Marketing Secrets with Russell Brunson - My First Wrestling Match In 15 Years… And What That Has To Do With You

Episode Date: May 8, 2019

I did something this weekend that I've wanted to do for a decade and a half, and I'm hoping this episode gives you permission to do the thing that you've been dreaming about doing, but have been too afraid or too nervous to try. On today's episode Russell talks about attending his first wrestling tournament after a 15 year absence and why it should inspire you to do something similar. Here are some of the awesome things you will hear about in this episode: Hear about Russell's former glory days of wrestling, and the history behind his love of the sport. Find out why he hasn't wrestled in so long, and why he wants to get back to it. And finally, be inspired to do your own thing that you haven't done for various reasons, and just do it. So listen here to find out why Russell's wrestling again and why that should inspire you to do your own thing. Transcript - https://marketingsecrets.com/blog/204-my-first-wrestling-match-in-15-years-and-what-that-has-to-do-with-you Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to Smart Water Alkaline 9.5 plus pH with antioxidant, there's nothing to overthink. So, while you may be performing mental gymnastics over whether the post-work gym crowd is worth it, if you'll be able to find a spot for your yoga mat, or if that spin instructor will make you late for dinner again, don't overthink how you hydrate. Life's full of choices. Smart Water Alkaline is a simple one. Hey everyone, this is Russell Brunson. Welcome back to the Marketing Secrets Podcast.

I'm so excited to have you guys here. And during today's episode, I'm going to be talking about why in the world did I, after 15 years of retirement, decide to go back and wrestle in my very first wrestling tournament in a decade and a half. Why I did it and what it has to do with you. So with that said, let's cue up the theme song and I'll be back to tell you guys behind the scenes what happened on my very first wrestling tournament in the last 15 years. So the big question is this, how are entrepreneurs like us who didn't cheat and take on venture

capital, we're spending money from our own pockets. How do we market in a way that lets us get our products and our services and the things that we believe in out to the world and yet still remain profitable? That is the question and this podcast will give you the answers. My name is Russell Brunson and welcome to Marketing Secrets. Alright everybody, hope you guys are all doing amazing today. So I just got back from Las Vegas, and those who follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you've kind of seen some of the behind the scenes of what's been happening.

And I had so many questions and so many cool things. And I was like, I should just sit down and record a podcast to kind of, to share with everybody what happened and why I did it and why you should actually care. And maybe you don't care. And that's really cool as well. So skip to the next episode. But, um, basically it's interesting. So those who have you who've been following me for a long time know that my first love in life was wrestling. I started wrestling when I was in eighth grade. And, uh, and then by ninth grade, I fell in love with it. It became my, like my everything. That's all I cared about. And, uh, you know, every thought, every moment, every, you know, every calorie I burned at that point forward was all about one goal and one goal only that was to be, you know, to be a national champ. And in high school, um was, my junior year, I won the state title. So it was

Utah state champ. My senior year, I actually went into the state tournament. I actually lost in the semis or something. And I took third in state, which was really, really hard for me. And I remember being so upset that i knew there was a a national tournament coming out like i can't remember two or three months later and i thought you know i had to prove that i wasn't just a just a guy who got lucky i need to prove that i'm a legit wrestler and so for the next like two or three months between um between the state tournament and the national tournament i was literally working out seven plus hours a day i was working in the morning i was wrestling at my high school, after school, and I would drive to other high schools

and find other kids and just whatever I could to wrestle. And I went from being a good wrestler during that period to becoming a great wrestler. I went to the NCAA tournament, or not the NCAA tournament, the equivalent of that, the College National Tournament. And it's crazy because you had to be a state champ to be able to go.

But because I had one state my junior year, I qualified to go. So I went, my weight class, there was like 68 or a state champ to be able to go. But because I had won state my junior year, I qualified to go. So I went, my weight class, there was like 68 or something state champs. And you had to be a senior and you'd be a state champ to go to this tournament. And so it was basically the best of the best. And I went to that tournament

and I ended up taking second in the nation, which was amazing. I became an All-American. That opened the door for me to be able to wrestle in Division I school. So I wrestled at BYU for a year. They ended up cutting the wrestling program. I transferred to Boise State. I wrestled there my next four years. Sorry for the quick history lesson, but just to give some context of why this is so exciting for me. And then my senior year,

I had a plan. My whole goal through college was to be an All-American. I'd done it in high school. I wanted to be an All-American in college as well, and I kept getting closer and closer to it. And my senior year at the Pac-10 tournament, which I was planning. It's funny, my very first match, I drew the returning Pac-10 champ, and I beat him. I was just like, oh, this is going to be easy. I'll be super easy. NCAAs are in two weeks. I'll wrestle that, and then that's the end of my career.

And I was kind of like looking forward to the thing happening in two weeks from now. And what's crazy is that I won that first match, and for some reason I just didn't perform, and I ended up losing my next two matches, and I didn't qualify for the national tournament. And I remember how weird that was to thinking that my wrestling career was going to end in two weeks, and then instead it just ended right then. I remember sitting on the side of the mat like bawling my eyes out, and just like this is the worst feeling ever.

