074: High School Drop Out to Billionaire with Andres Pira

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. Dropping out of school at just the age of 14 in Switzerland, Andres Piera lived a life on the streets, flooded with gangs, alcohol and fighting. By the age of 20, he had collected several near death experiences and decided to leave and start over on the beaches of Phuket. He quickly became homeless, living on the beaches again with one bag and two towels to his name. Embarrassed to ask his parents for help, he asked friends for money instead to get back on his feet. But no one could help. Except one, a friend. That friend, he sent a book instead of money. And it was that book that started Andres on an incredible journey. At age 30, Andres had made his first million in real estate, going on to reach his first billion in Thailand by the age of 35. Join in today and learn exactly how Andres Piera leveled up and created everything from nothing. Today on leveling Up, I'm here with Andres Pira and I'm so excited to talk with him today because listen, he became a billionaire. Yes, I said that right. A billionaire at the age of 35, which is pretty darn unusual. And he's the founder of over 20 companies including loses, gyms, coffee shops and a pretty sweet property portfolio. But the crazy thing is he did not came from money. In fact, he was actually homeless at the age of 20. So Andrey, thanks for being here today. I'm dying to jump in and let my audience know who you were before all those things you are today.

Well, first of all, thank you Nathalie for having me. It's a great pleasure talking to you today. So I don't know how much the audience knows about me yet, but I've been living in Thailand the last 16 years. I'm originally from Sweden, I grew up there. But the last 16 years I've been working my way up and doing a lot of different things in Phuket. Phuket, Thailand.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I have not been there, but I've heard it's amazing.

It is, it is. I love it every single day. I love the tropics and the white cloud, the climate and white sandy beaches. Blue oceans and palm trees. That's something that talks to me a lot.

So living the dream. Living the dream. So you were homeless at age 20. So how did that happen? And how do you go from that to where you are now?

Well, I would say when I was 20 years old, I have this massive belief that life just happens to you and you're not in control of it and you just live by default. I believe in something completely different today. And I came to Thailand, I was 20 years old, with hope to start a new life and make it. But I didn't have any goals or desires, and I didn't know really in what or how I'm going to make it. And I was, with that mindset, living day by day. The first job I landed in Thailand was giving up brochures for a hotel. And that was not good pay, but at least it was enough to get me around and pay for my small little room. But after a year working with that, I had this mindset that I was socializing with the same kind of people who didn't believe in the next day and we should just come today. So that kind of mindset led me to spend all my money on parties and nightlife, and that ended up not paying the rent for four months and I got thrown out, and that's the day I became homeless.

So it's interesting what you just said, that you were socializing with people with the wrong beliefs. Because I think that's something people tend to overlook that, like we might have these beliefs. Like you mentioned, you had this belief that things just happen to us, life happens to us, and you were surrounding yourself with others that had that same belief too. So it just kept validating that.

Exactly. And it's always the same. We always become who we spend most time with. That's why it's important to choose your company very carefully. And then because you get affected by it and you start to think the same and you have stopped to have the same beliefs, and we become who we are, who we are with. Yeah.

So when you get thrown out like one, did you ever think that would actually happen to you? And then when it too, when it happened, what did you start believing about yourself?

Well, I mean, I was late with the rent one month, and then I said, well, then I was late two months. And then with that, I thought, he's just gonna let me continue live on month after month and I don't need to care about it now and I can delay it and. But that fourth month came for nice about the strict Police officer were outside banging on the door and told me that I need to pack my bags now.

Oh my gosh.

Yeah. Then the first thing, this is in Phuket, Thailand, where I've been residing for 16 years. And my first thought was, well, I just go down to the beach and sit there for a while and think what I'm going to do with my life and who can I call and ask for help or borrow money from? And I ended up, I couldn't do that with anyone because I was already owing everyone money and I didn't want to call back home and tell my family that I failed for my friends back. That I felt so that the beach became many other days and I started to sleep away my days. That white sandy beach in Phuket.

