From Rock Bottom to Top Performer: The Journey of Sanyika Street

Say, Nika, how's it going today?

Powerful, man.

It's going powerful. Walk me through that. Like, why? How's it going? Powerful today?

First and foremost, I'm pleased to be here. It's great to be be with you. When someone asks me a question, I always want to check in with myself. So no matter who it is, if somebody says, you know, how you doing? And I'm like, how am I doing? And in this moment, I feel extremely powerful. I got my workout in. You know, we're having this powerful conversation. Got my kids at school. I feel like I'm rocking and rolling with a great intention. I feel intentional, I feel on purpose, and I feel ready to rock.

All right, so I'm ready to run too. But what I want to do for our audience is give them a bit more context in regards to who you are. So can you give us the quick intro and then let's get into the meat of it as well after that.

I'm totally down. Totally down. So who am I? I'm a man. I'm a father, I'm a husband, I'm a leader. I am a king. And, um, I'm a the CEO and founder of the all in CEO, which is a personal development company for men that are really looking to step into creating a life of integrity and alignment. That's what it means to be all in. So, alignment, integrity, so that, you know. So I coach some of the most successful and extraordinary men in the world, and I seek to be that in every way, shape and form in every aspect of my life. So I don't just coach what I coach, I be who I be. And my intention is that there is no drop off or slippage in that through line. So everything that anybody experiences from me in this conversation is exactly the same individual that you will meet when you meet me in person. All, you know, all aspects of me.

Yeah, I can attest to that because I met you in person at the premiere of the TV show 60 Day Hustle that I was fortunate enough to appear on. And you have a presence where you can't help but stand out. So for everyone listening, I'm six four. You got to be like, what, six, seven? Because you were towering over me, and I was trying to find an excuse for us to sit down so we can be close to the same level. But even though you have this imposing size, like, you're just so welcoming and just. I don't say humble because that's actually a negative word, but, like, just approachable in a way where you could be cocky about all these things you have going on, but you're still so grounded in and friendly. That's really what stood out to me.

Well, I really appreciate you sharing that, man. Yeah, groundedness is a really important component of just how I look to move into the world. You know, like, I used to be a. Like, I'm on stage often, so I talk about performance. And there's a difference between being performing when I'm on stage and being performative, you know, And I experience that there's this. There's a. There's a mask of masculinity when it comes to men and when. How we show up when we're in environments with other men, and everybody's got all these preconceived notions when they see my big ass walk into a room. And so, you know, so there's like. I mean, dude, the interactions I have with people are just priceless. I would imagine that you have many of the same. But the interactions I have with people, whether I'm at Target or whether I'm just walking down the street, people. Just the random things that people say to me is just really fascinating. But there's a performative aspect when it comes to masculinity and who we get to be as men. And really, what my intention is, is to really take a sledgehammer and to break apart the masculinity box so that you can actually live in a space where you feel more uninhibited and unlimited. And to me, that's the ultimate value of the masculine, which is freedom. And I think that everybody could use a little bit more freedom. So my intention is to provide people with a little bit more freedom.

Yeah, I can. I think we can all agree with that. And what I'm curious to know is how did you become this person? Because again, I'm looking at you, I'm drawing some, you know, making some assumptions that, you know, you played sports when you were younger, you're the big man on campus, so. And so forth. And then there was some moment when something happened, and I don't know what that is, so I'm curious, like, what was this look like? Like, what was the evolution that led to who you are now?

