“It took me 50+ years to realize what I’ll tell you in 69 minutes” - Tony Robbins

It's not every day you get to interview

Tony Robbins. And so I figured I could

either make this a headline driven

algorithm podcast or just spend an hour

and a half asking the questions that

mattered most to me. So I did the second

one. Enjoy.

>> Tony Robbins, strategist to some of the

most important people in the world.

people that you have seen publicly and

probably many more that you haven't seen

privately that have impacted your life.

And he's both a wealth strategist but

also a life strategist. And so we're

talking politicians, royal families, US

presidents, Margaret Thatcher, Princess

Diana, Andre Agassi, Mike Tyson, just

the greats. And he's also published

books. He's got 100 plus companies uh in

his portfolio that do north of seven

plus billion a year. And as impressive

as that is,

>> it's actually 12 billion now.

>> 12 billion. There you go. I was I I was

going to say I was like I hope this

number isn't wrong. I like looked all

over the internet.

>> Um most importantly, at least for me, me

personally, is that you wrote books that

um changed my life directly.

>> Wow.

>> And in a couple cool ways. So the first

is there was an Indian guy who came here

to the US 20ome years ago and he was

working as a janitor and he had such a

thick accent that they said, "You're

never going to get employed anywhere.

You have to learn how to speak." and he

tried to get, you know, how to get rid

of an Indian accent tapes and those

didn't really exist. And so they were

like, well, you can check out these from

the public library and it was Tony

Robbins tapes. And so he would just mop

the floors listening to Awake the Giant

Within.

>> Um, wake the sleep. Sorry, I'm messing

up.

>> Power. Thank you. Yes. And so he's he's

mopping the floors and he's doing it.

And that man then started a software

company, scaled that, sold it, started

another company, sold that for 3.4

billion. Did another company, took that

from 200 to 1.2 billion. Um, and I met

him right around that time and he's uh

my partner at acquisition.com.

>> Wow.

>> Beautiful.

>> So that's the first impact.

>> What's his name?

>> Shironsa.

>> Please give him my best. That's awesome.

>> I will. He's He would be here if he

didn't have Oh, he's the man.

>> The second direct impact um is that

there was a girl in Michigan who was 100

pounds overweight, had just been

arrested six times just in the first

couple years of college and then was

like, I need to change my life. And

started listening to your tapes and um

reading your books. lost 100 pounds,

competed in a fitness competition, and

then got into business, built a whole

roster of clients for herself, and

that's when I met my wife.

>> That makes me the most happy.

Congratulations.

>> The one that most most significantly

impacted.

>> Well, that's the most important part of

your life, of course. That's wonderful.

>> And then the third was was was me,

obviously. And my actually entry into

your world was money match the game. Um,

that was the book that that got me. And

so, um, for that reason, I want to say

thank you for just everything you do.

>> Well, thank you for all the kind words.

I really appreciate it. I actually had

like five words written down for this

whole podcast. Okay.

>> And I tried to compress a bunch of

questions into just the most succinct

thing that was actually top of mind for

me that I know will be top of mind for

many of the business owners in my

audience. So I have probably 60%

business owner audience. A third of them

are doing over a million a year. We also

have people who are just, you know, just

getting started, but a lot of people are

predominantly business. There's

>> my brothers and sisters out there.

Yours, mine, right? In the game the

same. Bet on yourself and grow, right?

Find a way to give.

>> Yes. And so the first one was,

how do you see the dichotomy between

duty and enjoyment as it relates to the

impact that you want to make with the

business that you have?

>> Well, it's interesting. You know, words

are are are tricky. They can produce

emotions and sometimes we pick up words

because the people are around. Sure.

>> I used to play poker with a group of

guys

>> when I was in like 19, 20, 21. They were

older than I was and they were all uh

married except one and I was I was

surprised to see one day well one of

them guys I knew he loved his wife so

much but two of the other guys always

were talking about their wives like I

got to go back to the old ball and chain

you know and one day and I couldn't help

see it I was like I was a witness of it

because I was always sensitive to this

and the guy that really loves his wife

out of habit of being around other guys

yeah I'm going on my own my own ball and

chain right and the language we use

produces emotion And sometimes we can

pick up words and actually pick up

emotions

>> without just like you know if somebody

yawns you yawn too or somebody starts to

laugh you do it. But words are even more

powerful.

>> So duty

>> could be a good word like if you're

seeing yourself like a soldier

>> right

>> but I don't look that way. I look at it

as um

>> obligation.

>> No, I don't look at obligation as saying

the same thing. No, it's okay. But I say

this because I I saw this in some of

your language and and I don't know if

this is helpful to you. I don't pretend

to coach you in any way,

>> but for me at least, I can tell you I

look at it as opportunity. I don't feel

a sense of duty. I feel a sense of joy

and being able to contribute. To me,

contribution is what we're made for.

>> Like, it's not hard to meet your own

needs as a human being, right? It's not

that difficult today in the world we're

in today. But to have a fulfilling life,

you have to have something you care

about more than yourself. And so, if you

get into business just to make money,

and there's nothing wrong with that.

Those people usually, you know, even if

they succeed, they hit a limit of

fulfillment because the economic returns

only produce so much. So I don't look at

duty and enjoyment. I look at it as more

like it's all enjoyment because

contribution is the ultimate enjoyment

for me. I mean, I get into business for

impact and economics are second. If I

have enough impact, you'll never have to

worry about economics in your life. And

I found that to be true in my own life.

So I don't look at it quite that way. I

look at it also though that if you think

you're going to really enjoy your life

and not do anything,

>> Yeah.

>> I think you're diluted because you'll

wake up one day because the only thing

that makes us feel alive is growth.

>> You know, when you grow, then you have

something to give. And when you give,

then your life is more meaningful than

just, you know, pleasure. You can give

yourself pleasure by,

>> you know, money, food, alcohol, sex,

whatever it is, you know, but it's never

going to be the same as when you have

something that's larger than you that

you're called to. So like

>> I hate the word motivation because I've

never been a motivator but people use

the word. So I'll say well there's two

types of motivation if you'll think of

it that way. There's push motivation

>> which is let's say duty or I've got to

do this or I have to do or obligation

right or just I'm going to make this

happen. And look brother you have a huge

amount of willpower. It's pretty obvious

by what you've accomplished. I have

tremendous respect for you. Um and I do

too. But willpower only goes so far.

That's push.

>> Yeah. Pull motivation is where there's

something out there that you want to

serve more than yourself that'll get you

up early, keep you up late. And it it it

isn't hard. It isn't duty. It is like

what I'm made for. When you tap into

that,

>> your energy level will explode. Your

contribution will explode. It doesn't

mean overnight everything is going to

work your way. Of course, it doesn't

work that way. But it'll give you the

constant endurance to move forward in a

way in which you enjoy your life rather

than someday when I get to this number,

then I'm slowly going to feel good.

Because it's not true. you get to the

number and if it's numbers it'll never

be enough, right? As you know that

you've done incredibly well. Um I have

so many friends that

>> they got their business, they sold it,

they made a billion two or whatever it

is and they, you know, 5 months later

they're looking to get back in business

again because so many of their needs

were met by the demands and the

challenges and the growing. I think the

biggest problem we have as human beings

is that we think we shouldn't have any.

>> It's like problems make you grow.

Problems call to you because listen, you

lift, we're both in good shape. You

wouldn't be there if you lifted light

weights and did 100 curls with some

lightweight, right? You're built. You've

built this body. You built it by

challenging it. But some people maybe

because of your background in the

fitness industry,

>> no pain, no gain. But today, we know

that's not true. You know that we know

today that's minimum dose will produce

the maximum result. You want to if you

overdo it, you tear down too much,

right? It's like finding the right dose

just like anything else, like a drug for

somebody. And so I I really think if you

think you're going to just go off and

enjoy your life and not add value,

you're going to be deluded. You're going

to be frustrated. You're going to I

mean, how many people do you know that

were rich and famous and the world loved

and they killed themselves.

>> Yeah.

>> Cuz they stop growing. I can list the

half dozen people I thought of in the

last 10 years that have done that

process. So I think to me it's not duty.

But I do believe those much is given,

much is expected.

>> It's one of my favorite words in the

whole Bible.

>> Oh, really? I I come from that place,

too. it. But to me, the expectation is a

pleasure. I think the language we use

trains our brain. It's like if you said

to me, if I said to you during the break

here, let's have some nutritious snacks.

>> I said that to a mass audience, maybe

for you, respond positely because you're

fit. But most people are like, but if I

say delicious snacks, they're

interested. Or someone says to me, Tony,

you meet so many people, you know, hook

me up. Show introduce me to a great guy,

a great woman. And if I said to them,

well, I know this guy or I know this

woman. They're really nice, you know,

versus, you know, they're sensual,

they're sexy, they're amazing, they're

delicious, whatever they say. You know,

it's a different piece.

>> They're not nutritious.

>> So, they're not nutritious. But you see

what I mean? The words change your

biochemistry. The words you attach to an

experience become your experience.

>> And if you over and over use certain

words, you won't even know it. And

you'll train yourself to have certain

what I call an emotional home. Certain

emotions you go back to because the

language takes you there. And duty and

responsibility. If you're trained like a

soldier,

>> yeah,

>> that might work. If you've trained

yourself that no pain, no gain, that

might work. But how old are you now? May

I ask?

