EverydaySpy Podcast - Realizations at Gun Point

Episode Date: November 16, 2021

Moments of clarity are easy to miss and even easier to forget. So when they happen, you have to grab them and hold on for the ride. In this episode, Andrew shares a recent and powerful moment of clarity that is about to change his life and his business in a big way. And you get to choose whether you will hold on for the ride or get off now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My name is Andrew Bustamante, and this is Everyday Espionage. If you've been tuning into Everyday Spy for a while now, then you already know I like to break our seasons up into themes. I'd love to tell you that I have some super secret Jedi mind trick reason for this, but the truth is that I do it out of habit. When CIA trained me, they blocked learning into themes as a way to maximize my training in a very short period of time. themes like hostile environment or personal security, analytics, bias and heuristics, leveraging cultural norms, just too many for me to list all at one time. So now I teach you the same way, using themes to connect espionage skills that are both conceptual

and practical. And if you've taken steps to apply what you've learned with me here, I already know you've seen awesome changes. And I know it because you tell me about it. You tell me in reviews and emails and in social media comments. Now, we're kicking off season six together. And my theme for this season is rapid action, rapid change. Now I'll be the first person to admit that not all change is good.

I've made plenty of changes in my life, my business, my relationships that were just absolutely terrible ideas. But I still trust change because change is a test that proves what works and what doesn't. Do you remember those high school litmus tests? Those tests from science class, you would take this little strip of red or blue paper and dip it into a liquid. Then you would wait for the paper to change color. And the color that the paper changed told you if the liquid is acid, like battery acid, or base like bleach, or neutral, like water. Change is a test that works just like that high school litmus paper. It can show you whether something is destructive like an acid, constructive, like a base, or neutral.

Now, for all you scientists and teachers out there just cringing at this example, yes, I know both extreme acids and extreme bases can be equally dangerous. But this isn't high school education. This is just me and a stupid spy example. Now, the risk for you when you avoid change is that you don't get to see your test results. You don't get to see the litmus paper because you aren't using it. That means you don't know if you are doing something right, something wrong, or something worthless. Let me give you an example that just happened to me this summer. One of my favorite training events that I host with Everyday Spy is called Ghost Tactics. Ghost Tactics is a two-day immersive experience that gives you the tactical driving, small arms, and disguise skills that you need to totally disappear from,

anywhere in the world. Now if you want to check out Ghost Tactics, hit pause now and watch a video about it on the Everyday Spy YouTube channel, or you can go to Everydayspy.com forward slash ghost to get into the next class. Again, just hit pause, check out Everyday Spy on YouTube, or head directly to Everydayspy.com forward slash ghost. I'll still be here when you get back. In September 2021, I had three badass students join me for Ghost Tactics, and my time with them was absolutely one of those litmus tests. In between all the time racing, shooting, practicing high-speed turns and burning through disguises,

the group I was working with kept coming back to one topic over and over again. Each of them, male and female alike, felt stuck, stuck in their job, stuck in their daily routine, stuck in a hamster wheel of goals that felt more like silly pipe dreams than tangible objectives. Now remember, these folks are absolute rock stars. They are the cream of the crop in my customer base.

Each of them makes well over six figures. They have healthy, loving families. They are fit and attractive. If you met them on the street, you'd be really impressed by all that they've done and everything they've built. And that was the jaw-dropping realization for me. They are impressive. They are inspired.

But that's also exactly why they felt stuck. Because when you are the best of the best, it is really difficult to find others that impress and inspire you to do more, to make a change. Now, I had been training with these folks for more than a year. I've been with them as they mastered covert surveillance, mastered alias operations, escape and evasion,

mental optimization. But every training experience I put them through in the past was high pressure and sleep deprived. In comparison, their ghost tactics training was far more relaxed and fun. Yes, mainly because you don't want stressed or tired people driving fast or shooting guns. But that change in the training routine, from high pressure to low pressure, that was a litmus test. It was a chance for me to see whether I was serving these superstar customers the best that I possibly could. And as I watched them shooting under movement, skidding vehicles, operating in broad daylight with full-on disguise, it became clear to me that they were looking

for a new challenge. They had already mastered the corporate 9 to 5 world. Now they wanted to test themselves in an elite world. Not because they needed money, they had plenty. Not because they needed outside approval. They had that and more. They were not looking for tactical skisks, at all. They were looking for inspiration. They were looking for a reason to do more, a reason to try harder, a reason to become even more successful than they already were. And it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was failing them. I was failing them because I built everyday spy to deliver world-class training. But what my best customers wanted was world-class inspiration. I was giving them challenge. I was giving them adventure. I was even giving them opportunity. But these people didn't need me for

any of that. They had all of that on their own in droves. And that meant what I was really giving them was just a distraction, a temporary escape from the humdrum life of routine, success, and talent. that they already lived. And I bet I can prove the same is true for you. Look, you aren't listening right now because you're weak or failing or some lost soul seeking meaning or purpose. You're listening because you already know

you are smart and capable. You are hungry to get stronger, better, and more successful than everyone else around you. Maybe you want to learn real spy skills. Maybe you want those skills to keep you safe so you can make more money. But those come second. to your core drive.

Inspiration. Inspiration in a world ruled by distraction. On the last day of Ghost Tactics, when we all met at the rally point in disguise to Evac and debrief, I promised myself that would be the last time I let myself distract my best customers instead of inspire them.

And when I told my team, we had the change, the DNA of everyday spy, every one of them jumped 100% on board. If you're listening to me right now in 2021, you are about to see a massive transformation for me and everyday spy, not just from the company's brand, but from every single person who reads, listens, or watches our free content

or buys one of our digital or in-person events. Espionage is about exponential benefit, massive impact, change that can shift the balance of world powers. And that kind of change only happens when you lean on inspiration first, before education, before skills, before entertainment or humor, or even knowledge. So get ready to watch Everydayspy.com get a massive makeover. Get ready to jump even deeper into these conversations together on the podcast. Hold on while the Everyday Spy universe pivots hard so I can ensure.

inspire and equip you to break through whatever ceiling is holding you down. If you want to be part of that journey with me, stay tuned. And if you don't want to be part of that journey, just hit unsubscribe right now. Go ahead, hit pause, unsubscribe, just do it now. Save yourself the hard drive space on your phone and save me the hassle of counting you in my weekly downloads. Change is a litmus test that gives you powerful intelligence. But the only way you get the benefit of change is to act fast, and I'm going to prove it to you in real time, right here, right now, and every day moving forward.

You are already a badass. Now, it's my job to inspire you to get even badder. And that is everyday espionage. Everyday espionage is dedicated to one thing, educating everyday people. I know that not everyone will listen, but those who listen will learn. If you learned something new today, click subscribe, review, and share the podcast with a friend. Find me on social media at Everyday Spy or on my website, Everydayspy.com. If you are up for a special challenge, visit Everydayspy.com forward slash operations. And join me for an authentic spy. training mission. And above all else, remember that knowledge is freedom.