Aww Shift

We are lucky to have Amanda Fisher, the Cash Flow queen herself and the author of numerous business books and a CPA to help us understand the numbers of your business. She is here to let us know that business owners need to know the numbers and finances and understand them to foresee the future their businesses. 

[3:13] Why should anybody listen to you?

I have learned that there is so many things that people need to learn. I have run my businesses.  I have seen people do the wrong thing and it goes down to lack of knowledge. There is so many things that people need to understand.

[3:46] Cashflow

Cash flow is about the money coming in and coming out but what people needs to understand is when you make the sale and when the money comes in and they are not the same as the money that comes out. It is more about learning to understand the bits, understanding what the numbers mean and how it works. 

[6:00] Where to start? 

Get an education on the matter. Get online classes have somebody teach you on the matter. It is really good to know how it runs. Read about it and learn from a book and there are many ways to learn how you can get through the numbers. 

[10:57] Who needs to get the books?

Anyone that is in the business who does not know where you are going. When you get surface knowledge you ask the right or smarter questions. 

[12:35] How did you love the numbers? 

I was always good at science and math; through my working career I don’t feel like I fit in. When I hit rock bottom, I realized I needed to analyze and figure out what I have and how I can pull out from it. 

[17:00] Critical questions people never ask

People don’t like to ask numbers; we need to get over that it is about looking into the future. The important question to ask is “what the future would look like?” So, the real question is “how I can forecast the future?” You can plan the numbers and plan accordingly.

[19:00] What Promise God made to the world when he made you.

He made the promise that I would educate business partners with their numbers. 

Keynote: 

[7:20 - 7:36] “If you’re a business owner it is your responsibility to keep your business to survive and thrive and give it opportunity” 

Learn more about Amanda Fisher on:

Website: Amandafisher.com.au 

In today’s episode, our guest is Juliana Curtis, the Managing Market Builder at MONAT. Unlike other people who are at the peak of their lives, enjoying the vestige of their career, Juliana has just started her journey. Living her life like a normal mother and a full-time employee, Juliana shares with us how her love for a product became the avenue on her steady path to success.

[7:48] Why should we listen to you?

I am someone different. We can sit down to all kinds of people nowadays and they will have a unique story. Even though sometimes they seem like they have nothing to offer, there is always something to learn from people.

[12:21] Strong Mentality

My grandmother and mother made miracles out of nothing. I got support from my single mother and my grandmother, who was looking for my kid. Seeing it sparked a fire in me to keep moving forward. I could not stop, because I have nothing else in me.

[15:34] Growth & Opportunity

I started to attend Zoom calls and see how empowering it was. Looking back, I realized just how closed minded I am. They opened my mind to other opportunities that I had no idea I had the access to.

[16:07] I stick with it as it is essential for my personal growth. I felt my progress in my growth to the point where my husband can notice something has changed. It made me feel good.

[17:34] People started looking at me for help and it felt like I need to share something. Receiving feedback from the customers felt good, because I am a customer too, and I feel what they felt. It is refreshing to hear from customers that I have assisted them in one way or the other.

[19:15] Mindset 

My mindset way back then was all about job security. If there are any uncertainty, my defense mechanism is to stay away from it. It can be attributed to the things that we hear a lot repeatedly, like to work hard to achieve your endeavors in life. Now that I have seen the potential, even if it’s just tiny, it felt like it exceeds what I thought was possible.

[21:17] I have gone through many breakthroughs it’s unbelievable. I am living a better, healthier and happier life and it is something that I can feel with my family. I am more productive and understands the importance of having different systems tailored on your day-to-day activities. This has been empowering and I feel like a new person.

[23:36] Success

The biggest thing that limits other people’s success is their consistency. Their purpose is not big enough and it affects their consistency. Through that, they ended up not giving any value. They are also not showing up for their business because they do not believe on themselves enough.

[27:01] Anyone can do this but it is not for everyone. People don’t trust their mentors enough. What I did is to be open enough to try things that I was tasked, even if I am afraid of doing it. Fear keeps you away from success.

[28:40] Make your purpose strong enough, whether it is to lose weight, make money, or to better themselves. When you are strong, you get over on things that would hinder you. 

[31:42] What promise did God made to the world when He created you?

I would bring gift and share something to world. Whether it’s for one or a hundred people, it will not matter.

Key Quotes:

[13:11 – 13:16] “I can’t let my child down even though I put us in this situation. I have to move forward.”

[27:43 – 27:47] “People are not stepping out of their comfort zones, and that stunts their growth.”

[29:13 – 29:17] “They fail on something because they are not mentally strong enough.”

