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Eric Triplett
Welcome to the Deep End with Eric Triplett, the pond digger. This is the show for contractors, tradesmen and entrepreneurs who want more from their business and from themselves. Eric brings decades of experience as a seven figure contractor with expertise in leadership, sales systems and the discipline it takes to build something real. Shaped by years in the aquatics world, his insights are rooted in precision, craftsmanship, and performance. If you're done skimming the surface and ready to go deeper, it's time to dive in.
What's up, rockstars?
It's Triplett here. Hey.
Today we are sharing a podcast. It's from a weekly Compass Call. The topic is based around culture, Coachella and the comeback. And it's interesting because if I just called this podcast or this Compass Call, you know, the Justin Bieber episode, a lot of people would never even click enter. But in fact, this episode, you know, might piss a couple people right off
out of the gate.
Might want to just dip away because of their love or hatred for Justin Bieber. But yeah, that's what it's about. So before you check out, I do want to share with you. This is not just about pop music. This is more about what we can learn from this as contractors and human beings and entrepreneurs and just being human. Right? This is about pressure, identity, getting broken and then making a comeback. Most people don't have the guts to even step into the ring for a comeback. So that's why it was important for me to bring this up in the weekly Compass Call. I've been fascinated about what he did at Coachella and his journey. And I never, I've never really followed Justin Bieber much. You know, I'm a grown ass man watching this little kid grow up as a pop star. But something interesting happened at Coachella and I just don't think it should be ignored. You know, if you're, you know, if you're into culture, if you're into business, everyone loves a comeback. I mean, think about all the movies. So in this weekly Compass Call, we did some unpacking about what Bieber did at Coachella, the performance, and you know, know how some people thought it looked weak and stripped down? You know, to a lot of people, that was what people saw. And you know, the haters, you're always going to have haters, you're always going to have fans. But what I thought, what I saw, what I, what I, what I saw was like this crazy, calculated comeback, super self aware, one of the coolest moves I've seen in a long time. And most people celebrate you when you're winning. Except for the haters, because you have a lot of haters doing that, too. But
sometimes when you're. You get exposed in that.
In that limelight, you get judged when you start breaking, and then, you know, you get in this uncomfortable spot and you go out for the comeback, and the haters want you to not win, and then the people that love you want you to win, and then you come back as someone different. It's just really cool. Today we're breaking down that comeback. And this isn't a celebrity version deal. This is like a contractor version, human being version, just a normal person version. And what came out of the conversation, honestly, surprised me even. And so let's get into it. I hope you enjoy it.
What's up, people? Weekly Compass 207. Let's rock and roll. But I'm playing some Justin Bieber right now, so you're probably thinking, where's the rock and roll? I wish Larry Carnes was here and not just his note taker today so we could chat about Justin Bieber. And I could see his eyes rolling around in his head. Listen, today I want to talk a little bit about culture. I want to talk about Coachella, and I want to talk about the comeback and what I'm about to talk about. You know, probably most contractors aren't going to, like, at all. And I, Justin Bieber will be a big part of the conversation today. And like I said before, you roll your eyes and check out and like, you know, I don't need to be on this call today. This doesn't have a whole lot to do with pop music. You know, it has more to do with you and me and our businesses and our identity and the comeback. And if I think about comeback, everyone loves a comeback. You know, all your favorite movies are the comeback or the underdog, right? Like, that's. Everyone can relate to that. Everyone's pulled down, everyone's got knocked down, and you have to get back up and like, you know, what does the comeback look like to you and to other people? And what. What do we put into our own comebacks? And that's kind of what I want to talk about today. Because what Justin Bieber just did at Coachella, like, was unbelievable. And probably most of you don't even realize the intensity of it or the gravity of it. All right? And most contractors will never have the guts to even make that kind of. What do I want to say? Even make that kind of comeback, put in that kind of work to make that type of comeback. I don't Think that most contractors, most people have it in them. And that's what I want to inspire out of everybody. And before I get into Coachella and Bieber and what all that means and how it's going around in my head, I want. I want to talk about the comeback, because I look at my own life, and I don't want to make this call about me. I want it to be about you. But you have to think about