The Bruce Bright Breakdown

The Bruce Bright Breakdown

By Bruce BrightSociety & CultureBusiness
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The Bruce Bright Breakdown episodes

  • 09. Ernest Garcia - From Employee to Entrepreneur

    Becoming an entrepreneur could be the key to having more freedom and control in your life. Ernest Garcia is an entrepreneur who owns two Hotworx fitness studios and shares his journey of leaving a long and successful career as a Mercedes mechanic and jumping into entrepreneurship. The difference between owning your own business and having a stable career as an employee can be a life-changer, but both options suit different types of people. Entrepreneurship can be a more stressful option that requires a different level of presence depending on the type of business, but it can also offer you more freedom and time with your family. The key trade-off is that you may lack the stability you receive as an employee, but your business is infinitely scalable as an entrepreneur, and if you put in the work, you can continue to grow. Take the reins in your life and begin your journey to more freedom and fulfillment with entrepreneurship!


    ๐Ÿ‘ถ A family friend adopted Ernest as an infant: he met his mom at his high school graduation. ย  01:13
    ๐Ÿ‘‰ He didnโ€™t know how his biological father was until last year. 04:32
    ๐Ÿš˜ Ernest loved cars and went to automotive school: went to the Mercedes Benz program at 19. 10:34
    ๐Ÿ”ง Moved from Texas to Alabama to work at the Hoover Mercedes and stayed there for 15 years. 12:44
    ๐Ÿค” The decision to leave the company: all he wanted is more freedom and less stress in his life. 18:08
    โœŒ๏ธ Ernest was building relationships with customers and servicing their cars with honesty: Bruce loves confidence and a huge amount of care invested in him as a client. 28:19
    ๐Ÿ˜‡ Conversations with leaders and the GM: support from colleagues to start a new gig. 32:04
    ๐Ÿ‹๏ธโ€โ™€๏ธ Hotworx 3D training contains infrared + heat + exercise: a 24-hour studio with different rooms for different kinds of workouts. 37:11
    ๐Ÿ”ฅ The benefits of being heated while exercising: hyperthermic therapy increases the number of calories spent while training. 39:32
    ๐Ÿ˜Ž The difference in stress levels between being an entrepreneur and being an employee: managing employees.ย  42:44
    ๐Ÿ“ˆ Being scalable is the key: you canโ€™t scale one mechanic but you can scale a franchise. 47:15
    ๐ŸŽฏ A key to being a great entrepreneur - find a problem, fix it, and be good to your customers. 49:08
    โœจ Missing the people from the old workplace but not the work itself: being an entrepreneur who spends time with his young family is the key for Ernest. 51:12

    Links:

    Hotworx: https://www.hotworx.net/studio/birmingham-midtown

    https://www.hotworx.net/studio/birmingham-leebranchย 

    3D training: https://www.hotworx.net/blog/3d-trainingย 

    ย ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ Connect with Bruce: www.ontargetleading.comย 

    ๐Ÿ”— Get in touch with Bruce: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-bruce-bright-1098339ย 