Learn more about Juliana Curtis on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_curtis_family

In this episode we have Simon Lovell to help as get the best out of us and understand our potential drawn from his personal experiences in finding his peak. 

[8:12] Why should anybody listen to you? 

Results. I’ve been through so much pain and I have learned a lot and invested a lot of money because I wanted to be a better me. I create a more fulfilling happy life. 

[10:00] Growing up, it was not easy. I experienced a lot of trauma. I isolated my self and a young age I became an entrepreneur early on.  

[14:31] Having that meditation by yourself. 

Yes, it was easier for me, but I always crave for connection. I push people away because they don’t feel safe and I feel safe in front of a computer.  

[16:02] What helped you spiked out of that hole? 

My vision boards. I put in everything that I wanted. Every single day I looked into that board. Second step is mentorship. It is an energetic exchange of confidence.

[18:30] Where do we start?

You need to know what you want and to believe that it is possible. If we don’t believe it, we will not take action on it. Fear cannot grab you if you are in momentum.

[21:07] Getting out of the dark 

You need to go inward. You need to work on your intuition. If you are disconnected on that you will not know where you will go. 

[25:27] Finding the right mentor

I believe in the saying, if the student is ready, the mentor will appear. It is all about how you feel about that person. You must choose a mentor that you can trust. A good mentor is going to be honest with you.  

[29:21] What promise that God made when he made you? 

To be the best version of yourself. Come home to yourself. 

Keynotes

[14:35-14:37] “We need the confidence from somebody else that we can”

[20:00-21:24] “Fear cannot grab you if you are in momentum”

Learn more about Simon Lovell on:

Website - www.SimonLovell.com

Athletes and Entrepreneurs are alike. Both are competitive individuals chasing a dream. In this episode of the Aww Shift Podcast, our guest is Jeremy Choi, CEO of the LPS Athletic Center. He is an Entrepreneur, Athlete, and bestselling author. He has been in the business space since he was young and has experienced countless successes and failures. Today, he will share with us what to look for in a business partner, what his entrepreneurial journey was like, what you can learn in sports, and how your simple partnerships can go a long way.

[8:16] Why should we listen to you?

I have nothing to hide. I’m transparent and I'm always willing to share. I've already mentored other entrepreneurs that are trying to get to that $1 million mark and all that kind of stuff and I do it on a volunteer basis. I can share my experience and how to grow that kind of business and just live life differently.

[9:01] Journey to Success

I've probably been in business for maybe about 20 to 23 years now. I started when I was really young I sold a few businesses in the past you know and failed a bunch. From retail to online to building seven-figure businesses and now I'm into the third one.

[10:35] I decided to pursue what I really liked which advertising. I applied to probably about 50 agencies but nobody responded so I decided to start my own thing and since then, it was good. I sold that business and it's been good.

[11:55] What are the two businesses you've built to seven figures and the third you're working on now?

One was advertising and the other one is publication.

[12:53] From advertising and publication to fitness and health

It was when I was doing the advertising business. I met my business partner, which is the master coach and I was looking for someone to train me because I was overweight and unhappy with my life and just stressed because I always wanted to be a basketball player and wished to make it to the NBA but I just didn’t have the capacity for it.

[13:36] I decided to leave the world of sports. I stopped working out and stopped playing sports for almost nine years and then start getting overweight to almost close to 30% body fat. I was unhappy about it and I found this guy through a referral and after seeing him in just three months, the amount of education and passion he has, he's kind of like me where he's very driven and he just wants to help people.

[15:23] I was blown away by just a different shift in how an athlete should train. Since then, I liked being around the gym, being around all the other pro athletes and people that are getting success. I realized that he’s truly helping people and removing injuries and all that kind of stuff and it was just so exciting for me.

[16:55] What’s your role in the business?

My business partner is very technical. He’s the person that’s on the floor and he’s passionate about coaching. He doesn’t want to manage finances, sales, and marketing but I know he has a wealth of knowledge and he has this kind of vision which I'm more or less trying to drive that vision. I’m trying to grow it and benefit from what he’s doing and I take care of the sales marketing operations side of things.

[19:07] Do you guys get into conflicts?

Definitely. All the time but in a good way. When we get into conflicts, we express our views. As a result of our arguments, both of us get into a revelation, and then we understand each other better on different levels. And then we just made a better decision as a business.

[21:14] How have you developed as a person?

I'm always doing personal development like meeting new people and helping others. I guess just the relationship along the way. I'm trying to attract myself to people with integrity and transparency. I'm not sure how my personality shaped because of that but I think it’s from the people around me.

