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The Futur with Chris Do
The Million Dollar Moment That Changed Everything - With Simon Squibb (Part 1) | Episode 347
01:01:29
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- [00:00]
Simon Squibb
A lot of people watch these videos and ask themselves for the first time in their life, what is their dream? And they actually wake up for a second and say, here's the lady that works at Bubba Gump that's now going for her dream. Why am I not going for mine? What is my dream? Why am I not following?
- [00:14]
Chris
I know what they're saying.
- [00:15]
Simon Squibb
Yeah. So what we're trying to do in a lot of the content, if you watch it carefully, is teach people how to get started with no money. So I think a lot of people aren't aware of this because school doesn't teach people this stuff.
- [00:25]
Chris
So here's the crazy thing is you didn't answer my question. How much did you sell the company?
- [00:30]
Simon Squibb
I could be a politician, couldn't I? No. I thought you were going to ask.
- [00:33]
Chris
Yes, sir.
- [00:34]
Simon Squibb
How do we justify spending 50,000?
- [00:35]
Chris
I would never ask that.
- [00:36]
Simon Squibb
That's a good question. If you were good at podcast, you would ask it.
- [00:43]
Chris
I'm trying to help all those entrepreneurs. So, like, this is never going to work. That's what they're thinking. This will never work. I've got $100 million and burn a hole right through my account. I'm trying to care.
- [00:52]
Simon Squibb
Then there's a better way to explain it.
- [00:53]
Chris
Okay, Please. So some of you may wonder, do you believe in destiny? Do you believe in luck? I'm in Dubai, the one billion follower summit. I see a crowd of people around this gentleman, and I can't figure out who it is yet, but I know everybody there is important and is an influencer and somebody of note. And so here we are on a different day. I'm riding down an escalator, and on the opposite side of the hallway, out walks Simon. He goes, chris. And we start having this conversation. And he goes, maybe this was meant to happen. You need to get my new book, which is what's your dream? And we said we should make some content together and fast forward. Here we are in Los Angeles in your place, while you're here in Los Angeles. And I think it's really cool what you're doing. And I have so many questions from our audience about what it is that you're doing and how you got here. So first of all, for people who don't know who you are, Simon, can you please introduce yourself?
- [01:45]
Simon Squibb
Sure. Well, at that event, by the way, I won a million US Dollars.
- [01:50]
Chris
You gave it up? No, just. No, it's going to get into that, but that's cool.
- [01:54]
Simon Squibb
But just because that event also was quite an amazing experience. For me, because I'd never been given a million US dollars before and no catch, no tax, no catch. Cash sent to my bank. Weird and amazing. But we can talk about it a bit more later.
- [02:08]
Chris
But now we have to talk about it and then we'll get into your introduction. Okay, so Simon tells me he's up for the million dollar price in this casual encounter. Very serendipitously, we're talking and then I really kind of recall the videos that you make when you approach people on the street and you ask them what's, what's their dream? But you take it a step, two or three further. You have to promote their business. You give them guidance and mentorship and you give them the most important thing, that you give them money to start their business. What's shocking to me is how many people actually turn you down. And sometimes I think those videos get more views than the ones that take your money, but that's a whole nother thing. So I say to you, well, if there's a person who's going to win this prize, it needs to be you.
- [02:49]
Simon Squibb
And you said to me, there's lots of other good people up for winning the prize. But it was true. I can't remember, to be honest, since putting that money in my brain.
- [02:58]
Chris
Just what did I say?
- [03:00]
Simon Squibb
What did I say?
- [03:00]
Chris
I thought, okay, this is how much of an impact I made on time because I remember the entire encounter.
- [03:05]
Simon Squibb
No, I remember it very well.
- [03:07]
Chris
He said, you know, if I win it, I'm just going to give it all away anyways. Well, even more so than you mean to win it. So let's fast forward. I'm in Singapore and this is the day after and they announced the winner. And I see a little clips here and there on social media. And there's this man and he's in tears accepting this prize. A million dollars. That was me. But that what was going through your mind, through your heart as they announces. Because it could have been anybody at that point.
- [03:32]
Simon Squibb
I mean, of course they make it all high level suspense. You don't know if you're going to win it. Of course they want you to react in that moment. So we're all sitting in a.
- [03:40]
Chris
How many of us are we?
- [03:42]
Simon Squibb
There was six people that were. One of six. Yeah, one of six. And I think at that point there'd been over 19 million votes for the people that were there.
- [03:51]
Chris
Yeah.
- [03:51]
Simon Squibb
And then, so this was the kind of final, final thing. And I think Elon Musk's mum was there. Yeah. In the room. And like so you've got all the kind of. I think it was 2,000 people in this room and there's really high profile people there. All sorts of different levels of, you know, from famous actresses and influencers to business people to financiers. Is this a really big. There was some. Yeah, of course. I mean, the. I'm going to get the name wrong of who actually gave me the money, but it was someone very, very high up in the royal echelon. I think the point I'm getting to is that I think what happened was I didn't expect to win it. I partly told myself not to expect to win it. I don't actually need the money. This is the irony. I don't. I don't need the money. But I think once I'd won it, what was really special was just the validation of what we were doing, me and my team, to help people. And people always say, oh, free has no value, right? So what we're doing is helping people for free has no value. So many people say that. And I think in that moment, free suddenly had value, million dollars worth of value in that one moment. So it was kind of. And everybody in the room was cheering for our mission because everyone then knew what we were doing anyway because we'd been at the event, we'd done a presentation at the event, everyone was voting at the event. They all knew who we are as an organization, what we were doing. I just felt this overwhelming love. Actually, it wasn't the money. People like, why are you crying? Because you got a million dollars? You'd be laughing or happy and. But it was, I think it was the emotion of like five years of work to build this thing up. I felt that that whole room got it and we're like patting us in the back saying, well done, well done. There you go. It wasn't really about the money. I just felt an incredible sense of, like, appreciation for the moment and energy towards what we were doing. And instead of people judging me and saying, I'm doing it to get views and I'm doing this. And there was this, you're doing something good and here's a whole community behind you saying, we're with you, you know?
- [05:49]
Chris
Yes, I have a whole theory about why people cry, and I think you may support one of those theories right now. So you had said you just felt an overwhelming sense of love and appreciation, maybe acknowledgement. And I think when you break down love, love is understand me and appreciate me. And you felt it all in that moment and it just came out of your eyes. So my theory about why people cry is because there's some hurt in there somewhere.
- [06:13]
Simon Squibb
Oh, yeah, of course.
- [06:14]
Chris
And if you are fully loving, like you feel self love and love all the time, maybe when you feel it, it's like, okay, that's just normal life. But there's some sense of like something broken gets appreciated and healed in a little bit. So can we take it there a little bit? Am I poking into air?
- [06:30]
Simon Squibb
No, no. I tried to think about it. I think I. I would have studied psychology if I'd stayed at school. I think I find. I find the whole, like human intention, human design kind of fascinating. Like how. Who are we? Is it nurture in nature? You know, is it. Is it. Are we the sum of our experiences or is it really just doesn't matter? You are who you are. The way you're born is the way you're bo. I really think that nurture is more powerful than nature. And I know a lot of people don't agree with me, but I just think that your experiences do craft you. And I've had quite a few moments where I felt I physically changed. And I think one of them was actually when I met my wife. And she just made me want to be a better person in every way. And I think if I'd met the wrong person, maybe it would have maybe go the other way. But I felt like, you know, she made me want to be a better person. And I think as I developed my personal life and my career, I tried to be a good person in part because I wanted to impress her. I wanted to also have. What's the word? Her respect. And so I think if I analyze that moment, why am I crying? I'm crying because I've been working five years on something that everyone was doubting was good. And in that moment it was being validated. So that's part of it. I think another part of it is, you know, I'm being loved in a way that perhaps I want to be loved. My mum kicked me out of home when I was 15 years old, you know, when my father just died and my mother kicks me out of home. You know, there's a sense of not being loved when that happens to you. You know, you lose the love of your father because he died, and then you lose the love of your mum, but she's kicked you out. And so in that moment, I also lost connection to my three brothers. So I've got love for my brothers, gone, Love for my mum, gone. Love my father, gone. All in the space of like two months. So that's bound to affect you, isn't it? And I think as I've grown up, I've started off thinking, well, I don't need love. I've just. I'll be fine about it. And then I meet someone who I love and loves me, and that opens me up a bit. And I watched Billy Elliot with my wife, and I cried my eyes. Eyes out. She said it's the first time she's ever seen me cry this, like, 20 years ago. And I think, you know, yeah, it's a good movie, but I think sometimes you can shut that off. That's like that. That fight or flight model you get into. It's just like survival. No emotion, just got to survive. And I think as I've got older, I've come more and more out of Fight or flight and more into my emotional self. And certainly when you have overwhelming love, it's quite hard to process it. And then you cry, okay, you.