So when you were doing that, like, how were you even coping with that? Like I would imagine you don't. I get that you didn't want to share with people and tell them what was going on and you obviously had some gratitude in their white sandy beaches and that's great. But like, did you have to, did you start drinking to cope? Did you start with what was the coping mechanism? Or is it literally just.

I'm thinking, well, I didn't have money enough to drink at that time either. So I was, I just had enough to buy a bowl of noodle soup. I remembered, as I said yesterday, on a single basis and it was, it was hard times at that time. I thought that that was the worst days of my life. Looking at body, look at, looking at it back today, I believe that was the best days of my life because my mind changed, my mindset changed and my beliefs changed and I started to spend time with my myself. And when you hit rock bottom and really fail, that's actually awakening. That's something you realize that you're in that position because of yourself only and not because of others. And I was always blaming others first before I realized that every, every action or every event or every circumstance that you are in, it's because of yourself and how you thought and how you took action.

And yeah, this is definitely a common theme I hear with people. They had to make a decision and start being accountable. But I would imagine that didn't happen like overnight. How did you get to that realization that, wow, this is all me, it's not someone else's fault and how did you avoid, like you said, you didn't have money for it. But there's always those ways. I think so many people will take that wrong path and instead of doing A deep work and thinking. They turn to substance or something else to escape it. They just think, this is it. I just want to escape.

Of course. And that's even. I mean, it's easy to do to escape with substance, alcohol, because it feels good at the moment, but you just prolong something that is going to make you feel bad, worse, and you're digging your own grave. But I was. Some people say I was lucky, and some people said it was a gift of God or whatever you want to call it, to the universe. And I was handed a book on the beach. I called an old friend back in Sweden and I told him my situation, that I'm in a very bad situation. I'm homeless on a beach, I can't barely eat, and can you please help me with some funds or at least so I can move into a room again? And he said, no, I won't. I don't have enough. But I will send you a book that might cheer you up. And that was my first awakening when.

I saw what a good. I mean, I'm sure you didn't love the friend's answer at the moment, but he actually was standing for you.

You know, he had a furious first when he said that, because that was the least I needed. It was a book.

Yeah. You're like, thanks, I can't even eat and you're sending me a book. So. Wow. But what a friend. He might have like, turned your whole life around. So what was the book?

Well, that first book, that was the Secret by Rhonda Burns.

Oh, yeah.

I mean, it's just a stepping stone. It doesn't mean that just because you read a book like that, it's going to change your life. Absolutely not. That book led to many other books and many other. That led to seminars and self development, and I've been studying it for 16 years now. And it's all training for your mind. But what it made me understand that everything outside of everything that we call reality is actually created from inside ourselves first. We're just a reflection. We're a mirror of everything that happens outside of us with images and thoughts and emotions of our. Of our mind and soul.

Wow. Okay, so. So how did you get this book? You're looking at. You're reading it. It's the start of a lot of things. Do you remember that first, like, aha moment or when did you first start taking on that, oh, my gosh, this is a mindset shift? Because I think, Andre, that a lot of people, when they're in that rock bottom, they're not thinking that. They don't want to hear that. It's their mindset. So do you remember that moment or how you shifted that thought?

Absolutely. I remember it yesterday because when I started to read all this, I even became more frustrated, more angry, because I didn't believe in any of that. And I thought it was a lot of crap. Sorry to use that word, but that's what I believed in. But I started to do all the methods and teachings and readings that the book says just to disprove it. I really want to disprove things.

I love it.

