Winning, Losing, and Leveling Up: The Raw Truth on Business, Fitness & Mindset | Sean Whalen | EP 62

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Winning, Losing, and Leveling Up: The Raw Truth on Business, Fitness & Mindset | Sean Whalen | EP 62"

Introduction and Guest Background

In Episode 62 of The Entrepreneur DNA, host Justin Colby welcomes longtime friend and influential figure Sean Whalen. Known for creating impactful movements in the men's and entrepreneurial spaces, Sean brings a wealth of experience and candid insights into the conversation. This episode delves deep into the truths of business, fitness, and mindset, offering listeners a raw and unfiltered perspective on achieving success and personal growth.

Personal Journeys and Evolution

Sean Whalen opens up about his ongoing journey of personal and spiritual growth. Reflecting on his deep connection with divinity, Sean emphasizes the importance of evolving spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically. He mentions, “I’m balls deep, for lack of better words, in that game with everybody else, and I’m grateful for it, dude” (03:52).

Justin shares his admiration for Sean’s transformation over the past decade, highlighting Sean’s presence in Miami and his collaborations with close friends like Garrett White. Sean reciprocates the sentiment, detailing his long-standing friendship with Garrett and the mutual support they've provided each other over the years (04:15).

Ego in Business and Life

A significant portion of the discussion centers around the role of ego in differentiating winners from losers. Sean passionately argues that ego, often mischaracterized negatively, is a driving force behind successful individuals. He states, “The difference between me and most other people is I'm willing to lose. And that's why I win” (01:33) and reiterates this sentiment later in the conversation, emphasizing the importance of embracing failure as a pathway to success (10:08).

Justin shares his personal struggles with ego, acknowledging how his own ego-driven decisions in 2024 led to financial hardships. This vulnerability sets the stage for a deeper exploration of how ego influences business decisions and personal life.

Fitness and Mindset

Fitness emerges as a crucial element in Sean’s philosophy of success. Despite not positioning himself as a fitness guru, Sean’s commitment to physical health is evident. He recounts his transformative experience with the 75 Hard program, which rewired his mindset and led to significant physical changes, including achieving a six-pack at 41 years old (20:14).

Sean connects physical fitness to mental resilience, stating, “the body is the most important thing that I have found. You... can't perform as a husband, as a... as a father if your body is fat, overweight, lethargic” (19:53). He underscores that maintaining physical health is not about appearance but about fostering the tenacity and discipline necessary for success across all facets of life.

Community and Networking

The conversation highlights the importance of surrounding oneself with the right community. Sean discusses the Lion’s Den and the upcoming Lion's Den Business Syndicate, aimed at supporting entrepreneurs at higher revenue levels (34:36). He emphasizes the value of connecting with individuals who are further along the path to success, stating, “I want to work out for me with dudes that are way bigger, way stronger than me, because then that helps me level up” (45:35).

Justin echoes this by stressing the significance of community support, sharing how being part of the Lion’s Den has provided him with invaluable connections and resources to navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship and personal growth (44:20).

Challenges and Lessons Learned

Both Justin and Sean candidly discuss the setbacks and failures they've encountered. Sean shares his experience of going bankrupt at 30 and how those losses became learning opportunities: “If you hadn’t done it, you wouldn’t know” (08:53). He also reflects on the missteps in his apparel business, highlighting the importance of adaptability and making tough decisions: “I made the million to lose them” (11:17).

Sean draws parallels to Elon Musk’s journey with SpaceX, illustrating how repeated failures are integral to eventual success. He remarks, “In order to make hundreds of thousands, you have to risk thousands. In order to make millions, you have to risk hundreds of thousands” (39:17).

Future Plans and Initiatives

Looking ahead, Sean outlines his plans for expanding the Lion’s Den Business Syndicate, targeting entrepreneurs in the higher echelons of business success. Additionally, he discusses potential partnerships to scale his apparel line, Lions Not Sheep, focusing on finding partners who can help elevate the brand globally without compromising the creative vision (35:41).

Conclusion and Call to Action

The episode concludes with a powerful call to action, urging listeners to join the Lions Not Sheep community and embrace the principles of accountability, resilience, and continuous improvement. Justin emphasizes the importance of supporting each other and building a network of like-minded individuals: “Go support your friends. Sean is a genuine friend” (44:20).

Sean reinforces the message by challenging listeners to take ownership of their lives and strive for excellence: “Don’t do it for your kids. Do it for you, bro” (28:47). He concludes with a motivational thought on leadership and personal growth, encouraging men to become sovereign beings who lead by example and mentorship: “The very best leaders have mastered the art of following” (46:21).

Notable Quotes

• Sean Whalen: “The difference between me and most other people is I'm willing to lose. And that's why I win.” (01:33)
• Sean Whalen: “You had to make the millions to lose them.” (11:17)
• Sean Whalen: “The body is the most important thing that I have found. You... can't perform as a husband, as a... as a father if your body is fat, overweight, lethargic.” (19:53)
• Sean Whalen: “Don’t do it for your kids. Do it for you, bro.” (28:47)
• Sean Whalen: “The very best leaders have mastered the art of following.” (46:21)

Final Thoughts

Episode 62 of The Entrepreneur DNA offers a no-holds-barred discussion on the interplay between business acumen, physical fitness, and mental resilience. Sean Whalen’s forthright approach serves as both a mirror and a motivator for listeners striving to elevate their personal and professional lives. By emphasizing the importance of community, embracing failure, and maintaining relentless self-improvement, the episode provides actionable insights for entrepreneurs and individuals seeking to level up.