- [09:04]
Chris
You opened a door. I have to walk through it. Because you could have said a lot of things, but you said Billy Elliot. What part of death, Billy Elliot made you quiet at that? I have a theory.
- [09:13]
Simon Squibb
You know, I think it's been a while since I've watched it, but from basic memory, it's the idea that someone has a dream and that. But they're born into a town where that is not a normal dream. And so there's something beautiful about watching someone persevere even though they're not in the environment to make that dream flourish. So people listening, maybe if they were designer and they're living in a family of doctors, and they're like, well, you know, you should be a doctor like us. And, you know, this is the route we know, survival bias. So there you are wanting to be a designer, but you're. You're born into a family that wants you to be a doctor. And there's something really beautiful about people that can push through that and keep their own identity and become who they want to be. And I think Billy Elliot represents that as a program, as a. As a movie.
- [09:59]
Chris
Yeah, I think he wanted to be a ballet dancer, ballerina, and, yeah, he was a straight boy. I think at that point in time, he's being judged, like gender norm or roles. He's being judged and he has to sneak on and do it. I think his mom supports him, if I recall, but his dad was dead set against it.
- [10:16]
Simon Squibb
Yeah. But also the whole community, a little bit Judge Judgy a little bit.
- [10:20]
Chris
So there was a little bit of.
- [10:21]
Simon Squibb
Support here and what's wrong with your son sort of thing. Yeah.
- [10:23]
Chris
And there's a lot of judgment going on, and I think you will never go broke telling the story of an outsider being overlooked, the underdog. Because even if you have all the privilege in your life, we always feel like internally there's a child who needs help, who. And that's us, by the way, that we. We feel like the odds are stacked against us no matter how much privilege you have. So when you tell that story, the child who's hurting, who's broken, who wants just like a warm embrace, they connect to that moment and then the tears start to flow because they feel hurt in that moment and feel seen. What part of that movie is it banned somewhere that you start to cry at the end?
- [10:59]
Simon Squibb
I think because he broke through and he did become fam. Ballerina. And I think if I, you know, was to analyze it just my own life, I grew up in a small town in England where you are really, you know, going towards. If you want to fit in the community, you're going to work in a factory and earn £500 a week, which is a lot of money for people in that town. And I broke free of all that, But I was kind of. You're a little bit ostracized when you tried to break free of all of that. But first of all, you lose connections with your people you grew up with.
- [11:30]
Chris
Right.
- [11:31]
Simon Squibb
And so there's an element of like, well, that love goes. But, you know, you becoming something else that that town perhaps wouldn't have let you become. And I think that what in Billy Elliot, there's that model. He grows up in a coal mining town, so his job really is like his father, to go down the coal mines and do a hard day's work, because that's the way it is, you know. Right. And so he's not going to go down the coal mine. He's going to go on stage as a ballerina in some fancy opera house. And so it's so different to what his family culture is and his town. And I relate to that. I think I didn't. I didn't cry at that time of thinking all of that. I'm thinking about it now, but I think. I think it's just seeing someone push through and follow their purpose, their dream, that is not predetermined, but it's there instinctively in you. And despite all the pressures not to do it from his father, from the village, from life in general, where you're not going to make money being A ballerina are. You forget that you're in down the Coal Mine with me. That's how you're going to make money.
- [12:29]
Chris
Right?
- [12:29]
Simon Squibb
You know, and so I think. I think there's something really, really resonated with me in that story. And I think a lot of people really need to see that they're capable of doing anything. And I think when people do it, it's beautiful, but it's so hard, like trying to grow a beautiful flower in a bed of Mars dirt. You know, if you can somehow extract water for the flower and it somehow grow, it can make you cry.
- [12:55]
Chris
Now you're probably thinking these two guys don't even know what they're talking about in terms of this movie. And what's the point of any of this? Well, I think I. I guarantee you when you see the arc of our conversation, you can understand the foundations that we're laying right now. I like to get into, like, the early parts of people's lives because they leave clues as to who we're going to become. You, you briefly mentioned three brothers. Are these three older brothers?
- [13:15]
Simon Squibb
One older, two younger?
- [13:17]
Chris
Why are you the one that gets thrown out?
- [13:19]
Simon Squibb
So my older brother was also thrown out.
- [13:20]
Chris
Okay, so two of you.
- [13:21]
Simon Squibb
But earlier on in his life, before my father died, he was thrown out. Same, same, same age.
- [13:26]
Chris
The reason? Different reasons.
- [13:28]
Simon Squibb
I mean, for no reason, to be honest. Just because of an argument. And. And that's it. Okay. My mum is very headstrong. Okay, so the brothers.
- [13:36]
Chris
Out.
- [13:36]
Simon Squibb
Old love is out. I'm the kicked out. And then I've got two younger brothers and they stay at home for the next few years and then the one below me gets kicked out.
- [13:45]
Chris
Oh, there's a pattern here.
- [13:46]
Simon Squibb
Oh, yeah, of course.
- [13:47]
Chris
Everybody's picked out.
- [13:48]
Simon Squibb
Yeah, yeah, exactly. Eventually, yeah.
- [13:50]
Chris
Okay.
- [13:51]
Simon Squibb
And by the way, I mean, just for the record, I think that there's two sides to every story. But I think getting kicked out was the best thing that ever happened to me. Now, my mum didn't do. Do it to help me, but it did actually help me.
- [14:02]
Chris
Okay.
- [14:02]
Simon Squibb
Because it's kind of like, I think sometimes in life there's a lot of people perhaps listening where life gets comfortable. You can stay in your mum's spare room or dad's spare room, or you can, you know, you can get by with a crap job. It doesn't matter. Life's all right. There's something about having like, no support that's quite freeing because you don't have any choice anymore. And choice can cause problems in the brain. It makes you not make decisions.
- [14:25]
Chris
Well, there's also autonomy agency.
- [14:29]
Simon Squibb
Totally.
- [14:30]
Chris
Because I remember when I was younger, the thing I wanted to do was leave home because I want to do things my way. We all were pretty headstrong and if we just look back a couple hundred years ago, leaving home as a 13 year old or 12 year old boy is pretty normal. It's only in modern times that we hold on to our children much longer than we do.
- [14:45]
Simon Squibb
Yeah, I don't think it's healthy to.
- [14:46]
Chris
Actually, I believe you have the tools to survive and clearly you did just really quickly. Do you keep in touch with any of your siblings?
- [14:53]
Simon Squibb
Yeah, I speak to my brothers. Okay. I, I, I've fallen in and out of like being in contact for various reasons. I, I moved to Hong Kong when I was young and yeah, I lived in different places, places in the world. I got busy, you know, other things going on, but I, I genuinely try to chat to them. I, I still weirdly with family. I don't know if people listening can relate to this, but just because you're born into a family doesn't mean you have to actually like each other or get on. So I get on with my younger brother. I don't really get on with my brothers now just for various reasons. I've changed and, and they've changed. But we, we're not necessarily people that, you know, I'd want to hang out with my brothers. I don't really like my older brother, for example. I just don't like him.
- [15:33]
Chris
Okay.
- [15:34]
Simon Squibb
And I feel bad saying it. It's not his fault, it's not my fault. It's just a personality thing. Because we're born into the same family doesn't mean we necessarily need to keep annoying each other, you know?
- [15:44]
Chris
Yeah. You get to choose friends. You can't choose your family.
- [15:46]
Simon Squibb
Yeah, well, you can choose your family, it turns out. Well, you can decide not to speak to them anymore. It's not wrong.
