Talent vs. Obsession: The Brutal Truth About Greatness You're Not Ready to Hear | Will 'WilldaBeast' Adams (Fan Fav)

Summary

Podcast Summary: Talent vs. Obsession—The Brutal Truth About Greatness | Will 'WilldaBeast' Adams on Impact Theory

Episode Date: July 5, 2025
Host: Tom Bilyeu
Guest: Will "WilldaBeast" Adams

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Episode Overview

In this flagship episode, Tom Bilyeu sits down with world-renowned dancer, choreographer, and entrepreneur Will "WilldaBeast" Adams to break down the often-misunderstood differences between talent and obsession on the road to greatness. From his early dreams of playing in the NFL to reinvention as a dance phenomenon and creative businessman, Will shares the raw realities of persistence, adaptation, self-belief, and the discipline it takes to thrive—and why obsession is the true engine of creative mastery. The conversation is peppered with practical advice, deeply personal anecdotes, and insight into the psychological tools behind building a legacy, especially for young creatives facing rejection.

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Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Losing the First Dream & Choosing Resilience

Timestamp: [07:26]–[09:07]

• Will describes his childhood fixation on football, inspired by athletes like Emmitt Smith and the total shock of realizing he wouldn't make it to the NFL due to injuries and competition.
• Stress on the discomfort of rewiring one's identity but embracing it as necessary for growth:
  • “It was scary because I didn’t have a backup plan. That was it. … So kind of rewiring my brain to think differently put me in a place of being uncomfortable, which I think is the most important thing for growth.” — WilldaBeast Adams [08:25]
• Ultimately, dance emerges as his chosen path after facing this turning point.

2. Handling Rejection and the “100 Nos to 1 Yes” Reality

Timestamp: [10:25]–[12:52]

• Early years in LA fraught with rejection and self-doubt.
• Early rejection on “So You Think You Can Dance”; only years later, Will returns as a choreographer for the same show.
• Key shift: Instead of seeing rejection as an endpoint, view it as re-direction.
  • “I would be lying to you if I said I was always somebody that could deal with the no’s. I wasn’t. I would get frustrated … until I realized I had a greater purpose than maybe being a running back … or dancing behind all the artists.” — WilldaBeast Adams [12:10]
• The silver lining: with time, adversity reveals one’s unique lane.

3. Passive Destiny vs. Aggressive Hustle

Timestamp: [12:40]–[14:36]

• Tom challenges the “everything happens for a reason” mindset, arguing it can cause passivity.
• Will distinguishes between surrender and action:
  • “If I know that I’m doing every single thing that I can to achieve what I want, then I’m okay when it doesn’t happen.” — WilldaBeast Adams [13:03]
  • “I do 10 things a day … pushing myself and my brand and pushing my body so that when it does come, I’m ready. … Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.” [14:13]

4. Radical Growth: Train Like You Suck

Timestamp: [14:36]–[18:09]

• Will’s core philosophy: always approach the craft like a beginner, no matter your status.
  • “We need to train like we suck.” — WilldaBeast Adams [14:43]
  • Inspiration from greats like LeBron James, Michael Jackson, Peyton Manning.
• The ubiquity of global talent via technology means complacency is fatal—anyone can be surpassed at any time.

Mechanics of Pushing Yourself:

• Deliberate discomfort: embrace the things you’re bad at, e.g., a hip-hop dancer taking jazz or ballet.
• Never rely on comfort zones; broadening skill sets protects you and your brand.

5. The Debate: Focus on Strengths vs. Build Weaknesses

Timestamp: [18:09]–[19:37]

• Will argues that while strengths matter, sustained relevance and personal innovation require constant learning and surprising others—and yourself.
• Building cross-disciplinary expertise and staying agile is part of his entrepreneurial edge.

6. Cultivating Self-Belief Amid "No" and Fear of Risk

Timestamp: [18:52]–[20:44]

• Tom and Will explore why most people don’t pursue their ambitions to the fullest.
  • Core answer: Fear and reluctance to jump all in.
  • “A lot of people are afraid to jump all the way. … If we showed [our faith], we would be okay taking a chance… A lot of people stay in those bubbles.” — WilldaBeast Adams [19:47]

Anecdote: The Michael Jackson Turning Point
Timestamp: [20:44]–[22:23]

• Learning of Michael Jackson’s death snapped Will into action, catalyzing his abrupt move to LA—a visceral lesson in not wasting time.

7. Key Traits for Success: Perseverance, "Amnesia," & Letting Go

Timestamp: [22:23]–[23:27]

• Will credits perseverance, but especially “amnesia”: the ability to process, then quickly move on from failure.
  • “Having amnesia is the best thing I’ve had. … If you can’t let things go fully, I think it’s a detriment to you and your progress.” [23:17]

8. Bullying, Authenticity, and Staying True

Timestamp: [23:27]–[25:09]

• Public school and bullying made Will resilient.
• The essential coping mechanism for young people is understanding that adversity is temporary and conformity comes at too high a cost to selfhood.
  • “Am I being true to myself and how’s that going to affect me?” [24:42]

9. Unity Through Diversity—A Vision for Community

Timestamp: [25:11]–[28:24]

• Will celebrates the diversity of the dance community as a model for society.
• His brand, ImaBeast, is described as a “family” transcending boundaries of size, color, religion, and class—“what I want the world to look like.” [25:44]

10. Mastery, Innovation, and Finding Your Audience in Entrepreneurship

Timestamp: [28:24]–[35:32]

• Diversity and creative discomfort as antidotes to the arrogance of mastery.
• Will’s view of entrepreneurship is deeply tied to authenticity, challenging categories and finding audiences by delivering something only you can offer.
• “There is no mold anymore because anybody can find, if they've really got something of value, anyone can find their audience, which is pretty extraordinary.” — Tom Bilyeu [33:23]
• Will’s role models are disruptors and innovators, not just fellow choreographers.

