821. Q&AF: Battling With Success, Recognition Vs Work Load & Balancing Work With Social Life

Summary

Podcast Summary: REAL AF with Andy Frisella - Episode 821

Episode Title: Q&AF: Battling With Success, Recognition Vs Work Load & Balancing Work With Social Life
Release Date: December 9, 2024
Host/Author: Andy Frisella
Podcast Description: Entrepreneur Andy Frisella and his guests discuss, debate, and laugh their way through trending topics and hot-button issues. This episode also serves as the home of Andy's other popular show, the MFCEO Project Podcast.

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1. Introduction and Show Structure [00:16 – 03:00]

Andy Frisella kicks off Episode 821 by welcoming listeners to a Q&A format, explaining the various ways fans can submit questions—via email, YouTube comments, or through their website. He outlines the show's segments, including:

• CTI (Cruise the Internet): Discussing and analyzing trending topics.
• Real Talk: Brief, impactful messages addressing essential life principles.
• 75 Hard Verses: Stories from individuals who have used the 75 Hard program to transform their lives.

Andy emphasizes the show's commitment to authenticity by stating, "We don't run ads on the show... we just get right down to it" (00:37). He requests listeners to share the show to help it grow organically, highlighting the value it brings without commercial interruptions.

2. Reflecting on 26 Years in Business [03:00 – 07:00]

The conversation shifts to Andy's journey over 26 years in business. Andy shares his early entrepreneurial spirit, detailing childhood ventures like selling baseball cards and lemonade stands. He recounts his brief and unhappy stint at St. Louis University, which ultimately led him to co-found a nutritional supplement store with his partner, Chris.

Andy reflects on the spontaneous nature of their entrepreneurship, mentioning, "Once we said, hey, we're gonna do this. We just did" (06:53). He attributes their success to unwavering commitment rather than meticulous planning, setting the stage for deeper discussions on overcoming challenges in business.

3. Overcoming Fear and Embracing Commitment [07:00 – 11:22]

Andy delves into the psychological barriers that hinder success. He asserts, "Most people think themselves out of success... they overanalyze everything looking for the problems" (07:00). According to Andy, the key to success lies in having the courage to act and the commitment to tackle issues as they arise.

He emphasizes that planning is essential but cautions against paralysis by analysis. "There's going to be obstacles and there's going to be things that come up... the magic is in the commitment and then the commitment to solve these problems as they come" (08:42). This mindset, Andy believes, differentiates successful entrepreneurs from those who remain stagnant due to fear of the unknown.

4. Q&A Sessions

a. Entrepreneurial Success and Humility [11:28 – 18:22]

Listener's Question:
An entrepreneur expresses concern that initial success may lead to overconfidence, risking the original business. They stress the importance of humility and question if entrepreneurs should revisit the myth of Icarus to stay grounded.

Andy's Response:
Andy wholeheartedly agrees, stating, "It's a great philosophical question about the mental state that you have to have when you're pursuing your dream" (12:46). He explains that initial success often creates an inflated ego, highlighting the Dunning-Kruger effect, where individuals overestimate their abilities after early successes.

Andy advises entrepreneurs to recognize that their current success is built on past efforts: "You today didn't even create where you are living. That's the past you" (12:46). He warns against diversifying too far from one’s core competencies, using the analogy, "That's like saying, because I play the oboe at a professional level, then I can go play the saxophone the exact same way" (17:50). Instead, he advocates for vertical integration—expanding within the realm of one's expertise to ensure sustainable growth without undermining the original business.

b. Handling Recognition and Workload [18:22 – 28:47]

Listener's Question:
A business owner in the automotive performance industry struggles with managing increased recognition and workload as their business gains fame. They seek advice on handling the stress and balancing customer demands.

Andy's Response:
Andy reframes the entrepreneur's complaint as a positive indicator of success, stating, "Instead of complaining... let's talk about how great this is for you" (24:25). He encourages leveraging the newfound recognition to scale the business, whether by hiring more employees or increasing prices to manage workload effectively.

Andy emphasizes the importance of leadership in retaining quality employees: "If they don't want to do their part, you either hire the wrong people or... you're not leading them" (28:25). He advises painting a compelling vision for the team, ensuring that employees see a future within the company that aligns with their personal goals and aspirations. This approach fosters loyalty and productivity, mitigating issues with employee retention and performance.

c. Time Management and Social Life Balance [28:47 – 41:34]

Listener's Question:
A 23-year-old seeks advice on balancing intense work hours required for achieving career goals with maintaining social relationships. They express regret over not spending enough time with family and friends.

Andy's Response:
Andy delivers a candid perspective, asserting that "You can't look at balance and think that it's appropriate for building a company" (30:28). He argues that entrepreneurship demands a level of commitment that often sacrifices social and personal time in the short term. According to Andy, the long-term rewards and the ability to support others far outweigh the temporary loss of balance.

He criticizes mainstream therapy and self-help narratives that promote balance, labeling them as unsuitable for entrepreneurs tasked with building something significant. "You're making an investment in your future self that is going to be exponentially worth it" (30:28). Andy stresses the importance of embracing the entrepreneurial grind now to reap substantial benefits later, encouraging entrepreneurs to prioritize their vision over immediate social gratification.