- [15:53]
Chris
Well, that's one way of describing that choice.
- [15:55]
Simon Squibb
Yeah.
- [15:56]
Chris
Okay, Simon, so you don't know me, but I used to make commercials and music videos for a living.
- [16:00]
Simon Squibb
And I'm, I do know you, but.
- [16:01]
Chris
I'm a film geek.
- [16:02]
Simon Squibb
Right.
- [16:02]
Chris
So I'm trying to imagine this moment which I've not seen in any kind of real way. You're on stage, they announce you as the winner. Here's what happens in the c cinematic version that I direct of your, your life.
- [16:13]
Simon Squibb
Okay.
- [16:13]
Chris
The camera pushes in, it's a very long lens, shallow depth of field, and your eyes are starting to well up. And in that moment, do you realize you won? We flash back, cut. All these traumatic moments in your life where everybody who tells you you don't deserve to win or to be here, and that all comes crashing into a singular moment. And then your eye twitches a little.
- [16:32]
Simon Squibb
Almost making me cry now.
- [16:33]
Chris
And tears.
- [16:35]
Simon Squibb
Emotional now.
- [16:35]
Chris
Yeah, yeah. I mean, is that. Is that how we would film that sequence?
- [16:39]
Simon Squibb
Yeah, maybe. I think it might be. You only need to go back five years to where I started it and get all the hate in my social media. You probably got that far back a little bit. Don't know if, you know, back to my childhood. You could just go back to, like, maybe five years ago when people were like, oh, this is short flat. This is five years. You don't need to go for 30, I think.
- [16:56]
Chris
Okay, let me re edit the thing. Cushing, tight in your very small movement.
- [17:00]
Simon Squibb
Your eyes are starting to rub out.
- [17:01]
Chris
Okay. Depth of field. And it just cuts. The black stream says, five years earlier.
- [17:06]
Simon Squibb
Yeah, five years. I did a post and someone says, selfish wanker. Something like that.
- [17:12]
Chris
Based on worse.
- [17:13]
Simon Squibb
I think people, we're living in a really weird time. I think in general, I think that with social media, which I think is really powerful, it can do a lot of good. But I think there's also an element of, like, if you are running a charity today and you're making the world a better place with that charity, that's great. But then if people find out that the person who's running the charity is paying themselves really well, suddenly they're vilified.
- [17:41]
Chris
Okay.
- [17:42]
Simon Squibb
But my mind is like, if someone's running a charity and they care about that charity, I'd like to pay them. Well, why is it that it's okay to pay people that do good things as little as possible, and the people that do bad things pay them as much as they like, unlimited. The bankers that set up mortgages, and this is true. The people that actually did the subprime mortgage Crisis, the top 10 people are sitting on 150 million profit each. Each in England, there's a guy called Gary Stevenson who made millions on the economy having a problem, you know, and to me.
- [18:18]
Chris
Oh, I know what you're talking about.
- [18:19]
Simon Squibb
And to me, it's like, why is it okay to kind of say, great, you made money out of people's misery. And no, that's cool. You made loads of money. You got a nice house. Oh, nice car, great, I think we should flip it. And so partly when I started, what I'm doing now, I Wanted to do a for profit, for good business, but I wasn't a charity and I think charity model's broken because we can't pay people properly and I can't get the best talent. If Google was a charity, they wouldn't make any money. They'd be like, your talent has to be capped on the amount you pay them and you can't build an incredible business if you have that mentality. My point being that I think the world needs to flip upside down. I think people that do good should be paid well and people that do bad should be paid less. So I think I started out doing good, but I'm making money from doing good. So for example, I'm asking someone on the street what their dream is, I'm helping them and then I'm giving them some money and then people are like, he's only doing that because he's making money out of it. He's just doing it for himself to get views and likes. I'm like, no, no, I've got enough money, I never need to worry about money again in my life. Actually, I just sold my company. I'm just trying to this person, you know, but people are so negative and, and there is a part of it is like these methods. It's global, is it? It's a global problem.
- [19:31]
Chris
You have a lot of people from LA saying you're a wanker, LA.
- [19:34]
Simon Squibb
Well, I don't think they use that terminology. But no, I, I, I don't know about LA specifically. I think LA is quite a special place. Just from a cultural point of view. There's a big mix of people here. People come here to, for their dream. Right, to make their acting dream happen. For example. I think this is a particularly unique space. But definitely people in America have, I've had hate from America, I've had hate from Australia. It's got less over the last few years because I'd proven that I'm, what I'm doing actually has value and I'm, I don't need to do it for the money. But I think, yeah, I think there's an element of like, if you went back five years ago and looked at some of the comments, it's, it's, it's painful to, when you first start making content anyway, people are very judgy.
- [20:17]
Chris
They are.
- [20:17]
Simon Squibb
And people, and I think you, you have to like, this is my theory on it. Tell me what you think of this.
- [20:22]
Chris
Okay.
- [20:23]
Simon Squibb
We used to live in tribes of 5,000, right? So what happened is our, in our DNA, what got us Here won't get us there is my point. 5000 people living in the tribe. Now if someone in that tribe doesn't like you, that's actually a problem. Even if you don't know them that well, that causes poison within the tribe and eventually the people that are close to you will hear that and that will cause pain in your tribe. So it's actually in our DNA to generally want everyone to like us as a general rule. But no, we're not living in tribes anymore. So our new tribes are, you know, communities, online, social gatherings. But if someone online comes and gives me hate, my natural DNA is to try and deal with that because if I let it get worse, the whole tribe's going to hate me and they're going to kick me out of the tribe. I'm going to be all on my own. So my instinct when I see a negative comment is oh my God, how can I, how can I stop that from happening? And so it really affects you. And I realize now in a non tribal world that person has a fake profile, they've probably got a miserable life of their own. They've just done it because they can. But actually it doesn't matter because they're not part of my 5,000 tribe. That part of my DNA that makes me feel that way doesn't need to feel that way anymore because it doesn't. We don't live in those sorts of ecosystems anymore. But equally enough people, I noticed on YouTube, when you put a video up on YouTube, the first few comments determine the rest of the comments. So if someone says something negative like this video has no value, I wasted my time watching it, then other people will either agree or comment something similar to agree with that comment. Whereas if you have something positive at the beginning, most of the comments end up being positive. Such tribalism.
- [22:03]
Chris
Yes. What do you think? I don't know if I agree with that.
- [22:05]
Simon Squibb
All right, tell me what's the truth then? Why are people hating on me for no reason?
- [22:11]
Chris
Okay, let me be careful how I say this or be intentional. They see a straight white man do really well in his life and they're already going to hate you for that. And then you're trying to do something good in the world. And we're very suspicious of people trying to do good in the world because we have long examples of people pretending to be somebody that they're not only to steal from other people. And so our guards up. And especially in this hyper media aware world that we live in, everyone starts with knives out first before they open their hand and say, welcome, welcome to my home, welcome to my room, welcome to my life. And so they naturally have that disposition. So then over time it's upon you and not upon them to show up consistently to reveal your character. As if someone knocked on your door right now saying, hey, I have brought me go away. Because we're used to that now because there are too many charlatans out there doing things for nefarious goals or ends that then we become hyper aware. So when you come out there and you trying to do good in the world with a business model that goes against tradition and I'm all there with you, I do not understand why we think if you do good in the world, you must do it for the goodness of doing it versus like you being able to run a business. Whereas if you do anything else for profit, no one even bats an eyelashes to how much money you make. And I don't want to get into the Gary thing. That's probably another episode. But there's a whole thing for us to unpack there. We have opened up so many doors that my brain cannot contain all the doors that are open. So before we go any further, seven for people who don't know who you are, can you introduce yourself? Sure.
- [23:43]
Simon Squibb
Okay. So I guess today I would be described as a social media influencer. I have 15 million followers. I get over half a billion views a month for my content. I try to help people figure out how to make their dream happen. They tell me their dream and then me and my team and my system help you make that dream happen. Prior to that, I've invested in over 80 startups. I invest in people's businesses and I take equity for capital and then I help those businesses. And I personally started 18 companies. I'm now on my 19th business today. So I built businesses from the age of 15 and I just, I just love creating things that are in my head and making them real and I love helping other people do that and follow their purpose.
