Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities! Success Secrets Revealed with Dr. Greg Reid

Welcome to True Grit and Grace, a podcast designed to empower you to claim your resilience and thrive through life's challenges. I am Amberly Lago, a mindset coach, fitness expert and bestselling author. Each week, I'll dive deep with the world's brightest thought leaders and elite performers to share tangible tools and practical advice to inspire you to keep your eyes on the prize and forge ahead. So get ready to conquer your fears, heal any trauma, lead with your heart, and elevate your life with grit and grace.

Sometimes you meet people and your life is forever changed in the best way possible. And I can say that my life has changed in the best way possible. And, and not just my life, my business, my relationships. Since I met today's guest, Dr. Greg Reed, I first met Greg. Oh goodness, you won't believe it, but I met him on Instagram out of all places. And then I had the honor of meeting him In the flesh at his red carpet event, Wish Man, for a movie that he produced that's streaming right now on Netflix. And then because of him, I was so inspired by masterminding with him, I decided to do my own mastermind. So he's really changed business for me.

He—

through him, I've met— I've made so many great connections. And through his wisdom, I am constantly inspired. And I know you'll be inspired by his wisdom today too. And you know, it's not just me. He, for 25 years, Greg has inspired millions of people to take personal responsibility, to step into the potential of their greatness. And as such, his life contribution has been recognized by everybody from government leaders, a foreign princess, luminaries in education, business, and industry. He has published Y'all, seriously, over 100 books. I think it's like 110 books at this point.

I lose track.

He's published so many books. 32 of them are bestsellers and they come in 45 languages. I'm sure you've heard of some of his bestselling books like Stickability, The Power of Perseverance, The Millionaire Mentor, and one of my favorites, 3 Feet from Gold. He's inspired readers to understand that really the most valuable lessons We learn are also the easiest ones to apply. And that's what I love about what he does today is he shares his wisdom, but then he also shares how we can apply it in our lives. So I know that you're going to enjoy his wisdom today. I also want you to make sure you check out his upcoming event. He's the founder and probably best known for being the founder of Secret Knock. And this is the event you have to be invited to. In fact, you have to apply to come. And And it's where you're going to find bestselling authors, celebrities, thought leaders, and always guest surprises. So I hope to see you at the Secret Knock event. He's been featured in so many magazines, Forbes, Inc. magazine. And like I said, his film, I think we talk a little bit about it, but I just want you to know that it's streaming on Netflix and it's Wish Man. And it's about the creator of Make-A-Wish Foundation. And it's a really beautiful heart just heart-touching movie. So also his big heart. Greg has such a big heart. I mean, he mentors youth in his hometown of San Diego and was even honored by the White House from a former president commending him for his work and all the positively, you know, working and work that he does with youth in the local mentorship program. So if that's not enough, he was also just honored with the Star of on the infamous Las Vegas Walk of Stars. And I actually have to say, I have been there in Vegas and actually took a picture with Greg's star on the Vegas Walk of Stars. So I'm excited for you to hear the brilliance of this man and introduce to you my good friend, Dr. Greg Reed.

Hello, welcome back to True Grit and Grace. I'm Amberly Lago, and I have The legendary Dr. Greg Reed with us today. Thank you so much for being here.

I want a candle just like that in my office so it'll smell nice and not like a guy's stinky feet. So I gotta get me one of them.

Yes, you know what, it just makes me feel all warm and cozy and, and makes my tiny little office into a nice little workspace. So I do what I can.

I think we'll call it the sanctuary.

It is. It's my little haven. I kicked the family out of here. My husband was just in here messing with the printer. And I'm like, get out of here. I'm interviewing Greg.

Love it.

I have to say, I was like interested last night. I was excited to interview you. And I was like, I wonder how long I have known you. It's been almost 2 years since we first met. And I don't even know if you remember how we met.

But we go together like shalala bading bada boom bading. I remember you spoke at Secret Knock Women. Everyone started Raven and they kept saying, whatever you do, you got to collaborate and get together and start doing some stuff together. And then we did our mastermind together and now we're exploring new opportunities. It's pretty cool.

Yeah, it is. I mean, I've been a huge fan of yours for a while and I first met you at the premiere of your movie Wish Man. And I got to talk to your secret weapon, Shannon. And I was going to come to The Secret Knock a couple of years ago. And I was actually doing a TED Talk at the same time. And she— I said, oh, I'm so bummed. I'm going to miss that. But she said, well, you know what? We have this movie premiere. Do you want to come? And I said, well, I just happen to have a dress. And so I got to go. And it was an awesome movie. You have this magical way of showing people what's possible in life through your books. I have like 2 or 3 of your books right here. Your movies, your talks, your masterminds, every single— I've listened to a ton of your interviews just because I take notes on everything you say. But I wondered, what is the catalyst that drove you to this world of self-development and speaking and masterminds and movies and all that you do? Was there a catalyst that you were like, I want to change my life and do something to change other people's lives? Yeah.