Transcript

[Sean Whalen]

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[Sean Whalen]

I I really truly believe this is what separates the winners and the losers. This is what separates the haves and the have nots. This is what separates the people that have deep communion with God and deep relationship and deep love of life is they're willing to fucking do shit. They're willing to do shit. And you can chalk that up to ego, you can chalk that up to this. You can chalk that up whatever you want. I don't give a shit what label you put on it. People call me a narcissist. They call me all kinds of freaking things. And it's like the difference between me and most other people is I'm willing to lose. And that's why I win.

[Justin]

My people Entrepreneur DNA. You are gonna love this podcast. I have a longtime friend of mine, a guy who has created an incredible movement in the men's space in the entrepreneur. And many of you guys already know this gentleman because he's been on before. My guy Sean Whalen is in the house. What's up, dude? What's up, dog?

[Sean Whalen]

How you doing?

[Justin]

Good. Good. So, listen, I'm gonna do something totally different for all my listeners, all the people watching this on YouTube. Sean and I have had a long time coming to catch up, so we are going to keep it raw.

[Sean Whalen]

Second or third episode.

[Justin]

This is our third episode together.

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah, dig it.

[Justin]

Yeah, dude, it's. It's a movement. So, by the way, if you don't know Sean, go follow him on all the social media platforms. Lions, not sheep is his. His. His platform, his community, everything he does. Look at his hat. Look at his hoodie. But the man is an incredible human. He cares. So follow him on Instagram, follow him on all the social. Sean Whalen. All the links will be below. But, dude, what the has been. What have you been doing those days?

[Sean Whalen]

Life is. Life is a beautiful experience, man. I was actually just having a conversation with my buddy Rick, and it's. There's a real freaking interesting game happening right now. Spiritually, I'm obviously a very spiritual guy. I have a deep connection with divinity, and I. As the good book says, there's dividing of the wheat and the chafe. And I think a lot of people are stepping into this kind of evolutionary game of growing and expanding spiritually, emotionally, psychologically. And there's a lot of people are just getting left in the dust who aren't willing to go down the rabbit hole and really figure out who they are and why they're here. So it's. I mean, I'm balls deep, for lack of better words, in that game with everybody else, and I'm. I'm grateful for it, dude.

[Justin]

It's been fun to watch that journey for you.

[Sean Whalen]

Right.

[Justin]

I mean, obviously, for a decade now, I've kind of watched your transition. Everything is going on. I know you were in my hometown recently here in Miami.

[Sean Whalen]

Yep.

[Justin]

I think you were probably in and out, though. We weren't able to catch each other. You're probably in for a day or two and then out.

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah. Hanging out with my good friend Garrett White, doing some work and growing and evolving and learning, and it was good times.

[Justin]

What a scholar. That guy. That guy. We have recently gotten really close because he's here in Miami now. And so we hang out, and, bro, our families are getting together and all the good jazz. Right? And so Garrett's as good as they come.

[Sean Whalen]

He and I go. He and I go back before there was, wake up, warrior lions, not sheep. We've known each other for 15, 16, 17 years. And literally, I was. I watched him birth Wake up, warrior. And he watched me birth lions, not sheep. And the last nine, 10 years, watching both of these things expand and explore and go and change literally hundreds of thousands of lives, it's been. It's been really freaking cool, man. I'm happy as hell for that guy.

[Justin]

I am here, and I'm watching you both run very fast, and I'm loving it. And I think you guys are in such alignment, it is incredible. The thing I would tell you, if you're a man listening or watching this, I need you to. To follow Sean and Garrett. But just. Just understand what they're trying to do. They're trying to change the shape of. Not just, like, go make more money or just go be a good business owner. Like, they want you to understand the connections, the mind, the body, how it all works together, right? And. Yeah, And I'll tell you, you know, Garrett just is that guy. And you've been that guy for me, right? Like, just. I watch you, and you watch me from afar, and it just seeps in your blood, right? Like, you just go, God, I'm just digesting it all.

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah, well, dude, there's more. I think any guy or gal listening to this. There's one thing that I. I know for certain about human beings is that whether they're. They're willing to agree to it or not, whether they're willing to orate it or not, everyone wants more. And I'm not just talking more money. I'm not talking about a bigger house, but I think deep down in our DNA, like, we are primal creatures that want more. We want more love. We want more connection. We all want more money. If you. If you're lying, if you say no to that, you're lying. Everybody would love to have more money. And even if it's not to buy a bigger house, but to help more people or to go spread the word of God or to go give more. And so I think what's really interesting about what Garrett's doing and what I've been doing is it's like, we're not out here telling people, hey, here's our way, and you're either in it or you're out. It's like, here's what we're finding. Like, as fathers, as husbands, as men going through life, like, Garrett is public about their marriage struggles. I'm public with my marriage struggles and life struggles and fitness struggles and body struggles and kids struggles. And I think that's what makes Wake Up Warrior and Lion's Not Sheep really unique is like, we're not. We're not telling people that we have it all figured out, but what we're doing is showing people what we're doing in our lives to overcome ourselves and our egos and our pride and things that nobody really led us to understand and. And be an example for us. And I think that's why the. The light is so bright with both of these movements, is because people are looking at it going, yeah, I want more, but I don't. I don't know how to be vulnerable. I don't know how to be honest. I don't know how to break out of this little bubble that I've been in where all my family's, you know, overweight or broke or angry. And I don't want to be overweight, broke, or angry. And so now I need to, like, level up my game and my understanding and my knowledge, and it's. It's just so fucking dope to be a part of this entire experience of life and to have this movement and the whole thing, bro, I couldn't.