5. Final Insights: Entrepreneurial Mindset and Society [41:14 – 41:34]

As the episode draws to a close, Andy and his co-host reinforce the episode's core messages:

• Embracing Ambition: Andy underscores the necessity of drive and ambition in creating valuable contributions to society.

• Rejecting Victim Culture: He criticizes societal trends that discourage ambition, arguing that such mindsets stifle innovation and progress.

• Authenticity in Entrepreneurship: Andy emphasizes the importance of understanding one’s role and category within the entrepreneurial spectrum to avoid misery and ensure fulfillment.

Andy’s concluding remarks, "Somebody's gotta win, it might as well be you," encapsulate his belief in proactive ambition and the critical role of entrepreneurs in advancing society.

6. Conclusion [41:34 – End]

The episode wraps up with motivational exchanges, encouraging listeners to kickstart their week with determination. Andy reiterates the importance of authenticity and relentless pursuit of one's goals, leaving the audience empowered to tackle their entrepreneurial challenges head-on.

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Notable Quotes:

• Andy Frisella [07:00]: "Most people think themselves out of success."
• Andy Frisella [08:42]: "The only guarantee you can make to yourself is that if you don't commit to working through the problems as they come, you're going to not have anything of value."
• Andy Frisella [12:46]: "You today didn't even create where you are living. That's the past you."
• Andy Frisella [24:25]: "Instead of complaining... let's talk about how great this is for you."
• Andy Frisella [30:28]: "You can't look at balance and think that it's appropriate for building a company."
• Andy Frisella [38:33]: "Somebody's gotta win, it might as well be you."

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Key Takeaways:

• Commitment Over Planning: Success requires unwavering commitment to solving problems rather than getting bogged down by overplanning.

• Humility in Success: Entrepreneurs must remain humble, recognizing that past actions have built their current success and that continued growth requires ongoing effort and learning.

• Leadership and Vision: Effective leadership involves inspiring and retaining a dedicated team by painting a compelling vision that aligns with their personal goals.

• Investment in the Future: Balancing personal life with entrepreneurial ambitions often necessitates short-term sacrifices for long-term gains, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing business goals.

• Societal Impact: Entrepreneurs play a crucial role in societal advancement, and fostering ambition over victimhood is essential for continued innovation and progress.

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This detailed summary captures the essence of Episode 821 of "REAL AF with Andy Frisella," providing insights into entrepreneurial challenges, mindset shifts, and strategies for balancing success with personal growth. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or aspiring to embark on your own business journey, this episode offers valuable lessons on resilience, leadership, and the relentless pursuit of success.

Transcript

[A]

Yeah went from sleeping on the floor now my jury box froze Bow stove counted millions in a cold bad booted.

[B]

Swole got her own bank roll can't.

[A]

Fold Just a no headshot case clothes.

[B]

What is up, guys? It's Andy Prisella and this is the show for the Realist. Say goodbye to the lies, the fitness and delusions of modern society and welcome to reality, guys. Today we have Q and A. That's where you submit the questions and we give you the answers. Now you could submit your questions a few different ways. The first way is, guys, email these.

[A]

Questions into ask Andy andyla.com or you.

[B]

Go on YouTube in the comment section on the Q and A episodes, drop your question in the comments. We'll pick some from there as well. Other times throughout the week, if you're a new listener, we have shows within the show. We're going to have cti, that stands for cruise the Internet. That's where we put topics of the day up here on the screen. We speculate on what's going on, what's true, what's not true. And then we talk about, about how we the people have to solve these problems going on in the world. Other times we might have real talk. Real talk is just five to 20 minutes of me giving you some real talk, some that I think you need to hear. And then we have 75 hard verses. 75 hard verses. And by the way, we have a great episode coming up for that 75 hard verses where people who come in the show, they talk about how they use 75 hard to reclaim their life, how their life was before, how their life is now, and how you can use the program to do the same as them. If you're unfamiliar with 75 hard is the initial, initial phase of the Live Hard program, which is the world's most popular mental transformation program in history. It's free. Okay, you can get it. Episode 208 on the audio feed. Again, that's 208 audio feed only. There's also a book@andy forcella.com called the Book on Mental Toughness which outlines the entire Live Hard program plus a whole bunch of other stuff. A bunch of chapters on mental toughness, why it's important, how to cultivate it, how to use it to build your best life. Whole bunch of case studies on some very famous people who have used mental toughness to become the very famous people that you recognize. Now again, you can get [e-mail] the book on mental toughness. Now, we do things a little different here. You're going to notice that we don't run ads on the show. I think we're the biggest show in the world that doesn't run ads. I'm pretty confident in that. The reason we don't run ads is because we talk about the things that people don't want us talking about, all right? And I want to talk about those things, and I don't want to listen to somebody tell me what I can and can't say, all right? So we finance the show ourselves. I don't fill your ears full of 20 minutes of ads, all right? We just get right down to it, and I ask very simply that you do something for us, all right? Please. Share the show. Help us grow the show. If you don't share the show, the show doesn't grow. It's that simple. All right? So if the show makes you think, if it makes you laugh, if it gives you a new perspective, if it's something that gives you value, it teaches you something, please do us a solid and share the show, all right? Don't be a hoe.

[A]

Share the show. All right.

[B]

What's up?

[A]

What's going on, man?

[B]

Oh, not much. What's up with you?

[A]

Yeah, not much, man. You know, I was just thinking, so 20. It's about to be 25 years in business for you, right? Because it's like, 26. Yeah.

