022: Real Gratitude, Real Success, with 'The Real' Brad Lea

Hi, I'm Natalie Jill, fat loss expert turned high performance coach. When odds are stacked against us, how do we shift and create everything from nothing? How do we level up when we aren't feeling it yet or we've had a big setback? On this podcast, I'll be talking to some of the most inspiring and courageous men and women on this planet who at their worst learned how to achieve success greater than they ever dreamed possible. Leveling up and creating everything from nothing. People call Bradley the real Bradley because he keeps it real no matter what. He is a successful businessman, philanthropist, CEO, entrepreneur, host of the Dropping Bombs podcast, and the creator of the Bottom Line. But what many don't know about Brad is that his amazing life started with a shift of perspective. For example, Brad was once homeless, sleeping on the beach. When I asked about that in this interview, he had only a positive memory of that, saying, well, I was living at the beach. With no mentoring or coaching from his dad as a kid, he had to figure it all out on his own. That included learning to create an abundant mindset, learning to leave emotion out of business decisions, and learning to seek discomfort to actually grow. Brad is truly a self made entrepreneur who learned to level up and create everything from nothing. Hey. Hey. I've got Brad Lee, the one and only on today. And I'm so excited to dive in and talk with you today, Brad, because you have just created so much. People see you online, they see what you've done with your show. Amazing. And I know there's so much more to you. So thanks for being here today.

My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

So, Brad, people see you as this incredible success and I know it maybe wasn't always like that for you. And I'd love to know a little bit about who you are before you were this big success.

Well, I wouldn't say I'm a big success, maybe compared to some, but compared to where I'm going, I still have a long way to go, so. So don't be fooled by that. And I can also tell you a lot of times people get fooled by success. And what that means is, you know, they get so comfortable in where they are that they forgot where they wanted to go. That makes sense.

Yeah, absolutely. Like, they settle. They start settling.

They start. Exactly. So what was your question?

Well, other people see you as a success and I know that it wasn't always that way. So like where, how did you even get into where you are now? And I know you're constantly loving leveling up. You want to go bigger, you Want to go more, but what did it take to get to even where you are right now?

You know, as I look back, I would probably say determination and grit more than anything because it took me about eight years to get anything to actually stick. All the information that I had and all the visions that I had, it was, I believe, way ahead of the times. Meaning, like what I was, I was trying to do interactive virtual training 20 years ago and it's just now starting to become, you know, well known, sought after. So imagine that.

So when you were wanting that and you weren't doing that yet, and people didn't know what it was yet, how did you, like, how did you get that power to just keep going towards those goals when no one knew what that even was?

You know, I just knew in my heart that it's a better way to do things and nobody could convince me it wasn't, so. So I just wanted to make sure that I kept on stating my vision and stating my belief and call it determination or being, you know, naive, whatever, I just kept going and I just knew that this was going to take place.

So you just said something really interesting and I want to dig a little bit more into that because I think so many people I know, people listening are going through this where they have an idea, but they get so stuck on the how or the objections, why it's not going to work right now. But you just said something that really landed for me about you just were committed to your vision. So would you say that's what sets apart somebody that achieves and someone who doesn't, that having that clear vision?

Well, yes, absolutely. You have to have a clear vision. I mean, a lot of people always ask me, how do I get to the next level? And I tell them what is, what is the next level? And they don't really have an answer. And I'm like, you cannot get somewhere unless you know where it is you're going. So to have a clear vision and to really truly see everything that you want to do and get and achieve is massively important.

So do you find yourself when you are thinking about your vision and where you want to go next? Even like right now? Do you ever see yourself getting stuck on the how or does that always come later?

You know, I worry about the how later. I don't, I don't spend too much time trying to figure it all out because, you know, perfection kills progress. So at the end of the day, you know, when you try to make something perfect, someone can come out with something maybe half as good and take the market right out from underneath you. At the end of the day, you know, where there's a will, there's a way. You've heard of that?

Yeah.

So you just have to go, man. I mean, too many people are afraid to take a chance. Might happen when 95% of the time it doesn't happen. What you're. What you worry about, believe it or not, statistically, 95% of the time will not happen.

That's actually really interesting. And I think so many people spend that time living in their heads, worrying.

Absolutely. Like somebody said to me, because I have a Instagram questionnaire I give out there, someone asked, how do I jump into a business that I've never been in? And I said, you just first jump in, find the winners, and do what they're doing. It's that easy, folks, if you've never done anything before, Right. You didn't know how to walk, and you ended up walking. You didn't know how to ride a bike, and you learned how to ride a bike. You know, you may have been overweight, and now you're in shape. You didn't know all of the nutritional things and exercises that you do now, but when you look back, it's like, man, I was scared of nothing. At the end of the day, you just jump in, find the winners, and emulate what they're doing.