[Justin]

Dude, you said the word. That's kind of triggery for me right now, right? Ego. Ego, bro. The reason why that triggers me is I know in 2024, I made moves because of my ego, right? And I'll tell you right now, those. Those moves have created more financial hardship for me in 2024 because I could. Right? So it was the class. And you've done this.

[Sean Whalen]

Literally.

[Justin]

I know you've done this in the real estate space. You have an epic resume in the real estate space, but, dude, because I could. I did.

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Justin]

What the. That was. That's not a business move. Oh, I could buy this apartment. I could raise $10 million. So I did. And it's ego based. So I could go on social media and say, oh, I bought this apartment and I have this many doors. It was about the ego, dude. And I'm telling you, you. You are one of those people that, like, literally speak to me daily. And if you're watching this again, God damn it, follow Sean, because what you are going through, what you're talking about, and that word ego is triggering because I'm aware of it, because I'm in the. I know what I did, right? I'm not oblivious to it, right? And it just. It ruined so many men, women, businesses, relationships. Let's talk about, like, what you've been able to do, bro. Like, I've watched. I've been watching you 24 months of the journey you're on, dude. Yeah, it's intense.

[Sean Whalen]

Here's the biz, the decisions that you made in business. It's so easy to look back and to judge and critique and this and this and this. But here's the thing. If you hadn't done it, you wouldn't know. If you hadn't done it, you wouldn't know. If I hadn't gotten remarried at 40 something years old, I wouldn't know. If I hadn't have invested in this deal or bought this or sold this or did this, I wouldn't know. And I think this is where the average human being and I'm. I don't take this for what it's worth. People can be mad at it, but. But the statistics are. In a majority of this country is overweight, broke, depressed. There's more people on prescription drugs than ever before. There's more people, there's more men committing suicide than ever before. These are just statistics. This isn't the gospel according to Sean. And I truly believe it's because we're so fucking afraid to fuck up, we're afraid to say what we really want to say, do what we really want to do, live a bigger life. I just want to live a life of. No, you don't. No one wants to just, like, get a 401k and work till they're 70 years old and then buy. No one wants that, so stop fucking saying it.

[Justin]

No doubt.

[Sean Whalen]

And it's easy to look at somebody like you or me who's lost millions of dollars. I went bankrupt at 30 years old. I thought I had it all figured out, Sean. It's an ego. It's not ego. I'm learning. I'm fucking learning like everybody else. Yeah, but the difference between me and 99% of everybody else, I'm willing to look dumb. I'm willing to jump in the ring. I've been in the ring, Literally in the ring. I have five professional MMA fights. I've whooped the shit out of three dudes, and one dude beat me twice. But what does everybody talk about? But two times I got beat. That's right, because it's really easy to say that, but the reality is the people that have been in the ring haven't said anything. So this is where for me, at 46 years old, I realized, like, I'm not who I was five years ago. I'm way fucking smarter. I'm not who I was two years ago because I've learned. I've lost millions. I've made millions. Something Garrett said to me many years ago that actually helped birth lions. Not Sheep and helped me overcome some really dark times. He's like, you got to understand, man, you had to make the millions to lose them.

[Justin]

Let's go.

[Sean Whalen]

You had to make the millions to lose them. And the people that talk about you losing the millions have never made the millions, because the people that have made the millions don't say shit when you lose. And as you zoom out, look at it, it's really simple for unhappy people who don't love their marriage, don't love their life to look at mine and go, oh, you're fucking this, this, this. It's really simple. But peel back the layers and you hate where you are. Yeah. So it's kind of like I really, truly believe this is what separates the winners and the losers. This is what separates the haves and the have nots. This is what separates the people that have deep communion with God and deep relationship and deep love for life is they're willing to fucking do shit. They're willing to do shit. And you can chalk that up to ego. You can chalk that up to this. You can chalk that up whatever you want. I don't give a shit what label you put on it. People call me a narcissist. They call me all kinds of freaking things. And it's like the difference between me and most other people is I'm willing to lose. And that's why I win. But guess what happens along that path. You're gonna lose, you're gonna take an L, you're gonna have a bad month, a bad year, a bad week, a bad. You're gonna get in the ring and some dudes, he's got your ticket that day. Bam. He knocks you out and you're like, what the fuck? This is the game of life. And I feel like so many people are so fat and broke and miserable and. And addicted to drugs and hating their life because they're just literally not willing to go do and might. It might have a consequence of them looking dumb.

[Justin]

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[Sean Whalen]

Yeah.

[Justin]

You're not around with like, oh, I'm going to go create a community for 100 people and raw lions. Not she raw.

[Sean Whalen]

No, I mean, dude, that's. This is what I really believe firmly. And, like, again, I just had this really great conversation with my friend Rick. Like, you and I have never lived this day. And if anybody's listening to this or the people that are listening this, understand something. Justin's never lived this day. Sean Whalen's never lived this day. You've never lived this day. You literally think you have an idea of what's coming in an hour or two or ten. You have no clue. And so you have all of this experience of life that has brought you to this singular moment. What are you doing with it? Are you angry? Are you happy? Are you building? Are you not? Are you taking chances? Are you huddling onto this little safety blanket? One of my favorite quotes is by the late Thomas Monson. He was the president of the Mormon Church. He said, you are who you are today because the choices and decisions that you made yesterday. And what I encourage people to look at is that all of like 20, 24, I made these things. It wasn't ego in the bad sense. It was like, yo, I want to, I want to go do this. I'm going to live. Like, I don't know what the right decision is. I could ask a hundred people, 50 will say do 50, 50 will say don't. 50 will say risk, 50 will say whatever. But at the end of the day, like, I am right here, right now with all of the good, all of the bad, but all of the education and lessons because I chose to do something. And it's really simple to look at and go, you fucked up, you fucked up, you fucked up, you fucked up. I look at it and say, I learned. I learned. I learned. I learned until the day I die. This will be my quest. And I'm at 46 years old. I am far from done fucking up. I will fuck up many more times in my days. I guarantee you I will lose money in the future. I guarantee you I will be angry in the future. I guarantee you I'll have a meltdown and fucking like, be sad and I'll cry in the future. It's a given. I know this. So for me, it's like, dude, go live, man. Like, go live. Go experience all this shit.