The first aha moment was when they do say, when you visualize, you materialize. And I was very happy. Well, lucky that I didn't start about. Start with this big thing that everyone does. I want a million dollars. I want that pentas. I want that Ferrari. I want the perfect relation. Because that way it's not going to happen. Because we don't believe in this method. We need to program ourselves with small things. So the first thing I started to visualize was getting a cup of coffee or someone. I mean, that's a very small. That happened after two days. And then I thought it was, is this a pure coincidence or did I create this cup of coffee? And then I started with a lun. A lunch that that happened. And I go in detail in more and more in my books that I write how that happened. But start with small things. And that cup of coffee came to me after two days. A guy on the beach who takes care of jet skis and parasailings and water sports. He came up. He came up to me after two days and said, I've seen you sleeping on this beach, and I felt sorry for you. I want to give you a cup of coffee. So, I mean, that was one of the first aha. Moments I had. And again. And it worked. So. And from that day on, I've been visualizing every event, every success before it happens.

Yeah, I'm so with you on that. The Secret changed my life years ago. And one of the first things was a vision board that I made. And vision boards work. They work. I mean, like, I put private jets on mine now because, you know, it started with the basic things. Now I'm like, well, if this is working, I'm putting private jets on there. Geez, you know, let's go bigger.

Absolutely. But that's how it is. We need to start with small things. And when they happen, we get to believe and. And we start to know that it really works. And then we can start with the bigger thing. But it's all stepping stones.

If anyone's skeptical on that, you know, pretty much everyone I've interviewed, everyone says, mentions they started with a vision. They had to have some kind of vision of what they want or what they're wanting for. And it's not a woo woo thing, but you start really being on the lookout for what you want versus what's wrong in your life. And I'm imagining that's sort of what was going on with you is that you start like, you get clear on what it is that you want, even if it's just a cup of coffee in the moment. And now you're. You're being attracted to those things and those possibilities.

Absolutely, I agree. And that's also when I ask most of the people nowadays, what do you really want? They start to tell you things that I don't want. They're not really sure what they do want to have in life. And I mean, we can never ever get anything if we're not sure what we want. So that's one of the first principles to any materialization or manifestation is to write this down of the things that you want to achieve. Be, do, or have.

Oh, I love that. Say that again. Be, do, achieve, or have. What did you say?

Be do.

You have.

We do achieve or have.

I love it. So you start attracting things, the cups of coffee. You're looking bigger. What was the moment that got you out of being homeless? And then how does that leap all the way to a billionaire? Like, how does that happen?

Well, I can tell you the short version how that happened. But after that cup of coffee, I saw, well, will this work with other things? Was the coincidence. And I started to visualize and meditate having a lunch. And I remember that lunch, it was a steak with the french fries and salads. And I really wanted that because I've been eating noodles for weeks.

Yeah.

Who wanted to have something else? And I started to picture that lunch. I started to picture even how the restaurant would look like and visualize that, how the waitress would look like and what colors the restaurant have. And I was playing with my mind and. And what I didn't understand at that time, that when you put strong emotions to visualizations, it becomes much more. It comes much more faster to you because it's the emotions that creates this magnetism, since it's not your thoughts itself. And I was doing it unconsciously. And now today, of course, I use it as an advantage. But I started to feel how great this lunch was and how it Tasted how it smelled and that I already was going through that. And two days later, an old colleague from the hotel I've been working at, he bumped into me on the beach and said, andres, is that you? It was long time ago. Can I buy you a lunch? And when I went into that restaurant that he took me to, it was exactly the colors and everything.

Oh my God. Incredible.

Yeah. And that's when I really understood that I was into something. And well, with this work, with how you think, so it wasn't just two coincidences in a row. And from that beach, I started to visualize having a job. I started to see myself in office environments and having colleagues, having that paycheck, having that room. I started to picture my whole life and how it should be. And what I did with that is that I took massive action afterwards. And that's what most people don't do. They think that visualizing on a spot and just believing it's not going to happen, really, because action is one of the key fundamental things in any manifestation. And after doing that, I started to ask for jobs. Every office, every hotel, every restaurant, every bar. And I was getting rejected and rejected every single day. But suddenly, after not giving up, I landed a job for a real estate agency giving out brochures on the beach. And that took me from. From sleeping on the beach and from that on I worked within that organization and being in real estate. And after many years, I started my first company. And from that I acquired a lot of investors and clients from my real estate agency. And they believed in my vision. And they asked me if I wanted to be a real estate developer, which of course I wanted, since I've been visualizing that. And from that and on we've been building projects after projects after projects.

