41: How to use LinkedIn to truly connect with people and be successful with Scott Aaron

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Welcome to the Becoming Bulletproof podcast. I am your host, Tracy o'. Malley. I'm a mom to millennials, an author, Enneagram expert and multi million dollar entrepreneur, and master performance and business coach. I've gone from rock bottom to building a bulletproof business and life. If you're looking for the unfiltered transparent truth and ethos, an extra kick in the ass, you will discover that here. Each week I'll be bringing you success stories of high level entrepreneurs as we discover how they became bulletproof and created their empire. You'll learn the story behind the glory along with Enneagram inspired truths so you can ignite your own purpose, profits and build your legacy. It's time for you to become bulletproof. Buckle up. Let's go.

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Becoming Bulletproof podcast. This is going to be a fun conversation. We're going to get a little personal and then this guy is going to blow your ever loving mind when it comes to LinkedIn strategy. And I am very, very excited because not only is he brilliant and wise, he, he is full of soul and full of heart. And I've known Scott for a while, but didn't really get to know him until last year. We got to spend a lot of time having great conversation about all the things, you know, life and growing up and single parenthood and divorce and business and pivoting and really all the things that make up our lives. And I think when you can bounce things off other people, I think so many of us, especially in my age range, you know, we were conditioned that you just don't talk about shit like what happens in your house stays in your house and you just leave it there. And then we go on to try and live our life with all these secrets and it just never works. And you know, the more I have put myself around people that are really taking their lives next level, the more deep conversations we end up having and the more that we realize, oh shit, me too, me too. And had we just opened our mouths a little bit sooner, maybe we would have saved ourselves some of the turmoil and the mistakes. But you know what? I'm one of those that believes it all happens in the timing that it's supposed to. As long as you are continuously trying to move forward, even if it's just one pinky toe at a time, that's okay too. And even if you take a few steps back, you just get your ass back up and you take another step forward. And when I met Scott, you know, we had met each Other through our network marketing business, yet we were both doing other things at the same time. You know, we both love network marketing. We believe in it. I mean, shit, he teaches. I mean, his podcast is, like, about network marketing, so. But he's got this skill set that is now just starting to be recognized. But he's been at it for a couple years now. Like, he saw a need for this. And I'm so grateful because I'm a little behind the times with the LinkedIn thing. I even forgot it was there for a while, which is not good for me. So. This guy has a heart of gold. He's very intentional with the way he speaks, so know that you're going to get so much value. I have not quite met a person that is so value and heart driven when it comes to bringing you really good information that will actually move the needle. He doesn't care about the fluff. He doesn't care about recognition so much. He just wants to do right by everyone that he comes in contact with. He wants to give you something that will actually help you grow your business. You know, network marketing, in the God, seven years now that I've been a part of, it has changed very, very much. And the last two years, specifically, the way people are buying is very different. And, you know, doing network marketing the way we did it three, four, five years ago is not working the way it used to. Not because it's not a great business model, because it's brilliant. I love it. I believe in. Not because people just don't give a shit anymore. They actually do. But our world keeps evolving and people's habits change in the way they do things. And what I love about what he teaches is that he's not saying leave that industry ever, like he believes in it, but he wants to show you a way to actually make it not as frustrating and actually be fun again. Because network marketing a few years ago was fun as hell. It was easy. You could post something on Facebook. And my very first post on Facebook, y', all, and I didn't know jack shit. 53 people wanted to know what the hell I was doing seven years ago. Today I'm lucky if anybody even pays attention due to algorithms and all sorts of things. And so this guy is bringing so much value to you, you're gonna fall in love with him. Not just for his heart, but for his wisdom, too. So, Scott, thanks for being on today.

Well, that is one hell of an introduction, so yay. I mean, honestly, I've been on a lot of podcasts, much like you have. And that was honestly the best introduction I have ever been given. And thank you for that. It was very sweet. And I feel the same about you. I'm just so grateful that our worlds collided when they did nearly seven years ago, but not knowing that they would be put back into the container that we were in all of 2019. And, you know, just to quickly reiterate, you know, sitting with you last October on that bus ride to dinner where you and I had, like, a solid 65 minutes of just you and I just talking and really digging deep into ourselves, you realize just through conversation, no matter what the age difference or male or female or where you grew up, there is so much connection and relatability. And I think that's what also drew us back together, because even though our paths were somewhat different, they were somewhat alike. And I'm just really so grateful for you and just so proud of you, of stepping into all of your powers and really how you're helping so many people. It's very inspiring to watch and. And just honored and grateful to be here with you.