11. Partnership, Fulfillment, and Purpose

Timestamp: [35:32]–[41:03]

• Discusses the personal and professional partnership with fiancée Janelle Genestra, the joys, stress, and creative dynamism of building something together.
• The drive isn’t about money or acclaim, but about providing for family, creating experiences, and giving back.
  • “I want my family to never have to worry. …Being able to live the way that we want and eventually have real financial freedom, that's so important to us.” — WilldaBeast Adams [38:24]
• Building the “Build a Beast” dance network and the dream of making a real impact via education and community.

12. Defining Legacy and Impact

Timestamp: [42:10]–[43:29]

• Will’s vision: challenge stereotypes; be seen for his soul, not just his shell; further Martin Luther King’s work; and foster a world where anyone can lead.
  • “It’s what you do after you see that color that makes you the kind of person that you are. ... I want people to see my soul, and I want people to see that in everybody and not judge at all, but make opinions based off of that.” [42:14]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.” — WilldaBeast Adams [14:13]
• “We need to train like we suck.” — WilldaBeast Adams [14:43]
• “Having amnesia is the best thing that I’ve had. … I forget about what’s happened in the past. … and kept moving forward.” [22:30]
• “Anybody can have any trait, anybody can do anything, anybody can lead in any type of way, and that, that we all have something to offer ... I want people to see my soul.” — WilldaBeast Adams [42:14]
• Tom, on Will: “Authenticity is always going to be king. … there is no mold anymore because anybody can find, if they've really got something of value, anyone can find their audience.” [33:22–33:34]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [05:25] Introduction to WilldaBeast’s journey from failed NFL dreams to dance stardom
• [07:26] Processing the loss of his first dream and beginning to rewire
• [10:25] Facing rejection and “100 nos to 1 yes”
• [12:40] Passivity versus hustle; the “no excuses” work ethic
• [14:36] Training like a beginner, global competition, and avoiding complacency
• [18:52] Building self-belief and why so few people pursue their full potential
• [20:44] The impact of Michael Jackson’s death as a catalyst for big life decisions
• [22:23] “Amnesia” as a key trait for success
• [23:27] Bullying and the importance of authenticity
• [25:11] “Unity through diversity” and dance as a model for society
• [28:24] Escaping mastery and innovating with diversity
• [33:22] Authentic entrepreneurship and finding your audience
• [35:32] Relationship with Janelle, fulfillment, and the true meaning of success
• [42:10] Will’s vision for his legacy and impact on the world

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Conclusion

This episode is a powerful meditation on embracing discomfort, learning through adversity, and the necessity of obsession for real greatness. Will "WilldaBeast" Adams offers not just motivation, but a blueprint for creative entrepreneurship and authentic living. He illustrates why mastery is never a finished product, but a lifelong pursuit sustained by humility, community, and an openness to transformation.

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Where to Follow Will ‘WilldaBeast’ Adams

• TheBeastNetwork.com (events, tutorials, clothing)
• Instagram: @willdabeast
• YouTube: Willdabeast Adams
• Janelle Genestra (fiancée): @janellegenestra

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Final Impact: “This is my shell. But I want people to see my soul and I want people to see that in everybody and not judge at all, but make opinions based off of that.” — WilldaBeast Adams [42:14]

This episode is essential listening for anyone concerned with personal transformation, the harsh truths behind success, and building authentic impact in the modern world.

Transcript

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[Tom Bilyeu]

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[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Hey everybody.

[Tom Bilyeu]

Welcome to Impact Theory. Our goal with this show and company is to help introduce you to the people and ideas that will help you actually execute on your dreams. And all right. Today's guest is the go to choreographer for some of the biggest names in show business. But that was not always the case. A former NFL hopeful, he dreamed of finding glory on the gridiron. But a series of injuries forced him to pursue an alternative path as a dancer. Against everyone's advice, he moved to la. Desperately low on cash, but even more desperate to prove himself, he poured himself into his craft, spending every second pushing himself to get better. And it paid off. He gained national attention after he and his dance crew made an impressive appearance on America's Got Talent. That performance, coupled with some shrewd moves and a ton of hustle, helped him begin booking a steady stream of high profile jobs. Not satisfied with simply dancing, however, he began making hip hop dance videos to show what he could do as a choreographer. The one he did for Upgrade youe by Beyonce became the most watched dance class video in history and to date has more than 100 million views. At one point, it actually had more views than Beyonce's own video. His hard hitting, hyperkinectic dance style and infectious enthusiasm have made him the choreo of choice for massive celebrities such as Demi Lovato, John Legend, Jason Derulo, Usher and the Black Eyed Peas, as well as gigantic global brands such as Nike, Hennessy and Delta Airlines. He's also an entrepreneur who has racked up millions of followers across his social channels, established himself as one of the most influential people in the dance community, and propelled his I'm a Beast brand into the stratosphere. So please help me in welcoming the man YouTube Red tapped to star in his own pilot called One Shot. Will. Will the Beast Adams. How are you? Good man, good. Welcome to the show, dude.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Thank you. Wow, that intro. I don't think I need to say anything.

