You Can Achieve Your Dream with Lenny Bazemore

But in the middle of the night, when I'm waking up in sweats, struggling to breathe because I'm screaming out, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, that's real. And where did that come from? Well, it came from my childhood. You know, I was in a fight when I was 22 years old. And it didn't— it shouldn't have happened. All I did was say hello to the guy. And next thing I know, I'm fighting for my life. You know, we're on the ground tussling. His sister comes up behind me, stabs me twice in the back, blood gushing out. I get rushed to the hospital.

All right, Lenny, welcome to the Book Thinkers Life-Changing Books Podcast. We're here to talk a little bit about your book, Resilient: Achieving the American Dream. And here's question number 1. As you can see, I'm covered in tattoos and my tattoos have a ton of meaning. Now, in the preface of your book, you talked about some of your tattoos. So, I'd like you to talk about the nickname, the Golden Dragon, and maybe about some of your tattoos that are related to it.

That's it. Yes, sir. Zen Len, the Golden Dragon. I got the nickname Zen Len because in 2012, I went to China with my family and I had a consultation with a feng shui master. His name was Wang Yoon, and he taught me simple principles based on color, material, and placement in design. At the time, I was building out a fine art gallery in Philadelphia. So, that's the first story. The second part of that story is I was searching for tattoos, and after an extensive search, I found this story about koi fish swimming up to a waterfall. Over a 100-year period. Some of the koi fish swam back downstream because it was too difficult. And so for the ones that kept swimming towards the waterfall, they found, you know, power in resilience and fortitude. And they just kept going, kept going no matter what, no matter how hard the swim upstream was, they just kept going. And they finally reached the waterfall. Now, the whole goal was to get to the top of the waterfall. For 100 years, they tried to jump up and jump up, and many failed and again swam back downstream to an easier life. There was one particular koi, one special koi that realized, if I swim down to the darkest and deepest part of the water, I can gain momentum by swimming up and up and up and boom! He jumped out of the water and he reached the top of the waterfall, and he was rewarded for his resilience and fortitude. by being turned into a golden dragon. Now, that's the story of my life. I swam upstream my whole life, and now I'm, I'm pretty successful. And, you know, I'm the Golden Dragon. So even my car is nicknamed the Golden Dragon. I drive a 2022 Bentley Bentayga Speed, and it's gold. So—

And I'll tell you what, your house and the view that, that we can see out of the back right now, but the view that you showed us today, Looks like you're standing on top of a waterfall. So, that's pretty cool.

Yeah. It blows my mind every day to be able to wake up to this type of view, but it puts things into perspective. It's a long journey to get here, but I walk in a constant state of gratitude. Yeah.

And, you feel it with your smile and your energy and everything like that. So, a little bit of background on you. Tell everybody, why did you decide to write this book? I mean, you've made it. Why open the curtains and show everybody what the process was actually like instead of just enjoying the life that you've built for yourself?

Yeah, yeah. Well, 2 things. Have you ever heard someone, you know, become a millionaire or be successful and finally get to their destination and they're like, is this it? Is this all there is? Well, I have some friends like that. That's not me. I walk in a constant state of gratitude. I'm thankful that the journey was long. I learned a lot. But I am sitting in a world of success and it feels good. But I come from a really traumatizing background, right? Not all of it was bad. A lot of it was amazing. I loved my friends growing up, lots of great experiences. But the trauma that I experienced was real. And sitting in a world of success, You would think that, oh, that guy's got it made. Well, yeah, I do. I'm not gonna lie. I've been to all seven continents. I've traveled the world. I've driven across this beautiful country three times. I've had amazing experiences. But in the middle of the night, when I'm waking up in sweats, struggling to breathe because I'm screaming out, "I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" That's real. And where did that come from? Well, it came from my childhood. You know, I was in a fight when I was 22 years old, and it didn't— it shouldn't have happened. All I did was say hello to the guy, and next thing I know, I'm fighting for my life. You know, we're on the ground tussling. His sister comes up behind me, stabs me twice in the back, blood gushing out. I get rushed to the hospital. The doctor's like, it's a good thing that you work out because the muscle in your back Prevented her from stabbing you in a certain way because the curvature of my back. I know it's deep. Yeah, I'm sorry it's deep, but the curvature of my back, if that wasn't there, she the doctor said she would have severed my spine. So you know, after a few near death experiences, you know, I kind of blocked it out over the years. And now I'm sitting in a world of success and it's coming back to haunt me by way of panic attacks. So I'm waking up in the middle of the night, panic attack. My wife calls 911, you know, stuff like that. I'm driving down the road. All of a sudden things start getting like really tight in my brain. I have to pull over. Stuff like that is not normal, right? I like to be in a state of control, control as much as possible. And so, all of those things kind of pointed me in a direction of I need professional help to deal with this trauma. And then, on top of that, I started writing my book. And then, the trauma I had to relive again. So, it forced me to go get professional help. So, I wrote the book in conjunction with therapy and it took me about 2 and a half years.