You're awesome. Thank you. Like, that's very touching and ironically, what I might have needed to hear today, so thank you for that. Yes. You know, before you were this network marketing guru, LinkedIn expert, all the things. There was a life back east that.

Groomed you to who you are today. And, you know, I think I always say, you know, you see the glory, but you don't know the story. And anybody that's done anything really gritty and great has been through some shit. Right? And I know that you have, too.

And I think so often you and I both have seen it over and over again where people will use that as a reason to stay small. And you have chosen to use those hard things as lessons and blessings, like I call them blessings mixed up in lessons to actually grow you in. Into what you are today. So quickly. Like, what. What was it like to be Scott as a kid? And what did he face early on that made him realize, huh, I don't want to do it that way, but I need to learn a new way.

You know, it's so funny, Scott as a kid. I mean, Scott as a kid is who Scott is now, just a little bit more serious. And I was always, always a happy, talkative, inquisitive little boy and, you know, adult. You know, I love asking questions and I love interviewing, so nothing is. It's just transformed into something else. But, you know, I was that. That really. I was the nice guy. So I was, you Know, I was put in the friend zone a lot with. With the ladies. And then obviously, when I got older, things changed, But I always had lots of friends. But I. Because I. I had this. This desire to be liked instead of respected, I ended up getting bullied and picked on a lot as a kid. So I was the one at the group that got bullied and picked on. And because I was bullied and picked on by some of the guys that I grew up with, I went to overnight camp with a lot of those guys. So the bullying went from school to camp and then back to school into high school. And it was one of those things where you unknowingly accepted the role. Because I was still liked. I was still a, quote unquote popular guy. I was friends with everyone, but I got bullied and picked on. And I remember. It's interesting that you say this. I remember distinctly there was this kid, Adam, in my high school, and I was in a public speaking class, and I always loved public speaking and never had a problem with it. And I was just walking to my seat and he punched me in the stomach for no reason. And I never really stood up for myself. It was one of those things where I always just put my tail between my legs. And I remember. And he was bigger than me. I remember grabbing him by the shirt collar and I pushed him up against the wall, and I said, do not ever put your hands on me ever again. And basically, he ran out of the classroom and he never bothered me again. And it was this. It was just an instinctual moment that, you know, sometimes you have to, you know, fight back and let people know, no, you can't do that. But I think a lot of that resiliency that I did unknowingly have growing up prepared me for probably.

The biggest transitional moment in my life when I was a sophomore in high school in college, and my father was a serial entrepreneur, my grandfather was an entrepreneur, my great grandfather. So it's in my genes. And my dad ended up breaking partnership with a company that he had owned, and he went to go work for a company that pre existed managing multiple locations for a physical rehabilitation company. And I. I kind of thought, like, you know, that was kind of strange and, you know, didn't really understand because it was one of those things where I was so used to seeing him work for himself and not work for anyone else, but outside looking in, it looked normal until six months later, he left that company to buy a fitness club, which unknowingly would be turned over to me and the reason why it was turned over to me is the whole reason why he left that company is because they were under investigation by the federal government before a $9.5 million insurance fraud case. And my father was directly in the middle of it. Cooperated with the federal government the entire time. But when all was said and done, it still landed him in federal prison for 24 to 36 months. And I always talk about these transcending moments and these pivotal moments where it may look really, really shitty at the time. And you're in that moment and you're helpless. And I remember just sobbing in the courtroom when they read the verdict. And it was just so unbelievable, like out of body experience. But I realized how much good came from that very, very, very shitty moment. And, you know, someone asked me the other day, tracy, they said, with everything that you're doing now, do you wish you could go back and do it all over again any differently? And I said, absolutely not. I said, if I did, I wouldn't be where I am today. And I use the. It's the back to the future analogy. And I'm sure you've seen the movie, so, you know, Michael J. Fox goes back in time and he has to do everything the same way. He has to make sure that his father falls in love with his mother. And she kept being attracted to him, which was weird in itself, but he was holding that picture and it slowly started to fade because it was going away from what could have happened. So use your life right now as that picture, because if you go back and you think about all those things that did or did not happen to you, you will not be here today if those things didn't happen. But that moment, that moment when my father got sentenced to prison and I stepped into this adult role of running the gym and getting my certification in sports nutrition and personal training and understanding how to build relationships and growing a fitness EMP and selling it for a million dollars and then losing everything three years later with the financing of a new gym. You go through all those things just like you have spoken many, many times on stages. Is becoming bulletproof and coming to work or showing up every day with that armor. Every time something happened, I would get back up and I would fight harder and I would get stronger and stronger. And Les Brown actually says it best. He says, you may get knocked down, but if you can look up, you can get up. And that is the premise of, no matter how many times I've gotten knocked down, you can try, but I'm going to get back up and I'm going to keep fighting.