>> 36.

>> Okay. At 36 years old, you've built such

a foundation of business, of of

contribution, of wealth, of your body

that at this stage, it shouldn't be

pain. It shouldn't be suffering. I don't

think it has to be any of those things.

I think it's can be total joy. But you

have to kind of rewire your brain

because otherwise that past training

conditions you in my opinion. The issue

does that make any sense?

>> Yes. And I will I will just speak for

me. Yes.

>> Um

>> the issue that I have is that I got here

from a push and anger for sure.

>> Yes. Yeah.

>> But I think on in the last however many

years I I I genuinely believe like I

that's not as much a part of maybe

there's elements of that that are still

there but like it's not the core drive

anymore.

>> Sure. Me too. The difficulty that I have

is like I work the hours that I'm awake

pretty much. And the difficulty that I

have is finding enjoyment outside of

work

>> and the contribution from that

perspective like I've I've spoken to a

number of billionaires, yourself

included, where I I'm like

the next game, right? And so the game

that we're in right now, I I know I

obviously there's gonna be risks.

There's gonna be lots of things that

we're going to do, but I I feel like I

have a direction what I I know what

we're doing. And when I talk to some of

the some of the, you know, billionaires

that are in more private equity,

financial engineering, commodities

trading, different than maybe what, you

know, obviously what you do and to a

degree what I do.

>> I'm actually in that business, too,

actually.

>> Yeah.

>> They were like, you should do something

that like really helps people. And I was

like, I I feel like I do that. There's,

you know, only.1% of the of the people

who see any of the content, the courses,

the books, whatever that we put out, I

monetize in any way. And to a degree I

also reject the idea that charity must

be something that does harm to you uh in

order for it to be virtuous. Right? So

>> that is probably a struggle that I have

dealt with which is that I have um I

have an apathy issue.

>> I'll tell you a microcosm of this is

when I got in the fitness industry I got

into it because fitness was the only

thing I was really into. And so I was

like well I'll do something I love

because I was a management consultant. I

was like well this sucks. I'm going to

do something I love. And then as soon as

I got into the business of fitness I

realized that the vast majority of my

day had nothing to do with fitness at

all. And it was like billing and you

know membership sales and like all this

other stuff. And when I started getting

the testimonials coming in of these

people who were going through you know

our process losing weight, getting off

medications, whatever, maybe the first

couple months it felt like something.

But then on like the hundth and the

thousandth I was like yeah, you know, of

course you you stopped you moved better

and you stopped eating [ __ ] and it

worked out, you know, you know, like it

just it stop basically the the the magic

was gone for me. Yes.

>> And so to the same degree that's I would

say it has occurred within what I do

today but I don't even feel in some ways

that I am driven. I do this because I

don't know what else to do.

>> It's like this is the only thing I'm

good at.

>> Yeah.

>> And so I do what I've been rewarded for

doing. The biggest thing selfishly that

I that I was like really or I am you

know looking forward to I'm trying to

navigate that.

>> I understand. So it's almost you got a

set point on your fulfillment and you

you're not going beyond it.

>> Yes. When I was 20, um, I got obsessed

with positive psychology. I read I had a

trunk of books and every single one of

them was self felt things like this

early on before I had a business, any of

that stuff. And I got to a point where I

realized I had read all the books and my

life hadn't changed.

>> Yeah.

>> And I it felt very hopeless for me

because my subjective wellbeing was the

same. And so I came up with a mantra for

myself which you might laugh at which

was [ __ ] happiness

>> because I felt so rejected by the notion

because I felt so unattainable for me.

And so what I replaced it with was I

will be useful.

>> That's great. meaningful meaning a

meaningful life is a very useful life,

right?

>> And that's basically what I've oriented

my entire life around was like that's

why duty for me feels meaningful because

it's like well, you know, I might not

enjoy this whole ride, but like everyone

else can get stuff out of it. And so

that's that's the the struggle that I

have cuz like I'm okay with that.

>> You're okay with it, but you're torn by

it, my friend.

>> Yes. No, a great obvious, right?

>> I will accept that.

>> I understand you'll accept that. But

would you accept anything else in your

other businesses? Would you accept

something that's mediocre compared to

what you're capable of?

>> Of course.

>> Okay. So, so I gave my two cents, which

is all it's worth.

>> Um,

>> unless you stay emotionally assoc

astronauts, you know, I got to interview

several of them, right? Think of them.

They went out and they competed. They

had they wanted to be an astronaut,

right? You had a version of that. If I

want to be a business owner, whatever it

was you had, right? And they beat

everybody, right? Tens of thousands of

people. They got down to 100, down to

25, down to six, down to the guys that

go to the moon, right? and they get a

rocket that's built by the cheapest

bidder together on their back and they

shot them out into the moon with

technology that's far less than it's on

your phone right now and they walk on

the moon. They look back and see that

image. You and I have seen that they

took blue green of the the Earth, but

that was them seeing it and they make it

back and survive. They splash down. They

have a ticker tape parade. They shake

the president's hand.

>> Now, what the [ __ ] do you do after

you've walked on the moon for adventure?

>> Yeah, right. Like it's like you're 35

and you've walked on the moon. What do

you do? And most of them became

alcoholics and drug addicted.

>> Yeah.

>> And the reason is they forgot how to

find that joy or that adventure and a

smile.

>> Mhm.

>> And so you have trained yourself to be

pain equals success and success has a

certain amount of value, but [ __ ]

happiness. You have literally hypnotized

yourself into missing it because you

weren't feeling fulfilled.

>> So the idea that these people keep

telling you, I would tell you is true.

And I'll just give my own experience.

We're not the same person, but maybe

it'll be instructive. I don't know.

>> So, I don't know, maybe 10 years, I

found myself at a place where it's like,

>> I love my life. I couldn't be more

fulfilled than this. I have the most

incredible wife. I have the most

incredible kids. You know, I I I I want

to be an athlete. I make it. I, you

know, right behind you, I have like six

national championship rings from

different teams that I own or that I

help to coach and turn around. I'm

working with the greatest athletes in

the world, the greatest business people

in the world. I'm having fun. I'm, you

know, I've got homes all over the world.

There there's nothing that what else

could make me fulfilled. I mean, now

this is the it, you know, I can't be

anymore and I'm not complaining.

>> But then there's some part of me like

you that was hungry for more still. You

wouldn't be asking me that question

unless there was part of you that wants

a hunger for something called happiness

or wants something besides just duty or

you wouldn't ask me.

>> So, and I'm not telling you I have the

answer, but I'll tell you what it was

for me. It's like the same these people

told you is me. I've always was

contributing the same as you. I've been

doing it since very little.

>> Yeah. But I started saying, you know

what I'm going to do? I want to do some

moonshots in that area. I know how to

scale businesses. I've grown businesses

of nothing up to 12 billion. It's like

in those days it was like four billion.

Like what what would really get me

going? And at that point, I've been

feeding people since I was a kid. When I

was 11 years old, we had no food on

Thanksgiving. Somebody came delivered

food. Changed my life. It made me

believe strangers care. So I cared about

strangers. And I started two families,

four families. I got to a million, four

million. So about this point, I've been

feeding people for 37 years. So I called

my foundation. How many people have I

fed in my lifetime? And they said 42

million.

>> I was like, "Wow, that's pretty

awesome."

>> But I had no association to it. I I felt

good about it, but I was I was doing it,

you know, all these different ways. I

was like,

>> there's so much pain out there.

>> Yeah.

>> I'm going to feed a billion people in

the next 10 years. Took 37 years to do

42 billion. I started out by saying,

well, what if I did as many people I've

done in my lifetime in the next 10

years? What if I did as many people in

lifetime in one year? And then I was

like, what if we did a 100 million

people in a year? What if I did 100

million people in a year for 10 years

and fit a billion meals right here in

the United States?

>> And I got I got so ignited by that,

Alex,

>> that it was more than it wasn't money,

it wasn't business, it wasn't success,

it wasn't, okay, there's a system. was

like,

>> I have to rip apart. If it took me 37

years to do 42 million, to go to a

billion is going to require me to think

differently, come up with strategy

different, be different, and to think of

a billion lives. That number somehow

brought a different level of life. It's

kind of like Kennedy saying,

>> "We're going to go in this decade and

we're going to land on the moon and

bring a man back to the Earth." And all

the guys at NASA are like, "Bullshit,

right? This is not going to happen,

right? WE DON'T HAVE WE DON'T HAVE THE

TECHNOLOGY TO DO ANYTHING. I DON'T CARE.

THIS IS WHAT WE'RE going to do." There's

something about building a moonshot for

contribution

>> on outside even what you've done in

business. And I did I said I'd do it in

10 years. I did it in eight years. So

then I finished that and was like, you

know, I'm traveling around the world.

You see people starving. It's just

trying to do what you're going to do. I

was like, no, I need something bigger.

So I was in the UAE and I had a I had a

lunch with uh MBZ is the head of the

country. Brilliant man. And he calls me

the next day and goes, I want to have

lunch with you again. I'm like, that's

cool. I'm not happy to do that, right?