[24:07] What excites you about life outside of the business world right now?

I love competing. Competing in golf has been one of those things that I guess has been extremely passionate for me. I try to work so that I can play more golf.

[25:11] Getting into Golf

The reason I got into golf is that my dad actually introduced me to it. I got into it because I was in business and I saw on TV these rich people play golf and all that stuff. So I thought maybe I should play golf and just get to network with people and stuff. What I realized through that was that I didn't actually get business out of it. What I did get was that you get to see how people deal with adversity.

[26:21] Personally, golf has kind of been one of those things for me that is very humbling. When you get really good, it can bring you back down to earth.

[28:15] What promise did God make to the world when He created you?

I guess make a positive impact on the people around me and just get people to become better human beings.

[28:47] When I see other people happy and see other people smile. That's the biggest reward. Not the money, not anything. It's just when you can see them genuinely happy, laughing, and smiling. Those are the moments that mean the most to me.

Key Quotes:

[19:20-19:21] “Iron sharpens Iron.”

[22:44-22:48] “Money is good but reputation is much better.”

[26:43-26:48] “You're playing against yourself, you're not playing against anybody else.”

Learn more about Jeremy Choi on:

WEBSITE: https://jeremychoi.com/

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrjeremychoi/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/mrjeremychoi/

Are you a team leader? Do you have the right people for your team? Is your team on the path to success? Being a leader can be overwhelming because you are going to manage different types of people but with the right attitude and mindset, you can handle your team easily and effectively. In this episode of the Aww Shift Podcast, our guest is Belinda Agnew. She is the founder of the FOCCUS Group. She is a passionate, self-made entrepreneur in the B2B space with an eye for opportunities and a passion for great results. Throughout her career, Belinda has helped to transform dozens of companies by seeking out and identifying opportunities for growth through the power of content, effective marketing, and branding strategy. 

[12:34] Why should we listen to you? 

I run an agency called FOCCUS group which has two arms so one is recruitment. We recruit within digital and tech. We worked with companies like Telstra, Amazon Australia. We run a media side where we create B2B branding for tech and software companies. And I'm in the mix of developing an application that will create pitch videos for candidates that are trying to get in front of employers. That's pretty much me in a nutshell.

[14:13] How did you get into HR? 

I didn't really pick HR and I don't really love it. I love the process more than anything and I love evolving industries. When I got into recruitment, it was super conventional. It was very outdated and people were always recruiting the same way doing the same thing. I came into it with a digital twist and I started creating content at scale.

[15:04] My first company was an education company and we recruit students internationally and domestically for our two years in universities in Australia. We were like a sales marketing agency, which recruitment is the same thing because we're recruiting candidates for clients, which is companies across the globe

[15:42] I left that company and opened up FOCCUS and that's how I got into recruitment because it was a very similar strategy. I started to do some research on what other businesses align with what I'm doing and recruitment was one of them.

[16:19] I don't love the process of candidate interviews. So I have resources that do that and then we have 360 recruitment consultants that focus on client and candidate. I don't love the whole journey of recruiting but I love evolving the space. I love working on the brand, not in the brand.

[17:02] What are the things that you think other people are missing that they can apply to their lives to have similar success?

It’s Grit. I always thought it was something that you could learn by growing in the space and being in business for so long. It's definitely something that you can't learn. It's either you have it or you don't.

[17:38] You can learn some parts of the game, having a business or growing a business, but to have that grit to keep pushing forward no matter what. Most people give up and they go back to working for somebody else. I've failed many times but I kept going.  It's essentially the grit that I have from being born to a broken family and that's what made me have the grit and the resilience to keep pushing forward. I think resilience, grit, hunger, drive, passion, all in one little bottle but great overall,

[19:02] Doing what you love

We all have doubts in certain areas but I think there were definitely moments in my life where I was going to give up because I kept doing the things that I didn't love or the things that I wasn't good at. Knowing who I am as a person now, I'm still learning, but knowing what I'm good at and I kept doing what I was good at. That's what kept me going

[20:00] What most people struggle with is they don't truly know what they're good at, they're still figuring out what they're good at, or they're still trying to focus on everything. All these entrepreneurs doing recruitment, econ business, being a coach online, it's just not aligned to who they are as a person and this is where most people fail.

[20:49] Team Management

Hiring people is the most difficult part of having a business and managing them is way more difficult.

[21:02] That's one thing I haven’t mastered is managing a team. You're dealing with people. People are not an object. I wish it was sometimes but it's not. So you're dealing with emotions and their life and they're part of the family so whatever they're going through, you're going through.