I love Les Brown and I love what you just said. And I think when you've experienced things like you and I have, that we get blind. You've been blindsided a lot in your life and so have I. And I know what that does sometimes where we can kind of go on this thing where like, you can cut me as long as I see it coming. But if you blindside me, you better be able to run really, really fast. And I don't know about you, but it has a lot. It has led me to.

Investigating, almost to paralyzation because I don't want to experience that. And then I realized that I've missed a few miracles along the way that, you know, just like that movie back in the future, like sometimes we just have to let things happen the way they do. And did you ever get to a point after the bankruptcy, after dad goes to jail, after this, after this, after this, where all of a sudden like your radar is on full alert and even though you're not getting the shrapnel flying at you and you don't maybe need the armor as much, you're also not feeling the joy and the fulfillment. Like you can't have this without the contrast, right? Did you ever experience that? Because I know I have. Yeah.

You know, I remember God, like every year, every year we would have a year end meeting and it would, it would be my father and my mother until they got divorced and my cousin. It was the four of us that had the gyms. And then, you know, eventually my parents got divorced when I was 30 and my mom went on to do different things and my cousin ended up breaking partnership and went to go become a book. So it was just me and my dad. But I remember every year we would have these year end meetings and I remember my dad always telling me, you know, this year is our year, this year is our year. And. And nothing would change. But I think it was a matter of understanding that. And a lot of it was so intuitive. I look back and, you know, I feel that maybe if I was raised differently or if I experienced things differently when I was younger than it wouldn't have prepared me of how to push through. Because when you don't know any better, you, you just intuitively and instinctually just do things. And, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I was so young when I was thrown into the ring. I was 18 and a half. I wasn't, you know, where our first gym was. It was In a bustling area of center City Philadelphia, where I was surrounded by all these young professionals, 22, 23. You know, I wasn't even of age to get into the bars. Like, that's how young I was. And I was learning from all of these people. But when you're, when you're forced at such a young age to learn to be an adult, even though the emotional maturity was not there, I knew I had to show up a certain way. But there was always this unknowing faith that everything would work out if I continue to push forward, if I continue to work harder. And I think that's what it was, you know, for me, when I got so enveloped with personal training, I became addicted to being busy, because the busy you are, the less you have time to even focus on what's really going on. So there was all these things happening around me, like you said, the bankruptcy and, you know, losing a house and all this stuff. But I was so focused on filling up my schedule with personal training clients that there was no time to focus on it. I would focus on it, take care of whatever needed to take care of. Boom. I was back to training again. It wasn't until, honestly, when I stepped into network marketing in 2013.

You talk about these, these moments where the mirror is turned around.

I finally turned the mirror around and I was the type of. I was the type of person that I was playing the blame game. You know, I was blaming my dad and I was blaming this person. I was pointing the finger and because I didn't want to take on any of the blame. Even though, you know, my mom will say, you know, I should have protected you better. You know, I should have never had you sign those documents. Listen, I'm a man. I could have said no to signing the documents. My name is on those papers. It's my signature. I need to take responsibility for me. Doesn't matter how young I was and whatever the situation is, I had to start taking responsibility for myself. And I remember clear as day picking up the book the Power of Now.

And for those that may be listening, that have never read it by Eckhart Tolle, it is one of the most mind blowing books you'll ever read. And I remember reading his book and he talked about the three types of people that exist in the world. There's people that live in anxiety, there's people that live in fear, and there's people that live in peace. And I'm like, I want to be the person that lives in peace because I did live with A lot of anxiety because you know what's going to happen next, you know what's going to come up to bite me again. And also in the fear of, like, when am I going to have some ease in my life? When am I going to be able to stop working 80 hours a week? I mean, I was burnt out by 33, and that was 15 years into the career. And you have to understand the psychology, and this is what a lot of people don't talk about, that are massage therapists, that are chiropractors and personal trainers. The deep, deep psychological roots of what those individuals go through. When, you know, you talk about trading time for money, you know, if I wasn't training, I wasn't making money. I was addicted to training. Not because so much I liked it, but I had to. I would go on vacation close enough where I could drive back and train for two or three days because I physically and monetarily could not afford to take any time off.