Did you ever imagine in those moments that you would be as successful as you are now?

No. I couldn't go from A to Z or from zero to hero or whatever you want to call it. It was stepping stones. When I want to. When I was a marketing executive, I wanted to be after a sales agent. And then when I became a sales agent, I wanted to be a sales manager for the organization. And after that I wanted to be a sales director. And when I reached that, I want to open my own company. And after open my company, I wanted to be a developer. So everything was in steps, but I couldn't really see that being a sales agent or a marketing center, I would be a big developer later on. I didn't do that, but it was always growth in that business. That took me from who I am today.

So I love that. So it's really like you really did start with the baby. You said massive action, which I want to clarify for people because sometimes people think massive action is like I have to do my whole like 10 year plan right now. But really what you're saying is you were just focusing on the next step in front of you, like one step at a time. But you took massive action to make sure that step was happening. So like you knew you needed a job and you just kept asking for a job.

Exactly, of course. And that's, I mean that's a part of growth and next step. At least when you reach that next step, you don't need to see the whole staircase or see that bigger picture, but just the feeling of moving forward and the feeling of growing and getting a promotion or getting that extra paycheck or getting that particular job. I mean, stepping so. Because that gives you belief and that gives you courage and motivation to reach for something a little bit bigger next time and a little bit bigger next time. And that's important for people to know that it's not just turning your way around to become a big real estate developer. I didn't think like that and I didn't believe I could in the start. But that formed after, after reaching my goals every single time.

I want to go back one more moment on this too, because you mentioned something earlier that I want to touch on. You said you had to get out of like the victim mindset and realize your responsibility in that. How did you do that? I think people really do struggle with that because they do want to blame the circumstance or whoever else. Do you remember how you shifted that?

Yeah, because I remember those days at the beach like yesterday because I really was a person that was blaming everyone. I was blaming the world. I was blaming my employees and my employer, sorry, my company. And I was even blaming my parents and people around. So it was everyone else's fault, but it wasn't me. Read all this self development and that any circumstance or any event or whatever you are in life is because of your own actions, thoughts and decisions. And then actually I start to understand, well, I'm on this beat because of how I've been thinking and the decisions I've been thinking and being a procrastinator and waiting for better moments instead of thinking that the right moment is now. And that finally I understood that I am on this because of myself and no one else. And that's when I understood that everything in life, it happens because of your own thoughts and decisions.

So when did you know? Obviously, we fast forward, you're a huge success now. Like, when did you. Did you know that you are a huge success? Or maybe do you still struggle with that since you were homeless and had that spot? Like, have you ever. Do you feel successful? Do you feel like you need more? Where are you right now with that?

Well, of course I know I'm successful and I love studying success and I love achieving success, but I also love helping other people, like, achieve success. Because when you help other people become successful, you get so much more success back. And of course, success is a mindset. It's a science of achievement. It's a way of acquiring success. And if someone wants to be very good at something, I would recommend them to study success. Study other successful people. How do they think? What books do they read? What kind of seminars do they go to? What do they believe in? I can promise that when you follow these things and you start to think exactly like other successful people, you will get the same results. And I just love this thing because we all think exactly the same things and that's why we're getting the same results.

I love that. And you say that if you want the best, work with the best. I love that. Can you talk a little bit more about that?