    58 min
  • 08. Steven Ross Suns - Miracle of Fighting Addiction and Winning

    โ˜น๏ธ Steve's dad died when he was 15: Steve started drinking and using pot and cocaine at 17. 03:24
    ๐Ÿ›‘ Addicts are burning bridges for drugs, changing jobs, and stealing money. 10:20
    ๐Ÿคฏ Steve found a doctor who would prescribe all the pills he needed. 16:09
    ๐Ÿ’ฐ Steve became a heavy addict: spending $86,000 on drugs in six months. 18:38
    ๐Ÿงช Asking the mother for help: Steveโ€™s tricks to faking a clean drug test.ย  23:56ย 
    ๐Ÿšš Driving a big truck stoned: people realized something is not right. 28:27
    ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘งโ€๐Ÿ‘ฆ Married to an addict and had two little kids: using oxycodone. 33:14
    ๐Ÿ’‰ First time using heroin - love at first sight. 39:20
    ๐Ÿฅ€ Being addicted to heroin means neglecting your children because of drugs: Steve overdosed and ended up in the hospital. 42:15
    ๐Ÿ’Š Halfway house helped Steve find a job: he was getting high every day. 48:51
    ๐Ÿ’€ โ€˜Deceased maleโ€™ with no pulse: Steve reacted badly to one heroin hit and ended up in prison.ย  51:15
    ๐Ÿ‘‡ When people closest to you donโ€™t want to help you: hitting rock bottom. 55:05
    ๐Ÿ†˜ Trying to get help, ended up in Foundry Ministries: Tim helped with the recovery.ย  58:19
    ๐Ÿ’ผ Foundry Ministries helps addicts in a year-long program: Steve stayed on as a staff member, got divorced, and gained custody over both kids. 01:05:53
    โค๏ธ Steve learned his lesson fighting the disease of addiction. ย  01:08:12
    ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฆโ€๐Ÿ‘ฆ Being a single dad: temporary custody and new marriage.ย  01:10:28
    ๐Ÿ‘จโ€โœˆ๏ธ A little bit of tough love is the way to go if your kids are going down the addiction road: a new career Steve is passionate about. 01:13:34
    โœˆ๏ธ Pilots need a little good wind and some help from friends: surround yourself with people that constantly make you better.ย  01:16:00
    โŒ Steve's a great mentor: remember drugs are not a person. 01:18:13

    Links

    ย ๐Ÿ‘‰ Connect with Steve: [email protected]ย 

    ย ๐ŸŽฏ Connect with Bruce: www.ontargetleading.comย 

    ย โฉ Get in touch with Bruce: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-bruce-bright-1098339

    1 hr 21 min
  • 07. Melvin Upchurch - From Military to Real Estate Success

    ๐Ÿ‘ฆ Melvin's beginnings in a family of 6 were poor but proud: this formed who he is today.ย  02:00
    ๐Ÿšฒ Earning first money for a bike. 05:10ย 
    โœŒ๏ธ With no money for college, no family, and no self-respect, Melvin was a fat slob in the military. 09:17
    ๐Ÿ“˜ An old book about positive thinking helped Melvin get serious: he got a military promotion and got to go to college! 14:14
    ๐ŸŽ“ At 19, he started taking college night classes, served in the Air Force, and found a grant. 18:08
    ๐Ÿ’ฐ Melvin was at the top in accounting and started working for top money, but his personality didn't fit in. 20:02
    โค๏ธ Few job changes, seven years in a bank, and a decision to work by himself: "I've got to follow what my heart tells me to do."ย  22:53
    ๐Ÿ˜๏ธ Stock prices rising and focus on real estate: Melvin flipped 150 houses. 27:10
    ๐Ÿ  Helping the pastor sell a house and opening an online real estate company. 34:00
    โ“ What sells the house? The answer to this question got them extra money. 36:30
    ๐Ÿค The goal was to find people that were looking for an alternative because the alternative was for sale. 41:30
    ๐Ÿ‘ฌ One reason people go to real estate agents: the relationship component affects decision-making. 43:13
    ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘งโ€๐Ÿ‘ง It's all about good family business decisions. 47:45
    ๐Ÿ““ Book recommendation for every entrepreneur: The E-Myth Revisited by Peter Gerber. 52:00
    ๐ŸŽฏ Focus on marketing and attracting the right agents. 55:00
    ๐Ÿบ There are two wolves inside of us, the winner is the one we feed. 56:34
    โ˜• Buy mentors a cup of coffee and ask them for help: 'I would bend over backward to help a hard-working young person that wants to get ahead in life.' 57:58
    ๐Ÿ‘๏ธ If you're in a business, and it's not working for you, you might want to take a look in the mirror. 1:01:24

    Links:

    ๐Ÿ‘‰ Connect with Melvin: www.linkedin.com/in/melvinupchurchย 

    ย ๐Ÿ˜๏ธ Melvinโ€™s Real Estate Company: www.listbirmingham.com

    ย ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ Connect with Bruce: www.ontargetleading.comย 

