Part 3 - The Aha Moment That Turned A Small Office Into A Powerhouse

Welcome to this edition of the Million Dollar Mastermind podcast. This is where we pick the brains of high achievers from all walks of life and get their hard earned real world insights on winning. I'm your host, Larry Wydell. When you started your own operation, you open your own office. And now, I mean, it's real. It's your business. You have to sign a lease, you have to sign the paperwork. Was that a scary moment for you?

I'd say it was scary, but it was also invigorating. It's like the rest of your life is in front of you. Make things happen. Don't sit here in the office waiting for things to happen. Make things happen. So I think it was an exciting time of my life because it was something I was looking forward to. That daily focus, that daily grind was.

In your mind that you wanted to have out of that office. Did you want to have a place where you could do business, have a few assistants, and you could be like the Lone Ranger doing most of the business yourself, or did you want to build an organization right from the beginning?

Well, from the beginning, I was kind of a Lone Ranger because I told you I had this issue with myself where I wasn't the best people person. But then when I realized, and of course, being in a partnership with my husband, he made me realize, wait a minute, if you're building, going solo, it's going to be limited. You, you need to build a team so you can grow and get better and change. So I think when he said that to me, it was almost like a challenge. And once I'm challenged, I'm going to challenge myself. So the best thing was that conversation with him because now I was able to address the issues with myself and say, wait a minute, you can do this. Just like you set out to do this, you can do this too. So it almost becomes like an aha moment where you say, it's not as hard as it seems. It might take some work, but it can be done.

And convincing yourself that it can be done is opens the door to everything that comes thereafter. And also, he handled it very wisely. He didn't lecture you. He just put the options in front of you if you keep doing what you're doing. And that's an important skill to have or technique to have when you're dealing with people is like, you can continue the way you're doing now and things will probably turn out great with this, but it'll probably be limited. Eventually, down the road, you're going to get as good as you can get, you're going to be as busy as you can get be. And at that point, it's just going to be. You're going to be in a rocking chair type life. You'll have things to do, but you know, you're not going to be going anywhere after that point. And so the thing is that there's another option on the table is to start adding some people, mixing in some other people in with what you're doing, and step by step training them, even though it's frustrating. You got to train them and hire the right kind of people. But the payoffs that person might be with you for, be with you and improving for the next 30 years. And so lots of opportunity there, but the choice is up to you. And so that's a great skill to be able to have and know how to talk to people when they're at that moment to where it can be their decision to buy in and not you trying to force it down their throat. Because obviously you have. How long did it take you of running that office once you got the idea that I can blend some people in here and get bigger, how long did that take now before you got a sizable organization running out of that office?

Well, I would say it took six months. It didn't take as long as I thought it would, but it didn't. Of course we want immediate results. Right. But it almost seems like I was in a bubble, and it was almost like a dream. And you're working through the dream, and then all of a sudden you wake up and you realize you're. You're halfway there. That the decision was like really the big, big. The big, I guess, aha moment. And then the rest is just work that has to be done around that decision. Because most people don't decide. They say they do, but the actions say that I haven't decided yet, but I had made the decision. So it was almost like you decided. So whatever you decide, the universe is going to partner with you and help you with that decision. So it was really like kind of a seamless process, and it was a very beautiful journey, I must say.

So what. How did that decision play out in your daily activity about how you would go about your work? I would imagine it transitioned from you primarily looking for prospects for sales and making sales and going on sales appointments to where you blended in with that, looking for some people to add to your team.

Yeah, absolutely. And what I did is I shifted my thought to say, listen, if I find people for my team, the sales and the Products are so simple. The people on the team are going to be able to market them. It's not difficult. It's just a matter of getting someone again, 80%. I was reading a book out there, and they said, 80% of the population, and this is the worldwide, this is not only us. 80% of the human race is walking around right now feeling they're not good enough. That's a big population. And I felt like I had to make people realize what they. What they were good at. And once I was able to do that, it was unlocking them to the possibilities. That was the major work that had to be done in there.

And how did you. How did you figure out how to do. Do that most effectively?

Well, it was simple. I asked people where their life is, because I think people ask a question like, well, what's your goal? People never heard about goals. I mean, people, even in Harvard, people who graduated from Harvard, they didn't even put their goals down. So imagine the regular person, Joe Schmo out there, who doesn't feel worthy. They're like, goal, what are you talking about? But I was able to say, hey, where's your life today? Let's have a snapshot of your life right now. Where do you work? Who's your family? How many kids do you have? You know, basic stuff like that. But then where do you want it to be? Like, what are some of your things that you dream about? Oh, you dream about going to Italy, you dream about going to Greece. That's very doable. That's very possible. We can list these things down, and we have a game plan to get them done. And you'll be surprised how many people actually hit their goals.

