
Loading summary
Chef Meilin
As a chef, I know flavor doesn't begin in the kitchen, it begins on the land. And West Home's Nature led Australian Wagyu is a story written in the landscape of northern Australia. Cooking is storytelling and West Home Wagyu carries a story of northern Australia itself. Raw, powerful, and deeply authentic. It's a testament to the passion and care raised in the rhythm of Northern Australia. I'm chef Meilin from 88 Club in Los Angeles and I invite you to visit westhome.com maitland to learn more and taste a story only West Home Nature led Australian Wagyu can tell. That's w e s t h o l m e.com m e I l
Travis
I n you're listening to the Travis
Podcast Host/Announcer
Makes Money podcast presented by GoHighLevel.com for a free 30 day trial of the best all in one digital marketing software tool on the planet, just go to gohighlevel.com travis.
Travis
Yo, what's going on, everybody? Welcome back to the Travis Makes Money podcast where it's a mission to help you make more money.
Podcast Host/Announcer
Today on the show, I have an
Travis
old friend of mine, someone who I've known for quite some time now, Alan Stein, junior. Alan is an experienced keynote speaker and author. At his core, he's really a performance coach with a passion for helping business leaders change behaviors. He spent over 15 years working with the highest performing basketball players on the planet, including superstars like Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Kobe Bryant. Through his customized programs, he transfers his unique expertise to maximize both individual and organizational performance. Alan, what's up, dude? Welcome back to the show.
Alan Stein Jr.
Hey, it's great to be with you, man. I've been looking forward to this and it's always fun to chop it up with you.
Travis
Always. Always. So tell me, tell me what's been going on, man? It's been a little while since we connected. Give me, you know, last two, three years, what you've been up to and how's life been going?
Alan Stein Jr.
Life is going great. I mean, on the personal front, I've got three teenage kids who are all getting older literally by the day. I've got twin sons that will be turning 16 in just a few days at the time of this recording, and a daughter that's far behind them and they're healthy and happy and life's good in their end. With myself, business has been booming. The last few years have been solely focused and relentlessly focused on building my. My keynote speaking business. And that singular focus has really, really paid off. Business has grown exponentially Each year. So very grateful for that and grateful for every opportunity I have to take the stage.
Travis
You, the, the, the work that you do is, is really unique, man. And obviously there's no shortage of people out there who would love to have a resume that's similar. And there are no shortage of people who might do what you do, but don't have the ability to work themselves into the rooms to even have the opportunity to work with some of the folks you've been able to work with throughout your career. What do you attribute that to?
Alan Stein Jr.
Really, at a core it's about adding value and it's about being of service. I think if that is always your primary motivation and inspiration is to over deliver value and to be of service to anyone and everyone you can, that will open a lot of doors for you. And with that being said, earlier times in my career, both in my basketball career and in my keynote career, I lived by a very simple mantra which was never say no to an opportunity. Now as your business starts to grow, you have to have the discernment to say no. I mean, being able to say no is incredibly important. But it's been my experience now building two different businesses when you're first starting out, you know, and I'll use my keynote speaking business as an example. Those first couple of years I would speak to anyone at any time. It didn't matter how small the group was, what the industry was. I just needed to get in reps, I needed to practice formulating my message and I needed to practice adding value and then being able to tweak, iterate and refine and that's kind of how I've been able to step ladder to where I am at present.
Travis
Yeah. The way I like to say it is you have to earn the right to say no.
Alan Stein Jr.
Yes.
Travis
I mean like too many people jump in and they immediately just like they think of themselves at being at a certain level and they, their lack of self awareness, awareness is actively destroying their dreams and goals because they put themselves in this category of like, like you could have easily been that guy. You know what I mean? Like when you started into your keynote speaking career, you could have easily been like, look, I've worked with Steph Curry and Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. Like these people, like the value that I'm going to give to this audience is so great. Like these people should, you know, they should be begging me to come speak for them instead of like me having to like travel to some teeny tiny town in the middle of nowhere and speak to a group of 24 people, you know what I mean? And not get paid for it. It's like you could easily have that type of mentality going into it. That's why I say, like, you have to earn the right to say no. Because even if you have a stacked resume, whenever you're getting into a new realm or a new field, you just got to say yes to every opportunity that's presented to you until you learn enough to be able to start building a filtration system that teaches you which opportunities are the ones that are most likely to be the things that move the needle for you, or they're most likely to be worth leaving the family and going and speaking, spending time doing this thing instead of these other things. So I love that advice, man. Let's talk a little bit about the, the basketball side. I spent the majority of my awaking free time as a, as a kid playing basketball. And so it's always been a, a part of a part of my life to some extent. Tell me about your, your journey in the basketball world. Where, where did this start? How did this, how did this come about? How do you even get into the position to be able to work with people like these superstars we mentioned before?
