Quietness, peace, and serenity are not words we would usually associate with success. In a world where hustle culture reigns, simply going through the motions may sound reckless. But what if I told you that one of the best ways to boost your productivity and creativity is by simply staying still? Today’s guest tells us how we can access this benefit of meditation. 

In this episode, we talk to Ken Kladouris about his journey to stillness. He shares how he transitioned from a high achiever to a peaceful and calmer version of himself. His story of personal discovery and self-awareness lies in the benefit of meditation: finding stillness and mental clarity. He also reveals to us how a 20-minute meditation helped him become more accomplished. 

Sometimes, taking a pause is the more productive option. If you are a career-oriented individual who is unsure how to proceed from the hustle life, then this episode is just for you!

3 Reasons to Listen:

1. Discover the benefit of meditation to your life.
2. Learn how to let go of things beyond your control.
3. Find out how stillness can boost your success.

Resources

• Subscribe to our website and other social channels to get resources from our guests and updates on our latest giveaways and episodes.
• Check out Coach: A Story of Success Redefined by Tim Winders and download chapter 1 for free!
• Get There!: Chart Your Course to Financial Abundance and Live the Life You Desire by Ken Kladouris
• Stillness to Success by Ken Kladouris
• Connect with Ken: Platinum Wealth Group | Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
• Episode Details

Episode Highlights 

[02:51] An Overview of Ken 

• Ken has been in the financial industry for more than ten years. 
• He immerses himself in two businesses: real estate and his mental meditation course. 
• Through his course, he helps people gain the success they want through mental clarity. 

[04:51] Ken’s Epiphany Moment

• Ken’s business was successful, and everything was unraveling according to plan. 
• He felt like his life reached a plateau.
• As he was sitting on the patio during a vacation at the Cayman Islands, a feeling of calmness and clarity engulfed Ken.
• Upon returning to his daily routine, he wanted to experience that freedom and vulnerability he sensed before. 
• He found this mental clarity to be a benefit of meditation. 

[07:42] Who Ken Was Before Finding Stillness

• Ken’s life had a lot of stress and anxiety. 

[11:33] “Because I was so stressed about trying to control everything, it became this vicious cycle of stressing about things you're worrying about.” - Click Here to Tweet This

• He was a high achiever who always wanted to have control of everything without any surprises. Because he was in control of everything, he felt he was doing great in life.
• He used to put up a lot of barriers to keep people at a distance. He only presented the happy and successful version of himself to others. 
• Now, Ken is more comfortable because he goes with the flow and doesn’t stress about it.

[18:10] Getting Into Business

• Ken’s trajectory was pretty straightforward. Growing up, he saw how comfortable his uncle, a financial advisor, was. So, that’s what he wanted to become. 
• His uncle set up his path towards inheriting his practice. 
• His family had a construction business. Being closer to it growing up, he saw all of its ups and downs. Whereas, he never really saw the bad side of his uncle’s venture. 
• Additionally, he is naturally inclined towards numbers and money so it made sense to go after finance. 

[20:18] The Origin of Platinum Wealth Group

• His family had a falling out during his graduate school days. Due to the family separation, his uncle never talked to him again.
• Ken was at a crossroads where he could choose to continue his set financial path without the help of his uncle, or do something else. He chose the latter.
• With hard work, Ken moved up the ranks of a corporation. There, he worked in various fields, including retirement plans, 401k’s, and IRAs. 
• One of his colleagues thought that they were doing too much. So, they went out on their own and niched down on 1031 exchanges.
• The 1031 exchange is a mechanism to sell real estate, purchase another piece of real estate, and defer the tax. Tune in to the full episode to hear more about this topic!

[28:21] Dealing with the Falling Out Aftermath 

• Ken had no control over his family’s separation and the consequences that came after.
• While he planned his goals for the next five to ten years, these fell through when his family’s situation happened.
• He felt it was a waste if he didn’t continue because he already got the necessary degrees and the passion for finance.

[29:42] Niching Down to 1031 Exchange

• Ken always focused on the alternatives, including 1031 exchanges. He and his partner believed it could help people, so they chose to niche down in this field. 
• Currently, Congress is discussing limiting the gain you could defer to half a million dollars. This move can hurt the industry in general.
• Since this is out of Ken’s control, all he can do now is to ask people to write to their elected officials and show their support for the 1031 exchange. 