- [24:26]
Chris
Now if you're following along in the story, first of all, your name is Simon Squibb.
- [24:30]
Simon Squibb
My name is Simon Squibb. Yeah. I'm hoping you can put a little signal and a nice type face.
- [24:35]
Chris
Yeah, Simon, always nice.
- [24:36]
Simon Squibb
Plus, if they probably kicked on the thumbnail, it probably has my name on it somewhere.
- [24:39]
Chris
Somewhere, yes. Okay, so you kicked out when you're 15, I think you're on the street for a little bit and then you make your way to Hong Kong. Like why Hong Kong of all the places?
- [24:49]
Simon Squibb
So there's a big gap between that and Hong Kong.
- [24:51]
Chris
Okay.
- [24:53]
Simon Squibb
I was on the street for eight weeks.
- [24:54]
Chris
Yeah.
- [24:55]
Simon Squibb
And, and then I spent quite a few years in England building up businesses. And then I, I moved to Hong Kong when I was 23, 1997. I moved to Hong Kong because I have to double check the maths of my own age. But I, I, I moved to Hong Kong because I had a friend that lived there and they said, come and stay on the sofa. And I just sold a company. And if I moved out of England for that period of time, I wouldn't have to pay tax on that, that company I just sold. So it was very small amount of money looking back at it now, but it was enough for me to have maybe six months traveling. And so I went to Hong Kong, but when I got to Hong Kong, I, my mind was blown.
- [25:34]
Chris
Okay, before we get to the mind blown Hong Kong thing, how does a homeless person with no real family support, without formal education, I assume.
- [25:45]
Simon Squibb
Yeah.
- [25:46]
Chris
Even start a business? And then to sell the business. I don't even understand that.
- [25:50]
Simon Squibb
This is why I think everyone can start a business. This is why there's a controversy around this idea. Anyone can start a business because I'm dyslexic, so I actually can't read and write properly. And I can't. Yeah, I can't. I thought, I can't even begin to explain how, how average I am. I'm very average. And I had no money when I started out and no experience in business. No one had ever taught me sales, ever in school. Any of this stuff was. Or none of this was.
- [26:18]
Chris
Was, you're saying. A very impressive resume at this point.
- [26:20]
Simon Squibb
Yeah. I have nothing special about me, which is why I know smell bad too. I don't think so. Are you trying to tell me something? No, not really, but.
- [26:30]
Chris
Smell like a million bucks.
- [26:31]
Simon Squibb
Thanks. Thanks, man. But I think lucky. So what happened to me? I always describe it as the moment everyone should have, which is I didn't want to make it. I needed to make it. So I tried to get a job. I couldn't get a job. 15 years old, no one will give me a job. And then I tried begging. For some reason, no one gave me anything. So that didn't seem to work. I don't know why. I don't know what I was doing wrong.
- [26:56]
Chris
Give me your pitch. How are you asking for money?
- [27:01]
Simon Squibb
Hey, man, sorry, I've got nowhere to live. If you've got any money, spare money.
- [27:04]
Chris
You can get young, healthy men. Go get a job.
- [27:06]
Simon Squibb
I didn't look like A healthy man at that point, really.
- [27:08]
Chris
Anyway.
- [27:08]
Simon Squibb
No, no, you're not sitting on the. Sitting on a curb on the street.
- [27:12]
Chris
Don't get a job.
- [27:13]
Simon Squibb
Yeah, well, go get a job. I mean, that's the thing. At that particular time, I couldn't get a job because legally you need a national insurance number. But that's the thing about homelessness. And we could get into. That's a whole subject we can get into. Homelessness does have a miscategorization because a lot of those people, if you imagine you're on the street even for eight weeks, like I was. You smell. You actually do smell.
- [27:33]
Chris
That's what I'm saying.
- [27:34]
Simon Squibb
And like the idea of going to work, you can't even get an interview. You won't. You haven't got any way of sending your resume in to get an interview.
- [27:42]
Chris
You don't have an address.
- [27:43]
Simon Squibb
So even if you walk up to a. I don't know. I did do this. I walked into a wine shop and said, please give me some work. Even then they look you up and down. They're like, we don't have anything at the moment. And then if someone walked in looking.
- [27:55]
Chris
Pristine at a young Simon Scribb, they said that.
- [27:58]
Simon Squibb
They did say that.
- [27:59]
Chris
Remember their name.
- [28:00]
Simon Squibb
Actually, to be fair, I did get a part time job as a. In a wine shop eventually.
- [28:04]
Chris
Okay.
- [28:04]
Simon Squibb
But I had to line the application about my age because you have to be 18 to sell alcohol in England. And I, I actually lied.
- [28:09]
Chris
But do me a favor, look right into the camera. Just stare. And with your big blue eyes. How could you not hire this young man?
- [28:14]
Simon Squibb
Exactly. Well, here's. He's someone you like. Me.
- [28:16]
Chris
You. You look like. I have this theory about reading people's faces and people have ill intentions. It's on their face. People who worry a lot, it's on their face. And people who are joyful inside and out, it's on their face. I look at you and maybe you change a lot. Maybe because you said you changed a lot. You look like a person who has a joyful heart. Thank you, generous spirit.
- [28:37]
Simon Squibb
I, I feel that is true. I will take camera.
- [28:40]
Chris
Let's judge him right here. Leave him in the comments if you think he has a trustworthy joyful heart or not. Or do you think he's a scoundrel trying to scam people out of money.
- [28:47]
Simon Squibb
And let us know in the comments.
- [28:49]
Chris
Well, we know what you think of my face, but does. Well, let's focus on.
- [28:51]
Simon Squibb
Do we know what people say about you? What does your community say?
- [28:53]
Chris
Never trust A guy with a cap.
- [28:58]
Simon Squibb
That's why you keep wearing it, to prove them wrong. The stereotypes are dangerous in general, aren't they? I mean, I think, yeah. I mean, they say serial killers look like friendly people. You want to know, you know?
- [29:07]
Chris
So are you trying to warn me?
- [29:08]
Simon Squibb
No, I'm just saying. I'm just saying. I. I actually had this conversation with my wife yesterday because we were talking about, like, I reckon if I lived in America and I was a detective, I could spot all the serial killers quite quickly. They're obvious to me. I can literally. I think I've walked past a few since being here. You know, like, you give them some of them money, they're probably by accident.
- [29:25]
Chris
What's your dream?
- [29:27]
Simon Squibb
To kill people? They don't need money to do that, so I wouldn't need to get. I wouldn't need to finance that.
- [29:31]
Chris
They need gloves, they need tarps. You know, you need rope.
- [29:34]
Simon Squibb
I have not had anyone say that one yet. That would be. You seem to know a lot about where we could cap this. Obviously you know what's needed. I didn't know what you needed top. To be a serial killer.
- [29:43]
Chris
Okay, let's get back to the story.
- [29:45]
Simon Squibb
Okay.
- [29:46]
Chris
Some people want success. You needed to be successful because you got no. It's like when you burn the road behind you. And the murder, that road was burned for you. So you had nowhere to go to.
- [29:55]
Simon Squibb
Yeah.
- [29:56]
Chris
You tried begging. Obviously, you suck at it.
- [29:58]
Simon Squibb
Yeah.
- [29:58]
Chris
You smelled okay enough to get a job in a wine place, but just the condensed Cliff Notes version of this. Like, how do we go from there to, like, making money? Because there's more interesting stories I want to unpack.
- [30:07]
Simon Squibb
I mean, in a simple version of it, I just couldn't figure out how to make money. I went and tried to get social benefit, and they told me, what the hell are you doing here? Just go home. Right. So I couldn't really explain. I couldn't go home. So that seemed like a simple answer. They're not going to give me any benefit, so I tried to get a job. Couldn't get a job. I tried begging. Couldn't beg. I tried to do social service support. Couldn't get any. Couldn't get there. So the only left option for me was to start business. And I described this.
- [30:36]
Chris
You sold drugs.
