The Code To Winning – Episode 054

"Blueprint to Building a 9-Figure Business"

Guest: Jamil Frazier (Founder/CEO, Think Life is Different Inc.)
Host: Kagiso Dikane (“KG”)
Date: September 6, 2025

Episode Overview

In this value-packed episode, Kagiso Dikane sits down with Jamil Frazier, entrepreneur, investor, coach, and founder of Think Life is Different Inc., for a deeply personal and strategic conversation. Jamil shares his journey from a challenging upbringing in Los Angeles–including bouts with depression and family cycles of trauma–to becoming a multi-millionaire dedicated to helping others build wealth and lasting legacies. The episode explores the psychological, strategic, and practical aspects of breaking income barriers, building scalable business systems, overcoming adversity, and developing true financial literacy. Listeners are treated to a raw blueprint for inner transformation and business growth, applicable to everyone from aspiring entrepreneurs to established professionals.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jamil’s Backstory: From Welfare to Wealth

(00:00–06:00, 06:01–12:38)

• Early Life and Family: Jamil candidly describes growing up in Los Angeles with a single mother, welfare dependency, and a father in and out of prison. His mother struggled with trauma and addiction after losing family members to violence.
• The Turning Point: Outward success early in adulthood (degree, Johnson & Johnson job, new marriage) masked deep inner turmoil about fatherhood and self-worth. He spiraled into depression for two years.
  • “I was rocking back and forth, trying to figure out what to do. I don’t want to be here, but I don’t want to leave... I was never really taught how to be a man.” (A, 01:20)
• Personal Responsibility: The catalyst for change came after attending a health and wellness conference and seeing young, sharply dressed professionals who inspired him:
  • “If they can do it and they can find freedom and happiness and success... then I can do it too.” (A, 10:56)
• Quitting Corporate and Pursuing Purpose: Jamil quit his six-figure job to pursue coaching, healed his marriage, and found a sense of mission.

2. Overcoming Depression and Finding a North Star

(13:28–19:17)

• Change Environment: Jamil stresses the importance of surrounding oneself with positive, ambitious people.
  • “Zip codes eat people, but they also make us as well.” (A, 13:52)
• Set a North Star: Having a sense of purpose (in his case, his son and breaking generational cycles) is crucial.
• Metacognition: Recommends studying how we think and respond to events.
  • Presents the formula: E + R = O (Event + Response = Outcome).
• Personal Empowerment: Transformation comes when you control your response, not the event.
  • “At that moment I was broken. Five and a half years later, I was a millionaire, and nothing changed but my Rs, which greatly impacted my Os.” (A, 18:54)

3. The Importance of Financial Literacy and Wealth Building

(21:20–29:06)

• Think Life is Different Inc.: Jamil’s consulting business helps entrepreneurs and individuals not just make money, but build and preserve wealth.
  • “I didn’t want to just be rich. I wanted to be wealthy.” (A, 22:17)
• Common Problems: Many high-earners have no idea what to do with their money—clients often stash cash or gold at home.
• Financial Literacy Gap: Even people with economics degrees aren’t taught crucial investing or wealth management skills.
  • “Over 70% (of lottery winners) will go broke within the first five years.” (A, 28:03)

4. Breaking the Six-Figure Plateau & The Four Phases of Money

(29:06–34:54)

• Social Synchrony: Your income often synchronizes with your environment.
  • “There’s something called social synchrony... whatever environment you put yourself in, you’re going to synchronize with the people and the habits that they have.” (A, 29:39)
• The Four Skill Phases:
  1. Earning (anyone can make a dollar)
  2. Managing (few do this well)
  3. Growing/Investing (rare)
  4. Retaining (tax strategy, loopholes)
• Skill Stacking: Consistent wealth growth depends on continuously learning new business, investing, leadership, and communication skills.
  • “If you get good at stacking [skills], you can trade them—for money.” (A, 32:08)
  • Challenge: “Why don’t you turn your annual income into your monthly income?” (A, 34:17)

5. Systems and Scaling a 9-Figure Business

(35:27–40:05)

• From Bottleneck to Systems: Early reluctance to delegate and micromanagement hindered Jamil’s growth.
  • Inspired by “Cashflow Quadrant” (Robert Kiyosaki) and personal development events.
  • “Most of my internal problems is me. I’m selfish, man...I want all the clout, I want all the glory...I didn’t trust other people...that’s preventing me from scaling.” (A, 37:00)
• Key Steps to Scale:
  • Systematize everything (SOPs, sales scripts).
  • Invest in people (hire, train, empower).
  • Use KPIs to drive strategy.
  • Accept “done is better than perfect” and release control.
  • “When the first few sales came in that didn’t require me, it was amazing.” (A, 39:21)

6. Entrepreneurial Leadership & the Art of Letting Go

(41:36–46:52)

• A recurring entrepreneurial dilemma: the inability to delegate (“nobody can do it as well as I do”).
  • The gift of excellence can become a curse if it keeps you small.
  • “Your gift is your curse and your curse is your gift...In this moment, this is where the leadership comes in. This is where we are able to start managing our ego.” (A, 42:03)
• Find Your 12: Reference to the leadership model of building a supportive, empowered core team.
• Raise and Release: Train others, then let go of perfectionism to realize bigger visions and impact.

