← What Are You Made Of?
What Are You Made Of?
The Hidden Prison of Success: Escaping Ego, Pride, and Identity Traps with Israel Duran
00:36:07
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- [00:00]
A
Welcome back to the what are you made of show. It's your boy C. Rock here. I'm with Israel Duran. We met through a little 15 mini networking connection call. And I love what he's doing and I wanted to bring him to you all and so you guys could hear more about it. And you know, after this conversation today, if you're interested, we'll give you opportunity to reach out to Israel and go deeper with him. But let's hear his story first. Israel, welcome to the show.
- [00:22]
B
Mike, it's a pleasure to be on here with you, man.
- [00:24]
A
Yeah, man. No, it's my pleasure, My pleasure. Yeah. So let's get started. I start the show every time with the same question. What are you made of?
- [00:31]
B
Israel made us suffering, brokenness. I mean, a lot of people talk about success, but I always tell you, I always tell people the path to success is a path of failure. And growing up as a child, my. My dad, back in 1993, my dad was having a bunch of chest pains on his left side. And my mother, who was a doctor in Dominican Republic, I wasn't able to transfer the license here because of the English barrier. She told my dad, she said, hey, you got to go check yourself out, go to the er. So my dad goes to the er, he waits about three and a half hours. Mike at the ER for whatever reason, they didn't attend him. So he went back home. And when we went back home, he had a massive heart attack and he died alone. My mom, my mom finds him in that condition. Very traumatic experience for my mom. She doesn't bring it up much, but I. Israel David Duran. I was only about two months when my dad passed. So growing up, I was broken because I was looking for certain things from my dad and I didn't have em in my life. So I saw them in all the wrong places, made all the wrong choices. And now in my business and what I do with the clients I work with, I see myself almost like filling those voids in them in the processes of growing. So that's really my backstory, you know?
- [01:48]
A
Yeah, yeah. So you were in the doctor when you grew up? Until what age
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B
I grew up to. I grew up. Well, I would go into the doctor a lot as a child. You know, we would go in, in and out. I grew up here in America, but. Okay, I would go there every summer, sometimes would spend two, three months there. But my, my childhood was primarily here in the U. S. Okay, gotcha now.
- [02:10]
A
So you, you were seeking in the wrong places, like what kind of places
- [02:14]
B
The Father made all the wrong mistakes, man. You know, seeking a matter validation in all the wrong places you could think of.
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A
Yeah.
- [02:25]
B
And then, and then I found out through my brokenness, like for me, as a man of faith, I found out that you, you could seek. Because what happens with us leaders when we seek approval or validation from others, we are also, we also give away our power. What do I mean? Like, if you need validation and approval from others, the day you don't get validation and approval, that can also delay you as well. So for me, I found out that God loves me the way I am. He created a, you know, he sent his son Christ to die for me on the cross. And through him I found my identity. And through him I was able to be healed. Because I tell people, broken people, hurt people, hurt people. But healed people heal people. And a lot of times this stuff is not even discussed in organizations. Because, Mike, the number one thing that destroys organizations is not lack of strategy, it's not lack of talent. It's typically as weird as it sounds. It's typically pride, you know, Eagle, Eagle. And it's pride at the highest level. Like when you look at Blockbuster, for example, Blockbuster could have been the Net, the next Netflix. But because somebody said, oh, let me just Dismiss renting out DVDs online, right? Let me just dismiss the Internet. They missed opportunity, right. Sears could have been the next Amazon, but somebody probably in the management team dismissed the Internet, right? So pride is really the enemy of everything. And pride typically comes before the fall. But when leaders and CEOs are open and they have humility, they're able to, to survive and thrive longer because they're open to be wrong and they take a different approach. And for me, I mean, that's the benefit I've had, you know, going through the suffering at a young age because it's allowed for me to question everything in a good way. Right. To really get the most out of it.
- [04:28]
A
Yeah. And by the way, I gotta, I gotta just update, clarify something on the Blockbuster thing. I had Jim Keys on the show and he was the CEO, and what had happened, they were going in that direction, but it was right around 2008 and they were working with Google for a huge investment collaboration, and Google pulled out and so they, they couldn't maintain with, I think there was some big nut that was in debt that that was owed and they just, they just couldn't maintain based on that. So I heard both sides of the story and then I had Jim Keys on and I clarified all that with him. But I just wanted to throw that out there. Cause I had him on the show and I had to, I had to make sure.
