The Island of Entrepreneurship! Mogul Moments with CDJ S3 Ep.1 Guest: CEO & Coach Larry Thomas, Jr.

Well, hello everybody and welcome to season 3 of Mogul Moments, our very first episode. I am your host Camille D. Jamerson. I'm the CEO of CDJ Associates and also The Camille Company. If this is your first Mogul moment with me, then welcome. If you've been with me from the very beginning, then welcome back. Either way, if you are an entrepreneur, a wannabe entrepreneur, and you're building your business or businesses to become the mogul that you want to be, then you are in the right spot. Um, Season 3 is just starting off great. I have an amazing guest that's going to be joining me in just a few moments, and we're going to be talking about the island of entrepreneurship. And the reason that I want to lead off with that, especially for those of you who are considering becoming an entrepreneur, you hear all the cool things such as, you know, we have free time and we can work from anywhere and we are flexible. We can make all of our kids' softball practices and all of that. And all of that may be true. But you also need to understand that there are heels and there are valleys. There are ups, there are downs, there are highs, and there are lows that come with entrepreneurship. And one of which we're going to talk about tonight, and that is, um, that feeling of being alone, or that feeling of isolation, or feeling as if you're not supported, and that people don't really believe in your dream. And so a 911 text, um, to our guest, um, from me to him is kind of what started this idea to bring this subject matter to you because I text him, um, in kind of a flurry, um, because that's how I was feeling at that particular time. And he shared some particular advice with me and I'm like, you know what, we need to do a show. And he, um, thankfully was willing. And, um, I just want to warn you guys up front, he is very open, very transparent, um, very no-nonsense, and it's one of the reasons that I am so grateful that he is somebody that's in my circle. So I'm going to read a little bit about him and then I'm going to bring him up. Larry Thomas Jr. is an entrepreneur, an author, a motivational speaker, and a certified life coach specializing in helping his clients overcome limiting ideas and beliefs so they can maximize their strengths and reach their potential, and achieve results. Having overcome a life filled with mistakes, failures, and tragedies, Larry has the tools to help you develop a more purposeful, prosperous, and fulfilling way of living. Known for his open, transparent, thought-provoking, and sometimes humorous approach, Larry works with men and women who are looking to design doable strategies that empower and encourage them to go after the version of their life that resembles their true intentions and would honestly make them happier. Mogul Moments welcomes to the stage none other than Larry Thomas, and I'm gonna bring him up in a half a second. Larry, are you there?

Yes, I am here.

Awesome!

Hey, hey, hey! I'm up in here.

Let's do this. So like I said, um, kind of prior to bringing you onto the screen, um, my 911 text, of which I send— I send quite a few to him, but this last one, um, is kind of what started this idea, hey, we need to have this conversation with entrepreneurs or want to be entrepreneurs because If I'm feeling like that, then I guarantee you that there are others who feel as if they're unsupported, they're alone, they're isolated, they don't feel that people believe in them and what have you. And one of the things that you told me in the text, you tried to make me separate the difference between being supported and being believed in, which totally ticked me off. Um, so for clarity, can you explain the difference between the two and why that was something that was important, um, for me to try to navigate right off the beginning?

