What does it actually take to build something meaningful—and is it worth it?

In this episode of the Culture Matters Podcast, Jay Doran sits down with returning guest Mark Perkins, founder of Pivot Realty and creator of the Are You Worth It? Conference, for a powerful and honest conversation on entrepreneurship, execution, and what separates those who grow from those who stay stuck.

Mark shares lessons from nearly two decades of building, scaling, and navigating the realities of business—what he got wrong, what he’s learned, and why success is far more difficult than most people are willing to admit. From surrounding yourself with the right people to getting in the right rooms, this episode is a deep dive into what it really means to go all in.

This conversation also explores the future of business through the lens of artificial intelligence, the growing gap between elite performers and the rest of the workforce, and why access to the right people and environments can completely change your trajectory.

At the center of it all is one question:
Are you worth it?

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

Why entrepreneurship is harder than you think—and why that matters
The power of proximity and getting in the right rooms
How Mark built Pivot Realty from the ground up
The vision behind the Are You Worth It? Conference
What separates top performers from the middle 60%
Why most people never reach their full potential
How AI will reshape business, talent, and opportunity
What it really means to “go” all in on your life and business

Minute Markers:

00:00 Intro and Jim Rohn quote on proximity
02:10 Mark Perkins returns to the podcast
05:30 Starting Pivot Realty and early lessons
10:45 Why entrepreneurship is harder than expected
18:20 Getting in rooms with high-level operators
25:10 The vision behind “Are You Worth It?”
34:00 How to show up and win in the right rooms
42:15 Learning from people who have actually done it
50:30 Building relationships that create opportunity
58:40 The future of AI and the workforce
1:08:20 Top performers vs. the middle 60%
1:18:00 What “go” means for 2026
1:25:00 Final thoughts: Is it worth it?

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