So, I come and sit down with him and he

goes, "I brought you lunch today because

there's two people feeding the most

people on Earth and they should know

each other." So, he introduced me to

Governor Beasley who ran the World Food

Program for the UN. Right. So, I said,

"Well, I think he's doing more than me,"

he said. And so, we talked. He later won

the Nobel Prize, but we stayed in

relationship. And because of our

relationship, he got so frustrated with

the bureaucracy of the UN

>> that one day he said, "Tell I'm going to

leave the UN." cuz during his 5 years we

went from 80 million people at verge of

starvation to 385 million people. I just

think of those numbers you if you can

think of it and if you just think of his

numbers it doesn't but if you follow

like one child starving it'll it'll

change the oh yeah that system to

something more ethere it's like watching

a movie watch a movie about war it's too

much when you follow one person and what

they go through you feel it. So I got

associated to that and I said to him,

"What if we create a strikeforce team?

If you're going to leave, how many meals

would it take to feed everybody in the

world for 10 years that need it where it

would give us time to build a

sustainable solution?" Because you can't

keep doing the same crap, right? He

goes, "Tony, I don't know, 40, 50, 60

billion meals." I said, "Let's do a

100red billion meal challenge." I said,

"I did a billion meals when I started. I

wasn't a billionaire. I've been blessed

obviously since that time. You do great

work. If you want to if you bless

others, you'll be blessed, right?" I

wasn't doing it for that reason. It just

came about. So I said, "Well, there's

got to be 90 and more guys like me in

the world. There's 3,000 billionaires or

owners of companies or, you know,

countries that'll do this." So we did

this 100 billion meal challenge and we

went to Forbes 400 and I thought we're

going to get 50 of these guys, right?

The richest people in the world. Four

people stood up. Four. I'm like, this is

not working. We got to do something

different. But the I won't bore you with

all the details. the strategy, the

thought process. And what kept me going

though is it's not just having this

unreasonable goal. It's having strong

enough emotional reasons. And I got in

these environments where people are

starving. I got in the Sudan. There were

a million people cut off by the rebels

there and they were starving them out.

This is just this last year. And the UN

sent all these food people in and they

killed the drivers and took the food.

NBS, not NBZ. NBS from Saudi Arabia

cares deeply. He tried to provide

things. They killed everybody. So people

stop giving monies. People are going to

starve. So I said, "No, no, there's

something different." I said, "I'm just

putting a line in the sand. We are going

to feed these people. I'm going to

provide enough food for a million people

in a week. Who will match me?" And I got

Ray Dia to match me. Pretty soon I had

40 million bucks. But how you going to

do it? And this is where it gets so

alive. It's like, no one else in the

world's done it. We're going to do this.

Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going

to hire a bunch of I'm going to find

some military contractors. We're going

to take C130s and we're going to take

drones and we're going to deliver the

food to the people. We delivered 22,000

meals that month and saved all these

people starving to death. So when you do

that, your level of fulfillment

explodes.

>> What the [ __ ] Compared to running a

business,

>> it's not even the same. And so I've been

hooked on that. So now we got 62 billion

meals in 3 years, which is beyond

anybody ever thought was humanly

possible. And then so now I said we're

going to do a song with We Are the

World. And I got Jimmy Jam, the most

successful Grammy guy, and I got

everybody you can imagine in the music

business all building it together. We

just completed our first version of that

and then but then you know I'm lucky

enough like you I'm very blessed so I

have a private plane I have a 737 it

burns a lot of carbon you know I want to

be conscious how many trees does that

burn 3,000 trees a year like I'll plant

100 million trees but not just plant the

trees I'm going to plant 100 million

trees and I'm going to work with the

farmers and I'm going to show them how

to go from making a buck a day to 12

bucks a day by having 12 and I work with

a group to do that. It's like, you know,

a friend of mine's daughter was

kidnapped and and put into slavery, you

know, just in insanity. It happens in

America. It happens overseas. And nobody

wants to talk about trafficking. But

that got me associated to it. We

actually helped somebody. And so I went

out undercover. I had markings all over

my face. They had a makeup person. They

had scars on my face. Helped to

negotiate these deals with these animals

that do this. It's the ugliest thing

I've ever seen in my life, but also the

most beautiful. But again, I didn't just

give money. I didn't just write

something. I just didn't put something.

I went in the [ __ ] trenches and I'm

sitting there watching these girls go

through the worst thing on earth.

Meaning they're chained to a bed to do

eight or 10 tricks a day and then we get

them freed. We brought them to this

house. They've never been out there.

They're out on the ocean. They're down

here playing basketball. They're like

the change in their lives and saw that

I'm hooked. So my wife and I have now

funded 72 thou started with 30,000 as

many I grew in a town of 30,000 people.

I want to free that many children as big

as the city I grew up in. Now we're at

72,000. I'm going tonight. will probably

raise $5 million tonight. I do matching

funds for everybody at the event to do

it. So, what I'm trying to say to you is

get off your ass.

>> And I love you and I respect you, Alex.

I'm not coming from that place. I hope

you know where I'm coming from. You've

accomplished more than most people dream

in their lifetime. And I respect that.

>> But when I say get off your guess off

your emotional ass, stop this [ __ ]

happiness [ __ ]

>> Yeah.

>> And just actually say to yourself, "No,

I deserve happiness. I'm going to create

happiness, but I have to do it

differently. Done it before. I can't

just get up and just work cuz I'm

trained to work. I can't. I'm not a

[ __ ] robot anymore,

>> right? You're way too smart and you got

way too big a heart. I know you do. I

know everybody knows you well. I've seen

you with your wife. You're extraordinary

human being. You're you're not just the

guy here who does all these wonderful

things and they do wonderful things for

people. You're absolutely right. But

you're not connected to it and you don't

have something that you're obsessed

about that makes you feel fully alive.

You're doing it because you need to. The

difference between have to duty

>> and get to.

>> Yeah.

>> That's the difference between rich and

poor. And rich and poor is not money,

right? Rich and poor is feeling fully

alive. That's rich, right? Poor is you

work your ass off and you have plenty of

money and you help all kinds of people,

but you don't connect it. And again, I'm

not making a judgment. I hope you can

feel my heart. It's just I want more for

you. And I knew you wouldn't ask me the

damn question. That's true. So, it's

like, but you need like your energy has

got to be shifted. You need to kick in

the ass. You need to get an environment

where you're on [ __ ] fire. And then

at that state, you've had that state

before, I guarantee you, when you got

here, but then you got so caught up in

the push,

>> I think you've missed some of the pull

for your life. And I and I think this is

not just true of you, it's true of most

of us. Why are most people stressed?

>> Mhm.

>> Like if you talk to people, like

successful people, they're always

talking, I'm so stressed. I'm stressed.

>> I'll tell you why you're stressed. Cuz

you're managing [ __ ]

>> Yeah.

>> You know, like you're managing all these

great businesses. You're managing all

this great money. But you know what?

When you manage, it puts you back in

survival. Are you going to tell me it's

more stressful today than the dark ages?

I mean, come on. But what's happened is

we have all this we're trying to manage

and we're not made to manage.

>> Mhm.

>> You've you've been so successful that

now you've hit a set point. And now the

only way that set point is people get to

a point where they question and they

start going, is it worth it or not? But

I I have to keep doing it. No. Sometimes

you'll make a point you say, no, I'm

going to keep what I'm doing, but I'm

going to be connected to it at a

different level or I'm going to change

paths all together or I'm going to add a

path that brings another dimension to

me. Those are the places that go. So,

I'm pretty passionate about this answer

because primarily because you're asking,

Nick, cuz you're asking a question. It's

a very sophisticated question most

people never ask cuz they never get to

where you are, right? So, you've gotten

to a place where you've hit a block, but

you're only 37.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, God willing, you're going to

have 50 or 60 more years of your life.

You I I don't want you going around

doing it out of duty. I don't want you

going around doing it cuz that's I have

to get up and work.

>> I want you to do it for something else.

And so I can't do it for you. Yeah.

>> But it would be very useful for you to

get in an environment. I'm not selling

you, but like there's nothing like being

in an environment. I know when Pat

Robbie came one of our events and you

know you got 15,000 20,000 people and

he's like ah I don't need this stuff.

And you know after an hour he's like

this is insane. At the end of the night

he said to me he goes this is like the

seventh game of the NBA championship

ONLY LASTS 12 HOURS AND IT GOES FOR 4

DAYS. RIGHT? But without energy

enhancement the brain takes over. All of

a sudden now it's your mind doing it.

The reason you're not happy is the mind

is leading you. Get in your head, you're

dead.

>> Yeah.

>> Your heart is so big.

>> And I'm not saying that to plate you cuz

I know we have mutual friends and they

all rave about what a generous,

incredible guy you are. But I don't see

you feeling the level that you have. And

I can see part of it is energy. You can

execute with your mind so well. You

recognize, I'm sure, like I do, pattern

systems. You know how to put them in

place, get it done, but then there's not

the emotional connection. You need a

moonshot or two and you need to get

connected to the people and see and feel

the impact in a new variety because

otherwise it's the law of familiarity.

>> You get around anything enough, no

matter how good it is,

>> you start taking a little bit for

granted

>> and and that's just human nature. That's

not you. So you have to wake it up and

you got to get associated. The other

thing is you don't have a kid, do you?

>> No.