    ย ๐Ÿ”— Get in touch with Bruce: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-bruce-bright-1098339ย 

    1 hr 5 min
  • 06. Michael Bell - How a Reluctant Entrepreneur Built a Highly Successful Ad Agency

    ๐Ÿฅƒ Friend and Bruceโ€™s first client: Judge Royโ€™s Bean bourbon made sure this conversation gets smooth. 01:39ย 
    ๐ŸŒ๏ธโ€โ™‚๏ธ Michael planned on marketing for his path: an internship that changed his life.ย  03:37
    ๐Ÿ‘จ Never had any idea that he would work in an ad agency: the bigger the client is, the slower the process. 10:37
    ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ’ผ Michael becomes an entrepreneur: working with small businesses for 15 years. 13:09
    ๐Ÿค” What is the difference between an entrepreneur and a business owner? 14:25
    1๏ธโƒฃ The first lesson he learned in year one: nothing is what he thought it would be. 16:20
    ๐Ÿ™ƒ A good year cut with a horrible year: Poetic Moment when Bruce came in. 17:30
    โšก Gut check for Michael: the new opportunity that came out of nowhere. 20:09
    โš ๏ธ Bruce can coach anybody, but advising is not that simple: all of Michaelโ€™s struggles. 23:14
    โœ… Who comes in and out of your life, sees your work, and appreciates the product you're producing? 25:53
    ๐Ÿ’ช Correlation between fitness and leadership: if you truly love your children, put yourself first. 29:30
    ๐Ÿ‹๏ธโ€โ™‚๏ธ The importance of working out every morning for Michael: energy and mental clarity. 37:48
    ๐Ÿ“ˆ Dealing with rejection: working with people who are a good fit is the senior level of entrepreneurship. 41:22
    ๐Ÿ‘ Modern Brand became a hybrid office after Covid:ย  keeping the talents within the company. 47:53
    ๐ŸŒŸ The โ€œwalk by my computer'' moment is lost in the hybrid environment: seeing each other benefits humans. 54:15
    ๐Ÿ‘‰ Personality types also play a big role: introverts dislike being in the office. 58:50
    ๐Ÿคฃ Your Dad wrote a nepotism clause: we canโ€™t hire you. 1:02:45
    ๐Ÿค“ Inspiration for entrepreneurial changes through time: from ego to soft skills, and caring for others. 1:06:17

    Links:ย 

    ๐Ÿ‘‰ Connect with Michael: www.themodernbrand.com/aboutย 

    ๐ŸŽฏ Get your leadership to the next level: www.ontargetleading.com

    ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿฆฒ Get in touch with Dr. Bruce: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-bruce-bright-1098339

    1 hr 12 min
  • 05. Building a Six-Figure Business at 21 Years Old with Bruce Bright Jr.

    ๐Ÿ‘ฆ First experience with entrepreneurship: selling paracord bracelets at the age of 12. 01:31
    ๐Ÿ’ก All the jobs and entrepreneurial ideas Bruce Jr. started with his high school friends. 06:32
    ๐Ÿ’ช If you want to have a good father-son relationship, spend a weekend in the woods with your kid and Boy Scouts. 08:00
    ๐Ÿ€ College time: selling online basketball program through Elevate Basketball Academy and the biggest lesson he learned about business. 12:32
    ๐Ÿš˜ The first time Bruce Jr. vacuumed his car: a new business idea. 17:38
    ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ’ป YouTube tutorials on detailed car washing: Facebook, Google ads, and flyers. 22:46
    ๐Ÿง’ Bruce's first work at 11 with his friend Greg Stanley.ย  24:52
    ๐Ÿคฉ Scaling is important: not being on the spot but still making money is the sweetest thing on the planet. 27:57
    ๐Ÿ“ˆ Getting tips from his mentors and friends: hiring people and raising prices. 34:33
    ๐Ÿ’ฆ Bruceโ€™s first experience with a Ford Transit: having your own professional vehicle with a water tank and pro equipment. 36:16
    ๐ŸŒŸ New focus is ceramic coating jobs and monthly premium programs. 41:09
    ๐Ÿ“˜ His book F* a 9 to 5: Freedom of his time was important to Bruce. 47:36
    ๐Ÿฅณ New business idea: Greek Fest - America College Party Tour. 50:08
    ๐Ÿ˜Ž Bruce wrote a guide about creating a business in his book: course and Zoom questions. 54:33
    ๐Ÿ˜‡ โ€œWhen your father asks you to do something, it's best that you do it.โ€ย  57:34