[B]

It's like, right around 99. Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

Right around this time. Yeah. So 26 years ago. All right. Hot little Andy.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Running around. You're like, I'm gonna start a business.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, what, What, What. What was the jump to, like, all right, let's do this. Like, what? Well, because I'm sure there was times where it's like, okay, like, we might have thought about it, but, like, what made you actually get serious? And like, all right, we're fucking doing this.

[B]

Well, first of all, I never was what you would consider a good student. Yeah. I wasn't. Dude. I did. I wasn't engaged in school. It wasn't for me. The more challenging the class was, the better I did, which was very weird because I went through school pretty much being considered not very smart. And it wasn't that I wasn't very smart. What I learned later was I was smarter than everybody else. And the. Was boring and wasn't being challenged.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

At all. And every time I was challenged, I get an A. But in everybody. Every other class, I get a D because it was just so boring. So I knew that, like, the traditional life of go out, get a Job, you know, get the white picket fence, you know, get married, have 2.5 kids. Like that. Traditional life has never really been an interest of mine, you know, and that's a hard thing for people to understand because I feel like most people have that dream that wasn't ever my dream. My dream was I want to build something for myself. I want to be an entrepreneur. And that was my main, you know, drive since I was a little kid. I mean, when I was a little kid, dude, I was doing. I was selling baseball cards on top of a igloo cooler. What I'm saying, doing lemonade stands, snow cone stands, selling door to door. I always had that entrepreneurial spirit. And it, it's just something I always had. And when I got done with high school, I tried to go to college. I went to St. Louis University here in St. Louis for a semester. And it was horrible. I hated it. And I hated everything about it, dude. I hated, I hated having to go there. I didn't like the way I felt when I walked in the building. I felt like I didn't belong there. It just felt wrong. And I did have one class that I liked, which was a higher level political science class that I took that I did very well in, but that was the only class that I enjoyed. And the rest of it just seemed like bullshit. You know, I'm in there learning about things that, you know, are very basic that I felt like I already knew and I just didn't want to do it. And so Chris and I started talking about, you know, starting a business together. And at first we were starting, we wanted to start a tanning salon, and we didn't have the money to start a tanning salon because one tanning bed was like 40 grand. Okay? So, like, we didn't have any money. We had $12,000 between the two of us. And so we landed on a nutritional supplement store. And that's, that was something we had interest in. It was something that we were both, you know, already learning about and already using in our day to day lives. We both were athletes, we both love to train, and we came, we came up with supplement superstores. And that's, that's where it started, dude.

[A]

Well, actually, because I mean, do 26 years, that's a quarter of a century. Like, that's a long fucking time, you know, I'm saying I just think it's cool to like always like just look back every now and then. It's like, what was the, like, what was there a specific moment, I guess, in that Time where it's like, okay, shit's getting real. Like, we're actually doing this. Like, what. What was that? What was that moment for you? For you and Chris was like, all right, we're actually doing this.

[B]

It wasn't there. I don't think it was like that. Like, there wasn't there. Once we, like, said, hey, we're gonna do this. We just did.

[A]

It just started.

[B]

Yeah. It wasn't like a thing where we overly questioned or we second guessed or, you know, And I think that's a big problem for most people. I think most people think themselves out of success. I think they think themselves out of great relationships with people. I think they overanalyze everything looking for the problems that are going to occur that they can't even. They can't even fix until it shows up. And so they. They look down the lane and they're like, oh, this could happen, and this could happen, and this could happen, and this could happen, and this could happen. And it paralyzes them into staying in the same spot they're in. And I see that in business, I see that in life. I see that really everywhere. And that's why I say, you know, the last few years of what we've been talking about on real af, especially what's been going on in the world, I started to come to a conclusion that the reason that most people never build anything is because they lack the courage to go. They lack the courage to stand out, they lack the courage to speak up. They lack the courage to go do something because they're afraid of what might happen if they go. And the thing that they don't realize is, is that no matter how good you plan, no matter how much you analyze, no matter how perfect the roadmap may be to where you're trying to go, there's going to be obstacles and there's going to be things that come up. And so the magic is in the commitment and then the commitment to solve these problems as they come. And I think most people just don't get that. They want the perfect route. They want the perfect plan. They want it to be guaranteed. And there is no guarantee on this. There's no guarantee on business. There's no guarantee on life. There's no guarantee on friendships. There's no guarantee on relationships. The only guarantee that you can make to yourself is that if you don't commit to working through the problems as they come, you're going to not have.

[A]

Anything, whatever the problem.

[B]

Yeah, right. And that's going to be the guarantee that you're left with, you know, you're guaranteed to have nothing.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And nothing of value. And so, you know, I never had that hesitation. When I make up my mind that I'm going to do something, I do it. And. And I've always been that way.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I don't. Yeah, I don't try to look too far down the road, dude, because we end up talking ourselves out of the best things, you know, like, what if I had sat there back in 1999, I said, yeah, man, nobody's gonna take us serious. Somebody might break into the store. We might get sued.

[A]

What if, what if, what if.

[B]

Yeah, guess what? All those things happened, every single one of them. You're. What if our employees screw us over? What if. What if somebody steals from us? What if this happens? What if that happens? What if this happens? All the happens anyway. So, like, what are you going to do? Not go and, and have all the happen anyway, or are you just going to go and deal with it as it comes? And so, you know, success requires courage in any area of life. And. And the last few years, when nobody would speak up because they were afraid, it really gave me some insight as to where people are lacking in terms of creating their own, you know, best version of their life.