And when I read this book and it talked about the people that live in peace and the people that live in anxiety are the people that live in the past, the people that live in fear, the ones that are all fearful of the future and creating stories in their head that don't exist. And the people that live in peace are living in the now. They're living right now in the moment. Because he went on to say it was like one of those mic drop moments that the only time we all can actually control is right now, the present moment. So when I started focusing more on being present and there's, oh, and this is the thing, you know it. But everybody needs to understand there is always going to be shit. And people tell me all the time, let me just wait for the quote, unquote, perfect time. Let me just wait until this clears off my plate. I'm sorry, you're sadly mistaken if you think that there's going to be an opportune time. There's a right time. Sometimes you need to take action and you need to make shifts in your life at the worst possible moments.

And when I stepped into this world of personal development, where you are compensated for the more developed personal. You got meditating and journaling and creating visions of what I wanted my life to be and using the vehicle of network marketing to do that, which led me to what I'm doing now.

I can't explain to you guys, it's been six and a half years and it feels like two minutes.

So much can happen in such little time that.

All, every single day, every Single experience, every single lesson or blessing, as you mentioned, happens on purpose, happens for a reason. It's preparing you for something else. What that something else is, none of us are going to know. But you'll be prepared for when it does happen.

So you end up in network marketing right around the same time I did. And like you said, like, if I was to look at how the shit looked on paper, I was least likely to be successful. Thankfully, I'd been humbled enough to know that like my best thinking got me to this kind of shitty place, so I might as well try something different and clearly made it work pretty well. And so did you. And you know, we start chugging along and it, you know, for somebody like you that is addicted to that kind of, that thing, even though like you are getting time freedom, that doesn't just go away, that addiction to kind of like the drive, right? And I know that for me too, I could have gone on a very long time because I was like, my ego, our ego loves it. Our ego likes it when we find the sweet spot and we get really, really, really, really fucking good at something. And when we stay really, really, really good at something and don't challenge ourselves outside of it, we stop growing. And I know that happened to me and I was almost forced sidelined. I had a forcible sideline happen to me with my health. What kind of like drew you to obviously still love and do network marketing but then decide. But there's. That was just something to, that was the vehicle to lead me to the next thing. And I knew when I started network marketing, like, I love it, believe in it, all the things. And I also knew that it was going to lead me and basically be the training wheels for what was designed for my life moving forward. When was that moment in the network marketing space that you knew like, oh, there's a next thing here and it's scary and it's not popular and I'm doing it anyway.

Yeah, it's such, such a great question because I actually remember it like it was yesterday. It was August of 2015.

And I had just come back from.

An event called University in Action.

And it's a very, very deep, deep personal development dive for two and a half days, very intense. And I remember being at this event and sitting in the audience and.

David Wood, who was running the event, called these incredible entrepreneurs on stage and he said, listen, networking, network marketing, entrepreneurship, whatever the maker model, it's about conversations and speaking to people and talk.

And he called these people up and he said, go to this board and write down the amount of conversations you've had to have to get to where you are. And these people were making, I mean, ridiculous money. 700, $800 million a year.

And the smallest number I saw was 7,000 conversations.

And I said to myself, like, shit, I am in trouble because I was trained on using Facebook, which only really allowed me 5,000, quote, unquote friends.

But here's what happened. You know, I think every single human being has core values, but we have all of these core principles of what really grounds us in who we are. And I think my 18 years and 65,000 hours of one on one personal training time that I spent was the best education I ever got. You know, you talk about the 10 year, 10,000 hour habit. I. Six and a half times that.

