, so what time do you wake up in the morning? Typically I wake up at six. Six. At six. Okay. And then like give me like play by play between six and nine, go. Oh my gosh.
- [58:44]
A
Okay, so wake up. My kids aren't up yet. So then I go in, I do the red light, I do the meditation.
- [58:49]
B
What kind of red light are you doing? The one.
- [58:50]
A
You get the whole panel on a bed.
- [58:51]
B
Oh, you have a bad panel.
- [58:52]
A
Yeah, that's a good one. Amazing.
- [58:54]
B
I love it.
- [58:54]
A
I Love it.
- [58:55]
B
And you do it for how long?
- [58:56]
A
I do it for anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes, depending on what meditation I'm doing.
- [59:00]
B
Do you have the one that's like also on your face and you're lying on it?
- [59:03]
A
Yeah, yeah. The whole. Yeah, my face all the way.
- [59:05]
B
No, no, no. But like, there's like another one. I went to Gabby Reset. Shout out to her. She has this amazing red light at her house where it's like you put this thing on your face. I don't know what it's called. I might need to call her. After you put it on your face and you're lying on it. It's amazing. You don't have that one?
- [59:22]
A
No, I just have. It's fully on. But I have a Beamer mat, which is something from Europe, which is amazing. Is increasing your energy, which is amazing. So, like start there, then I. Well, then I get my kids up to go to school.
- [59:33]
B
Yeah. So that's. How did they wake up?
- [59:35]
A
They wake up about 6:45. And so how old are your kids? There are four. So two six year old boys, identical. And two 11 year old boy and a girl.
- [59:46]
B
Oh, my gosh. I have a 12 year old and a 10 year old. But you have two 6 year olds. Yes.
- [59:50]
A
They're so cute. Oh, my God.
- [59:52]
B
And two 11 years.
- [59:53]
A
Yes.
- [59:53]
B
You're like in the weeds. Weeds. Like that's. You're like. That's busy.
- [59:57]
A
Yes, but we're running this like a. We run it like a company.
- [60:00]
B
Right. How do you do it?
- [60:01]
A
It's very efficient.
- [60:02]
B
Okay.
- [60:02]
A
Yeah. So we get up. Yeah. No, but the kids are smart six year olds. They can make. They can make their own lunches. They could put them in bags like they know what they're doing.
- [60:09]
B
You're preaching again to the converted. Okay, so tell me. Yes.
- [60:12]
A
Oh, my gosh. So then they'll go to school and then I'll go to the gym, and then I'll do at least a 45. Like a hit or a peloton or whatever class. No, I have a personal trainer.
- [60:21]
B
Okay. At the gym.
- [60:22]
A
Nope. I'll do it right in my. I have a. My own home.
- [60:24]
B
Oh, so we say you go to the gym.
- [60:26]
A
My gym is like 10 steps. Okay.
- [60:28]
B
I thought you were going to like eat from the house or something.
- [60:29]
A
Nope, not leaving the house. Everything's just.
- [60:31]
B
I'm in your house for efficiency. I love it. Okay, so let me just get this straight. This is if I love. Okay, so you wake up around six, you go into your red light, then you Go and do your. And that. You do your meditation in the red light. Okay. Then you get the kids.
- [60:44]
A
Yeah.
- [60:45]
B
And you give them breakfast or whatever. Okay. Yeah. And then you work out.
- [60:48]
A
Yeah, then I work out.
- [60:49]
B
Okay. And how long. You said 45 minute work.
- [60:51]
A
Yeah, it depends. I've been trying this EMS, which is like 20 minutes, and they're like.
- [60:54]
B
Oh, you like that thing?
- [60:56]
A
Well, you're working out at the same time that they're shocking you. So I'm.
- [60:58]
B
No.
- [60:59]
A
I don't know. They say it's supposed to be really good for you.
- [61:01]
B
They say it. I know. I've tried it many times. Times. I don't. It's not enjoyable, though.
- [61:05]
A
No, it's not enjoyable. It's not like I'm lying there doing nothing either. I'm doing squats and it's.
- [61:10]
B
Oh, it's hard.
- [61:10]
A
Oh, it's hard.
- [61:11]
B
Oh, I know.
- [61:12]
A
You know, and very hard.
- [61:13]
B
Yeah.
- [61:13]
A
But I thought if it's only 20 minutes, I could shave off some time. So I'm really looking at how to.
- [61:18]
B
Get it more efficient. You're being very efficient.
- [61:20]
A
And then. Then I'll go in the sauna. 20 minutes.
- [61:23]
B
Okay.
- [61:23]
A
Which is right next to the gym. Into my gym.
- [61:26]
B
Yeah.
- [61:26]
A
And then I have a green juice. I have a protein shake and what's.
- [61:31]
B
In your protein shake? No, I just.