[A]

It's the courage to go.

[B]

Yeah, for sure.

[A]

How do you balance, though, with having a bigger vision? So you say you don't want to overthink yourself into being paralyzed, but let's say somebody has a big vision and they don't want to overthink. So how do they balance with what you're saying?

[B]

Just breaking it down to daily tasks, dude. You know what I'm saying? Like, I don't, like, when I think of what we're trying to do with our companies, I don't have to know every detail of how we're going to get there. I know that when I show up today, going to take the step today, and I know when I show up tomorrow, I'm going to take another step. And I know that if I show up enough days in a row and take enough steps, even though I might not know the exact way to get there, we'll figure it out amongst the. The nuance of the path. You see what I'm saying? Be like, me and you in the jungle and we're cutting down trees and we're like, well, I think it's this way, you know, and we go down that way and we're like, it ain't this way. So let's go back over Here, and it's trial and error. It's just a commitment to the progress, you know, So I don't, I don't think that over analyzing is helpful. I think it's paralyzing for most people. You know, we're always going to find problems and we're always going to find what we're looking for. You know, if you look for problems, you're going to find problems. If you look for solutions and you look for ways to make it work and you look for ways to make it successful, you're. Those things are going to pop out as well. So, you know, I, I think a big vision is the same as a small vision. It just takes more time, you know?

[A]

I love it, man. I love it.

[B]

Well, guys, we know you love it.

[A]

Yeah, I do, man. It's cool.

[B]

You love it and everybody loves that you love it.

[A]

Yeah, that's good. That's good. Well, I'm glad you guys love it so that I got three good ones for you, man. Guys. Andy, question number one. Hey, Andy, what's your opinion on an entrepreneur who, after achieving some success in their first five years, believe that they have the Midas touch and assumes they can easily replicate that success in other ventures? Do you think this could risk undermining the original business that brought them success? Like you, I view entrepreneurship as a constant uphill battle filled with the challenges and setbacks along the way that require unshakable determinations overcome. It just frustrates me when entrepreneurs and their onlookers buy into a false image of what it truly takes to run a profitable, successful business, especially during the early stages, when the reality is often far from what's portrayed on social media? Have you ever questioned the success of your peers, knowing the struggles that you've had to personally endure to build your own business and the longevity you needed in your marketplace to reach your goals. And should entrepreneurs revisit the myth of Icarus during periods of success to remind themselves of the importance of humility? Please advise.

[B]

Yeah, 100%. I love that question. That's a great question. If you guys want to ask questions on the show, ask questions like that. That's a great philosophical question about the mental state that you have to have when you're pursuing your dream. And it's very easy when you start to have some success to believe that it's you and to think that it's you and it's not you. What it is actually is a past version of you that took all the steps necessary to create the present success. So it's not even the present you that's created the success. It's who you were the last 60 days, the last six months, the last year that's created the present success. So the first thing that you have to realize is that you today didn't even create what the you are living. That's the past you. So, like, when you do a little cheers and you're out with your buddies, cheers your past self for being tough enough to persevere, to create where you are. Secondly, you need to realize that if you don't continue to move in that direction, you're going to lose. All right? And this is where ego comes in and humble comes in. Okay? Humble is not about the car you drive or the house you live in. Humble is about recognizing when you're getting a little bit too much belief in yourself and you're not realizing that you are the product of the actions that you've taken. And that's something that people struggle with, especially when they first have success. He mentioned the Icarus, you know, story. If you guys don't know the Icarus story, he flew too high to the sun, he got too cocky. The sun melted the wax that held his wings together, and he died. All right? So that's a metaphor for what happens to us in. In life, in relationships and success. We start taking things for granted. We think that we are the reason for everything good around, when in reality, we are not the reason. We are the product of actions. Okay? And so when you think about how to apply this concept, you mentioned the Midas touch. For those of you that don't understand what he was saying, I use this analogy of the Midas touch with young entrepreneurs, okay? And there's this thing called the Dunning Krueger effect. And basically what the Dunning Krueger effect says is that someone who starts out and has moderate success instantly, they have an inflated sense of what they actually know. They think that they are the. They think that the reason they're winning is because they are the. And nobody else is the. It's them, okay? And don't stink. That's right. And what happens is, is they find out real soon that that's not actually the case. Okay? The. The actual case is you did some basic things that produced a little bit of success, and you have a lifetime of learning to still go through. And so what happens is. And usually how this happens is someone has some success and then they lose it, and then they come back down the Dunning Kruger curve and end up at the bottom and now you're in a position of humility. Now you're saying, all right, what did I do to up? How could I get back to going? And it almost takes that desperation of losing to that level to create the humbleness needed to recognize that you need to go back to the basics of what you did to get to the place in the first place. So these are all real things. And yes, people struggle with them. The Midas touch is where people who have a little bit of success start to believe that they can do anything. Let's say you are, you know, you're a contractor that does concrete, and you're doing concrete your whole life, and you've built this amazing concrete business, and it's making you, you know, seven figures a year. Personally, you're doing really well with it. That person will then think, well, I can open a snow cone stand, okay? Something that's completely unrelated to what they do, and I can make it work because I made this work. And that's not the case. That's like saying, because I play the oboe at professional level, then I can go play the saxophone the exact same way. And that's. They're two different things. And people don't understand that. Every business has its own knowledge base, its own skill set that you need to have. Now, are there people that know the structure of companies and how to find people and put them in the right spots? Yes, I can do that. I've been doing that for a long time. But that's not me having the expertise. That's me having the resources to hire the people with the expertise, put them into play, and get them to run. Okay? So it's possible to do, but it's not good for an inexperienced entrepreneur with little resources because it can, like mentioned in the email, and undermine the entire original business, which then cuts off your cash flow, which makes you broke. All right? So it's very important to understand you are where you're at because of actions that your past self took. And if you don't continue to improve that skill set and take those actions at a bigger and higher level, you will not grow as an entrepreneur. Your business will not grow. And if you don't do that, and instead you'd say, well, I'm going to go open the snow cone stand, when really I'm an expert in concrete. Now you have a real problem because you're going to go something up, may not be the snow cone stand, maybe the thing after that, but you end up. You're going to end up cutting off your initial you know, income stream that's allowing you to have these options because you're misunderstanding your own skill set and how to apply it. So it's very important that we recognize that just because we're good at one business doesn't mean we're going to be good at another business. And if you get to a point where you can invest in other businesses and you're very successful, you never want to sacrifice your main horses for these other businesses. You see what I'm saying?

