Any Battle You Fight Will Occur In Your Mind with Andrea Burks

Welcome to this episode of the Million Dollar Mastermind. I'm Larry Weddell. And before we get started, if you want to know exactly how to win again and again, go to Wydell on winning.com webinar now to watch something I've put together for you. Now let's get going into this episode of Million Dollar Mastermind.

I am here with my good friend Andrea Burks. The beautiful Andrea Burks from South Florida got a new home and a new office in the last year, moved up from Lauderdale to Boca Raton and enjoying all that good South Florida weather. But rain today, that's a small price to pay for all that good weather in South Florida. And so she's been in this business, she worked for a company, helped build it for 14 years. She took it over three years ago. It was producing a profits of 600,000 a year. She took it three years later, drove it over a million dollar in net profits. And so an incredible leadership job. And you know, she started at 23 years old. She said she's still a youngster, so got a great future behind her, but especially in front of her. So welcome, Andrea. Thanks for coming.

Well, thank you, Larry. Thank you for those kind words. Excited and honored to be here in the podcast.

And you know, you're a mother, you're a leader of an organization, your own business that's in six states, 20 locations, you're earning over seven figures. And so you've got quite a head of steam and quite a track record of accomplishment. And that's why I wanted to have you on, Andrea, because I think you've got a unique point of view to send the message that the ladies out there have a lot to offer. Don't even think about holding back. Are you good enough to do this, that or the other? Because ladies are doing it all over the country, you know, all ages, all businesses. And you can actually be in a leadership position of a bunch of old men. And, you know, people, you think, oh, that's, that guy's as old as my father. But I'm his boss and he obviously needs me to do my job. So he has his job. So you can't be timid about, well, look at the, look at that. You gotta lead, you know, and that's what you've done and done such a great job. Talk about, you know, we were talking when we got before we kind of kicked this thing off, you're a big believer in dreams and we'll get to your background hopefully a little later. But you're talking about, is that, that book that you talked about, you give it to all of your people, Talk about that a little bit.