- [30:38]
Simon Squibb
Well, I would have done. By the way, that is kind of a business. Yeah. Not that I would endorse that kind of business, but it is a business. I think the. The entrepreneur muscle in my brain woke up, and maybe that's the drug Dealer, model. It woke up in my brain, a literal muscle in my brain woke up. I almost felt it. Suddenly it's like the. The need to use that muscle became urgent. And so I walked past this massive house and the garden was so messy. And my brain said, it spoke to me. This entrepreneurial muscle, which we all have, everybody has it. Introvert, extrovert, doesn't matter, you've got it. It's just not turned on in school for a reason, in my opinion. It came on and I thought, they will pay me to clean up that garden because they've got a big fancy house and their garden's messy, which means instantly my brain said, they've got no time, and I can sell my time to do that garden and they will pay me. So with confidence this entrepreneur must have given me, I walked up to the front door of this big house, knocked on the door, this guy answered it, and I said, my name's Simon Squibb. I could take care of your garden for you if you pay me.
- [31:46]
Chris
Couldn't say when he was saying square.
- [31:50]
Simon Squibb
I wasn't that advanced. I've got a much better model now. No gardening, clean. And, yeah, threw me out. I should have said, is your dream to have your garden sorted out by me, by young person, Young, cheap labor. But they said, yes. And then. And then I. I just. You. You have tools? No. So slight problem. Don't have the tools to do the garden. But again, necessity, no choice. So I literally. I did two things, actually. One is I said to that person, is it okay if I use your equipment? They're like, sure. They're not using it. It's all sitting in the garage. So, like, using. You can use my equipment.
- [32:31]
Chris
Household. And I'm saying, some fun.
- [32:34]
Simon Squibb
I think they probably knew they were doing me a favor, you know, And I think I wasn't dishonest. I did kind of say, look, can I use your equipment? And in fact, that made it cheaper in my mind. I'm like, if I had to have your own equipment, I'm gonna have to be more expensive because I have to go rent the equipment. But you've got the equipment, so I'll just use it. But actually, I also went and knocked on a lot of other doors that day because that person said, yes, but I wasn't doing the garden then and there. I said I'd come back, but I went and knocked on a lot of other doors, and lots of people said, no. I was very lucky. The first person I ever knocked on the door said, yes. So there's a bit of luck in life. There's a lot of luck in life. If they said no to me that first time, I would, my entrepreneur muscle would have want, oh, you don't. What you do. This isn't possible. But they said yes. But then after that. And that's why I become people's first customer quite a lot in my content, because I remember that first customer feeling where you almost have validation because one person said yes. That spurs you to get 10 no's because you know at one point someone said yes, and surely someone else will too. So you have that survival vibe. So I knocked on about 100 doors after that, that day and said, oh, you've got a messy garden, can I take care of it? A lot of people said yes, but 12 people in total said yes and let me become their gardener. And then I went back the next day and asked them for a deposit, right. And I took that deposit and that allowed me to buy some of the fertilizer and some of the other bits and pieces I needed. But one house I saw had a whole like ride on mower. All the equipment, a lot of it was brand new looking. So they bought it but never used it because they're too busy. So I just asked them, I said, you've got this equipment here, can I, can I use it? And they're like, sure, go ahead. Doesn't matter to me. It's just sitting in my garage. People buy this fancy stuff and don't use it. Why not? So I managed to get all the equipment for free and then through the deposits I got from all the people that said yes, buy the basic bits and pieces that I needed. The big problem came when I tried to do the gardens and I was, I'm so bad at gardening. So then that's also a good, good thing because then I had to bring some other people in to do the gardening.
- [34:24]
Chris
I think I can turn this to a 17 hour podcast and I'm trying not to do that because you keep opening more doors.
- [34:30]
Simon Squibb
Sorry.
- [34:31]
Chris
It's like this infinite web, kind of like in Loki, you know, the sacred timeline.
- [34:36]
Simon Squibb
Yeah.
- [34:36]
Chris
It's got too many branches and we need to prune some down.
- [34:38]
Simon Squibb
Okay, fair. Okay.
- [34:39]
Chris
But I love the stories. I would like to talk to you multiple, multiple occasions here. The reason why I'm left and right is because the plot thickens every time you tell me a story. Because then it's very clear who you become, why you choose to do what it is that you do today. And when we get to that, it'll make a lot of sense to all of you who are listening or watching this right now. Okay. There's a couple of things I want to point out. Number one is you're. I just want to say this, but I don't want to dwell on this. You're a white guy knocking on doors. Doors open. You're a guy asking for work and don't have equipment and don't have skills, and they say yes. I just want to put that out there because people are going to say that. Easy for him to say, but here's where it's not easy, because a lot of us wouldn't knock on those doors. I put myself in that category. And what you call the entrepreneurial muscle, this need, I think it's another word for it. It's just called you're hungry. Like, literally hungry. Right. Because you don't have a choice. If you don't make this and you don't figure this thing out, what do you need? Where are you gonna live? And so you have to do this. So many of us live in this place where we don't have that kind of backed into the corner feeling. So we just wait and wait and wait. And some of us just wait too long until it's just too late for us to do something about it. So there's something to be admired. I respect anybody who has the guts to go up to the door, talk to a bunch of strangers, and give them pretty okay pitch. Not knowing if they can even do it, and then being listed by the confidence of your first sale. Have the guts to say, let me do that 99 more times, and not just quit with the first one. So you get it together and you're able to do this. And you hire people because you don't know what you're doing. And I assume this is the beginning of a business for you. Yep. That you turn into a business and other businesses, and then you sell all these things and leave.
- [36:17]
Simon Squibb
Yep.
- [36:18]
Chris
Okay. Okay. So how much money is in your pocket when you go to Hong Kong?
- [36:22]
Simon Squibb
I had about £80,000.
- [36:26]
Chris
That's a lot. And you were 20.
- [36:28]
Simon Squibb
23.
- [36:29]
Chris
23. Okay. We're mapped just from UK to Hong Kong. You're 23 years old.
- [36:34]
Simon Squibb
If anyone has lived in Hong Kong, they'll tell you that doesn't last very long. The most expensive city in the world, Japan's number one. Hong Kong's number two.
- [36:41]
Chris
Really?
- [36:42]
Simon Squibb
Like London's number 12. I think LA is number Singapore.
- [36:46]
Chris
Right.
- [36:47]
Simon Squibb
Singapore's number five, I think.
- [36:48]
Chris
Okay. Yeah.
- [36:49]
Simon Squibb
But I literally went to the most. One of the most expensive places in the world. So. And when I got there, I realized this is what people spend in a weekend in Hong Kong. But yeah, as a young person, that's a huge amount of money. And coming from nothing, of course, it was a huge amount of money for me.
- [37:07]
Chris
If you have any thousand dollars in your pocket, what do you need to stay on somebody's so far?
- [37:11]
Simon Squibb
Because I didn't want to burn it. And actually, by the time I learned how to be frugal and build things, the last thing I want to waste money on is a mortgage or rent.
- [37:20]
Chris
Okay.
- [37:21]
Simon Squibb
And if I can avoid those two things and build. Use that money for experiences and building something. Yeah, the better.
- [37:28]
Chris
So there's a lesson there too. Some people, when they get a little money in their pocket and burns a hole and they start to spend it right away. Material things. Exactly. Or they think it's an infinite supply and then they're wr problem. So you're good, you're saving your money, you're staying on couches, living very humbly. I want to get to the part of the story now where you founded a design and marketing agency and you build a certain point where it's being sought after and you sell it to PwC. Tell me a little bit about that moment. What do you sell it for? Those kinds of things.
