Episode Overview
Podcast: The Russell Brunson Show
Episode Title: Beware These Two Things...
Date: August 7, 2017
Main Theme:
In this Hawaii-edition episode, Russell Brunson explores two vital mindset traps entrepreneurs often fall into regarding sales and personal growth:
- Projecting your own purchasing behaviors onto your customers.
- Asking customers to buy something you wouldn't purchase yourself.
He uses entertaining personal stories and industry insights to illustrate how these pitfalls can limit your business—and how to overcome them for greater entrepreneurial success.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Personal Context and Reflections in Hawaii
- Russell broadcasts from Kauai, celebrating his 15-year wedding anniversary (00:32).
- Shares how unplugging from work is difficult for him but also provides valuable perspective (01:10).
- Describes a moment with his GoPro, setting up the episode’s main lesson (02:10).
2. Projecting Your Buying Beliefs Onto Customers
- Russell emphasizes that entrepreneurs frequently let their own purchasing patterns dictate what they believe customers will buy (03:00).
- Example:
- Needing a GoPro screw, he’s happy to pay $47 for a handle rather than waste time driving elsewhere.
- The store clerk projected his own “cheaper is better” mentality on Russell, trying to dissuade the high-spend solution.
- Insight: Everyone values time and money differently. What you wouldn’t pay for, someone else might—don’t assume your customers are just like you.
- Notable Quote:
“Don’t put your purchasing decisions, the way you logically do things, on somebody else. It has nothing to do with it. You have to look at what does your customer want.” (05:35)
3. Pricing Products and Overcoming Mental Barriers
- Many creators under-price or lack confidence in their offers because they themselves wouldn’t pay the price they want to charge (06:00).
- Examples:
- Students tell Russell, "No one will ever pay $997 for that,” to which he challenges, "Don’t project your own beliefs onto others."
- Real-world story: Justin and Tara, real estate coaches, doubted their clients would buy a $25K package. Russell points out they themselves paid $25K to be in his inner circle—and once they saw that congruence, their offering succeeded (07:22).
- Notable Quote:
“It's really difficult to sell a $25,000 thing unless you've bought one before.” (08:45)
4. Congruency: Invest in What You Sell
- Russell observes a “weird karma” in business:
- “If you’re not willing to invest in yourself and your business, people... find it a lot harder to invest into your business.” (09:12)
- He himself buys lots of books and supplements, making it easy and authentic for him to sell those.
- Supplement Example:
- Russell spends $2,000–$3,000 per month on supplements, so selling them feels natural (10:00).
- Lesson: Authenticity and congruence between your behavior and your offers builds credibility and eliminates internal resistance to selling.
5. Announcements & Future Projects
- Brief teaser: Russell’s upcoming viral video with the Harmon Brothers launches soon (12:10).
- Exciting behind-the-scenes planning—reminds entrepreneurs that crazy, “impossible” ideas can lead to breakthrough results (13:05).
- Memorable Moment:
“That’s where greatness usually starts from, is from an idea that’s not logical or possible, and then you go figure out a way to get it done.” (13:20)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On projecting beliefs:
“So many times people don’t sell stuff for what it’s worth because... in their mind, they’re like, ‘I don’t think I would pay for that.’”
— Russell Brunson (06:20) -
On congruence:
“It’s really difficult to sell a $25,000 thing unless you’ve bought one before… If you’re not willing to invest in yourself and your business, people, it makes it a lot harder for people to invest into your business.”
— Russell Brunson (08:45, 09:12) -
On entrepreneurial mindset:
“That’s where greatness usually starts from, is from an idea that’s not logical or possible, and then you go figure out a way to get it done.”
— Russell Brunson (13:20)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:32 – Russell sets the scene: recording from Hawaii, 15-year anniversary
- 02:10 – The GoPro handle story (purchasing behavior example)
- 05:35 – “Don’t put your purchasing decisions, the way you logically do things, on somebody else.”
- 06:20 – Why people under-price and self-sabotage with their offers
- 07:22 – Real estate coaching story (Justin and Tara’s $25K offer breakthrough)
- 08:45 – “It’s really difficult to sell a $25,000 thing unless you’ve bought one before.”
- 09:12 – Business karma on investing in what you sell
- 10:00 – Supplements example and congruence with products
- 12:10 – Viral video project teaser with the Harmon Brothers
- 13:20 – “That’s where greatness usually starts from…”
- 14:00 – Summary and key takeaways: beware the two mindsets
Key Takeaways
- Beware of projecting your purchase patterns on your audience—your job is to offer solutions, not decide what people are willing to pay.
- Only ask customers to buy what you would willingly purchase yourself; congruence builds trust and makes selling natural.
- Big moves often start with “illogical” ideas—be willing to think beyond constraints.
- Unplugging from business, even temporarily, can give rise to powerful insights and clarity.
For entrepreneurs and creators, this episode is a bracing reminder to check your mindset, align your selling with your own behaviors, and stay open to ambitious, “impossible” projects.