Okay, sure. Um, I think, you know, when you sent the text, um, you caught me in the middle of a good day. Um, I was moving and grooving, and, you know, I had to pause and think about it. And as I've often done, I have to make a decision on whether or not I'm trying to answer this from a coach's perspective or just my opinion, as far as giving you some advice. Hey, 9-1-1, what's up? What you think? Okay, I can tell you what I think, but sometimes I find that it's, um, better served to the person, especially when I know the person is dealing with, I guess, something that is put together to be impactful. So in your case, I know when you ask questions, they're not just, um, for right now. There's something that you look to take in, absorb, and use to catapult you to your next level. Because if you're sending a 911, as you call it, it is critical, it's crucial, as well as needed for you to move forward. And we can't stop you because you serve so many people in the things that you do. So we need you at your best. So when you ask the question, I stopped and paused, and I think when I initially responded, it was taking both things as they were one thing and saying, hey, you know, first and foremost, why don't you consider not internalizing the situation but ex— you know, externalizing it and putting it on the outside, not taking the offense as something that is because of you, but instead just who they are. Because the, the thought was, hey, why— and I'm feeling like I'm not being supported, if I'm correct. So I said, okay, well, we'll go that route. But then I think in the exchange, I then separated the two because again, you were asking for two different things, and I wanted to be clear that I understood what you were asking so that I could properly help answer the question. And more importantly, help you discover your answer for your own question. So that was where I said, hey, are we separating the two things? So consider this: support would be more so something that can be done in a multitude of ways. Um, some people's support can be passive or it can be active. It could be something that is, you know, low energy, meaning I'm not even bothering you, and that is me supporting you because I may be the type of person that could interfere with the, the path that you're on. Yeah, that's my level of support because of who I am. Um, and sometimes people do that and they recognize they're better serving you by maybe backing up. Um, you can equate that to maybe even parenting. When your child comes to a certain point, you decide that, okay, as much as it, um, rattles my nerves, I have to pull it back and allow my child to kind of go out there and do their thing. And I'm just here to support them if they fall, right, and help them rise back up. Emphasis on if, right? My support is not now trying to tell them what to do or passive-aggressively kind of sway them and their ideas and opinions because they're formulating, but my support is if they fall, to be there as a parent to help them know that falling is a part of the process. Whereas belief is something that is almost intangible. Belief is the idea that you have the tools, resources, or ability to make this thing happen. Now, I think when we went further along with it, we start talking about how they intertwine or play upon each other. And I, and I believe I said something in the sense of that support is what you'll end up standing on or using as your foundation but a person's belief kind of determines how they'll support you, or more importantly, if they believe in you. If I don't believe in you, my support will be very low or limited to almost nothing, right? I don't even believe that you can do it, right?

Right.

So that was kind of what we talked about, and, and then in the exchange and the initial— after that, I think we were just exploring just how much that can be put into play right here, right now in our day-to-day activities to shift our mindset, to kind of have us safeguard ourselves as we endeavor to build our collective businesses, as we try to, you know, navigate the nuances of adversity when they come up. Whether it's not— well, I should say whether it's dealing with the the idea that I thought someone was gonna support me and they haven't, or they haven't supported me at the level that I thought they were gonna support me. And then I'm walking around with a sense of disappointment. And that goes back to when I said earlier, hey, don't internalize this thing because that's a decision you're making to feel a certain way about the lack of ex— or the misinterpretation of expectation.

How much does communication have to do with that? What if you haven't even communicated to the individual what type of support you need? Is that fair to even have that as expectation? Or are there some things that you believe that people should just inherently know that they can do to support you in business?

Well, I guess from— I'll answer from a culture standpoint. Do you think it helps you to interact with individuals, especially with something that you consider maybe a need, through assumptions. Because that's what you're saying almost. Hey, I'm going to assume they're gonna give me what I think I need, and they should know what I need. Now, do you communicate that? I think that kind of would depend on the relationship you have with the individuals. And how accessible they are for you to have that type of conversation. I think it gets really evident when we talk about friends and family, folks that you interact with, that you have that type of relationship that as you go through and start a business, you know, you start thinking, okay, you guys should be supporting me. You know, if anybody out there has ever participated in a multi-level marketing venture, I mean, you kind of know that's the deal. I mean, in fact, that's like day one what they tell you.

Yo, you in? You in.

You in?

You in.

Go talk to your family and friends, get them on board, buy some of that product. Now, it serves multiple purposes, but on a larger scale down the road, that could set precedence for you to have maybe not the best idea of how your business is going to be built and sustained. Because if you begin to become dependent upon them, who's to say they were willing to support you continuously? Yeah, especially in something that is a consumable such as multi-level marketing. It's like, yo, I wanted to kind of just get you off so you can have a, you know, good start, but really your job in that particular endeavor is to go out and market. I tell folks all the time—

Salesman, that's, that's what you— that's what you are in those situations. You're a salesman.

Well, take that and transfer it to almost any other thing. That's what you are. That's why you market your business. So if your idea is that it should be easier because you know a lot of people already, and you're thinking just because I know X amount of people, I should be able to depend on them because they like me and I'm a good person, person, you just might be setting yourself up for failure because again, you're basing it upon assumptions.

Yeah.