    Links

    ย ๐Ÿงฝ Bright Mobile Detailing: www.brightmobiledetailing.com/insta-quoteย 

    ย ๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ Instagram Gallery: www.instagram.com/bright_mobile_detailing

    ย ๐Ÿ“˜ Book: https://tinyurl.com/FA9to5

    ย ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Podcast: www.adventuresofanentrepreneur.co

    ย ๐Ÿ”— Connect with Dr. Bruce:www.ontargetleading.com

    ย ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ Get in touch with Dr. Bruce: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-bruce-bright-1098339

    1 hr 2 min
  • 04. David Oakley - Power of Entrepreneurial Spirit in Building a Real Estate Business

    โ–ถ๏ธ A lot of people want to be entrepreneurs but donโ€™t know how: when it all started and how David did it. 00:44
    ๐Ÿ‘ฆ Cutting grass and creating a yard-mowing company before junior high: thank you LayAway. 03:06
    ๐Ÿ˜Ž The entrepreneurial spirit in a teenager: realizing you can make money and control your time. 05:44
    ๐Ÿฅ… David learned what rental property means and wanted to own one in high school. 06:38
    ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸŽ“ Learning what his passion was with the help of professors: passion as a guiding principle. 9:59
    ๐Ÿ‘‰ How Oakley Group was born. 14:30
    ๐Ÿšช Ways of getting into real estate: brokerage, property management, mortgages, and through being an analyst. 17:30
    ๐Ÿ’Ž You can do it: โ€œIf you find the deal, there's money out there that would love to pair up with you.โ€ 19:29
    ๐Ÿ’ช Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you are: hard work - academically and in business - always pays off. 23:50
    2๏ธโƒฃ Two lanes David chose for his business: buying value-add existing properties and construction development. 26:09
    ๐Ÿ’ธ Challenge is big when bakers start pulling back: the importance of building relationships. 34:50
    ๐Ÿ—๏ธ Whatโ€™s going on in the home-building industry. 36:10
    ๐Ÿ”ฎ What is the future of housing? Modular homes and bringing affordable housing to the market is really critical.ย  42:41
    ๐ŸŒช๏ธ Building requirements for flood or tornado protection save housing: new patents and evolution. 46:30
    ๐Ÿ˜๏ธ We're in a recession: interest rates are still extremely low, and there is a shortage of housing. 50:51
    ๐Ÿ˜‡ It is hard to buy a first home but multifamily can help: more people are shifting towards rental.ย  53:12
    โœจ Never underestimate the power of an introduction. 58:35

    Links

    ๐Ÿ‘‰ Connect with David: www.linkedin.com/in/davidroakley

    ย ๐Ÿ˜๏ธ Davidโ€™s Real Estate Company: www.oakleygroup.com

    ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ Connect with Bruce:www.ontargetleading.com

    ๐Ÿ”— Get in touch with Bruce: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-bruce-bright-1098339