Now. What do you think holds people back from that? Because it makes so much sense. I mean, yes, everybody couldn't walk at one point. Everybody couldn't do things at one point. Why does that story come up so hard for people that they get stuck and don't go? What do you think?

Well, it's what we've learned all our life. You know, sometimes people think, you know, you need to learn things. Well, in reality, in most cases, you probably need to unlearn things. You get taught when you're young to be careful. You get taught when you're young to, you know, be quiet, sit down. You know, like back in school, if you raised your hand and you're. And you were wrong.

Mm.

You know, you felt like an idiot.

Oh, yeah.

And they made you feel like an idiot. Like, nope, you're wrong. And they move on to the next person, which. Which kind of conditions us to only believe that we need to be right. Well, you can be wrong. Matter of fact, the biggest successes on the planet were wrong more than they were right.

That's powerful. So, you know, because people do get so stuck in their head, and for you to just say that that's incredible. I mean, you're right. The basics, biggest successes were wrong multiple times.

Yeah. They just weren't afraid of looking foolish. They weren't afraid of being wrong. You know, when people ask me, how did I do it? I said, you know, I just did it. They're like, well, what did you do? And I said, well, the first thing I did is, you know, believe that it was possible, because most people don't believe it's possible for whatever reason. And, you know, it's different for everybody. But if you look at it like this, you don't have the success or the thing or the result you're looking for today. Right. So what are you so afraid of losing?

It's a good point.

Yeah. People are so afraid to take a chance to get something they want because they fear they might lose it. They fear they might fail. Well, folks, you don't have it now.

That's a good point.

What are you losing? You're not losing anything. Here's what I say to do. Here's a little technique I do. So instead of fearing what might happen, fear what might happen if you don't try. I fear more staying the same than I do failing. If I fail, so what? Just try again or pick something, go a different direction. But if I stay the same, that's what scares the hell out of me.

So do you think it's the fear of that failure that holds people back, or is it the fear of what other people think? Because I know that comes up for people, too.

Yeah. Ultimately, you just hit it on the head. At the end of the day, the reason they don't want to fail is because they're worried about what others will think. You know, at the end of the day, folks, don't compare yourself to other people. You got to compare yourself with yourself. Like I always say, the five factors of success. If you want to be successful at anything, the five factors that I've learned is, one, you have to take a chance, because if you don't start, nothing's going to happen. Number two, you got to get good at solving problems. Most people run from problems. They avoid problems. Well, you should look for problems and practice solving them. Some you'll get right, some you'll get wrong. But at the end of the day, look for problems. Most people avoid them. Then you need to not be afraid to make adjustments. Right. Collect the data and the feedback. If you're cruising down a highway and you see a crash on the road, what do you do? Man, you go left a little bit. You make an adjustment. You go around. And four, you want to learn and develop yourself on a constant basis. Training isn't something you did. It's something you do. You can't go to the gym once. You have to go to the gym repeatedly. And if you ever stop, guess what? You'll start to lose the strength and conditioning that you've. That you've.

Yeah.

And then fifth, which is what made me think of these. The fifth one is outdo yesterday. Like, compare yourself with yourself and outdo yesterday. Don't worry about the goofball on Instagram with the Ferrari. Might not even be his.

Right.

You don't know their story. You don't know they might have been doing something 10 years longer than you. That's like me going to the gym and seeing Jim Cutler and getting discouraged and going home. Well, I don't realize that Jay Cutler's been putting in the dues and doing the work for years.

Yeah.

So I shouldn't compare myself to Jay Cutler. I said I should use that as motivation to see that it's possible. As soon as you realize it's possible, you have a way better chance of achieving it.

Now, Brad, you said a few things that I wrote down because they really stood out for me. And I'm wondering if you were born with these things or if you had to teach yourself this mindset. When you said that you. You believe that you can. You've always believed you can go for something, and you can. And you also said that you're. You really know that you have to believe what's possible. Were those two things, like, easy for you? Did you have to work at that? How did you. How did you. How did you become able to believe those things?

Well, fortunately, even though people feel sorry for me, I grew up in a family where my dad basically, you know, left us on our own pretty much. So he made sure we didn't die, made sure we had food. But there was no mentoring, and there was really no coaching. It was pretty much figure it out. So ever since I was a young kid, I had to figure everything out on my own. And really, I think that helped with that mindset that things are possible and you just got to figure out how to get them done. I don't believe that deep down, subconsciously, anyone believes that. They can't. They just don't know how. And when you don't have that confidence, you start to question your competence.