[22:29] A lot of people said to me when I started my first business is “don't make friends with your staff. Don't mix business with pleasure” and I listened to the advice of my mentors. I never really mixed the two but when I started to mix them, that's when things got better because it showed that I actually cared.

[23:05] As soon as I became that person that support that friend, not just the boss, or the person they're working for, that's when things really got better for me.

[23:47] What’s your leadership style? 

I'm a fun, outgoing person in general. I have such high energy. It's just the type of person I am so I guess I'm kind of like the uplifting inspirational, you can do it, keep going, you're amazing, you're a superstar type of person.

[24:29] I’m very passionate and aggressive to my team. I would just constantly push them because they're amazing and they have so much potential, hence why they're a part of the team. I want to get that out of them for sure. 

[25:12] I hire people based on liking them as well. I'm not going to hire you because you've got the right skill set. If I like you, I like you and it's hard to let people go that you like. But that's okay. People need to realize that's okay. There's no rulebook to running a business or to become successful. Just do what works for you and learn as you go. 

[25:58] Success by being Different 

When I first went into recruitment, I had a lot of hate from a lot of people in the space. I still get a lot of hate from the agency side and recruitment but in a good way. Now I feel as though they're really critical of what I'm doing. They’re also my biggest fans because a lot of them are starting to go into the same pathway as I did when I first started recruitment.

[27:36] Has your team grown from this pandemic? 

When we pivoted to the media side, that's when everything took off for us. We’re actually growing and the media services have only been running for a few months. Now, that's actually growing faster than the recruitment side when we first started recruitment.

[28:23] I'm not a business coach. But I'm happy to put you in front of somebody that can teach you how to do these things because I'm still learning and I’m still young. I'm still going. I'm just going hard and failing a lot faster. And then I keep going.

[29:17] What aspect of the industry do you want to be part of?

HR tech is my biggest passion. Right now there are a few other things that I have my eye on that I want to get involved in. I wouldn't say I'm a huge opportunist. I'm an opportunist if it's aligned with what I'm doing. I think the movement of tech is evolving and I definitely want to be a part of that.

[30:41] What are you excited about outside business? 

Impacting people's lives and meeting crazy people along my journey. I truly love people. Personally, I would love to meet more people and grow within myself and obviously help people grow, make an impact in some way on that person's life. If I've made one impact on one person's life each week, I'm happy with that.

[31:36] I just want to impact people individually on a personal level for sure.

[31:59] You go to impact people. You have to have some purpose. I didn't know that I wanted to do that until I started to impact people online and when people started to reach out to me and tell me how I've helped them based on a piece of content or word that I said. That's when I knew I liked the feeling.

[33:18] What promise did God make to the world when He created you? 

Everybody is going through something and everybody is feeling pain so be that person or be that light for that person in their life at their time. Whatever they're going through, whatever pain they're feeling, just being there for that person and shining a light on somebody. Believe in their potential and dreams because most people don't have those people around them so be that person to keep pushing them.

Key Quotes:

[36:20-36:23] “Look at the world as a mirror. What you put out is what you get.”

Learn more about Belinda Agnew on:

WEBSITE: https://www.belindaagnew.com/

LINKEDIN: https://au.linkedin.com/in/belindaagnew

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/belindaagneworiginal

FACEBOOK: https://m.facebook.com/belindaagneworginal

What does it mean to be an Entrepreneur? Is it about making a lot of money or is having control? In this episode of the Aww Shift Podcast, our guest is Cameron Herold. He is the founder of the COO Alliance, the host of Second in Command Podcast, Businessman, and author of Double Double, Meetings Suck, Free PR & Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs. Today, he talks about what it means to be an entrepreneur, the COO Alliance, being a leader, and what you should do to reach your goals and be successful in your entrepreneurial journey.

[7:08] Investing in conferences, events, and meeting Eben Pagan

When I met Eben Pagan, he said that he invests in attending conferences and mastermind events. He said that if he spent $20 going to events, he’ll leave with $200,000 worth of ideas and that was interesting for me so I started saying yes in going to events.

[7:53] Every time I go, I can quantify the ideas that I've taken and put them in place and run with so that concept of meeting Eben was a huge shift in my business for sure.

[9:18] What is the game-changer that people like you do with those ideas that people who aren't successful don't?

I keep a list in my pocket and I'll go back to do what I have to do and that's been very powerful for me. The second part is whenever I leave a conference, I take all of my notes and summarize them into 10 takeaways then put them into a Word document with all my other conferences and I revisit it every month or two to look at which ones have I gotten done and which ones can I put into my plan.