[Justin]

No doubt.

[Sean Whalen]

So many people just stuck in their brains, like, I'm like, dude, you're gonna die. There's amongst all of us, you're going to die.

[Justin]

The history of the world, no one's made it out alive.

[Sean Whalen]

Nobody.

[Justin]

The history of the world.

[Sean Whalen]

I'm hoping that science, like, creates a live forever pill or a chamber I'm. I'm in. I want to live forever because, like, I want to swim in every ocean, I want to eat every food, I want to visit every freaking temple. I want to be. I mean, I'm scratching the surface. At 46 years old, I've lived, I've been alive for 46 years. And I don't feel like I'm even starting to understand life yet. And that is what excites me. And if that offends people, I don't really care if what I say on social media or how I live my life or what I do isn't the norm. Good. I don't want to be normal. I don't want to be like everybody.

[Justin]

Else, bro, you, you know, listen, I'm one of those guys that like to support my friends. I bought your book late last year. When I'm going through my, I'm like, I'm going back to the guys like my people, right? Listen to your audiobook. It's on Amazon, it's on Audible. This is original book. There may be a version too. I'm not even. But like the original book where you talk about the Core 4, right? And I'm like, God damn, I just needed that message. And so the first things first, I, I think there's a lot of people out there that ask for hand me outs and like that. Go support your friends. Sean is a genuine friend. I bought his book. I didn't say, hey bro, send me a book. I could have. I didn't. I support my friends, the hoodies, the hats. So first of all, take that away from what I'm telling everybody here. Don't ask for the handout. Will Sean give me his hoodie? Write this? Yes. But I'm gonna go buy the hoodie to support his business. Right, but also I want to lean into the core four because you've done something that well. Listen, let me revert back. I just posted last month. I think you liked it. You saw, I did like a before and after photo, bro. I don't think in my life I would have thought me, six, four, skinny, fit, whatever. Would I ever have had to do a before and after photo?

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah.

[Justin]

But I will tell you what, comes from getting your body back into shape. And I leaned into my wife being pregnant and the whole thing. That was my intention, wanted to do it, but I bounced back. But it's because I had the mindset of, hey, I'm just gonna go bounce back from this. It's been fun. I've been on vacation. Let's talk about your journey with fitness, bro, because you are not the fitness guru. You're not there selling, but you were making everyone aware. A 46 year old, you're fudgeing ripped. You're rich, right? Like you're fudgeing crushing life. Talk about that. I mean, people don't. Now you're firing me up, I'm fudgeing yelling back at you like people don't get it. The body is fudgeing everything. You can't perform as a husband, as a, as a father if your body is fat, overweight, lethargic, like crazy shit, bro.

[Sean Whalen]

I agree. I have, I have three kids. I have a daughter, 22 year old daughter, an 18 year old son. He's almost 19 and a, and a 15 year old. How am I supposed to tell them something that I don't believe or live? How am I supposed, I mean, our parents did it, right? Eat your vegetables. You gotta be healthy. Remember?

[Justin]

While my dad's drinking a beer and driving.

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah, yeah. Neither of my parents, I don't ever remember seeing either of my parents ever work out, go to a gym, ever. It just wasn't something they did. So I, I, I did 75 hard. Like six years ago when Andy Frisella first did it. Andy and I go way back. And when he first launched 75 hard, I did 75 hard. And it rewired my brain because when you're doing these 45 minute outdoor workouts, I would go do them and like I'd walk back, found these loops that I would just go walk or whatever. And I'd come back to my truck and It'd be like 42 minutes. And it was like, I have two choices right now. Yeah, close enough. Or no, I'm committed to this. And I would literally do three minutes around my truck until it was exactly 45 minutes. And something happened for me there. Because I spent my whole life with overweight parents. I'd never had a six pack. A lot of people hear me talk about six pack and I'll tell you why. I'd never had any example of fitness. And so I looked at the fit guys, the ripped guys. Oh, you spend six hours at the gym, it's genetics. He's on drugs, steroids. And I'd never actually taken myself mentally far enough to be able to achieve something like a six pack. I did two Ironmans. I've had five professional MMA fights. I'm, I'm in shape. I love working out, I work out hard. But I'd never had a six pack. And that 75 hard, I, I got in the best esthetic shape I've ever been in. I had a six pack for the first time in my life at 41 years old. And something changed in my brain. I realized that I had simply just not gone far enough. Yeah, I hadn't been committed long enough. I had made every story, like the workouts at 11pm when I still hadn't done my 45 minute workout. It was like my story was, dude, I'm, I'm exhausted, I need my sleep. I got a rest. And it was like, dude, you have two choices. And so I would literally, I'm not exaggerating, I would put my Crocs on and I would walk around for 45 minutes, my neighborhood and I was half asleep. But it was the mental game of saying I can either keep telling myself the stories of, of genetics and my mom and dad and da da, da, da. And I have all of these injuries that I've always had, or I can write a new story. And dude, in 75 days I got shredded as and I've had a six pack ever since. Because to me, that's the new standard.