So would you advise someone that feels stuck in that. Would you just say, you got to get off that how or what? Would you tell them?

I would say, to make a move, like, folks, you're going to learn one way or the other. So what better way to learn than doing it?

Yeah. How do you view failures?

I view failures as opportunities to learn. I mean, you learn what not to do when you fail, and you just check that off the list and try another way.

Is there one, like, in particular? I'm sure you've had lots of little ones, but is there a big one that maybe challenged you with that or. I'm curious if you've had a big failure where it really kicked you and you started questioning things.

No.

Never.

Yeah. You know, some people think I'm kind of crazy that way, but the other day I was on an interview where someone said, what'd you do when you hit rock bottom?

Okay.

I said, I've never hit rock bottom. And they're like, what do you mean? You said you've slept on a beach homeless. I'm like, yeah. They're like, well, wouldn't you consider that rock bottom? Hell, no. Sleeping on a beach, that's not rock bottom. I'd say rock bottom is in prison for life. You know, people say you got to work hard. I've never really worked hard. Hard work to me is when you get home and your hands are calloused and your back hurts and you're. You know, like, hard work to me is really manual labor, like digging ditches or swinging sledgehammers. And, like, really hard work right now. I wouldn't say that I work hard, Brad.

I just love what you just said, and I hope everybody that just landed for a lot of people, because, yes, a lot of people would make that their story, that they had a rock bottom, that they were. But you have this magic ability to look at everything as an opportunity and shift your perspective on it, and that's incredible. That's a gift. That's a gift. Did you have to work at that or. I mean, were you born with that? How did that happen? Because sleeping on a beach, homeless, that is a total example of a glass half empty or full. Like, easily you could enroll a million people in. Why that sucked, but you just did the opposite.

Well, yeah. I mean, think about it. Have you ever slept on the beach?

I can't say that I have.

Have you ever slept outside and went camping?

Yes.

Did it suck?

No.

Okay. Why not? Because you knew you weren't stuck there? Well, I knew I wasn't stuck there. I chose to be there. It was a temporary situation that I. That I chose to enjoy. I Mean, at the end of day, sleeping on a beach is freaking cool.

People pay millions of dollars to get their house where they can be on the beach, so. Yeah, it is.

Exactly. And, you know, I'd wake up in the morning and I'd go to the. I forget if it was a 24 Hour Fitness or some sort of fitness. I'd go in and I'd take a shower there and I'd walk out looking like everybody else in the world. The only difference is, is I didn't have a house, you know, So I went to the beach and lay down a blanket and went to sleep. But at the end of the day, it's all perspective.

Did you have that perspective the whole time or did it take work shifting into that?

No, I mean, it kind of sucks, you know, not having a comfortable home to go to and a TV to watch. But at the end of the day, I knew I wasn't stuck there. Yeah, you're not stuck anywhere. I mean, you've heard the saying. I used to be mad that I had no shoes until I met a man with no feet. Yes. Yeah. So it's the same thing. It's like, dude, things could be worse. Trust me. Like, if you threw all your problems in the middle of the room with everybody else's, you'd be scrambling to get yours back.

That is true. That is true. Be careful. What you say is a problem. But gosh, you just have so much gratitude and people spend years and money trying to figure out how to have that gratitude, and you just, you just kind of had it. You have it. How did you get yourself from that situation? So you're, you're on the beach homeless, and you're finding gratitude in it, and you, you're seeing that it kind of sucks, but you're telling yourself it doesn't. How did you get out of it?

I found a girl that had a house.

That's one way to go about it. Okay, awesome.

I met a girl and she had, she had a house and she welcomed me in. So I.

Did she know you were homeless at the time or did she just think you were, you know, beach bombing it during the day?

I don't remember. Like, you don't, you obviously don't want to meet a girl and say you're homeless. So I probably, I probably didn't mention it, but she knew, she knew I needed a place to stay. I think, I think it was like, you know, I had to go back home. She says, no, stay with me. So I'm like, okay. So I stayed with her for about a month, you know, started, you know, saving a little money, getting on my own. And then within a month or two I was back on my feet.

Do you ever worry about what other people think?

No.

Did that take work or has that always been something you've just decided?