[10:30] The CEO Disease

Most entrepreneurs are on the spectrum for bipolar and the medical community has nicknamed bipolar disorder as the CEO disease. I wanted people to understand that we're on this bipolar curve because it's part of our DNA. 

[11:41] The entrepreneurial rollercoaster never ends. You become more aware of it but you have the highs and lows, you have the mania, you have the crazy depression, you have the stress, it never ends. But we become more cognizant of our highs and lows. We try to either flatten the curve a little bit or just enjoy the roller coaster ride and call it what it is.

[12:26] Why being an entrepreneur isn’t for everyone

Most people should not be entrepreneurs. 3% of the population should be entrepreneurs, 97% should work for people, and only 3% of the population is bipolar so there's a correlation in there. The mania is why people follow and join us. It's why they quit their job and invest. 

[13:05] I think most people shouldn't be an entrepreneur. I think you could be entrepreneurial. But most people don't have the DNA for it and they don't necessarily have the skills for it and it's okay. I think you need to be more entrepreneurial, like don't rely on a paycheck. But I think not everybody should run their own company at all.

[14:51] Entrepreneurial Journey

I was groomed as an entrepreneur because I came from a family of entrepreneurs and now, my siblings and I each own our own companies. We were groomed to be entrepreneurial but what’s interesting for us as entrepreneurs, we were told to push to be an entrepreneur to have control of our time.

[15:25] I have a lot of control over my free time and I make a lot of money as well. I understand that for me, the entrepreneurial journey is controlling my time. A lot of people get into entrepreneurship to make a lot of money and they miss the whole point.

[16:14] What should people know for them to handle the Entrepreneurial Rollercoaster?

Remember that we don't have to be the smartest person in the room. The school system taught us to be the smartest person in the room but not in business. In business, you have to know where the A students are and hire them. You don't have to be the smartest person and you don't have to be the one to solve everything.

[16:42] Stay focused. We can get very distracted with the new idea, the new marketing strategy, or the new plan but you have to set our course and really drive towards it.

[18:05] Ego among successful entrepreneurs

When I got to a TED conference where Bill Gates and Michael Dell is in the audience. You realize these are like normal guys without that ego. They might get a little bit of confidence but they're there to learn and to connect. They're not there to be showy or to flex, they're all just paying attention and learning and connecting. 

[19:30] Where do you see the world of entrepreneurship going in the future?

We have freelancers who have the gig economy. Maybe they used to be a copywriter and now they have a copywriting business. Maybe they don't really have employees yet. They're more entrepreneurial and they've got a lot of different clients paying for their skills.

[19:50] You become a real entrepreneur when you've hired some people and you're replicating yourself. You have other people driving it forward, driving revenue, and running the business and to the next layer of entrepreneurship where you build a management team, you can almost replace yourself. So you can still be a very successful, balanced, and heart-centered entrepreneur running a 1000 person 10,000 person company.

[20:40] What are you building now?

I'm building the only network of its kind in the world. There's a lot of organizations for entrepreneurs, engineers, lawyers but there was never an organization that was just for the COO. So I started a group called the COO Alliance and we have a full monthly online community. Then we have optional in-person events that we run once a quarter and we've got members from six countries all over the world.

[21:28] What’s the future of the COO Alliance for you?

I'm building it just because I enjoy it and it was in need. I played the COO role three times so I've been in that role and I saw it and went for it. So just continuing to do that and continuing to do my speaking and writing books and continue to be a thought leader.

[22:07] What are the thoughts you’re leading with?

I coached and worked with famous and successful people on building world-class cultures, and kind of giving them the cheat sheets to build great brands.

[23:00] What are the things we should teach to single entrepreneurs who still need to grow their culture and brand?

Start with a vision of what you're building. Articulate and clarify what that vivid vision looks like. 

[23:30] Stick to your knitting. Decide what it is you're really good at and stay in that zone. Don't get distracted and just stick with what you're good at and what you can excel in.

[24:46] How do you stop the distractions?

First is your vivid vision. The second is knowing your core purpose. The third is your audacious goal which is your driving force. And then your core values. As long as you’re obsessive about your core values, that helps you make decisions so those are probably the good filters.

 

[25:56] The Jigsaw Puzzle

I see every business like a jigsaw puzzle and the four corners of your jigsaw puzzle are your vivid vision, your beehive, your core values, and your core purpose. The size of the jigsaw puzzle is your people’s systems, strategic thinking, meeting rhythms, and financial systems, and so the culture comes from there. That's how I approach every business.