Yes, Larry. So there's a book that I stumbled upon is the Dream Giver. And in that amazing book, it talked about so many nobodies are expected from right to be somebody. But in order to accomplish that, we must get rid of the land of familiar, the land of comfort, right as we chase that big dream. And it talked about we will go through these valleys, right about, you know, in my story, we will walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you know, but if you have this big dream that you're supposed to accomplish, you know, you'll have a resolute, you know, to just keep moving towards your goals and dreams. I'm from Bogota, Colombia, so my parents moved to the United States chasing that big dream. So obviously, when I heard that book and I read that book, there's something inside me, Larry, because I saw my parents in their 40s with three kids going into an unknown right land where everybody knew they could do more, they can become more, and you could expect more. When I saw them literally within 24 hours, I'm not even putting this out there, like, joke, like, they had to sell everything they could. And then what happened is two bombs in Bogota, Colombia, and he decided, we're going to see your auntie. They saw us kiss on the dream of, oh, we're going to go to Disney for Christmas. But we never came back. We didn't go for some of the holidays in Disney. But I'm saying they chased this big dream. It was a disruptive event that happened, a defining moment, and they had decisions to make. And as I look back, see, there's ripple effects of our decisions or lack thereof, for good or bad. And so I imagine, imagine if we didn't do that, he didn't do that, where would I be? I would not be here talking to Larry Wydell, right, about a big dream that I chased. But it was my dad. My dad believed that he could give us an amazing opportunity here. He had to go fight a big fight. Language, culture, everything to construction, cleaning houses. So all I know my whole life, Larry, is work ethic. All I know my whole life is working as a team. My older brother working, you know, after high school, kfc, then going with mom and dad, clean libraries to then go spray some T shirts, you know, like the ones that are like brick surfers, to come home, like 1 2am to do it all over again to construction at 5. So all I saw was the Team effort. I remember at one point my mother said to my dad, I think maybe we can take the kids back home. Didn't know I overheard this, so that we'd be more, like, comfortable. They don't have to go through this. And I right away tell my mom, I'm not leaving my dad. And if we're going to fight, we're going to fight together. There's no way we're going to be divided. We're going to do this. And my dad decided, like, you know what? She's right. And so I say that because when I read that book, it just got me thinking. They already accomplished so much just coming to America. Now if I have a vehicle, you know, like the company I'm a part of right now, I can build outlets and have distribution, and there's an actual system. And if I have the actual vision to do something great and I'm willing to put in the effort, the chances are we can do something special here. But at the end of the day, most people are not willing, Larry, to go through the land, to leave the land of familiar. People are not gonna like you. They're gonna talk about you, they're gonna doubt you. They're gonna reject you. And it's been crazy. I mean, people saying, oh, you're a bad mom, this and that. No, I'm gonna give my kids the best life there is. And the best thing is they're gonna know that even hurt. I could play, you know, when you was throwing at me, hey, what are you gonna do with this business? Can you keep moving? Can you keep, you know, heading towards your goals and dreams? And I did, because exactly that. I'm a team player. And players play hurt. Players don't just play when it's convenient, when it's comfortable. They actually hard work in business, showing up when you don't feel like it and doing what you need to do when you need to do it. Because anybody can do anything when they feel like it. No, it's, can you do your job when you need to do it? Nick Saban says it all the time. They have, like, a little, you know, like a slogan in their, you know, locker room. And he says, do your job. So all I can think about, can I do my job? And if everybody in the world did their job, where we be? So I'm the kind of person that I want to be a contributing team player. It's not what this country can do for me, but what I can do for this country, not what this company can do for me. So with that mindset, I'm like, I'm going to chase my dream. And in the midst of that, I know I can give back. Because I'm appreciative all day, every day, Larry, that I'm in America. Because the truth is, there was no way, no way, you know, that I could have a business. Because there's two ways you can own a business. You either buy it, you own a turnkey operation. I have millions back home here, you know, and so you build it with your sweat equity. And so at that point, my family has so much to instill in me. So if there's any, you know, parents hearing this, like your work ethic is the best thing you can lift your kids, you pursuing something with passion, going from a job to somebody with a purpose, with a mission, they showed me that. And I like to think that that's something I want people to see anytime they think of me, that I'm going to be in a mission and that they can count on me, that I'm committed to my commitments. Nobody will ever doubt in my team that they can count on me, that even in the worst situations, I'm going to be there. You know, I'm going to get the job done.

And Andrea, here we have a young lady running a business from Columbia and down in Boca Raton, and she's quoting Nick Saban, the football coach.

We gotta read the books. We've got to read biographies of people that have done great things, you know?

You know, that just proves the point, you know, that was the greatest things I learned early on is that great ideas don't care who use them, you know, and you can work hard, you're going to be 50% of the people, you know, you're going to be 50% of the people if you work hard. But if you have a system, if you follow good principles, you know, if you basically fall in the pattern of successful people and you do the things in the way have some structure, you know, patterned and modeled after super successful people, you know, that becomes your own personal management philosophy, like how you do your work, how you sort through things, how you organize your life, that gives you another 40% of people that you beat. And so right there, with hard work and paying attention out there, what's the best way to get things done? What do other people do? What can I learn from other people? How can I incorporate that in my life? And you bring into your life, step by step, the things that fit you over time. And it can be a short period of time, you develop your own management structure and our philosophy, because not every idea is going to work for everybody, but there's a lot of ones that will work for you. And you wind up combining that with your hard work and all of a sudden your results start to skyrocket. And then you get up to where it's really fun because now you're competing with the top 10% just to see how good you can get, how good you can be, how big you know, your organization, your team, your legacy could be. That's you're doing that for fun. You're not doing that for survival. And because of course, you have the independence and the income, but you also have the real fun of fighting and also learning from the people at the top, you know, because they become your friends. And I noticed with, you know, before we started, I asked you how familiar with, were you with the Million Dollar Earner podcast? And you said, you know, you, you listen, you know, you, you rattled off some, but one Bill Arender and Mario Arizon and Tanya Po and different ones like that. What, what things really catch your. So here we have a million dollar earner learning from other million dollar earners. And the idea is I like to design these. Like you're sitting at the table with us when we record. You know, people are listening to us now. It's like they're just sitting with us at breakfast or lunch listening to us talk. But when you listen in on those things, is that a good use of your time? What, what do you go take away from that?