No, I had to learn that. I mean, I used to worry about what everybody thought and you know, it backfired and it caused me to be someone who I wasn't and it caused me to be ashamed and, and it caused me to ultimately end up lying and putting on a front. And then when the front comes down and the lies come out, now you just created a reality where now people don't like you. So when I was little, I used to tell people my dad owned Disneyland. And you know, I would show monopoly cards trying to convince people property and think about it, a little six year old kid with all the little neighborhood kids. I lived in a neighborhood that we probably shouldn't have been in. We, my dad was a blue collar worker and we had this little house on a hill where we were surrounded by big houses and all the little neighborhood kids were, you know, in rich families and we weren't rich. And I always felt ashamed, like people looked down on us. So I figured I'd just lie and pretend that we're rich too. Well, that didn't work out obviously. And next thing you know, nobody wanted to play. I was always, you know, picked last on, on teams or not at all. And you know, it felt like hell. So I decided, you know, if someone's gonna like you for something that you're not, it's not gonna last. So I just decided, listen, if someone doesn't like who I am, then they probably shouldn't be around me.

Yeah.

And what's crazy about that is if you just be yourself, unapologetically yourself, you will attract the right people and you will repel the wrong people. Now sometimes you really want the wrong people around you. You like them, you're in love with them, whatever the case may be. But if you literally be yourself 100%, the natural, you know, evolution, call it, or the universe has a way of getting rid of the people that shouldn't be in your life and attracting the ones that should. So I learned that at a young age and I also had to relearn it throughout life. And I got to a point where eventually, listen, I know I'm a good person. I know I have a good heart, I have ethics and integrity. I know that. I do. So your opinion of me is irrelevant.

Yeah. And I love that you've accepted that and you stand for that, because that is so true. And people get so caught up, not only in their own heads, but now with what are other people saying or thinking? And their opinions are not paying our bills. They're not becoming our clients. They're not doing anything for us.

Yeah. And a lot of times they're doing the opposite.

Yeah.

You're assuming somebody's on your side, when in reality they're. And you don't even realize it. It's like having a camouflaged hole. You know, if you're walking through a floor with a bunch of holes, would you rather them be covered and camouflaged or wide open?

Yeah.

If they're open, you can see the hole. If they're camouflaged, you could fall in it. So people don't realize it, but it's always better just to 100% unapologetically be yourself. And it doesn't mean to be rude, you know, be nice. But I think if you. If you learn to love yourself. Sounds cliche, but when you learn to love yourself, you don't need everyone else to.

Yeah. And I think that's amazing. And I think so many people. It's such a learned behavior to not be yourself. Like, to become a chameleon. Like, you think about people that are in sales or in business. Like, it's like, oh, I have to please everybody. I have to be this way for this person and this way for that. And then like you said earlier, you have to unlearn those skills.

You have to unlearn them. Exactly. And it's hard to do because ever, you know, since we were little, you get pounded lessons into your head on a regular basis that aren't always true. You know, money doesn't make you happy. Money doesn't grow on trees. Well, first of all, money's made out of paper, and paper is made out of paper.

It does grow on trees. Yeah.

Secondly, money does make you happy, and I can prove it. What's the highest form of expression for love? What makes you feel the absolute best in the world? Well, it's when you can freaking buy someone you care about something they need or want. Imagine how you feel when you get somebody that you love, something exciting or spectacular. Take them on a dream trip, buy them a car, pay for their college, give them a kidney. Like, at the end of the day, giving is the highest form of expressing love, and it makes people feel the absolute best. Well, that's money.

Yeah, you're right. And you can do it on a small level and a grand level. So you're right. It is something. People have this story about the more money you have, the worse you are. You're bad person, you're evil. But it's like, that's when you can really be more generous and do more for people.

Holidays are better with money. Birthdays are better with money. Marriages last longer with money. Money is not a bad thing. But we've been taught that since we were little.

Yeah.

There's a bunch of other things, too, that we were taught that are just flat wrong.

Yeah. So there are all these patterns that we've learned that we've got to unlearn.

Like, if you want something done, you need to do it yourself.

Yeah. As you're saying all these things, I'm hearing my parents. So like I was told, all these things, you're right.

If you want it done right, you got to do it yourself.

Yeah.

That's not true. If you want it done right, you have to train people right.

Yeah. Amazing. How many of these things come up? Did you. How long. How did you figure out that all these things were in your way or coming up? Is this just a process? Did you go through a training? Like, how did you. How did you figure all this out? Because you obviously had these same learned patterns you had to unlearn, Right.

