Podcast Summary: The Russell Brunson Show

Ep. Interview With Collette On Our Family Culture (Part 2 of 3)
Date: August 7, 2019
Host: Russell Brunson
Guest: Colette Brunson
Network: YAP Media

Episode Overview

This heartfelt episode of The Russell Brunson Show dives into the Brunson family’s approach to culture, motivation, and systems at home. Russell sits down with his wife, Colette, continuing their open and candid discussion about their journey as a family and a couple. Topics range from advice they'd give their younger selves, to unique family rituals, building resilience, and the real-life systems that keep them grounded. Both hosts share actionable ideas, honest challenges, and plenty of fun anecdotes, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what it means to be a Brunson.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Advice to Younger Selves & Starting Over

Timestamps: 02:00–05:19

• Lesson from Struggles: Russell opens up about a tough period in their marriage around the seven-year mark, when business pressures and distance took a toll.
  • "At the seven year mark, when we were struggling in our marriage and everything, and we tried traditional counseling, but I think the biggest impact for both of us was going to Tony Robbins." (02:11, Russell)
• Tony Robbins Programs: They attended multiple Tony Robbins events (like Unleash the Power Within and Date with Destiny).
  • Discussion of Tony’s “Six Human Needs” and how Russell’s quest for significance was really about seeking love and connection.
• The Realization: Russell realized he didn’t need to conquer the world to earn love from Colette—she already loved him.
  • "I went through this indirect pattern to try to get love and connection... the thing that's just right here." (03:40, Russell)
• Advice Reflected:
  • Slow down and enjoy the journey with family instead of obsessing over external achievements.
  • Recognize that love and connection are present now, don't sacrifice relationships for ambiguous success.

2. What It Means to Be a Brunson: Family Culture

Timestamps: 05:19–11:02

• Family Identity & Rituals:
  • The Brunsons have their own family logo and custom shirts.
  • Motto: "Do hard things." (05:32, Co-host/Speaker B)
• Making Mornings Fun: Colette creates a positive energy for their kids each day, turning dreaded mornings into opportunities for play—complete with music and dancing.
  • "What's really good at is, like, getting the kids excited in the morning... just trying to get them to crack a smile." (05:43, Russell)
• Family-specific Jokes and Mantras: From “Brunson’s wrestle” to playful school drop-off rituals.
  • Embarrassing, cheerful goodbyes and custom introductions for each kid (like an announcer at a big game).
  • "If they don't yell amen loud enough, it doesn't count. We gotta pray again." (07:37, Colette)
• Goal-Setting as a Family: Inspired by business concepts from Alex Charfen, they set “Hall of Fame” and “Super Bowl” family goals (long-term and yearly).
  • “Hall of Fame” goal: All be worthy to attend their youngest daughter’s temple wedding (a significant milestone in their LDS faith).
  • “Super Bowl” goal: Read the entire Book of Mormon as a family, motivating their kids with the promise of a celebratory Disney cruise.
  • "It was so cool to see them achieve the goal and then... set up so at Disney when we were on the cruise, they came out and gave us awards and cake and all sorts of crazy stuff to celebrate well on Disney." (11:00, Russell)

3. Staying Motivated During Tough Times & How to Reset

Timestamps: 11:05–12:49

• Family “Reset” Rituals: The Brunsons value quality time away from the busyness.
  • Going on getaways (like to McCall, Idaho) with no computers, just board games, and everyone together in a small cabin.
  • "We ended up going to McCall, Idaho, which is a couple hours out of town in a little cabin, disconnected. And it just reset." (11:13, Colette)
• Breaking Routine: Sometimes all it takes is a walk or a change of scenery to get the family realigned.
• Tech Boundaries: Even Russell left the laptop closed, which was a family victory!

4. Marriage & Parenting Systems

Timestamps: 12:49–16:47

• Intentional Systems vs. Organic Habits:
  • The Brunsons haven’t “systematized” everything but recognize that routines—like church every Sunday and regular “family night”—matter.
  • "Every family is already fully systemized. The question is, are those systems serving you well?" (13:12, Host/Co-host)
• Family Night: Regular meetings include prayer, a short spiritual message, planning for the week, and treats.
  • It opens communication about schedules and strengthens family ties.
• Navigating Teen Years:
  • Admits the teen stage is hard and they're “in the middle of craziness” learning as they go.
  • Requests and suggests crowdsourcing ideas from the community: "Suggestions, please? Anybody? You have a guest. Let's figure that part out. Let us know." (14:48, Russell)
• Parenting Routines:
  • Audience tip: Give each child a dedicated day (“Sawyer Sunday,” etc.) for focused parent-child time.
  • Colette shares that individual attention, even once in a while (like pulling a kid for a lunch date), has significant impact.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Significance vs. Connection:

  • "I think a lot of entrepreneurs... do it initially because we need the significance. Like, we're looking for that because we want love and connection with our spouse or our parents or whoever is we're trying to impress." (04:11, Russell)

• On Family Motivation:

  • "Brunson's wrestle. We do hard things. Yeah, that's a big one." (06:41, Russell)
  • "We pray. That's, like, one thing we do. But we make the prayer a little bit more fun." (07:23, Colette)

• On Family Goal Setting:

  • "Our family, like, the hall of Fame goal is that we all want to... be worthy enough that we can be in the temple with her... and yay, we were successful as parents." (09:31, Russell)
  • "There were times, like, when we'd be out on a date, and they're, like, texting us. Like, 'we just read two chapters.'" (10:38, Russell)

• On Resetting:

  • "Just to reset Reset." (12:08, Colette)
  • "Russell didn't even crack his computer open, which was... I've never seen that in a lot of years." (12:39, Colette)

Segment Timestamps

• Episode Theme + Questions Outline – 00:00–02:00
• Advice to Younger Self – 02:00–05:19
• Family Culture: Rituals & Identity – 05:19–11:02
• Motivation & Resetting in Tough Times – 11:05–12:49
• Marriage & Parenting Systems – 12:49–16:47

Tone & Style

The conversation is casual, warm, honest, and filled with laughter and real admissions of struggle. Both Russell and Colette are vulnerable about their learning journey, emphasizing family unity over perfection and continually looking for ways to grow together.

Summary Takeaways

• Entrepreneurial success means little if it comes at the cost of close family relationships—seek connection as you build.
• Create an intentional family culture with traditions, mottos, and fun rituals that kids remember.
• Big goals work for families as well as businesses: Set shared milestones and celebrate the wins.
• Don’t be afraid to “reset”—sometimes unplugging together is the healthiest move.
• Every family has “systems,” but make sure yours actually serve your family’s growth and connection.
• There’s no “guru” way to do family; learning together and crowdsourcing ideas is part of the journey.

For more about the day-to-day Brunson family life and business, Russell invites listeners to subscribe to their behind-the-scenes show at funnelhacker.tv.