[27:05] What are the things you're most proud of outside of business?

I want my kids to say that “my dad spends time with his friends, goes on recreational activities, he takes us on holidays, he loves to travel, and he’s a speaker and author”. If somebody asks them what their dad does, I want them to start with my hobbies and my passions, not with what I do to make money. That's been a really big focus point or shift for me.

[28:18] None of this actually matters. This is just what we do to make money but we're all going to die. Whatever your business is or my business is, when we're dead, none of this matters anymore so we may as well have fun along the way, connect with good people, and build stuff we're passionate about.

[29:27] What promise did God make to the world when He created you?

I think that I was just going to be a good guy. Like at the end of the day I am just created to be a good guy. I really care about people. I care about my family and my friends.

Key Quotes:

[20:21-20:24] “People have to decide what it is they're doing and why they're doing it.”

[26:48-26:51] “When the foundation is strong, then you can scale.”

[30:32-30:34] “Just be yourself.”

Learn more about Cameron Herold on:

WEBSITE: https://www.cameronherold.com/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/cameronherold

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/cameronherold/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/cameron_herold_cooalliance/

Today, we have Mistie Layne as our guest speaker to share her experiences and journey filled with life lessons that she will impart to us. Let us listen as she shares all the behind the scenes from Dare to Share. 

[1:15] Why Should We Listen to you? 

Because I’m a survivor, I’ve lived through addiction, domestic abuse, and prison. I believe I have lived through them to share. 

[2:24] Dare to share is the platform to share the experiences so we can learn for it. I think a lot of people needs to find the motivation and courage to share. 

[5:11] Releasing the shame.

I have to remind myself I have experienced it for a reason. I lived to share the experience so people can learn from my experiences. 

[7:29] The perfect person to read your book 

It is applicable for anyone but it would perfect for someone who is going through addiction and can optimize the experiences they have been to. 

Keynotes. 

[16:00 –16:20] ‘I’m letting may past kill my future” 

[17:00-17:30] “I am going all out, I don’t care anymore about my past it’s not about me anymore, it’s about people who need to hear about it. “

[19:00-19:10] “It does not matter who you are, you are not immune to it.”

Learn more about Mistie Layne on:

Website: www.MistieLayne.com 

Instagram: @mistie_layne

Do you want to be successful in business? Do you want to know what the secrets to making millions are? Our guest for today is Sean Castrina and he has the secret on how to be a successful entrepreneur. He is a best selling author and entrepreneur and has been featured in Forbes Magazine and Entrepreneur Magazine. One of the ways he became successful is by partnering with the right people but how do we know if they are the right people to partner with? Listen to this podcast as we discover who we should bring to our business and how your ideas can lead you to your success.

[6:40] What led you to be a serial entrepreneur?

The rug pulled right under me and then I realized that there's no such thing as job security so I decided that I'd dictate my future. I'd work for a while to get capital together to figure out what I was going to do but I knew that I was going to own whatever I was going to do. Once I started out on that journey, I've been doing companies since I was 25.

[9:19] What is the secret behind your success?

I don't fall in love with my ideas. I vet them and I fall in love with profitable ideas and I can determine when an idea can stand up to being exposed to criticism.

[9:47] I vet my ideas and make sure that I'm bringing one that makes sense. Then I kind of have my lane. I'm not so arrogant in that. I know there are businesses that I can’t work with that my brain can't get around it so I think it's really important to kind of find your lane and stay in it.

[11:09] Superpower

My superpower is partnering. I have six business partners and whenever I start a business, I always partner. Always bring your partner in.

[12:00] Success in the service business

It's easy to start a Christmas light business or gutter cleaning services. I haven't had super sexy companies but I have made millions in profits.

[12:26]I just like service companies because robots or AI can't do them. They can but if they do, we got bigger problems. Robots can do repetitive things but not the assessment part of it like pull things out and put it all back together. There are just so many businesses like that and I could just go one after another and I've made money one after another.

 

[13:13] What is it that’s unique that has allowed your partnerships to be successful?

Going into it with the idea that you got a durable business idea which I think is important. Regarding partnering, you're typically always missing something that's getting you to the next level. Somebody in sales or in operations are typically missing, or they understand the industry at such a level that they can save you so many speed bumps.

[14:22] Somebody has the time that you don't have or somebody has capital that you don't have so it's typically time, capital, experience, and they could fulfill a critical role. They are the reasons to partner.

[15:10] If you can't do everything, you have to partner because it’s very rare that you can. 50% of a lot is better than 100% of a little. And when things are horrible, it's much better having a partner who's worrying about that problem and not just you. And when things are great, it's so much more fun having a partner.