Well, I mean, again, I didn't get taught a lot of that as a kid. I didn't really get taught anything. I was taught to figure it out. So along the way, I just figured it out. Like, you know, I'm. Call me a scientist. I guess I would test things, you know, like, hey, if you do this, this will happen. Well, let me see. So I had to learn everything the hard way. And, you know, failure is an unbelievable teacher. So. So you now have the. The facts in front of you rather than listen to other people. Like, I have. I have. I have a whole list of things that people will need to do if they want to succeed. But then people will tell you, all you need to do is hard work. No, hard work is not all you need to do. That is a fact. You cannot save your money. Save for a rainy day. What are you saving it for a rainy day? Why does it have to be raining? What's wrong with a sunny day?

I need to be around you more. I love your whole attitude, everything you're saying. It's awesome. Do you ever have days where you. You don't feel like you want to create or you want to do this? I mean, do you ever feel like, maybe I'm wrong. Do you ever have days where you're doubtful?

Sure. I think we all do. The question is, how do we react to those days? You know, and what you put in your mind kind of determines what you think and believe. So I don't listen to negativity. I don't let people around me that are negative and pessimistic and cynical. I keep my circle pretty small. I tell myself with repetition, you know, that, you know, anything is possible because it is. But at the end of the day, you know, what is success? People always wonder, you know, how do you get successful? Well, first of all, you have to define what that means to you. Because success to me may not be success to you. There's millionaires that are fat and about to die from unhealthy lifestyle. Is that successful?

Yeah, you're right. It all depends on definition. What is your definition of it?

Well, to me, I believe success is when you've attained enough abundance that you can give generously.

I love that definition. That's great. Yeah. I don't think anyone's ever said that.

Well, that's because I. Yeah, it's incredible.

But that. What an amazing vision and purpose for success right there.

Well, it's just my definition because everyone has their own. See, people say, what's the key to success, Brad? And I say, there is no key. It's a combination.

Yeah, because if your success is just getting a big house and a car, there's a lot of different ways to get that. But what you just described is a very different.

Success is a combination of things, and it is determined by the person or the individual that needs to define it. So when somebody says, what's the key to success? You can literally tell them, there is no key. It's a combination because everyone has their own. And in order for you to achieve, quote, unquote success, you have to define what it is, and then you'll see clearly paths to get it. But if you don't know what success means to you, and you don't really understand how to visualize and determine and choose what success is, you're probably never going to reach it. You're always going to have this void. You know, human beings naturally want to survive. They want to reach a higher potential. So think about this. If you woke up every day and every day was the same. Have you ever seen Groundhog Day? Yeah. So? So what did he do towards the end? He was trying to kill himself. So staying the same is. Is literally going nowhere. Yet people don't Want to change, they.

Want to stay comfortable. Yeah.

Right. I was about to say change is uncomfortable when in reality, especially when it comes to fitness. And you'll agree with this. Growth comes through discomfort.

Yep.

Like if you go to the gym and you're comfortable there, you're not doing it right.

You're right. Yeah, absolutely. And I've seen that a gazillion times. They think they're putting in the time, not doing it right. They're not getting uncomfortable.

Right. And what gains do they get?

Nothing. They just complain that their fitness isn't working right.

And so then they walk around saying that it doesn't work for them. Their limited belief, their mindset is, I've tried it. It doesn't work. Well. No, you didn't do it right. First of all, you're seeking comfort, but yet you're afraid of discomfort. Discomfort is where the growth happens. If you want to win, seek discomfort. Everything you do should be uncomfortable, and you would be explosive in growth and achievement. You know, it's uncomfortable to get up at 4am well, then get up at 4am it's uncomfortable to introduce myself to people. Well, then introduce yourself to people. It's uncomfortable telling people who I really am. Well, then tell people who you really are. Be uncomfortable 24 hours a day. And that is the quickest way to comfort, believe it or not.

Are you. Do you stay uncomfortable 24 hours a day or has that changed for you?

Well, I. Again, I think something's broken with my head. Like I'm. I'm comfortable being uncomfortable. So, okay, so like, I'm. I'm uncomfortable every day, but at the end of the day, to me, it's normal, it's comfortable to me.

Because now that's become your norm. That's become your norm that you're going to be rigorous and push yourself. That's what it sounds like to me.

Yeah. Well, I mean, again, think about, think about waking up in a nice, toasty, warm bed. What do you feel like doing?

Pressing snooze and staying in bed. Right.

So that's. So that's going nowhere.

Right.

But if you woke up and the bed was wet and cold, what would you do?

Get out and take a warm shower. Yeah.