your personal life, what you've been through, the ups and downs that we go through in our own personal lives. We all. We all have these wins and then we have our losses. And then some. Some people just live in the loss forever. They become victim mentality. They live in the loss. They can't get over it. They can't see past. Past it. They can't see the good in all things, you know, and in a past life, some of you may or may not know this, but I had fallen in love with a different woman, and I married her and we got a divorce. And it was a pretty low spot in my life, a pretty dark spot in my life, you know. You know, you think that your spouse is your best friend, maybe female friend, and then you have your best male friend. And those two people in my life, you know, left me together. And as you can imagine, it was a pretty low spot in my life. And so what does the comeback look like from that? Right. You know, I basically was just short of living in my car. I was taking care of an aquarium, and for this guy who ran apartment complexes, and he let me stay in the vacant apartments, in and out. Like you could stay in this apartment tonight, take a shower. And I took care of his aquarium. That's how. That's where I was, you know, the low point in your life. All I had was my car and a surfboard and skateboard. And so, you know, what does the comeback look like? And so where I'm at today is a much better spot than that time in my life. And is my comeback over? Or do I have new ups and downs to get over and get past? You know, where am I at now? Like, what is the comeback that I'm coming from currently? Okay, you know my story, and I don't. I don't want to dwell here, but I want you guys to understand that, you know, much like I'm going to talk about Justin Bieber, it just. It's about me. It's about you. Right? But, you know, my business was doing great in 2008, it fell to the floor, and I came back from that 2015, a diagnosis, stage four cancer. Boom. To the floor, to the gutter, come back again, back to 2020. And I fought through Covid. Like I kept rising through Covid, fighting through Covid, you know, like through that comeback, you know. So the harder the comeback looks, the harder the comeback is, the greater the victory and the bigger the story when you share it. Are you a contractor looking for growth training and to level up your contracting business? If so, join the TWT Contractor Circle. It's our free Facebook group where like minded professionals go to share insights of success, strategies for growth and a place to find some accountability. In fact, we have a powerful accountability call every Friday with a live Q and a session at the end. And whether you're seeking advice, collaboration, or just a support, supportive community, this is a place for you request to join today and start building a valuable connection with me as well as our amazing network of contractors. Tango, Whiskey Tango. That's TWT Contractor Circle on Facebook. I'll see you on the inside.
Now back to the show.
Coachella. Right before Coachella, I want to talk about the Grammys. Because Justin Bieber came out and gave a performance that seemed very awkward to people and people were like kind of talking shit about it. Like, who does this guy think he is? He like came up on stage. Whether you know it or not, he came up on stage like he had been basically gone for about 10 years, you know, fighting his own demons, fighting his own battles, figuring out a comeback, right? He came out on stage in like silk boxers only and I think a pair of socks and a guitar and a little drum beat machine. And he was like, raw as you can be and you can imagine, and just lit the world on fire through raw talent. No big band, no big lights, just one little spotlight on a guy in his silk boxers. So to take you back in time when he was 2 years old, if you don't know anything about Justin Bieber, I'm learning things about him that I had no idea because I haven't been a believer if you want to say that. It's kind of funny to even say coming out of my mouth, but I've always kind of like looked at Justin Bieber and I could appreciate the songs, but I wasn't really, I wasn't really like into Justin Bieber, but I would say I am today because his full story and his full comeback is pretty unbelievable, pretty noteworthy. And if you can look at that and, and, and mirror that into your own life, there's a lot of good that can come out of it. But at two years old, he was a self taught drummer. Like, there's a video of him on YouTube playing drums on a chair at 2 years old. You think someone taught him that? Was this reincarnated or what? Like, where did he learn this? He's, he's like self made, genius, self taught drummer at 2 years old. At 3 years old, he's drumming even better. And as you know, in, in his like 7, 8, 9 years old. I don't know how old he was, but he was just a kid. And they put some YouTube videos out and he wanted to get famous, he wanted to get discovered and he got all of that and more, right? So you know, from just a kid, he's not even, you know, can you imagine going through your pubescence and puberty and your teens? Like every time he had a girlfriend, he was on TMZ magazine the next morning. As his whole life, he never had a chance to grow up without being under the magnifying glass or the spotlight.
Okay?