Alan Stein Jr.
Well, crazy enough, it started 45 years ago. It started when I was five years old.
Travis
My this episode of the show is
Podcast Host/Announcer
brought to you by Mars Men. So look, guys, I don't know if everybody listening knows this, but a couple years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. And around that time, I also noticed that my testosterone levels were dropping like crazy. And I know that some of it was due to the fact that my body was sort of in disarray. But then I also learned through this experience that most men start losing testosterone levels around the age of 20, 30. And then it starts just getting worse and worse after that. About 1% every year after that. So what I learned during this is that basically your body makes testosterone, but a lot of it gets locked up and can't be used. So there's this protein called SHBG that basically handcuffs your testosterone. So even if your body's making testosterone, shg, SHBG locks it up so you can't access it. It's like having money in the bank, but your debit card doesn't work. So Mars Men is designed to help free locked testosterone so your body can actually use it. No synthetics, no needles, just ingredients that help optimize energy, focus, and strength. And since I started taking stuff like this, I noticed increased physical performance, especially recovery in the gym which as I am getting older I'm starting to realize is a real thing. I, I have to like stretch a lot more, I have to like take breaks more, I have to have rest days and things like that and, and Marsman has helped me to be able to recover a little bit faster. Plus more consistent natural energy. It's different than and having a cup of coffee or an energy drink or something. It's a steadier sense of drive throughout the entire day. It supports healthy T levels, energy and stamina with eight natural clinically dosed ingredients made in the USA and third party tested. Plus it's got a 30 day money back guarantee so there is absolutely no risk to you. Worst case, you don't absolutely love it and you get your money back. But over 91% of users report higher energy levels. Thousands and thousands of guys are feeling incredible results from this. So just check out the reviews on the website to see for yourself. For a limited time, our listeners get 50 off. That's 5050 off for life plus free shipping and three free gifts@ Mengotomars.com that's men. Go to Mars.com for 50 off and three free gifts. When you check out after you purchase, they'll ask you where you heard about them. Just please support our show and tell them that we sent you that's men. Go to mars.com
Sponsor Voice
this episode is brought to you by Indeed. Stop waiting around for the perfect candidate. Instead, use Indeed sponsored jobs to find the right people with the right skills fast. It's a simple way to make sure your listing is the first candidate. C According to Indeed data, sponsored jobs have four times more applicants than non sponsored jobs. So go build your dream team today with Indeed. Get a $75 sponsored job credit@ Indeed.com podcast. Terms and conditions apply.
Alan Stein Jr.
Parents signed me up for my first recreation basketball team in kindergarten, and I immediately fell in love with the game. And it was my first identifiable passion. And I'm so grateful that 45 years later, basketball is still a major passion and driving force in my life. And you know, I spent the first third of my life as a very dedicated basketball player, you know, out on the hot asphalt on my driveway in the front yard, you know, with a boombox playing, you know, 80s and 90s hip hop, you know, trying to get buckets on my own over and over and over during those unseen hours to really work on my game and work on my craft. And I was fortunate enough to play at Elon University, a small school in North Carolina. And while I was at Elon, I started to develop an equal love for what we now call performance training. At the time, it was just called strength and conditioning and it was about lifting weights and getting stronger and running faster and jumping higher. But I started to really fall in love with the training aspect. One I was, I was doing all of that stuff for myself to try to improve my athleticism. But then I also started to catch the coaching bug and realized that when I graduated from Elon in the late 90s, that nothing could be better than taking my original love of basketball and marrying it with this newfound love of performance training and performance coaching. And that's what I decided to do. I just anointed myself a basketball performance coach at a time doing it.
Travis
Was that a category at the time or did you make it up?
Alan Stein Jr.
It was a very limited category. In fact, the guy that I give a major hat tip and a salute to is Tim Grover, who most people have heard of because he was MJ's trainer and worked with, you know, just an incredible resume of people. But, but he was the only guy that I was aware of that was working in the private sector training athletes as his full time vocation. And you know, there's, there's lots of times where we almost need to see an avatar or a North Star or someone else kind of breaking down that wall for us to even believe that the opportunity is valid and real. So I give him major credit for doing that. And then I said, hey, I want to follow in those same footsteps. But for me, the only caveat was at the time I didn't have a huge interest in working with NBA players. I wanted to work with middle school and high school age players. I thought that I could have a much bigger impact on their lives, not just on their basketball game and their bodies, but on their lives at that younger age. So that's really where I started and cut my teeth. And I was able to work at two very renowned high schools here in the D.C. area that have produced dozens of eventual NBA players like Kevin Durant. And that work is what led to opportunities at Nike and Jordan Brand and USA Basketball, where I got to work events and camps for guys like Kobe and Stephen Curry and LeBron James and those types of guys. So it all started for a love of youth basketball and trying to leave my thumbprint on that. And that just magically opened up doors to eventually be able to work with the best of the best.