You'd move. You take action. You'd go somewhere. So if you want to go somewhere in life, seek discomfort.

That's a great analogy. I love that. Yeah. Do you. So you're pretty rigorous. I imagine. So now you're comfortable being uncomfortable because that's what you're doing. I'm curious about your routine. Like, do you start your day a certain way and do you end it a certain way? Like, how do you stay rigorous and committed like that?

Well, I think there's different levels that you achieve. And I think I've reached a level where, where it's called unconscious competence, which means I don't even know I'm doing it.

Okay.

You know, first you have to mentally do it, you know, then it eventually just becomes second nature. But when I wake up in the morning, believe it or not, the first thing I do when I open my eyes is literally get excited because I have another day. Like, I literally wake up. The first thing I do when I open my eyes is I'm like, yeah, like I woke up. That's unbelievable.

So gratitude. Yeah. And that's it. Yeah, you're totally grateful.

And I really, truly, authentically am. Like, holy moly, man. One more chance. Like I get another frickin day, Brad.

That's incredible because I know people listening right now. They are the other end of the spectrum. They wake up like, gosh darn it, the alarm. Oh, it's Monday. It's like a total opposite take on that.

How's that working out for them?

It's not.

Right. I think the universe has a mystical way of giving to the people that appreciate. You want more, appreciate more. Like, be so thankful. Like, for example, if you brought me something to eat every day and eventually I took it for granted and I'm like, yeah, just set it down there. Eventually you do not want to keep bringing me food. You don't want to keep doing it. Now if you brought me a frickin bagel and I popped up and I was so excited to get that bagel and you saw my authentic excitement and appreciation for that bagel, what would you be thinking? Well, damn, let me bring him like a whole Subway sandwich next time. Yeah, Sudden you see me really freak out, then you're like, damn, let me bring him a freaking steak. And you know, you want to keep giving me things because you see the genuine excitement and appreciation. So listen, the universe is alive, okay? You can call it God, you can call it a universe, you can call it whatever you want. By the way, if you call it God, you got to know his name. And if you don't know his name, well, then you should probably look it up because he has one People that don't know it, you know, then, then, then when you read the Bible and it says, my children will know my name, makes you think, well, what is it? If you don't know the name. You better go research it Anyway, long story short, the universe has a way of seeking out who deserves success, financially and otherwise. And it weeds out the undeserving through challenge and difficulty. If you deserve it, you're willing to go through the challenge and difficulty. If you are undeserving, you will quit. And guess what? That's why quitters never win. Because they don't deserve to win. You put your mind on something, you realize there's going to be challenges to attain it, and you go and you deal with it and you deal with it, and the next thing you know, you are in that position and people start asking you, how did you do it? And your answer, you know, a lot of people like to make it seem more difficult than it was. Your answer is simple. I chose what I wanted to do and I took the steps necessary, regardless of the pain. So pain is what signals you are on the right path.

That is really good. Pain signals that you are on the right path. And most people quit at pain.

Exactly. And that is how the universe weeds out the undeserving. Let me see if you are worth giving this to. Here is a little challenge. Oh, I quit. No, next. Let me see if you're worth it. Okay. Boom. Oh, you handled that wisely. Let me give you a little bigger problem. Holy moly. Let me give you a little bigger problem. Holy moly. You don't stop. This person deserves the reward.

Huge light bulb right there, Brad. And it's really resonating for me. Why so many uber successful, in my definition of successful, people have had what looks like all these failures and swung back because they didn't quit. They rode through that pain and they didn't quit.

Absolutely. I spent eight years trying to get this company to be profitable. Most people would have quit. Most people would have just gave up. And I didn't. Well, 20 years later, when we're doing millions of dollars and everybody thinks I'm some example of success, they don't see the 20 years of challenges. All they see is the success. It's just like when you see a buff guy walking around or a movie star was a six pack of abs. You don't see the donuts and the cakes and the alcohol and the parties that they had to pass on. You don't see the hours of the gym and the pain and the struggle and the discipline and the frickin sacrifice that they've made. All you see is, oh, look, he thinks he's so cool with abs.

Yeah. And they say, oh, he's got good genetics. That kills me. He's got good genetics.

Yeah. It's never. It's not all. It's not. It's very rarely genetics.

Yeah, yeah. And that same person, when they're completely overweight before people think it's just genetics that they're like that. So that's a whole nother story.