    1 hr
  • 03. Paul DeMarco - Issues In Our Society and Midterm Prognosis

    ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ’ผ Paul is an attorney involved in politics in Birmingham, Alabama. 00:44
    ๐Ÿ‘ฆ In fifth grade, Paul thought that giving refrigerators to lawmakers was a waste of money, so he complained to his legislator. 01:17
    ๐Ÿ‘‰ We are lacking in civic education and civic involvement. 03:00
    ๐Ÿ˜ž The biggest issue in the USA is fatherless homes. 05:39
    ๐Ÿค Declaration of Independence by Zoom: face-to-face conversation canโ€™t be substituted with anything. 07:51
    3๏ธโƒฃ The three buckets of communication are verbiage, how you are saying it, and how you look. 09:27
    ๐Ÿ—ณ๏ธ Midterm elections: ask what politicians are going to do for you, not how they look - they control your funds. 10:25
    ๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿซ More than ever, we need educated and engaged voters: voting against spending funds on some legislations is important for everyone to know. 14:15
    ๐Ÿ‘‚ Know what your candidates are saying: focus on what the candidate that you like is going to do.15:45
    โš ๏ธ The importance of getting beyond the spin and finding out what the candidate stands for: The Inflation Reduction Act is not working. 16:57
    ๐ŸŒŸ Getting elected for Alabama House of Representatives: knocking on doors and being accessible.1 9:55
    ๐Ÿ“บ Power is addicting: there are too many bullies in the media and society. 21:53
    ๐Ÿ‘ฎโ€โ™‚๏ธ Case of defunding the police in Minneapolis: some cities in the US are becoming war zones. 23:53
    ๐Ÿ˜ท Losing faith in doctors: ordinary people, military, and sports players suffering because of the pandemic measures. 26:20
    ๐Ÿคฏ Leading the United States military is shameful: we donโ€™t worry about the strength of our army and our enemies but trivial nonsense. 29:13
    ๐ŸŽฏ Strong national defense is here to make sure all our freedoms are defended: Liberal Europe is electing conservative leaders. 33:26
    ๐Ÿ˜ฎ Europe and US have open border issues: economy and crime issues are very problematic. 36:42
    โš–๏ธ Issue of carrying a gun in a restaurant after a church shooting: bad guys donโ€™t care about laws. 40:00ย 
    ๐Ÿค“ Everyone with a weapon needs to be trained and educated. 42:03
    ๐Ÿ›๏ธ United States House of Representatives might flip back to the Republicans: a lot of people are against failed economic policies and jeopardized freedom around the world. 43:21

    Links:ย 

    ๐Ÿ‘‰ About Paul DeMarco: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_DeMarco

    ย ๐Ÿฆ Connect with Paul: www.twitter.com/paul_demarco?lang=en

    ย ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธย  Connect with Bruce:www.ontargetleading.com

    ย ๐Ÿ”—ย  Get in touch with Bruce: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-bruce-bright-1098339

    46 min
  • 02. How I Beat Cancer Holistically - the David Trombly story

    ๐Ÿ›ซ David is a retired fighter pilot, current instructor, pilot, and chaplain. 00:46

    โ˜Ž๏ธ David and Bruce served together: horrible news ended his military career. 01:35

    ๐Ÿ‘จโ€โš•๏ธ โ€œDoc, Iโ€™m not dead yet.โ€ 04:25

    ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘งโ€๐Ÿ‘ฆ A 31-year-old father of four explains to kids he has cancer: First time David cried during his cancer battle. 07:48

    ๐Ÿคฏ Rough 10-day stay in Bethesda hospital: โ€œNurse, I wonโ€™t be needing that bed, I plan to sleep with my wife in a hotel.โ€ 09:54

    ๐ŸฅŠ Becoming a cancer warrior: medical freedom. informed consent, and good leadership in the military permit David to get a second opinion from civil doctors. 15:27

    ๐Ÿ›ฃ๏ธ Davidโ€™s issues with his liver made double chemo impossible: deciding to take a holistic path. 20:00

    ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿฆฐ Megan read books about alternative medicine and healthy eating: having a vaccine-injured kid changed her point of view on things. 23:25

    ๐Ÿ€ Created a battle plan within three months: Raw diet, high dosage of vitamin c, shots, enzyme therapy, and all are written in Davidโ€™s book. 27:50

    โ˜น๏ธ Cancer hadnโ€™t spread through the rest of his body, but he was losing the battle anyway. 31:48

    ๐Ÿ˜ฉ While youโ€™re fighting the good fight, the enemy is attacking you with fear, doubt, and indecision.ย  35:07

    ๐Ÿ™‚ The phone call that changed his life: 30-day treatments in Switzerland. 38:57