You're assuming they have the resources. You're assuming they want to support you in that capacity. And you're also assuming that they believed in you in the first place.

That, that, and you're assuming that they're your target market. They may not, may not even be the people that you should be marketing to. They're just the convenient people.

They're just the convenient people. Now, if you look at them as such and then maybe operate on a more realistic premise to say that, hey, I know X amount of people and they're just easier for me to talk to, then maybe if I use them to practice my marketing, then the lesson learned is how to market effectively, as opposed to I'm trying to make some sales, right? And, you know, you see how it goes from there. If you build up your confidence and your skill set in the marketing part of it, then you have a better skill set to go out and talk to the people you don't know. And there's always going to be more people you don't know than you know.

That's it. So is there— okay, now let's back up. So your journey into entrepreneurship Explain a little bit about that and talk about any times where you felt, whether you— when it was just starting out or even after you had got going, where you didn't feel supported or you didn't feel as if, um, the people you thought would, um, be there for you or, um, believe in you, what have you, if those crutches kind of fell by the wayside.

Well, I think, um, I would like to think my journey is— I won't say unique, but a little bit different in the sense that, um, I've never been good as an employee. I've coined myself the 90-day employee. Something has always been in me to rebel against that system, whether it's me advocating for others that are, um, what I would say, removed from having a voice or perceiving that they have a voice, and as a result becoming an agitator, or just seeing behind the curtains and deciding that it's just not worth it, that I value myself more than this. Now, as a result, and then because of circumstances based on some decisions I've made that we won't get into at this moment, I found myself limited in my options. And as a result, I decided to take the plunge. Now, doing that, I was supported. I was supported big time. However, what I found as my major hurdle or challenge was sometimes my lack of belief in myself. So whereas others were like, you know, you can do it, I sometimes didn't think I was the person who was supposed to. And that becomes an entirely different anchor or burden to carry because now you potentially frustrate the support system. And after a while they make a decision that supporting you at the level they were looking to support you is fruitless. So they reduce that, and after a while, you don't even have the support you may have had. And so I had to go on a journey of, of finding, um, that, that voice or that confidence. And I work on that daily. Um, if I have to be honest and admit, that's my biggest challenge, just finding the fortitude to to go out there and take the plunge for myself. I overanalyze and overthink it, and as a result, sometimes I become a procrastinator in just moving to my next level. And you can procrastinate for a multitude of reasons, but that's been the hurdle or challenge I've suffered with. However, in doing that, I've found that I become maybe an asset to others as they go through their challenges because now I may have an understanding on empathy towards their struggle, first of all, but also a perspective that, that they may not have considered. And as a result, I'm able to expand their ideas of what potentially could be holding them up or holding them back from their next level. Because oftentimes, at the root of it all, the answer that you're looking for is you.

You know, Annette, when you said that, um, it really kind of steers this conversation in a different direction, but go with me for a minute. Do you think that maybe one of the reasons we lean on, need, or crave the support of others, or really knowing that others believe in us is because we lack that belief in ourselves and we need those voices in our ear, you can do it, you can do it, you can do it, I believe in you, I believe in you, I believe in you, because you really don't have that for yourself. Do you believe that one thing has something to do with the other?

To a degree, yes. I definitely believe that has something to play at it. I also believe that one of the reasons we suffer or are challenged The challenge with that part of it is because that belief, you could also wrap that up in another package and call it faith. And if you take, you know, most folk, you know, we as a people just struggle with faith. We say we have it, but oftentimes our faith is directly tied to what we can experience with our 5 senses. So if you're talking about something that is really internal, that is the main component or piece that would support you or propel you to your next level, I then have to compensate for the lack thereof, which means now I'm looking for it from an external source, which is other people. And if I can get enough of them, then it will, it will, it will kind of balance out the, the lack of me really believing in myself to where I don't even depend on them. I just persevere.

Yeah. Okay. So let's say you have this circle of folks around you, be it friends, family, spouse, sibling, parent, whomever, and they're not the entrepreneurial type, period. That's just not their thing. Their support is minimal at best. But of course, because of who they are in your life, you want to share with them and you want to lean on them for support and wisdom and guidance and advice. How do you do that with people who don't get it as far as what being an entrepreneur looks like? What they don't get that, you know, the ups and downs, the hills and valleys, they don't get, you know, the struggle. So how do you share that part of you um, with the people that you love and care about, and you know that that's not their thing, but you don't want to totally close yourself off and not share that world with them, because then that causes a different type of strain in the relationship?