And it's fun. I mean, come on, what a great career choice that you and I have done. I mean, how many people, you know, I used to have one of those jobs where you sat in a cubicle and you did your little telemarketing job and whatnot. And the thought of, Hey, one day you're gonna have a job where people give you a wheelbarrow full of money and then they applaud when you're done and then tell you you're great. Sign me up for that gig, right? And so you've chosen correctly and wisely at a wise young age. But what inspired me is in advertising from age 20 to 40, I only had one job. I was in advertising sales. And when I sold my corporation for my first big hit, people said, how did you do that? not being able to read very well and being dyslexic and stuff. And I said, well, I believe these mantras and these chants and these quotes and memes, and I listen to these tapes. And from there, I realized the power of the influence of a simple little message can have a ripple effect for your life for years to come.

Wow.

Yeah, it sure does. And I really didn't dive into the whole self-development world. I mean, I was always into health and wellness because I was into the fitness industry, but didn't really kind of dive into that until I was older and had to really figure out how to dig myself out of a pretty dark spot and a rock bottom. And so then I started discovering your books and conferences and things like that. And it is amazing that we get to do and have these amazing experiences. And there is just something magical when like-minded people come together and— They get to cheer each other on. And when I first heard about your Secret Knock, I'm like, I don't know about that. What is this? What do you have to do? Like a secret knock on the door or what? What is this thing? You don't know who the speakers are. So tell everybody, first of all, about Secret Knock because I was fascinated. And now once I am in it, I'm like, everybody should know about this.

Oh, I appreciate that. I want to go back to the personal growth thing. I would— one of my favorite quotes is, you know what the toughest part about personal growth? It's that pesky growth part, right?

Yeah.

It's like, go through the journey. And, you know, to me, that's the whole concept of progress, not perfection, and living your life by. Look, one of the cool things about yourself and myself and maybe even Bradley and some of the cool up-and-coming speakers of today is rather than be that guru standing on a soapbox saying you should do this, you should do this, we're saying, look, we're just living through it. We just happen to be one step ahead of where you might be. Hey, by the way, don't step over here and come with me on this journey. And I think that's why people are relating to the new age of a lot of the personal development leaders. And Secret Knock is really cool. So, you know, for those who don't know my career, I've been publishing like 100 and some odd books in 45 languages.

That's all. I know.

And people keep saying, how can I meet some of the people you met? And so I started a little thing in my living room, uh, was called Secret Knock. And they said, do I need a ticket? And I go, no, just do bump it, bump, bump the secret knock to get in. It's just a joke. And it took off and they told people and it kept going and going. And now we're Forbes Inc., top event in the world for networking and business leaders. It was, I never saw it coming.

Well, that is amazing. And you have some of the top speakers and entrepreneurs, and you are so connected with so many amazing people. And I want to talk about your journey with that and the Napoleon Hill Foundation and how you got to travel around and interview That must have been such a huge honor to be contacted by them.

Yeah. So a lot of people don't know the story behind the story, but in 1908, long time ago, a young aspiring magazine reporter named Napoleon Hill gained access to the richest man in the world, Andrew Carnegie. And at the end of the interview, Carnegie says, here's an opportunity. He said, work for me for free for 20 years. And I'll send you on a mission to meet my friends. You'll sit down, find out what they did, and write the first ever formula for success. Napoleon Hill reached in his pocket and said, work for free for what? And he says, Mr. Carnegie, not only will I accept that mission, I promise I'll complete the task. Carnegie says, you got yourself a job. And Hill says, why are they going to talk to me though? I'm just a kid. And he says, I'll write you a letter of recommendation. When they see it, they'll know I sent you. Give you all the time you want. Sat down with Edison, Einstein, the Fords, the Rockefellers. Wow. Wrote the 20th bestselling book in history. But here's what's cool. You see, Carnegie was a stickler for action and gave Hill 60 seconds to make up his mind to work for free for 20 years. And when Napoleon Hill said yes, Carnegie pulled out the stopwatch. He began, and there's 31 seconds left. He made a major life-changing decision in 29 seconds. But here's where it gets fascinating. Carnegie made that same offer to over 250 men before Napoleon Hill. Wow. He was the only person to say yes. Everyone else had a bad case of the one size. I'll take action once I get the big break, once I get the kids out. But he struck and took action. Well, fast forward 100 years to 2008, the surviving grandkids of Napoleon Hill and the foundation that bears his name wrote that very same type of letter that Carnegie gave to Hill and gifted it to me. So it's a Willy Wonka ticket to meet any human alive to write the Think and Grow Rich series. What a gig.