[A]

Right, Right. I mean, I think this. I mean, obviously this is a very in depth topic that that's covered in.

[B]

We could talk about this 50 fucking different hours. Yeah.

[A]

And RT is a great resource for people who for sure stuff. But just quick.

[B]

And the new MSCO project, bro.

[A]

Yeah, that's going to be fucking awesome.

[B]

I can't fucking wait. I can't wait to get back to talking about how to win all the time like that. What I've learned is that's what I love to talk about. I love it.

[A]

It was necessary, man. Yeah, it was necessary. But I do want to ask you this question because.

[B]

And by the way, we're not quitting cti. A lot of people are like, oh, don't stop, cti. No, it's two different things, guys. We got what's going on in the world. Comedy around, have fun, and then we got how to win so that we can fix the culture here in this country.

[A]

Yeah. Now I'm not an entrepreneur. Right. Like, I've always. I would fall in the category of everybody else. Right. And I think, you know, outside looking in, there's always been this idea of. And you've heard. Yeah, I know you've heard it, man. Like, oh, you got to diversify yourself. Have these seven different, you know, things.

[B]

Income streams.

[A]

Yeah, right.

[B]

The average. The average millionaire has seven different income streams.

[A]

Right, right. Okay.

[B]

20, 2022 was 2020. This is what we're going to see for the next month. 2022 was the rebuild. 2023 was the reconstruction. 2024 was the trial. And 2025 is game time. That's what we're gonna see for the next 30 days. Same posting that shit every fucking year too.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

How many fucking practice years do you need? You need another one, child?

[A]

3.3. Yeah.

[B]

Out of here.

[A]

But I do want to ask you this. I mean, because we started off this show talking about, you know, 26 years in business. That started.

[B]

Makes me feel old, bro. It's a good thing I don. Look old.

[A]

Yeah, you don't you look 26.

[B]

Yeah, that's right.

[A]

Yeah, I got you, bro. I got you.

[B]

See that? See that?

[A]

But I do want to add.

[B]

DJs got some value around here.

[A]

Well, I want to ask you, though, because we started out talking about, you know, that first business of yours, right? Like, and you started that in 99. At what point did the second. I guess the second opening come where you were like, okay, well, like, we did. We're doing this really, really well now. We can advance. And there. Was it like a straight.

[B]

This is a great. This is a great question.

[A]

Or is it.

[B]

No, this is great. So there is exceptions to what I just said about starting businesses, and one of them is verticals within your business. Okay? So, like, let's say you're making motorcycles, and you're working on motorcycles all day long, and you got this, and then all of a sudden you make some exhaust. Right? Because it goes together. Yeah, right. And so that's. That's what we did. We had retail supplements, retail nutrition, vitamins, all those things. And then we worked. You know, we sat there for 10 years being like, well, these guys are doing this wrong, and these guys are doing that wrong, but we didn't have the money to. To do it, you know? And so Chris and I sat there for years being like, well, if we ever get the opportunity to do it, here's what we would do. And then when the opportunity presented itself, because we had talked about it for so long, we had a really good idea of how we were going to do it, and we just went for it, you know, And. And I'll be honest, that was a very difficult situation to get off the ground. But it was a big. It was a vertical in our system that we felt comfortable that we knew and understood because of our experience in retail.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And when we first started, everybody was like, oh, that's never going to work. Well, here we are. So if you know what you know and you know how to, you know, these vertical aspects that fit into your core competency, those are businesses that you would really want to look at trying to open.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Instead of being a concrete guy and wanting to open a snow cone stand, you might want to open your own concrete tool line. You see what I'm saying?

[A]

Right?

[B]

Or. Or something.

[A]

A proposal mix.

[B]

Yeah, something.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That's in line with what you already know.

[A]

Right?

[B]

So. And then you're leveraging your own customer base. You know what I'm saying?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So, like, you don't have to go out and find a whole. The customers that want Snow cones and the customers that want a concrete walkway is two different things. Right. But if you can figure out a way to vertical those in, you don't have to go out and replicate a whole new customer base. Okay.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, that was the question, man. Because I feel like that comes up a lot.