Travis
When you're working with these guys at that type of, at that young of an age, what is it that you are really trying to focus. Are you drilling basketball skills or are you focused on mental performance? Mindset? What are you actually doing when you go through these camps?
Alan Stein Jr.
So at that time, it was all strength, conditioning, agility, and what we would call fitness. It was all trying to get their bodies into the best shape and make them durable and bulletproof. But it was at that time that I realized that the real unlock would be the mental side, would be the mindset that, yes, it's certainly important to run fast and jump high, but it's even more important to have the right mindset. So I really started to combine mindset with physical training. I never did skill training, so I never taught players how to shoot or handle the ball or pass. I left that to skill coaches into their. Their X and O coaches. I focus solely on getting them as strong and as an explosive as possible in both their mind and their body.
Travis
Yeah. Because isn't it interesting when you start getting up to that level of play, when we're talking about professional sports, across all of them, whether it's golf or basketball or football or whatever, everybody is good. Yeah. You know what I mean? Everybody's explosive, everybody's fast, everybody can jump. Every, like, everybody can shoot, drib, pass. Everybody's really good at the game. And obviously there's some outliers, of course, there's some people who are just like their generational talents, like the people we've been mentioning here before. Not to take away from the fact that they've worked really hard at the game, but you know what I'm saying, like, they're just, they're. They're blessed and they work insanely hard, and then that's how we have superstars, Right?
Alan Stein Jr.
Yes.
Travis
But the other people that are in that, in that world, like, the only thing that's going to give them an edge on the other people that they're playing with is going to be mindset.
Alan Stein Jr.
Absolutely.
Travis
That's especially. You look at somebody like a Steph Curry, who, you know, is not the physically, physically blessed, talented guy that some of these other people are, but you take somebody like that, who was. Who was underappreciated, who was underrated for the majority of his early career, and even his notes from, you know, the, The, The. The draft of when he was, like, coming out of college were just like, nah, a little too small to play, you know, not that, you know, he will be an underwhelming player, essentially, you know, and then. But mindset says that, okay, I may not be able to play LeBron's game against LeBron. But what can I play as Steph Curry? And quite literally, he ended up being a generational talent who completely changed the face of basketball and made everybody start shooting threes again, you know what I mean? Or for the first time ever, really, and completely changed the landscape of the league. So the mindset piece, man, how do you even start working, like, especially with like 13, 14, 15 year olds. Obviously they're, they're kids, they, they don't like. In their mind, it is about shooting and dribbling and passing and of course they have to drill those things. But how do you, how do you work in with those kids and even with kids that you work with now, how do you get them to start really internalizing the idea that a lot of this is going to be in your mind? Your edge, your, your, the edge that you will have in the future starts in your mind.
Alan Stein Jr.
Yeah, well, it's the same way I would get anyone in any walk of life to improve in a certain area. First and foremost, I believe as a leader, as a coach, as a business owner, you have to model the behavior that you want to see in others, you have to model the behavior and the traits that you want to see in the people that you're leading or the people you're coaching or the people on your business. So first and foremost, I had to consistently work on my own mindset and make sure that I was practicing everything that I was preaching to make sure that I could maintain that credibility. Then second, you need to be able to outline and show the benefits, you know, be able to show these youngsters, you know, here's some examples of some players and some teams that have an elite level mindset, and here's some that don't. You know, which, which camp do you want to be in and make sure that they understand that there's a massive value in working on this skill set and really paint that picture for them. Then you have to be able to give them, you know, practical ways. They can apply this in their workouts, in their strength and conditioning sessions, in film sessions and in games. And then you have to hold them accountable. You know, if, if you're going to work on something like the next play mentality, which is one thing I work on with everyone that, that I, I speak to, you know, that's something you can't just talk about every once in a while or talk about it when you feel like it or talk about it when it's convenient. It's something that you have to talk about every single day. And you know, the players understand this from a skill standpoint, but the same is true when it comes to a mindset standpoint. And that is, repetition is not punishment. Repetition is the oldest and most effective form of learning and skill acquisition on the planet. So if you want to improve your mindset, it has to be something that you are working on every single day. And, and, and, and once you could get players to buy in and they could see that unlock and say, man, when I have this mindset, it takes my athleticism and skills to an entirely new level. Once they get just a little bit of a taste of that type of success, then they're hooked and then they're in. And then it's just a matter of continuing to push them and coach them and hold them accountable.