Hey, listen, there's a lot of information online, but there aren't a lot of people who have actually done something. In my case, I've actually built a successful business, has accrued over $5 billion in assets under management, and has done well even during trying times. Now, if you want to know exactly how I've done this, go to Whiteellawinning.com webinar Now, I've compressed a decade of learning into five short weeks. Just for those of you who want to give yourself an incredible advantage and are tired of waiting and watching others move up.

What I truly believe any battle we're going to fight is going to be a battle in our mind. And so I intentionally put in time to read the books, to surround myself by giants, by big thinkers, big visionaries. And so it is so valuable, you know, the nuggets you put out there, the podcast, the big hitters, everything, because it allows me to stretch me and to show me what's possible. I especially love, you know, any conversation when you're talking about the big impact we can have on the ripple effects of my decisions to go do something big with my life, you know, so when, when I hear things, when it comes to like, hey, you know, I'm gonna, you know, serve God, you know, as I serve his people, that money are certificates of accomplishments, you know, by biller render and stuff like that, it just makes me think and believe that as I chase more and I become more, it's not a bad thing. Because I remember you said it's like some people means read the Bible, you know, there's nothing wrong with, you know, money is the love of money. And so I really think as we're chasing great dreams, we gotta surround ourselves with a mastermind group that's thinking the same way, that's believing the same way, they're chasing the same things. And for me, I'm very money conscious. I came into this business knowing it was a mathematical formula. And it helped me understand that if I did certain things and if I worked the system a certain way, that the compensation will be there. And I think it's so great for me to hear over and over again that, no, I'm not working in vain. I'm not working in vain. I'm not working in vain. Even though this is the closest thing to worry, it's American business, you know, it's like we show up every day excited because we're not working in vain. As a byproduct of surrounding myself with all the giants, right, and all the leaders, I feel like I can conquer any battle. Like, I can say things that I know you have said. And it just gives me the courage to keep moving because it's like, you guys have already paved the way. So, yeah, it is invaluable work. We say an inheritance. I don't know who said it, but they say an inheritance is where you leave somebody. You know, our kids, you know, our network. But a legacy is where you can live inside somebody. And truly, if you cut me open, I mean, you'll see so many great things from so many people I have learned along the way. Lessons learned, changes made, adjustments done. Can't be in Islam for too long. You need to recalibrate and figure it out. And so as I went through situations, I just understood. I just gotta, I just gotta. I just gotta find the people. And especially one of the days that we went mar a lago with you, I remember you mentioned, it's like, as women, you know, sometimes, you know, we don't want to delegate things, you know, we want to be so perfectionist in our approach. And as you talk, you know, sometimes we talk and we're talking to somebody in particular, right?

Yeah.

And you're like, oh, if I were to talk to the women in this company, you know, they'll get farther along. And you talk to me, you know, stay home, mom. That I was coming back into, you know, moving this company forward. I was hearing from you. If I want to see be a CEO of this business, I gotta act like a CEO. And CEOs don't pick up kids. I mean, people right now I'd be like, why is she talking about, yeah, no deals in this business don't pick up kids. And it's like, well, that's my kid, right? No. So for a period of time, you know, I have to put things in place, get a full time nanny, you know, obviously, you know, put things in place, full time office, everything. So it could free me up to do the right things, which was recruit talent to get my team to the next level, you know, to get the environment going. So I thank you because we don't think that those meetings are so valuable, but they are. And I was hearing you. And that was everything. Because I just couldn't be everywhere. I needed to be where the business needed me so I could move it forward.