And what I realized, what my core value was, what I was really good at was human connection, connecting with other people, you know, whether it be on Zoom or in person or wherever it is. And I was feeling this disconnect from people using Facebook and Instagram. And I had a profile on LinkedIn and I knew I was looking for more of a professional type person to. To build a network marketing business. You need a team, you need people underneath you. We all know how it works, and you need other leaders. I went on the LinkedIn and I started using it, started having people reaching out to me, me reaching out to them, started enrolling people in my business. And I reached out to a buddy of mine and I said, dude, Joe, you got to get on LinkedIn. This is a gold mine. And I told him a little bit about what I was doing, of what I knew. Again, no one taught me. This was something that I created. And he texted me a week later and he said, call me. And I did. And I said, what's up? And he goes, dude, whatever you're doing, he goes, I think you struck oil here. He goes, I have 14 appointments booked. I was like, shit, really? And he said, yeah, I think you might have created a system here. You should put together some videos or get a website. And it was so funny at the very end, same time.

I went on a live dial call with my first business coach, Jeffrey Combs, who you're familiar with. And he had this live call where he would bring a guest on. And I did this, like mock LinkedIn training. Even though I didn't know what I was doing, I was just spitting some of the knowledge and how it was helping my business.

And after I got off that call, I went on to Facebook and I Had eight inboxes of people wanting to hire me.

And I didn't know what they wanted to hire me for, but it came to turn out they all wanted to learn LinkedIn. So I found a problem that I had a solution for because sometimes the best businesses are built that a lot of people have and you have a solution for it. So that was the birth of the coaching program. But I'd be lying to you if when I launched my program in February of 2016. So just about four years ago the program was launched. I mean, it's grown tremendously to heights I never imagined. This is, you know, LinkedIn.

There was a lot of guilt and there was a lot of resistance because I was getting pushback from a lot of people. I had a lot of people that supported me, but I had a lot of people that were very unsupported. I got reported to the corporate office three or four times. They had frozen my account but then didn't have enough proof and they unfroze. And all I was trying to do was help people that I wasn't monetarily or business wise attached to that wanted to learn something that I knew could help them. And I realized that I love serving other people, I love connecting with other people and teaching them how to create the human connection. But what I realized also with personal training is people came to me when they had a problem. You know, Scott, I want to lose weight. Scott, can you write up a diet plan? Scott, can I put on some? So everybody was coming to me with a problem and I was developing a solution for it. Whether I knew it at the time or not, I figured it out. The same thing goes with a lot of the problems that a lot of entrepreneurs have. They're not talking to enough people, they're not having the right kind of organic engagement. They don't know how to use LinkedIn. I developed a solution for that problem. And honestly, it wasn't until our mutual friend Chris Harder, actually I just reached out to him because I needed some advice because my business was growing and I owe everything to network marketing. But I was, I was not passionate about it anymore. I didn't want to coach people through this program anymore. I felt like my light was being dimmed because I felt like I had so much more inside of me. And I wanted to help people not just in the company that I was in. I wanted to help people that are at the same profession, different companies, the entire industry. Real estate agents, insurance brokers, wealth management, people that needed other people. And he said, listen, you Got to listen to your heart. What drives you more? Where can you get to? And he started asking me all these questions and I have all the answers. He didn't have the answers. He was pulling them out of me. And I realized at that time, I'm like, you know what?

I need to honor this feeling that I've had because I was all, interestingly enough, and I'm so glad you're pulling this out because these are things I typically don't talk about is I'm the type of person that gets addicted to an identity.

And the identity that I was addicted to initially was my personal training identity. I was known as Scott Aaron, the personal trainer. Scott Aaron, the personal trainer. So that's what I was addicted to. Then it was Scott Aaron, the network marketer. So everyone knew me as a network marketer. But what I was really good at was coaching and being a business coach and being a motivator and teaching LinkedIn. And now there's this Persona that, you know, Scott Aaron, the LinkedIn guy, which is completely fine. And I'm not addicted to it. I'm still Scott Aaron. I'm just in a different vehicle that is helping as many people as possible. Because at the end of the day, everything that I've ever done in my life.