Wow.

So, I am very proud of myself for Realizing that I did need some professional help to deal with the past trauma.

Lenny, thank you for sharing that story, first off, and I'm very proud of you too. That is— it's such an impressive story hearing that, you know, what you came from is just incredible, and it's so inspiring. I've read your story and like it gives me goosebumps even thinking about it, but like Actually sitting here talking with you live also is so inspiring to see someone like you that has just achieved so much. I want to understand what is— the title of your book is Resilience: Achieving the American Dream. So what is the American dream to you and what does that mean? I think a lot of people today, we have these different versions of what the American dream is, and I think a lot of people don't think it's possible. So what is your— I guess just start with what is your version of this American dream, and do you think it's possible for anybody?

Yes, I think, uh, the American dream is possible for anyone, but the title of my book, Resilient: Achieving the American Dream, There are two subcategories, right? And I put them in the form of a question. What does success mean to me? Right? The fact is success, the definition of success for me has changed over the years because I've reached multiple levels of success. So I had to keep changing it, right? For me, success means Today, right? This is Monday the 24th. Today, success means to me helping my friends and family achieve their goals, right? That's all that I really focus on. I actually went back to school. I'm currently in the Jay Shetty certification course for life coaching, professional life coaching. I've reached, I've reached the highest level of success. That I never thought that I would be this at this level. So my main focus is getting my professional certification and giving back. I'm going to spend a good portion of my life helping other people. That's that success to me, right? The second question that I always ask myself is what does happiness mean to me? And that's providing. opportunities for my immediate friends and family, right? My wife, my kids, my, my day one childhood friends. I want the people around me to be healthy, wealthy, and wise, right? So resilient, achieving the American dream is very personal to me because I feel like I have achieved it. And with those 2 questions that I ask myself all the time, That defines it for me. So yes, I believe anyone can achieve the American dream, but they may have to redefine what that means to them. And so if they can redefine what happiness means to them and what success means to them and form it, put it in a form of one sentence, I think that they would find a clearer path to achieving the American dream.

Such powerful advice. Amazing. Now I want to go back when you were experiencing— okay, you, you, I mean, you've had several near-death experiences too, at least that you talked about in your book, which is wild. So it's not just this one, this one stabbing event, but that one's— I mean, seems to be like probably one of the most traumatic ones that you experienced. When you were in that moment, what was your dream then? It was— it just, I want to live. Was that it? Was that what pulled you through? Because I think that a lot of people, if they got to that point, I mean, not only all the struggles that you had, it's just a great point to just be like, okay, give up. This is a sign from God that I'm just not supposed to keep going. So what kept you going?

Um, well, to be honest with you, a couple of years prior, a few years prior, um, I was in high school, right? Uh, I was a high school football star. I was a running back and free safety, and I was recruited by Division 1 schools in the country. I ended up going to visit the University of Pittsburgh. So I was going to be the first person in my immediate family to go to college. I wanted to be in the NFL, right? I wanted to buy my mom a nice house, right? So I went on a visit, And it was mind-boggling how many emotions I went through as I walked through the locker room, as I walked onto the field. I felt goosebumps. I felt this amazing sense of gratitude. Like, I played football since I was like 7 or 8, and now I'm on a major college campus. I'm being recruited by this team that's in my state, right? So I'm like, this is perfect because my mom, Can travel to see me to see me play football at these games, and I was just like I'm on my way, and nothing mattered but my future. And you know, unfortunately, there was this guy who liked my current girlfriend at the time, and and she turned down his advances. And after school one day, he came looking for me. And it's unfortunate, but he came up to me and he spit in my face and he hit me. And, you know, I, I walked away, you know, through the grace of God, I walked away. And he came running after me, calling me all kinds of demeaning names. And he took another swing and I ducked and I hit him. And It's unfortunate because I got expelled from high school and I got arrested. I'm telling you right now, I was never in my life as scared as I was the day the cops knocked on my door. It was— I lost everything. I got arrested. I was charged. I was looking at 15 years in prison. I was lucky to get one year probation. And so when you lose everything and then you have to go tell your grandmother who believed in you, hey, Grandma, I'm so sorry. And you know, when she says that you broke her heart, right? You just find something inside of you. To ensure her that you will be successful no matter what, and I I promised her that I would be successful. And so after that point, all I did was focus on being successful. That's it. You know, so I made my grandmother proud. I'm sitting in a world of success because she loved me and believed in me.