[B]

Yeah, it's just vertical integration of your business. Like, dude, that's, that's very. You know, people will argue against it and they'll say, well, it doesn't make sense. Just use this drop shipper and this and do this and contract this out. Yeah, I mean, you could do it that way, but I could tell you this, Your company makes a lot more money when you do it the right way, the slow way and the vertical way.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It's just way more profitable.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, it makes sense to me, man. I love it, man. Guys, Andy, question number two. Let's keep this cruise. Oh, oh. Let's keep this show moving. Almost said keep the cruise moving.

[B]

That's all right.

[A]

Guys, Andy, question number two. I have a question. I'm a business owner in the automotive performance world. I've been doing it for myself since 2015. I do a lot of restomod GM vehicles as well as late model performance stock to 2000 horsepower. I am the only employee though every once in a while I have put some part time help in. It seems hard to find good help in South Florida. Employees are good for a few months, then get lazy and forget things. And I feel I treat them good with bonuses, hourly pay, competitive, all that good stuff. I have only ever dreamt of working on these cars like 69 Camaro, Chevelle, Smokey and the Bandit, Trans Am. Even as far as celebrities like Marquis and Mike Pouncy. Rick Ross, I currently have one of his cars in my shop and very wealthy people. I am six months shy of 40 years old and feel as I get more recognition from my line of work, I get more stress. Customers wanting work to their cars, they want them quick. People showing up for quotes, et cetera, et cetera. The question is, how do I manage to handle all this recognition and the workload flooding in? I would appreciate any insight to this question.

[B]

I mean, real talk, bro, it sounds like you're kind of bitching about something that could be a lot worse. You know, why don't you remember all the times when nobody gave a who you were and nobody knew who you were and nobody wanted to do the work or have you do any work on it? Okay, you're in a good spot and you're kind of spitting the gift horse mouth, you know what I'm saying? Like, dude, you wanted this, bro. Huh?

[A]

You wanted.

[B]

Yeah. So let's talk about. Instead of complaining and saying, oh, man, I don't know what to do, let's talk about how great this is for you, okay? You've built a brand. You've built an in demand personal brand. People are starting to know who you are. You're getting some celebrity clientele, which I know enough about the car business, which is super helpful. Okay, so how are you going to leverage that? And that's what you need to be thinking. How am I going to leverage that? How am I going to scale that? You know, you said I'm the only employee. Well, what if you had 20 employees could pop out a car a week or car every two weeks? How much money could you make? Right? And by the way, would you be happy doing it or would you be happy doing it yourself? One of my. I've. I'm one of my buddies who's one of the most famous craftsmen in the world. He prefers to work by himself. And so everything he makes is super expensive because he does it on his own. All right? So there's multiple places you can go here. You can raise your price and do all the work yourself. You can work to scale out a team, take on more work, make more profit. It depends on how you want to do it. But I want to go back to something that you said, you know, you said most of these employees are lazy or don't, you know, they forget after a week or whatever. Dude, that is you not leading them. Like, that's you not leading them. Like, I, I guess it's not the employee's fault that they're not productive, bro, it's your fault. You hire them in. That is your responsibility. Of course they have to meet you halfway. And they got to do their part, and most people want to do their part. And if they don't want to do their part, you either hire the wrong people or, and this is more likely, you're not painting the proper vision that makes them believe that they can have a future working for you. Who the wants to show up and get paid 15 bucks an hour to get grease on their hands or whatever you're paying them and go home and not have any future. Like, imagine how hard that is. Imagine how hard it is to get up every single day and work for a company that we have no idea where it's going. We have no idea if I'm going to have an opportunity here. Like, all the people that you are bringing in, they're coming in and they're like, this is great for now, but I gotta find something else. And the reason they're feeling that way is because you're not leading them. You're not saying, hey, we're going to become the biggest custom car builder in the world, or whatever it is you want to do, right? But these guys and their lives and their dreams, you're asking them to trade a major thing, which is their life and their dream and their. And so you have to figure out how to get that inside of your dream. And because, you know, you're. You're a mechanic or, you know, Bill, I don't want to, you know, you're a car builder. You're. You're not. Your leadership skills, that's a different skill set. That's like. That's like saying, you know, like I said, playing the saxophone or playing the O, it's a different thing. And so you need to learn leadership skills and understand how to paint your vision, which should look like this, hey, bro, come work for me. We're going to do this and this and this. We're going to get. Rick Ross is out there. We're going to get Mike Pouncy's car out there. We're gonna, you know, we're gonna show all these people the cool that we do, and we're gonna build this awesome brand. Change the car culture. Like, bro, car culture is one of the easiest cultures to work with. Everybody's cool, everybody's friendly. It's just my point is, you have to build a vision for these people that they see a part in, or you're going to be, you know, running through employees forever. And then, by the way, you have to mean it, it can't be lip service. Because the only thing worse than not having a vision is lying to your people and saying the vision is this. Because once they figure that out, they fucking all going to leave and then you're fucked.

[A]

Yeah, so it's like you said in the beginning, but, like, most people have that vision of, like, okay, I want the family, I want the fence. And so you got to fucking have an environment.