[Justin]

That's right.

[Sean Whalen]

And, and I rewrote it. And that's why I always say six pack. And a lot of dudes don't get it and they think I'm being a dick or whatever else. I'm like, what you don't understand mentally is how hard it is, which is why very few people have sex pack. It's so hard to accomplish that. But then to keep it, to keep it, I'm not talking about I'm going to just starve myself. There they are. Okay, back to being fat boy. I'm talking about rewriting a 40 year story that was in my brain. It's for guys who go to the gym six hours a day. You got to have good genetics. You got to be taking steroids that, no, I just hadn't fucking done the hard enough work to get it. And when I did it, it was like, oh, shit, wait a second, like, where else am I, like cutting myself short? Where else am I being a total fucking pussy and making stories with business and love and connection and my mental clarity and all this other stuff? And that's the reason that I'm, I'm so passionate about a six pack, is it's not, look at me take my shirt off. That's the end result. It's, who do I have to become to literally create such a passionate, deep connection to writing a new story that I'm willing to literally eliminate every excuse until I get this result. And what I have found over the last six years, I've made more money than I've ever made. I went from being a single dude who was terrified of getting married to getting married, to building this movement and speaking on this on stages with the likes of Jordan Peterson. And I can attribute that tenacity, that audacity all the way back to me building a six pack. And it's dingy. It's the new standard. I'm 46 years old, I've got a six pack. I'm shredded. And I'm not going to stop taking my shirt off. I became a grandpa a week ago. I'm a come on, grandpa. My daughter had a baby one week ago. I'm a shredded ripped grandpa. There aren't very many of those out there. There aren't. And I'm not. I don't have any shame. I don't owe anybody all. I built this. I built the tenacity. I did the work. And that's why I'm so passionate about it. Because every dude listening to me, I don't give a what your boo boos are. I got them all. I had major. I blew my bicep tendon out two years ago. I had major bicep surgery. I blew my freaking spine out. I had two compressed dicks discs. Had major spine surgery four, five years ago. I've got spinal stenosis, arthritis, blown out both my knees. Had both my knees redone. I got a pinched nerve in my neck. I got all the excuses, like every listening to this. The difference is the story that I tell myself is I am superior to all of that. And I will do whatever necessary to keep my standard here. And if I have to adapt my workouts because I'm hurt, I'll adapt. If I gotta, like, whatever I gotta do, I do it. And that's the reason that I feel like right now this is that separation season that we hear about is there's people that just don't have the balls, the tenacity, the commitment to build something like a six pack. And the cool part is, and you said this, and I'll finish up. It's you versus you with the body. Your wife has nothing to do with it. Your girlfriend has nothing to do with it. The stock market crypto, Elon Musk, Donald Trump. No one has anything to do with your body but you. There is no. There is literally no roadblock. You could have no money, no gym, and there's a fucking park and there's free shit. Because if you're watching this, you got a fucking cell phone. You can go to YouTube and get every goddamn free fucking park workout. There is. There is zero excuse. There is zero excuse for any man listening to this to not set that bar at that level of excellence and do everything humanly possible to hit that.

[Justin]

And scene. I. I'll tell you, dude, it's. You said something that is so important, right? Like you said a lot. So it's a lot to unpack.

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah, but rant. But I'm passionate about this.

[Justin]

But this is why I love you for it. Right? I mean, that's the reality is. But the thing that, you know, the. I heard a lot, but like, the next page is blank while someone's watching us right now on YouTube or Instagram or wherever the hell we're gonna post this damn thing. I saw on Apple and saw on Spotify. Great. Tomorrow's the day that you could hear this and see this and say it. I'm in. I'm bought in, finally.

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah.

[Justin]

And that's the idea that Sean tries to do with lions, not sheep, is to, to convert that one person. That again, might be a little bit soft physically, but you can't. The body is the most important thing that I have found. I, I this year, dude, I'm 43. I did a full CT scan on my body. I want to know what my heart looks like, dude. Yeah, I have two little babies now. You started earlier than me, right? You got a little more grown kids, bro. I have a 4 year old and I have 11 month old. Like, I need to live forever like you just said, bro. I'm, I'm in it with these kids.

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah.

[Justin]

I died a CT scan. I want to know what my, my testicles look like. I want to know my heart, my liver, my lungs. Because I don't know, you might be able to see my new six pack. I just got back. You might be able to see that, but you don't know what your heart's doing. My brain. I was an idiot for 15 years. I had some fun out in those streets of Scottsdale. Don't get it twisted. What's going on in my brain. Yeah, right. I do an mri. I get a full blown MRI because, I don't know, I don't hurt, right? So I, I just want people to understand if you're not playing at a level to last a long time and you can't figure out why, do it for no one else than your kids. And let's just say you don't have kids.

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah.

[Justin]

Then don't you want to live an epic long life? Or do you just want to be here and exist?

[Sean Whalen]

Can I, can I challenge you for a second?

[Justin]

Yeah, bro. Shoot.

[Sean Whalen]

Don't. Don't. And this is. I'm telling you as a father of three, don't do it for your kids. Do it for you, bro.

[Justin]

Mm.

[Sean Whalen]

Fuck. Fuck everybody else. Fuck the entire world.

[Justin]

Yeah.

[Sean Whalen]

Like we, we live. We live in a. We are we our ancestors. We're savages, bro. Savages. We're not that far removed. We're three generations from. If you didn't go out and hunt, you starved or you were someone's bitch. Yeah, but Sean. Shut up. Stop making excuses. Shut the fuck up. Do it for you. Like, look yourself in the mirror as a fucking man and be like, is this the best?