Well, I learned that through real estate, being a developer, since I was always trying to cut corners later on when I was always trying to find that cheaper company and that cheaper employee that didn't have this criteria or maybe the education on experience. So every time you're always thinking about cutting cost. But what I realized when you do that is you also get much worse results, that the results are not good. So I don't believe in that anymore. And of course, maybe in the beginning, when you don't have enough funds to do it, sometimes it's good to pay a bit more anyway for services or renders or vendors or whatever the people you want to work around with. Because to be the best, you have to work with the best. And that's what I do now. From now on, when I'm trying to build a new hotel or new development or new resort or a house, I always look at my competitors that are the best in the industry. What kind of people do they work with? What interior design, what architects, what engineers? And then are you going to use the same kind of people? Because that means I'm going to get the same results. So use the people that are best in their industry and you will get the best results.

So that's so it's so simple but so brilliant and not that many people practice that that mindset but boy is that like a simple. Because people want to cut corners and save so much money or whatever it is. But now. But you're wasting time because you're not going to the top. Like the best of the best are going to give you the shortcuts. They're going to give you the shortcuts because they've done their work.

Yeah. They already know what gives you the best result. They found the way. So just follow that same way.

It's so brilliant. Yes. I hope everyone really hears this because I know there's a big, you know, hesitation or scarcity around investing in yourself or investing in the right help. And I. What you're saying is just really an obvious brilliant thing. What would you say to somebody listening that has that story though? But I can't afford it. But I can't afford it because I, I don't know if there's ever a time where people just have extra money laying around. You know what I mean? So I don't know that it matters how much they have or don't have. People have that story.

I mean I was the same and I couldn't afford these kind of people in the start but at least I could take all their materials. I could study them. What kind of color schemes do you, what kind of marketing material do you, what kind of payments terms are these best people using or what kind of teachings to do or even with. With seminars or authors or stuff. Then I started to memorize what they're saying and then I could, I could say that thing to employees and people that I'm managing because I didn't, I couldn't, I couldn't afford to employ them. But then I was learning. Exactly. Because the information is out there. You can still get the information online or in books or talk to people that already work with them. So the information is there. So if we don't can afford it, we can still learn how they're doing it and do it ourselves first. Of course you're not going to get the same result but at least you're moving in the right direction.

Yes. And I believe that success leaves clues like you're saying you can always find that stuff that that person has left clue wise you have some like interesting traditions. I'm curious how this ties into to mindset and what you do. Like you. Something about you. You have your employees jump out of an airplane. Can you elaborate on that?

Yeah, people keep asking me that Become a habit now. So we don't reflect on it. But I can understand it sounds a bit shocking to others, but we have created a company culture that to kill fear, why don't do the most the things that would scare you the most. And I haven't found anything more scary yet that to jump off from 4,000 meters above clouds and fall 200 kilometers an hour, that's a scary thing to do. And it's the same with psychology wise. When you do things that really scares you after they're done, after you do it, that that fear is gone. And what's stopping us in life to achieve anything is because we're scared. We're afraid to fail. And some people are afraid to even succeed. Some people are afraid of what other people will think about it. So fear is always stopping us from achieving anything in life and taking those steps to or that direction. So kill this fear. Feel fear does only exist in your mind. It's not real. So we need to just delete this.

Yeah, I like that. I will tell you I did jump out of an airplane and I was scared to death. And I'm still scared thinking about it. I don't think I killed the fear. But I will say I survived it. I survived it. I didn't die.

And you must feel better because you faced your fears anyway. Most people would never take that step.

Yeah, I liked that about you when you said that. Because that's something I do traditionally on my birthday every year is I do something that scares me. So jumping out of airplane was one of those. My hands still sweat talking about it. But I did it. But I did it. Okay, so talk to me through the billionaire thing because a lot of people make like seven figures or six or seven figures and then maybe even to the billionaire status is a whole nother cup of, you know, coffee or whatever. How does that happen? Because that's rare. Extremely rare.