And so as you can imagine, you know, he wouldn't create the fame right away. And it was unbelievable. But then it got dark. The music industry's dark, but still that raw talent took him to where it was, right? He got discovered early with no system, no roadmap, no maturity. And that's what happens with contractors. Because as a contractor, you know, you guys are talented with your hands and doing things and you're mechanical and you build, you're an artist and you build waterfalls or you, you know, build homes or whatever, like designs and architecture and like that's what you guys are good at. But, but most, most contractors, they never have a roadmap, they never have a system. And they mature in business through darkness. And you know, like this is this not easy, right? Does it sound familiar? Because that's most contractors, but it's Justin Bieber. How can you relate to that? I don't even like Justin Bieber. I like rock and roll. I like, you know, reggae, whatever you like, I don't care what it is. But so sometimes it's hard to relate. And that's why I think the title of this is, you know, culture, Coachella and the comeback. Because this is culture. And just a couple of weeks ago we were talking about Ye's comeback through Sofi, through his concerts and doing, you know, 33 million in the weekend. So back to you and what you've done to where you're at today. You've come through your ups and downs and you've probably each and every one of you been through certain comebacks, through injuries, through breakups, through employees leaving you, through lawsuits, through whatever accidents. We've all got our comebacks. But I think business and contracting, it's going to take a little bit more than that. Okay, so, like, what? Whatever got you there through your own personal talents. The talent's not alone. That's not what's going to break you, right? Sometimes it's just life that gets in the way. So here's where it kind of gets uncomfortable if we talk about Justin Bieber like he had no privacy. Constant judgment in everything. You know, every mistake that he made was amplified, right? Don't, don't, don't even bullshit me. Anyone on this call that has never been in a drunk stupor and done something completely ridiculous, idiotic, that not a whole lot of people know, maybe your closest homies saw you in that dark moment, right? But here's this kid growing up as a teenager, making a simple stupid mistake that each and every one of you have made over and over again, but nobody knows about. He's on the COVID of tm, TMZ magazine. And now, since you're a metalhead, you're talking about that little boy who can't even handle his drinks and he's fake. Stupid decisions. And, and you did the last weekend yourself, only you were on the COVID of a newspaper. Every mistake is amplified, surrounded by the pressure and the money and the fame and all that, right? And we kind of go through that ourselves. You know, you get a big job, you get some money, you buy a new truck, your neighbors think you're suddenly rich. I still have people all the time to just think I'm a fucking gazillionaire. Like, I have so much money, I don't know what to do with it all. But I tell you every day it's a battle going out there, you know, to try and create enough revenue stream to build my team, create bigger dreams. You know, it's. It, it's crazy. The judgment is insane. Okay, so, you know, like each and every one of you guys have a chance to kind of figure yourself out quietly, right? You wake up in the next morning, you have the hangover, you're like, oh, God, what did I do? Oh, I gotta hope I didn't do anything stupid. But, you know, for Bieber, he would wake up and he'd just see it on the COVID of the magazine or on the news, so he didn't get a chance to figure himself out quietly like all of you guys have, right? His, this guy was Broken down in public. And each and every one of us are broken down, like in our cars, in our. In our, you know, in our sleep. In our. In our. In our. No sleep. Waking up in the middle of the night, laying there. What am I going to do? How am I going to get this figured out? But this is all public for this guy, okay? So just remember, you know, you're going through some right now. You got your own personal comeback that you're trying to do, but you're not on the COVID of tmz, okay? And so don't act like what you're going through is something different than this guy was happened publicly. You know, you're overworked, you're underpaid, your employees leaving you, customers are judging you, just like I told you. You have the family pressures and people are getting sick in your life, the cash flow, stress, all this builds up, and then what happens? You know, so each and every one of us cope in different ways. Whether it's alcohol or drugs or, you know, short tempers or bad decisions. You know, that's where you hear the midlife crisis, and the guy buys a Corvette and, you know, cheats on his wife. Burnout, numbness, all this bullshit, right? It's the same patterns, different stages. And each and every one of us will have to experience some of this at some level in our lives. Contractors, if you're sick and tired of nomin making enough money, you might suck at sales and you don't even know it. Or worse, you suck at sales and you actually think you're good. Before you get upset with me, I sucked at sales, too. And for a long time. Here's the difference. I pulled my head out of the sand and I forced the change. That's why I know what you're up against and how you, too, can turn things around for you and your family. