Podcast Summary: The Everyday Millionaire

Episode 229: “Work On Your Game: Dre Baldwin on Confidence, Mindset, and Leadership”

Host: Patrick Francey
Guest: Dre Baldwin
Date: September 30, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Everyday Millionaire, host Patrick Francey sits down with Dre Baldwin—former professional basketball player, four-time TEDx speaker, prolific author, and founder of “Work on Your Game.” The conversation explores how the principles Dre learned through sports—discipline, confidence, presence, and mindset—translate powerfully into business, leadership, and personal development. Listeners are taken on a deep dive into the mechanics of building presence, harnessing discipline, and developing an unstoppable mindset, interspersed with practical wisdom and memorable anecdotes from Dre’s journey.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Defining “Presence” & Command of the Room

[02:38–09:07]

• Dre’s mission: “I teach people how to have command of any room that they walk in.” (Dre Baldwin, 02:38)
• Presence is more than posture or wardrobe; it’s a non-verbal, energetic quality that is immediately recognizable but cannot be faked.
• “It’s an internal thing that radiates outwardly that is felt unconsciously by everyone around you. But it's not something you can pretend to have.” (Dre, 06:17)
• Anecdotes about seeing famous figures or leaders whose mere presence shifts the energy of a room or group.

2. The Nature and Source of Presence

[09:07–16:13]

• Patrick shares feedback received about his own intimidating presence and how consciously softening his demeanor affected others.
• Dre explains that presence, while rooted in confidence and accomplishment, can also create tension in others—often interpreted as intimidation.
  • “Your presence created tension in him. ... That presence, since most men don’t have it, when you come across other men they feel stressed, anxious, intimidated, unsure around you...” (Dre, 12:45)
• Presence is a fusion of discipline, confidence, mental toughness, structure, and consistency.

3. Self-Assessment: Identifying the Gap in Your Presence

[16:13–25:11]

• How do you know if you lack presence?
  • “If a man is questioning anything around his discipline, around his mental toughness, around his confidence ... you don’t have all of those things, you don’t have presence.” (Dre, 15:20)
• The example of police officers being trained in “command presence”—a physical and energetic readiness that projects authority.
  • “They train police officers on command presence. ... People are more likely to comply and behave just because of the energy of the officer in the room.” (Dre, 23:01)

4. Presence vs. Status/Energy, and Its Strategic Use

[25:11–31:16]

• Not all attention or energy in a room is positive.
• Presence adds value to a space; a lack of presence or negative energy can detract.
  • Example: Celebrities being paid to attend clubs because their presence enhances the perceived value.
• Famous leaders—like Michael Jordan—raise the standard for everyone around them through sheer presence.
  • “When you have presence, other people straighten up as soon as you walk in the room.” (Dre, 31:01)

5. Dre’s Athletic Journey & Realization of Presence

[32:08–38:10]

• Dre traces how coaches told him to be “a presence on the court,” and how that extended to leadership and entrepreneurship.
• Presence became a focus for him only in recent years, pieced together from lessons in sports, business, and life.

6. Discipline vs. Habits

[38:10–41:39]

• Patrick questions if success is more about habits or discipline.
• Dre clarifies: Habits are unconscious, while discipline kicks in when you act even if you don’t feel like it.
  • “The discipline doesn’t really come into play until you don’t feel like it.” (Dre, 41:01)

7. Upbringing, Roots of Discipline, and Work Ethic

[41:39–47:00]

• Dre’s household: disciplined, blue-collar, two-parent upbringing; parents never complained or bragged—just modeled showing up and doing the work.
• Parental modeling (“kids do what you do, not what you say”) became Dre’s foundation for discipline on and off the court.