Oh my goodness, how exciting. But, um, how did you approach some of the biggest names and biggest legends out there as far as going to have a meeting with them? Tell us about that journey, just reaching out to someone and saying, hey, I'd like to come interview you.

Well, first of all, the most successful people are the most available people. If you're brand new at something, you're happy-go-lucky, you're fresh, you're cool. Pinnacle, happy-go-lucky, got nothing to prove. In the middle, pain in the neck, you're filled with ego, you're edging God out. So I realized the power of specificity. This is the holy grail to getting access to people. So for example, no one wants their brain picked, no one wants to go to dinner with you, they don't want to have coffee, and they don't want to go to lunch. But specificity opens doors. So for example, if I was going to get to the founder of RE/MAX Real Estate Corporation, I would say, you know, Dave, I need 12.5 minutes of your time. I'll cover all my own costs to get to you. From the moment I open the door till the time I leave will be 12 and a half minutes, and I'll start a stopwatch. I'm gonna ask you one simple question: why you didn't quit in your challenging times. Well, the chance of him giving me 12 and a half minutes from walking down to his conference table is pretty good because it's very specific. They know what it is and what they're going to do. And then when you're there and the alarm goes off, you say, Dave, I want to value our time. I appreciate it. It's time for me to go. And 100%, they go, no, no, no. Let me give you a tour and you become friends. And we built up relationships with them. And now they get to come to our events and I get to share them with my friends.

Yes. That's amazing. And I have to say, there's nothing— I think it's one of my pet peeves when I get a message, oh, I just want to pick your brain. I'm like, I don't know why that bugs me so much. But if people were very specific and put a time limit on it, then it does make you, oh, okay, well, that's what you want. I'd be happy to share this. I've had to become a better communicator and ask, what would you like to know? What do you want to pick my brain about? Because you can, one conversation, if you don't have those healthy boundaries, can turn into an hour of your time. And as much as I would love to help everyone, it's like time just seems to be going faster and faster and faster. But I love that. Get really specific. And then Stay with your word and don't say, I'm going to take 12 and a half, you know, minutes of your time and then go over and over and over. So I love that. So who was the most interesting person that you've interviewed?

Well, that's a great question. You know, people always say, who's the most powerful, the rich, but interesting is a good one. Uh, probably I'm gonna say Tonino Lamborghini, uh, only because he and I became really good friends afterwards and toured the Nation of India doing commencement speeches for all the, you know, people graduating from college. And I really got to sit down and spend some quality time with him. And I said, how did you and your dad create so much wealth and abundance? And he says, all you have to do is create a product, good, or service that people will save their money to happily hand it to you.

Wow.

What do you mean? He says, well, no one's going to save their money to buy your book, Greg. He goes, but they'll cash in their 401 to drive one of my cars. He goes, you will not spend $4,000 a night to live in your own apartment, but you'll cash in the family's vacation fund to go to Anaheim and give it to a mouse with big ears. He goes, if you can create a product, good, service, or experience that people save their money to give it to you, you'll never run out of capital. Pretty powerful.

That is powerful.

Wow.

So it's really about the quality. You have to have something quality. Quality You know, and that's my word this year. I always kind of pick a word to be my driving force instead of just doing resolutions or goals or whatever. And my word this year is quality because— and last year it was resilience. And I think we still need a lot of that. When I first published my book, I had a publicist who's amazing, Jill Siegel. She, oh my God, she was probably the best part of my book experience. But she had told me, Amberly, say yes to everything. I want you to say yes to every blog, yes to every interview, every appearance.

Yeah.

Yes to everything. I don't care if it's 4 o'clock. And I did do 4 o'clock in the morning interviews for the radio, back-to-back things. And it was great. But I got on this kind of hamster wheel of just saying yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. And one day I was like, oh my gosh, is this what I really want to do? Is this the best use of my time? And so I started thinking of, no, I need to make decisions based on the quality of my life and my goals. And is it moving the needle on my business? Is it, you know? And so So that's my word is really quality and coming up with quality presentations and also a mastermind this year. And so I really wanted to be a part of a mastermind. And so it's crazy. You know, I feel like when you manifest something, it's huge. When I say something like, I am searching for this or I really want to do this, I don't know. It's powerful that you think that and you say it out loud, but then you have to take action. So I had just said that like out loud, this is the year I want to do a mastermind because I want to do my own mastermind and I want to have a good one to learn from. The next email I opened up was from Shannon. And who is y'all? Shannon is Greg's secret weapon. She's become a good friend of mine. I love her. And it was about your mastermind. And I filled out the application really quick. I got a phone call like that, like right away phone call. And she said, oh, I just got your application. You want to do the mastermind? Yeah, you know, I'm thinking about it. And I said, just tell me a little bit about what it is. And I signed up right, like right away. And it's because I know everything that you do is quality. Now I might not spend my money. I won't go buy a new handbag or a new pair of shoes for myself. But I'll dish out the money to be in your mastermind and be a part of your group. So you definitely, you have that. Everybody wants to be a part of like your group or your mastermind. And just because there's a lot of people that might not know what that is, can you explain the difference between like coaching, mentoring, mastermind, so people kind of understand what that is?

Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, it's very interesting. A lot of people think that a coach and a mentor are the same thing. And I— my terminology is a little bit different. So a mentor is somebody who's like a sage, wise person who guides you and gives you feedback and direction, but they don't charge you money. They're just the ones who give the input. And then you hire a coach to kick you in the backside to make sure you follow through and take action with those directives. So for example, I believe we should have multiple mentors, multiple coaches in our life. For example, I got a great tennis coach that teaches me a backhand, but I'm not going to ask them financial literacy, you know, counsel. And the same thing, I'm not going to talk to my accountant about my public speaking. So I find the people that are getting the results that we want, and then I ask those people for their input because there's a big difference between counsel and opinion. Opinions based on ignorance, lack of knowledge, or inexperience Or counsel is based on wisdom, knowledge, mentorship, people who paved the way. If you go to a family friend and say, I'm going to write a book, they might try to talk you out of it to protect you because they know you're dyslexic and they've never written a bestselling book. But if I go to Mark Victor Hansen, who wrote Chicken Soup for the Soul, he's going to say, here's what you need to know and give you counsel. If we would spend our activities only seeking counsel and ignoring opinion, that's the day your life would change. And that's the power of a mastermind association. Surrounding yourself with people you have respect for, not people you have influence over.

That's powerful. Yeah. And you know, I made that mistake when I first wanted to write my book and I would talk to my family, my husband, and out of him wanting to protect me, he's like, you want to write a book? Okay. I didn't even own a computer or didn't own a desktop laptop, nothing. I wrote my whole book by hand and then bought a laptop. Took a class at Apple to learn how to use the laptop and typed up the book. And writing the book, I was like asking a few people. And I think that you have to be careful because in today's world where we have this social media and so many people can look like the expert just because, you know, they might be standing in front of a mansion or beside a Lamborghini or something.

I gotta jump into this thing because the difference is, and Napoleon Hill talked about this, put them on the spot, hold their feet to the fire. To me, if someone comes up and says, hey, I'm gonna help you write a best-selling book, I'm gonna say awesome. If I go to Barnes Noble, am I gonna find your book on the shelf? If they can't, then why would you give them money to teach you? If someone's going to be public speaking but they haven't spoken on the biggest stages in the world, why would you go ahead and do that? And it's our fault because we're not asking these questions. We're seeing the shiny objects but not looking for the results we want. For example, someone can sit there and say, hey, I had a million-dollar online internet launch, but they're not telling you that 50% of that went to all kinds of different, you know, fees and things of this nature. And then they had a 25% cancellation rate, and then after that they had this and this, and they ended up with this. It's still pretty cool that they did it, Yet you're seeing the big number and not the reality number. So start asking these questions and proof of concept before you go and incorporate and hire them.

Yes, that's so important. Whether you're hiring a coach— talk— because I did that with speaking too. I remember, you know, when somebody first said, oh, you should be a speaker. I'm like, really?

What is that?

How would I do it?

I don't know.

And then, um, one of my clients said, well, I know this lady who teaches people how to be a speaker. She works with Paula Abdul and this and that. And so I hired her and she was great. But there were certain things that weren't a good fit. Like I remember she said, well, you need a suit. You need to buy a suit. And so when I first, my very first speaking gig, I was speaking in front of lawyers, investors, realtors. And I was thinking, what the hell am I doing here? I'm like some fitness girl. I did not even own a suit. I went to Nordstrom's. And they were like, well, what size are you? I'm like, I have no idea. I've never bought a suit. So I gave the talk and she was there. The speaking coach was there. And she, when I first walked in, of course, I show up 30 minutes early and I walk in and she goes, oh wow, I didn't think you were going to show. And I was like, what do you mean you didn't think I was going to show? Of course, I told you I would be here. I'm here. And afterwards she said, that was great. You had people laughing. You had people in tears. There's only one problem. You had your hands in your pockets the whole time? And I said, well, I've never worn a suit before and it felt comfortable just to stick my hands in my pocket. And so I've learned a little bit from each presentation that I've done. And I think the biggest thing that I will always remember is from my dad because on the way to give the talk, I was so nervous. And I called my dad and I said, I'm so nervous. He goes, Well, why the hell would you want to go do public speaking anyway? Don't you know there's— that's the number one fear other than death itself? And I said, thanks, Dad. And he said, but you have to remember, Amberly, this isn't about you. This is about your message and who you serve. And I always remember that. Like it's not about me. And I love something you said earlier, Greg. You said ego. And you had an acronym for Ego? Was it edging God out? Edging God out.