- [61:33]
A
I use.
- [61:34]
B
Oh, my God.
- [61:34]
A
Which one am I using? Now?
- [61:35]
B
We know you use momentous creatine. I do.
- [61:37]
A
Momentous. I put the creatine in.
- [61:39]
B
Best creatine on the market. That is so good.
- [61:41]
A
Yeah.
- [61:41]
B
I love that.
- [61:42]
A
Creatine, right?
- [61:42]
B
Yep. I think it's great.
- [61:44]
A
I just got a hyperbaric chamber.
- [61:46]
B
You did? Yes. Do you like it?
- [61:47]
A
Oh, my gosh, yes. But that takes more time. So I'm really trying to. How to figure out how to integrate that into my life style.
- [61:54]
B
You can work in there if you want. You can.
- [61:57]
A
But unless it.
- [61:59]
B
What kind is it? Is it the smaller one or the bigger.
- [62:00]
A
No, it's a big one. Two seats, so.
- [62:02]
B
Oh, it's a big one. I find them. I don't. I don't like them. Like, I don't like the way I feel in it. I get.
- [62:07]
A
Well, that's why I can't. Yeah, me too. So I can't actually work in it. So people like, oh, you can work. I'm like, I can't work because it doesn't. I don't feel.
- [62:12]
B
You cannot. Right.
- [62:13]
A
I can't work. So that's a problem. Because I was thinking I just work for a couple hours and that doesn't work.
- [62:17]
B
So listen, some people. I don't have a problem with it. I'm like, nauseous in there. Me too. My ears are bothering.
- [62:23]
A
Yeah. Yeah, me too.
- [62:24]
B
Well, because you're going down the down.
- [62:27]
A
Yeah, you're going down. It's like a lot of pressure.
- [62:29]
B
It's a lot of pressure.
- [62:30]
A
But it's supposed to be so good.
- [62:31]
B
It's supposed to be really good.
- [62:32]
A
I'm really into preventative health, so if you've got. I mean, listen, I'll take every suggestion you have.
- [62:36]
B
I have a million. I mean, a million. So then you do that or. Not always, right?
- [62:41]
A
Not always. Yeah. No, no, I usually do that later in the day.
- [62:43]
B
But you're having a smoothie. You're not having, like, literally a protein.
- [62:46]
A
Shake that I drink faster than, like 60 seconds and like, then I. Ready to roll.
- [62:51]
B
Yeah. See, that doesn't fill me up. You don't mind? Like, you don't think I feel.
- [62:55]
A
No, I feel pretty good.
- [62:56]
B
You do. Okay. And then. And then what? And then you. Do you work out every day? Do you do weights every day? Like every second day?
- [63:02]
A
I probably do weights two to three times a week.
- [63:04]
B
Okay.
- [63:04]
A
And then. But I work out every day. It's so good for my mind. Like, I'm not. Listen, I'm not like winning on the peloton. I'm just there just to get there.
- [63:12]
B
Who cares?
- [63:13]
A
Yeah. We're not in a competition. I'm just trying to actually. It's so good for my brain to just. Just get focused and feel good. And I know just that helps me just like, get in the zone.
- [63:23]
B
100. I think, honestly, like, to me, exercise at this point is not necessarily. I'm not trying to be like, you know, in a bikini competition. No, it's completely. It's foundational for my well being, my focus. I'm way more productive. I'm way more alert. I'm way more on point just in everything when I work out.
- [63:43]
A
Me too.
- [63:43]
B
And I'm not like, I'm not like. Like, I don't need to, like, I'm not going to be in the Olympics next week, but I think it's great.
- [63:49]
A
But it's great for my mental health.
- [63:51]
B
It is. I think it's the number one. It's the number one longevity hack in the world. There's nothing you could be doing every supplement taking. Do the hyperbaric, you could do the sauna, but if you're not exercising daily, forget about it.
- [64:03]
A
One, if you don't have your health, you have nothing. There's no. What's the point of making millions if you can't enjoy it?
- [64:08]
B
Not 100. Exactly. I couldn't agree with you more. Okay, guys, the book is called Mistakes that Made Me a Millionaire by Kim Perel. This was so enjoyable.
- [64:17]
A
Oh, I loved it.
- [64:18]
B
This book is really good. Like I said, I have to say this because I'm not just saying this because she's sitting across from me, but it really is. It's a really great read. Great information, great nuggets. So anyway, good luck with this book.
- [64:31]
A
Thank you so much. I'm so happy to be here.
- [64:33]
B
I'm so happy to see you. And we'll see each other in a couple days.
- [64:35]
A
I know. I can't wait.
- [64:36]
B
I know, right? All right, guys. Oh, and you also go to kimparel. Is it kimparel on Instagram or kimparel? Yeah, pretty easy. You can find her. All right, bye.