Whether it was personal or professional, it has been to serve other people. From day one, you know, being that, that guy in the group of friends that, you know, I was the fall guy. If there was nothing to do, they ended up at my house, in my backyard hanging out. I was always the one that was making plans, you know, whether in the gym, you know, I was the one orchestrating everything, training as hard as I could, being the busiest personal trainer in the city. So I can help as many people as possible. Network marketing. Enrolling as many people as I could, being the top sponsor in the entire company three months in a row, enrolling 148 people in 90 days, being the best, helping as many people as possible. And now with what I'm doing now, I am a one to many type of guy. There's nothing that satisfies me more than being in front of a room of people where I can connect with them on a more intimate level, where I can pull something out of them that they see in me that's always been there, but it just took someone else to say something that triggered them. Because each and every one of us has this gift and these blessings inside us, but something else to put out. And that's what I've always been able to Do I see the best in every single person? No matter how shitty someone's life may be or wherever they are, I always see the best in them and I always believe in them. But I truly live by the 5149 rule. I can't believe in you 51% and you believe in yourself 49%. It has to be the other way around. You have to believe in you and what you're doing 51% and I have to believe in you 49%. If that needle is the other way, you're never going to get to where you want to be. You always have to want it more for yourself than anyone else because at the end of the day, you got to take care of you. You have to do you first, you have to love you first, you have to believe in you first before you can do any of that for anybody else.

I have an identity that you can be addicted to because I was listening to you and yeah, you've worn all these different hats that you've grown addicted to. And you know, I, I think identity drives us sometimes. And you've had it where that identity will drive you right into the ground of burnout. Right? And so regardless of where life takes Scott Aaron, like you are a man that's addicted to helping people transform their life, whether it's the son that you're raising or the fiance that you have, or the friendships that you keep, or the people that pay you for coaching, or even, you know, somebody you meet at a coffee shop, Scott Aaron is the person that is addicted to helping people transform their lives. And even if that means with a smile, a hug, hello, anything, and you know, because life is going to change and who knows, LinkedIn may not even be around in five years. And then what? Like if you're addicted to that, that identity that you're the LinkedIn guy, which I know you're not, but you know, you're good at it. You are the guy that I go to when I want to learn about it. And you know, so you're a transformer. You're a heart led warrior transformer. And whatever life takes you down that road, I think that that's a beautiful calling for your life. And I believe that all the things you've experienced, watching your dad do what he had to do and mom dealing with that and all, and divorce and bankruptcy and all the things that, you know, could take us out of the game, those are the very things that have made you the warrior that you are today. So I want you to hang Your hat on that because that you are a world class life transfer transformer for sure.

Thank you. That means a lot. Thank you.

Talking about LinkedIn, why should we be in love with it? I know that I loved what you said when you said I am in the business of helping people that need other people. And there is nothing in the scope of business. You know, since we're going to talk this a little bit, there's nothing in any kind of business where we don't need other people. Right. Whether it's, we're one connection away from somebody that can teach us something, we're one conversation away from a big sale, one conversation away from maybe our life partner, who knows, right? So where does LinkedIn fall in with this business of I help people that need other people and why is it so much better than the shithole of Facebook at this point and the, you know, the lock and pop, the booty on Instagram and Susie Graham and whatever the hell that is anymore? Like, why is LinkedIn better? Different.

Well.

So I think Seth Godin actually recently stated that.

There'S a trend that's coming back. And he said the trend, and I believe it was Seth Godin. I may be wrong, but I think it was him. And he said that the art of human connection is coming back around. You know, we went through this and, you know, you and I were a part of it. I mean, for those that got into network marketing, a year or two, if you think it's crazy now, I mean, Tracy's right. I Remember.

Facebook in 2013. It was off the chain. I mean, it was, it was too easy. It was. I mean, it's like we, it's like we hacked the system and I'm like, man, like it was just too easy. But there was a huge shift in the dynamic of what social media did to us. It desensitized us from picking up the phone and actually conversing someone. It was much easier to text or send a Facebook message or sliding into someone's dm. You know, all of a sudden people became too busy and too disconnected to actually talk to another human being. Just send me information or, you know, just send a link here. There was nobody wanted.

And go back to how I was brought up. My freshman year of college in 1997, I didn't even own a cell phone.

So it's almost like all of us that are doing this, it's almost like we forget about how to be human beings. We forget about how to converse. And I always come back to the curious little boy that I always was the inquisitive person. I was. Questions lead to ANSWERS and why LinkedIn is so powerful.

You and I know the absolute necessity of being in a mastermind and networking with other like minded people, big thinkers and doers that will sit there and look at you in the eye and take genuine care and concern about what you're saying.

The people that listen most often are typically the ones that grow the best businesses because they're actually hearing someone's problem. You know, a lot of people sit there and they're thinking about what they want to say next instead of actually paying attention. That's why I always have boxes of note cards sitting on my computer. Because every conversation I have, I take notes on the person because I want to create. Yes, exactly. I want to create a foundation blueprint of how can I, how can I create a connection with this person, how can I develop rapport?