Great. My first mentor was Charlie Tremendous Jones. He was a speaking legend. And I remember the first time I did my initial talk, and I called him up. He says, how did it go? I go, I'm, I'm angry. It didn't go good. And he goes, why? And I go, there's only like 38 people there. And he goes, you arrogant son of a— he started yelling at me. He goes, let me tell you about the first time I did a speaking gig. There's going to be 1,000 people. He goes, I drove an hour and a half one way to be there. He goes, I showed up and there was only 2 people in the audience, the guy who did it and his brother. I go, what'd you do? He goes, well, I was angry. He goes, but I did the presentation like there was 1,000 people. He goes, but I'm human. I was driving home another hour and a half, didn't make any money. And I said, God, why me? And he hit the dashboard. And he said the Lord spoke to him and said, Charlie, that's 2 more people than you probably deserve. And later on in life, those 2 brothers, or the Kinder Brothers, got him over 100 paid full-price speaking gigs in his career. They were just auditioning him whether they'd open the doors of opportunity. Isn't that interesting?

Wow.

Yes. And you know what? I think every experience, every opportunity leads you to where you're supposed to be, and you just never know what's going to happen. I mean, when I first started speaking, and this is a question I get a lot, Is so many people want to be a speaker and they say, well, I want to be a speaker. How do you get to that event? What do you— how did you get to do the TEDx stage? How did you get there? And I spoke for free for the first 3 or 4 years, maybe a little paid gig here or there, but I spoke for free to anybody who would have me, whether it was a coffee shop, a small women's networking group, the Chamber of Commerce. an AA meeting, a Betty Ford doctor's clinic, therapy place, anywhere that would have me, I'm like, yep, I'll be there. I think that it's easy sometimes to look on social media and see, oh wow, they got— they just booked that speaking gig, or look at that event and look at who they're speaking with. But the work that goes behind it— now I love the work that goes in it because I love what I get to do, but they don't see the behind the scenes of what it takes to get to that level. And when I watch you speak, I mean, Greg, I've watched your TEDx talk several times because you're such a good storyteller and it's just so easy on the ears and it's inspiring. And it's almost like you talk about mantras. It's that little thing you want in your head and it just fills you with positivity. But when you first started speaking, were you always so good? And you make it look so I mean, it's like you get on stage and it looks effortless. Do you get nervous? And was it always that easy for you?

Yeah, those are a few really good questions. So I'll start from the beginning. Yeah, I still get nervous. Number one, I think when we lose that edge, then, you know, we're not concerned if we're impacting people's lives. So I still get a little bit of butterflies. And then I use that as fuel to, like our buddy C-Rock talks about, you know, rocket fuel to go forward and give the very best that we can. I also understood I had great mentors. So again, surround yourself with people that are getting the results you want. When I wanted to be a bestselling author, when I went to the bookstore, I didn't go to the best-written books. I didn't want to be a great writing author. I'm dyslexic. I went to the bestselling section. I called those people and said, how did you do it? And I just took their words of wisdom, added my own spin to it, and here we are today. The same thing in speaking. And my mentors sat me down and just taught me the real way it works. And they said, don't focus on a 90-minute presentation, focus on 2 and a half minutes at a time. And they call them songs. And he said, a song on the radio is 2 and a half minutes. There's a beginning, a middle, a hook, a little story, a jingle, and an end. And he goes, if you can master that, where to pause every single breath, where to make sure you make that impact and hit that drum solo, he goes, all you focus is on that. And then you do another song afterwards and practice that. Before you know it, you'll go on stage and you can do a set list of all the songs that you choose as best for that audience. So that's how I do my presentations today. I've probably got 100 different songs stored up that are mastered. So depending upon the venue, I can sit and make a little hit list and go out and give the best thing I got.

Okay, y'all, that advice right there Is brilliant. And I hope you're writing that down because I paid a lot of money to have a speaking coach give me something a little similar. And so, and you just gave that away.