Yeah. Take fitness as an example. It's not science how to get six pack. Every guy knows how to do it. Why don't very many do it? It's the pain, it's the sacrifice. They don't deserve the six pack. You know who deserves the six packs? The people with the six packs.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of connections here that are coming together, even for me, as I'm asking these questions, because you're right. We know that with workouts, we know that with our body, but we're not doing that in our business. And we wonder why our life isn't working because we're not staying committed or relationships. Same thing. People quit on relationships without putting in the work. They see the happy relationships and want that, but they don't see the work behind the scenes to get to that.

That's right. And it always takes work and it's always uncomfortable. And you have to understand that mistakes and failures and being uncomfortable is part of it. Like, I could. I could list off 20 things that you probably would be better off knowing than not knowing if you plan on succeeding. For the general definition of success. You know, houses, cars, trips, free time, freedom, that type of thing. I could list off 20 things off the top of my head that if someone were listening and they took a pen and wrote them down and executed on those, regardless of the pain and discomfort, they within a year or two would be way better off than they are and more than likely rich and successful.

Well, I want to ask you about that. If somebody. If somebody right now is stuck in their story and they're in their own personal rock bottom, I know you wouldn't view it as a rock bottom because you're very good at looking at opportunity and the gratitude. But somebody's listening, you know, in that spot of their. They're in that. The seventh year, you said it took you eight. The seventh year of their business failing and they're about to give up. Are there, like, if you were to give them like three things or what steps should they take to start shifting their mindset, leveling up, and to be able to create everything?

Well, first, understand that it's just a matter of activity. If they're failing in their business, nine times out of 10, they just need to increase their activity. You know, do more and get better. Like, do more, get better. If you're a realtor and you're not selling enough houses, look at how many people you're talking to and talk to more. And then as you're doing that, figure out what it is you're saying and get better. So if you just do more and get better, you will increase the level of productivity. So the reason why people are going out of business is because they're not producing enough. And if, if they want to produce more, then they have to do more. And then people make excuses, oh, I'm already working 16 hours a day. Okay, well, let's pretend that's the truth, because a lot of times you think you're working 16 hours a day when you're actually screwing off eight of those hours. Yeah, but, but, but at the end of the day, if, even if it's true, well, who said you can't hire someone else to assist you? Like, if I can't do the work, why can't I pay someone else to do it and just pay them less than I'm receiving to get the work done?

Mm.

Like, why don't you scale? Like if I only have 24 hours in a day, and I do, the only way to get more time than that is to, is to use another human being's time. So I have, you know, 70 employees. So times that by 24 hours. Well, again, they, they own some of their hours. So let's say eight. Okay, eight times 70. I have way more time than the average person because I have 70 people's time that I'm trading for. That's another thing is, you know, trade time for money and you'll stay broke. Trade money for time and you'll get rich.

That's great. Trade money for time. I like that. Everyone looks at it the other way around. Uh huh.

Yeah. So I mean, again, at the end of the day, if I'm sitting there after seven years and my business isn't working, I wouldn't think, well, I'm gonna quit. That's not gonna work. So think about it. Seven years, your business isn't working, and you're trying to find a solution, right?

Yep.

So you can rule out quitting as a solution, can't you?

You should, but most people would not. But yes, rule out quitting.

You have to. If the answer is, how do I make this work?

Got it.

Quitting can be ruled out, you know, that's not it. Okay, well then what's next? How about work harder? How about talk to more people? How about produce more? How about get better at what I'm doing, Make my product better, my service better, my pitch better, my employees better, my whatever. Like do more or get and get better. That's how you get through that.

Would you include ask for help in that or.

No, that's how you get better.

By asking for help?

Well, you don't necessarily have to ask for it, you just seek it. But at the end of the day, you know, sometimes asking for it's the easiest way to get it. Listen, I mean if I were again to rattle off 20 top things I've learned. Listen, first of all, learn to sell like, you know, people don't think they're salespeople. Well, you're selling every day, all day you're selling someone on something. Whether it's your husband or your wife or your kids or your boss or something you're selling anyway. So you might as well get good at it. Okay? You should think about being prepared. Don't be unprepared. So especially in your business, if you're in business, be prepared. Want to build your confidence? How do you build your confidence? It's not about an external thing. You build your confidence simply by doing what you say you're going to do. Most people subconsciously think they themselves are liars, not worth it, unreliable. Why? Because they know themselves better than anybody and they know they procrastinate, they know they don't like pain, they know they've, you know, said they're going to do something and didn't a million times. So you have to A forgive yourself and then B, just start making sure that when you tell yourself something you are 100% honest and integritous to yourself and your confidence will start growing. And then guess what, when your confidence gets stronger, you start to be more confident. So it's almost like this self fulfilling thing. You want to eliminate self doubt, right? Believe for one minute that if anyone in the world can do it, you can too. You know, nobody ever broke the 4 minute mile until someone broke the 4 minute mile. As soon as someone broke the 4 minute mile, someone beat that, right? So again, just believe in yourself and your abilities and eliminate self doubt. You know, pay attention to what's going on. Too many people are blinded. They don't listen to the information that they're getting. They don't pay attention to the data that's coming at them. Learn to build relationships. Relationships are the new economy. Okay, Promise you no billionaire got there by themselves. They had the right connections, they had the right opportunities, they, they knew the right people at the right time, they built some sort of relationship. No billionaire got there by themselves. There's no such thing as a self made millionaire.