7. Coaching for Transformation

(50:38–55:36)

• Teaching People How to Think: Beyond tactics, Jamil focuses on frameworks for independent thinking and aligning actions with true goals (not Instagram or societal scripts).
• Self-Inquiry: Constantly assess if current actions serve the bigger “why.”
  • “Is what I’m doing, or going to do, is that serving me?” (A, 52:47)
• Delayed Gratification: Use money to fuel growth before lifestyle upgrades.
  • “Why are we doing this right now? Does that serve you, or would it be better to hold off for three, four, five years?” (A, 54:31)
• Comparison Destroys Progress: Social media can undermine discipline and focus if not managed wisely.

8. Defining Winning

(56:25–58:49)

• Personalized Success: Winning must be self-defined—not dictated by societal or familial expectations.
  • “Once you accomplish those [true desires], that’s winning. For me, I want a stress-free life, to be happy, to keep my kids, to have a fruitful marriage—that’s at the top of my list. And then I say, what is going to help create those things?” (A, 57:09)
• Align income, business, and lifestyle with personal values and fulfillment.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Time | Quote | Speaker | |---------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------| | 01:20 | “I was rocking back and forth, trying to figure out what to do. I don’t want to be here, but I don’t want to leave...” | Jamil | | 10:56 | “If they can do it and they can find freedom and happiness and success...then I can do it too.” | Jamil | | 13:52 | “Zip codes eat people, but they also make us as well.” | Jamil | | 13:54 | “Change your environment first and foremost. Secondly is I would say get a North Star...” | Jamil | | 18:54 | “At that moment I was broken. Five and a half years later, I was a millionaire, and nothing changed but my Rs...” | Jamil | | 22:17 | “I didn’t want to just be rich. I wanted to be wealthy.” | Jamil | | 29:39 | “There’s something called social synchrony...you’re going to synchronize with the people and the habits that they have.” | Jamil | | 32:08 | “If you get good at stacking [skills], you can trade them—for money.” | Jamil | | 34:17 | “Why don’t you turn your annual income into your monthly income?” | Jamil | | 37:00 | “Most of my internal problems is me. I’m selfish, man...I want all the clout...that’s preventing me from scaling.” | Jamil | | 42:03 | “Your gift is your curse and your curse is your gift...this is where the leadership comes in.” | Jamil | | 52:47 | “Is what I’m doing, or going to do, is that serving me?” | Jamil | | 57:09 | “Once you accomplish those [true desires], that’s winning...” | Jamil |

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–10:00: Jamil’s upbringing, early struggles, and depression
• 10:00–13:27: Turning point at a wellness conference; decision to quit corporate life
• 13:28–19:17: Steps to overcome depression; formula for transformation (E+R=O)
• 21:20–25:00: Building Think Life is Different; consulting for entrepreneurs
• 29:06–34:54: Breaking income plateaus, environment, skill stacking, and money phases
• 35:27–40:05: Systems, scaling, and overcoming founder bottleneck
• 41:36–46:52: Dilemmas of delegation and letting go of perfection
• 50:38–55:36: Jamil’s coaching ethos—teaching people to think and choose for themselves
• 56:55–58:49: Definition of “winning” and a fulfilled life

The Blueprint to Building Beyond 6 and 7 Figures

• Step 1: Address limiting beliefs and environment
• Step 2: Take full responsibility for responses to life’s events
• Step 3: Consistently invest in skill stacking (business, leadership, investing, tax strategy)
• Step 4: Systematize, delegate, and empower others to escape the “founder bottleneck”
• Step 5: Align income, business growth, and life goals with a deeply personal “North Star”
• Step 6: Cultivate financial literacy as early as possible. Don’t just earn—grow, manage, and retain your wealth.
• Step 7: Redefine winning according to your genuine desires and purpose.

Connect with Jamil Frazier

• Website: thinklifeisdifferent.com
• Instagram & YouTube: @therealjamilfrazier

This episode is essential listening for anyone eager to break through business plateaus, take control of their life story, and build a business—and a legacy—that lasts.