Yeah, thank you so much for sharing that. And you can hear the emotion in your voice. I, I think there are probably some people grabbing the Kleenex box in the audience right now. You know, there are a lot of people that listen to this podcast, Lenny, because they want to hear stories like this. They might be in a similar position. They might be You know, out on probation right now thinking that their life fell apart, not realizing that maybe they were meant for something bigger and there was a different plan. Do you ever think back to moments like that? And, and if you could go back in time and tell Lenny, who's— the cops are knocking on the front door and you're scared for your life and you're worried about what your grandma's thinking and it's a confusing time— what would you tell that person? I mean, is there anything you could say that would make them feel better?

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

In therapy, I learned a tool. And, you know, the little boy that had to grow up quick, right, in my environment, he was a tough little kid. And I talked to him and I tell him, hey, man, you know, I want you to know that everything's going to be okay. You've been through some stuff. You're going to go through some stuff. You can handle it. But you as a little boy, 7, 8 years old, I want you to just stay strong. But I want you to know that everything's going to work out. And I got it from here, brother. I got it from here, little man. I got it. You're okay. You can go play. Right? And, and, and so I talked to myself as a grown man reflecting on that little boy's life and what he was seeing at that time. He was— he didn't know about the world. He didn't understand how things really worked. So I want him to know that everything's going to work out just fine and that I'll take it from here. And what that does is that allows me to make peace with that little boy who had to grow up really quick. And then as an adult man, it allows me to still have that child at heart inside of me. Right. So it's a beautiful relationship that I'm very proud that I have one that I'm able to have self-realization that I'm okay. I've always been okay. You know what I mean? And things do work out. You have to work at it. You have to put into action lots of manifestation and prayer. But the action part, that's the important part. You know, don't sit on your couch and pray. That everything's going to be all right. Sit on your couch and pray that everything's going to be all right, but then get up off your butt and go take some action, right? That's, that's just my motto.

No, I think you're right. It's, it's manifestation plus action. You've got to visualize it, but you've got to close the gap. Lenny, you reminded me of a piece of advice that my friend Chris gives me from time to time. He says, when something tragic happens in your life, ask, What is God protecting you from? Right. And it's, if you went down this path playing football and pursued that, you probably wouldn't be sitting here talking to us, the author of Resilient and Beautiful Views and everything like that.

Yeah.

Do you ever think about that? Do you ever think about what would have happened if you went down a different path?

100%. Uh, I think the tool of reflection is important and everyone should use it. Right. I use it in a way that Okay. If I would've went down that path, I would not have met my wife, Teresa. Teresa's my absolute best friend. We've been together for 18 years, been married for 14 years, and I would not want to experience a life without her now that I have experienced life with her. So that's the biggest thing. In addition to that, family in general, right? I had my first son I had my son when I was 22. He was 2 months old the night that I got stabbed. Right? So I'm thankful that I got through that mess. Actually, back to that story, 3 weeks later, that same guy that I got into a fight with was on a payphone next to a tavern, a bar that we lived around. I was walking by. He says, hey, what's up, man? I didn't recognize him. I walked through the parking lot to go through my mom's house. Or go to my mom's house, and he pulled out a gun on me, and he put it right in my face. And I basically, I told him what I, you know, I didn't really think about what I had said. I, but I used a couple of curse words, and I told him, look, dude, if you're going to do this, go ahead and do it. If not, you know where you can go, right? I turned around and I walked home, and I'm thankful that I'm here today. Right? I'm thankful that I'm alive. That particular man is serving up to 70 years in prison right now for an unrelated crime. So I'm just thankful to be here. But yes, I have reflection all the time. My son was born. 3 years later, my daughter was born. She's 29. She's getting married at the end of the year. And then 3 years after she was born, My youngest, who's 26, was born, and they mean the world to me. They are my world. And my son just made me a grandfather 2 and a half years ago. So, you know, no, no, you see gray, right? You see gray. But I do not want to be called Grandpop. I don't want to be called Pop Pop. My nickname, or my name for my grandson to call me, is Love Pop. I love that.