Hmm. So the. The. The evolution for me was I. I would say this. This. This really powerful catalytic moment that I like to call my rock bottom sandwich. Okay. And. And I call it a rock bottom sandwich because I was already at rock bottom, and then rock bottom smashed on top of me. It's like an Oreo cookie. And I'm the feeling, it's like I'm, you know, financial, I'm 35, I'm 45 or be 45 at the end of this, end of this year. But at 35 I was financially broke, emotionally broken, two DUIs, growth and paying the bills, 40 pounds overweight, just co dependent, not understanding how to effectively move in the space of being a leader, reactionary in many different ways. There's some core aspects of my essence that have always been there, but I had gone on this like downhill slope of losing myself. And I think that that's a really important part, is that, is that the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself. And I realized that I had, that I didn't know who myself was. That was really the ultimate thesis of that period of time is that I didn't really know who I was. I didn't know what I stood for. I didn't really know what my values were outside. I mean, look, you know, many people go through values exercises where they, they identify what their values are. But you're not really going to understand what you stand for until you stand for something, right? And so you have to stand for something. So, so my back was against the wall and then I realized, and then I had to emerge from that low period of time. You know, that period of time was like a really powerful moment because it told me that I was isolated. It told me that I had a greater potential in terms of what my purpose looked like in my life. And it told me I was underperforming in every aspect of my life. And, and so from that place I, I went out on the ledge. I started the, you know, I sort of started the fire, you know, in myself. I started making a series of decisions. And then as I started making a series of decisions and people started seeing me make those series of decisions, then they were like, hey look, can I help to stoke the fire a little bit? You know, if I make you a part of this, you know, this, this community of some of the world's most amazing entrepreneurs. When I'm making $11 an hour, by the way, I'm making $11 an hour working part time and then I get to join one of the most prestigious, you know, communities of entrepreneurs in la. And that started me on one path. I, I, I'm having a conversation with a friend of mine and I'm making $11 an hour. He's like, yeah, I'm about to go interview for this job where they're making 10, $20,000 a month and I'M like, that's more money than I've ever made in my life. I was like, I'll move to San Diego. So then all of a sudden, as I started to get the fire stoked, then people started to support and they were like, hey, look what would happen if I threw a few, you know, threw logs on the fire. And that's what really started to propel me into the position I'm in today. Which is, which is a night and day, full transformation.

Yeah. And I have to dig more into that transformation because you're saying this took 10 years. And for me, it seemed like you were in the game longer because you're working some really big names. And help me out, the name Jeff from one Golden Thread. What's his last name?

Skull.

Yeah. So you're working with like very well known, very established founders and you're saying this took 10 years. So. And I, and I love like the thought about people putting logs in the fire, like the support you were getting. But like, what was that like? Because you go from making $11 an hour to like, you know, working with these very impressive people. Like, just what happened? Because I know people are listening, are like, okay, sounds great. But like, what happened?

Yeah. So I'll just, I'll say this. Is that the first thing that needed to happen? Because, you know, they say that you're the. You're the. That you are the. Your beingness is informed by the five people that you spend the most time with. So then the question is, well, who am I spending time with and why? And the reality is that I was in a form of self isolation. I had a tremendous amount of shame just in terms of just what I was moving through in my life. There's. There's only one reason, there's only one reason that a man's life does not work, period. And that is because he is out of integrity and because integrity, because without integrity, nothing works. So I needed to get to create a life in integrity and to create a life where I honored my word, I had to figure out what I stood for, what was in my deepest alignment. And you can't do that on your own. So the first thing that I had to do was I had to get into community. I didn't realize it. I wasn't like, oh, I need to get in community. But when the opportunity presented itself through a. I was overheard a conversation. I'm a, I'm a very curious dude. I got great. I got super laser sharp hearing. I heard a conversation with a guy who was a A production partner of mine when I was songwriting for Universal, but I was still broke, but I was songwriting for Universal, and I was.

Can we talk about that? Like, because you're kind of skipping over some big parts here. That's why, like, I want to slow you down because, like. And you don't have to go into this part, but you mentioned, like, not living in integrity, and I don't know what that involves. It might be something that you don't want to talk about. That's fine. But then you're also a songwriter, so I feel even more boring talking to you. So can you just. Whatever one of those you want to dive deeper into would be great, because there's a lot coming at me right now that I have questions about.

Got it. I'll dig into it. So I'm originally from DC. I'm the youngest of four. I moved out to LA in 2005. Moved out to LA in 2005 because I had done a reality show on Fox in dc. So to be the barely big reality show on Fox at that time was like, oh, everybody's gonna be a, you know, a reality star. That kind of thing. And the show was. I was like, the show is stupid. We're not gonna be reality stars. It's called the Complex Malibu. So if you look me up on IMDb, it'll be under sand street, because that's my. That was my pseudonym at the time. So I came out to la, got into acting, did two movies, two TV shows, a few commercial. National commercials, that kind of thing. Acting slows down, and then I see.