[Justin]

Yeah.

[Sean Whalen]

Is this peak? Sean, Justin, all the fitness gurus. Am I as a son of God, operating at the top level possible? And if the answer is no, Good. Now go on your fucking journey. And I can look at my. I wake up every morning and I'm brushing my teeth and I'm shredded as shit. I sleep naked and I'm standing in front of the mirror naked as fuck, brushing my teeth like, this is a bad motherfucker. I built this. I built this. And I'm getting better. I'm getting better. I'm like a fine wine. I'm getting better as the years go on. And this isn't some rhetoric, bullshit. And dudes, you can laugh all you want, you, but you know I'm right. And all you fat fucks listening to this know I'm right. Because there's not one of you that takes your shirt off at the pool and your wife's like, damn, I love them man titties. Not one of you. Not one of you. There's not one of you that goes to the beach and you're strutting your around while your fucking love handles are bouncing over your shorts. Fuck you, dude. Make it look. Stand in front of the mirror and say, I am not my best. And then go on a ruthless and vicious quest to become the best. And I promise you, it never ends. That question never ends. It never fucking ends. But this is the mentality. Like, this is the mentality of the savages and the warriors of before. Like, look at our ancestors. Death was this noble experience. Now we're scared to die because we live like fucking idiots. We live these pathetic lives of mediocrity. These men of our. Our ancestors were warriors, dude. They were savages. Death was an honor. Death was this victory. I lived my life. I served my God. I built with my hands. And now we got a bunch of fat turds that play video games all day long who couldn't walk into the mountains, let alone hunt, gut an elk and bring it back to his family. You can't even walk to your fucking mailbox without getting gassed out, fat boy. You want me to be sorry for you? Fuck you. Get in front of the mirror, feel like a piece of shit and go do something about it. But nobody wants to say this, nobody wants to talk about this because it's too hard. And I should just coddle your boo boo. And you had an injury in college in your back. Fuck Your back, dude. Grow a set of marbles and build something. This is the problem in our culture, in our society. And as you can tell, I'm passionate, and I don't give a shit about feelings because I've done it. I'm a father of four. I got businesses, I got mortgage. I got cell phone bills and shit just like everybody else. Yet I'm shredded.

[Justin]

That's right.

[Sean Whalen]

How? Because my mindset is way different than the average motherfuckers. This is a good podcast. There's going to be some good nuggets in this one, man. He's so mean, bro.

[Justin]

I'm sitting here like, are you yelling at me, dog? God damn. But I think. I think if anyone gets triggered by you, by this message, that's your wakeup call, right? If you're listening to this and this is really triggering you and you want to get mad at Sean and punch him, well, then it's the other way around. You got to look yourself in the mirror at that point, right? That's. That's what he is saying, is this isn't about him. He's basically just putting a mirror up to you so you can look at yourself and say, me running. This is not the game.

[Sean Whalen]

You and I aren't that different, bro. We're not that different. All of us, every man listening to this wants the same thing. We want security. We want abundance. We want health, we want longevity. We want our children to have the best environment, have the best education. We all want the same shit. Problem is, is that we were not programmed this way. You and I were not programmed to be savages. My parents didn't teach me this shit. Like, my parents were both overweight. No one taught me this. No one showed this to me. I just got sick and tired, and I challenged myself in such a biblical way that I promise you like it. It. You can re. You know, this. The neuroscience. You start studying the brain. You can re. This is a supercomputer. You can put new programming in here. You can build a new belief system. You can build a new identity. You can build a. A new tenacity. It doesn't matter where you are. The question is, what will you do right this second? Are you going to keep putting dog shit up here expecting, like, you know, fine wine? Or are you going to, like, actually change your brain and change your belief system? And that will cost you dearly. That will cost you friends, that will cost you money. That will cost you dearly. But the question is, it'll cost you.

[Justin]

Everything you already know up to this point, it will. But the point where you're at, the version of you right now that you're not happy with, that you want to punch on the face with, it's going to cost you all that. Yeah.

[Sean Whalen]

Right now I've killed and buried multiple versions of me over the last 20 years.

[Justin]

And I could.

[Sean Whalen]

And I will do it. I will continue to do it. And there will be versions of me in the future that die that I bury.

[Justin]

Bro, this is some fire shit, man.

[Sean Whalen]

I'm on it today, man. I don't know what the deal is.

[Justin]

What is. You're on him, dog.

[Sean Whalen]

You're on.

[Justin]

So what's the game plan right now? Again, I think this is going to be different than every episode. We're catching up as friends. What's the game plan with Lions? Not Sheep. What's the game plan with the clothing line? Right. But also the community. What.

[Sean Whalen]

What.

[Justin]

What do you see going for yourself? What are you doing? What's new?

[Sean Whalen]

So, over the last couple years, a lot of people have joined the Lions Den primarily for business. There's a lot of entrepreneurs out there. There's a lot of small businesses in America right now, and there's a lot of people that need that support and that. That community. And so we're getting ready to launch a business syndicate, Lion's Sheep Business Syndicate, that will be primarily for business. So the Lion's Den, which has been my coaching group for the last 10 years, we've had 51,000 people join that has been around core four, but the conversation of business on a higher level, you know, you're doing high six, seven, eight figures, you know, is radically different. And so we're getting ready to launch that. We still have the. The Lion's Den, which we will continue to help people build foundations. Like this mentality that I'm talking about, like, this is how our coaching calls are every single week. So it's like you're plugging into the matrix and radically altering your life around the pro. The principles and the foundation of Core4. But this business indicate we're. We're planning on launching this week, which I'm really excited about.

[Justin]

Hell, yeah.