[B]

How can they do that? Yeah, how can you. How can you have a family, own a home, have the American dream inside of your system? How can your people do that? And if you can't tell them how to do that, then you're going to have a problem keeping people long term.

[A]

Yeah, I love that, man. I want to ask you this, though, because, you know We, I know, obviously we met. I met a few people, you know, through you. Because of you. Right. That and I don't know if this is the right term I guess you would use, but they've learned how to, I guess, finesse the supply and demand aspect of the solar entrepreneur. Right. Like you got guys like your tattoo artists, right? Like, that's a one man show. And his demand is very fucking high because it's only one guy. You know what I'm saying? He's tattooing you by himself. So, like, I mean, maybe leadership is not his best thing. He wants to keep it solo. How do you, I guess, how do you leverage? How do you finesse that supply and demand?

[B]

Well, that's going to be. That's going to be an aspect of, you know, if you only have so much time and it's going to be a one man show or two man show, then your price going to have to go up.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, and that's just reality.

[A]

But the work has to match the price.

[B]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. You're not gonna charge big price for mediocre work.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. All right. I love it, man. I love it, guys. Andy, let's get to our third and final question, guys. Question number three. Hey, Andy. I am 23 years old. I've been watching your show for two months. It has been helping me in so many ways. I want to ask you about the time management. When we focus on our goals, we have to put so many hours into it and it affects our social lives, sometimes to our family and the closest friends. I feel regret about not giving enough time to them, but I know if I don't put enough time into my work, then I would not be happy and achieve what I want or it would take more time to reach there. I don't want a delay in that. How do I balance those things?

[B]

You can't. You can't look at balance and think that it's appropriate for building a company. It's the hardest thing in the world, building a company, becoming an entrepreneur has been glorified to the point where people think they can do it and have everything else, too. It's impossible because it's too competitive. All right, so your idea of balance as everybody else has balance is not appropriate to you. Being an entrepreneur and having balance, okay, it's two different things. You're out here in the world and you're seeing all these memes and all these Instagram therapy things that are written and you're thinking they apply to you. They don't apply to the entrepreneur, that's a different life, okay? And it, you will not have balance. At least for the first five to 10 years, you're not gonna have balance. You're gonna have to put it in. But here's the Good news. In 10, 15 years, when you've put in all that, you're going to be the guy that can take care of everybody. You could solve everybody's problems. You can make their life more comfortable, and they're going to be very thankful for you. And yeah, you might lose some friends and you might distance some relationship, but the net positive out of it outweighs that. All right? But you guys have to understand all this, that you read online, all these memes about balance, all these things about, you know, that the average person is reading is like, yeah, they are not written for entrepreneurs, okay? They're not. It takes more. It takes, it's harder. It takes way longer, and the reward is way bigger. Okay? It takes a lot more risk. Usually when things take more risk and they're harder and they take longer, there's a bigger payoff. And that's what the entrepreneurship's about. So you are investing your time today into an outcome that will produce results. It's not a sacrifice. People will say, oh, it's a sacrifice because I'm sacrificing my time with this, with my friends. No, you're making an investment in your future self that is going to be exponentially worth it, as opposed to you being in the same financial position that you're in now, ten years from now. All right? So you have to look at this the right way and you have to stop looking at all this touchy feely therapy fucking bullshit that's on the Internet because it'll make you feel as an entrepreneur that you're totally fucking up. And it's just the way it is as an entrepreneur. It's, it's a, it's, you have to be selfish first to be selfless later. And that's the reality of being an entrepreneur. You're going to carry the water, you're going to carry the weight. You're going to put the on your back and drag it down the road. But then later, everybody's going to be happy you did it, because everybody's going to benefit from it. So we can't look at all of this out there. You know, we have this victim culture mentality still that has been propagated for the last decade all over social media. And quite honestly, you know, 95% of the therapy industry is predatory towards this culture. They want people to feel like victims so that they have to, quote, unquote, heal for the rest of their lives. When are they healed? When do they actually become a normal person again? They don't, because they want to capture these people and get them in a mentality that there's always something up around them because that equals money to them. Okay. There's very few quote, unquote, therapists that actually cure people. Why is that? Oh, because it's counterintuitive to their income stream. And that's the reality. People don't like that. But on top of all of that, on top of, you know, victim culture and taking advantage of it, which, by the way, if you've convinced someone that there's something wrong with them and then you make them pay you to fix it, you're a piece of. Okay, And I don't give a. Class. I don't give a. How many letters you have behind your name. Yeah, all right.

[A]

Class A.

[B]

But the truth. 100. Yeah, 100. Imagine thinking someone's telling someone they're up so they could pay you and then trying to keep them in that zone that they're up.

[A]

All right? That'd be a hundred bucks.