Good question. Interesting question. Um, it's, it's, it's, it's loaded. It's, it loaded like a mug.

I'mma just put my water in. Right.

Let me ask this. If I heard you correctly, it was, hey, I know this isn't their thing. Yes. I know it's not their thing, but I want to share what I'm doing with them.

Okay.

That part I get. That's you sharing. I think the challenge or the frustration probably comes in you looking to receive something back from that.

Sharing.

Like, you know, give me something. I look at all this excitement I'm bringing to the table. Yo, I'm doing my thing, aren't you excited? Well, yeah, I'm excited for you, but as far as what you're doing, it's not my thing. And you don't even know this, yet I'm in the doghouse, or I'm penalized, or you mad at me, or we fall out because I didn't give you the type of support that you wanted when you knew That wasn't my thing, right?

Like, why are you mad?

I think, to be honest, that's unfair and it's selfish, but I get it. Again, you've been around me long enough to know I've said it before and I'll say it again, probably to someone else. A lot of us are more selfish than we want to admit because we have our agenda. And being selfish is— I'm not saying it as a, as a bad thing, you need to be removed from society or out of play. What I'm saying is that you have an agenda, and to protect yourself, oftentimes you want the things to kind of work in favor so that your agenda will be met or accomplished. And you only have sometimes so many pieces to access or resources to touch, and when they don't align or you don't see them as favorable to serve your agenda, it can create a frustration. Now, whose fault is that? How could it be the person's fault when you said from the front it's not their thing? That would be like potentially— and you tell me if I'm talking crazy— being upset at someone if you were to speak French when they speak German. I'm trying to communicate, and you can see that I'm smiling. I'm like, hey, and blah blah blah blah, however it's supposed to come out and sound. To them, it's just wah wah wah wah wah. And now you mad that they don't get it? And what do you see oftentimes, like in movies and things? The person just talks louder as if that made it clearer, right?

It's like, no, it's just loud French.

It's just louder.

Yeah, yeah, louder. Want, want, want.

So I think, you know, I think sometimes that's what happens, and we have to pull back, um, from— and be honest. I know this is what I, I need, but are you the person that can give it to me?

Yeah.

And depending on the relationship, if they can't Why are they being penalized, and is it fair to penalize them for their inability to give it to you? Now, inability is totally different from them un-wanting to give it to you, because that would say that they have it, they have the capacity to understand. So let's say someone works in a particular field that they interact with people that kind of do something close to what you do, so they have an idea. So when you say, I want to share, a conversation could at least be had. So if they're unwilling to even engage in the conversation, then, well, that's something you can then look at them and say, yo, I think now you're being a little selfish, um, and in the sense of all I'm looking to to do is engage you in conversation. I'm not depending on you to help me steer this ship. I'm not looking for you to, um, understand the nuances or even the sacrifices I may have to put into play in order to make this thing work. But I am asking for you to support me. And support would be engaging in conversation because you're my person, you're involved, we have a connection of some type, whether it's friend, you know, significant other, you know, parents, you know, that thing. I mean, how many times have you had someone develop a hope or a dream, tell their parents, and they're like, yo, you can kill that dream, just work at the post office. And so that— it hurts because you're looking to share that and hope someone would acknowledge that spark in you because you had to find that thing oftentimes, and they're— and it almost feels as if they're snuffing it out. Yeah, but they're not really. I don't think their intention is to snuff it out. Their intentions are oftentimes what most parents or even people that care about you are— they're just trying to cover you the way they know how. Yo, you sure you want to do that? I don't know anything about that, so you doing that is foreign uncomfortable and out of my whole sphere of understanding. So I have nothing that I know right now to offer, and so I feel inadequate. And as a person that's supposed to be connected to you, that makes me frustrated. So it becomes again your responsibility to find where that person can serve you and then give them that responsibility. That's the, that's the conversation. Yo, this is what I'm doing. I'll try and explain it. You can ask me as many questions. I'll try not to get in my feelings and feel like you're attacking me because I don't think you are or would. So let me like lower my defenses because most of the time when people disagree with someone that person feels offended and their natural impulse is to protect their idea.