So when I, when people talk about LinkedIn, you can't think of it as just another social media platform.

There's no booty popping and there's no, you know, complaining about the government or this or whatever people are doing on the social media that you're using. It is a global networking event every single time you log on. It's people that are high achievers, that are decision makers, that have good money, mindsets that understand the power of networking. And the more networking that you do, the more conversations that you have, and you stated it earlier, Tracy, you are one conversation away from that right person. From a speaking engagement. The speaking engagement I had yesterday and the speaking engagement that I have on in February and the one that I have in Canada in October is all related to LinkedIn. So no matter what the opportunity is, whether it's network marketing or a mastermind that you have or an online coaching program, people are on there waiting for you to connect them. People are not, they're just being oversold and over pitched on Facebook and Instagram. This point totally, you got to connect. And again, I'm gonna go back to Les Brown. You know, those that take the easiest road will create and live the hardest life. But those that are willing to take the hardest road possible will create and live the easiest life they can imagine. So I am always willing to take the hardest road possible. And what people have to understand at a foundational blueprint, there's no opt in for this, there's no click funnel for this, there's no email sequence for this. It's human connection. You can't automate human connection. You have to create human connection. And in my opinion, my humbled opinion, if you're going to want to create more connection, you're going to want to create more relationships with other human beings that see what you see and feel what you feel. You. You have to be on the right platform that supports that. And in my humble and honest opinion, LinkedIn is best for that, if that's what you're looking for.

Okay, everybody stop and hit pause right now. And I want you to rewind about five minutes, because that was rock solid gold. I have goosebumps all up and down my arms. And it's so true. Like, you know, you and I are upwards of 40ish. I'm almost 50, and, like, the thought of being on Instagram another year, like, are you kidding me? I don't want to do it. As far as business goes now, if I want to have my dog swimming in the pool, that's one thing, but, like, to do it as business tonight, I'm not knocking it. It's a beautiful platform for certain things, right? But I think what you said is so true. The world has become desensitized, and I'm raising millennials. And honestly, both my kids would much rather pick up a phone than shoot a text any day of the week. And I think that in a world that is, you know, we're so uber connected in air quotes, yet nobody feels connected to anything. And I think what you said is very, very true. Like, people want human connection, and especially when it comes to business and making decisions where cash is going to be exchanged. Like, I don't give a fuck who you are and what your little blue check mark means on Instagram. Like, if I don't know who you are, I'm not giving you my money. And if I don't trust you or you or there hasn't been built. We haven't built any kind of rapport. And I might be old school, but you know what? I make a lot of fucking money and I can make big decisions. So I think what you said is so valuable for anybody that's operating in business. And, you know, I'm so grateful that I have somebody like you in my life to kind of show me the ropes. I kind of, like, learned Facebook and all that shit the old way when it was really easy. You guys, I want you to find Scott. All of his information is in our show notes. Must learn from him. He is a class act. He is not like a bait and hook kind of guy. He will straight shoot you, give you, like, talk about, like.

Over promise or under Promise and over deliver. This is the guy. This is the guy you want to tap into his resources, his coaching, his free value that he gives on his podcast and all sorts of things. So, Scott, what is the one thing that you know, whether it's network marketing or not, like any kind of people that are in business where people need people, what is the one thing they can do today, whether it's LinkedIn or just as a human being, what is the one thing that they can do today that you think will not only move the needle, but make them feel really freaking good about what they do?

I love that. Well, I'll give you a couple things because I like to have. I like to give people as much tangible takeaways as possible.

Over deliver, over delivering again, that's what you do.

On a human level, I would say the one thing that has helped me is getting as crystal clear with my vision as possible. And I'm not talking about making a vision board where you have a picture of a car and it says gratitude on it. Like none of that shit. No, get. You know, I do something called a happening board where I actually write down what is going to happen this year and I break it down into categories. I have my personal happening goals, I have my professional happening goals. I have my relationship happening goals. Whether that's to make sure that Nancy and I continue to take one date night a week, whatever it is, I have my happening. This is what's going to happen. So that's on a personal level.

If you're looking for some things to really get you going. So I take people through this avatar exercise where once you're clear on who you are connecting with. So just a reminder for anyone listening to this, you don't earn the right to sell or pitch anyone until you make the connection with them first. And this is a big mistake. I see a lot of people.