Travis
Yeah, once you experience the reality of progress, it's hard to, it's hard to turn a blind eye to it anymore. You know, you go like, oh, well that actually worked. You know, like I put in the work on that and then I saw this result. It's like a light bulb moment that happens. Which is one of the reasons I love organized sports for, for kids is because it's like the first time that you get that feeling, especially for young men, that feeling of like compet, that feeling of confidence, the feeling that like I put in work, therefore I got this result. And that, that experience can take you through that regardless of it's basketball or weightlifting or golf or whatever. It is just like the ability to go out, do something difficult that you didn't want to do over and over and over again and then see a tangible result that improves the quality of your life is just irreplaceable experience. I tell you what, man, I could have used that next play mentality coaching from you when I was a kid because that was, was like one of my biggest problems was just as soon as I would make a mistake or I took a couple bad shots or something, man, it's just like get in my head, start telling myself this story that I'm having a bad game. And then you start manifesting more actions of what somebody would do when they're having a bad game. And then you end up being your head, because last game was a bad game. And you know what I mean, you gotta, you gotta just go, you know what? That was that play. This is a new play. You know what I mean? Now I have another opportunity.
Alan Stein Jr.
And then the full spirit of vulnerability right there with you. You know, the next play mentality was the furthest thing from my mind understanding or comprehension. When I was a player, I didn't have the emotional maturity to even adopt that type of mindset. I. I easily allowed myself to get emotionally hijacked for the same things that you just said, you know, turnovers or missed shots or when the referee would miss a call. You know, I'd be mad as a hornet for three or four straight possessions, and it would take away from my ability to be in the present and to. To maximize what I was capable of. And, you know, really, every single thing that I preach and teach on stage and on page, I did the exact opposite of in my teaching years in my twenties and in my thirties. So. But one of the good things about that, it gives me a much higher level of empathy and compassion. When I meet people that are on a different area of the spectrum or I meet someone that's struggling when I. Whether it's a business owner and a CEO or it's a young basketball player, when I meet someone that has trouble moving to the next play, I don't judge them or condemn them or shame them or guilt them. I remind myself that, hey, at one point in my life, I was stuck there, too. Now let me see if I can do whatever I can to get them to be unstuck and be able to adopt that type of framework moving forward. So I'm actually glad that I've seen both sides of the coin in most of these areas, and it gives me, you know, unbridled enthusiasm of a recent convert to be able to say, hey, I've done it both ways. I spent most of my life allowing myself to be emotionally hijacked and the last several years quickly moving to the next play. And I can tell you unequivocally, the next play is the way to go.
Travis
Yeah, absolutely. So you were in basketball portion of your career for how long?
Alan Stein Jr.
I did that for almost 20 years as a basketball performance coach. And then in 2017 is when I left that world to pursue the corporate keynote speaking, which is what I do and have singular focus on now. So I'm going into year nine at present as a corporate keynote speaker.
Travis
So let's talk about that from the business perspective. There's a lot of people who listen to the show who may be curious about pursuing this type of. This type of a career at some point, whether it's now or in the future.
Podcast Host/Announcer
This is your fix.
Sponsor Voice
I am your host, Stassi Schroeder.
Chef Meilin
Welcome to Tell Me Lies, the official podcast.
Sponsor Voice
What's the most unhinged thing of season three?
Alan Stein Jr.
Steven, because he's so evil. I do think he is misunderstood.
Podcast Host/Announcer
You see everyone face consequences.
Sponsor Voice
It's intoxicating. The writers just know how to trick. Yeah, there's always a twist in this show. Tell Me Lies the official podcast January 6th and stream the new season of Tell Me Lies January 13th on Hulu and Hulu on Disney
Lowe's Advertiser
Spring Fest means more sun, more fun and more free at Lowe's. Keep your yard yard in line with an additional free EGO 56 volt battery when you buy a select Ego mower trimmer or blower. Plus keep landscaping fresh with stay green. 1 cubic foot garden soil 5 bags for $10. Our best lineup is here at Lowe's. Valid through 4 a while supplies last selection varies by location. Soil offer excludes Alaska and Hawaii.
Travis
What are what were like first steps for you for to say that like, look, I am going to take this pivot purposefully in my life. What do I do first? What's, what's step one?