Yeah.

So you throw up your defenses and now you're just spending your time giving examples or supporting details to kind of, yo, you don't understand. It's like, I know I don't. That's kind of what I said, right?

And you knew that too.

You knew that. So communication, yes, is important. What you communicate is more important How you communicate it is even more important and not internalizing it and looking for that communication to serve your agenda. Um, is the most important, I think.

So in that, given that a lot of entrepreneurs are in situations where they really don't have, um, the type of support that they think they need, Do you think that— let me first start off by saying I think coaches are worth their weight in gold plus some. I do not have the grace nor the capacity to be a coach. I know that. I know that like I know my name. Um, so that is something I, I just, I don't know how y'all do it. I'm not gonna lie. I don't know how y'all do it.

You know, I've told you many times, I put you on my little, my scale. And you are not a coach at all. At all. At all. At all. Whole different capacity.

I just, I don't, don't call me for that. I can't, I don't, I don't do that.

Or the inclination.

None. I'm not even looking for that. But with that being said though, I do understand their value and that's why I know that I couldn't be one because I don't have that capacity. So Would someone who needed that type of support, would they be a good candidate for a coach or do they need something different? Do they need to develop something different? I would say coach be a supplement for what they need.

If I'm hearing you correctly, my short answer would be no. That's for me and the client that I will look for. That's not a criteria. That I would look to have. Someone that is looking for me to, um, be an enabler or to be a sympathetic ear or just someone that is— no, that's not what I— that's not even what a coach does. All right, so what I would say, what they're probably looking for is a way to build their own tribe, like-minded individuals that's in the game, that are entrepreneurs just as well. Because there's times you need a group of people to remind you that you're not crazy, because you are here making decisions to do things that sometimes could be, um, against the grain. And you need to surround yourself with like-minded people so that when you maybe, you know, catch it or fall short and you need someone to, um, you know, pick you up, uh, there's a group of folk that understand so that while picking you up, the things that they whisper or say or their, their encouragement is authentic.

Yeah.

And you can trust it. And you can trust it because they understand. Um, it would be what you were looking for perhaps in your significant other, but they can't give it to you because that's not their thing. You're looking for people that that's their thing so you could at least have someone to listen when you go through the ups and downs of it. Because as you said, going to someone who doesn't get it, all they can do is listen. And if that's what you want to do, then fine. And they just have to develop the skill set to listen, but then don't penalize them for not being able to give you—

yeah. Yep. So you said at the beginning of that statement that that's not what you look for in a client. So what would somebody come to you for?

Okay, excellent question. Um, in my realm, a coaching candidate is someone that oftentimes is already successful, but what they're looking to do is endeavor to reach a next level of success in some event or category. Now, as you know, life coaching kind of is broad, and the whole goal is to try to find someone that has an expertise in a particular area. If you're saying, hey, I'm looking to, you know, um, get this weight under control, then you want to go to someone maybe who specializes in that. True, you can go to someone that maybe is, you know, broad in their, um, I guess their practice but someone that specializes in it may have a better aptitude to understand your journey and the nuances, and more so, they have a lot of times worked through it so that they're better able to serve— excuse me— serve you as you navigate it and also deal with your excuses. So what type of candidate? Generally, it's— well, not generally, pretty much it is always someone that is successful, or better yet, wants to have a level of success and is willing to discover that for themselves. So you're not looking for Dear Abby, you're not looking for advice, you're not looking for someone to tell you what to do. You're looking for someone to help you find your answer. Now, a lot of people think that, you know, as a Coach, then what do I need you for? Well, mm-hmm, if you're telling me you wanted to exist at this level and you don't exist at this level, my question initially would be, why not? You're saying you want to do it, but you haven't, so why not? Well, this, that, and the other. Okay, do you want to exist at that level? Yes. Do you have anything currently in play to help you get to that level?

No.