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I got really uncomfortable. I. I trained hard. I studied books and podcasts, videos, courses, role playing, and I took guidance from mentors and coaches while spending thousands of dollars. But trust me, it was all worth it. I mean, I turned my struggling company into a profitable seven figure construction business. I put together a list of the critical sales techniques that I use to flip my business from surviving to thriving. And I call it my contract for sale secrets. I want to share the list with you with no. No expense. Just to get you moving in the right direction. It's my way of contributing and giving back to my community and the construction industry that I know and I love the list is available to you@contractorsalesecrets.com I promise you, with these sales secrets, some grit and discipline, I know you can dramatically change your life. So stop what you're doing right now. Go to contractors sales secrets dot com. That's contractors sales secrets dot com. So most of us don't fail because of lack of talent. Because if you look at Justin Bieber, whether you like his style of music or not, you cannot deny that he's very talented at what he does. And if you watch that video of him when he was two years old playing drums on a chair, you'd be like, ah, kid's talented. I can't. You don't have to tell me or admit it to me, but I know you'll be thinking it. Most of us fail because, you know, we break under pressure, and then we don't come up with a plan to rebuild. We don't really think about that. We get caught up in, like, what happened instead of, like, what's next. What. How can we get this different? And so this is kind of where it gets interesting for me because Justin disappears for like a decade. You know, he's. You know, they. They catch him on the street. Hey, can I give you a hug? And paparazzi's there. He's like, hey, this is my home. Like, can I just go inside? I don't appreciate this in front of my home. Okay, that's cool. Can I still have a hug? No, you can't have a hug. You know, he goes into, like, he's just. He's broken. So people think that he's done, he's washed and he's lost it. But what they didn't really see is that he was healing. And we all are going through this at the same time as well, too. But are you really healing? Are you taking care of yourself? Are you doing the things to make these corrections? He sold his entire music catalog. Why would he do this in his 20s? All those amazing songs, all those big hits, all the things that made him famous. He sold the catalog. He doesn't have the rights to that music anymore. Like, why would he do this? He's washed up, right? And I. I don't know if I can even relate off the top of my head how this happens with you and your business, right? Your. Your LLC or bankruptcy or whatever. Like, I don't know what you guys are going through. We all have our own demons. We all have our own battles. We all have our own vices. But most contractors never take the time to really Fix themselves. They just keep grinding while they're broken. And they never go back to their roots. They never go back to who you were when you like who they were when they started. Right? Like, I. I go back to who I am when I started every single day. I don't know if that's. I don't know if that's a recipe that everyone needs to do, but I'm just telling you what I do every day. I still have 40 aquariums in my garage, and I'm breeding these little cichlids, and I don't make much money off of it. I do it because it's who I was and how I got started. And without that passion when I was 19 years old, I would not be who I am or where I'm at today. So who the hell are you? Let's not forget that. So back to the Coachella performance, because it was just like, it just finished. We got caught in traffic. We were working in Joshua Tree, and as you can imagine, took us three hours to get home because traffic on Monday, because everyone's leaving Coachella. It's a big deal for us out here. And I remember. I remember waking up. He was. He played two weekends. Okay. I remember waking up one morning and being fed a Justin Bieber Coachella moment. And I was like, oh, Bieber was at Coachella. Like, I didn't even know. And I'm looking at this. This reel from someone, and, like, it's this really close up picture of him. The stage is dark. He's freaking, got, you know, no hair. It's just like a buzz cut. And his hands kind of shaking, and he's just like. It's like he's singing and he's looking at his phone. And the propaganda that is on. On. The propaganda that's out there is dark, you people. Because I'm reading this thing, and as I'm reading it, I'm thinking, like, I felt so bad for him because they're like, oh, my God, look at him. He's shaking. He. You know, he must be on drugs. He must be under. Under the influence. He must be intoxicated. Something's wrong with him. This is so sad to see him fall so far. And he tried to make a comeback, and look at how bad he is. He doesn't even know the lyrics to a song. He has to read him off his phone while he's singing. And I'm like, this is crazy. What happened to this guy? Propaganda. What I didn't realize when I saw that first reel, when I woke up, he was in complete control, and he was doing something genius that will be talked about for the. The rest of our generation. Whilst, you know, you're going to have the haters and you're going to have your fans, you're going to have your raving fans, you can have your raving haters who misunderstand you or whatever, or. Or are so jealous that they have to talk shit like that, okay, bro? This man, Justin Bieber, not. Not a kid anymore. This man made a chess move at Coachella that people still are trying to figure out. Remember, he sold his entire music catalog, right? And he's on stage with a laptop and a microphone and a spotlight. Not a whole lot. No big production, okay? And. And the people are trying to figure this out. And the crowd went insane. The fans loved it because he went back to his roots and who he really was. Now here's the genius part where it kind of ties to business, to where you guys have to start to think about this, okay? Because he makes this chess movie, sells all of his music from when he was a kid, and he sells that catalog and makes a lot of money on it. And then he. You know, when he goes to do a concert, people want to hear that from him. Dude, I remember I went to an Iron Maiden concert after, like, their 25th year anniversary. They had this new album come out, and, like, they played one or two of the original songs that I wanted to hear. And I was really upset when I
left that show, actually.