Alan Stein Jr.
The very first thing I did was I reached out to about a dozen friends. Some of them were from high school, some of them were from college, some of them were people I had met in my basketball journey. But about a dozen people that were working in corporate America and they were working at variety of different companies and different positions. And I reached out to them and asked them, in your business and in your industry, what are the biggest pain points and challenges that that you face as well as as your business faces? And I I took a ton of notes. These folks were kind enough to, to really share and open the kimono, if you will, and share a lot of these things. And I, I started to notice a lot of trends and then I I started to categorize those trends and then I circled the ones that I thought fell under my area of perceived expertise. You know, if they said, you know, one of our issues is is advertising and marketing, well, that's not something where I can add value. But if they said one of our issues is communication among employees or, or leaders, you know, leadership with, with middle management or building a cohesive and a collaborative team. If they were, they fell under things that I thought I could add value to, then that's really what I highlighted. And then the next step was when I had three or four, you know, things that I identified as challenges or pain points, then I did a massive brain dump and started writing down all of the lessons and habits and disciplines and stories and mindsets and things that I had learned in my basketball journey from elite players and coaches that I thought would apply. So I I kind of did this brain dump to start curating material. And then at that point, I just tried to organize it in a. In a cohesive way where I'd say, all right, well, if your team is trying to improve communication, let me come in and share these three pillars and these three stories. And slowly just started to formulate, you know, different talks. And then at that point, as I mentioned earlier, you know, I beg, barred, and steeled any stage time I could get. I. I said, hey, man, I will speak anywhere at any fee, at any time, because I just wanted to get in the reps. And those first three years, I probably did over a hundred free talks. And some of which, when I say a talk, I'm talking about three people in a lunchtime cafeteria on their lunch break, but I'm talking to them about how they can improve their communication in sales and really started to organize and formulate these different talks and just get in the reps. And then at that point, I felt I had the foundation and just slowly started to build the business from there, but really took a very analog and grassroots approach to how I started.
Travis
There's no other way.
Alan Stein Jr.
Yeah.
Travis
You know what I mean? That's. That's. There. There is no. There is no magic pill. There is no secret formula. It's just put in the work, do high volume, get in reps, and be willing. Like, my thing is, especially when you're, quote, unquote, starting over, when you're taking a massive pivot that feels like a wildly uncertain, uncomfortable path that you've never done before. Yeah, I. I just personally believe that most people don't have the courage to do what you did it because you've already built such an established name. You've already built authority in this other field. You've already built a career. You've already, you know what I mean? You've already put in the work for 20 years climbing this mountain, so to speak. And then when you are starting at another mountain, you don't just get airdropped, you know what I mean? Like, right by the peak, you know what I mean? You gotta do the work of starting and climbing that same mountain over again, just like you did the last one. And I'm convinced, man, there's a lot of people who. I think that there's a lot of people that are missing out on. On additional value because somebody out there is too scared to start over and too scared to put in the work again at the very beginning to do exactly what you're talking about. That I was literally. I'M glad you, you gave me those metrics because I was literally about to ask you, like, how, how long did it take and how many times did you speak for free? Because that volume, I want people to really internalize what that is. A hundred free talks in three years, like even just 100 talks in general, that's a lot in that period of time. Meaning, like you're traveling constantly. You're all over the country, you're going here, you're going there, sometimes you're paying for your own travel, sometimes they might comp travel, but all of them are free. And sometimes it's to 3 people, sometimes it's to 18 people, sometimes it's to 32 people. You know what I mean? But then that is how you earn the ability to then speak in front of the 2,000 people and actually get paid what you feel like you have earned the right to get paid. You don't just get to skip to that step.
Alan Stein Jr.
Absolutely. I'm so glad you pointed that out. Yeah. You have to hit every rung of the ladder when you're, when you're climbing up. And a few other things I think will help shape and give additional context. First and foremost, I did that exact same model when I was building my performance training business.
Travis
Exactly.
Alan Stein Jr.