- [37:55]
Simon Squibb
Yeah. So I built a company up called Fluid, which became one of the largest and most successful creative agencies based out of Hong Kong. And in a nutshell, it was an agency that would help brands come up with marketing strategies. And we wouldn't just come up with a strategy, we'd also execute on the design. So we come up with ideas and the execution. And I loved it. I built it for 10 years. It was just literally walking into the room with brands, new companies and old, and they tell us their problems and then we come up with solutions. And I started it all with Helen Griffiths, who's now my wife. She's a designer. And I guess I'm a marketing person. I'm a salesperson as a gardener, but in the end I'm a marketing person. Later, as I rebrand myself a bit and I, yeah, just with this company, it turned into quite a big business. I think in the end we had a couple of hundred people working with us, both freelance, on contract and full time. And one day PwC start partnering with us to pitch to clients together. So they've got the top 500 companies in the world working with them, one of the biggest audit firms in the world. And we start doing some partnership projects together. And then quite quickly, it seems that it would be a very good move for PwC to buy fluid and integrate us into what they offer their clients. And so, yeah, I sold the business. It took about a year from them saying they wanted to buy it to the deal being done and the money being in the bank. But that. That's how it transpired, weirdly, when I sold it. And a lot of people listening might relate to this. Everyone's dream is to sell a company. Everyone has that part of their bucket list. I was really happy when I sold it. And then I had a bit of time where I was a bit sad because I lost my identity. Everything was I Fluid, my company I'd built up, that was my image, my personal image. But, like, with your future, if it was gone, like, well, you have to change the number plate on your car. You know, like, what are you going to do? Right. It's suddenly. It's a big part of who you are. And. And so I. I was a bit lost for a while after I sold it, but maybe I'm talking too much company.
- [40:00]
Chris
Okay, so you're 33 when you sell it.
- [40:03]
Simon Squibb
I'm 14.
- [40:04]
Chris
14, yeah. So there's a couple of mysterious years in there somewhere.
- [40:07]
Simon Squibb
Well, no, not really. I. I ran it for 10 years personally, and then I brought someone in to run it for three or four years for me.
- [40:14]
Chris
Okay.
- [40:17]
Simon Squibb
So I. I learned to bring someone else in to run it. That's one of the reasons it's sold, by the way.
- [40:23]
Chris
Okay.
- [40:24]
Simon Squibb
Because if a founder is still running the business, this is another business lesson I've learned. I shall put in my book. If you end up being the only person that can run it, it's very hard to sell it.
- [40:32]
Chris
Yeah.
- [40:33]
Simon Squibb
So I brought in very clever people and teams to run the business, and that allowed me to step away. And while I was. While Fluid was running without me, I was still kind of chairman was my title. I started an investment company called Nest. We'd invest in startups. Okay, I see. So, yeah, that's kind of how the timeline worked.
- [40:53]
Chris
I see. Okay, so when you solid, you're free and clear, you don't have to stay on because you already put a management team in place.
- [41:00]
Simon Squibb
Exactly.
- [41:01]
Chris
Were some of them required to stay on?
- [41:03]
Simon Squibb
Yes. Yeah.
- [41:03]
Chris
Okay. Naturally. All right, so you're saying when you sold Fluid, your identity vaporized?
- [41:10]
Simon Squibb
It didn't vaporize.
- [41:11]
Chris
Physics joke.
- [41:12]
Simon Squibb
Oh, I see.
- [41:13]
Chris
Fluid.
- [41:13]
Simon Squibb
Oh, I get it.
- [41:14]
Chris
Turns into evaporated.
- [41:15]
Simon Squibb
Yeah, yeah, I get it. All right, so I Missed the joke. I thought you were serious.
- [41:18]
Chris
Educated podcast question there was.
- [41:21]
Simon Squibb
It didn't evaporate. Yeah. I think it's just. When you build a business, you must relate to this. If you suddenly couldn't use Future anymore. That was someone else's brand name. It is part of who you are, right?
- [41:33]
Chris
No.
- [41:33]
Simon Squibb
Oh, it was for me. Maybe I made a rookie mistake. I didn't know it, by the way, until I sold it. So I felt like the other thing was a bit like losing my family again. Like the company and the people were people like my family. I know you're not allowed to say that. I know it's politically incorrect. Let's call it a football team if you like. But my football team was gone.
- [41:52]
Chris
Yeah.
- [41:52]
Simon Squibb
I mean, it was a business and I sold it.
- [41:54]
Chris
Yeah.
- [41:55]
Simon Squibb
But in reality, I probably interact with everyone in that company at some point in a month and suddenly, technically not really allowed to interact with anyone. No. They want me out of it now. Right. So. So it's like losing the family again as well. Some repeat of my earlier.
- [42:12]
Chris
I have this thing, it's kind of personal philosophy about practicing some kind of form of passionate detachment. I want to be passionate when I'm doing things, but when I'm no longer doing it, I'm totally detached from it. So I can see things objectively.
- [42:25]
Simon Squibb
Yeah. I wish I'd had you tell me that before I saw.
- [42:27]
Chris
I wish we met each other earlier in life.
- [42:30]
Simon Squibb
Yeah.
- [42:30]
Chris
I could borrow money from you.
- [42:31]
Simon Squibb
Yeah. Equally. I wouldn't have been so emotionally upset for so long like I sold the company if I'd met you. Maybe I. I need this. This is important, actually.
- [42:38]
Chris
I think so.
- [42:39]
Simon Squibb
It's a good lesson for people.
- [42:40]
Chris
Yeah.
- [42:40]
Simon Squibb
I think you should be attached to what you're doing, but not.
- [42:43]
Chris
Did you see Vanilla Sky? I think we can just pull references.
- [42:48]
Simon Squibb
Tom Cruise.
- [42:49]
Chris
Yeah.
- [42:49]
Simon Squibb
Certainly other relation to that is. Wasn't.
- [42:51]
Chris
It's coming. It's coming. So spoiler alert. If you haven't seen it, I'm sorry. He gets into a horrific car accident and he's mutilated in that. And they have to create some kind of strange alternate reality for him to process it. And that's the big spoiler. Like, he's all. He's all messed up.
- [43:08]
Simon Squibb
Oh, yeah.
- [43:09]
Chris
When people lose a limb, they're disfigured, they lose a sense of identity because he was the publisher, playboy boy who got to do everything he wanted, sleep with whoever he wanted. Then he got really messed up in that process. And so everybody that goes through that, I Think has to start to question what is, who am I? What is my identity? So if you lost a finger tomorrow, are you like 98 less Simon squid?
- [43:31]
Simon Squibb
No, of course not.
- [43:32]
Chris
Right. And a finger is much more serious than a company. But you're still you.
- [43:37]
Simon Squibb
Yeah.
- [43:37]
Chris
So as long as you're conscious and you have a soul in the spirit or whatever you want to believe and you're still able to do what it is that you want to do, I think you're still you. That's why it's like this emotional attachment is the thing that was partly loss of identity.
- [43:52]
Simon Squibb
Yeah. I counter argue that. Please. I, I think that it helped me make it work in a way because I don't believe in work life balance. I don't believe there is a separation. I think that there's just work and there's, and there's. Well, I think there's just life, you know, there's no work life. So, you know, my business partner became my wife and I. And I think I had a good relationship because my wife was there in the business with me.
- [44:17]
Chris
Yeah.
- [44:18]
Simon Squibb
I like working.
- [44:19]
Chris
Yeah.
- [44:19]
Simon Squibb
And if I'm working till 10 o' clock at night on a Friday, if my wife wasn't working with me, I wouldn't be seeing my wife. We'd probably get a divorce.
- [44:26]
Chris
Yeah.
- [44:27]
Simon Squibb
So I just really like integrating things. And I think even with the team, I have it now, by the way. I really care about my team now. And they all see you about that too.
- [44:37]
Chris
Because when I walked in here the first time, it. There was a different model I was seeing. A little bit scary also. Very exciting. Okay.
- [44:47]
Simon Squibb
Yeah. But I just, I just think it's. I don't want to work with people that I don't. I wouldn't want to be friends with. I think Mark Zuckerberg said it, and I'm not a fan of Mark Zuckerberg, so I'm not endorsing what he has to say. But he did say something I liked, which he talked about how if that person you hire isn't someone you would work for, don't hire them.
- [45:03]
Chris
Yeah.
- [45:04]
Simon Squibb
And there's. And I feel that way, like I feel like I'm. We got this house here in la. I'm staying with everybody here. I trust everybody here. I like everybody here. Otherwise I wouldn't, I wouldn't want to be living with them right now while I'm in la, you know, like, I know it sounds for a lot of people, maybe it's like we should.
- [45:19]
Chris
There's one person who told me that.
- [45:21]
Simon Squibb
You couldn't stand, but, oh, there's only one. And he's over there. So I don't want to insult him. Well, right.
- [45:25]
Chris
I'm not doing it.