>> I'm trying to give you advice, but look,

I have five kids and five grandkids. I I

adopted three kids. I was 24. before I

married a woman who was 12 years my

senior. She had been married twice

before me with kids from each person. I

didn't recognize the pattern, you know,

but it was one of the best things that

happened in my life. Even though she

wasn't right for me, and I I don't think

I was right for her, but I made that

choice. I end up with these kids. So, I

was 24 and had a 17-year-old son

instantly, an 11-year-old, a 5-year-old,

and the one on the way. I've been doing

my thing like you're doing very

successful. I want to change the world.

Now, I got to figure out all these kids

in different stages of life. And so I

tell you that because that marriage

wasn't the right marriage, but those

kids are now, you know, my youngest kid

is like 42, right? I have a 52-y old

daughter and thanks to co I have a four

and a halfyear-old daughter. Co was good

to me. I never thought at 65 years old

I'd have a four and a halfyear-old

daughter, right? Are you KIDDING ME?

I'VE ALREADY DONE ALL THAT. But is the

greatest joy of my life because she

makes me see the adventure and the

smile. I want to do more for her than I

want to do for everything else. Every

day is new cuz everything is new for

her. You just need some new elements.

So, it doesn't have to be a child, but I

wouldn't I wouldn't mind recommending

the possibility for you and your lady. I

don't know how she feels about it, but I

think at some point in your life,

>> there has to be something more than you

that calls you.

>> I'm not trying to give you a sermon. I'm

just so passionate. I have a love for

you because you've delivered so much

value. And I hate when I see someone

with so much value. And to me, I see

this as a little bit of suffering. You

wouldn't call it that, but there's a

conflict inside. I don't want to see you

suffer. You're too good a human being. I

don't see anybody suffering much less

you.

>> I appreciate that. Um

>> does any of that make any sense to you?

What part makes sense to you? I'm

curious.

>> So there's two well three things. So one

was uh the emotional connection part.

The second was the framing of the

opportunity and then the third was

around suffering. And so I want to touch

on each of those.

>> Okay. Great.

>> So from the suffering perspective, I

find that really interesting because

passion comes from the Latin pacio,

right? Uh which means suffering or to

endure. And so that made

>> actually a tremendous amount of sense

for me. And so I actually reframed that

whole concept as like find a goal worth

suffering for. And so I've been very

accepting of my suffering. And to to

your point, I actually don't have a lot

of anxiety. That's actually not the

issue that I deal with. I deal with the

other opposite the opposite extreme of

not giving a [ __ ]

>> Is it worth it? Who cares? Why bother?

You know, whatever.

>> So that was on the suffering piece.

>> But before you before you do, can I give

you back if I may? Again, I'm not

pretending to have the answer for you,

but I'm just giving my two cents. asking

cuz I want to see more of that smile

that I see in you right now. Okay,

that's this is this is the real you

right here by the way. But what happened

is you're so in your head.

>> So even think of what you did like a

goal worth suffering for.

>> [ __ ] that.

>> I mean I don't I don't have goals that

I'm worth suffering for. No, don't get

me wrong. You're not every day is not

like pure bliss. And there's lots of

things that I don't love to do that I

need to do to succeed or I got to deal

with. That's part of life. But pain is

part of life. Suffering is an option.

You've heard that phrase, but it's a

fact. It's not just a phrase. That's why

you've heard that [ __ ] so more.

>> But when you make it your goal to find a

goal we're suffering for, you're going

to suffer, right? So, it's in your

language and you've got your wish. And

what's happened is this part of you is

so strong, brother.

>> This part of you is too, but this is the

lead right now.

>> If you change the lead to here by that

sense of connection, everything else and

get the hell out of your head because

your brain is always going to reduce

things. It's like your brain will never

make you happy. That's the problem.

Yeah,

>> it won't even allow you to enjoy an

apple. You go, is it organic? It's like

your brain is analyzing so much. You got

so stuck up here that you're you're

missing this magnificent human being

that I see in front of me here. You're

missing to have the joy of him. So, stop

this getting suffering for.

>> Can I ask a question?

>> Yes, of course.

>> So, with the like get out of your head,

get into your heart.

>> Yes.

>> I love the language. I don't understand

what it means.

>> I know cuz right now you're in your head

still.

>> Sure.

But by the way, when you laugh like

this,

>> what can you feel the difference? Like

this guy right here is smiling at me

right now. Is that a different guy?

>> Yes.

>> Okay. So tell So let's do this.

>> Okay.

>> I have multiple parts of me.

>> Mhm.

>> Most of us in life try to pretend we're

one thing and society makes you try to

pretend you're one thing. I'm sure your

wife has multiple personalities. My wife

sure does. When I first met her, I'd

have a conversation and she'd be TALKING

ABOUT I'D BE LIKE, "WHO IS this person

over here?" Right? I had to come up with

different names. And by the look of the

smile on your face, you know exactly

what I'm talking about. part.

>> But I started naming the parts of my

wife, so I knew who's talking with,

right? There's Bonnie Pearl, there's

Sage, there's some names I can't tell

you that are very interest or is this

Tuesday morning?

>> But but the point of the matter is we as

humans try to reduce ourselves for

simplicity sake and society does to one

thing. It's easier to manage, right?

>> There are many parts of you.

>> So what's the part of this guy that's so

intellectual that, you know, he's going

to suffer and he's going to, you know,

he's going to get it done anyway. It's

not this guy right here. This guy like

this guy here. This guy's very Is this

guy different?

>> Yeah.

>> Okay. So, you just shift it just like

that. All right. So, who's the guy who's

in his head all the time and is

analyzing all he's brilliant, by the

way. He's absolutely effing brilliant

and he can succeed in anything if that's

what's that guy's name? Give me a

nickname for that guy. One that maybe

will make you laugh. There you go.

Analytical Alex.

>> Analytical what?

>> Analytical Alex.

>> Okay. Analytical Alex. Okay, perfect.

Okay. Who's this guy was just laughing

with me, looked over his wife, big smile

on his face. Your smile is infectious,

right? You know, and and this is you,

right? Okay. So, who is this guy?

>> Anabolic Alex.

>> Anabolic Alex.

>> So, Anabolic Alex has so much life in

him. Can you feel it?

>> Yeah.

>> Okay. So, you you what happens is think

about a relationship. Try it that way.

>> Most people get in a relationship and

they I always tell people the secret to

relationship 80% of having a great

lasting relationship or intimate

relationship is selection. And people

will say to me, "Well, [ __ ] why didn't

you tell me that before I was married

for 10 years or something?" I said, "No,

no, no. I don't mean who you select,

>> who you select to be in this

relationship."

>> So, when you're in the beginning of

relationship, what do most people do in

the very beginning relationship? What

will they do for the other person?

>> The best behavior, all that kind of

stuff.

>> Anything

lighting them up lights you up. There's

no transaction value. You're not trying

to see what you can get. Like your joy

is making joy for them, right? And

you're you give your all. you dress

properly if you want whatever properly

but you get the idea you you give your

best foot forward then people get

married sometimes

>> and after a certain number of years they

forget and they bring a different person

to the table who's always analyzing

like what did you do versus what do I do

and they're measuring that's a

transaction no one wants to be part of a

transaction in an intimate relationship

and when you ever do a transaction it's

not fair anyway because in a

relationship it's like a team sport

you're climbing a mountain who's leading

and who's following changes as you're

climbing If you're climbing a big

mountain, right, and you can't lead the

whole damn time that you'd love to, but

you can't. You got to switch off, right?

To make things work. So, it's like

>> which part of you you select to do

business with? Which part of you is

going to run your business? And so many

of your viewers, I can see I see people

different than you. They'll be like,

"Oh, you know, I just I you know, I know

I need to fire this person. I need to

let go of this or I got to do this, but

you know, I just can't hurt them." I was

in that stage at one stage of my own

life. And if you put that person in

charge of your business, you're going to

fail.

>> Yeah. Right.

>> Right. Because you're going to be taking

care of this person and hurting your

platinum players, right? You're hurting

your clients. Right. So, it's like we

all have to pick

>> the person we're going to be and be

conscious of that. And in your case, my

friend, it's not so you can succeed

because this will make you succeed. I

have a strong one here, too.

>> But if I let this thing take over, I

would be bored shitless. M

>> I'd be like, "Okay, I got, you know,

five sports teams and I got a billion

dollars and I got this business, that

business, and you know, everybody tells

me every day I'm the greatest thing in

their life and I changed their life and

and I got five kids and like where's the

meaning of my life?" That's what the

brain does because the brain reduces

everything. It compares it.

>> Whereas the heart magnifies everything.

It takes the little things that makes

them bigger.

>> What made you attracted to your wife

when you first met her?

By the way, who's this guy right here?

Anabolic Alex,

>> right?

>> Um, the honest truth was that I um I

once I met her, I didn't want to not be

with her.

>> Yes. Why? What qualities about her did

you not want to be without?

>> I think she let me be me.

>> Yeah. She loved you for being you.

>> Yeah. She just never tried to change me.

And I think that was what was so unique.

>> That's quite miraculous. I have I'm

fortunate have the same thing. I found

that Sage loved me not because I was

Tony Robbins. She just loved me. I never

experienced that before. Right. So, and

what else about her besides the fact

that she loved you unconditionally?

>> She also loved the same stuff that I

loved.

>> Yes.

>> Um, and so when we talked, we just

wouldn't stop. Um, and I feel like it

has been one very long conversation. We

spent two two weekends apart since the

day we met.

>> Wow, that's beautiful.