Train any client at any time. It doesn't matter if you were going to be the kid that was going to get cut from the JV basketball team, I would still work on my craft of training you. So I knew that that model would work if I was willing to have the patience and discipline to implement it. Now when I say I gave 100 free talks in those first three years, I also gave some talks where I was getting paid. Sure, getting paid nominal amounts. But the point was I had no problem volunteering my time. But there were two other aspects that I want to add to this, to add some color of those talks. In those first three years, I filmed or had filmed almost every single one of them because I wanted to go back and watch it later for a couple of reasons. Number one, like the same way a basketball player or coach or team would watch film, I wanted to be able to watch myself and get better at my craft, to be able to see what things I was doing well, in what areas I needed some improvement. And then even if I was giving a 45 minute talk, and at that time, maybe only three or four minutes of it was really, really good, but I was able to clip the three or four minutes that was really good and put that on YouTube and put that out on Social media. So, so I was able to use it as kind of a marketing engine, which in the speaking industry is super important. And then the other thing that I neglected to mention before, fairly early in the process, I hired a speaking coach. I hired someone that could, that had an expertise in an area that I didn't. And, and they said to me on the first day, they said, hey Alan, you've got the raw materials to be very good at this. But, but we can really help you refine and polish and get, get better at the actual craft. And I'm a huge believer in the coaching paradigm. In fact, in every area of my life that I aim for excellence. If it's something that, that doesn't come very naturally to me, which is most things, I hire a coach. I mean, I've hired speaking coaches, writing coaches, financial coaches, I've hired dating coaches before, I've hired nutrition coaches, and certainly I've hired trainers, basketball trainers and other people to help me build my body. So for me, hiring someone that has a level of expertise and can hold you accountable in the area where you're aiming for excellence is one of the best investments you can make. And you know, my own desire to improve and watch film on myself, coupled with being open minded and coachable to what those folks taught me again helped accelerate the process. And you know, by year four and five, I just started to hit my groove. And that was also kind of around the same time as the pandemic. So you know, it makes things more challenging, but I was okay with that. And then coming out on the other end of the pandemic, these last several years, I've really hit my stride as a speaker and as growing a speaking business and, and I'm so grateful and it was worth every ounce of blood, sweat and tears that I put in those first few years. So if anyone listening or watching is doubting that it's going to be worth it, I'm telling you, if you can lay those bricks in the beginning, that's the foundation to which everything else is built.
Travis
One of the highest and best uses of your finances is to exchange it for more time.
Alan Stein Jr.
Yes.
Travis
And that is, that is coaching in a nutshell. If you find, if you can find the right coach, especially you know, it's, it's worth every dime because imagine the volume of time that it would have taken you to learn the lessons that that person helped you learn in three months. You know what I mean? Like, it's like, could you do it on your own? Yeah, I'm not going to Pretend like you wouldn't be able to figure it out eventually, but it's like, how much time is it going to take you? And the way that money and time and momentum work together in that, you know, that, that alchemy, that, that alchemy of that mixture of things you, the, the, the, the, the speed with which you're able to learn those initial early lessons is like, highly contributes to your ability to stick in the game long enough to be able to reap the rewards long term. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's like, could you figure it on your own?
Podcast Host/Announcer
Sure.
Travis
But if you haven't figured it out by year two, by year three, by year four, eventually you're just going to go, well, this just doesn't work. You know what I mean? Eventually you're not going to get the result and you're putting in all this work and energy and effort. Then you're not going to, you're not going to continue doing the thing because you don't have any evidence that what you're working on is actually providing you the result that you want. Whereas if you can just get in, be willing to exchange some of the money in your bank account to skip a bunch of time and to skip a bunch of reps and learn from somebody else who's already been there, done that, bought the T shirt three times over, you know, you can, you can see those immediate, those immediate results much faster, which will get you some momentum to continue doing it, which will give you more confidence to put in more reps. And you know what I mean? Like, everything gets a little bit easier and a little bit better because you're able to conquer some of those early mistakes much faster than somebody who's just trying to get out there and do it all on their own.
Alan Stein Jr.
Absolutely. I heard a Jim Rohn quote a long time ago that really resonated, and it was something to the effect of, the only thing better than learning from your own mistakes is learning from other people's mistakes. And we should all keep our eyes and ears open enough to be able to do that. And, you know, in addition to that, the massive time saving. You know, I believe in the coaching paradigm because coaches can help you see things that you can't see from your vantage point. You know, there's an old saying, you know, you can't see the picture when you're in the frame. And having someone else be able to expose the blind spots that you can't see is super helpful. I also am a big believer in accountability and A coach will hold you accountable to incredibly high standards. So for all of those reasons, I'm a massive believer in coaching and as a way to expedite the process. And when I say expedite, it's not about skipping steps or looking for hacks or trying to find shortcuts. It's about being incredibly intentional with your time and with your money to pursue the most efficient way possible to get where you're trying to go.
Travis
Alan, I've always appreciate your time, bro. I love spending time with you and I appreciate the work that you're doing in the world. I got one selfish question for you and then, and then I'll. We'll. We'll tell listeners where to go find your stuff.