You might need a coach. Because it's frustrating to say I want to exist at this level and not be doing anything to get there, right? Nothing. Anything. You don't have a plan. You don't have someone that can hold you accountable as you go through that plan. You don't have someone to help you celebrate the victories as well as help you work through the failures as you work that plan. You don't have someone maybe to help you broaden your perspective an understanding of you, because you have been dealing with you for as long as you have been around, and this is where you are. And you're saying you want to exist as a whole different person or being or entity? You don't even know who that is. Yeah, perhaps you need someone to help you navigate that fight, that climb, the, the adversities that come with becoming that person. And that's where a coach comes into play. They help you work who you are so you can become a different version of who you want to— into who you want to be.

That's good.

So it's almost like a coach and, and your tribe can kind of coexist. You need both.

Oh, uh, yes. If, if you are looking to implement your plan, because here's a lot of times— tell me if you've heard this before— you know someone, they have a skill set They've been doing it, they're rocking it, and everyone says they're awesome at it. And so they're like, you know what, bet I'm gonna turn this thing into a business. And they do it and they have ideas of what they want it to be, but they reach a certain level and over a course of years it just looks like a glorified hobby. Yep. And they're frustrated. Now, if they're content with that, that's one thing, but if they're constantly saying that, yo, I'm I'm trying to make it bigger and better, and I'm doing this and doing that, and nothing's happening, da da da da da. Well, they have the drive, they're ambitious in their endeavor, but for some reason they lack the mindset that can unlock that door that's keeping them back from the opportunities that would lead to the success they want. They want it, but obviously they don't know how to align certain things so that they can access it. They have the drive, but a coach may come in and begin to ask them questions of how they currently think and then assess that and say, oh well, have you looked at it from this angle, or have you tried this? Hey, let's, let's back up and look at the long game, because if we keep doing this, years will pass and you won't get the level that you're trying to achieve because all you know is all you know. So let's work to expand your ideas, change your perspective, expose you to some different thoughts, and then put them in play so that you perhaps can get different results. And then we just have to keep working that until we find the combination that works for you. That's endurance. That's trial and error. But that's also something I think as a society we've moved away from, and it keeps people from having maybe a negative idea of how a coach could actually serve them. And that's the idea that we can't afford to mess up.

That's good.

Can't afford it. They won't let us. And so we are fixated on being awesome and doing, you know, operating in a, a level of excellence and things like that. And I get it. Oh, I totally get it what you're saying. But that's really just some sugarcoating to say that, hey, I did my best. Do you accept it? And if they accepted it, then you say, that's excellent. It's like, but then why would you try to do it better next time?

If this is cool, then why not stay right here?

Then why not stay right here? So don't fixate on, on telling someone that I'm operating as if that's the goal. The goal is just meeting the goal. Has to go. And that's everyone, because any person that has dealt with adversity and met a goal will tell you it was sloppy. Yep, it wasn't pretty. So if we're telling folks it can't be sloppy, you can't make mistakes, and we don't allow a chance for reconciliation when I make mistakes, what are we doing?

Yep.

So I can't mess up and then come back and be like, I made a mistake. Oh no, there's no path for me to get canceled. I'm gonna unfollow you.

That's a cancel call.

I'm gonna block you. And it's like, really? That, that, that's the solution? But I get it. I totally understand it. And I know, um, I— well, I can, I can, I can guess why we're fixated on operating that way, because No one allows us room for discovery. No one allows us room to try it out and see. Everyone expects us to have the answer. Not an answer, but the answer. And that's a shame.

Yeah, I can't believe it's almost time to wrap this up. Okay, so I know I'm like, geez, this needs to be a part 2. Okay, what What are a couple of things that entrepreneurs can take away from this? Um, if, if they're faced with that feeling that we talked about earlier, if they, they feel unsupported, they feel like, um, nobody really believes in them, they feel just out there by themselves on this island trying to make it work, what are things that they can do to really make a shift in that mindset if that's what needs to happen? Or to start thinking about things in a different way?

Okay, I think if you listened to all of this, we have them there. I think one thing would be to know your why, the reason why you're getting into this thing and doing it. Another would be to fortify yourself, and when I say that, it has to include things like finding your tribe or your support group, getting a coach if you need it, taking care of yourself mentally and physically. All those things help strengthen your positioning so that you can move forward, um, and endure, um, the ups and the downs. And I think the last thing is, is to believe and maintain your faith, because as you said, you know, to start us all off, the whole issue or the challenge is what happens when I have an idea or sense of lack of belief or support from someone or a group of people that I thought I would get it. Well, since you can't guarantee that, I promise you, you're going to have yourself to rely on more than them, or you should rely on yourself more than them.