[15:55] What’s the thing that’s big for you?

I like helping because I hate to see people make mistakes. A startup fails, they didn't test their idea, they brought an idea to the marketplace and it wasn't ready, they didn't have enough capital, or they shouldn't partner with somebody so I always feel like if I can share one piece of advice that can save that fall, then why not share it.

[17:07] What is prominent as a failure point that you wish people would just figure out?

Some people go into a business and they don't have enough capital to fail and you're going to fail. There's going to be something that you didn't account for so you need to have a bit of a runway because people don't have enough money to fail. You got to go into a few reserves and you got to go into it thinking lean. That's why I tell people to not quit their day job because they might not afford to pay and make a mistake.

[17:40] Sometimes you might need your salary to bankroll this thing so don't be so quick to quit your day job. I think you got to afford to fail because it can happen and you need to have a little bit more oxygen and cash is oxygen.

[18:59] What makes you different?

They want to lose money and I don't. I don't mind a small failure and I don't mind if I do it on a small level and get some customer feedback. If I go all-in, I may not have enough money to steer away from that to realize that there's a little bit of a better idea if I steer it this way. I think you just want to get business breathing. Just get a pulse and then you can kind of move it down whatever lane.

[19:36] Many people spend way too much money upfront where they got to have the perfect desk, the perfect office and all the signage. If it doesn't sell your product or open the doors, you don't spend a dime on it

[20:20] What drives you now that you’re successful?

You start consolidating it down. When you partner, you partner with exceptionally bright people so that they know what you do really well and business is just fun for me. I love creating a brand, recruiting highly talented people and marketing fascinates me. I'm not passionate about any one of my businesses purely, I'm passionate about business in general.

[22:45] The longer you're in your business, you'll have more people doing the things you don't want. In the beginning, you're doing 100%, then you get to 80 and 60 and 40. You’ll know you've made it when 80% of your time is in your sweet spot and that you love doing it. That's where I'm at now, 80% of my time is in stuff I just love to do and I do very little of what I don't want to do.

[23:32] What do you tell people at the backend?

They like being broke and tired and I don't like either one. Smart people have teams because it’s hard to accomplish anything great with one person. People have coaches or people around them. If you're doing anything where your time's worth $100 an hour and you're doing anything that you could pay somebody $30 an hour to do, you're not that bright and you're not valuing your time by you doing it. 

[26:45] What promise did God make to the world when He created you?

God promised that I’m an acquired taste.

Key Quotes:

[10:23-10:26] “I think that you find your strengths because they come easy to you.”

[13:13-13:15] “The moment you start is the moment you should plan your exit.”

[15:07-15:08] “You gotta have a face in your company.”

[16:28-16:30] “Failure is best heard through a secondhand story.”

Learn more about Sean Castrina on:

WEBSITE: https://seancastrina.com/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sean.castrina/?hl=en

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/seancastrina

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/seancastrinapage/

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2DX7lLt3zS37jtDELR3rRw

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seancastrina

Today, we have Serena Poon with us to discuss share her discoveries about nutrition and her personal journey on discovering nutrition on her food and the nutrients you need to supplement your body with. Join us to find out what Serena offers and her journey on her success. 

[10:23] Why should anybody should listen to you?

I know how to speak into your heart and soul from what I have been to. I can connect with my experiences with you. 

[11:34] What led you into this journey?

My journey was not easy. My family is pretty frugal. It was never easy especially when my dad got sick. Watching my dad navigate his battle with cancer, there is no way to comfort him with food which is the thing that he likes. I decided to go to culinary school so I can bring comfort through food. 

[16:20] Bringing nutrition into my clients, I did not notice what happened to my family, I did not address the stress I eventually needed surgery and it led to another thing and it took a long time to get rid of it. Through that journey I did dive into nutrition. 

[21:48] The Results 

I can read their energy; it tells me what parts of your system is lacking nutrition. I get results through data; you will see the difference. Everything carries vibration. Different types of food give different optimization for your body. 

[24:47] Just Add Water

This is a super nutritious snack; you can have it certain time of the day it carries all the vitamins and nutrients that you will need. 

Keynote

[22:02-22:10] “I can look into someone energetically; I can read their energy it gives me concrete result”

Learn more about Serena Poon on

Website: www.SerenaLoves.com 

Instagram: @chefserenapoon 

How can we be better in Life? How can we change the course of our lives for the better? How can we be better for the people around us? But the real question is, can we be better? A lot of us have struggled in life and some have been put into the deepest and darkest part yet they managed to rise up and be better. The perfect example is our guest Mr. Justin Brien. He is the CEO of Justin Brien Coaching. His life was riddled with addiction and mental health problems but he managed to overcome those challenges and decided to be better, not only for himself but for his family as well. Today, he will share with us his journey and lessons he learned that you can apply to become a better version of yourself.