I would have led with all that. That's how I know you're like. I don't say humble, but you're not, like, you know, not ego driven. Because that would have been what I led with. Like, hi, my name is Terry. I recently been on this reality show. You're just like. I had to, like, pull that out of you. So props for that.

Look, I'm. I'm down to get. I'm down for the. The prodding and the pulling is all good. So that was initially what sort of started my trajectory. And then, you know, I tell people, you know, my. I was promoting nightclubs in Hollywood, some of the biggest nightclubs in Hollywood, in 2008 to. Well, 2008, 2007 to 2012. And during that period of time, that's when I started the process of losing myself, you know, So I. I went through this process. But in the middle of that time, around 2008, I made the. The decision that I really wanted to get into songwriting, so pause on that. My background, my 10,000 hours, is with a pen and paper. You know, for me, I've been a writer since my, I've been a. I've been doing poetry since I was in fourth grade. I've been rapping since I was 12. So for me, the intrinsic sort of quality that I've cultivated over the course of my life has been writing, speaking, and then writing first and then speaking and then performing, right? So that's what always has lived at the core. But then what happened was, as a result of going on this journey, being a Division 1 athlete at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, which is a division with a mid major, Division 1 school on the east coast of Maryland. But I was, you know, on this trajectory and I was like, I'm gonna be a, the, the, the jock, you know, so that's the direction I was going. I was like, oh, you know, I'm gonna be the jock. I'm gonna be the. That guy. Yeah. And so then I put the writing, the, the poetry, all that stuff, I suppressed all of that, you know, it was just sort of in my back pocket. And then as I started to go on my own journey in life, then that's what took me to la. And then when I went to la, I thought I came to LA to act, but I really came to LA to find myself, you know. So then that trajectory is what took me, brought me back out here. Then that's when I got into. To, you know, to acting, into, to really pursuing the acting thing. But let me tell you about the integrity. Here's the integrity part worked or showed me that my life wasn't working. To be successful in an endeavor, to be successful as an actor, to be successful in a creative pursuit, to be successful in a relationship, to be successful in your relationship with yourself, I have to be able to come to a place where I am again. The definition of integrity means. Integrity means one thing. It means honoring your word. And it also includes the full definition that I give to the men that I work with, the full definition of integrity, which is honoring your word, which includes keeping your word. And in the event that you are human and you don't do what you say that you are going to do, that you're accountable enough and honorable enough to acknowledge what you said, apologize if you caused any harm, and create a new agreement that you will commit to emphatically. So what happens is that integrity creates an environment of trustability. It creates an environment of trustability. And so what was missing in my life that I couldn't see was, was that I couldn't trust myself because I couldn't honor my own word to myself. So. And if I can't honor my word, my own word to myself, then I can't honor my word to other people. So then what happens is that you start seeing relationships fade and go, you start seeing people grow distant and you're like, why are people, you know, not, you know, coming in and out of my life? I'm like, because, because there's a lack of trust, there's a lack of whether or not if you say that you're going to be somewhere, whether or not you're going to show up fully in your power at that moment, you know. And so what was happening is that I was showing up in some areas and I wasn't showing up in other areas. And I was like, I don't understand what's going on, I don't understand what's happening. And then all of a sudden things just start to dissipate and fade a little bit. And then all of a sudden there's like this low hum and then you're like, oh, okay, the opportunities are just fading away. I'm like, why are the opportunities fading away? And the women are fading away and the things are fading away. And it's because, oh, it's because I was flighty and I was non committal and I was, I was not consistent and disciplined in terms of the way that I wanted to show up in my life and who I wanted to be. And that was the smack in the face that I needed, you know?

Yeah, I, I, I want to keep digging because you got to this moment where you realize, hey, integrity is the challenge. And that's why I'm not, you know, getting what I, what I want from life. But did you have any kind of mentors? Did you read a good book? Like, what tools did you have to fuel this journey of not only just self exploration, but actually applying what you've learned and moving forward that way?