- [05:04]
B
I said yeah, and, and, and, and to your point, the essence of Blockbuster, there may be a, A, a anomaly there, but when you look at history, when you study history and you even study like the wars that have happened, people have lost their lives because of a general or a leader just having eagle.
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A
Yep.
- [05:22]
B
You know, pride.
- [05:23]
A
Right.
- [05:24]
B
And as CEOs, like, you don't lose anything open. And, and I, by the way, I, I like that you're challenging me, Mike, because I welcome that. I welcome.
- [05:35]
A
No, no, no, I say this. I agree with you 100%. I just wanted to clarify that they were going in that direction of, of, of, you know, obviously the, the DVDs and then the boxes, like the red box had. And then they were going to streaming, but they just ran up against the 2008 situation and mounting debt. So. No, I agree with you 100%.
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B
But what I'm saying is I welcome the, the honest another angle. Right?
- [06:00]
A
Yeah. Yeah.
- [06:01]
B
Because what happens is the CEOs, and, and, and you talk about what we're made out of. Like if we think that we can never be wrong, that's, that's one of the biggest defaults of success. Right?
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A
Yeah.
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B
Because you reach a level where nobody can say anything to you. That's a problem. Right. We, as leaders and, and CEOs, we need to be open to be challenged. Like, I welcome any other advice or adjustment or challenging of anything I say on this, on this call, and vice versa, because that's how we grow.
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A
Yeah, for sure.
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B
Right. Like if, if people aren't open to be wrong, that is of the greatest liability.
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A
Right.
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B
Because what happens is when somebody has so much pride and they can't be wrong, they either dismiss things or they act with impulsiveness. Right. They dismiss a potential move that another competitor is making.
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A
Right.
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B
Like maybe Sears. Oh, the Internet's not going to really do much. We're number one. And they dismissed it. But they could have been the next Amazon.
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A
Right.
- [07:00]
B
Or CEOs or management. People in management, they make decisions from impulsiveness. Right. And those are two things that really a CEO should to try to disconnect from because it's going to hurt them at the long run. And history has proved that. Right. So my whole heart is making sure people have the right identity, the right purpose and the right vision with what they're going after. Right. Because ultimately this is all about service. And I know you're about this. You help people turn their setbacks into rocket fuel. Right. For impact. And I'm curious, Mike, do you mind if I ask you a question?
- [07:39]
A
No, not at all.
- [07:41]
B
Because I've seen the success you've done and everything you're about. It's almost like you've created a lot of admiration in the marketplace. Like, what were some things you went through in terms of, like, suffering or things that helped you to become who you are? I'm curious.
- [07:57]
A
Yeah, no, it started for me at a young age, you know, before business, the business life. You know, I came from a lot of brokenness as well, and a lot. Been around a lot of anxiety, depression, alcoholism, drugs, suicide, obviously, divorce, conflict after the divorce, child support, custody battles, you know, all that stuff. You know, as a kid and watched and observed people as they were going through it and how they responded. And I realized the things that I noticed that worked and the things that didn't work, you know, and so it just. That just carried through. So then as I went through life, and I think all of us go through this, each one, you keep pushing, keep getting through it, keep going. Every adversity that comes next, you're more built for it. And so then as I went into the world of, you know, sports, college, and then relationships and then business, all those different things, I kept leveling up, leveling up, but it didn't feel good each time. It never really feels good. Although I will tell you now, it feels a lot. You know, it's not as bad now when I get hit, you know, run into a setback or something, because I know that if I keep going, something great's gonna happen.
- [09:01]
B
100. You know, Mike, so what sport did you play, by the way? What sports were you?
- [09:08]
A
Well, I played football in college, but I played. I wrestled and played baseball as well in high school.
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B
Nice. What position in baseball?
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A
Outfielder.
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B
So I used to play. Baseball was my idol growing up. And to your point, like. Because typically we wrap ourselves in our identity with the things that we're known for, like what we do, Right?
- [09:27]
A
Yeah.