So good. Lenny, you know, I'm really curious. I always like to understand, you know, successful people.

I'm—

I want to ask you, like, what do you think makes you different than, let's call it, and this is maybe exaggerating, but the 99%, the 90% of people that don't make it out of poverty? Like, all of the people that were around you at the time, that guy who ended up in prison, like, what made you different from those people?

Great question. You know, I don't really know because I think it was— I think it's DNA, right? I think that the way that I was wired through the grace of God, I was born, right? And the way my brain was wired, the way my perspective was wired before I even came to life, right? It's a hard question to ask because I believe that I was pre-wired to experience life differently than anybody else in the world. So with that being said, my experiences were different, right? When I was a little kid, playing in the dirt with Matchbox cars. My driveway, right, to my house in the dirt was a little neater, was a little longer than some of my friends, and my house was a little different than— so I was different as a kid. And I mean, being where I am today, I would only, you know, say through the grace of God of pre-wiring before I was even born, you know, through DNA, that would be— My answer.

Yeah. I mean, I love that. I love that answer. Is there any, and I'm sure you have some tools, tips, advice for someone who may not have the same wiring and is struggling maybe with the negative, negative voice or whatever it is? Is there any?

Yeah.

Yeah. I would love to know like your advice to someone who is struggling with maybe a different type of pre-wiring.

Yeah.

Um, that's, that's a great question. That's another great question. You guys are good. Everyone learns differently, right? So it's important to know how you learn, right? Some are visual learners. Some are— as a matter of fact, I have a friend of mine who was the— he's one of my favorite athletes of all time. He was incredible in high school, but he also was a good mechanic. He's still a mechanic. To this day, 50 years later, he's still a mechanic. He's never once had the entrepreneurial spirit where he wanted to own his own shop or multiple shops. He never showed any desire of that. He just wants to be a mechanic and he's really happy about being a mechanic, right? So, I think you need to understand, and I don't call it limitations. Right? I call it finding your purpose and your mission in life. And not everybody's destined to be financially secure. Some people are— that's not what drives them, right? Passion, helping others, doing whatever their passion is or their mission is drives them. And it sucks that we live in a society where money is super important. I wish it wasn't, right? I'm a big advocate for people finding their purpose and people finding their mission. And a lot of times that is what's going to make them happy. I just wish that it paid well so that they could have a quality of life. It's just, it's a hard question to ask because, you know, people do learn differently. I would say Learn how you learn the best and try to take, you know, steps in cultivating that. At the same time, try to find your passion and mission and being aware that the world around you costs money. So find a happy medium to be able to have some sort of quality of life that Ensures that you can still do your passion and mission.

I'm wondering, is this the same advice that you give your 3 children? I mean, the resilience that you were able to create through the difficulty of your upbringing is probably very different than their reality. So, I'm curious, how do you recommend anything to create resilience in the environment that they grew up in? You know, how are you helping them with their passion and any context there? By the way, I'm expecting my first kid a little bit later this year, which is why I'm asking, because I'm looking for all the parenting advice I can get.

Oh, well, congratulations on the first kid. Take a lot of video, a lot of photos. Read, have them read a lot. And then, you know, Try to learn them, right? One thing that I've tried to do with my kids is treat them all the same. If I could go back, I would play a lot more sports with them. I would play— have more tea time with them, right? I'd ask questions about their interests. Which I never really did that, right? And my kids now are 32, 29, and 26. I wish that I could do it all over again. I would learn them better instead of trying to be a parent. I was a young parent at 22. I had no idea what I was doing. I was trying to figure it out, right? And I took that same mindset with starting 12 startups, right? Small businesses.

Yeah.

I had no idea what I was doing. I was just figuring it out along the way. So as a parent, I just wish that I could go back and learn them a little bit more, right? See what their strengths are and not treat them all the same. I would treat them individually different, you know, because all 3 of them are magnificent children, right? Were magnificent children. And now they're adults and they are incredible people. They have empathy. They have compassion. They're smart. They're kind. They only want to help other people. It's a— I'm thankful that, you know, I had a bit of a part in that. But I really, really want you to know that as I got older, I realized I made a lot of mistakes. And so now I treat them differently. Right now, I try to learn them individually, and I try to teach them what I know if they ask. You know, because as a parent, you're opinionated. You know, it's, oh, you should do this, you should do this. And you can't— as they become adults and search for their independence, you know, it can cause a Some fights, right? Dad, you always tell me what to do. Okay. All right. And they're right. But my advice to you and to other people being a parent is learn your kids from day one. Just learn them and try to cultivate their strengths, right? From an early age, just find out what they're strong in and cultivate that. Their weak points, work on that too. And you just want them to be a well-rounded young person that cares for other people, but also stands up for themselves.