    ๐Ÿ—ฝ The world stopped turning on September 11, 2001, but David is declared cancer free. 43:39

    ๐Ÿ˜ฒ David fights the Navy system: โ€œI beat cancer with carrots, and you won't let me fly.โ€ ย 

    47:55

    ๐Ÿ”จ Breaking the mold: David is the First Marine aviator to have beat cancer 100% natural and then get reinstated back on flights. 52:21

    ๐Ÿ The whole path of Davidโ€™s healing is explained in his book Grounded and Cured. 56:15

    ๐Ÿคฉ The help David and Megan are providing to others and new ways of fighting todayโ€™s fight. 58:06

    โš ๏ธ Davidโ€™s message to everyone out there who is suffering. 01:03:09

    ๐Ÿ˜‡ Networking with people and conventional doctors open to alternative treatments. 01:04:09

    ๐Ÿฅพ Training the next generation of aviators and supporting the Marines in Pensacola that are grounded. 01:06:56

    โœŒ๏ธ Support House Resolution 3860 from Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky and American Act: Thousands of military members that have been put on hold. 01:09:53


    Links

    ๐Ÿ‘‰ Connect with David and Megan: www.groundedandcured.com

    ๐Ÿ“— Davidโ€™s Book: www.groundedandcured.com/copy-of-book

    ๐ŸŽฏ Connect with Bruce: www.ontargetleading.com

    1 hr 15 min
  • 01. David Gibson - Entrepreneurship 101

    ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ Having a computer and color printer in the 90s: knowing nothing about programming but selling sites back then was hard. 02:12
    ๐Ÿคฏ People purchased Internet Explorer for $39/mo: David wanted to bring big-scale solutions to small businesses that still run on business cards and letters. 03:35
    ๐Ÿ’ช Building the Zeekee Interactive: Learning to build websites on his own and how they get their first offices.ย  08:11
    ๐Ÿ™ƒ The unusual way of hiring programmers and more unusual ways of finding big clients like Jimmy Buffett back in the day. 14:00
    โšก Building the business and learning as you go: building 30 sites per month and working on SEO, marketing, and the whole package in a time with no social media and YouTube. 24:22
    ๐Ÿ“ฑ Being a bad leader and a good manager of people: David built the first mobile site in AL when building sites was the center of the universe.ย  31:50ย 
    ๐Ÿ‘‰ Change of website era: from glamor to fast consumerism. 38:06
    ๐Ÿค” Working with 30 creative people in a money-making business: disparity between employees' worth and their value.ย  40:10
    ๐Ÿ˜Ž Hosting fee as a great revenue and exit value: Davidโ€™s special policy helped people stay with him for good. 45:20
    ๐Ÿ” Good touches vs bad touches system: working hard on service to customers. 48:22
    ๐Ÿคฉ Deciding to exit his business: several unfortunate events that resulted in a great sale. 50:47
    ๐Ÿ–๏ธ Living on the beach just before COVID hit: entrepreneurs, read Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller. 57:56
    ๐Ÿ“ธ Living in a small community brought changes: being jobless and helping his wife Cassidy in the photography business. 1:00:01
    ๐Ÿฅƒ David is the owner of the slowest business in the nicest industry ever: Judge Roy Bean spirits bourbon. 01:04:00
    ๐Ÿค“ Exit strategies are totally different for his new business: brand and distribution. 1:06:54
    ๐Ÿ Stories behind Judge Roy Beans bar: a dirt floor, goat, and a good time. 01:08:34

    ๐Ÿ‘‰ Connect with Bruce: www.ontargetleading.com

    โœ… Connect with David Gibson: www.linkedin.com/in/david-gibson-546204

    ๐Ÿฅƒ Try Davidโ€™s bourbon: www.judgeroybeanspirits.com

    1 hr 15 min

About The Bruce Bright Breakdown

From the publisher's feed

Join a retired Marine F/A-18 squadron Commanding Officer Dr. Bruce Bright every week as he talks about wellness, leadership, and everyday life in a way that everyday people can relate to.