Let me, let me share exactly how it looks. So people are going, okay, that's a great story. Let's talk about a topic and then we'll talk about resilience because you mentioned it earlier. So I'm going to now tell a story and you won't even see it coming. It'll sound normal. You know, you're talking about that resilience. During the interviews when I was doing 3 Feet from Gold and I was doing a lot of the interviews for Think and Grow Rich, I had a chance to meet this guy, Steve Wozniak. The person who really made Apple computers was Steve Jobs. And I go, Woz, like I got to know, how did you and Jobs create so much wealth and prosperity? How did you impact so many lives? And he goes, we embraced our lack. I go, what? He goes, we embraced our lack. Most people run from what they don't have. He goes, we ran toward it. He said, when these little microchip processor things came out, they were so expensive, we could only afford one chip. He goes, Jobs sold his Volkswagen. He goes, I sold my calculator. We pooled our money to buy one of these little things. He goes, but Hewlett-Packard, they were rich. They had all the money of God. So they'd create machines that go from A to B with like 20 chips. And he goes, so I'd pull away 5, get it to go to A to B with only 15. I'd pull away 5, get it to work with 10. Eventually, we went from A to B using our one chip. He goes, we were not trying to be innovative. We were not trying to be cool. We could afford one chip.

Wow.

But by embracing that as an opportunity, we found the shortest, cleanest path. And by doing that, we changed the way people do personal computing for the rest of the world, for the rest of their life. He says, where could you be right now In your own business, everyone watching this right now, if you stop looking at something as your greatest challenge and obstacle, it might just be your greatest blessing and opportunity in disguise. Okay, so there you go.

Yes, amazing.

Yes.

So there's a song, beginning, middle, end, boom, boom, you hit the top. Now what happens on stage, I just take a little hit list and I tell those stories back to back to back. And what the main thing is, it's got to make it sound like it's the first time you're saying that presentation. So the audience can feel it, embrace it, and see themselves there.

Yeah, I love that. And as you were telling it, it really reminded me of a life changer for me. Something I was running from and trying to get away from for a long time was I did not want to embrace the way I looked, all my scars and what doctors call a disability. And I was trying to kind of get away from the fitness, and I'm like, But no, that's who I am. I'm the fitness girl with all the scars that overcame all the surgeries. And I want to show people that if I can get through hell and back and still be resilient, then they can too. I'm no different from anyone else. And so that's when I think my life started to change. And I started to just focus. It was really what I was focusing on and keeping, you know, focusing on the good. What, well, what could I still do? And then the good just kept getting better. But I love the stories that you tell. And I love that your book, which one, where'd it go? Where'd it go? Here. I have several of them here. 3 Feet from Gold. I love this because it's, it's a story. Now I'm not a good reader. So I also have it on Audible because I like to listen to books while I'm walking or working out, but I do like to highlight and underline. And so I've highlighted some and things in here. But what I like is it's not like your traditional, like self-help where you should do this. But you learn through example. Like you just share these amazing stories through example. And you know, I thought about it when I was writing my book. And I wanted it to, I thought, I'm not the self-help expert. I just want to tell my story in a way that people can go, oh, If she learned that lesson, I don't have to get hit by a car. I can just do that. She taught me this lesson. You know what I mean?

I love that. And one of the mentors that, you know, you and I have is a guy named Dave Corbin. And he's one of the greatest guys I have on my inside team. And he teaches the power of illumination. He said the old quote, you accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. He said, no. He says, nowhere in PMA, positive mental attitude, does it say you avoid reality. He said, accentuate the positive and illuminate the negative. Put a spotlight on it. And I remember the first time I got one of my book reviews and someone didn't like it and gave a 1-star review and said, it sucks. And I was so embarrassed and I called him up and said, what am I going to do? My family, friends, my fans are going to see it. He goes, Craig, just illuminate. So I sent an email out to 35,000 people and said, hey everyone, my book seems to be a success. A lot of folks like it. One guy says it sucks. I put the link out there and guess what? It became a bestseller that day instantaneously. And all the people that liked the project jumped on that person. They ended up taking the negative review down. And the moral of the story is by putting that illuminate, not being afraid to, to, to, uh, you know, deal with your realities on the other side, that's where freedom lies.

That is awesome. You know, I have a, a sim— a story about TikTok. So I, my daughter said I was too old for TikTok. So I was like, well, I'm definitely getting on TikTok then. And so I got on and I did like videos. The first time I put my tap shoes on since my motorcycle accident, put the camera up, did a little tap dance. And I'm in shorts and I'm doing this tap dance. And it, the video went viral because people are like, ooh, what is that? Oh, that's a leg. It's scarred up. And oh, she's dancing. And Wow. And it was like a little inspirational video. Well, everybody was like, that's amazing. You can dance again after all those surgeries. And the one person was like, ugh, don't show me your leg again. I was eating and almost threw up. And so they have this thing on TikTok where you can actually take somebody's comment and do like a video or post about it. So I was like, oh, well, I'm going to do a little post about this. And I highlighted the, this made me want to throw up. And I honestly, I wasn't thinking that people were going to go to him and like give him a hard time. I just wanted to share that like don't let one person's opinion of what you should do who, like you said, it's their opinion. They're not counsel. It's their opinion, take you down. That next video Right away, it got like 300-something thousand views. I had, I grew 7,500 followers from that one video. And so yes, highlight, put a light on it, put a light on it. And I'm not saying, I wasn't trying to like, you know, have people go and tell that guy that that wasn't a nice thing to do. I made it a video like, hey, sometimes people are going to say things that maybe aren't so nice. But you just keep shining your light and people are like, yeah, we're gonna shine our light. And so I think that's—