[Grainger Announcer]

I'm good.

[Tom Bilyeu]

I think you've got a lot to say and what really Interests me is most people don't know what they want ever in life.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Absolutely.

[Tom Bilyeu]

But you had to lose the first thing that you wanted. And being able to replicate that again and to find something that you've committed to so passionately. What was that moment like when you realized, I'm not going to be able to physically make it to the NFL?

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Absolutely. It was a surprise. You know, I grew up. I moved around a lot as a kid. I grew up always idolizing athletes, never dancers. You know, Michael Jackson was huge. Everybody I know was doing the Moonwalker, at least trying to, you know, but my thing was always number 22, Emmett Smith. That was like, goal. That's who I'm gonna be. And, you know, I always had my heart set on that. From day one was always, somehow, I'm gonna make it to the NFL. This is what I love to do. You know, that was the dream from day one. And when my body started not reacting the way that I wanted it to, you know, or when I realized, man, there's a bunch of other people that are just as fast as me, that jump higher, you know, that play on better team. Getting recruited in ninth grade, you know what I mean? And I'm here my junior year wondering what I'm going to do next. It was scary. It was scary because I didn't have a backup plan. That was it. It was like, this is what I'm going to do my whole life. So kind of rewiring my brain to think differently put me in a place of being uncomfortable, which I think is the most important thing for growth. And, you know, I. I just. I jumped from there. You know, once the injuries kind of happened, I had to change my mindset, change my focus, and. And I knew that I still wanted to make my life great somehow. I still wanted to live happy. And their dance was for me after all of that.

[Tom Bilyeu]

So you said that you were actively putting yourself in a position to rewire your brain. Were you conscious of that at the time?

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

No. Well, I think a little bit. I think my high school teachers would think so because I was always telling them I didn't need to listen to them because I was going to make it. So that was always my thing. You know, they would be like, you need to learn calculus and stat. And I was like, you guys, I'm good. Like, I'm good. Don't worry. Let me just be average right now. Trust me, you guys are going to know who I am in 10 years at the time, thinking for sports, you know, But I think that it Was a thing that I was always doing no matter what, because, you know, if I didn't make this football team, it was like, okay, well, that happened to me for a reason. Or if I didn't get this audition, once I started dancing and all of this stuff. Even in high school, when I started getting into dance a little bit more simultaneously during football, it was always that didn't happen for a reason. That didn't happen for a reason. But not for me to stop, but for me to go whatever path was meant for me. So it was always happening my whole life. Even when I told you, you know, about moving it around a lot as a kid, it was always me having to adapt and always change and roll with the punches. So, you know, my father taught me that. My. My dad was the same exact way. So I think I was already preparing myself for something which out here in Hollywood is 100 no's to one. Yes. You know, so I think it was always in the works.

[Tom Bilyeu]

Let's talk about that. 100 nos to the 1. Yes. How do you deal with that? And maybe more telling, how do you help your students deal with that? What do you tell them?

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Yeah, I mean, honestly, now that I'm a lot older, you deal with it with a glass of wine. But before that, I think the way that I was dealing with it the most was knowing that what was meant for me was going to come. It's very hard to understand in the beginning, you know, when I first got out here, 2009, it was. I would always get depressed or I would always be very angry about it or always say, why not me? You know, why didn't they choose me? I danced great. You know, I have what it takes. And I wasn't understanding that that maybe was meant for somebody else on that day, because something else was coming to me. And I think the thing that helped me kind of understand that the most was season three and season four of so youo think you can Dance. I auditioned, went to Vegas, made it. These are like my first years dancing for real, taking it serious. And I made it with household names to the close to the end with like, people like Twitch, who the whole world knows now, right? And here I am, 18 years old, and I got cut. And at the time, I was taking it the wrong way, Always being like, I gotta know this means my life is over. I not gonna make it as a dancer now that this is what I wanna do. This is just like football. Oh, no, not gonna work out. And then the silver lining started coming. You know, four or five years later, coming back on the show and actually becoming a choreographer for the show and working with Twitch and actually teaching him my moves. This is what kind of got me in the mindset of thinking, wow, everything will come full circle. And that wasn't meant for me because I was meant to actually come back and do something else. So it kind of took examples. I. I would be lying to you, to you if I said that right off the bat. I was always somebody that could deal with the no's. I wasn't. I would get frustrated. I would want to not quit, but also want to be like, maybe I'm supposed to do something else. Always questioning myself, always. Until I realized, you know, I had a greater purpose than maybe being a running back and being one of 1 million people that. That already played the sport or being somebody that danced behind all the artists, like a Beyonce or Usher or Chris Brown. Maybe there was something else that I was meant to do. Maybe I'm supposed to work with the kid that nobody knows who he is right now and introduce him to the world.

[Tom Bilyeu]

So what I find so interesting, though, is through all because to me, like, everything happens the way it's meant to happen is very passive. It's dangerous that it makes people think that they can be passive. Yes, but you were anything but passive.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Absolutely.

[Tom Bilyeu]

So how. With the belief that, hey, this all happens for a reason. How do you stay so hardcore?