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B
But if we get our identity from what we do, we end up spiraling or in a relationship. Right. Things go wrong. It could. It could do a lot of. It could set us back. But sometimes that setback, to your point, is actually the fuel to move forward. And for me, baseball was my idol growing up in college, and I got released from the team, it brought me to my knees. And that's where I discovered that my identity, in my brokenness. Right. My identity wasn't in what I did, but in who God said I was. And it allowed for me to kind of be freed. Right. Freed from the pressure of trying to please others. And, you know, in business, I mean, I meet CEOs all the time, Mike. That. In the business, that's all they know. Right. That's. They're known as the CEO, they're known as the successful person. And I would be curious to see what your thoughts are, your experience working with CEOs. But what I found is that when people have that validation or they have the identity, there's typically like a prison. There's like a prisoner of their own success. Have you found that?
- [10:30]
A
Oh, for sure. I mean, I've. In the thousands of interviews I've done in the darkest times of people's lives, is when they attach their identity to what they did, which is really your vehicle.
- [10:38]
B
Vehicle.
- [10:38]
A
It's not your identity. It's not. So, you know, I talk about a lot like, yeah, definitely the identity. Creating and understanding who you are in this world, and then choose vehicles to get in and out of to serve the mission. So, like, people exit a company. You know, I've had one, you know, exit a company for nine figures. And then the meeting stopped, the email stopped, the people reaching out for questions and looking for help stopped. And he was just like, what the heck? You know, and so same thing with sports or, or the military. You know, they, they. They do that. And we need to be more proactive with that, for sure. Because it is. It is a miserable. I, I did it, too, when I was in the mortgage business. You know, I was like, I'm a mortgage guy. Mortgage guy. I couldn't imagine. And what. Also, besides that dark time when it, when it crashes or slows down or whatever, you want to exit it. It's also limiting because you think this is the only thing you could do to make money. For example, I, I had that thought, like, what else am I going to do to make this kind of money and provide for my family that the way I'm providing for them? And it shrunk my opportunities because I couldn't see anything outside of that. And when really there's millions of things we could do. Like, I could have never imagined starting an agency that books people on top podcasts. That's not even like some people say to me, like, where'd you get that idea from? But it was just an opportunity because I was open. And so, yeah, no, I've definitely experienced it, and I've heard tons of stories about it.
- [11:58]
B
Yep. And you know, that like, to your point, one of the things that I've learned, like, with leaders that want to make an impact, especially on podcasts or share, it's like, everybody wants to make an impact, but few people count the price or the cost to make an impact. Like, even your store, like, you've gone through, I mean, powerful store, you paid the price to be where you are. Like, for me, one of the biggest things that I love to teach on is the price to impact. Because in that journey, like, you think about the hero story or the journey arc, if you will. In the journey, there's always that moment where we fall to our face or we're at a low point, but that's where things get built. So I would love to encourage you and encourage everybody else on here and teach that principle, because I think it would give people a lot of clarity on where they are in that journey to hopefully encourage them to move forward. Because you. You started the show, you said, israel, what are you made out of? Made out of brokenness, suffering. But what I found in that suffering and that brokenness, that's where we actually get the gold and the keys to continue to go forward.
- [13:06]
A
100. And it can always be worse, right? Like, let's think about it for a second. Like, it always could be worse until you're plucked from this planet, it could always be worse. You know, I sometimes think about the fact that I have two legs, two arms. How often do we look at our hands and look at it. We have all of our fingers and they're working. Most people don't take the time and the day to, you know, express gratitude for what they have versus what they don't have. And the focus is always on what don't we have, what's so and so have over there that we don't have. And, you know, for me, I take time every day to, like, really, you know, I just had a great workout today. Well, when I was done, I was taking a walk, and I'm like, God, thank you so much for that workout. You did great with me today, you know, because that's not something I want to take for granted, but. Yeah, so. So, all right, so let's. Let's understand the story here, though. So what did you. Did you go to college and study business or where did the journey start for you in the business world?