[6:11] Why should we listen to you?

They don't have to listen to me. I'm just a man with a story that I chose to share. Everybody has their own story it's just that I chose to share mine and my story started with a life riddled with mental health battles and addiction so three years ago, nobody would have probably listened to me.

[7:20] What was your next stage in life after your darkest times?

I was at a point where I started thinking if I was ever going to make it and if I was ever going to see my son grow up or if will I be there to see him have a life and at that point, it's not when I switched but I started to think I was at the point where I thought I should end it so he could have a better and healthier father.

[8:59] I have a plan and that plan was to end it and it's in what I call the three A's. It's admitting that you have a problem, accepting yourself that you need help, but then you ask for the help,

[9:32] I shifted my mindset to instead of thinking of ending it and my son gets a healthy father? What if I get better for him? I knew I was a good guy, I just couldn't stop. It was a mental game. I couldn't shift my mindset. I just couldn't get out of that dark funk so what if I can get better for him? I can't leave him. I can't do that to him so I switched my mindset.

[10:55] What have you done and achieved?

I went back to work and while I was working full time, I got to coaching certifications, my professional executive coaching certifications. I did a couple motivational speaking courses and I've spoken to around 400 people about mental health and addiction. I started volunteering at the high school with troubled teens looking for some direction.

[11:52] It's the feedback you hear and helping people like that. They kept talking about the power of why and that's what I implement into my daily life with all my decisions. I made my son my why and now it's serving others because of the feedback and the engagement you get on my content. It's an awesome feeling and that's what propels me now. To make sure that people get the help that they need to stop suffering in silence.

[12:49] Who is your work for?

It's for people who are stuck and kind of lost or seeking motivation. The one big thing is the accountability partner. They do get an accountability sheet every week and I call them out on their stuff.  It’s for people seeking guidance or some mindset shifts. Everyone's got to make shifts happen.

[13:32] Rehab

I learned a lot in rehab. It's mindfulness, gratitude, affirmations, acceptance, and forgiveness. A lot of people don't realize that you got to accept the past. We have to accept it then forgive somebody. You got to forgive it's in the past, it happened. I learned in rehab that you don't have to tell them to their face. You just got to do it because it's all for you. 

[14:26] I just have it step by step. It goes into how to shift your mindset on self-confidence, self-limiting beliefs, and ends with what's your purpose, your passion, your goals, and your habits and hopefully set them up for life.

[15:02] What is your impact?

I want to impact 1 million people. That's my goal then we'll go from there but I want to be a speaker. That's what I wanted to be first. It kind of just fell into the coaching and the coaching is very rewarding.

[15:38] I want to be standing on stage and speaking to people about mental health and addiction, getting help because it's okay to ask for help. And getting rid of that man-up stigma.

[16:36] How do you teach people to navigate through their feelings?

What helped me were podcasts. I started listening to the podcast and that’s how I found vulnerable men like us who are willing to go on the air and speak to millions of people and talk about the vulnerabilities and just watching the courage and just listening to that really motivated and inspired me.

[17:40] What I tell people is people always think that people are thinking about themselves and they're not thinking about you as much as you think.

 

[18:10] Take responsibility for your choices because you made those choices, accept that you made those choices, and don't believe what everybody says. Just believe in you.

[19:06] Exciting moments as a coach

When my clients message me about how they are taking complete ownership of their past. It's cool to hear that kind of stuff and then you realize that this is your profession.

[21:11] Advice to the listeners

You do what you have to do. In the beginning, you're not gonna like it. It's gonna be hard. Someone once said “I'm scared of dying and meet the man I could have been up in heaven” so I kind of rephrase it like I want to be the man that I was born to be, meant to be, and proud to be.

[23:46] What promise did God make to the worlds when He created you?

 “This man is always gonna make people smile.”

Key Quotes:

[10:34-10:40] “When you get addicted to doing great, It's the same level of effort. But it turns into something amazing.

[17:12-17:15] “The world's changing. You change with it and you adapt.”

[23:06-23:08] “If you really want to grow, you got to work on your self-care.”

[26:05-26:10] “If you don't see any light at the end of the tunnel, you just keep walking.”

To learn more about Justine Brien, follow him on:

Website: https://justinbrien.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinbrien19/