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

It's very true. I think it's a balance of. I tell my kids this too now that. That I'm a choreographer and teacher. If I know that I'm doing every single thing that I can to achieve what I want, then I'm okay when it doesn't happen. So, for instance, I know that I cross train. I know that I make up dances every single week. I know that I make up music mixes that I think other people wouldn't think to put together. I know that I think outside the box. I know that I focus on building my brand, being able to speak to any kind of person and network with any kind of person, but also pushing my body and also trying to create moments that have not been done before. I don't want to make up the best routine to Single Ladies, which everybody knows this already. I want to make up something that nobody else has done. So when I leave, not getting an audition or not getting a job with an artist and I'm happy, I'm happier. I'm not happy that I didn't get it, but I'm happier knowing that, well, Will, you're Doing everything that you could. So that's kind of the approach that I have. I am very hungry and I am a go getter, but I have that confidence in myself that if I'm doing all the things nonstop that I'm supposed to be doing to get that goal, then it's okay that I didn't. That's kind of the approach that I have. Because you're right. A lot of people do settle in and are passive and like, oh, it's not my timing. And they sit back and relax. No, I do 10 things a day. I make sure that I do 10 things a day that are pushing myself and pushing my brand and pushing my body so that when it does come, I'm ready. Cause the worst thing is for somebody to get the phone call. Hey, Beyonce wants you to choreograph for Coachella. And you have not been on your game ready for that moment. And so I make sure I'm never in that position. I'm always ready. Stay ready so you don't have to get ready. You know, I'm sure you've heard that

[Tom Bilyeu]

I haven't, but I like that a lot.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Oh, okay. Well, there it is. Stay ready so you don't have to get ready.

[Tom Bilyeu]

One more thing that you said that I really want to, that. That really resonated with me was we need to train. Like, we suck.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

I have said that to my kids. That's like the opening I have. And I think it's. I think it's important because if you have an iPhone, if you have any kind of phone, if you have a computer, anything, if you have access to Internet right now, which most of us do in the world, you see a new 5 year old kid going viral every single day, whether it's for sport, martial arts, dancing, a lot on. On every TV show. Now it's to the point that you cannot be comfortable. Now it's to the point where if you aren't on your game getting better every day, somebody's gonna pass you. I think it's always been like that, but now we can all see it. Before, we couldn't always see the kid in China or the kid in Japan or the kid, you know, the kid at Walmart yodeling, we didn't always know about them. Now it's instantaneous where we all can see it right away. And I think with the people that I train and even myself, you have to have that belief because if not, you're not gonna grow or get better. LeBron James is a freaking superhuman. And every single year that I've watched him get better, he's come back with something new every year, every year that he plays. And that kind of mindset, it's like you're already the greatest of your era, arguably of all time, and you practice as if you haven't done any of the things that you've done. And I've seen that same thing in Michael Jackson. I've seen that same thing in people like Peyton Manning that I look up to so much. So that's what I try to push myself in because it's like, why be comfortable? You know, for me, I want to keep growing until the day I leave the earth, you know? So I think that that really works with motivating people, but also motivating myself because I think I'm great. But if I settle where I'm at right now, my 9 year olds are going to be better than me and some of them already are. So I have to keep pushing myself and have that mindset every day.

[Tom Bilyeu]

And mechanistically, how do you push yourself like that? Do you have drills?

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Yeah, I think it's. For me, it's making myself uncomfortable. Honestly. I remember first starting out to dance and I didn't want to take ballet or jazz. I was like, I can't do that. No, no way. I'm not going to do that. I'm a football player, I can't do that kind of stuff. But then when I started taking basic jazz classes for me as a dancer, right, Things that I was uncomfortable with. Hip hop, kid. I like hardcore B boys and poppers and crumpers and all this stuff that was very masculine. It bit me in my butt later on in life. So now my approach is do things that I suck at to make myself better. The muscle memory thing, you know, like doing crunches, doing it till it burns is only doing so much that's maintaining to make myself better. Muscle confusion, cardio that I don't like doing. But the stuff that I know that my body needs is the stuff that doesn't make me want to be excited to do. So that's kind of the approach now, is always thinking of new ways to do things that I haven't done before. So I think that's for me, the most important thing because I can DJ in my sleep. That's something that comes natural for me. What I can't do in my sleep is go to a marketing meeting with my team. So I know for me I need to go sit and learn something or go to YouTube space for a week and Learn from other creators that have different markets than I do or different ideas. Even Photoshop, I just pass that along to my team. But what happens if somebody on my team is sick or can't do it or moves on to something bigger and better? I want to learn how to do all this stuff myself so that I have no excuses and that I'm not dependent on anybody. Even though I think I need a team, I think it's great for me to just push myself to keep getting better every day and things that I would have never imagined that I'd be doing myself.

[Tom Bilyeu]

I love that. What do you think about people that say, look, just focus on your strengths, don't waste time with your weaknesses.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

I think it's good and bad. I think if you do something really, really well and focus on it, it works for certain people. So the strengths are great. But I think that as time goes on, you always have to add to that. And that's kind of my journey is keep adding to my whatever people think, you know, and, or is the only thing that you can do. Because most household names in the dance industry think of me as now business person, entrepreneur, more so than dancer. So I think I try to mostly use my strengths, but also surprise people with new things I can bring to the table.

[Tom Bilyeu]

I love that. To innovate like that takes a lot of self belief.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Yeah.

[Tom Bilyeu]

How did you cultivate that self belief, huh?

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Being told no all the time. Being told I can't all the time. And I think for me, I know that there's certain things that I'm not amazingly great at. But I guess the self belief thing really came from always knowing that I was meant for more. For me, I always thought, why should I limit myself? I believe that anybody can, can do anything. I think you can break the model. Steve Jobs, break the model. Mark Zuckerberg, break the model. Elon Musk, break the model. I think that there's no one blueprint that you have to follow and that's what I get most of my inspiration from for myself.