[Sean Whalen]

And then the clothing line. I'm not 100% sure, man. I've had. I've had a couple people talk to me about potential partnerships, just full transparency. I. I'm. I'm not having a lot of fun with it. I love the brand. I love what we do. I'm very creative, but trying to figure out how to. How to really grow in apparel. Companies really hard. And what a lot of people don't realize is that the big ones that you see out there, they have investors, they have backing, they're publicly traded, you know, and I own 100 of it. So every dime that's ever gone into it or come out of it is, you know, 100% mine. So just full transparency. I'm not really having fun trying to run an apparel company, so I'm trying to decide if I want to sell it, if I want to partner with somebody. I've got a couple conversations going with some potential people to kind of take over running the business end of things and letting me just be the creative. But, yeah, Yeah, I mean, we've done almost $30 million in sales in the last four years, which is really cool, but I've had more. This is that ego, right? The ego chat. It's like, why am I doing this? Why, if I'm not happy doing this? It doesn't mean that this isn't powerful. It doesn't mean that this isn't dope. It's super dope. There's. We've sold almost a million garments in four years. It's fucking insane. But I'm not having the fun that I want to be having with it, so we'll see where that goes. I'd love to. I'd love to find the right partner that can take it to the world, because the message is very needed, and it's very powerful. And, you know, you're walking through an airport and you see somebody flying sheep on you, kind of wink, wink, nod, nod. Those are your people, and I'd love to see.

[Justin]

I literally just did that in Miami. I flew into Miami two days ago. Lion's not sheep on the back of his shirt. And I've done this with you. I'll put you together with someone at the gym, and I'll be like, sean, here's so and so. Right? Like, yeah, and I'll give the guy a pound, because I know. I know he's a part of your tribe. I give him a pound. He's like, who the. Are you crazy, man? I'm like, yeah, wink.

[Sean Whalen]

I got. I know that guy. Yeah. No, it's. It's. It's really cool. Like, I'm excited about it. I finally. In working with Garrett and kind of laying out the picture and the vision, I just really don't want to run it anymore. And so we'll. We'll see where it goes and. And what we do.

[Justin]

Did you not bring in. I swore I saw you brought in a pretty high powered CEO at some point.

[Sean Whalen]

You.

[Justin]

Yeah, no. Yeah, it didn't work out.

[Sean Whalen]

Well, it.

[Justin]

Yeah, it didn't work out.

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah, I brought in a. I brought in a COO and didn't work out. We'll leave it at that.

[Justin]

Fair. Fair enough. Your. Your silence spoke volumes.

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah, it, it's. But look, this goes back to year 2024, right? I made moves, decisions, like, I looked at it and said, all right, I'm going to hire this $300,000 a year COO who has 20 years of apparel experience. And it was one of the worst business decisions that I've made in the last 10 years.

[Justin]

Cool.

[Sean Whalen]

I learned. I learned.

[Justin]

Yeah.

[Sean Whalen]

Does it make it right? Wrong. Good, bad. Hindsight's 20 20.

[Justin]

Got it.

[Sean Whalen]

Lesson learned. Check. You know, I think this is what a lot of people don't understand. One of my favorite. There's a, there's a documentary on Netflix everybody should go watch. And I just fucking forgot the name. It's the Elon musk1 about SpaceX, return to space or something like that. Anyways, one of my favorite scenes, man, and this is when Elon was still in his nerd stage, right? Had like hardly any hair and had his hair transplant. This is a guy who starts SpaceX with his own money. And every one of the rockets that they were firing was $100 million. And they shoot the first rocket up and they're documenting all this. This is all a part of the documentary. It's like really, really cool. If you're an entrepreneur, go watch it because it will inspire and motivate you. First rocket blows up $100 million.

[Justin]

Bang.

[Sean Whalen]

Gone.

[Justin]

Yeah.

[Sean Whalen]

Second rocket blows up $200 million. They're documenting all this now. Now Elon's getting a lot of traction. You got friggin NASA talking, you got all these headline news like, this guy's a idiot. He's a. What's he trying to do? Third rocket. Three rockets, bro. $300 million plus. Gone. And at this point, like everybody in the world was talking about him talking and they were showing all the headlines and you had. Was the guy who stood on the moon for the Neil Armstrong. I was like mocking him and he's like, there's this, that 60 Minutes interview where he's crying, where he's like, I wish Elon's like emotional saying, I wish they would come look at what we're trying to do and all sort of stuff. But there's a scene in that that really was powerful. It was him sitting in the conference room with his team. And he's just literally looks at him, he's like, I have money for one more. Like I have money for one more rocket. $100 million. And he's like, then I'm done. We have to close up shop. And it's crazy because it's like you and me. It's just levels. Like some people are listening to this going, man, $5,000 is a shit ton of money. This is a risk. I don't know, should I do it? There's just levels to all of it, right? In order to make hundreds of thousands, you have to risk thousands. In order to make millions, you have to risk hundreds of thousands. In order to make tens of millions, you have to risk millions. And dude, it was so motivating to me to watch this and see this because here he is literally telling his team, if this doesn't work, we're done. Now fast forward and the fourth rocket makes it. Now they get a billion dollar grant and thing with the government. Now it's a trillion dollar company, right? But that to me is where you separate the winners and the losers. So that's where for me, like taking a risk in the company and hiring somebody and making moves that are real big moves. Like, you know, most people won't make little moves.

[Justin]

That's right.