>> Like not in the same literally in the

same place.

>> Does Does she bring out analytical Alex

or anabolic Alex?

>> We work together so she sees both sides.

>> I'm not asking that. I'm like, which one

can she bring out if she wants?

>> Oh, she can bring out whoever she wants.

>> That's right. That's her power, right?

But who does she want more?

>> Oh, she for sure wants in a bucket.

>> Yes, of course. Cuz look at this man

before me. This like you're a different

man right now when we started here,

right? Can you feel that?

>> Yeah.

>> I didn't do [ __ ]

>> This is you.

>> But if you don't identify, like think

about it. The strongest force in the

human personality for any human being,

you, me, doesn't matter. The strongest

force is that we need to stay consistent

with the way we identify ourselves.

Right? Identity

>> is the controlling force of human being.

If you are have identity that says I

always find the way to victory, you will

find the victory. If you're Lance

Armstrong

>> and they say, "Oh, by the way, you have

cancer in your brain, in your lungs, and

in your testicles, which is inconvenient

since you ride a bike." Right?

>> What does he say? He says, "I will find

a way." What does some people say? Their

belief is I'm at the effect of things.

Life controls me. I have to what makes

people by the way miserable is when they

feel events control them versus they

control events

>> and all it is is a shift in here and

here right so Lance had that belief

system and he found the way live

>> but he also said I'm going to find a way

to win using drugs that were illegal

right and so it lost cost him his

reputation but he won all these things

right so your identity is everything

>> and so you have to be careful because

very often in life we identify to who we

were a while ago like if I ask someone

an event, do something. Well, I'm not

that kind of person. Well, when did you

decide what kind of person you were?

>> Mhm.

>> 5 years ago, 10 years ago, 20 years ago,

30 years ago, would you use a phone from

10 years ago? You'd be an idiot.

>> Mhm.

>> Why would you use the same old identity?

>> I'm not saying get rid of it. I'm saying

let's expand it.

>> And in you, I don't have to I don't have

to teach you [ __ ] You've done

everything you could do. But what I

could offer you is to conscious choice

to find anabolic Alex. Look, you've

already mentioned you there and put him

in charge. your level of happiness go

and then stop your hypnosis. You

hypnotize yourself for a long time. It's

time to transcend. Transcend means end

the trance.

>> Okay?

>> Whatever you say to yourself over and

over again, people, you know, you tell a

lie big enough, loud enough, long

enough, sooner or later, people believe

you. You've told yourself a lie. [ __ ]

happiness.

>> Mhm.

>> No. [ __ ] suffering.

>> That's you got to be a new one. [ __ ]

suffering.

>> Like I want to engage enjoyment. It's

not my duty. It's my gift. It's my

honor. It's my opportunity. It's it's

grace that has put me at this point in

my life. Think of all the other people

you've met. You and I both have busted

our ass. We wouldn't be here without

that. But we've also had grace in our

life. There have been your woman is

grace in your life. My woman is grace in

my life. I always say, listen, I got my

wife because of karma. I have helped

tens of millions of people worldwide.

And that was my reward right there,

right? You know, and that makes me smile

like you're smiling right now because I

really believe it's true. So, it's like

those little shifts they I I teach

something called transformation

vocabulary. It's one of the simplest

things in the world. I was in a meeting

when I was probably your no probably

younger than you. I was probably 32 and

I was two other partners who were very

wealthy, super successful, one worth a

billion dollars, another one very real

close to it, but very different

personalities. And we're three of us

were partners in a in a certain deal.

And I won't bore you the details, but

I'll give you the core. The core was we

went in negotiation and I'm an open book

as you can probably tell. I don't claim

to be right about everything, but I'm

going to share what I believe, right?

Certain areas I know just like you know,

right? because of my life experience.

But when negotiation for me, I was like,

f negotiation. Let's just put our cards

on the table. I want to be do business

with somebody who's honest. I want to

tell you the whole thing. Let's do

something fair, right? But you know, if

you go to certain people, if they don't

fight for it, they're they feel like

like they they don't want to do

business, right? They want to feel like

they beat you, right?

>> So, I go on this negotiation and without

telling my partners, I open the door and

I told them the good, the bad, and the

ugly. And I said, "I think this is a

deal that would work. I want a deal

that's more than happy for you because I

want I'm the kind of guy that I'll do a

deal and then afterwards I'll get now I

give a person a little bit back even if

they agreed to it just that's how that's

how I got for 20 or 30 years cuz I'm

generous, right?

>> So So I'm trying to be generous but if

you try to be generous with a shark

who'll take your arm, right?

>> So I'm this 32-y old kid. I'm not

realizing you're much more sophisticated

at your age than I was at mine. And so

so I tell the guys all this stuff

thinking, "Okay, let's let's come

together. Perfect, but let's pull it

together." long long term, who cares? As

long as we respect each other, love each

other, we're going to crush this

opportunity, right? And the other side,

without giving me all the gory details,

takes it, uses it, and tries to

manipulate us with leverage to make a

deal that was far worse than we should

be in.

>> Yeah.

>> So, I'm effing pissed.

>> I am angry as hell. I'm pissed off. I'm

frustrated.

>> One of my partners goes apeshit. He's

like, I'M FURIOUS. HE SAID, I'M ENRAGED.

I KILL THESE EFFORTS.

And he was so intense that even though I

was pissed off, I WAS LIKE, "HEY, IT'S

NOT THAT BAD, RIGHT?" YOU KNOW, I'M

TRYING TO CALM HIM DOWN. WHILE I'M

TRYING TO CALM HIM DOWN, I noticed my

other partner, he's not even moved by

this thing. Like, he doesn't seem even

slightly upset, which almost upset me,

you know? Like, don't you get it? He's

too crazy in my mind. He's not feeling

enough. So, I said to him like, "Aren't

you upset?" HE GOES, "YEAH, AREN'T YOU

FURIOUS?" LIKE, CALM DOWN. He he goes,

"Yeah, I'm a you know, I'm a little

annoyed." The first one he said, "I'm a

little annoyed." I said, "Anoyed? Like

the word annoyed annoyed me, right?

Don't you understand? That's what they

did." HE'S LIKE, "DON'T UNDERSTAND." I'M

LIKE CALMING HIM DOWN. In the middle of

it all, I couldn't help. I'm a I'm a

student of behavior, right? So, I

couldn't help but notice all three of us

have had the same problem delivered to

us. And all three of us have radically

different emotional responses. Okay.

Why? And I'm listening. And he's going,

I'm enraged. I'm furious. I'll kill the

mfers. And I'm thinking I'm going I'm so

pissed off. I'm pissed as hell. I'm

angry. And then I'm hearing him say, I'm

annoyed. I said, annoyed? I mean, that's

it. He goes, well, then he said, I'm a

little tingled. I tingled? What? Tingle?

What are you talking about? Right. And

he's going, so in the middle of all

this, I thought for a moment, I couldn't

help. I said, you know what? I don't

think I've ever seen you really angry.

>> He said, I don't really get that angry.

>> It's very rare. I said, "Well, what

about he had this deal with this IRS

agent came to his house. He's a very

wealthy guy, right? And the guy was the

IRS agent, my guess is was, you know,

you know, threatened by or upset by the

level of wealth he had." And so he did

some things that he eventually won. It

took him five years to get his money

back.

>> He fought the RS and won, which is

pretty rare,

>> right?

>> But during those five years was brutal,

you know, by anybody looking on the

outside. I said, "You're going to tell

me you were annoyed with that? You

were?" He goes, "No, I was I was

peeved."

I peed, right? And then I asked him

something really interesting. I said,

"What do you believe about getting

angry?" And he goes, "I believe if you

get angry, the other guy wins.

>> You lose." Yeah. 100%.

>> Right. And I'm like, I never thought of

it that way.

>> Yeah.

>> And this other guy believes if you don't

get angry, when I get angry, I get

powerful. And I thought, when I get

angry, I get sharp.

>> Right. But I also thought when I'm

really happy, I get sharp.

>> And it changed me. I started saying,

"Okay, I call it transformation

vocabulary because the words you attach

to your experience, as I said, become

your experience." My mother would call

me one time. I'm old enough. You're

probably not old enough. Before we had

cell phones, you know, we had these

little recorder calls, you know, it was

like on a on a realtore and you called

in and got your calls. Well, I went to

England and Europe for about I don't

know two weeks and I gave my staff the

time off. They've been working their

tail off. So, my mom calls every day and

leaves a message, doesn't get a call

back. And when I called from England,

the little beep thing wouldn't

translate. So I didn't know it was on

there. I didn't know I was upset. I come

home and there are 10 days worth of

messages. And every single message she

says, I am humiliated. This is humili.

My son is not the president of United.

IT'S THE MOST HUMILIATING EXPERIENCE OF

MY LIFE. And as I'm listening to this

going, my mom is always humiliated.

>> Yeah.

>> Do you know why? If there's a funnel of

experience and it's painful.

>> Yeah.

>> He's going annoyed pee. I'm going pissed

off and he's going, I'm going to kill

him. Right. My mom always uses the word

for anything uncomfortable for

humiliate. So, she's always humiliated.

>> So, like I'm never depressed. I was so

depressed when I got chased out of my

house and I had no money in the

background. I lived in this place of

depression. And I remember reading this

book by Claud Bristol was called The

Magic of Believing.