Alan Stein Jr.
Sounds great.
Travis
Give me your, your all time starting five. All time starting five. Who's, who's in your all time starting five?
Alan Stein Jr.
Boy, this one is, is so tough. You know, for a little clarity, the reason why it's tough is at 50 years old, I straddle several of the major generations. You know, when I grew up, you know, I fell in love with obviously Michael Jordan and Larry Bird and, you know, Magic Johnson and John Stockton. So I have a very strong affinity for that group. But then I have an equally strong affinity for the next generation, the Kobe Bryant's and Kevin Durant's and, you know, and then there's some current players now. I mean, guys like Wimby and Anthony Edwards who are just unbelievable. But if you're going to hold me to the fire, maybe a little controversial, but I'm going to put Stephen Curry at the 1, I will put Michael Jordan at the 2, I will put Kevin Durant at the 3, I will put Tim Duncan at the 4, and I'm going to go ahead and go with Shaq at the five. And, and I could have an alternate for each of them that I think would be pretty solid, but I'm going to stick with that five.
Travis
I was going to say, I mean, that's, that's pretty. It's pretty hard to argue, man. Mine's pretty close to that. Mine's pretty close to that. I. I got, I got. Yeah, I got STEPH at the one, I got Kobe at the two.
Alan Stein Jr.
Okay.
Travis
I got LeBron at the three.
Alan Stein Jr.
Okay.
Travis
I got Jokic at the four.
Alan Stein Jr.
Oh, yeah.
Travis
I got Shaq at the five.
Alan Stein Jr.
I mean, once again, yeah, you can't go wrong. I mean, that's, that's pretty solid. I mean, it's, it's incredible.
Travis
Yeah, Jokic is doing some things, man. That's Just like, I don't even know, I don't even know what to say about it. You know, it's just like, what, how are you even, who are you?
Alan Stein Jr.
And I think if you have me on your show 10 years from now we're going to be saying the same thing about Wimby.
Travis
The, the incredible man. And he's what, second year, third year this year?
Alan Stein Jr.
Like it's just, yeah, I think it's his third year. And at 74 with like an eight foot wingspan, who shoots threes and handles the ball.
Travis
Say his three ball this year is significantly improved. Like, yeah, he's, I've never seen anything like it. A menace. My, my biggest hope is that he stays healthy. Like he gets some meat on his bones and can just like stay healthy. He's going to have one of those all time careers, I think so. Dude, I appreciate you coming on, man. Where can people go to get more from you? Alan?
Alan Stein Jr.
Awesome. Always a pleasure, my friend. I love the work you do. You can just go to Allen Steinjr.com that's the major hub. I'm at, Allen Stein Jr. On all of the major social platforms and I'm very responsive and accessible. So just shoot me a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn if I can ever be of service. And all three of my books can be found on Amazon or Audible or wherever you get books and audiobooks.
Travis
Allen steinjr.com that's a L A N S T e I n junior.com and then at Allen Steinjr over on Instagram and other socials go check out some of the stuff that Alan's putting out. Bro, I appreciate the time. I know you are a busy guy. Don't take that for granted. Everybody else listening. Remember, money only solves your money problems. But it's easier to solve the rest of your problems when you got money in the bank. So let's solve that one first here on the Travis Makes Money podcast. Thanks for tuning in. Catch you next time. Peace. This episode of the show is brought
Podcast Host/Announcer
to you by Chime. Chime is changing the way people bank. It's fee free and smarter banking built just for you. Not like old school banks that charge you overdraft fees and monthly fees and the like.
Travis
It's built for you.
Podcast Host/Announcer
Not the 1%. Chime is not just another banking app. They unlock smarter banking for everyday people
Travis
with products like MyPay giving you access
Podcast Host/Announcer
to up to $500 of your paycheck anytime and getting paid up to two days early with direct deposit. Some Old banks still don't do this. So forget overdraft fees, minimum balance fees, monthly fees, all that stuff. Chime turns everyday spending into to real rewards and progress. Plus they have the new Chime card, the new way to build credit history with your own money and get rewarded every single day. So what that means is it is a credit card that is backed by your own money and not only and it helps you build credit which is something that's been around for a while, but you also get to earn rewards on that which has not been something that has happened and now Chime is here to bring that to you. And with qualifying direct deposits you get 1.5% cash back on eligible Chime card purchases. I know my younger self would have benefited from a banking option like this just because it's so much more nimble and much much easier. Chime is not just smarter banking. It is the most rewarding way to bank. Join the millions who are already banking fee free today. It just takes a few minutes to get signed up, so head over to chime.com travis that's chime.com travis Chime is
Sponsor Voice
a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking Services A secured Chime Visa credit card and MyPay line of credit provided by the Bancor Bank NA or Stride Bank NA. MyPay eligibility requirements and credit limit ranges $20 to $500. Optional services and products may have fees or charges. See chime.com feesinfo advertised annual percentage yield with Chime status only. Otherwise 1.0% APY applies. No min balance required. Chime Card on time Payment history may have a positive impact on your credit score. Results may vary. See chime.com for details and applicable terms.