[Tom Bilyeu]

So you and I agree on that completely. You can do anything you set your mind to.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Absolutely.

[Tom Bilyeu]

But most people don't.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

It's true.

[Tom Bilyeu]

So solve the riddle for me. Why don't they?

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

I think they don't because of fear. I think a lot of people are afraid to jump all the way. It's kind of like having faith. A lot of us say we believe, but we don't really show it because if we showed it, we would be okay. Taking a chance in a relationship, taking A chance, switching jobs, taking a chance, going against our parents wishes. A lot of people stay in those bubbles and it's very hard for those people, I believe. You know, it's. I think it's really fear and lack of jumping in life all the way. And I used to be afraid as well, you know, but when I move out to L. A with $800 in my pocket, that's me jumping all the way because I like taking care of myself, I like feeling safe, I like feeling secure. But I knew I wasn't going anywhere if I kept playing the game that way. And I think that this is all kind of, that, you know, some of us are born into having good situations, some of us aren't. But I think that a lot of us have to make our own path. And I think one or two decisions that I did not, I could have not made would not have me sitting right here with you right now.

[Tom Bilyeu]

So then talk to me about June 25, 2000, 2009. Yeah.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Oh man, tough day. I was driving, driving in a stick shift car that I'd never driven before. So I'm stalling out every five seconds on the highway, you know, not doing well at all. And we hear the radio come on and they're speaking about Michael Jackson on the radio and they're saying that he's gone into cardiac arrest and it's being rushed to UCLA and I'm just like, no, no way, no freaking way. All of a sudden I learned how to drive a stick immediately because I wanted to rush home to the TV and the news is broken that Michael's passed. That was a wake up call for me personally. Michael's actually tattooed on my leg. That was a wake up call for me because at the time I was in community college. America's Best dance Crew was the biggest TV show in the world. I was already like itching to get to la. I was like, why am I in school right now? Why am I staying and doing this? And I immediately was like, will, you can't waste another day, you can't waste another second, you can't waste another minute. And literally four weeks later I was on a flight to la, moving and living with four other people and just trying to figure it out any way I could. And that really changed me because that was one person that I told myself, I will dance for one day, somehow meet him something. And I just looked at life like if I waste any more time, I'm gonna have more things in my life that turn into what I feel right with Michael. And it might seem crazy because I'm sure millions of people feel attached to Michael Jackson, but I really, really did. And it, it just changed me forever.

[Tom Bilyeu]

What do you think is the most important trait that you have as a person that's led to your success?

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

I guess, man. Perseverance for sure. But I also think it's not a, I guess I don't know if this would ever be used as a trait, but this word, amnesia, I, I, I forget about what's happened in the past. I use it, but I also forget right away. I forget about getting told no. I forget about, you know, you're not good enough. I forget about being cut. I've been cut national tv. So you think you can dance twice, America's Got Talent, America's best dance crew, all within a span of three years. And I had to. The next day I was sad. I was sad sitting in my room, not wanting to leave, not wanting to talk to anybody. But then I eventually got up and forgot about it and kept moving forward. So having amnesia is the best thing that I've had. You know, I think that if you don't, holding on to things is great, you know what I mean? And even holding on to people or lessons that you've learned or learning from them, but if you can't let things go fully, I think that it's a detriment to you and your progress.

[Tom Bilyeu]

Yeah, that's really interesting. How do you do it though, when you're getting made fun of, when people are bullying you, Especially if it's somebody that you like and respect.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Yeah, no, you're right. It's tough. It's tough. It's really tough. I think that especially for kids, um, it's really tough handling all of that stuff. I am a believer that public school is great for you. I am a believer that dealing with all of that stuff, with the turmoil, with the bullies, I think it helps shape you for sure. I wouldn't have it any other way because I wouldn't be as, as thick skinned and tough as I am now. But I think the best way to deal with it is to think about there's going to be another day, there's going to be another week. You're going to get through these times. It doesn't last forever. That's what I have to say to a lot of young kids now. Yes, this might be horrible. You might live in a neighborhood or be on section 8 or have food stamps, but there's more. You're gonna, you're gonna get through this. Or the same thing, vice versa. Kids that live with parents that are overbearing or, or, or are in social groups where you have people that judge you for what kind of clothes you wear or wanting to be friends with every kind of person or whatever. I've seen it all. I've lived through it all. I think for me, the, the best way for me to deal with it was, was I guess having an outlook as if I do conform. Like I said to these other people or to their ways of thinking. Am I being true to myself and how's that going to affect me? I know some people that can fake it. I'm not one of those people, you know, I just am not. And that's more important to me than anything is feeling, is feeling happy inside and being a good person to every kind of person inside. So, you know, getting picked on, if that's the worst thing that happens in my life, I think I'm doing pretty well.

[Tom Bilyeu]

That's really cool.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Yeah.

[Tom Bilyeu]

I don't know if you put the sign there or if it's just in a lot of your videos, but unity

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

through diversity Millennium shout out to them. Great, great studio, great, great organization that's helped me in my life. They've put that there and I think it's beautiful. It's what we need. The dance community is so special. It's so special. It's the biggest melting pot of all kind of people that I've ever experienced in my life. And I say this at our personal events for I'm a beast and build a beast. But I say it all. The the dance community and what we create and what Amabeast has created, which is our brand of family. Every size, shape, color, ethnicity, religion, economic class. It's what I want the world to look like. It's what I want the world to be proud of, you know. So unity through diversity is just.