[Sean Whalen]

Most people won't even start a little side hustle. Most people won't like invest in it. Like you have coaching and mentoring. Most people won't invest in that because like, oh, Justin charges this many thousands and Sean charges $500 a month to be part of his group. I'm not. So you're never going to Brit, you're never going to go that next step. You're never going to accomplish anything bigger. If you're not willing to bet 500 or a thousand or 10,000 on yourself, don't ever expect you to make hundreds of thousands. So Elon put $400 million into these rockets of his own money.

[Justin]

Yeah.

[Sean Whalen]

And 300 million blew up in a fucking cloud of smoke. But now he's. SpaceX is a, you know, supposedly a trillion dollar company, so. Well, bro, that's something that I come.

[Justin]

And back to you. You know this as much as anybody in the human world. People don't do anything because of ridicule. And you just talked about this, this the, the 60 minutes where Elon is crying and literally the world.

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah.

[Justin]

Is on his name. The world, not Sean, Justin having some talking. No.

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah.

[Justin]

The world is saying you're an idiot. You're a Dumb, you can't do it, blah, blah, blah. Right? Like, but yet people won't go and do the one little thing, whatever the thing is, name the thing, because they're scared of the ridicule from their friends or family. And. And you know this dude, they're already talking about you.

[Sean Whalen]

Yep.

[Justin]

They're already gossiping. Your parents are. Your friends are.

[Sean Whalen]

Right.

[Justin]

Like, they're already whispering. It is already happening. So why not go do the thing? You may not have to be Elon, but just the diet, the working out, the get into Sean's program, get him. Like, just do the thing. Because it's already happening. If Elon can do it now, he's in. Now he's in government. Like, I don't even know the role he plays right now. But now the guy goes from you're the biggest dumbass on the planet, Elon, to government.

[Sean Whalen]

He's a bull in a china shop right now. And I freaking love every second of it. They're just shaking everything up. It's so freaking amazing to see. But yeah, you're right, man. Like, if you're listening to this and you want more, you're going to have to sacrifice. You're going to have to risk. You're gonna have to bet on yourself. And that's one thing that I will always come home to, is I'm my best investment. I'm my greatest investment. I will bet on me a hundred out of a hundred times because I know that I have the tenacity, the audacity, the stupidity to not quit. And I will keep going. And I've proven in 46 years that I'm capable of doing it. I've had a lot of freaking losses. I've had more wins. I've built.

[Justin]

You know, one thing, we can wrap it up with this comment. You need to be a part of Lions Not Sheep community, the lion's den, Specifically for one basic answer to all you people out there. When you go through, you need to call people. That's all there is to it. The reason why I'm able to have a year like 20, 24, and I'm not just like drinking alcohol and self medicating whatever the it is, is. Because I can call Sean. I can call countless members and people that genuinely would be there for me.

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah.

[Justin]

Because I've cut the checks to be at the tables that we sit at. I've been there. Sean has. Right. Like Garrett's a call away, Sean's a call. But guys, I say this because you need that type of community. If you are lacking the connection of people, you know the age old saying, go fast, go alone, go far with people. That's it, Dude, I'm on that mission more now than ever.

[Sean Whalen]

Yeah, I'm, I'm with you, man. Like, connecting with the right people, the circle gets smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller, which is great. I don't have any problem with that. I want that because the people that I trust more than anything, the people that are where I want to go, they don't have big circles. You know what I'm saying? Like, there's a reason for this and there's a reason why when you seek out these people, like most people seek out acceptance from nobodies. I hate that that offends you, but it doesn't matter. You're seeking the approval of people that are not pushing the envelope. You're seeking approval from people that aren't where you want to be. And that's the reason you stay where you are. And so when I work out, I don't want to work out with fat people. I'm not saying that to be a dick. I want to work out for me with dudes that are way bigger, way stronger than me, because then that helps me level up.

[Justin]

That's how it works.

[Sean Whalen]

I want to do business with people that have way more money than me. I want to talk to couples that have way deeper connection that I do. And that's just how, that's how I operate. And I think that's that ego. If you really wanted to know yourself, check that and sit at the feet of people. I've. I've coached 50 something thousand people. I've stood on stage with the greatest minds of the world. And two weeks ago, I went back to hang out with Garrett in his mastermind as a student. I was not there. I walked in and people are like, oh, dude, are you speaking? I'm like, no, I'm here as a student. I'm here to learn. I'm here at the feet. And that's just how I operate. And people can look at that and say what they want, but I'm smart enough, I have my ego. I'm very knowledgeable. I have my ego to be like, no, I am a student.

[Justin]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sean Whalen]

And when you become a student of life. And I'll finish with this. This is one of a guy. I got a lot of great quotes, but this is one of my favorites. The very best leaders have mastered the art of following. The very best leaders have mastered the art of following. A lot of people. Have this screwed up. They think that leadership is just out there banging your chest. I got all the answers. No, they seek out somebody further, no doubt smarter, wealthier, and then they take the extraction of the lessons and then they become better. Because you have a light that you're shining to your tribe. I have a light. Garrett has a light. Andy Facilita has a light. Mark Evans has a light. Garrett has. And that's the beauty of this is that's why this game is so important. For men to become these sovereign beings and shining their own light, we need an army of fit, smart, intelligent men who are willing to follow people ahead of them so that they can then lead their tribe behind them.

[Justin]

Brother, I appreciate you. I love you. If you do not follow this man, if you're not buying his book, if you're not a part of Lion's Den, go, go. Follow Sean. Get, get in there, bro. Get in there. If this has been a help to anybody, just one little thing that was mentioned as two friends were catching up. Make sure you share this with two other people. Make sure you spread the word. Thank you, bro, for coming on. Hang tight. Let's have a follow up conversation real quick. But that's the end of this episode. See you guys on the next one later.