I agree. I agree.

Yo, hey, great to be connected. Here's my link. Set up a call with me or you know, click on, click on this. But you have to. I don't even care if it's a free thing you're giving away. You have to earn the right by creating a connection with that person. The know like and trust factor before you can even sell or pitch a thing. So what you need to do is you need to find out who that person is. So go through this avatar exercise that I take people through. Write down, what does your ideal person look like? What, what is their industry? What do they do for a profession? Are they male or female? How much Money do they earn?

And then you're going to want to do this. You're going to want to write down the top five quality traits that you want that person to have that you're actually going to build a business with that is going to receive coaching from you. What are those five attributes? Someone that's coachable, driven, motivated, inspired, self, whatever. At the end of the day, what you're going to realize is those quality traits that you write down are the exact way of how you see yourself.

So when you realize that the people that you're looking to attract, the people that you're looking to run with and build with and impact, inspire, are looking back at you in the mirror every single day that you get up, it makes what you do and how you show up on social media, no matter what the platform, that much more impactful. Because at the end of the day, people don't give a shit about you. They care about themselves and how you can help them. So when you start putting yourself in the shoes of everyone else and how can I serve these people? What can I do for them? It's going to make you more genuine, it's going to make you more authentic and connectable and it's going to allow you to build those invisible connections that you can't see. They are only felt. And again, you can choose whatever platform you want, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram. But show up as yourself. Do not show up like anyone else. You're going to see all these people that do all these fancy things. And what I understand now is that the more true.

How you show up, those true and honest people will always show up for you. And it's the law of reciprocation. You give and you will always get. So the more that you give, the more you will always get.

Well, my goodness, that is a beautiful spot to end this mind blowing, beautiful explosion of love, service and wisdom. Mr. Scott Aaron, I am so honored to call you my friend and it's so like I'm so grateful to just learn from you and love you and watch you step into this beautiful space. Yeah, you, it is your business, but you are a heart led warrior that is addicted to transforming lives and every person you touch is transformed just by you being in it. So thank you so much for being with me today and sharing all your goodness. And for those of you listening, please reach out to Scott. Definitely. I fully vet the people that I promote. I don't just shout out anybody. I'm not some PR business. I only interview people that I really trust, respect and want to bring you only the most credible. So know that I have fully vetted him and trust him with my life. Also, if you are listening and this landed on you, we would love to hear that. So we know what more to bring you, to serve you. Because I am too addicted to helping people transform their lives in a different way. But collectively, that is my soul's purpose too. And it would mean a lot to us to know that the things that we speak of and teach are landing on your heart exactly where you need it. So take a screenshot, tag me, tag Scott. Even if it's on the Instagram, things like that, it would mean the world to us. So, Scott, thanks again for being on. I love you so much.

I love you too. And I just want to leave you with one thing. Tracy. You know, knowing everything that you had to overcome. And I know. And for the listeners that see Tracy now, she's always been this powerhouse, but.

This podcast was such a passion project of yours and I know this is something that you always wanted to do. And I remember sitting with you last February and you're like, I gotta do a podcast. I gotta get it out there. I have the idea and I'm just so, so happy and inspired for you that this passion project is now available for the world to hear. And that's what really excites me, is because someone like you that that possesses the gifts that you possess now, you know, the. The most responsible thing we have is the 6 inches between someone's ears. And you are speaking to people every single day with your message. And you know that's the hardest service that you have. And I know whether they work with you or not, you are impacting so many people with this podcast. And I am just truly, truly blessed and grateful that I was a part of this journey with you. So much love and gratitude to you and thank you so much for having me today.

Oh, God. My pleasure. It's an honor. We'll have to have you come back on and talk about more good things sometime soon. I love you. Thanks so much for everything.

Love you too, my friend. Thank you.

Thank you for tuning into the beginning Becoming Bulletproof Podcast. If you learned a thing or two from our show today, it would mean a lot to me if you shared it and tagged me so I can hear exactly what landed on your heart. This will help me to bring you even more episodes with the topics and guests you want. Please head over to itunes and leave an honest and loving five star review. If this made an impact on you, you can find me on Instagram tracyomalli and I have tons, tons of free resources for you@traceeomalley.com as always, if you are wanting to ignite your purpose, profits and build your legacy, it's time to stand on the front line of your life and do the work. Let's become bulletproof.