Empowerment Season

When I was younger, I used to act differently based around the people I was around. In my heart, I was giving, caring, loving and patient, but when I got around certain people, I would change up.

I would change my behavior because of the circumstances.

Not anymore. I'm me through and through. Giving, kind, empathetic, helpful. I'm a believer that if you are happy with who you are, continue to be you despite whatever circumstances arise. You'll reap the blessings ;)

I read an article recently on Jayson Tatum from the Boston Celtics which told about how he grew up poor, sometimes having to ask neighbors for food.

Truly humbling and got me to thinking about what drives people to put their work into another gear. Poverty, hunger, homeslessness, abuse... And if you don't have those things in your life, are you able to fabricate something to drive you every day?

Really think you'll enjoy this one. Holla at me when you're done listening! IG -> @JuanVLopez

Got a special #AskJuanLo lined up for you - check out our six-pack of questions:

4:25) I wanted to quit my job, but got offered higher pay and a promotion. What should I do?

9:37) I have a great idea for a business and direction where I want to take my life, but something inside of me is holding me up. How do I overcome that?

13:15) I want to create my own videos and images in talking about mental wellness. Where should I get started?

18:20) I’m having a hard time bouncing back from some mess ups. What do I do?

21:45) I’m 38 years old and going back for another degree because my old degree isn’t helping me anymore. How do I get over the fact that everyone here is around half my age?

25:15) I fall into the comparison game a lot with my friends and people on social media. Any help?

One of the kids I mentor recently text me that he bought his dream car ... he's 18. I love the kid, but I think he's cornering himself into being stuck into a certain lifestyle to fit his short-term needs.

The truth is, a lot of us are stuck to a job you hate or life you don't love because you HAVE to make your high car payment, you HAVE to pay your high mortgage, you HAVE to have all the new Yeezys.

What I've realized is that simplicity gives you choice. It gives you the ability to make quick turns in life and not be stuck in things you don't love.

Tweet or IF me when you're done listening @JuanVLopez – enjoy ;)

Recently did an interview with a college student for his entrepreneurship class – he asked some great questions, so I wanted to share this here. Really think you'll get some valuable insights from our back & forth. Enjoy ;)

0:30: What sparked the ambition in you to become an entrepreneur?

3:15: What 3 pieces of advice would you give to college kids who want to be an entrepreneur?

7:30: If you had a chance to start your career differently, what would you do different

9:50: Top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur

11:50: How long do you stick with an idea before leaving it?

15:07: How many hours do you work a day?

15:30: How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?

17:50: What motivates you?

20:30: How far are you willing to go to succeed?

22:00: What do you fear and how do you manage it?

24:00: Have you always planned to flip your home?

26:20: How do you define success?

The linear relationship between belief and 100% effort is becoming more and more evident to me as I evolve.

I mentor a lot of people, a lot of people ask me for help and a pattern I've seen is that the people who do not truly believe in what they're doing don't go all in. They have the information, tools and resources to succeed, but they don't give it their full effort because they don't believe.

What are you working on right now that you're not fully bought in on? Trust me, some of us would BLOW UP if we truly believed what we were working on.

I've never been on a vacation where the people who are on vacation are less happy than the people working there. I'm on a cruise with my girl and our friends for a wedding and people are reaching for complaints...

My girl and I fell into it for a day, too :| Complaining on a cruise ... crazy, right?

Check it out & much love from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!

"I just wanna be successful!" "I'm chasing success!"

Success is a really big hype word right now in our society. A lotta dream-chasers out there. I asked my social media connections what they thought success was and got a ton of answers.

We dive into why defining your success is a key to self-awareness and the importance of staying in your lane.

When you're done listening to this, comment on my FB post asking "What is success to you" or shoot me a Tweet @JuanVLopez

On my last podcast, I briefly touched on losing a big client recently. And I said I was "so damn happy." I meant it. A few people asked me how I kept this mentality through challenges.

That's what we dive into on this podcast – you're gonna love it, get ready for a kick in the ass.

5:45 - My faith as a foundation

9:40 - My confidence to do anything I set my mind to

14:30 - My relentless dog mentality

16:30 - “I’m Shaquem Griffin, bruh”

24:30 - Almost dying on my birthday while doing white water rafting

I get a bunch of social media DMs asking for advice or help – I respond to every single one. Every so often, someone asks for a face-to-face coffee chat with me and I make it happen whenever I can.

This podcast is one of those meetings. A young man DM'd me to talk shop about a YouTube channel he wants to launch in mid-2018. He currently works 6 days a week and is saving up money to quit his job and go all in on video content marketing later this year.

I really think a lot of you are going to find value in this because you're in a similar spot as him – great intent, good work ethic, working a job you don't like, wanting to start something that moves you.

Tons of value bombs in this meeting – enjoy ;)

• 0:00: Meeting my man and hearing about him working 6 days a week to save up to quit his job in mid-2018

• 6:30: In the beginning, you’re gonna suck at everything you do. Accelerate through the suck

• 15:30: The importance of connecting with people who have already walked your path

• 26:30: Living below your means so that when you try to make a big change in life, you’re able to sustain yourself financially

• 28:30: One of my biggest clients recently ending our relationship

• 32:00: How to get your partner to believe in your vision and dream

• 42:00 Reverse engineering your success with a set path

• 49:00: How Oprah ended up on The Color Purple movie plus the power of making a decision

• 57:00: The science behind content marketing