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[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

It's beautiful. I don't think that you can, you know, have to only agree with this side or only be friends with people if they think exactly like you or if you guys all voted for this person. Now we can be okay. I think there's ways to have conversations and, and. And not. Not have to segregate opinions or even, you know, ethnicity or gender or, or. Or, you know, everything. Everything that's going on right now in our world. That's what. That's what that sign represents. I'm very proud to dance in front of that all the time. Most of my videos are in front of that sign. So it's really, really cool that you even caught that. A lot of people don't. A lot of people say, what's the space with the red wall? That's all they notice. So that's cool that you noticed that.

[Tom Bilyeu]

I like it, not only for the reasons that you just talked about, but to me, there's a danger in seeing yourself as a master right when you think you're great at something. And so what I find so interesting about what you've done with diversity and what you guys do in the Build a Beast program and all of that, and how many eclectic, different people that you bring to the table and watching your videos and seeing how many different styles and body types and everything of dancers that you have and that the dance styles themselves are so diverse is, to me, that's escaping the problem of mastery. In going back to what you were saying at the beginning, in getting out of your comfort zone and doing something new, you actually become far more powerful and effective. It's true. As an artist, as a business person, as in anything, quite frankly.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

I agree. It's beautiful. It really is. It's so cool now because we're creating our own. Our own identities and kind of becoming the stars of today, like it used to be with Sammy Davis or Fred Astaire or the Nicholas Brothers. It's getting back to that now where dancers are stars and they're being comfortable in their own skin. And now they're getting to call themselves masters of what they create themselves, which is also a testament to social media a lot because it's accepted now. And, you know, dance is so cool. It's like, why not have a bunch of flavors of it? We do it with singing. You know, Sam Smith is nothing like Josh Groban. Josh Groban. Is nothing like Justin Timberlake and or Justin Timberlake. Him and Bruno close, but they're still so different. So that's where it is now with dance and it's getting better.

[Tom Bilyeu]

What is up Impactivist? Hope you guys are enjoying this episode. Wanted to give a quick shout out to our sponsors and then we'll get right back to it. Remember our sponsors are all hand chosen. We love these guys and think that they have something incredibly valuable to offer. So be sure to give a listen. A lot of these guys are doing special offers just for you. What is up Impactivist? I want to talk to you today about our amazing friends at four Sigmatic. Four Sigmatic is dedicated to helping the world understand the magic behind functional mushrooms, superfoods and adaptogens. Their products are served in over 65 different countries, satisfying over 1 million customers. And some of the impact theory team favorites include Chai Latte Mushroom Mix, Rishi Elixir, Gold Golden Latte with Shiitake and Turmeric Mushroom Hot Cocoa with Rishi, Lion's Mane Elixir and Chaga Elixir. So if you're into any of those, I'm telling you the team here is freaking out about them and today we are incredibly excited because Four Sigmatic is hooking up our community with 15% off of your purchase. Just go to Four Sigmatic.com impacttheory and if you're anything like me, by the way, the first time you heard four sigmatic you had no idea what people were saying. It is four like the number four f o u r sigmatic s I g m a t I c dot com impact theory use the discount code impact to get your 15% off right now guys. Their products are incredibly popular and they're really simple to use and very easy to carry. By the way, if that's a thing for you and you need something on the go, these guys have it. Whether it's gearing up for a workout with Cordyceps coffee, starting the day with a golden latte, or just traveling around with your chaga, these guys got you covered. They have over 100 recipes on how to get the most flavor out of using their products. They even wrote a whole cookbook about it called Healing Mushrooms. So check that out. So go right now and try Four Sigmatic at their website. Go to Four Sigmatic.com impacttheory and use the discount code impacting your 15% off your entire purchase. So enjoy guys and be legendary. What is up impactivis? You guys know that becoming a voracious reader and applying all of that knowledge is exactly what allowed me to break out of the matrix and build a billion dollar brand. And I want to introduce you guys to something that will help you do the same kind of thing. And that is Blinkist. If you guys don't know, Blinkist is the only app that takes thousands of the best selling nonfiction books and distills them down to their most important and impactful elements. So you can read or listen to them in under 15 minutes all on your phone. If you're like me, the list of books that you want to read and that people are recommending to you is absolutely massive. And the challenge is having the time to digest all of it quickly. I'm telling you right now, Blinkist is going to solve this problem for you because they're doing all the hard work for you and they have an awesome offer for everyone in the impact theory community. Blinkist is offering you guys a seven day free trial that is completely free. Go to blinkist.com impact right now for this special offer. That's a Blinkist spelled B L I N K I s t blinkist.com to try out Blinkist for free. Get after it guys and be legendary. It really just hit me a second ago when you brought up social media that you are one of the many faces of entrepreneurship and all of this. Even when I think about what I'm doing now or how I built my last company, I would say you are

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

too, way more than me.

[Tom Bilyeu]

But what I love now you're just talking in terms of maybe revenue. But when you really just stop and think about what you've built, how many lives you touched, and that you fund everything through building a successful business, I mean, there's no question about that. And when I look at your ripped jean jacket, your big fuck off necklace and like, and the dreads, it's like this is the face of entrepreneurship in this century. And that is so cool. And what I love about that and what I hope people really see in you, one, authenticity is always going to be king.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Absolutely.