- [45:25]
Simon Squibb
Poor Arthur. I love you, man. Joking. But the point I'm getting to is like, yeah, I just think that's oversold to people too. And it's kind of a counterbalance. I kind of just, you know, be careful with it because I think that there is definitely detachment. When I sold the company, I should have just probably started something else instantly. Partly we think that.
- [45:45]
Chris
But that's a rebound thing.
- [45:46]
Simon Squibb
Maybe, but it's a bit. But it's also like. It's like saying, don't be too much in love, because when you break up, you might cry. There's a part of me like, oh, fuck it. I'm just going to do the all in love thing. Right. And in business, I kind of like it. I do take it personally. People say, don't take business personally too. I do. And I do fall in love with what I'm working on. And I think that allows me to like, really love it. Really, like be all in. That's why I've been married for 23 years. I'm all in when I do something.
- [46:11]
Chris
You are mixing so many metaphors in here.
- [46:13]
Simon Squibb
Am I? Yeah. Are you guys following this?
- [46:17]
Chris
No. I mean, if you take it at face value, but if you're like literally unpacking. Wait, this doesn't make sense. Because you are madly in love and now as soon as that blub is over, you're ready to can bang the other business.
- [46:28]
Simon Squibb
If my wife divorced me, I'd probably bang another business. That's what I'm saying.
- [46:31]
Chris
You have to go through imperative grieving and saying, you know, what is my life?
- [46:35]
Simon Squibb
Yeah. Not always.
- [46:36]
Chris
If you were in love with it. Yes.
- [46:38]
Simon Squibb
Well, I did have two years in Venice. I had two years off before I started what I'm doing now. That's it. I went through a grieving process. Yeah.
- [46:45]
Chris
We're just messing around.
- [46:45]
Simon Squibb
But it was pretty hardcore. I did actually. I felt I had a sense, a little bit of depression after I sold the company just because again, like my whole thing was I. I needed it.
- [46:54]
Chris
Yeah.
- [46:54]
Simon Squibb
And I didn't just want it. And I think I carried this needing it right until I had all the money in the bank from this company.
- [46:59]
Chris
Oh, that's fascinating.
- [47:00]
Simon Squibb
You said. And now suddenly needing wasn't. I didn't need it anymore. Even like if I told my wife, I'm going off now to have a meeting she's like, what's the meaning about, oh, maybe I'll make some. We don't need money. So why are you going? I don't know. I don't know where I'm going. I won't go. And you suddenly have all that.
- [47:17]
Chris
That's the secret of staying married. I've not learned.
- [47:19]
Simon Squibb
Just do what you're told.
- [47:20]
Chris
Oh, my God, Yes.
- [47:21]
Simon Squibb
Yeah, I think that is the secret, honey.
- [47:23]
Chris
I'm sorry. I haven't learned the lesson. You haven't learned the lesson? I'm an Asian man. That's the problem.
- [47:26]
Simon Squibb
How long have you married?
- [47:27]
Chris
Almost 30 years.
- [47:28]
Simon Squibb
Right. See, you know, what's the secret?
- [47:30]
Chris
It's not. Well, we'll get into that later then. Your chance to ask that question was on your pod.
- [47:34]
Simon Squibb
All right, okay, fair enough, fair enough.
- [47:37]
Chris
So you went from living in the streets needing a way to make money, and you found that. But when you started to make money and you made a lot of money, at some point that need moved into, I would say, a want.
- [47:50]
Simon Squibb
I didn't even want it anymore. I, I, I think both you want something. Well, I, I wanted purpose in the form of work. I, I think I wanted to be useful when I wanted to be seen. That's what I came to the conclusion once.
- [48:04]
Chris
Are we back to 15 again?
- [48:05]
Simon Squibb
No, we're back to like, well, maybe at 15. Yes, I think so. But back then it was like, well, I might want to be useful and I might want to be seen, but the real reality is like, a lot of people in this world, I've got to pay bills, I've got to eat. So, you know, the over a lot of people living in fight or flight. Right?
- [48:22]
Chris
Yeah.
- [48:22]
Simon Squibb
So they might, they might want to be successful, but right now they just need to pay the bills. Okay, but, but I, I had no choice. I needed it back then when I was younger, I think what changed when I got to 40 and had money is I didn't, I didn't need the money anymore. So there's no need anymore. And I didn't really want anything in particular. So I actually fell into like neither want nor need, which is even more dangerous.
- [48:47]
Chris
Where are you then now if you're not want or need, you're just versus.
- [48:51]
Simon Squibb
I think, I think basically you're lost. You're a lost soul.
- [48:55]
Chris
Okay.
- [48:55]
Simon Squibb
Because if you want stuff that can motivate you, but if you need it, it'll make you do it. There's a difference.
- [49:01]
Chris
Yeah.
- [49:01]
Simon Squibb
Right. So I, I want to be fit, but then I, I might go a Little bit here and there. And I'll eat healthy some days. And then someone tells me I'm going to die unless I. I'm going to get diabetes unless I go to the gym tomorrow. Every day for the next two years. Now, now it's a need, right? And I think I moved back into like, well, I moved. I didn't move back. I think I moved to like, well, what do I want? And I didn't even have that answer anymore.
- [49:24]
Chris
Yeah.
- [49:25]
Simon Squibb
Because when you need money, at least that's a want, right? So it took me about two years to figure out the next step after that, which is ultimate purpose. Creating a purpose that creates the need.
- [49:36]
Chris
You all right then?
- [49:37]
Simon Squibb
Sure, I can write that. I've written this word a lot, but it's such a woo woo word that a lot of people don't understand, doesn't get taught in schools. But if you have a purpose, it can create a need. You don't need to go homeless and almost starve like I did to have this superpower hit you. I think you can find it with purpose.
- [49:58]
Chris
Okay, I like that.
- [49:59]
Simon Squibb
And you can have purpose. There's a way to find purpose if you don't know it as well.
- [50:03]
Chris
It's not easy, but it's worth finding.
- [50:05]
Simon Squibb
Yeah. It powers you up to make it a need.
- [50:07]
Chris
So here's the crazy thing is you didn't answer my question. How much did you sell the company for?
- [50:12]
Simon Squibb
I could be a politician, couldn't I?
- [50:14]
Chris
Could, but if I'm a reporter, you're not going to get away.
- [50:16]
Simon Squibb
I divert. So interestingly, people don't know this. When you sell a company, they have things called NDAs where you're not allowed to actually disclose how much you sold it for. We can one and what between one. I always say the best way to describe is I never need to worry about money again. I basically made more money than I ever need. That's how I phrase it up. And if you can work out, I could probably live to 100. And I spend £20,000amonth living. You can probably work out how much it is, but I genuinely don't think the amount matters. Sometimes I like now not talking about it because it's about building something you love that you enjoy and you make money from equity you're working out.
- [50:56]
Chris
I already heard the man's 240k and you are 50 years old. So live with this. As soon as you multiply that by 50, 50 times 24, you know, amazing you can figure this out.
- [51:06]
Simon Squibb
So I saw a great meme the other day, like, Trump's getting into a war with Asia over math. Switch.
- [51:14]
Chris
We're so scream. Yes. Okay, let's. Let's get back into it.
- [51:18]
Simon Squibb
So you, You.
- [51:19]
Chris
You've earned out more money than you could spend. So here's where I really think it's important to highlight this part of your story, because I want more successful entrepreneurs to consider the possibility of doing something that you're doing. Here's how most entrepreneurs work. They make money, and they just want to make more money. They can't even spend the money they have, but they just want to make more money. And it's why there's this great disparity between the bottom 99 and the top one. Because as you have resources, as you know, money makes money for you, and you don't even have to do a lot of. I don't have a lot of love for people who use money to make money because they don't really generate anything in the world. I don't also have a lot of love for people who move around money as a means to make money because they've yet to do anything. I like what you're doing, son. I have great respect for you and what you're doing. And the people that know me and like me also like you. And just are saying, this guy is a real genuine person. Here's what I think. There's a gentleman. His name is Eric Silva. I think that's his name. He gave a TED Talk. You might have seen it. He goes on stage and he says, in the 21st century, the new billionaires aren't the ones who have a billion dollars in the bank account. It's the ones who can make a positive impact on people's lives. Every life is. Is one of the 1 billion. And I think the world would be a much better place for everyone who's got more than what they need or possibly what they would want for them to turn around and do something good to help the world and make a healthy profit. But do good now. Don't wait until you're like 98 to give away your money. That's how most rich people do. Like, they find God and then they find religion, and then they want to give it away. But you could do a lot of good right now in the moment and still build a really good business and a life for yourself.