Such great advice. I have 3 kids and another on the way. So I really appreciate it. Yeah, thank you. I really appreciate that. You know, so one of the best pieces of advice, and I've probably regurgitated on this podcast too many times now, but it's just, it was so amazing for me and eye-opening to me, which was help your kids become the person that they are. And like, that really, and it's exactly what you're saying, which is just learn what they're interested in. They're like, 'cause it's so easy as a parent to go in and be like, oh, I want you to do this and I want you to be this and I want you to do like all, it's so, so easy to do.

Yeah.

But instead, like, I always approach my kids like, well, what do you wanna do? What are you interested in? Instead of, oh, you have to do sports, you have to do music, you have to do all this stuff. It's like, well, what are you interested in? Maybe do those things to help you, like you said, become well-rounded. But it's good. So I love, love, love, love that advice. Lenny, I don't know, maybe we can pivot a little bit here, but your story is just, it's so incredibly inspiring. And I want to know, what are you most proud of? What is your most proud accomplishment that you've achieved in your life? Because I think you deserve to have some bragging rights and I want to here and celebrate your success with you because it's— I feel like, I feel like I know you a lot because I read your whole story. So I'm like, oh man, it's so cool to see that you've made it so far.

Oh wow, thank you. Um, well, before we go there, can I address you guys having children again?

Absolutely, yes.

The more the better.

Okay, so, so here's where we are. Here's the reality. Artificial intelligence, And robotics are really going to be at the forefront of your children's lives, right? So I would, if I were you guys, I would learn a little bit more. I would take some opportunities to invest in some companies that could help you and your portfolio moving forward. But understand that your kids are the future and they will be at the forefront of all of this. AI and robotics. And trust me, my wife and I, we invested in a company 18 years ago, and that company is about to release its first product in August, August 15th, and it's artificial intelligence, right? It's coming. It's here. So, guide your kids towards the future. Okay?

All right.

So now, back to me.

That's great. But thank you. Yes. 100% agree. Um, something that, uh, my family did not do very well was do that, guide me towards the future. So I really, really appreciate that advice. Thank you.

You got it. Um, I'm, I'm proud of a lot of different things. Um, so let me start by saying I'm proud that I am a person of color. I'm a Black man in America, and you know I feel that the American the the American government and America in general should be kinder to people of color. Right? I am proud that I have not let my bad experiences jade me. I am a proud American. I I don't do the Republican Democratic thing. I'm kind of down the middle. I don't judge people that are this or this. I am most proud of not being jaded. That's like at the top. Forget about the success and all that. I'm 55 years old. I live in this beautiful country. I am not jaded. I have Hope I have, you know, a positive outlook on you know this beautiful country. I think that you know people need to be kinder to each other and smile at each other a little bit more and not pre have preconceived notions of that person. And and to this day, I was walking down the street the other day, right? And You know, I saw this couple. They had this little kid, maybe 2 years old. It's a family. That's all it was is a family, a beautiful young family. I think we need to pay more attention to families and how sacred they are, right? So I just, I would like more attention on family. Because as Americans, we're all kind of family, you know what I mean? But I guess that's my answer.

I know, I love that. It's a great answer. I also just— I wanted to ask too before, like, I know we're getting a little short on time here, Nick, but I wanted to ask this as well because it kind of ties you and rounds you off as a person in a really awesome way. And that is just all your philanthropy that you're doing. At one point, I read an article that they called you the Batman of Norristown. So I would just love for you just to kind of talk about your philanthropy and why it's important to you and what you're doing today with all of that, all those works.