I wanted my youth. I wanted to feel who I was when I was a kid and I was 18. Play guitar, had long hair. Like, I wanted to relive that. I wanted to experience that again. At this Iron Maiden concert, they played two of the old songs. So, you know, Justin Bieber has a new album, he comes to Coachella, he sold his music catalog, and he's not. He. He can't play that stuff without paying dividends or royalties from the performance by using that music that no longer belongs to him. But here's the chess move, here's that plot, here's the play that I hope will inspire you to figure out how you started, who you are now. What comebacks have you come up and down on? What comeback are you needing to do right now and how you will do it? I'm gonna go back to the Grammys, okay? He sold us a catalog, all this stuff. The new album comes out, he has a hit song. People on the radio seemed to love it. They want him to come out and play this music but he was known for these dance moves and this crazy cool hair, and it's bleach blonde and long, and he would flip it back in a hat and then he would take it off and his hair would be all crazy and he put the hat back on and he'd sing these songs and he. Dance moves and Strat, you know, like all this shit, right? Much like Coachella, he. That he. He gave you a piece of what was going to happen at the Grammys. Okay? He came out with no hair, just, like, stripped down hair a little bit longer than what I have right now in. In satin boxers and a guitar and, like, blew everyone away. He did the same thing basically at Coachella, only he had some more clothes on. Okay? He came down stripped down, raw. He made a commitment to his fans. Okay, here's where the genius comes in. He made a commitment to his fans and he told. He told the. The people that wanted him there. He's like, the only way I will come here, the only way I'll do Coachella this year is I want. I want you to up the medical teams. You know, I've had problems with mental health and health, and I want my fans to be protected. I don't want my fans to go down in the heat and the wind and all the crazy shit. I don't want anyone get trampled. I want a big medical team. I want the ticket prices to not. I don't want any secondary ticket sales or I'm not coming. I don't want my, you know, fans to have to pay thousands of dollars to come and see me. I want them to pay the single price, and I want to come in and be up close with me. That's how it's going to go down. And he has some other demands that were all built around his fans. All right? He went back to his roots, who he was when he started. No big stage production, no dancers, no ego, no hair, no bullshit. Just him and a mic sitting in a laptop. Raw talent,
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Here's the real genius move he's been he's been live streaming with his fans, trying to work this comeback out. The people you don't know that he was live streaming with his fans because you guys don't like Justin Bieber, but all of his fans that people love him have been watching him on Twitch and live streaming and he does these, you know, like moments with his fans. He brought that to Coachella on stage Raw. It was like he was live streaming from his studio at home, but on stage in front of hundreds of thousands of people. Okay, here's where the genius star comes in. He breaks out his laptop and streamed to the screen is his YouTube channel. And he's just going through his stuff and he's going through his old material that he has no longer rights to, okay? And he presses play on one of his videos from when he was a kid, okay? And the music starts playing and they're streaming his recorded video that made him famous to the crowd. The crowd loves it, but some of the crowd's going, what's he doing? And then he starts singing with his video and he plays just enough of that song to get his fans excited and riled up and singing with him and excited just enough to where he doesn't have to pay royalties. And he presses stop. And he starts to look up something else. He's talking to the crowd as if he's just live streaming from a studio at his house, only on stage. How fucking amazing is this? This is a clear stroke of genius. Okay? He didn't pay royalties and it wasn't a weakness. It was precision. It was like his accuracy of like his. It was masterful. His. His awareness of his. Of his crowd was insane. And it's going to go down probably as one of the greatest performances.
You know, yay.
Will be like, mine was better. But this is literally a chess move. Okay, so let's translate it into your world as a contractor. Okay, Most contractors are trying to impress people or they're trying to hide their vulnerabilities, that they're having money troubles, that they have a big truck. They have, you know, all these payments. They got crews, big promises, big stress. Most of them are broken. Underneath all of it, Justin did just the opposite. He didn't need to impress everyone. All he wanted to do was speak to his real fans. And that raw. That raw talent came through to people that didn't even know who Justin was or thought he was, you know, bullshit. And now his. He's, I'd say, bigger than ever. You just need to be real and authentic, and that's where your power comes from. So think about your identity. Think about stripping down. Can you strip down to the basics? I remember in one of my comebacks, and this is like, the stripped down part is, for me is him coming up on stage. I remember I had my dream truck. It was 2003. I had my DRE truck. It was an Amarillo package Ford F250, lifted short bed, double cab. It was the sickest truck, had my logos on it. It was like a dream come true for me. And in 2008, when the economy crashed, I remember, like, I remember this when I bought the truck, I was like, hey, I want this size tires. I, you know, it's lifted. I want big tires, these cool rims. We. We decked it all out. And when I. When I drove it off the lot, it had the original tires in the back of the truck. And I'm like, I don't want those. What are those back there for? Like, I don't need those. They're like, hey, well, just take them. Sell them on. Sell them somehow. Like, we don't want them. The dealership didn't want them. I'm like, all right. So I get back to my. My building and I just threw them up in the rafters