So when I came to the realization was after conversations, a series of conversations that I had with, with, with guys who would stand up for my greatness, you know, during that period of time. The reason why it lasted for the degree or the duration that it lasted.

So I got to go back because I love that phrase, like guys who would stand up for my greatness. And the reason why I want to kind of highlight that is because we often have cheerleaders around us and we won't, they'll see Something in us that we don't. And I'm speaking from my own perspective. And then sometimes we don't believe them. We're like, oh, no, you're just being nice so and so forth. So again, I'm speaking for myself. But did you experience that, too? When people are like, hey, man, like, you were capable of such great things. Did it take some convincing for you to believe it and then you move forward? Or were you like, hey, thanks, and you got.

Took me 45 years of convincing.

Okay, so I'm not the only one. All right.

Good to hear. Not at all, man. I mean, look, I. I used to. I used to be the. The master of kung fu compliment deflection, you know, I'd be like, people like, oh, you know, you're really talented. I'd be like. And it's like all of a sudden, you start, you know, no, that's not me. You know. You see that? Nah, that's you. You know. Nah, that's. As opposed to, you know, one of the important things that I. That I teach everybody that when they get a compliment is that if I gave you a gift, Terry, like, if I gave you a gift right now, would you be like, nah, I don't want the gift? Would you say, no, I would not say that? Yeah, probably not, right? If I gave you a gift, what would you say? Thank you. Thank you. That's it. If I. If I. If I. If I say, man, you're a handsome dude. You're like, oh, thank you.

Yeah.

You know, and. And so what?

I mean, I'm used to that, but I'm joking.

There you go. Right? But I'm like, yeah, you know, thank you. I said. So I said, when people give me any kind of acknowledgment, for whatever reason, I say, thank you. Received. I receive it. I receive it. We are not in the practice of receiving. So when you're not in the practice of receiving, then you're in a practice of deflecting. And if you're in a practice of deflecting, then you can't assimilate the information for the purpose of understanding that this actually means that when you get in for. I used to receive compliments as. As praise. I'd be like, oh, you know, it's about me. But then I started receiving it as data. And when I started receiving it as data, it's like, oh, you're on purpose. Go this way. This is the direction that you get to go if you just allow it to land in your body. And so that's that was, that's been some of the deepest work is people will come to me and say, oh, you know, you have a great voice. Oh, you come to, you know, your great presence. They come, oh, you have great this, you have great, you know, like, oh, and as opposed to just being like, oh yeah, you know, like you have an ego and everything like that, I'd be like, why do you believe that? I'll ask somebody. I'm like, why do you say that? And what that data gives me is a deeper sense of awareness about how to dig into the gift, how to cultivate the gift, how to bring the gift to life so that I can use it in, in a way that amplifies and that benefits people so that I can serve in the greatest sense of the way I want to show up in the world.

So I'm going to ask you a question again. I'm not going to interrupt you this time. What, what tools, what resources were valuable to you while you're on this ascension?

Feedback exercises. Critical. Critical Feedback exercises have been the. One of the most powerful tools. Robin Sharma powerful coach. He says feedback is the breakfast of champions. And to me, I truly believe that. So feedback exercises were paramount. I've done one of the things that I recommend to every man, and this is every man especially, who wants to build an exceptional business. As I tell them, it's really powerful for you to heal your father wounds. So healing my relationship with my father, paramount, really, really important. How does that impact your business? Like, because all your trust issues, all your non delegation issues, your inability to maintain a steady relationship, which creates the inconsistency that sort of leaks into your business. All that stuff comes from unhealed traumas associated from when you were raised. So healing your relationship with your father. So workshops to heal my relationships with my parents were huge. That also incorporated things like, you know, I'm gonna get deep on this but like somatic experiencing.

But why I want to kind of highlight that is because we often have cheerleaders around us and really about really.