And they jumped all over the other dude. And, and, and I get that. So, and, and what's really neat about some of these social media platforms is that you've got a new voice. I mean, nowadays you can just be eating a cheeseburger with that quote there, like, you better not look right now. Look, I know we don't have a lot more time, but I, I want to share the power of CPC. Because you and I talked about this offline and I wanted to share it with your tribe. Is that okay?

Yes, yes.

So one of the greatest ahas, one of the greatest discoveries I ever had writing my books was a book called Wealth Made Easy. I interviewed people worth $100 million to $1 billion. And one person gave me the biggest aha. His name's Mark Anthony Bates. He's not a gazillionaire, but he's brilliant. And he taught me CPC. And I wish I could have turned back time until I was 20 years old to learn this. So people watching, this is that moment that you actually pay attention. CPC is an acronym that stands for clues, and the P is for patterns, and then the other C is for choice. It's about accountability and responsibility for every single thing that happens. Stop blaming other people. It's your fault. And it works like this. I happen to be a single guy, so I go out, let's say, on the first date, and the woman happens to be 20 minutes late. Well, anything could have happened— traffic, who knows— but there's a little red flag, but it's a clue. Now, if I go on the 5th, 6th, and 7th date, and every time she's 20 minutes late, that forms the P, a pattern.

Mm-hmm.

But it is my C, my choice, whether I deal with it, yell at her, break up with her, or whatever, but it's not her fault. She's just late. Stop trying to change people to fit in your own little paradigm box. But how many times do we see someone with a bad reputation in business? They cheat your best friend. You do business thinking, oh, it'll be different for me. When things go wrong, you're mad at the person. You saw the clue, you saw the pattern, you made the choice. It's like seeing a rattlesnake rattle, bite your kid's sister. You go to pet it, get bit, and you're mad at the snake.

Mm-hmm.

Looking back, rarely are we angry of the relationships we entered that didn't go good. Or the business practices that failed, we're usually angry that we stayed in too long because we saw the clue, we saw the pattern, but we didn't get out or make that adjustment when we know we should have.

You're describing my first marriage. Yes. Wow. That's powerful. Pay attention to those clues. I think it's really important to listen to your gut. Don't you think? Like, I know if I meet someone right away, I'm like, my gut says, there, that's the right thing that I need to do. That, like, listening to your intuition, um, I can tell, yeah, this is where I need to be, or that's the right business for me, or whatever it is. And for you, you have like 6 or 7 businesses, don't you? I mean, I lose track, you have so many.

Yeah, we have quite a few things going on at one time. But back to your thing about intuition or gut instinct, There's a quote that says, if you have to wonder if something's right or wrong, chances are it's wrong, because you don't question the ones that are right. So the whole thing is, I usually do it— my spidey senses on the wrong ones, and then I do my CPC, and I get to the end result really quick. If you notice, the most successful people on the planet don't have a big entourage and a big circle of association and close friends, because they're always looking for the clues, patterns, And they're making their choices very, very wisely.

Clues, patterns, choices. Focus on your spidey sense first. Clues, patterns, choices. Very impactful.

I should write that down. Really?

Yes, Siri, write that down right away. Yeah. Well, um, before you go, and I really do appreciate your time, I, uh, put a post up. I was so excited about interviewing, I put it in my story. I said What are some questions that you— I get to interview Dr. Gregg Reed. What are some questions that you want me to ask him? And I have a few questions from listeners that wrote in that want me to ask you. Is that okay? Do you have a time?

Okay, let's do it.

Okay, so Crawford House wants to know, do you have a next book coming out and what is it called, if so?

Thank you. Yes, we always have at least 4 books a year coming out. It's on autopilot and we're constantly working on some amazing ones. And one that I'm working on right now is called Sellership. And that—

I just saw the video.

It came from one of our mastermind members, Jen, mentioned it to one of my co-authors, Ben Ward. And now we're coming out this thing called Sellership. And the whole idea is that so many people focus on sales books, but they don't focus on sales leadership books. For example, the number one top salesperson in any industry doesn't make them an automatic manager to run other salespeople. It's 2 different crafts.

Mm-hmm.

But this book walks you through the exact program in a parable style, just like you said, with the little stories all the way through that guides somebody who teaches someone to rise to the the levels that they're truly destined for. It's an amazing book. I'm excited about it.