up there. I'm like, I don't know. Just throw them up in the rafters. We'll figure it out later. And in 2008, when the economy fell down, I lost 60, 40 to 50, 60% of my business overnight. Like, I remember I needed tires. It was 2,000 bucks to get tires on my truck. I climbed up in those rafters and I pulled those little tiny tires down and put them on my big ass lifted truck. It looked ridiculous, but I fucking made it through. I pushed through because of my raw talent, my passion, my desire to do what I wanted to do, and my persistence to not Give up. So I don't know if you need to take control of where you're at. I don't know if you have some personal healing that you have to go through and if you don't think that you're in a spot right now, wherever you're at, to have some kind of comeback happen in your life, if you do not admit to that, then you have bigger problems than I can even help you with. On this call or podcast. I want you to think strategically. I mean, if you aren't, you're not going to get through this without hard work. You're not going to get through this without, you know, a coaching thing or a podcast or, you know, a book that you read or some mentorship. You're not going to get through to the other side of the other, other side that you really, really want by just grinding and working harder. No one does that. It's so rare. Okay? You have to be strategic. You have to play this chess move back here. You have to maintain who you are, okay? You have to play the game smarter. You can't do it harder. The contractors that I know are already the hardest guys I, the hardest working guys I know on the planet. It's impossible to work harder than you already working. You have to, to be strategic and thoughtful. So the truth, some people loved Justin Bieber. Beaver. Justin Bieber. I have a client named Justin Bieber. Just so you know. But love him or hate him, people love Justin. People hate him. You know, when he struggled. Now they're confused. When he comes back stronger, it's just like so confusing, right? But without having a little bit of culture, like, you know, like what's, what's happening in the world right now, if you're not paying attention to the culture around you, you miss these tiny little things like that. So again, be loved by your fans, be hated by others. Come back stronger. Confuse everyone. That's what I want to happen to you. I want you to come back, I want you to level up. I want you to get disciplined. I want you to fix your mindset around money, business, life. I want you to take control. I want you to take control. Like, so people are questioning what you're doing. When I made this big claim, I'm gonna have a 50 million dollar brand in the next decade, people are like, what are you crazy? Other people are like, oh, good luck. And other people are calling me up and going, dude, this is sick. How can I get involved? What are you doing? So it doesn't matter if you have a small dream or a big dream. You will have people that love it, and you will have people that hate it. So you might as well just think big. For me right now, Coachella is my. Like, I have people looking at me like I'm playing Justin Bieber, my truck. People are like, what the heck are you doing? Like, it's my moment. Like, I. I'm figuring something else. I don't even know what it is yet. But what's your Coachella moment doesn't have to be flashy or loud, and you don't have to do it for validation. You have to do it to, you know, be raw and authentic to who you are and build that proof. Proof that you went through the fire and you came out the other side different. Rebuild yourself so powerfully on this next comeback that you're going to experience right now that when you show back up, people don't even recognize you anymore.
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Who's got a comeback planned?
Joe
Dude, you are just spitting fire is like such a clutch moment as my comebacks like here. And it's wild to hear this. All right now. So I'm just beyond ecstatic to be alive again. Like I just. Just to be. Man, it's just so much coming. The downfalls are the best part because
Eric Triplett
this makes comeback stronger, makes the story. It makes the story fun.
Joe
Hell yeah.
Eric Triplett
You think when you're an old man in that rocking chair, you'd be like, you know what? I remember that time when triplet was talking About Justin Bieber on a call. I got pumped.
Joe
It was a fire moment, though, dude. It was definitely planned out. Like, I love how you brought together because I didn't even see it from the angles. You were seeing it from sick.
Eric Triplett
Yeah. Cool, man. Thanks, Joe. You gonna be quiet today? Joe's probably downloading some Justin Bieber right now. Nathan down downloading some waterfalls. Now. There's a lot to think about there. Austin, you making a comeback, man? Always. I don't know if it's a comeback really, though. I'm just on my grind.
Like, I think I'm making my appearance.
Is what I'm doing more than a comeback. Okay. Yeah, I can buy that. You're still young. You're still really young. There's going to be a lot to go in and out of. It's awesome. Got a lot of time. Melanie, you got to be a Belieber. Come on. Don't tell me you're not.
Melanie
I actually like Justin Bieber.
Eric Triplett
Yes.
Melanie
Don't tell everyone, except everyone on here. I resonate with him because I'm a sober person myself, so I've been. But it's interesting because I've been sober for, I think, almost nine years. And it's like, you're always coming back. Like, I'm having to come back right now just from being mentored by you and a customer of mine. Like, I feel like I'm on fire right now. So it's getting emotional even. That's good. So, yeah. So Justin Bieber, yeah, he's. He's got a lot of insight that people could learn from.
Eric Triplett
So, hey, we're all watching what you're doing in the community. Trust me, the whole community is watching you right now. And some people are rooting you on, and some people are dating you. And some people are just standing on the sidelines confused, like they don't know what the going on. But what you're doing right now, Melanie, in the. In the community, people are noticing, they're recognizing, and that's a good thing. Show up and have them be like, who the hell is she? Who does she turn into?