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B
Yeah, so for me, the journey started was when I came. So I wanted to. When I went into college, Mike, I wanted to work for the FBI, right? And that's why I took that. Took that road had an FBI agent by the name of John. I heard him in a seminar. He said, hey, if you want to work for the FBI, you got to get into cybersecurity. So that's when I made the decision to go after my master's degree. And when I graduated, I was going to go for the FBI, but I decided to go the private sector because I got married, had a daughter, right? So I didn't want to be shipped every. Anywhere. So that's how I started my entrepreneurship career. Because when I went private, I soon realized that a lot of people are lacking with security. So I started my. My cybersecurity firm. That was the first business I started. And that's where things launched for me in terms of transitioning. You talk about awareness, you talk about gratitude. I had an experience back in 2018 where I got into a car accident, and I could tell more on the story later, but if you like. But essentially, this car accident brought me to a place where it got me to release everything I had inside, because I had a couple businesses on the side working full time as well. But I. I still felt that thing in my heart, like I was called to do more. And this car accident came and really got me out of my own way. I was supposed to be. I was supposed to release a book, like a year and a half from that car accident. I released it within three weeks in two languages, and I launched my third business within three days. Because on that side of the highway, I heard an audible and internal voice that told me, it's time to release what I put inside of you. And what I didn't realize, Mike, is so. So many times we're so aware of, like, what other people going back to validation. We care about what other people think, that it ends up drowning what we have inside. So I had to make a decision on that side of the highway. By the way, my. My second daughter, Annabelle, was born four days prior, September 1, 2018. So it was a very emotional time for me, and I made the decision to say, I'm going all in with releasing what I have inside. It doesn't matter what other people think. I know this is what I'm called to do, to help others, and I'm going to step into that. And when I stepped into that, that's what really launched everything we're doing now. And it gave me the awareness of gratitude, because that car accident, to your point, put me in a position where I was grateful, and I experienced that gratitude and I discovered Mike. And I'm sure you can Relate that gratitude is what comes before growth. Like the moment I took the time to just be grateful and say, okay, I'm going to say that I'm enough, and I'm going to just be grateful for who I am. That's when things started to really pick up.
- [16:35]
A
Yeah, yeah, I've seen it. I had an accident, 14, with the whole family rollover. Same kind of thing. Afterwards, I'm like, man, I don't know how we walked away from that. It's on now. I went through that same kind of thing. Yeah. And before we go any further, did you have, obviously, your spiritual father, but did you have a father figure on earth here that you, like, had mentor you or stepped in that you looked up to?
- [17:00]
B
Yeah. So my bonus dad came into my life when I was about five. The reason I call him bonus Dad, I was with Les Brown one day and I told him the story. He's like, don't use the word stepfather. Use the word bonus. But my bonus dad came into my life when I was about five. My mother raised me and my sister until I was about five. But I never accepted my bonus dad as my father until I was 21. Right. So growing up, butt heads.
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A
Yeah.
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B
You know, a lot. Right. So growing up, I always saw God as my father. Right. As weird as that sounds. But I had an experience at the age of seven. I drowned in the pool. And tell that story later. People, if people want to hear about it, they can hear a little TEDx talk. But apart from that, I've had mentors in my life for sure. People that have come into my life and, you know, different people. Like, Dr. Miles Monroe was a great mentor of mine. So it's. We always have to have those leaders. You know, you're only as great as the people that you allow to wash your feet.
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A
That's a good one. Yeah. Yeah, That's a good one. What about the fact that you're only as great as your willingness to wash
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B
other people's feet 100%. But here's. Here's the challenge. I'm gonna challenge you, Mike, on this. Here's the challenge with us leaders. So good. It's so easy for us to give, Right. The clients I work with, typically, they're like a leader of leaders, right? So they're. They're giving to everybody. They give, give, give, give to the point where some of them have been betrayed and have been taken advantage of, unfortunately. But it's very rare for them to sit down and receive. You see, I could always tell someone's Influence their level of leadership by the influence that they have. Because the influence is the, is the, is the measurement of leadership. But I could always tell someone's access or maturity by what they receive. Right. Because it's very easy to give. But to have somebody sit you down and receive, that shows true humility.
- [18:59]
A
Yeah, that is true. That is true. And it's a cycle, it's a flow. It's got to go both ways. You can't not be willing to receive and expect people to receive from you. And that could be money, that could be encouragement, guidance, all that. Now, so your point.
- [19:19]
B
To your point. I was just. I was just doing a speaker training with my clients, and it's hilarious because I make a joke, but it's not even a joke, Mike. It's real. You probably experienced this. It's like if you get on stage and someone's clapping or saying thank you to you, if you shut that down, if you can't receive that, I make the joke. I'm like, if you can't receive someone's applause or if you can't receive their thank you, you're not going to be able to receive their forms of payment.
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A
Yeah, yeah, that's true.