>> And I read the book and it talked about

how to condition your mind. And one of

the things I did, I wrote I wrote on the

on soap on the mirror. I wrote, you

know, only a loser is depressed, which

isn't true. You can be a winner and be

depressed and feel that way. But I knew

I wasn't a loser. That was my leverage.

>> Yeah.

>> And I literally took the word depression

out of my vocabulary. I've never used it

again. I felt down. I felt pissed off. I

felt frustrated. I felt sad. I felt

overwhelmed in moments. But I've never

felt depressed. Cuz when I was

depressed, I got to the point where I

was questioning whether it's worth it

all. You know what I mean? And and so

your words

>> Yeah.

>> shape your psychology. And so a few word

changes, as stupid as that sound, as

overly simplistic as that sounds, or

people give metaphors. They'll say, "Oh

man, I'm like I'm like you like I'm at

the END OF MY ROPE." AND I'LL GO, WELL,

set it down and come over here. What are

you talking about? We hypnotize

ourselves, you know. Or somebody will

say, well, that person stabbed me in the

back. And I'll walk up to them and I'll

lean them behind their back. I said, I

don't see anything. You know what I

mean? No, I don't.

>> Well, they they betrayed me. Well, what

did they do? And you dig in. They go,

they told someone else something they

said they wouldn't tell them,

>> right?

>> But the words escalated the emotion. And

once they're there as a metaphor or as

words, they control us. I invite every

business person to notice this. I

remember, you know, I decided to get a

divorce when I was 40 or Yeah. 39 years

old. And I I didn't want a divorce. I

had four fathers. I was going to stay no

matter what. Duty, all those things that

was things were going for me, right?

>> And then I remember going to my friend

Peter Goober and I was like, you know, I

just I just I don't know. I I can't

imagine doing this. and then I'm going

to do I said I'm going to give her more

than half and I want to take care of her

but I just the where the whole part of

starting over again you know starting

over and he grabbed me by the arm and he

goes I'm going to teach you what you've

taught me for the last 10 years he goes

you are not starting over that language

is putting you in this place he said you

couldn't possibly start over he said you

could take everything from you no one

can take the man you become the

knowledge you have the skill you have

the relationships you have all those

things but starting over was my trance

for being in pain and when I stop doing

that it's like no you know I'm starting

fresh

>> I know that sounds simplistic

>> but linguistics change how the brain

functions and so part of yours is some

simple linguistics but the other part is

state

>> cuz anabolic ALEXAND

LOOK HE SHOWS up all we got to do so ALL

YOU GOT TO do is SAYING IT'S TIME FOR

ANABOLIC ALEX here and then a moonshot

that's going to wake you up and then get

emotionally associated go like if I just

provided all this when I first fed

people I would go there in a t-shirt and

jeans not so acknowledge me, but so I

could see and feel the impact as opposed

to I wrote a check or I did some good

work or they did it. The more connected

you are and that once you get in the

habit of that like like people say to me

all the time, doesn't it get old? People

come to you 10 15 times a day and tell

you changed my life. No. And it's the

one things I enjoy most besides my

family.

>> But it's because I've trained myself

never take it for granted.

>> Mhm.

>> Right. Is that helpful at all?

>> Yes.

>> Okay. from the

>> stay your anabolic Alex you're asking do

your best to ask me that question

anabolic because you're you go back to

your brain so I'm happy you got a very

smart brain we can use him too but let's

start let's try with anabolic as you ask

>> so in order to create the emotional

connection because that is like the

thing that I probably have struggled the

most from but I think it's made me

disproportionately successful from

business perspective because I can make

good calls right but you know I remember

the first time we wrote a million dollar

check and then multiple million dollar

checks to charities and I was just like

okay I feel a couple million bucks for

it That's about it, you know, like

>> Yeah, cuz you're not emotionally

associated in any way.

>> Zero. But like, you know, I did the the

tours of the school and I was like, I'm

glad that this

>> you haven't found the thing. Just

contribution for contribution is not

what I'm talking about.

>> And this is where I wanted to get. So,

like, so my my last little word of the

ones we heard most of them was

opportunity.

>> Yes.

>> And so I think the question that I have

is you have unlimited opportunities.

>> Yeah.

>> More opportunities than you can sink

your teeth into.

>> Yeah. How do you go through opportunity

selection and balancing your kind of

achievement brain outcomes and your

philanthropic impact feeding families

outcomes?

>> I look at opportunities first on a

business perspective. I look at

opportunities first to see do I do I

have passion for what it's about? Is it

something that I would do for free if I

felt it was really successful that it it

it felt fulfilling? It felt alive. It

felt it was worth doing,

>> right? Is there is there a mission

behind it? Is it just is it selling

widgets? I have no interest, right?

>> Second thing I look for is who are the

people? I want people I want to enjoy

being with like I would enjoy being with

you in spite of this conversation

sounding like I wouldn't because I'd

bring out more anabolic Alex. I bet your

wife brings out more anabolic Alex,

right? So, I'm trying to make sure if I

was doing business with you, I'd make

sure this guy was present, right? Um but

the but I look at the people and I look

at their heart and soul, what's driving

them and I also look at their skill

because you need both, right? So

somebody's got a track record and

someone's negotiating with me right now

on a really large project. And if the

project made no money, I would probably

do the project as long as I organize it

so I can have the kind of reward for my

time and my energy because the project

has such reach, global reach, uh on a

very deep level, I'm very connected to

it. And this person's built a business

that went to $2 billion. So they got a

great track record. It's not me caring

at all, but together 1 plus 1 could

equal five, not two. So a deal like that

gets my attention because most of the

money I make I give away any at this

stage of my life anyway, right? It's

like there's, you know, I don't I'm not

hurt for any capital. I there's no toy

that I I'm looking for and it never

drove me anyway. So for me, it's like if

it's got enough juice in it here, the

people I'm going to enjoy being with and

it's got enough juice in terms of the

impact and then it has

>> track record of the person likely to

help get there. So it isn't all my back.

The two of us are adding some value

together. It's about added value, then

I'm in. And it's like, let's let's rock

this thing. Let's make it happen. Let's

have some fun. See, mine is let's have

some fun, not not let's yeah

>> do the duty, right? It's like I'm going

to learn. We're going to grow. We're

going to expand different things. We're

going to touch lives. We're going to

have these things. So, those are my core

criteria. And I'm not always right. But

one thing I will tell you that I've done

in business because I've I've made some

poor choices in the early days on

business partners. You know, everybody's

selling when you're going to business

partnership, right?

>> And um it's like going on a date, you

know? So it's like you get you can get

sold and the question is not going to

they do the job will they do the job

well long term is the way team fit like

they're deeper questions but I now when

I have so many business deals the first

thing I do early on I just had this

happen recently with somebody's I own a

a large power plant 1.3 g power plant

I'm converting it to hydrogen it's in

West Virginia

>> you told me about this yeah

>> yeah so it's a great it's a great

project but I have some people involved

that shouldn't have been involved and so

I have some new money come on board and

what I do now is I go they sold me I was

actually liking them. I felt the vision

was great. They seem to have the track

record. Everything seemed to line up.

And I said, "Look, you know what I

always do in any new partnership is I

have everybody check me out legally. I

want you to check out all everything

online. Hire a private detect if you

want. Know everything about me and you

can ask me any question you want, but I

want to do the same with you because

that's how I know when I'm starting."

Now, by the way, though, nothing I hear

will I take as true because, you know,

it's not true, but I'll bring it to you

and we can discuss it. And then you and

I can tell, you know, most people have

large you and I have large [ __ ]

meters, right? We can tell when

something's [ __ ]

>> It's a perfect example. And this guy, we

had a a deal worth, you know, 10 figures

plus, looked really good, ghosted us,

>> just ghosted us cuz I And then I

uncovered I uncovered three or four

things he'd done that were not great.

And I was like, I just saved myself

three to five years of pain.

>> So, I do believe in the practical side,

but I first I'm not even interested in

going there unless I can first find

these pieces. And unless I believe

already there, but I can get fooled,

right? I'm not I'm not perfect. Right.

>> So, I have uh one last question for you.

Um which is the most selfish of all my

questions.

>> So, you're 36 years old. You have built

businesses and and the skill set that

you are most proud of is that you're

good at helping business owners.

>> Yeah.

>> The only thing I feel emotional

connection to is

>> teaching young men how to provide for

themselves and their families. That's

the only thing that actually like I cuz

I know that pain.

>> Yes.

>> Um so, you're connected to it.

>> That's the only thing. makes sense.

>> And and to me, I've built a lot of the

business and and all that stuff

basically around that. But I still still

don't feel like that that massive

emotional drive. That being said, what

would you have played differently

from your 36-year-old self to to current

that you could kind of pass on to me?

The basically what can I change about my

behavior to maximize my enjoyment and

size of impact?

>> You have to make an enjoyment a

priority, which you've not.

You've always gotten your priorities,

brother.

>> You're good. You're you're an

overachiever.

>> Yeah.

>> But there's two skills in life. There's

the science of achievement, which you're

unbelievably great at, and there's the

art of fulfillment, which you're not so

great at by your description.

>> Yeah. Right.

>> And and by the way, notice the language

difference. The science of achievement,

it's a science. Like you and I both

know, if you want to make money, there's

a science to it. Right. If you want to

be fulfilled, though,

>> that's as unique as every human being

you're going to meet.