How long did it take you to get your first one, your first person? And how did that. You go from zero to six months. What was that transition? Life? Because that was really the transition into a whole new way of life. You make that decision six months. How long it take you to get your first person, and how long did it take you to get clear on the kind of person you wanted to get? Not just, you know, adding people in. I want to get specific about who I want to have on my team.

Yeah, it was nearly immediate. And it was just like I said, the decision was made, and I was clear about who I wanted because we. We attract who we are, right? Not who we want to be. And I was clear about that person who had that hunger. Like, I did like that coming. Like I said, I keep bringing it back to that immigrant mindset. But, you know, when you come to JFK airport in New York and you see people come for the first time, they come with their eyes, lighted up the new world they left behind, their life and now the possibilities, right? So I was like that person. And immediately as I started talking to people, they're like, wow, that's what you're doing. I want to do that too. And I was like, are you sure? It was such a short period of time that because I didn't believe in myself so, so much, I even asked those people that said, yes, are you sure? And then I'm like saying to myself, are you crazy? What's wrong with you? So it was immediate in that process of building people, because we're not taught to build other people, because when we're on a job, we're afraid to share everything with people because we might be afraid of them taking our jobs right here. Oh, I was able to let go of the fear and say, hey, you know what? I'm going to be the CEO of my company. That's the Chief Encouraging Officer. I heard that from John Maxwell. And I, when I heard it, I said, oh my God, that's what I want to be, a CEO, a Chief Encouraging Officer. Even though that person might not be the one I'm looking for. But if I encourage them, when I'm speaking, speaking, I'm really speaking to myself. Whether they, whether they believe it or not, that's up to them. But what it's doing, it's. It's reprogramming my mind into a better mindset. So I thank all those people, those negative people out there, because I was out there affirming the great things in life and they were contradicting and I was affirming, but because I was saying it, it happened in my mind, even if it didn't happen in theirs. If that made sense.

Right. So now you go from convincing people that they can be successful, they can change their career, they can join, become a part of what you're doing, where now people are opening their own offices, which a whole nother level of commitment and that's become quite a thing to open. 20 offices, have 20 functioning.

39. It's actually 39. I undergrade 39.

Well, I knew you're, you were a position for amazing growth. I didn't know we were going to have double the number by the time of the podcast was over.

But remember, I'm not a person. I forget my own number sometimes. I'm a more action oriented. Get it done and let's move on to the next kind of person.

Yeah, well, that's what I tell people. Like if they say, how much stock do you have or how much this or how many offices do you have? If you know the answer, you don't have enough. Because when you have enough that's growing so fast you can't keep up with them. And you appear to be a perfect example of it. And so how is this happening where people are coming through and opening their own offices and what's that process all about for them and for you? Because this is a significant powerhouse operation up there in that region.

Yeah, well, again, like I told you, I was the chief encouraging officer. I told the people that I was mentoring. I told them to change their vocabulary.

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Okay. I didn't want them to use the word problem. I wanted them to use the word situation. So I would take out a pen and pad if I'm visiting with you. I would say, larry, what are some of the situations you're facing? I don't say problems because in problems people start thinking negativity, right? And we would list down the situations. And then I would say, hey, listen, now that we have the situations, let's list down the solutions. So I would attack each situation with a solution. So when I left there, their belief level was higher. But I would not just give them like a hyped up motivational talk. I would give them strategies for each situation. I would say, hey, you know what, Larry, you're having a tough time meeting with people. Let's look through your phone book or your phone or your phone or your phone book. Some people still write their phone book. And let's go through the resources you have. And based on my experience, I'm going to help you so we can transition. And all of a sudden you would see that big cloud went away. We're like, you're actually going to help me do this? I say, yes, because this is what I do. And when I would leave there, now they feel like Superman and now they can go conquer the world. So I felt like every situation was that way and that's what helped me to transition their thinking. And then that would empower me to go get more people because I was like, wait a minute, if I could do it for that person, I can go do it for xyz.