- [52:59]
Simon Squibb
Totally right.
- [52:59]
Chris
So what I have to do is now unpack why this crazy guy wants to take this money he's made and then put a lot of at risk to try and help other People. And I also want to understand the business model of helping other people achieve their dreams. So give us your best pitch as to why, if you're at a place where you don't need or want that money anymore, why you would want to try and help other people achieve something, some. Some version of their own definition of success.
- [53:25]
Simon Squibb
I think when you're figuring out what the purpose of life is, which is that kind of crazy question, what is the purpose of life? I discovered it after I made money. So it's very easy to say this. Once you've made money, you can have purpose. There's some truth to it. I think you've got to fill your own bucket up. You've got to be able to pay your own bills. But I think that I actually made a shocking discovery in the last six years. I didn't fully understand this. Once I had enough money that I didn't need to do things for money. So I didn't need to help someone for money. I could just help someone. I was doing that when I was retired, I would help people and I didn't expect anything back. I didn't want anything back. And there was something really special about that dynamic. And I think I realized that in the last 100 years, since the banking system really took over our lives with things like mortgages, everything's become a transaction. So for a tax man to make money out of you and me, we need to have a transaction so they can tax it. But if I just help you because I like you and I want it, the tax man gets nothing. So they don't like it equally. You just help me. It's not good for the tax bank. It's nothing. So there needs to be money back and forth. And that why. That's why the sayings give and take have kind of become part of our normal culture. It sounds fair, right? I'll help you if you help me. But actually that's not our natural state. Our natural state is you tell me what you need and if I can help you, I will. I'll do it. Now, I need to pay my bills, so there's always that element. But I don't necessarily make me money over you to pay my bills. I can help you without, like Dragon's Den annoys me or Shark Pack annoys me. Because they're only going to help you if you give them 40% of the company. Well, actually I can just introduce you to the person at Walmart who can help sell your product. I know them. Doesn't it's one Email for me. I can just do it. I don't need to take 40% off you. But we've become so transactional. And this was the first time in my life that I didn't have to be transactional. And it kind of shocked me. The oxytocin I got, the natural happiness I got from just helping someone without anything back. And then I realized that everybody can do it. We just don't think we can do it. So everybody. I want everybody to know what I've discovered and listening. The problem is I'm rich now. So people are like, well, he's got money, he can do that. You have to frame. The way I think about this is if you've ever been given a present, right? Or you've given a present or been given a present, if you've given someone a present, there's actually a lot more joy. I go find the present, I wrap it up. I can't wait to give it to that person. I give it to them, I see their happy face. That's actually more fun most of the time than getting a present. So we basically, naturally, in our DNA, want to make other people happy. And sometimes the cost of the transaction stops that from happening. And then even on a micro level, I saw someone the other day open a door for someone and someone walked through it. Now, that person didn't say thank you. They got all annoyed. Well, don't say thank you, then. I just opened the door for you. So they literally made themselves angry from doing a nice thing, having expectation attached to it. Give and take. They didn't have detachment. They should have just opened the door and let the person walk through, but they didn't. They made themselves annoyed and upset and angry because they helped someone and that person didn't reciprocate with something back. And that's not what life's about. I have been the happiest I've ever been. Not when I had a lot of money, but when I was helping someone without an agenda. It's a selfish thing. So people, when they hear what I'm doing, and you're very kind, the way you put it, I'm being. I'm helping people. I'm so philanthropic. Actually, it's also selfish. I. I genuinely feel like I'm doing something that is selfish, that happens to be helping people. You know, I get a lot of satisfaction when someone tells me their dream and then I can put them on my platform and promote them, give them a little bit of money, which is just energy transfer anyway, and they can make it happen and have a better life. That's amazing. Like I'm. It's selfish and, and yes, hopefully that knock on effect means that person has a better life. They can go on to help people. We can start removing this transactional nature that's being conditioned in us. It's not natural. We've been taught to make everything transactional, but it's actually not our natural state. Again, you can push back on this if you like, but my analogy is there's 5,000 people living in a tribe. Someone puts their hand up and says, my tent's fallen down. And someone says, I can help you with that. And they go and help put their tent back up. We don't have anybody homeless after that tent's back up. The tribe is happier. The ecosystem continues where we all help each other to get through the day and that person has somewhere to sleep tonight. That's how it used to be. That person nowadays says, hi, my tent's fallen down. Someone says, okay, here's a quote. I'm not fixing your tent. You, you can be homeless unless you pay this. And that's why we have hundreds of thousands of homeless people. And then that's kind of the basic problem.
- [58:16]
Chris
Here's where I'll push back. But before I push back, I need to say something. I said the wrong person's name. There's a gentleman, his name is Jason Silva. He's given his TED talk. Maybe you've seen it.
- [58:25]
Simon Squibb
Okay. We edit that back in.
- [58:26]
Chris
Fix that part. Okay. Here's the pushback on this is. I think there's social capital and that's how through thousands of years we can form societies and villages or the tribe. Because there's a. There's a bargain that's made. It's not transactional in cash and in money, but it's like, hey, I have to go and hunt today. Can you look after the kids? And when I come back, we will share the bounty of what it is I do. There's still a trade there. There's still.
- [58:53]
Simon Squibb
That's a more. That's a community trait.
- [58:56]
Chris
Yes.
- [58:56]
Simon Squibb
I don't think now it's become so literally find that an invention. Money has become the mechanism in which we do that.
- [59:04]
Chris
That's right.
- [59:05]
Simon Squibb
Whereas before we had a sense of community.
- [59:07]
Chris
Yes.
- [59:08]
Simon Squibb
Which I don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you shouldn't have a support mechanism.
- [59:15]
Chris
Right.
- [59:15]
Simon Squibb
Which is. I think that's what you're talking about there. That, that's not the same as what I'm describing. I understand you're talking about community support, right? Well, you're talking.
- [59:22]
Chris
Well, the word you use is village. So somebody's temp falls down and you raise your hand, you help, and then one day you're like, I don't have clean water. And no one comes to your aid. Eventually you're like, this is not my community. I have to leave. It's not my village. And that person's a taker. So eventually it. It needs to correct itself. I think Cini writes about this in terms of reciprocity. It doesn't have to be quid pro quo, like this exact amount for that exact amount. But it's through our need to support each other that we can grow strong. For example, if an invading tribe came and they all split and left it there, there's so much of a tribe or a community, either isn't.
- [59:55]
Simon Squibb
But I think we're maybe mixing up the examples because of course, today we're not living in tribes. The tribe, the tribe.
- [60:01]
Chris
It's a virtual tribe.
- [60:02]
Simon Squibb
But yeah, well, I mean, not everyone's online. Everyone's has an online tribe. I think now the difference is like this street in LA where we are now, I'm pretty sure no one knows anyone on the street. So there's no support mechanism in the communities anymore. We own a house, the bank lends the money. It's my house, I close the door, I protect my family. So the tribes have really shrunk. Okay. And the problem now is that if, for example, someone needs help, the hardest thing is actually to ask for help. So if you don't have a tribal system where you can ask for help, the only way you can get help is if you pay for it. And most people can't afford to pay for it. So people have mental health issues because they can't get help, they can't afford it. People can't get people to come and help them fix problems with their car, so they can't get to work because they can't afford it. And I think that we have forgotten the tribalism and I'd like to bring it back in a sense of like. And I'm trying to do this on Help bank, by the way. It's the first time I've never had a problem with a trademark. We got the word help and bank together. No problem, because no one's got a bank and help together.
- [61:08]
Chris
Thanks for tuning in to this conversation with Simon Squibb. We unpacked a lot from personal stories to the deeper reasons behind why we do what we do. But this just scratches the surface. In part two, we go straight into the mindset set and tactics for creating and sticking to your path. Don't miss it.