Yeah, it's very hard to talk about this on this level because you need to go through all the steps in the beginning. But any number a millionaire billionaire or it. It's just numbers on a screen. It's. It's just something you see on a bank account or on a computer or you know, or whatever. It's actually just numbers. But you can manipulate it with visualizations and. And changing your reality with. With the images of your mind and thought. And in the end we don't reflect on these numbers anymore. Yeah, we're driven by passion and by success and helping others and follow. But you can manipulate and depending on how you think about it, it's just a big number.

It's interesting because I even just caught myself in how I asked you that question, that I actually have my own false assumed truth around it. Like it's so rare, it's impossible. Like, so I think maybe a lot of people say those things. Like it's. And maybe they're doing that on all different levels with their finances. Like it's just too rare, too hard. It's for other people, not me.

You just heard three words you mentioned there. What was them?

I said everything wrong just now. It's too hard. It's not.

That's your belief and that's why it keeps showing up and it's not going to happen. That's what you believe about it.

Okay, everyone listening. This is why we're not a billionaire, because we believe that we can't be. I'm going to start believing that I'm a billionaire. Andre, that's my next visualization.

Cut your limiting beliefs. They're only. They're also part of fear that they don't exist. It's only your mind.

Did you ever think of the how, though? Like, did you. Did your mind ever want to go to the how? Like, what are. What are those steps I'm going to do? Or did you really just stay clear on your vision and your intention?

I make short, but I'm very specific on my visions and what I want to achieve this certain year and what I want other people around me to achieve. So I'm very crystal clear with full color pictures on what this year is going to bring and what is my targets and goals because that has made me who I am today, is to be very specific on any achievement I want to. What I want to be, do or have.

Again, what would you tell if somebody's listening to this right now and they are in their own personal rock bottom. I mean, maybe they're homeless right now or they've had a financial failure. Anything that's happened to them that's a rock bottom for them. If you were to give them three pieces of advice to start leveling up and creating everything from nothing, what would you tell them?

I've been in the same situation and I understand today is that it doesn't matter who you are, where you're from, what your name is, what color of the skin you have, what financial background you you may have or may not have, or what kind of parents, if they're rich or not rich or what country you are in, it doesn't matter. We all have the same brain. We all have the same soul and spirit and we can all achieve anything we want in life. But we need to be specific and start doubting ourselves all the time because we're so much more powerful than we actually realize. We're spirit with souls and we are creators. We can create anything we want. But it's the fear and not believing in ourselves that's stopping us to get that. And if you are in that rock bottom position right now, start to write the things, the things that you want to achieve in life. Start with small things because it's the small things that are the most important part to get the big things first. So start small and see them happening before you go to the big thing. But be specific of what you want to be, do or have or achieve because that's what's going to propel you further. And everyone is different. Some people like to painting, some people want to be a racing driver, some people want to be a CEO. But it's up to you to decide what makes me happy and what do I want to have. And when you find those answers, start to visualize them, believe them, write them down and then take action. And you will see amazing things happening to you as well.

I love that. This is really, it's really powerful. Tell us about your book.

Well, I just finished my book. It's an autobiography, Homeless billionaire and I was encouraged and motivated by Joe Vitale and Jack Canfield to write it because they believed that I would be able to inspire, inspire and help others. So it's coming out in all bookstores tomorrow across the States and they can buy the Kindle version or the hard copy on Amazon. So feel free to reach out and I would love to have my feedback from others and see the great result they're going to have after they read the 18 principles that I've been I love it.

That sounds amazing. Where can people find you? Where can they follow on my website.

Is andreaspira.com a n d R E S P I R A and people can actually download a free chapter or a short version of Dating Principles if they want to read more before they actually do the purchase on Amazon. So feel free to reach out and I will be happy to hear your story.

Yes, amazing. Thank you so much. Thanks for leveling up with us today. Please share this episode if you found it helpful so others can join in. And don't forget to hit that subscribe so you don't miss out on future shows. And if you would leave me a five star review you 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 at Natalie Jill Fit. I read all the direct messages and comments over there. Make it a great day. Creating everything from nothing.