Podcast: Travis Makes Money
Host: Travis Chappell
Guest: Alan Stein, Jr. (Keynote Speaker, Author, Performance Coach)
Episode Title: INTERVIEW | Make Money by Mastering Mindset and Earning the Right to Say No
Release Date: March 22, 2026
This episode features a dynamic conversation between Travis Chappell and renowned performance coach Alan Stein, Jr. The discussion centers on the powerful connection between mindset and earning potential, the concept of “earning the right to say no,” and crucial lessons from Alan’s journey from working with NBA legends to building a high-impact career in keynote speaking. Listeners will discover actionable advice for career transitions, building skills through repetition, and the profound value of coaching. The episode blends personal anecdotes, business strategy, and motivational gems relevant for anyone looking to elevate their earning and performance.
Family & Professional Updates: Alan shares personal updates about his three teenage children and the exponential growth of his keynote speaking business, attributing his recent success to “relentless” focus.
Foundational Principle: Alan attributes his success to a mindset centered around over-delivering value and being of service, which he notes opens doors organically.
Early Career Approach: He describes his initial “never say no” mantra, underscoring that, as you grow, discernment and learning to say no becomes critical.
Travis’ Perspective: Travis introduces the idea that you have to "earn the right to say no," emphasizing humility and self-awareness, especially when changing careers or entering a new field.
Early Passion: Alan’s love for basketball began as a child and continued through college at Elon University, where he discovered a passion for performance training.
Pioneering the Field: Alan credits Tim Grover (Michael Jordan’s trainer) as inspiration for forging his own path in basketball performance training, at first focusing on middle and high school players before working with NBA stars.
Organic Opportunity: By excelling at the youth level, Alan gained credibility, which led to opportunities with Nike, Jordan Brand, USA Basketball, and direct work with athletes like Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant.
Mindset Over Physicality: At elite levels, Alan emphasizes that everyone has physical skills, but “the real unlock would be the mental side.”
Training Philosophy: He never taught technical skills (shooting, passing) but focused on cultivating physical and mental strength.
Changing the Game: Travis and Alan discuss how players like Steph Curry, initially undervalued, leveraged mindset to redefine the sport.
Modeling Behavior: Alan stresses the importance of leading by example and “modeling the behavior and the traits that you want to see in the people that you’re leading.”
Repetition & Accountability: Building mindset is about daily practice and repetition. Alan’s approach: make it practical, hold players accountable, and celebrate their progress to create buy-in.
The Next-Play Mentality: Both Travis and Alan reflect on the psychological struggle of moving past mistakes—a lesson that applies to sports and life.
Making the Leap: In 2017, Alan transitioned from sports coaching to corporate keynote speaking.
Actionable First Steps: He reached out to friends in various industries to identify common business challenges, then mapped his basketball experiences to these needs.
“Nothing Replaces the Reps”: Alan underscores that, just like in sports, he did over 100 free talks in his first three years, sometimes to just a handful of people, to master the new craft.
Travis’ Commentary: Travis notes the courage involved in “starting at the bottom of a new mountain,” and how most people shy away from starting over.
Analog, Grassroots Approach: Alan replicated his earlier business model: work with anyone, record every talk, and systematically improve.
Self-Awareness & Feedback Loops: He reviewed all his talks, using footage to both self-critique and promote himself online.
Investing in Coaching: Alan hired a speaking coach early on, reinforcing his strong belief in the transformational power of coaching, regardless of field.
Coaching as a Time Multiplier: Travis and Alan discuss how investing in coaching can drastically compress the learning curve, turn mistakes into advantages, and generate critical momentum early in a new pursuit.
Accountability & Blind Spots: Coaches help expose your blind spots and hold you to a higher standard.
This episode delivers a practical, inspiring roadmap for mastering both mindset and career transitions. Through Alan’s stories—ranging from shaping young athletes and working with NBA greats to re-inventing himself as a keynote speaker—listeners gain powerful, actionable wisdom. Travis and Alan’s honest reflections, witty banter, and clear strategies offer valuable guidance for anyone climbing their own “next mountain.”