That's good. So if people determine that, okay, like, real talk, I'm gonna need a coach, how can they— how can they find you?

Ah, um, I am online at larrythomasjr.com.

Com.

That's LarryThomasJR.com.

That's it.

Yep, find me there. Now, one thing, Larry ThomasJR.com.

Now, there was one thing Larry did not share with you guys that I am going to share with you, um, if I can find it. Ah, there it is. Um, he did not mention that, that he is an author. And so I'm hoping that, um, this is popping up on the screen, but he, um, co-wrote this book with, um, 15 other coaches. And, um, it's called The Power of Life Coaching, is volume 2. Um, Barbara Wainwright, I believe, of Wainwright Global Institute. I think she was kind of, um, the person overseeing this project. But, um, Larry is right there at the top, right in the middle, um, and he had, um, a part in this amazing, um, work. So he's not somebody just talking off the side of his neck. He's a published, um, author, credentialed. He's lived and walked this thing. And if you are looking for a coach, don't call me, call Larry. Ah, that's real talk. Uh, so, um, Larry, I just want to thank you so much. Um, for now, you— am I telling the truth? Uh, you tell them if they call me, I'm gonna tell them to call Larry because I'll be like, I don't even know what to tell you because I'm gonna call them myself while y'all playing.

So anyway, if you all do what we're all here to do That's it.

And that's not my lane. I know my lane. Um, but just for real, for real, I, um, Larry was there when my business first jumped off. You were there at the opening and he has been a strong supporter of CDJ and Associates from day one to today. So I just thank you, brother, for your support. I want to say that publicly. I appreciate you. I appreciate what you bring to the table. I appreciate you always answering my calls. When you know it's about to be some drama. But, um, I, I appreciate the wisdom that you bring, um, to the table and the wisdom that you're here to bring to the world. Your transparency, the way that you do what you do, um, is a gift. And I appreciate you, and, um, I am hoping that you just continue to blow up in a big way.

Oh, thank you very much. And you do awesome work as well, and I think everyone that knows you knows that.

Well, thank you, thank you. Well, I'm gonna say goodbye to you, Larry, and, um, thanks again for stopping by. Y'all stay tuned, I'm gonna tell you what's coming up next week.

All right, thanks for the opportunity.

Oh, it's my pleasure. Take care.

Hey everybody, I just wanted to come back really, really quick. I truly hope that you enjoyed, um, that episode of Mogul Moments. Isn't Larry amazing? Um, that's one of the reasons why I depend on him as I'm not only a coach but a friend. Um, he always gives it to you straight and he always leaves you with, um, definitely a lot more than you came to the table with. So I hope you enjoy Mogul Moments. Please share with, um, your friends, your fellow business owners, um, your fellow entrepreneurs or wannabe entrepreneurs, um, about this particular episode. So what you learned from it, what you took away, what you're going to try differently, who's your tribe, who's your coach, um, how you can kind of encourage yourself, um, in this thing. Because, um, like we said, entrepreneurship can be an island. It can be, um, very lonely, and you can feel very alone. But you need to make certain that you adjust those expectations so that you're expecting things from people who don't have it to give, and you don't use that as an excuse or as a hindrance to do the things that you've been called to do. So next week, I am so excited for episode 2. Next week we're gonna have Chef Tony Durden from Durden's Catering. He's agreed to come on Mogul Moments, and we're going to be talking about legacy and leadership and building businesses to leave a legacy for our, our children and for our community. And it is so prevalent that we— and we had talked about this before this whole thing jumped off with the civil unrest that we're facing right now. So it's so fitting that we're going to be talking about business building and legacy building, particularly for the African American community. On next week because, um, we know that economic empowerment is critical because power speaks to power. So I'm so, so excited to have him on the show next week. We're going to be talking about, um, Durden's Catering and his come up and all the things that he has going on. And hopefully we'll get an inside scoop as to what he has coming next. So I'll see you guys next week. Thanks so much for tuning in. I look forward to talking with you soon. Take care.

Bye.