And I didn't know what to do i was scared i was you know everything my entire life had been up to that point reaching towards this goal and suddenly it was gone and i had no opportunity to try to go after it i didn't know what to do or and um and so for me i shifted i was like if i don't if i don't shift my focus i'm gonna go into depression like i gotta find something else to focus on and at the time I had this little fledgling internet business. I was making almost no money. I was like, okay, I'm going to focus on this thing. I turned everything to that and my beautiful wife.

I had two focuses. That consumed me for the next eight plus years of my life. After that point, I decided I wanted to wrestle again. I'm not going to go deep in this story, but if you listen to old podcast episodes, you'll know. I decided I wanted to train for the Olympics. I hired the Olympic Greco coach and moved him to Boise. I hired like half the Olympic Greco wrestling team, brought them to Boise to work for me and support them so that we could all wrestle together. And I did that for three or four months. And then the company, my company almost went bankrupt. I had to leave

and had to shut it all down. And it was, you know, another sad spot in my life. And then fast forward now till today. And it's been 15 years since that match that I lost. And, um, and I was like, my whole life, I thought I would wrestle again. I thought I would go to some tournaments. I just never have, never have. And 15 years later, I was finally like, I need to do this. If I don't do it now, I'm never going to do it. And I knew that there's a, um, there's a national tournament and it's for, um, people, They have different age groups, right? So they've like the really good guys are the national tournament. I didn't compete with them. So in case you're wondering, I'm not that good anymore, but there's different divisions. So there's a 25 to 35 year old division, 35 to 45, 45 to 55, and I think 55 plus.

And so I'm, I was in the 35 to 45 year olds. And, um, and then there was two styles, freestyle and Greco. And so we went and we signed up we i trained for a day and then i tore my neck had some nerve damage in my neck where i couldn't even anyway i couldn't even move for like a week so i did one practice and then took a week off we did two more practices and i re-hurt my neck and took the rest of the week off and then we went to the tournament so literally with three practices and um we showed up to this tournament me and a couple of my buddies and friends um and we went out there and it was so much fun. My very first match, it was like dusting off 15 years of cobwebs. Like I was so nervous and I hadn't put a singlet on forever.

And I remember going out there and I got beat pretty good the very first match. I was like, oh crap, this is going to be an embarrassing weekend. I've been talking about this on Instagram and social media and podcasts and it's going to be so embarrassing. Um, but then I won my next four matches and I've taken third place in the tournament got a big old trophy thing which was really cool and next day was Greco and um the brackets were smaller in Greco but I'm taking second in Greco and got another big trophy and stuff and it was just oh so much fun so much fun to go out there and do the thing again that I've that I've missed um for

so long and um you um, you know, we just got home and my whole body's sore. Everything hurts. My hands hurt. My head hurts. My feet hurt. Like every, every spot of my body is sore and tender, but it was so, so much fun. It's so worth it. So it's interesting because a lot of people, when, um, as I was posting it on, on Instagram, I remember I was like, should I post this? Like most of my Instagram stuff is me talking about business stuff. I'm like, should I be posting this? Like why, you know, like do people care? Like, and I was just like, what's the point of it? And I remember thinking as I made a, I posted a picture, I was like, I'm doing this with a goal to try to give everybody else who's

listening this permission to do that thing that they've wanted to do for the last 15 years, but haven't because they've been scared or whatever that is. And man, that resonates. He will say, some people message me back like, um, oh my gosh, because of this, I'm going to go run a marathon. I'm going to go do this thing. I'm gonna go take piano lessons again. Like all this stuff that like, that we've, we've wanted to do. And so, um, I, and so because of that, I was like, okay, I'm gonna share more of this journey. So we shared on Instagram pictures and videos and all sorts of fun stuff, just kind of documenting the process and sharing with everybody. Um, and, um, and so that just kind of documenting the process and sharing with everybody.

Um, and, um, and so that's kind of the point of this podcast. I wanted to share it because I had so much fun and I've been so scared and nervous and like put it off for, for 15 plus years. I've put this thing off because, you know, I, I didn't know. And what if I lost? And then, you know, all the different things and finally came back to like, I don't even care if I lose. I just want to do the thing.