[Tom Bilyeu]

And then two, there is no mold anymore because anybody can find if they've really got something of value, anyone can find their audience, which is pretty extraordinary.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Yes, I 100% agree. And it's finding your audience. Finding your audience is so important. And that was what was so important to me. And I guess you're right. And you know, I've always said people always like, who do you want to be? Like what creative directors, what dancers? I love it all, but I've always been chasing Diddy I've always been chasing. Now, Mark Zuckerberg, like I said, I've always been chasing Cirque du Soleil. People that push the game and change the game. Even Coachella, even just events planning, even, you know, all of those things. Now I'm like, oh, man. It's not that I'm chasing a certain person or event or style, but I'm chasing people that have new ideas and. And are doing things in different ways that people haven't seen before. Uber Air coming soon. L. A. Like, you know what I mean? Like, let's get it. That's how I feel is like, what can we do that people haven't received before? And in what new ways? Netflix, even Stranger Things. Like, it's so cool. All these things that we all become obsessed with out of nowhere and that are like, oh, my God, this is freaking brilliant. I love pushing and changing. I want to be a part of that. You know, I feel like I only hear a few names that are talked about forever. Like, I want to be a part of that. I want to make change and last. I want to be in history books. Like, and it is. It's not about this dance was awesome. It's so much more than that. I think finding your audience, you have to show them something different at the same time, while also, you know, catering to what is. Is authentic about you. I think it's very, very hard to do because a lot of people that I see, influencers now say, okay, this is how this person did it. I'm gonna do the same thing. It's like, no, that person already exists. You can take a few things and not steal, but, you know, use the same approach. But I can't do the same exact show as you. It's not gonna work. You have your audience built. It'd be another version of that. You know, you have to come with something new. Every day I wake up and I think, what else can I do to keep that growing and to grow, you know, new people that would fall in love with what I'm doing in the brand? And that's where I sit now, is having anxiety every day over that. Truly. Yeah.

[Tom Bilyeu]

All right, well, speaking of falling in love with things, let's talk about Janelle. Let's talk about you guys working together. You guys are a. When you dance together, it's so amazing the way that you guys were able to move in unison in a way you just don't normally see two people be able to do. There's one really cool video of you guys. I think maybe Last year's Build a Beast, where you end the dance, this move where you twist together and then fall back and literally one of the kids jumps on you. He's freaking out so much. And I saw. All right, that was pretty badass. So I think people can get the dancing cool with their partner, but I want to know what's it like to work with your partner,

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

so I can just name a few. A few 11 words off of this. Stress, fun, dynamic. Stress, Good times. It's. It's. It's. It's such a good time. I've learned more from being in the relationship and working with her than I've learned from anything else. I've traveled all over the world. But just that dynamic and working with your partner and then also having the relationship at the same time, and then creative freedom. When we both believe in ourselves so much, we both believe in each other as well, so much. But it's having kind of being with a person that's exactly like you, that believes in their gifts so much, is such a hard thing sometimes to balance out. And it's taken us a long time to figure it out. We've been working together for probably six years of, like, choreography, working together. Known each other for about seven, eight. But it's the biggest roller coaster I've ever been on in my life, and I love it. Short story. I pick up my phone this morning. She's on her way to get her her custom made wedding dress, and she facetimes me and is, like, hysterically laughing and, like, you'll never guess what happened. And I'm like, what, Janelle? And I'm like, are you mad? Are you upset? Are you, like, what's going on? And she's like, just guess. And I'm like, what, is your appointment out today for your dress? She's like, no, they opened up a Chick fil a in Burbank. And I'm like, oh, this was the news that you had to tell? And the reason why is because she had this, like, goal and this dream since four weeks ago for us to be the first people to open up a chick fil a in Burbank. It's that kind of stuff in our relationship that, like, keeps us going. And, like, it's so cool and such a. Like, a wild ride that I would have never imagined. So it's a. It's a really cool dynamic. And, yeah, she's the best thing that's ever happened to me by far.

[Tom Bilyeu]

All right, Help me reconcile something. Yeah, I've had the very Good fortune of just off camera sitting with the two of you and hearing you guys talk about your dreams. And there are not many people I've ever met in my life that dream as aggressively as you guys.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Indeed.

[Tom Bilyeu]

And yet the things that really give you deep and lasting fulfillment have nothing to do with those dreams. Yeah. So why go so hard for me?

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

I can speak for myself. I want to go so hard because I want my family to never have to worry. I want my kids. I want to be able to say, you don't need it. Not you can't. And that's with anything. Whether that's us going to see their grandma and grandpa, whether that's them being able to have friends over and us be able to have everybody and take care of everybody. I remember what that was like as a kid, feeling like, oh, man, I can't do what my friend can do. Those little moments, and it's not about money, but those little moments in my life I always remembered, like, I don't want my kids to feel like we're in a place of. I don't know if I can go on this field trip. I don't know if we can have this kid over because we can't feed everybody. I don't want to have those feelings ever. And also, you know, it's so important to me to have a family Christmas of her family, my family. Being able to go to a log cabin somewhere and us be able to take care of it for everybody. That stuff is so important to me. So it's really not so much about us making money or being so successful being it, but being able to live the way we want to live. Even just now, you know, we're at a certain level, sometimes we think that we're doing better than we actually are. But even the fact that we can go to Morton's, we. That wasn't normal for us growing up. Going to Morton Steakhouse and watching the game and being okay and not having to worry. So Janelle and I sometimes look at each other like, damn, this is awesome. This is awesome. Because we get to wake up and say, I can go to the gym if I want to go to the gym. We can not do anything all day if we don't want to do anything all day. Or we can walk into our fricking dance studio and design a T shirt and have it on the Internet the next day. Like, being able to live the way that we want and eventually have real financial freedom, that's so important to us. And just so we can even just Spend time to. So for it to be nothing for us to go to her, her nephew's six year old birthday party, you know, that's so important. That's like more than anything. More than clothes. I think her, her thing kind of goes with shoes maybe a little bit. I think she works hard so she can buy whatever shoes she wants, maybe just a little bit. But like being able to live the way we want and take care of our people and do stuff for others, like, that's really it. I love Build a Beast so much. I think two years back we had the most students we ever had. A thousand students from over 22 countries that flew to LA to dance with us for four days, audition for our company. But I want to be able to do that with 10,000 and I want to be able to give scholarships to people to actually go to college, not to just come dance. Like that's our goal. That's so important to us. Give back those things. Real life, that's what we're about. And we want to be able to do that by having our impact and pushing ourselves to be badasses in our industry to where we create so many dope things that we actually can do that. Yeah.