[B]

That's what I'm saying.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, bro, it's. That is okay. And because we have that in society, we have a lot of the entrepreneurs, a lot of the achievers, a lot of the people who are driven, which are some of the most important people in the world. And in fact, they're probably the most important because they provide all of the goods and services that create civilized society. All right? So when we shame them about going out and building things and we make them feel bad about becoming successful, and we make them feel up for being entrepreneurs, the rest of society suffers because some of the greatest ideas and the greatest inventions and the greatest solutions and the greatest cures die on the vine because of the shame culture puts on people to have ambitions and goals. All right? And so this is a big problem because what we're actually doing is we're silencing and removing some of the best ideas for a civilized society because we're telling they're morally out of line for wanting to achieve it. All right? So we have to get in line here and understand that when you read all this on the Internet about, you know, having zero anxiety and zero stress and all this, that is made for someone who is not trying to build something incredible. They are not wanting more. They are not trying to become wealthy. They are not trying to create Jobs or solutions or cures to things. These are just people going through life. And the truth of the matter is, is the reason they have so much anxiety is because they're not doing anything with their life. All right? So we have to understand. And by the way, I'm going to say another thing that everybody needs to understand about this. When you look for an anxiety free day and you look for a stress free day and you constantly look for that, what ends up happening is because you can't get through a single day without anxiety and you can't get through a single day without these feelings of stress. It's impossible because it's called life. All right? What ends up happening is the little moments of anxiety that do pop up in your day become hugely amplified and become a problem because you're expecting there to be none. So if you're expecting there to be none and then some shows up, what's your response? Dude, I can't get through a single day without being stressed. I can't get through a single day without feeling anxiety. Well, no, because that's called life. And you read all this on the Internet that isn't true. Thinking that you can eliminate these things when in reality you can't. So if you can't eliminate them and you're trying to focus on having a free day without this or a life without this, you're going to constantly be irritated and disappointed and frustrated because it's impossible. Okay? So we have to understand, number one, most of this therapy is garbage. Number two, you're not up for wanting to achieve things. Number three, and we need people like you. We need people to go out and win. We need people to go out and drive cool cars. We need people to show people what it looks like to be successful. We need cures, we need products, we need companies, we need jobs. All of these things are needed. And just because some pussy on the Internet is writing this that makes you feel touchy and feely and doesn't mean it's for you. Okay? So we have to discern what information is for entrepreneurs and success driven ambitious people and what information is for everybody else that's not going to do a thing. Okay? And we didn't know the difference. Is Michael Jordan going to read that and say, oh yeah, you know what, I need to back off my competitiveness because it's unbalanced.

[A]

Right.

[B]

You know, that's not, that's. It doesn't go together, dude. And, and because we're inundated with all of this and it's popular we end up in this scenario where we think there's something really wrong with us. When in reality, bro, the world needs what the we have. The world needs what we have in our heart. It needs that drive, it needs that ambition, it needs that competitive attitude. It needs someone to drive the Bugattis, bro, if you don't drive them, who the gonna drive them?

[A]

Yeah, right?

[B]

You know what I'm saying, right? Like, dude, like the nice. Yeah, I'm just saying, like, dude, you. Somebody's gotta win, it might as well be you.

[A]

I love that, man. Dude, you know, it's so crazy because I was thinking about this too while you were talking about that. They label these things so easily and make it seem like it's the catch, right? Like the thing that I think happened in the last year, two years maybe, is the hashtag fomo, right? Like the fear of missing out, you know? Like, I've never understood that. Like, you're missing out on what though?

[B]

The same you've seen a hundred times.

[A]

You know what I'm saying? I like that. That's.

[B]

Listen, man, you gotta understand there. There is multiple levels to this game, okay? There's people who, who want to be an entrepreneur but can't really, like, jump. Those people usually end up being franchise owners and they end up being great ones. Okay? They're not able to create the entire concept, but they're able to run one if you give it to them.

[A]

Right?

[B]

Okay? Then you have people who create their own shit, all right? These are like true builder, creator, entrepreneurs. They come up with an idea, the idea comes to fruition in real life, and then we have people who think completely outside the boundaries of reality. Elon Musk. I want to go to space, right? You see what I'm saying? I want to transmit electricity through the air. Nikolai Tesla, right? Like there's levels to the thinking and you have to understand and be self aware enough as to what category you fit in. Because if you put yourself in the wrong category from an authentic aspect, you're going to be miserable. All right? Like, I know which one I am. I'm the middle guy there. I'm not the guy who says, let's go to space, right? You know? No, I just. I want to build businesses and companies and I want to do things that are innovative. But that's a different level of thinking, right? I'm also not the guy that needs someone to lay it out for me. I can come up with an idea and make it work. You see what I'm saying? So we got to know where we lie in all these things. And maybe you're not even the franchise entrepreneur. Maybe you're a very strong entrepreneur that doesn't want to wear the stress of the company 24 hours a day, that doesn't want to be on their phone till midnight every night. Like, I still am 26 years in, okay? It's a different life, and it's not for everybody. And if it's not for you and you try to do it, it's going to crush your soul, bro. So we got to be authentic with where we are, what fits us, what's going to make us happy. Like that guy with the car shop. That guy might be happy building one or two cars a year himself.

[A]

Yeah, Right.

[B]

You know what I'm saying? Yeah, that's right. And that's okay, dude. Like, I'm not going to be on here and say everybody's the same and everybody has to go out and try be a billionaire. That's. That's not what I'm saying. We got to find the. The right area that we are fulfilled in that we can pay for our lives in. And then after that, it's. It's gravy, right?

[A]

Yeah, man. I love it, man. Guys. Andy. That's a hell of a way to start a Monday, man.

[B]

Yeah. All right, guys, let's go out. Let's kick some ass this week. We'll see you tomorrow on cti.

[A]

Froze. Fuck up, Bow. Fuck up. Stove. Counted millions in a cold, bad bitch.

[B]

Booted swole Got her own bank row.

[A]

Can'T fold Just a no headshot case Close.