The thing that like was my childhood dream that, you know, I set goals, I hit some of my goals. I didn't hit, I didn't all of them, but just like, I missed that part of my childhood, that part of my, of my life. And so, um, I did it and it was so much fun. And I'm hoping that for all you guys listening that the first thing you don't want you to stop and say, I wasn't a wrestler like Russell, but what's my thing? Like, what was the thing that when I was growing up, when I was a kid, I, that I love, I was obsessed with it. I would do anything to do that thing. And I haven't, cause I'm old, cause I'm mature now. I mean, I'm an adult. I don't do those kinds of things anymore, but like, I want to encourage you to, to like take a little bit

of break, step back for a minute and like, think about what that thing is for you and then do it. Like if it means go entering a marathon, if it means go and like signing up for a singing competition or if it means, um, you know, whatever it is for you, like, like I want to, I want to hopefully give you permission to try that thing. And a couple of things when you do that, number one, you are not going to be as good as you remember. Okay. And that was one of my biggest fears and frustrations into this thing is like, I'm wrestling these guys and I'm like, I see the shot open and I'm looking at it and my body doesn't move and I miss the shot. Right. Or I see it and then I move it. It's too late. I get destroyed because like, you're not as good as you used to be. And it's like, that's a hard mental thing, but it's like, it's okay. Like, um, because like, it's, it's not

about that. Like, I remember going in and I was like, at first I was super nervous. Like if I lose, it's gonna be embarrassing. But eventually it was like, I don't care if I lose. Like, I just wanted, I just wanted to do this again. Like it was such a part of my life for 15, 20 years of my life. And like, I haven't been around it. I haven't done it for so long. I just wanted to do it.

So that's the first thing to know. You're not gonna be as good as you used to. That's okay. Number two is like, as you get closer to the date, everything that could like sway you from doing it will come up in your life like like for me like i tore my neck out twice like i shouldn't have gone right plus like we had other things happening and there was business stuff and family stuff like there's a million things that that will keep you

from doing it um but the thing is just do it anyway like just take the time and do it and uh i think the last thing is just enjoy it and and realize that you know that part of your that chapter of life is gone, but it doesn't mean you can't still experience it every once in a while. I think that's been a big fear of mine. Why I didn't go back is because at the peak, I was at this level in my head. I should have been here, and I can't ever achieve that again, but it's like, that's okay. Just do it because it's fun to experience it again,

and it brings the excitement and the passion for that thing back into your life. For me, so for me, that's what it was. And it was so much fun. And I, I really enjoyed it. I hope that this gives some of you guys permission to do that thing that you've been, um, you've been procrastinating or thinking about or, or bearing in your, your subconscious mind for the last 10 years or 20 years or however long it's been for you. Hopefully it gives you permission to go and just do it, have fun doing it and, um, and enjoy it because, um, I think that so many of us, we get so caught up in the rest of our life, right? And for me, it's kids and business and employees and teams. And like, there's so many things we had caught up in that we forget about, you know, the stuff that lit us on fire when we were, when we were younger. So get some of that fire back, it'll bleed into everything else you're doing.

You'll get excited about life again. But you just got to go and do it. So hopefully it gives you permission. Have fun with it. And I'm going to make this a yearly thing now. And every year I'm going to go to this tournament and I'm going to compete in it. And again, I took second and third. Now I got to get better for next year.

So hopefully I'll get first and first. And if I don't, that'll be all right because I have the rest of my life to keep getting better at it. It was crazy. We got there and the first day we're warming up and kind of just trying to lose weight and get, you know, get back into it. And this old guy waddles over, um, he's got messed up knees and ankles and he starts talking to us. He's from

London. He's like, I'm 67 years old. And he's like, I, he's like in London, there's no one to wrestle with. So I fly to America every year for this tournament. And he wanted to wrestle with all of us. And my neck was really bugging me so I didn't wrestle with him but he wrestled with with Lex Case and George Ivanov who the two guys that came with me and it's so funny he started wrestling he's like just you know my my my knees are bad my ankles are bad so don't shoot on me and so he's out there like this guy can barely even walk and he's out there wrestling at 67 years old and I remember looking at that I took a picture with me and him and I sent it to my, to my wife. I said, this is my new hero. This is my goal in life. I want to be 67 years old

with blown out knees and ankles and still showing up because I want to be a wrestler. Because I am a wrestler and that's, that's the thing. So I'm picking my thing. It's wrestling. I'm not going to go run a marathon with all you marathoners. You can do that. I'm not going to go swim. I'm not going to sing. I'm not going to go run a marathon with all you marathoners. You can do that. I'm not going to go swim. I'm not going to sing. I'm not going to, but I'm going to wrestle every year until I can't. And, um, knowing from this dude that we met this weekend, like even your knees are blown out, you can still show up and wrestle. So it looks like I'll be doing this until the day I die. So anyway, I hope this helps you guys. I appreciate you. Thanks for listening. Um, and, uh, what I would recommend doing, if you enjoyed this episode,

take a screenshot of it, post it on Instagram and tag me and then use hashtag marketing secrets and tell me what the thing is that you're going to do that you've wanted to do for the last decade that you haven't. You've been burying in your mind. What's that thing you're going to do? I want to challenge you to do it. And then post on Instagram, let me know and say, this is the thing I'm doing. And that way I can celebrate with you. So thanks, you guys. Appreciate you all. And we'll talk to you all again soon. Bye, everybody. Would you like to see behind the scenes of what we're actually doing each day to grow our company?

If so, then go subscribe to our free behind-the-scenes reality TV show at www.funnelhacker.tv.