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B
Right. So it's just a joke. And when I say it, people laugh, but it's true. Like, if you can't receive a simple thank you or just somebody saying, mike, appreciate you, man, I love what you just shared. I love your show. Right. Like, it's important for you to say thank you. Right. It's not a pride thing to say thank you or. Or you're welcome. Taxi. Humility.
- [20:07]
A
Yeah, yeah, for sure. You know, I had a conversation yesterday with someone, I was on a show and we were talking about leaders that, for example, the football player or the football coach, Mike Vrabel recently had an issue where he was. Got caught with a reporter, whatever the case is. And after it, he didn't really take ownership. And here he's leading a team of men, and they mess up. You know, people. Everybody messes up. But. But let's say some people on his team mess up. They miss a meeting, they get caught drinking and driving, whatever the case is. And he had an opportunity, I think he missed, to take ownership and show what to do when you mess up and. Or when you get caught. Right. And so I, I think sometimes we put people on pedestals and we don't expect this from them, but all human beings are flawed. And you think that somebody's had super amount of success. He's an NFL coach. There's 32 of them at any one time, right? And you, the Michigan head coach, same kind of thing. Had a situation. They won a national championship. You're thinking that, man, they're, they're, they've gotten there. And, you know, they don't have holes in their game, but yet they do. And so for me, I, it just, it still hits me sometimes, like, man, I put that guy on a pedestal. Man, I'm shocked. What are your thoughts on all that?
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B
You're. You're 100. Correct. And, and if I can add, the reason why people feel that way, Mike, it's going to sound so simple. Is because of judgment.
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A
Yeah, yeah, right.
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B
When people judge good or bad, it's a problem because when you judge somebody good, you made an assessment on them, okay, this person's good. But then, like, to your point, what if they, what if they make a mistake, right? Everybody's flawed. Then you'll say, well, I misjudged. The problem was judging. Even if you bat somebody evil, you'll have a pre. And this is, this is, this works so much, not only in personal people's lives stories, but also in business. I mean, I'll prove it to you, right? Toyota. Toyota had an issue back in the day where they were trying to get into the luxury side of car dealing, right? And they just couldn't hit a certain market because Toyota is a certain brand for a certain demographic, right? So they decided to create Lexus. The moment they created Lexus, same manufacturer, same. I mean, same company, just under a different sub variant brand, everything changed for Toyota. Why? Because a certain demographic of the market was making a judgment on Toyota. So they used a different brand to be able to penetrate a market. So I always tell people this. I'm like, look, in business, one of the best things you could do is to create a different angle for your brand because there may be judgment on your brand in the marketplace. If you to penetrate, you can create a different style to get approval. I remember McDonald's. McDonald's did the same thing, Mike, back in the day. McDonald's, when people ask, well, what coffee is better? People are like, starbucks is better. So what did McDonald's do? McDonald's decided to do a blind taste test, right? They took a cup of MCAF coffee and it took a Starbucks coffee, and they removed all the branding off of them, right? So people couldn't tell which one is one. And it had a series of people go through it. The taste. And an extraordinary, extraordinary amount of people preferred the McDonald's coffee than the Starbucks to the point where even they were surprised. They were like, oh, I like this one better. And they're like, you know, that's a McDonald's. It's like, oh, really? This is McDonald's. Why? Because they made a judgment. So unfortunately, people are going to judge. I recommend the clients that I work with. I teach them. Don't judge. Right. Don't. Don't make a judge. Discernment's different, though, Mike. Discernment allows you to make a decision based on facts to be able to navigate. But to your point, I've seen a lot of people get hurt because they put all their faith in somebody and then they get adjusted. Or they put all their faith in the brand and they make it and they get adjusted and they get hurt. Right. Think about some of the people we've hired. Mike, I'm sure you have some stories, right?
- [24:29]
A
Oh, yeah.
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B
Make a judgment on somebody. We hire them. I mean, these are things that. These are things that could really hurt a company making the wrong hire. So you don't judge. You use discernment. And you also then are free from being a victim of the judgment.
- [24:43]
A
What's the difference between a judgment and assessment, though?
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B
Assessment has to do with being able to assess. Like, for example, when we train up people for, like, talent acquisition, you have to assess people's skill sets and competency level so they can make sure they do the job. That's different. Right? Assessment and discernment, that's different because people need to be able to do the job. But what I'm saying more so is being able to just judge people. It goes back to what I was saying about opening open to be wrong. Because when somebody comes in and makes a judgment, for example, like Toyota, I don't want to work with Toyota. Right. Let's say I don't want to buy a Toyota car. But then when they look at Lexus, they're like, oh, you know what? I like that car brand. In their mind, they don't even know many times that Lexus is Toyota.