[34:32] Sailing and Freedom

• Ken loves boats and being on the water.
• Something about the vast expansiveness of the ocean gives him freedom. You feel at peace by getting more in tune with nature and the flow of the water.
• When Ken was writing his book, he compared it to learning how to sail—knowing where you want to go but relinquishing control to the wind and depending on it to move. 
• It fits together with his book’s idea: understanding what you want and getting there.
• Ken made all his major shifts—starting his practice, learning how to sail, and writing a book—around the same time.

[42:28] The Writing Process

• Ken wrote the book for himself and not for the audience. It was more to prove that he can do it. 
• He spent six months riding the rhythm and writing every day. But Ken’s work picked up, and he lost focus in writing.
• Eventually, he came back to incorporating writing into his daily routine but used sailing to keep a balance.
• When he was still working on the book, his usual routine involved: meditating, journaling, and writing. 

[46:46] What He Learned from Writing

• Ken didn’t identify himself as a writer before writing his book.
• He then realized that when he spent time doing it, he could write and be a natural at it.
• Ken teaches what he does. His book is all about what his vision is, so it asks people what their vision is and what they can do to arrive at that vision financially.

[49:55] Stillness

• Ken invests in increasing his self-awareness and doing self-reflection.

[49:57] “I think people could stay busy but not have the self-awareness to understand, right? They didn't have clarity because there’s so many domains all the time that you’re just too busy to even see.” - Click Here to Tweet This 

• He looks back on his five-day silence retreat and the benefit of meditation in gaining mental clarity.
• Many people have yet to experience this benefit of meditation since it can be difficult to sit with yourself. 

[54:11] About Stillness to Success

• Knowing what your values, vision for the future, and happiness look like is the starting point for stillness to success.
• Meditation is not just crazy poses but easing into a natural breathing rhythm. The benefit of meditation allows you to explore your future and define your version of success.
• Ken is thinking of branching out from meditation to retreats since retreats can be a beneficial experience.
• Stillness to Success teaches mantra-based meditation, where you repeat a mantra until you find your centering thought and slip into a state of having no thoughts at all.

[59:27] Slipping Into The Gap and the Benefit of Meditation

• After developing your habits, you can find the gap in your everyday routine and enter a state of no thoughts. 
• You can allot 20 minutes of your day to experience this benefit of meditation. Once you see how clarity and stillness can benefit you, you will become hooked.

[01:00:08] “Most people have this misnomer that they can't find 20 minutes. I'm sure if it's really important to you, and you start to see the benefits, you can make the 20 minutes and you'll find a way to do it.” - Click Here to Tweet This

• During his first week of silence, Ken initially thought it would be impossible to let go of the demands of his life. But at one point, they all just went away.

[01:02:06] “These very epiphany moments of healing and just understanding, [it’s] like you come out a different person. And then you become like, ‘Oh, my God, this is an incredible thing. All those demands and things I think I need to do are just thoughts’.” - Click Here to Tweet This

• Stillness accelerated Ken’s success in many ways. Many high achievers join him in the retreats, showing how unplugging can rejuvenate the mind.
• Meditation allows Ken to become a happier, more compassionate, and more understanding person. 

[01:05:53] Seek, Go, or Create? 

• Ken is a bonafide seeker.
• If you seek within, everything will come naturally to you.

[01:06:02] “When you seek yourself, everything else comes to you. Because how you show up and what you put out is what you get.” - Click Here to Tweet This

• Knowing what it is you seek will give you the motivation to create.

Enjoy the Podcast?

Seek Go Create is for anyone seeking excellence, moving towards success, or creating something new. We share topics, stories, and conversations that allow us to rethink how we live, work, and lead.

If you were inspired and educated by this episode, feel free to subscribe to us on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify so that you never miss another episode. Also, share this episode or what you’ve learned today on your favorite social media platform.

Love to give us 5 stars? If you do, we’d love a review from you. By doing this, you can help us reach more people who want to redefine success in their lives.

Connect with the SeekGoCreate Network! For updates and more episodes, visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

To growing and becoming all we are created to be,

Tim

Mentioned in this episode:

Stop Reacting, Start Leading: Free 30-Minute Coaching Call

Are you leading with strategy or just reacting to the daily chaos? If you're feeling stuck, constantly putting out fires, and struggling to focus on the big picture, it’s time to take control. I’m offering a FREE 30-minute coaching call to help you shift from reactive to proactive leadership with clear, actionable strategies. Whether you’re facing new challenges or just need a reset, this call will give you clarity and direction. Book your free coaching call now by clicking the link in the show notes or visiting TimWinders.com/coaching.

Book Coaching Call