Oh, well, thank you. I appreciate that. The Batman in Narstown came from an article. Basically, my wife and I, we donated substantially to Habitat for Humanity in in Narsetown, where I'm from. And, you know, the CEO said, you know what, this is great. You're like the Batman in Narsetown because we'll call you and put up the signal in the sky. And then, you know, you come running and help us out. And I thought that that was cool because I've always loved Batman. You know, it's funny because I walked to the gym and it's up Sunset Boulevard to the beginning of Beverly Hills. And, one day, I walked to the gym, I worked out for an hour, I was coming down and I had a protein drink. I took the last sip of that protein drink, I throw it in the trash, I look up, 10 feet in front of me is Ben Affleck. So, I'm like, holy shit, it's Batman. You know what I mean? He's my favorite Batman, by the way. But, um, yeah, I've always loved Batman. Um, and so it was an honor to be called Batman. Uh, my wife and I, we feel this, uh, sense of giving back how we want to give back, not in, in terms of people calling us out of the blue saying, hey, we have a nonprofit, can you donate? No, we don't do that. We already know how we want to give back. And You know, because of our success, we feel committed to giving back, and housing is one of our primary platforms of giving back. So, yeah, we wanted to make sure that people in the town that I grew up in would have an opportunity to own a home. So at the time, I think we donated an opportunity to own 10 different homes for 10 families. And I think that equated to about a million bucks. So, I knew that a child in a home would have a better opportunity, right? A better foundation to be successful moving forward. So, Teresa and I, we decided on that.

It's amazing to hear you share that story. And impact is one of my core values and something I'm continuing to explore different ways that I can give back, especially keeping that as a primary focus as our business grows and as we can continue to expand our reach. Lenny, here's my last question because we've only got a couple of minutes left. In your book, and I'm going to use a metaphor that you didn't say explicitly, but I think you'll probably agree with. In your book, you show that the roads to success and failure are the same road. It's that you just continued to persevere a little bit longer than most people probably would. You Dodged a few more potholes. You know, you overcame a few more car crashes than the average person does. And what final words on resilient resilience do you have for everybody listening? If they're on the edge, they might want to buy the book and read your story, but they're not quite sure. They just need one more kind of motivational kick in the butt.

Thank you for the question. And people got to learn how to do the right thing the right way until they get the right results, right? Be mindful of each step, right? Don't worry about the destination. That is what it is. The real goal is to take a step forward towards your passions, towards your ambitions, towards your mission, and then take time to reflect, right? Because you started at a certain place and you started walking 10 steps in. You're 10 steps ahead of where you were. Pat yourself on the back. Look back. Reflect on what it is you accomplished. Because by the time you get to your goal, that journey along the way was the goal. You just didn't know it. Maybe someone didn't, you know, let you know or tell you. Well, I'm telling you right now, the journey is the best part. The destination is the aftermath, whatever. When you appreciate the journey, when you take time to reflect on everything you've done from step 1 to step 10, you can duplicate that over and over and over for the rest of your life. You will find the pathway to success by taking a step, reflecting, and appreciating where you come from and what you've done. And that's it. That's something to take with you for the rest of your life. A lot of people, I don't know if they are concerned about the destination. They get there and they— I don't know, maybe they turn back and say, is this it? You know, that's— no, that's not it. The journey was the destination. That's the key. And then that's all. That's all.

So powerful. The real goal is to take a step forward every day. Like, that is so powerful, man. Lenny, all right, I've got 2 more questions for you and then we'll let you go. Although, I feel like I could talk to you all day. It's been such a blast listening to you. All right. First question is, where can people go to find out a little bit more about you and learn about what you're doing? And obviously, I'll link all this stuff in the show notes.

I have a website, lennybazemore.com. Again, I'm in the Jay Shetty Professional Life Coaching Certification Course. After I get my certification, I will dedicate a good portion of my life to giving back and helping others, and I will do so through life coaching. My book is available on Amazon. It's in all platforms. All, all types of people will get something out of this book, right? It's just a powerful book of hope and resilience and, and the story of never giving up. So I hope people read it, you know.

Yeah, absolutely. And I agree. It's a, it's a beautiful story. I appreciate you so much for putting it all down on paper and taking the time to do that. I know like how hard that is just for— it's just, it's hard to write a book. And then when you have a really traumatizing story, it can— I can I can imagine that it's even harder. So I thank you so much for spending the time to do that. All right. This is my final question and it is this. If you pass away and all the information that you put out, books, whether it's courses, videos, whatever, all of it disappears, but you can leave the world with a single piece of advice, what would it be?

Go to Amazon because I think Amazon is still going to be around and get the book. It's in all formats. You could do the audiobook, the ebook. Hardcover, you know, paperback. It's— that's what I would say.

That's amazing. I love it. Yes, go get the book Resilient: Achieving the American Dream. Lenny, you've been amazing. Thank you for sharing your story and being so vulnerable on our podcast today. We really, really appreciate it.

Thank you for having me.