- [25:30]
A
Yep.
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B
Same thing with Starbucks. Right? McDonald's coffee. I don't like it. Okay, cool. I like Starbucks better. Okay, cool. Here's a blind takes test. Assess which one you think is best. Oh, this one is. Oh, this is much better than this one. Do you know that that was McDonald's? Oh, I didn't know that. Right. See, assessment is different. Assessment you're making, you're making a decision based on facts and an actual competency. But judgment is when you judge before tasting. When you judge before consuming, when you make a judgment and you judge people good, before understanding all facts, does that make sense?
- [26:10]
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it makes sense. Absolutely. Yeah. Taking everything into account now. Okay, so then how did you get to become an investor? So, like, you know, obviously you. You were going to go the FBI route, then you went into the private realm. Like, how did you end up being becoming to do what you're doing now?
- [26:27]
B
I've been fortunate to have incredible teachers in my life. And understanding that the highest level of identity, like when you look at God, right? Genesis, chapter one. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth, right? And God spoke, right? He said, let there be light. So the first two things we know about God is that he's a creator, right? And that he's an investor. Speaker. Excuse me, speaker. But when you look at the highest level, God's an investor. And I believe that we were created in the image and likeness of God. So there's levels of potential in us as a creator. Mike. Like, for example, you created something amazing here with what you've done. Brilliant. You're a speaker, Powerful one. And I believe you're also an investor. See, there's levels of value that get released when we. When we. When we align more to our creator, right? So as an investor, I had to find out the hard way, because the school system ain't it, Mike. 1903, John D. Rockefeller. I want to create a nation of workers, not of thinkers. So that was my education, right, in the system that really didn't teach me who I was and what my potential was. So as an investor, I have the privilege of investing in the people and the companies and the CEOs that give them the access to education, that can give them true freedom, right? So for me, the switch, when I made the switch of being an investor was when I understood these three principles. There's only three ways of making money. Number one, the money we make on our own, right? Selling products and services or exchanging your time for money, which is worth 95% of the population is really. They operate in because of the education system. Number two is helping other people make you money. So having other people make you money. And. And when, when you study, when you study, the elite or people that are really wealthy, most of their income is not only in the middle, but it's on the third one. In a moment, I'll share it. But they allow other people to help them make money. And that has to do with collaboration. The reason why a lot of people don't understand collaboration is because the School system. Going back to that foundation, they taught us to work in competition. Right. The moment you go into class, you can't. You can't share any tests. You got it? You got to stay focused on your desk. They confine you. Right. The mo. If you just. If you do decide to share, you'll be reprimanded. So you grow up in an environment of competition. So you never even think about collaborating and helping other people make you money. But that's the second way. And then the third way is having your money make you money. And it's going to be very hard for people to. I. This is what I found out to build wealth, just selling your time for money. Right. You start to unlock it. Once you have the mindset of an investor, a creator, and a speaker, and you allow other people to make you money, and then you allow your money to make you money. And there's a whole process to do that. But that's what inspired me to go all in as an investor.
- [29:30]
A
Gotcha. And then what did you first make your money in business?
- [29:36]
B
Well, a couple of things. First, so my first company I started with cybersecurity. Second company I started was a real estate company. Third company I started after my car accident was my coaching education company. So where I've made most of my money is in the coaching education realm and cybersecurity. Okay. But a lot going back to the price to impact. Right. Something I shared earlier, I didn't understand, Mike, that there's actually a proven process to unlock the monetization to make an impact. Because most people want to make an impact. They say, I want to serve hundreds of people, I want to serve thousands of people. But there's actually a price to pay. So in that process, there's four steps to get to impact. Education being number one. That's why I expose the educational system in America greatly. Because, Mike, 75% of people that are graduating, they don't go to work for what they went to school for.
- [30:35]
A
Yep.