Now, have you learned how have your systems develop? Because in the beginning it's just you doing what you do. And then as you get an office, you have a bunch of people in there operating and they're doing a lot of the things, they're extension of you, but you have to be even more organized. And when you have offices in other states and then they're opening other offices, they're on the move. How elaborate are your systems? How much do you travel? How much do you stay in communication? You raised the communication idea early on, the importance of it. How often are you in communication with your people on the phone with their numbers and also with you on site?

All the time. And thank God for technology because we can be on Zoom now and we can see each other. Right before it was just on the phone, we don't see the facial expressions. You're able to have a Zoom call with one of your offices and if they're farther away, you can say, hey, listen, you know what? The, the time I'm going to spend two hours going and two hours coming, that's four hours, right? I'm going to invest that time in you and we're going to be on this call and go over the situations and the solutions. So I think the best thing I do all the time is I communicate all the time. And the systems that I have for training, I delegated. I want to, I want people to show me that they're able to teach this stuff the same way. They might have a different personality, but they've got to get the point across. If they don't get the point across, it's not going to work.

How do you keep your people unified and where they feel like they're part of a team? And how important is that?

Well, unity is important, but I think people mistake unity with conformity. And people think, well, oh, because I do it this way, you're going to do it this way. No, unity just means you and I, we are after the same thing. We're all here to help our families. You might do it a little different, I might do it a little different. But at the end of the day, the end in mind is the same. And if I. You can't come with an attitude of, well, you know what? I already did my part in the past and you know what, I'm just here to pass time because people hate for you to be on the sideline and they're out there slopping it up and working and you're sitting here saying, well, you know what? I just did everything I needed to do and I have a great life. People don't like that. They're like, are you in the game? Yes, I'm in the game. I might be at a little higher level game or I might be ahead of you in the game because I came before you, but. But I'm playing the same game you're playing. So when that happens, people become unified and they, they respect you because now you're looking out for them.

How would you say your life has changed, Gerpreet over the last few years? Where you've gone from, you have to look back from going to being an employee, spending those two hours every day going and coming to just a job job to where now you're spearheading this organization in a very technical, professional field and having amazing success. How has that paid off for you in your personal life? And has it made things. How has it made it better? Is it worth it for you that you put yourself through all of this?

Yeah, well, it reminds me of a quote that again, John Maxwell, I always talk about him because I listened to him a lot and he said leadership is a wonderful position, but it's also a 24 7. Leadership is 24 7. So I feel that leadership has energized me to provide value to people. And because of my journey, I'm able to walk that journey with them and I'm able to take that road with them. So to me, I'm more invigorated today than I was when I started. And now it feels like I have the ticket to freedom. And the freedom is not from financial freedom. I mean freedom of who I am. I can be myself and I can basically, I don't have to be someone else. I don't have to prove anything to other people. But I want to be the best person I can. And the only way that's going to happen is to continue growing, is to continue developing my mind and continuing to connect with people like yourself who are creating these resources and saying, wait a minute, I can get you the insight that's required. Now we just have to apply it so we can move further. So it's really a great journey.

So in your personal life, how would you tell that person who was going to that job and spending their life coding, how would you tell them this is paid off for you? Like if you say, if you go through this transition that I went through, here's how it can pay off for you and enriching your life, how would you say?

Well, I would say that working on yourself, you believe in yourself, you become better, it's worth it. Because what you do on the inside is going to show up on the outside, right? Of course. Financially it's going to show up because we want to have financial empowerment. But it's also going to show up because you want to be a just a better person, a better human being, a better teammate, a better wife, a better mother, a better daughter, whatever. You're better because now your attitude is not a victim. Your attitude is like, wait a minute, I can win this, whatever it is, I can be the victor of my life. So that just frees you up because then the world is full of possibilities. There's no restriction. It's unlimited. It's like 10x. The world is a 10x world. It's not a small world. And that I think that self assad, that sense of satisfaction, it's not anything you can buy. It's something you can only go through the journey and develop because you become.