Right. And we got to make sure we don't go overboard with Larry becoming the advisor for all the women, how they can be successful. I could get in trouble in a minute like that. But so I got away with that one. But the thing is like this, of course, you know, you want to, if you want to go pick up your kids, sometimes you go pick up your kids, but you don't want to be in a situation where you have to pick up the kids, you have to cut the grass, you have to do the laundry, you have to fold everything. You know, you want to have options in your life. And if you spend, you know, this is one of the things we used to say way back in the beginning time, if you spend your time on minimum wage, back then it was $5 an hour was minimum wage. But I may have, let's just say minimum wage is $15 now, which are if you don't want to spend your time on $15 an hour jobs, if you really want to be $1,000 an hour person, you know, and you got to think about where you're using your time. And so that's why it's, you know, we'll get into how you organize your business and things like that. But thanks so Much for sharing your basic approach that allowed you to kind of elevate yourself. And you could close out by saying, probably addressing this like, it's a big breakthrough for all of us when we realize our success is up to us. It doesn't matter if we have advantages, disadvantages, good things happen to us, bad things happen to us. But going forward, it's going to be primarily on our shoulders to make good things happen. And, and you had that, you saw that with your father and your mother early on. And so that light bulb had to go on pretty early for you. Once you left home and started out on your own, did you never had any thought of, I'm just going to continue to stay with mom and dad, right. Live at home?

No.

So when did that come? When did that thought come to you? Really realize if anything's good, good happened to me, it's great what my parents have done and I'm here in America, but so what? I've got to dig in myself.

Well, I truly think, I mean, I listened to him and he asked me to make money, save money. I got my own condo early on, by the time I was 21 years old, so I was truly living by myself. And I remembered, you know, as I stumbled upon this amazing opportunity, you know, you got this thing telling you, oh, it's commissions. And some people's like, can you live like that? I'm like, yeah, it's unlimited, you know, so it's like some people have these limiting beliefs and I think it's like, because they have poor work ethic, I know my work ethic and if I could do great things with this company part time, imagine if I could go full time. So the defining moment, Larry, happened when my dad ended up with a stroke in the hospital. He's alive today to this day. But then my boss of three years didn't let me go see my dad. So I literally fired him, quit my job and said, you know what? I'm going to bet on me. See, at some point you got to bet on you, you got to believe in you. Nobody's going to believe in you before you do. So, you know, it's kind of that mindset and you're rooted in what you believe, reading and what you've been talking about with people that are like minded, like you. So early on it was about defining moment. I'm like, there's no way I'm going to get another job to just get by to survive for somebody that doesn't really care about my life.

Right.

And the label went on. And there it's like, no, I got to go chase something big. And it's here. It's here in a company where I can build outlets, where I can be an overrider and an owner and how much greater of an opportunity that we actually have a great mission and a crusade. So, yeah.

Yeah. And when you have those breakthroughs, it allows you to make good choices because everybody's going to have a variety of things that appeals to them. But look for the thing that's going to give you the most freedom. It's going to allow you to move up to where you can have the biggest income, most flexibility, and most enjoyment, take advantage of your, you know, skills, things you like to do, and the kind of people you like to be with. So, but no matter where you are, it's going to come down to you, you know, employee, it doesn't matter. You know, commission, salary, doesn't matter. You still got to perform, and you still got to have initiative and drive and things like that to elevate yourself and to make yourself stand out. So thank you very much, great conversation, and look forward to having you back again, Andre.

Oh, my pleasure, Larry. Talk to you soon.

If you enjoyed what you've heard and are dead serious about finding out for yourself exactly how this works in the real world, I've taken the most valuable business lessons I've learned over 40 years and put them into something for you to watch. Go to whiteellawinning.com webinar now in order to move up as fast as possible. I'm Larry Wydell, and I run the Million Dollar Mastermind. Go, go, go.