I love that. And I, I like books so much more when it is— I like listening to people when it's their— it's storytelling versus when they're like, you gotta do this, you know. Um, and so I can't wait to read the book. I actually just saw Ben's video. I just liked it on YouTube about the book. I mean, I'm amazed. I can't wait to read this book. You know, so many people struggle with writing one book, and you— how many books do you have?

Well, I've been published, featured, authored, co-authored, wrote a blurb, a foreword, an afterword, over 120 maybe now, I think is what it is. And what's really interesting, I'm gonna be very clear, there's a big difference between being an author and being a writer, okay? So I'm an author. That means my name goes on the book. Because it's my thoughts and my feelings. However, I get writers to take my words and thoughts and craft them in a way people would want to read. Trust me, if you read my stuff, it'd all be backwards. So it's very important to take the words of wisdom. You work your strengths and you hire your weaknesses. And I've adopted that in every single principle of everything I do.

That's amazing. And I'm so glad that you shared that because I think so many people try to do it on their own. And if you're struggling for years and years and years and you have this book that you're writing, it's like, maybe you're not a writer. Maybe you are an author, but you need to hire somebody to do some ghostwriting for you. And I know there's plenty of people out there that are ghostwriters, but writing a book is a big deal. You have to really love writing. You really do.

It's a whole different craft. And again, though, just— it's like one of the things Tom Cruise didn't write Mission: Impossible that he's famous for. Katy Perry didn't write Firework, you know, the song. And the whole thing is a very big difference to understand the distinction between it and then embrace and own it. So, for example, Wealth Made Easy, my co-author on there who really wrote the book, his name is Gary Krebs. Now, he's the former publisher of McGraw-Hill Publishing Corporation. Wow. Who can write a better book, me or that guy? And so, you surround yourself with people that are getting the results you want and you can do it for yourself. All right, next question.

Okay, next question is from Hope something. I'm sorry, I can't read what their handle is. Uh, where do you get your inspiration?

You know, that's wherever it's hiding. You know, usually what happens, I'm working on a different project and I have to come up with a title name or I have to come up with a topic or a storyline. And what I do is I get real still, I ask everyone to leave me alone and I just start walking. I know it sounds weird, but I'm a wanderer. I'll walk down the street, I'll go thing, I'll in the backyard, I'll pick some flowers, I'll get my hands dirty. And for some reason that helps me process and I get that download where it goes bing, bing, bing. And then I rush to the computer and I dictate or I write down and scribble my exact thoughts. And then I share them with my co-author, I mean my, uh, my ghostwriters, and then it becomes what it is today. And also again, work strengths, hire weaknesses. When I did my major motion picture that's trending all over Netflix right now, Wish Man.

Yeah, I saw that's trending. Congratulations.

I have never worked the camera. I didn't write the script. What I did is I found the people that were experts in their chosen field of endeavor, and I orchestrated it and produced the movie. I didn't make the movie. It's such a big distinction. And the whole thing is, you have no excuse. There's so many things available right now that we never had before. And people go, oh, it's easy for you. I didn't know what I was doing. So I mean, I got on a, a website. It's a secret website, don't tell anyone about it. It's called Craigslist. And I posted an ad for $25 and said, I need someone to help me write a script. I had no idea what I was doing. Well, the person I hired wrote the script, directed the movie, helped me produce it, and we actually got on the shortlist for the Oscars last year. And the moral is there's Talent and resources all around it. It's abundant. Seek it and it'll come.

That's powerful. That is powerful. Well, you guys go and, and watch. I've seen Wish Man. I cried in the middle of the movie. It's a beautiful movie. I'm so grateful I got to see it in the theater. So y'all go out, Netflix, and see Wish Man. So many books. I think my favorite is The 3 Feet from Gold. I love this book. Check out your mastermind and tell us the best way to— for people to reach you if they want to come to one of your Secret Knock events or check out your mastermind.

So Secret Knock is a website, secretnock.co. We left the M off so they couldn't find us, and they still did. So go to secretnock.co and check it out. Then contact me directly. Just go to Greg S. Reed on Instagram and you can direct message me. It goes right to my phone. The only thing is specificity. Again, I don't want my brain picked. I don't want to go to lunch. I want to have dinner. But if you can give me a direct question of, hey, what book should I read for this? Or do you know someone in this industry that can open some doors? I'd be glad to get back to you right away. And I want to say thanks for having me on today. It's been a blessing and honor. And you know, I love you dearly, and I look forward to working together for years to come.

Oh, me too. I just love you, and I, I just cherish your friendship. So thank you so much Thank you so much for sharing all your wisdom today.

Until we meet again. Bye.

Yes.

Thanks so much for joining us this week on True Grit and Grace Podcast. If you like it, please rate it or share it with your friends.

That would help too.

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