Transitioning from shame, the shame that your body carries. So workshops are really powerful. Feedback exercises were powerful. Books were important, but books sort of informed the in person experiences. I was more of a, you know, I learned more with my hands and when I'm, when I'm in conversation or environments where I can actually learn, I think it's called kinesthetic, you know, kinesthetic learning. So it's auditory, visual and then kinesthetic. So I'm more of a tactile person. So so being in environments, that's another thing, is really understanding what your skill sets are. So, so personality, you know, personality tests, Myers Briggs human design, wealth dynamics. Like, those are really, you know, skill. The skill finder. You know, like, those are really, really important things that help start to inform who I am. So those are really some really and powerful and important tools. And then the most ultimate tool for me at that period of time was, was mentorship. Like finding a. Finding someone who I deeply respected, who held the values that I wanted to embody into in my life, and just mirroring that individual. I'm going to get really. I'm going to use a religious example story real quick, but I'm going to say this because there's a. There's a conversation called not because conversation, but there's a story about this idea called Dust of the Rabbi. And during the time of Jesus, obviously Jesus was Jewish, but during the time of Jesus, what happened is that when you wanted to learn from a rabbi, what you would do is you would. You would. You would approach the rabbi and say, hey, look, I want to learn from you, right? Can I seek your mentorship? But when you sought mentorship from a rabbi, you didn't just seek the mentor. You didn't just go like. Like an a la carte buffet, like, I'll take the meatballs, but I won't take the spinach, and I won't take this. And I. You followed that rabbi so close that you could experience their dust. And the idea of mentorship is that there's a really important component associated with mentorship that makes mentorship really valuable. And this is the magic that most people miss. Most people think mentorship is about the money or the financial transaction. If you do have a paid mentor. Some. Most people think mentorship is about, you know, exchange, that kind of thing. Mentorship is. I don't believe it to be about any of those things. I think it's about creating a clear and powerful agreement at its core. But here's the secret. The secret. So people go, why do people get such powerful transformations when they work with you? Seneca, why do people get such powerful transfer transformations when they're in your environment? Like, what's the magic? Is it like gold, fairy dust, or is it that kind of thing? I was like, dude, it's one thing, and it's one thing only, my brother. It is. It's something that you are unwilling to do, and it is lay down your sword and your shield. Shield. It is called surrender. You surrender. Surrendering, meaning that I am coming Here with the full intention, from picking up on aspects, on all aspects of this. Because I am at the point where I've had enough of the life that I'm living. I'm a transition from that dust of the rabbi story to when I stepped into my intense training regimen. I went in my first day with my trainer, first day with my trainer, he's like, yeah, you know, obviously you know a lot about lifting. We've been training pretty intensely. I wake up at 4:30 in the morning to train. So, you know, he comes, he's like, he looks at me, he says, obviously you know a lot about lifting. I was like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, I don't. Yep. No, I don't. I don't know anything. I'm here to learn. That's it. Done. Show me everything. And the thing is, that idea is that idea, I carry it over into every aspect of my life, is that I want to be. I'm a student. That's why I'm effective as a teacher. So I embody the student. I embody being the student. And that informs the way I show up as a teacher. But I'm, but I operate as both. I'm the, I'm the guy who's willing to teach on stage, and I am also the guy that's willing to clean the toilet. And I'm also the guy who's willing to intern at a location. And so, for instance, when I see people who are not, you know, you know, playing the game of life at the highest level, part of the reason why is because there's this idea or this ego or this, the semblance of who they should be that's preventing them from getting on their hands and their knees and getting dirty. And so for me, I like, I like to transcend all that stuff. I'm like, look, I'm. I'm a guy who will get on his knees and get the work done. I'm a guy who will, who will teach from the highest leverage point to make sure that it's the most effective for, for, for, for his audience and his productivity. And at the same time, I'm willing to be a student in all facets and areas of my life. So the tools become not only the, you know, the tactile tools like feedback exercises and books and workshops and those types of things, but also ways of being that I've learned by mirroring and experiencing the dust of the rabbis that I've chosen to learn from. They haven't all been rabbis, by the way.