Somebody who's a difference maker in other people's lives. And the thing is, when you have a job, no matter how great the job is or you're, you're basically working for a company, performing a task, and you're basically filling a slot and hopefully doing a great job filling the slot. But they can run ads and get somebody else to come in and fill that slot, build that website, write that code, build that app or whatever. But when you go out there and you're creating products and delivering products, like Casey Diaz, I was asking him explain how he got so excited about being in the printing business. And he said, well, you make a sign, people have an idea, they're starting a business and they want a new sign and you selected everything. But then when you build it and they come in and then you install it, he said to see that, you know, the smiles on their faces and the satisfaction, that's kind of like a little part of their dream coming alive. And he said it's just very rewarding to be a part of that. And when you're in sales, you get the thing of being able to help a family, a business owner, providing a service, you're selling it, something new to make their life better. But when you're offering, you're building people and you're offering them the opportunity to come up and not only learn a skill, but to if they're motivated and they've got the ability, go on and do something bigger with that, even get their own office, their own business and change their life, become financially independent with the same spending the same time. It's much more rewarding to spend your time helping people change their lives rather than just delivering a product. And what comes to mind with some of the people that you've seen go through transformations that makes you proud of what you've been able to accomplish through your business other than make money and move, you know, sell products and things like that. What are some of the biggest transformations you've seen?

Well, I've seen people becoming debt free. I've seen people get their life back. I've seen people buy their mama house. I've seen them maybe being able to pay for medical challenges for their family. I've seen all of that happen. And when it happens, it's just invigorating because you were able to show them a system that provided them that because on their job they wouldn't be able to do that. Right. It was limited. So I've seen that all. And I mean, I've seen transformations in people's lives, but I've also seen people's transformation in their, their thought process where they're no longer that negative person, they're no longer that doubting person where they believe in themselves and they want to conquer the world. So to me, that's the best feeling.

Yeah. Well, congratulations, Gurpreet. It's been fun talking with you. Hopefully we're going to get a chance to do it again. Hopefully your offices and your network will expand. And because I know you're in. I knew you were in a big growth surge right now, but I didn't know you'd already exploded from 20 to 39 offices.

Yeah.

You might be up to 45. It's 10 minutes later.

Yep, that's it. The goal is to have at least minimum 100 in the next year or so. So we have to get to work.

Yeah. Well, let's make an appointment to get back and talk. Talk about that. But it's not all roses and it's not all staying calm. What would you say it was the biggest challenge for you? Just so people will know you're a real person and you're living a real life and things don't always go great. What was a real toughest crossroads for you or challenge for you as you, you went through this road?

Well, the biggest challenges I mentioned was the people to basically deal with people, to get along with people, to work with people. Because when you don't know how to work with yourself, you can't work with the, the public out there. So it was really getting a system to change myself that would help me change how I handle dealing or building a team or dealing with people. I think that was the most challenging, but it was also the most invigorating. So it was, as you said earlier, the challenge grows us the most. I think that challenge grew the most for me to become the person who can work with basically any person and then help them see where we needed to go.

Yeah, I think all of us, the changes we have to make ourselves are the toughest in how we approach things. We have to become more flexible and more open. But those changes put us in a position to have much more success throughout our life because we're not so rigid. We're not creating more problems than we're solving as we go through life. So many managers are out there, they're putting, they make the soup and then they put a drop of poison in the soup. At the end of the day they, they say something to poison the whole mixture is like they put a big party on for their team, but then they say something in the process where nobody enjoyed it. They hate the manager even more than when they started. And it's important not to be your own worst enemy out there. And that's, I think that's a process we, we all go through some stage or another.

Yes, absolutely.

Thanks so much. Gurpreet any. I always like to give our guests a last word. So do you have a last word for those that have stayed with us throughout the to the end?

Well, the last word is believe in yourself and go through the journey. And believe in yourself. Because when you believe in yourself, the world is unlimited and you might hit those roadblocks. But guess what? If you come to a dead end, you just turn around and you go in another street. So don't limit yourself. Just continue and challenge yourself to become the best you. And it doesn't mean you have to go from 0 to 100. It's a process daily. Right. Life is. Success is in your daily agenda. And every day, if you do the small things, you'll be surprised how they add up.

Absolutely. And just make up your mind, you're not going to be in that 80% that because their answers are out there, you've just got to go look for them. And as our good friend Bill Arender says, I may not be good enough today, but I probably can be tomorrow. And so don't give up today because of what could happen tomorrow. The answers are all out there, so keep on going. Thanks so much, Gurpreet. This has been fun.

Yes, it's been great. I appreciate you having me on. It's been an honor and I hope that someone can get something out of it.

I know they will. Thank you. Thank you for listening to the final part of this episode of the Million Dollar Mastermind podcast. Great ideas, don't care who use them if you're motivated to move up in a big way. Right now, I've created a free training video to remove the mystery on how to set yourself up for business success. This is the information that has changed so many of our lives and it can have the same impact on you. And the video is completely free. You'll find it@widelawnwinning.com join us over there. And thanks for being part of our community.