>> And so, you haven't found that piece.

Now, you gave some some clues along the

way, like why am I so interested in

feeding people? Cuz I'm such a good

person. No, cuz I suffered, right? So, I

don't want other people suffer. So, I

started out of that, but now it's not

out of suffering. It's out of joy.

>> You can get started out of the pain.

Passion does. But you don't have to stay

in the pain, right?

>> You've kind of stayed in the pain

>> even though you've gone past it. But

what you just said is well a clue for me

is I that's the one place I can start to

get fully associated to it because I

know what it takes to do that and I know

what it feels like to be able to take

care of my family. I know the contrast,

right? So I would take a look at that

and expanding it. But I try to find a

way to do it where I had a moonshot

>> something that's that like

>> like right now you're

>> shot of that.

>> What's that?

>> A moonshot of

>> exactly that's what I saying to you

earlier. I'm not saying you should go

feed people or writing those checks. The

problem is you wrote those checks the

things you don't give a [ __ ] about.

Right. A thousand. I mean, it's true.

>> You feel so feel poor. And then you

probably feel bad about yourself for

doing it cuz I'm supposed to do good

stuff. And why don't I feel good by

doing good stuff? Cuz it's not your

passion.

>> I was like I was like, I'm I I was like,

I selfishly wrote these checks so that I

would feel good. And now I don't even

feel good. And now I'm just $2 million

poor. But like, but I shouldn't feel bad

about doing good. And then it was just

the whole thing.

>> By the way, [ __ ] it. So question her

heart was having that head of course.

Yeah.

>> So analytical.

But by the way, as you're laughing about

it now, who's in charge right now?

>> Yeah. Anabolic.

>> Right. that little shift which sounds

like nothing. I hope if nothing else you

hear me say you play with that just a

little bit in your life and bring him to

the table. But if you come up with a

moonshot connected to that

>> like I'm gonna I'm completely the wrong

thing. I'm going to help 10 million

young men

>> who right now think they can't buy a

home, they can't do anything. Most young

people here have been sold this [ __ ]

bill of goods. Inflation's 3% and you

know you know I got to have 24 million

to have 4 million and it's like that's

the catastrophizing analytical side.

That's assuming that you're not going to

have any growth in your assets. Yeah.

And also when you're 86, which is when

that would be 50 years from now, do you

really think you're going to spend the

same money? What the hell are you going

to be buying? You already own multiple

homes. You've already had those. They've

all grown in value. So most young

people,

>> yeah,

>> they are not involved with free

enterprise as you know. And so that's

why they want communism because they've

never been there. I've been I was in

USSR when I was 23 years old and I took

a train from Moscow to Siberia with a

group of scientists. I was brought

because of my firewalking things like

that by their government and back. I

spent two weeks there. It made me a

capitalist because every stop we did

there's the same thing in every city.

There's a central place where the the pl

the train stops and we've been having

caviar and all these Russians are like

wealthy on this plane. They're all

supposed to be equal. And then you see

people literally 3/4 of a mile around

multiple times maybe half mile around

waiting in the freezing cold for half a

loaf of bread and milk. Right? It's

[ __ ] But kids today are thinking,

"Oh, it means free bus, free child care,

free." They don't understand. There's no

such thing as no free lunch. What life

needs you to do is if you live in a free

enterprise system and you're not an

owner, you're going to be in pain.

>> You know that

>> you've built businesses. I like I tell

kids sometimes like here's you got to

understand. If if you put 300 bucks

aside where you still live in a home or

you're 19 and you only invested and do

it all in the S&P 500, you don't think

about investing and you stopped

investing when you're 27 and you've only

put $28,000 IN. AT 65, YOU got 1.8

million. God forbid if you keep

investing, right? Until the numbers got

bigger. You look at people today, they

buy a iPhone.

>> Yeah.

>> And they buy a new one every year.

They've been going on since 2007. I

looked it up just the other day. I

actually made a chart to show a kid and

he was telling me about you know you

know there's no way you can succeed and

I said okay you've had an iPhone since

the beginning there's been 19 years of

iPhones whatever it's been it's now he'd

spend 20 I took out the exact dollar

amounts for each one

>> and what the stock was at the same day

if you would have bought the stock

versus the iPhone or just matched it

>> $22,000 you spend over time which is

gone

>> or $326,000 you would have saying 326

will change your life but for someone

who has nothing it sure as hell would

right

>> but the other part for it is is helping

people understand that it's like if I

get to be an owner, the whole game

changes. Then inflation can be my

friend. I don't have to live in this

fear I can't have something. So you

>> you could bring that to kids or whatever

age. You could bring in the biggest say

I got to come something I want to take

10 million or a million or some whatever

would float your boat. And then when you

see those kids and you see scale of that

and you see them taking care of their

families and you hear stories about

that, I don't think it'll be old for

you. What'd you write the checks for?

>> Kids after school care.

>> Okay. And you don't have any kids.

>> So you have no association that

whatsoever. Right. Okay. It's like [ __ ]

But you and I'M NOT SAYING WRITE A

CHECK. I'M SAYING GO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

LIKE GO you you've done so much. You

need to find something there. But you

you found the thread. Yeah,

>> for me I I wrote, you know, I wrote four

books on finance. I never expected to do

it.

>> You know, I wrote it cuz I got pissed

off in 2008. I've coached Paul Tudtor

Jones for 24 years. One of the greatest

financial traders in the history of the

world.

>> Every single day measured what he's

doing. Coached him through all these

pieces. He had the most success in 1987

when this stock market had his biggest

percentage drop in history, 20% in a

day, and he made 100%. But then it was

like the moon. He went to the moon and

then what do you do? And then he broke

his leg and then he dropped. So, I had

to turn him around. Now, we've been

friends. I worked with him all those

years. I learned so much from him. But

when we got to 2008, and I don't know

all of your viewers have been around

back that long, but it was much more

brutal in some ways than 2020 and and co

because in CO they gave people money.

There was no money then, right? And I

remember being so angry because I knew a

small number of people basically almost

destroyed the entire economic system and

then I thought they're going to be

punished and we gave them more money.

>> Yeah. So that they could have more money

they can't use.

>> That's right. Exactly. Right. So I was I

was insensed. So out of that anger I

said I don't have all the answers but I

have one thing. I have access.

>> Yeah.

>> So I'm going to interview 50 the book

you read 50 of the smartest individuals

on earth who started with nothing.

Nobody from the lucky sperm club. They

all started from scratch.

>> And I'm going to see even though they're

radically different. What do they have

in common? I'm going to write a book

that my billionaire clients are going to

love but an average person could do as

well.

>> Well that journey has never stopped.

Then I was like how do I help people

accelerate? It's like I look around

today and I see so many people that

don't feel they have a compelling

financial future.

>> And so I start looking around and say

>> that's my heart just so you know. Pardon

me.

>> That's my heart.

>> Okay. Well, me too. So my my approach to

that and maybe I'm going to plant a seed

with you because maybe be something when

you're teaching people to add.

>> You probably already know this but you

may not know this part.

>> So I'm looking around and you know like

in the last 39 years

every single stock market in the world

which is where most people put their

money besides real estate, right? And if

it's their own home, it just barely

beats inflation, right? As you well

know,

>> every stock in the world has been beaten

by private equity

>> by average private equity. So, I

interviewed the top 13 guys in the

world, right?

>> Well, the top 13 guys in the world, it's

wonderful to interview them, but how are

you going to get money in there, right?

Because it's like trying to buy an SP3

Ferrari, right? I went to go get one and

they're all pre-sold at 3 million bucks,

right? You know, it's like, but if you

have an one and if you know the right

person, you know, so I I got into some

of those cool funds, you know, like, you

know, Vista. Yeah. You know, you know,

Robert Smith is I mean, he's a genius.

He's got a hundred billion dollar fund.

He's averaged 26% compounded per year

for 25 years.

>> It's like it's it's unheard of, right?

Nobody in But you can't get in. Or you

might get in. I got in, but I got such a

little

>> It's like we'll take $100,000

$100,000. But but okay, so let's look at

this. Let's just do this. Try this for

people at home.

>> In the last 39 years,

>> if you put your money in the S&P 500,

it's averaged 9%.

>> Okay? So if you put a million bucks in

there, you know, at the end of this

time, you'd have 28.6 million. If it's

100,000, it'd be 2.86 million, right?

>> But you put in average private equity,

this being every stock market in the

world, average private equity, not the

guys I'm talking about,

>> average private equity is averaged 15.7%

per year around the world. 75% higher

per year, compounded year after year.

>> Yeah. You put in that same million

bucks, instead of 28 million, you have

293 million

>> more.

>> 10x. Okay, forget your 3% worries that

you're talking about. Screw that [ __ ]

Let's take it 100,000. Then you'd have

instead of 2.8 million, you have 29

million.

>> Right.

>> Same time.

>> Yeah.

>> Passive investor.

>> But then the next thing you got to say

to me is Tony. Well, yeah, that's great,

Tony, but you can't get access. So

that's what I believe too. Like I had

access, but small access. And then I met

a guy who had been through my business

master program for 20 years. He started

his business. I was telling my

frustration about I'm only getting these

little slivers. I don't have to change

your life, right? I want to get in

bigger. And he goes, "Tony, I'm going to

tell you where I put the majority of my

money." This is a very sophisticated

investor.