Melanie
Yeah, it's all about risks.
Eric Triplett
Yeah.
Melanie
And, yeah, as long as you follow your heart. So that's what I'm doing. I'm like, sorry, I just. I can't really give a. What everyone else thinks all the time, and I just have to do what feels right. And. And the community is always at heart for sure. So that's why I'm like, I'm just going for it.
Eric Triplett
Well, we're all watching.
Melanie
Thank you.
Eric Triplett
And I'm rooting on the sidelines. Trust me, I know. I'm gonna sell one of those building. I'm selling one of those buildings next week for you. I promise you.
Melanie
We got some new ones in.
Joe
Yeah.
Eric Triplett
Okay.
Melanie
Okay. Sell it. Sell it.
Eric Triplett
All right. You guys got anything to rock and roll on or we gonna close it up? I'm. I'm. I'm driving to. I'm going to Arizona to. Going. I'm driving there later today to do some coaching with Cardon Ventures. I'm pretty excited about it. Scottsdale, Arizona, because I'm planning a big ass comeback, as you know.
Melanie
Yeah, that's right.
Eric Triplett
All right, I'm gonna close it up. You guys good? Nathan, are you gonna download some beaver? Come on.
Nathan
I'm headed to Sick New World this weekend. I'm doing quite the opposite. I'm gonna meet. I'm gonna meet John Hansen over there. You know. You know John?
Eric Triplett
Yeah, I know John. John's friends. Yeah.
Nathan
So, yeah, so him and I are meeting up and going to Sick New World.
Eric Triplett
Is that in Arizona or in. In California?
Nathan
Vegas. Vegas.
Eric Triplett
Vegas. Got it. One.
Nathan
So quite the opposite of Eber. Got corning. System of a down.
Eric Triplett
You know I love me some chop suey. All right, I'm gonna close it up, guys. I got a big weekend. I. I'm very thankful you guys all jumped on the call with me tonight. I hope I inspired you at some little level. Catch you on the next one.
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Thank you so much for your ears and attention to the podcast today. I hope you pulled something out of here that will inspire you to make your own personal comeback. And I think we're all coming back from something. Even if you're, even if you're, like, in a winning mode right now, there's somehow a way that you can come back from something else or you might be on a downhill slide. And your comeback will be coming soon, coming shortly. But before I wrap this up with you, I want to do something that most people would just ignore and just kind of over, you know, just go right over. But I want to tighten something up from the conversation, because on the call, I referenced a viral clip about Bieber's Coachella performance and the idea that he structured the set to avoid paying royalties on songs that he sold from his catalog. And, you know, it was. It was this cool viral video that went out there, and I, I thought it was really interesting, but it was misinformation. So the reality is that's not exactly how the music industry works at that level. And festivals like Coachella operate under licensing agreements, and, you know, the, the artist perform side of more than. Than complex than like, what that viral clip, you know, made it sound like. So with that being said, I, I, I saw that, and I wanted to make that correction in real time because I want to be. I want to be as accurate as possible, and I want to be transparent. It's who I am. And I'm telling you straight up because I think it matters, and because that's who I am, I want to be transparent. I'm a business owner.
I'm a leader.
I'm a dad, you know, so you've got to be willing to adjust those things in real time when you get new information. Right? And I don't see that as weakness. I see that as, you know, I see that as being a leader and being transparent with people, and so. And that's how we get better. And it was great to learn that stuff about that. So that's it. It's really cool because after the information that I got after the Coachella performance, his music went crazy on the charts. Streams went through the roof, and all of his albums started climbing again. And of course, the money goes to the people who bought his catalog. He doesn't get that money. But the cool thing is it shows his true comeback. And all his new albums are getting. He's getting the money for those things, but don't quote me exactly, but I think five of his albums are in the number one slot on the streams right now. Like, it's just crazy how much that performance touched our culture and our communities.
So I just.
That reconnection with the audience re establishing the identity and playing that long game. It's, it's, that's the move that most contractors never make. They never think about it. A lot of contractors just chase the quick dollar instead of building the foundational brand and then continue to build themselves up. So, so my challenge to you is if you felt this one, if it hit a nerve, if, if you're somewhere in that journey, whether you're rising or breaking or rebuilding, don't do it alone. Come and hang out with us. Join us live every Friday on a weekly Compass call live inside the TWT contractor circle. Come and hang out with us. That's where this stuff gets real. It's where it happens, you know, in real time. And that's where we sharpen each other. And that's where you start making your own comeback on your terms. All right, man. I appreciate you guys. Share this with someone who needs to hear it and I'll catch you on the next download.