[Tom Bilyeu]

I love that.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Yeah.

[Tom Bilyeu]

All right, man, before I ask my last question, tell these guys where they can find you online.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Okay. You can find me [e-mail]. that's like our system of where we put our tutorials, our clothing, our tickets for all of our events. My personal Instagram is Wildebeest. That's with two L's. A lot of directors call me Wildebeest. I don't know why two L's. It's Wildebeest. It's easy. The animal that killed Mufasa. So easy, right? Wildebeest. Underscore. Underscore. That's my Instagram. My YouTube is wildebeestadams, which is where all of our videos live, all of that stuff. And yeah, really everything funnels in that. Our clothing, our network, my YouTube channel. And yeah, be on the lookout for some really, really amazing things and a lot of products that we're looking forward to creating together. And also follow my fiance too, because she's a better dancer than me.

[Tom Bilyeu]

And what's her handle?

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Her handle is Janelle Genestra with no underscores at all. That's it.

[Tom Bilyeu]

And the Genestras with a G, not Barry Italiano.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

G, I, N, E, S, T, R, A. Almost forgot. Because it's about to be Adams. Yeah, can't wait. Yes.

[Tom Bilyeu]

My last question. What's the impact that you want to have on the world.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

I think for me and what I represent personally, I want to be able to change people as much as I can. But when people see me, there's a quote that somebody used. I can't remember off the top of my head right now, but somebody said, I don't see color. A lot of people say that right. When they see me or when they see me walk in a room in my relationship or just growing up in Indiana. Right. They'll have that conversation with me. Well, I don't see color. I don't see color. But we all see color unless we're not fortunate to have sighted. It's what you do after you see that color that makes you the kind of person that you are. And I want to change that for people. And I want for people, when they see this black man that sometimes surprisingly like Obama, oh my God, he's well spoken. This is such a surprise. I don't want people to attach a stereotype and I want, I want people to see that anybody can have any trait, anybody can do anything, anybody can lead in any type of way, and that, that we all have something to offer and that's, this is my shell. But I want people to see my soul and I want people to see that in everybody and, and not judge at all, but. But make opinions based off of that. And I think obviously Dr. King started with that a long time ago. I want to carry that trait on.

[Tom Bilyeu]

Wow, that's exceptional.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Thank you, man.

[Tom Bilyeu]

Well, the Beast, thank you so much for coming on.

[Will 'The Beast' Adams]

Thank you. Thank you for having me. Love.

[Tom Bilyeu]

Easy, Easy. Trust me, Easy, guys. It hit me so hard as he was talking that this is one of the many faces of entrepreneurship in the era that we live in has changed things so profoundly that so many incredible voices like this are able to build a huge audience and businesses that are legitimate and touch lives is absolutely extraordinary. When he said that this is his shell, that really rocked me. I love that the most. As you dive into his content, you are going to see that. You are going to see a radiant, beautiful, encouraging hard ass. You're going to see him push people, you're going to see him push himself. You're going to see somebody that holds people to an extraordinary standard. And because of that, he gets extraordinary things not only out of himself, but out of the people that are around him, which then turns that whole organization into something that is incredibly special. And I think what they're doing with the Beast Network is absolutely amazing. I think it's only going to continue to grow. There's a reason that these guys have accomplished what they've already accomplished. I truly believe that this is just the beginning. And if I can contradict him, I will say that the trait about him that I think is most tied to his success is. Is not perseverance, which is absolutely critical. It's that he's excitable. This is somebody watch how many times. Go back and watch the episode. Watch how many times he lit up like a Christmas tree when you get him talking on any random subject. He has taught himself to fall in love with things, to let a moment be a big moment. That the death of Michael Jackson impacted his life as much as it impacted many of the people closest to Michael, which is incredible. And that, to me, is how life should be lived. You should be giving meaning to things, meaning that is extraordinary, that uplifts you, that pushes you forward and makes you create something in life. And he is one of the most spectacular examples of that that I've ever seen. So I hope that you really will follow him. I hope that you will look deeply into what he's doing. I hope that you'll join what he's doing, because it's a pretty extraordinary mission. All right, if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe. And until next time, my friends, be legendary. Take care, everybody. Thank you so much for listening. And if this content is delivering value to you, Please go to iTunes. ITunes go to Stitcher Rate and review us. That helps us build this community. And that is what we are all about right now. Building this community as big as we can to help as many people as we can, deliver as much value as possible. And you guys rating and reviewing really helps with that. All right, guys, thank you again so much. And until next time, my friends, be legendary. Take care.

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