>> And I said, "Okay, I'm leaning in on

this one." Right? He goes, "There's a

company in Houston, Texas." In Houston,

Texas, I'm thinking Singapore, London,

you know, New York.

>> He goes, "Off the beaten path that has

mastered something unbelievable." He

said, "You know the difference private

equity?" I said, "Of course." He goes,

"What if instead of buying the fund and

fighting to get a small piece, you could

own the company that owns all the funds

and make the two and 20 yourself side by

side with the owners?"

>> Yeah.

>> I said, "You could do that?" He goes,

"There's only a few companies in the

world that do it. These guys are

brilliant at get what they call general

partnerships because you're a limited

partner, as you know, if you go and and

you got a limited amount, you get in

there."

>> Yeah.

>> I said, "How do you do that?" So, I went

and met with this guy. Turned out he was

a graduate of my program 20 years ago.

Started his business with it. It's

called Cass. It's Christopher Zook. And

I talked to Christopher and so I put

some money in with him and the next

thing I know I got ownership in Vista.

Not I got a little slice of Vista,

right? I'm getting the two and 20. So I

have 95 of those companies now that have

a piece of it. It is nothing but a cash

machine beyond our wildest dreams. I get

to work with the smartest people in the

world. They're working all night and I'm

right beside them earning without

working all night on those faces. Right.

And now the same thing with sports

teams. I worked forever to get my first

sports team, LFC, and you got to go

through every they look at a microscope

through every part of your body. It's

just ridiculous, right? But the rules

have changed recently.

>> And now if you have private equity and

the owners don't own other sports teams,

there's some technicalities with it.

There's a small percentage that you can

buy. So I own part of I own the Dodgers.

When I was growing up, I couldn't be in

right field. I couldn't afford a ticket,

right? The Dodgers. I own the Golden

State Warriors. I own the Pittsburgh

Penguins. I own Aston Martin's F1. I

know pieces of all these businesses all

through our business. Then I became

partners with him and grew that

business. When I met him, it was 1.8

billion. That was four years ago. Now

we're at 11 billion just in aum in that

business. So the opportunity to grow is

insane. But here's the problem.

>> You had to be a credit investor, which

means you got a million dollar net worth

or qualified purchaser, 5 million. So

your young people are going to go, I

can't do that.

>> I wrote this book because I found out it

just passed three weeks ago.

>> The House just passed the new rule. Why

should the richest people in the world

be the only people to get access to the

most effective investments? Don't get me

wrong, you have you got to diversify,

but you got to have a significant port

here if you get this kind of 10 times

return. And so they were smart because

like they say, well, you're not

sophisticated. Well, some people have a

million dollars, but they inherited it.

They're not sophisticated or they're a

good business person, but they're not a

good investor.

>> So, a group of people, I was arguing

with this, and it wasn't me. Finally got

resolved three weeks ago. They passed

the law. Now, the Senate will pick it up

in April. And what it says is you don't

have to be credit investor to get access

anymore. All you got to do is take a

test. They're working on what the test

is.

>> You study for the test and now you can

put your money and get the same kind of

returns as the richest people in the

world. And in my case, you can own a

piece of those businesses. So, when when

you're going to show people how to build

their own business, the only challenge

with the own business is you and I both

know if there's any law of finance that

everybody knows, but very few people

practice, it's asset allocation, right?

You don't put all your eggs in one

basket. So most people put out the eggs

in their business because they feel more

control. And then there's a co that

happens, right? So you got to I always

tell people you need two businesses. The

one you're in, the one you're building,

>> but also that business plus an

investment business

>> where it's growing. So if anything

happens here, you're taking care of

here. And if they both win, you get

there faster than you ever dreamed of.

But you got to know where to put your

assets. And this is just part of that

process. So but for you, it's like I

know what my passion is. There you can

feel my passion. I will tell everybody

about it. It's like I don't give a [ __ ]

about making money and it's like and of

course I make money too. It's like it's

unbelievable.

>> You got to find that with this piece.

What What do you think it would be if

you had to tell me right now? I'm not

talking to analytical guy. Come back to

the analog. I saw I saw your eyes there.

The anal not the analog guy. What would

he say? I'm going to crush something.

It's going to feel so good. I'm going to

feel so much joy. I'm going to do X for

this many young men

>> and I'm I'm going to it's going to be

part of who I am and my legacy and what

I'm going to live. what I'm going to

enjoy up not someday along the way.

>> To answer the question, I think back to

what was the big moment for me? Like

what was the moment where like wealth

felt achievable?

>> Yes.

>> So for me, it was $100,000 in my bank

account.

>> Okay.

>> That was the that was the moment I wrote

about in my book. Leila and I were on

the kitchen counter and I was like,

"Look, babe, we actually did it." And it

was years and years ago moment, too.

It's a good moment.

>> And it was to to this day the richest

I've ever felt. And I think it's because

it's the largest relative change in

wealth I've ever experienced. Because

you go from $1 to 100,000, you get

100,000x. Yeah,

>> you can't 100,000 x 100,000 takes a lot

longer than

and and that

>> and by the way once you get the 100,000

your brain expands, right?

>> Yeah. You see what's possible.

>> And so I think it was cuz the first time

that I was able to go out of survival

and I remember I looked at Leila and I

said we can [ __ ] up for three and a half

years.

>> That's I was like we we could we could

we can completely remember overhead of

that time.

>> Exactly. Three and a half years. And

she's like yeah this guy's a winner.

Really? all all 100 grand for the both

of us for three and a half years. Gee

golly. You know, this is after she picks

me up from from jail for getting a DUI.

You know what I mean? Just that's why

she's my my my

>> um but that that moment then like all

the other milestones after that that was

the one. And so I think that

>> I think because that one milestone is

this

>> is huge. It changes your identity.

>> Yes, it it does. It changes your whole

viewpoint of the world. your point about

the capitalism the capitalist system

>> is that like that is a big enough change

where you believe in capitalism.

>> That's right.

>> And I think that is a a quantifiable

goal that I am personally connected to

that I would love to help deliver.

>> That's great. I love that. If I can help

with it, count on me. I'm in to help you

in any way I can. And there I'll give

you educational material. Anything that

you want to add to it, you're welcome to

add to, I'll give it for free. But that

that's exciting and and I love the way

you did that. You went back to a moment

where you knew what it was for you.

>> So that's where the passion comes from,

right? You know, and by the way, that

wasn't pain.

>> Yeah.

>> That passion was an excitement that you

felt.

>> So, I know the word passion literally

comes from pain. I know that, too. But

sometimes we get caught up on the

original definition versus how we can

live it,

>> right? But I love this idea. If you did

that, how many how many people does it

matter how many how many but one person

alone feels amazing when you do that?

But is there a number that in your mind

would say like this would be like

insanely fun, insanely great?

>> I think I would look at a gener like the

generation. So it' be like how many men

are in Gen Z?

>> Perfect.

>> And then like that sounds like a good

starting point.

>> But what would be what would Well,

that's a lot of kids. What's the first

target though? Because just like

>> it's like I do the billion then I went

to the 100red billion, right? You know,

>> you want an unreasonable goal, but you

need a timeline. So what would be our

36-month goal

>> or 24-month goal? That would be

unreasonable, but would get you up early

and keep you up late.

>> 100,000

men at a 100,000 is a billion in actual

bank account wealth. And that sounds

that sounds like a nice round number.

>> Yeah. Like a nice round number. Help

help 100,000 men

>> get hit 100,000.

>> Get 100,000.

>> Yeah.

>> And feel the way you felt from that day.

>> Yeah.

>> That's nice. And then the second lesson

you can teach them along the way

>> Yeah.

>> is how to keep enjoying it, my friend.

>> Yeah. So Tony, you have an event coming

up. Do you want to tell everyone about

it?

>> Yeah. It's called the Time to Rise

Summit. It started when I first did when

CO happened because I got the governor

calling me in California saying, you

know, that place you're going to put

15,000 people, 14,000 people. You can

put 100 people in because of CO.

>> And then I'm trying to move to Vegas and

they shut down Vegas and Texas. And so I

built a studio. Anyway, long story

short, I said, people are trapped at

home. They're depressed. They're

frustrated. I want to make a big

difference. How could I do that? Oh,

I'll take away the two things they worry

about. No time. They don't have to

travel.

>> And no money. And so I did it for free.

We've done it now every year for five

years. And I didn't go like two hours. I

did three days, but I made it chunkable.

Three hours a day, like going to a great

movie, only it's changing your life. And

instead of new year, new life, and

setting some goals that by the end of

January they've not done,

>> we help you figure out what you want,

increase your energy like we're talking

about here, because without that, it

doesn't change. Shift your mindset,

figure out what you want, figure out

what the plan is, figure out what's

getting in the way. and over 3 days and

you become part of a community of a

million plus people from 193 countries

that participate and it's coming up

January uh 29th through the 31st and

it's at 2 p.m. Eastern, but people do it

from all time zones around the world.

Again, no charge whatsoever. You can do

it from your home. You do it from your

office. You might want to do it with

someone if they go to time to

risesummit.com. It's no charge. Get

yourself enrolled and uh I look forward

to serving everyone.

>> Thank you so much, Tony. Appreciate it.

Thank you, brother.

>> Thank you.