- [30:36]
B
So we have an epidemic of people that have degrees, that are employed, but they never get deployed. They never deploy their gift to the world. And I believe that each and every one of us, we've been created in the image and likeness of God. We have gifts, we have experience, we have expertise, we have education, we have ideas that we can release. But if someone doesn't have the education or at least the right support system in place, they're going to be. They're going to live less than their potential, and they're not going to be able to really release and walk in their maximum potential. So education is, number one, getting the true education. Now the education mic gives us should give us clarity on number two, which is getting clarity on the right systems. And not just any systems, but the systems that help us build and keep wealth in the systems that help us build value in the marketplace that we want to serve it. This is one of the main things that I help my clients with because it's like they're world best kept secrets, but they don't have any systems right now. Those systems, Mike, will give us number three, which is influence. Help us put influence in the market. And then to make a long story short, that influence, once we build an influence, we then monetize. Number four, we monetize our influence in the marketplace.
- [31:55]
A
Yeah, yeah, I love that framework.
- [31:57]
B
And that's how we're able to make an impact.
- [31:58]
A
Yeah, I love that framework. And then as to wind us down because we're up against the clock. The other thing is when you have money, the first thing you should do. You said something about education. The first thing you should do is invest in yourself. Right. So different places to invest. Like where do I start? Well, invest in yourself, I say, then invest in your business and what that includes your systems, process your people, right? And then from there you'll have money that's coming. If you do those two things, you can't help but have extra surplus money, and then you look for other investments. And most people get that out of
- [32:29]
B
whack, you know, I mean, are you open for a thought?
- [32:32]
A
Yeah, sure. I'm always so.
- [32:34]
B
I. I always love to reverse engineer, like start to end from the beginning. So for me, and it's always also based on values. So I'll just share my values really quickly. So in terms of my value ladder, God is number one in my life. Number two is family, and then number three is country, and then it's my clients. Why is it country? Because we are in a. We are in an epidemic. Mike, voices like you are extremely important because the backbone of this economy and our longevity in our country has to do with us entrepreneurs. So I say this to everybody. If you can structure out a way where your company, your organization, your nonprofit, your business is, you know, with your values, I'm sure everybody's in agreement with family. I put God number one. But if you can structure an organization that can help country, that's where you really start to unlock massive wealth and massive growth. Why? Because if our country doesn't survive, it doesn't matter what we're doing in entrepreneurship. But entrepreneurship is the key to make our countries thrive. And not only survive, but thrive.
- [33:43]
A
Yeah.
- [33:44]
B
So in terms of money, money comes to people who can solve problems, spiritual problems. If you can solve a spiritual problem, spiritual money can come to you. Because money is spiritual. By the way, what do I mean by that? Mike and I know we have to close here. All things that are spiritual only have the value that you and I give it. For example, a hundred thousand dollars could be a lot of money to somebody. And to somebody else, it's like what they pay their team on a weekly basis. It's nothing. They have to be at 400,000amonth just to break even somebody else. $400,000 could be a lot of money. Why? Because money's spiritual. So when you, what I found is if you start the end from the beginning and you value your value ladder and then you think about the problems that you can solve for God, for your, for your family, for your country and your clients, you'll start to see and ask the right questions to unlock other opportunities that may be right in front of you that you might have been just walked, walking over.
- [34:42]
A
Yeah, that's pretty profound, man. Pretty profound. And you saved the best for last. Israel. Where can people go deeper with you, Ben?
- [34:49]
B
Well, people can, can go to our website. We have free if people like what I shared today, Mike, or they're curious. Right, they can go to my website. We have free gifts available for everybody and free trainings as well. Like one of the principles I taught with the was the price of impact. I teach over 72 principles. And because I'm all about laws, I'm all about making sure people understand, get the right education again so they can understand who they need to become, who they need to be, what they need to contain so then they could do the right thing, so then they can have what they desire. And I have a passion of getting that education into the hands of people because I didn't have it growing up. And I'm sure a lot of us can relate to that. Listen again, so israelduran.com they can go to find out more.
- [35:34]
A
Awesome. Israel, thank you so much for your time today. Thanks for taking that original call with me. To connect that means the world to me. People don't realize how much that means to me. And I do it because I'm looking to serve. And so I'm looking forward to doing things with you and seeing what we can collab on, which we didn't learn in school, but we know now. And so go to Israel duran.com folks. Hang tight Israel while I wrap this up. And also, you're listening today or watching. However you're consuming this content, make sure you go to the top of your favorite podcast platform and hit the subscribe Follow button and keep coming back. And until next time, be that one.