This is. This is powerful. And before I let you go, I want to ask one very important question. So everyone's listening. You know, they're. They're fired up. Like, no. No pun intended. But what I think the challenge is for some people is, like, it's a lack of patience. They're saying, okay, cool, I'll do the things. I'll find the five mentors, you know, I'll reinvent myself, so on and so forth. But they want to happen, like, tomorrow, and I think that's where they lose momentum. But with you, I can tell you're a very patient person. I mean, even the pace of how you communicate.

I'm.

I'm always in a hurry for whatever reason. Maybe it's because I live in Brooklyn. Whereas you're very deliberate, in mindful. So how do you encourage people to not only necessarily slow down, but to at least practice some kind of strategic patience so they're not always thinking they're going to get this success tomorrow and can actually push through and take the necessary steps? See, even right now, that was a good pause. Like me, I would have been, like, firing away with the response.

So one of the first things that. So guys and this. This carries across the board is, is that under no circumstances at any time are you required to respond to anyone immediately for any reason ever, including me. It is one of the most. It is one of the most devastating occurrences I experience, especially when it comes when the stakes get their highest. When you're in a conversation with your partner, when you're in a negotiation is an immediate response. It will ruin you because you don't. They say that the. The music is what occurs between the notes. They don't give space for the music. The music is what happens in the silence. It happens in the edit. You hit the key and then the music comes. And then the. The next key and then the music comes is that you have to give a chance for what's happening to land in your body. So I filter information through my body. So when you speak, I'm listening. Not only listening to what you're saying. I'm feeling what you're saying because I care about what you're saying. And then I reinterpret it in a way that I feel is the best to be able to reiterate it. So the first thing I have to do is I have to understand. I'm not in a rush. I'm not in a hurry. My friend Ryan Crownholm is really, really brilliant dude. He says we overestimate what we can do in one year, we underestimate. We can do in five. And so the first thing I had to come into the awareness of is that. And this is triggering for a lot of people, but I had to come into the awareness that I have all the time in the world. And I tell everyone I work with, you have all the time in the world until you don't. But until then, I have all the time in the world. So if I have all the time in the world, then what would I do if I moved more intentionally? Now, here's the thing. I can move with urgency. I can move with urgency. I can be expeditious. I'm a go getter. I'm a guy who will literally, like, you know, I will break through a wall if I need to, but. But I'll do it from a very intentional place. So I move with a sense of. A sense of internal calm. So I cultivate a sense of internal. I cultivate a sense that I have all the time in the world, and I cultivate a sense of what really requires urgency and the things that require importance. If there's something that's urgent, important. I'm the first one online. I'm the first person in line. I'm sitting in the front of the room. I'm the first person to ask a question. I'm that dude, you know, but if. But when it comes to. But I want to make sure I process things. So I process things through the filtration process of my values. What is in alignment for me? This conversation is in alignment for me, which is the reason that I'm having it. There are certain conversations that are not in alignment for me, which is the reason that I don't. And so I operate like there's all the time in the world. And the other thing I do is I practice my no benches, 375 pounds, 12 times for six sets. I got the strongest no in the history of the universe. So. So I am very aware of what is in alignment for me and what is not. So I don't need to rush or need to move too fast. I just move to the things that I need to move through. I'm hopping from lily pad to lily pad because it's the next lily pad that I get to hop onto.

Well, I'm glad this is an alignment with you because I thoroughly enjoy this conversation, and I know that everyone listening did as well. So if we want to learn more about you, if we want to follow along, what's the. What's the best way to do so.

Follow me at Instagram at the All In CEO. And you can go to theallinco.com and check out the work that we do with the world's most powerful men.

Will do. And in partying, I mean, do you have a personal philosophy or like a favorite quote you can share with our audience? Because I don't want to end with you shouting out your Instagram handles. Is there anything else you want to share before we take off? Because it's a very meaningful conversation.

For sure, man. For sure. I'll actually, there's a quote by W.H. murray. I'm just gonna pull it up real quick. It's about. Actually, I'll just read it and here's the quote. Until one is committed, there's hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation. There's one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans, that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issue from that decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.

Love it. Couldn't think of a better way to sign off here. So thank you again and I appreciate you. Thank you for this.

Absolutely, brother.