Yeah, so that's important because so many, because connection is so uncritical and so many people go into their box of I'm introverted, I want to do alone, I don't want to talk to anyone, then they stay in their head.

There's no such thing as a self made millionaire. It doesn't exist. It's not true. If I'm a millionaire, somebody bought my product, somebody hired me, somebody gave me something or I wouldn't be a millionaire. So at the end of the day, there's no such thing as a self made millionaire unless you know how to print money. And relationships is usually where, where, where those begin. So if you learn to build relationships, it's, it's crazy. You also need to think bigger. Okay, Most people think, well, I want to be a millionaire. You might as well think you want to be a billionaire. And then if you fall short, you're only worth a hundred million. You know, you want to be generous. Okay, if you're not generous, then you are operating with a scarcity mindset. You know, people walk up, ask me if I've changed for a hundred. I say that is change. At the end of the day, you want to be generous, you want to give generously. If you think there's more coming, there is more coming. There is no shortage of money. There is no shortage of anything. And if you are not generous, then that means somewhere in your mind you believe that it's limited. Now, I'm not saying give. Anyone who asks you money, they give you be deserving. There's obviously criteria, but in a lot of cases, people are stingy. They're worried that if I give my money away, I won't have any for myself. That's scarcity mindset, man. You got to have an abundant mindset. And here's the biggest one that people don't get. If you can figure out, this is hard for me and it's probably my hardest thing to achieve. If you can make business decisions with zero emotion, you will skyrocket your ability to succeed.

That's a tough one. Yeah, that is a tough one. But yeah, right? That's golden.

Yeah, Just eliminate emotion. And folks, especially on this podcast, people need to mind their health. Like folks, I don't care if you have a billion dollars. Nothing is More important than your health. Like, I'm not talking about a six pack. I'm talking about your overall health. Yeah, people that just let themselves completely go are crazy. Because if. If you. If you ask Steve Jobs, hey, I can fix your liver or whatever he died from, he would have given you every single thing.

Oh, yeah.

So guess what? Don't put money over your health. And then also don't put value or don't put money over value. So if you and I were going to do business, Natalie, and I knew that I could get you to give me a million dollars, but I also wasn't sure that you'd actually win or lose. In other words, I don't know, I'm going to take a million from you, and I'm not sure that you'll be ecstatic about the outcome. Then I won't do business with you. Meaning I want the value more than I want the money. If you're not a raving fan, we shouldn't do business at all. Yeah, and too many people want that money, regardless of the value. I would say never put money over value. Always give more than you've received.

That's good.

Yeah, because you want everybody in the world in love with you. Like, hey, what do you think of Bradley? Oh, man, that guy's great. You know why they're going to say I'm great? Because they appreciate and value everything that we've done together. Whether they've paid a million or a billion or a thousand, it doesn't matter. Like, don't. Don't put the money. The value of the money higher than the value of the relationship.

Gosh, Brad, you're just incredible. I've. I can't believe an hour pretty much went by and I could talk to you for days. This is so incredible. I just want to hear you in my ear all the time. Where can people find more? Because I know you've got a show. Where can they find if they want more of this?

Well, I don't know. I mean, they can follow me on Instagram, they can watch my stories, they can listen to my podcast, Twitter.

Okay, awesome. And I'll put all of that information in the show notes. You're incredible. Thank you so much for your time, Brad. Incredible.

My pleasure. Thanks for having me on.

Thanks for leveling up with us today. Please share this episode if you found it helpful so others can join in and take. Forget to hit that subscribe so you don't miss out on future shows. And if you would leave me a five star review, I appreciate those so much. I read all of them and it's how I know that I'm giving you information that you find valuable. And come interact with me over on Instagram @nataliejofit. I read all the direct messages and comments over there. Make it a great day. Creating everything from nothing.

Sam.