8. Vision, Humility, and the Role of Effort

[47:00–54:00]

• Even in sports, a baseline of talent is required; what keeps “plumbers” or role players in professional leagues is work ethic.
• “Confidence and humility are not diametrically opposed. ... The humility that [Tom Brady] takes through the week allows him to be confident when the lights come on on Sunday.” (Dre, 49:05)
• The best coaches are often not superstars but those who understand both ends of the talent spectrum.

9. Mindset—The Be/Do/Have Model

[54:00–57:24]

• Dre’s approach starts with mindset: “The process for achievement in life is be, do, and have in that order. You must be the person first. Then you do the stuff. Then you have the outcome.” (Dre, 54:38)
• Mindset is set primarily in the subconscious via three mechanisms: repetition, immersion, and emotionalization.
• Consistent, disciplined self-talk and affirmation shape mental reality and thus, outward success.
• “When you lose it, it’s not when you lose it physically, you lose it mentally first.” (Dre, 56:45)

10. Identity, Transition, and Fusion of Credibility

[61:15–70:26]

• Patrick asks about the athlete’s common identity crisis after sports.
• Dre: Always aware he’d need something beyond basketball, he proactively built value outside his sport.
• “I knew I wanted to get out of basketball if I wasn’t playing. ... I had more value to give to the world than just being an athlete.” (Dre, 63:10–66:08)
• The parallels between sports and business: leadership, team culture, discipline, and presence.
  • “That’s what having game and working on your game is all about.” (Dre, 71:58)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Presence cannot be faked. ... It’s an internal thing that radiates outwardly that is felt unconsciously by everyone around you.” (Dre, 06:17)
• “When you have presence, you attract people. An energy of presence makes people want to be around you.” (Dre, 16:13)
• “The process for achievement in life is be, do, and have—in that order. ... If you don’t change who you are, it doesn’t matter what you do.” (Dre, 54:38)
• “When you get 100% control over the 1% [your thoughts], it feels like you’re controlling the 99%.” (Dre, 58:36)
• On discipline: “The discipline doesn’t really come into play until you don’t feel like it.” (Dre, 41:01)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction of Presence: [02:38–09:07]
• Feedback/Intimidation and Presence: [09:07–16:13]
• Command Presence (Police/Leadership): [22:34–25:11]
• Presence in Business, Sports, Culture: [25:11–31:16]
• Athlete’s Experience—Working on Presence: [32:08–38:10]
• Habits vs Discipline: [38:10–41:39]
• Foundations of Discipline in Upbringing: [41:39–47:00]
• Mindset and Subconscious Programming: [54:00–57:24]
• Transition from Sports to Business: [61:15–70:26]

Tone & Style

The conversation is candid, energized, and laced with real-world anecdotes. Both Patrick and Dre are open about their personal journeys, challenges, and reflect on the universality of struggle and progress. Dre’s tone is direct, sometimes philosophical, often pragmatic—with a focus on practical application and self-mastery.

Final Thoughts

Dre leaves listeners with the idea that game—in sports or business—is about knowing your space, choosing how to measure success, and meticulously building the mindset, structure, and discipline that fuels lasting “presence” and impact. His message: mastery is a process of aligning who you are (“being”) with what you do, to create extraordinary results—and anyone willing to do the work can develop the same magnetic presence seen in leaders and champions.

Rapid Fire Q&A Highlights

[72:21–75:14]

• Phone: Apple iPhone.
• Favorite music: Hip hop (50 Cent, Notorious B.I.G.).
• Movie: Ocean's Eleven.
• Books: “48 Laws of Power” (Robert Greene), “Laws of Success” (Napoleon Hill), “10x is Easier than 2x” (Hardy & Sullivan).
• Legacy wish: “You made the most of the opportunities and resources that you were given.”
• Favorite swear word: “Mofo.”
• Grateful for: Opportunities to maximize his gifts, the era he was born into, and the foundation laid by his parents.

For entrepreneurs, aspiring leaders, and anyone interested in translating discipline and confidence into powerful presence, this episode offers actionable wisdom and inspiration for both personal and professional transformation.