Sam.
Date: April 27, 2026
Host: Eric Triplett
In this episode, Eric Triplett ("The Pond Digger") takes listeners on a compelling deep dive into the concept of the "comeback," skillfully using Justin Bieber’s recent Coachella performance as a springboard. While at first glance the topic may seem detached from the contractor world, Eric breaks down what artists and entrepreneurs have in common when it comes to pressure, public failure, rebuilding, and, ultimately, reclaiming identity.
Eric draws on his own life experiences facing professional and personal lows (including divorce, cancer, and economic downturns), weaving them together with Bieber’s transformation. The result is a heartfelt exploration of how comebacks can shape business leaders, tradespeople, and anyone pursuing better versions of themselves.
Eric challenges the audience to look past preconceived notions about Justin Bieber or pop music.
Eric frames Bieber’s public struggles and return as analogous to the comebacks that every tradesperson or entrepreneur must face.
Eric stresses that everyone loves a comeback, both in movies and in real life.
Shares his own setbacks (divorce, financial collapse in 2008, a stage four cancer diagnosis in 2015, navigating COVID-19), emphasizing that comebacks demand grit and persistence.
Eric recounts Bieber’s early talent, hyper-public adolescence, and descent into darkness without a roadmap or system.
Draws direct similarities between contractors’ journeys and Bieber’s—initial raw talent, public stumbles, and an absence of privacy or guidance.
Bieber’s every move was scrutinized—his failures broadcast for the world, while most listeners can process mistakes in private.
Eric likens this to the judgment contractors face (from clients, neighbors, team, and family), often assumed to be wealthier or more successful than reality.
Emphasizes that talent isn’t what causes failure—breakdowns under pressure and the inability to heal or plan for a comeback is.
Bieber sells his music catalog and seemingly disappears, but Eric poses this as a calculated move for healing and reinvention, not defeat.
Raw and stripped-down stage presence: Eric underscores Bieber’s unexpected lack of production, just a laptop, mic, and spotlight.
Bieber’s performance mixed live streaming motifs and strategic referencing of old material, dancing right up to royalty boundaries (with a later correction from Eric, see below).
Memorable Analysis:
"He breaks out his laptop and streamed to the screen his YouTube channel... starts singing with his video... just enough... to get his fans excited... just enough to where he doesn't have to pay royalties. And he presses stop. ... This is a clear stroke of genius."
— Eric Triplett [28:49–30:52]
Stripping down to your essentials and reconnecting with personal roots is often the only real way forward when everything else falls away.
Eric's own "stripped-down" moment: driving a dream truck on tiny tires in the wake of the 2008 crash, holding on with persistence and humility [32:19].
Work smarter, not harder:
Community members share their own comeback journeys, relating personally to the theme.
"The downfalls are the best part because this makes a comeback stronger, makes the story. It makes the story fun."
— Joe [38:08]
"I resonate with him because I'm a sober person myself... I'm having to come back right now... So it's getting emotional even."
— Melanie [39:33]
Eric urges members to embrace being misunderstood or even disliked during a comeback — proof that you're making progress and affecting change.
The importance of reconnecting with your audience, re-establishing identity, and building a foundation, not just chasing the next win.
Call to Action: Don’t do your comeback alone—join supportive communities.
On What Contractors Have in Common with Pop Stars
"Most contractors, they never have a roadmap, they never have a system. And they mature in business through darkness..."
— Eric Triplett [11:55]
On Authenticity & Public Pressure
"He didn't need to impress everyone. All he wanted to do was speak to his real fans. And that raw talent came through..."
— Eric Triplett [31:04]
On Resilience
"I pushed through because of my raw talent, my passion, my desire to do what I wanted to do, and my persistence to not give up."
— Eric Triplett [33:16]
On Leadership & Correction
"You've got to be willing to adjust those things in real time when you get new information. Right? And I don't see that as weakness. I see that as... being a leader and being transparent with people..."
— Eric Triplett [45:09]
Community Reflections
"I resonate with him because I'm a sober person myself... I'm having to come back right now..."
— Melanie [39:33]
Eric’s signature no-BS, motivational style anchors the episode. He mixes vulnerability (sharing his setbacks), tough love, and practical inspiration, weaving pop culture with the blue-collar life. The tone remains energetic, inclusive, and unflinchingly honest, resonating specifically with listeners in trades, business, or leadership who are facing—or preparing for—a comeback.
Eric calls for listeners to “rebuild yourself so powerfully on this next comeback that when you show back up, people don’t even recognize you anymore.” [36:29] He encourages community involvement and strategic, authentic action rather than mere perseverance or keeping up appearances.