Mick Unplugged - Billy Gene: Why Authenticity Beats Hustle in Modern Marketing

Episode Date: April 28, 2025

Billy Gene is a trailblazing marketing genius, entrepreneur, and educator renowned for his dynamic approach to online advertising and business growth. Having helped thousands of entrepreneurs and major brands like Kia, Massage Envy, and Procter & Gamble, Billy Gene is celebrated for turning high-level marketing strategies into accessible, actionable advice. With a passion for leveraging AI and automation, he focuses on empowering everyday business owners to scale, automate, and dominate their industries— all while encouraging them to show up authentically and unapologetically. Takeaways: AI-Driven Opportunity: Automation and artificial intelligence are revolutionizing marketing, making powerful results accessible even for those without tech expertise. Helping small businesses implement AI solutions is a major, untapped opportunity. Be Authentically You: The biggest mistake people make in ads is losing their personality and becoming robotic on camera. Authenticity and showing your true self are what drive connection and sales. Ask More, Scale More: If you want to scale your business, you need to amplify how often you ask people to buy—especially through simple, scalable video ads instead of relying on old-school hustle. Sound Bites: "Most business owners are either too busy or too lazy or just simply unwilling to learn something new... but with AI, you do not have to be techy anymore." "If you can use artificial intelligence to make that content with them, to follow up for them... what's that worth to you? Thousands of dollars a month? Of course it is." "The simplest strategy is: ask more people to buy by using video, because video can scale infinitely in anywhere around the world. That is the answer." Quote by Mick Hunt: "Side hustle is great, but strategy is important. The hustle culture at some point has to evolve to, 'I can do what the heck I want to do.'"   Connect & Discover Billy: LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/billy-gene-is-marketing/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/billygeneismarketing Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billygeneismarketing/ Website:  https://billygeneismarketing.com/ Tik Tok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@billygeneismarketing Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/BillyGeneIsMarketing   FOLLOW MICK ON:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mickunplugged/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mickunplugged  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickhunt/Website: https://www.mickhuntofficial.com                                                              Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mick-unplugged/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People have the most dynamic personalities online, but when the camera's on, they think they have to be a certain way for people to accept them. It looks like this. Like I'm, you know, I'd be myself in this interview, but then they'll turn on the camera shooting down and they'd be like, real estate agents do the best. Hi, my name is Bill Jean and here in Southern California. Welcome to Mick Unplugged, the number one podcast for self-improvement, leadership, and relentless growth.

No fluff, no filters, just heart-hitting truths, unstoppable strategies, and the mindset shifts that separate the best from the rest. Ready to break limits? Let's go. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of Mick Unplugged. And today buckle up because we're about to get real. We're talking to a marketing genius who turns clicks into cash.

A disruptor who rewrites the rules of advertising and a powerhouse entrepreneur who teaches businesses how to dominate online. If you don't know his name, you're one of the few, you've definitely seen his ads. He's innovative, he's unapologetic. He is the trailblazing friend of mine, Mr. Billy Jean. BG, how you doing, Debra?

First and foremost, thank you very much for having me, for real. Man, thank you for taking time out of your extraordinary busy schedule to break bread with me. I'm not going live. I ain't that busy lately. I feel like, you know, like, I've just I haven't done it. I haven't done a podcast in a while, honestly, for the last, like, probably six months to

a year. I just said no to everything. And just really automating using AI. And so to be real with you, I spend four hours a day playing tennis every day. Another four with my daughter. And then, you know, it's just process and managing. But I'm not gonna come here and make some shit up.

You know what I mean? Like, I think, you know, cause people always want to stay like busy, like, look, I got into business to not be busy all the time. You know, it's been 1517 years, however long it's been like, I don't want to still be busy in the same capacity. Don't let that be twisted with not being productive, not creating impact, not growing things, but busy. Today I'm busy, today's a busy day,

but like most of the time, nah, nah, I didn't really like that. Hey, we're gonna get into all that, man, because you're exactly right. For everybody that's an entrepreneur, business leader that's listening and watching, that should be the ultimate goal, right? Like if you've heard me speak before,

you've heard me say, side hustle is great, but strategy is important, right? Like the hustle culture at some point has to evolve to, I can do what the heck I wanna do. Yeah, and I don't even like, you know, I don't mean to cut you off, I apologize, but like, I don't like the, I'm not very aligned with the word hustle because-

Agree. Yeah, right, because I feel like typically it implies like there's a move to make. This is why so many people lose money in like crypto, not saying you can't make money in crypto, but like, or they lose on a bad investment because people wanna make a smart move. In other words, they don't wanna work a lot

because when you make a move, you just, there's a burst of energy and then I'm done. Right? Now, you know this, but like how to really make money is to develop a skill. But why don't people want to do that? Because it takes forever and it costs money. So for example, if somebody goes like, look, I want a guaranteed way to make $300,000 a year, just go be a doctor, go be a doctor. But why aren't you doing it? Because you don't want to spend a decade. You don't want to invest $350,000 because you're looking for a doctor. Go be a doctor. But why aren't you doing it? Because you don't want to spend a decade, you don't want to invest $350,000, because you're looking for a move, you're not looking to really acquire a skill that's in

demand or unusual. And so like a hustle for me, when I think of it, I think somebody's like, what's the move? What's the play? And that is short term, unlikely, improbable, and doesn't pay that well most of the time. Bro, totally agree. If you look at any person that is successful in whatever success means to them, I've yet to meet someone that said, Mek, I'm a hustler. I huffled my way through this.

It was learning, it was evolving, it was investing, investing financially, investing in themselves, learning a skill or two and just becoming the best at that one or two thing. Every successful person I've ever talked to, I've talked to a lot. They all have that same thing of, hey, it took time, there was a grind, I learned lessons, I got better, I evolved,

the surroundings around me evolved, and that's the key to success. That's the recipe, brother. 100%, yeah, the L's are part of the equation. All day, all day. So Billy, man, I've been waiting for like six months to ask you this question. But I'm asking it for the viewers and listeners.

Okay. So for those that, one, I'm gonna make sure everyone has all of Billy's assets that you can go find him, follow him, because he drops amazing dimes every day but you said this if I need to make 10,000 to 30,000 a day with nothing with no brand with no anything I would do this and for the viewers no listeners what is that this good question well it was it was a month not it not a day right to make 10 And for the viewers and listeners, what is that this? Good question. Well, it was a month, not a day, right?

To make 10 to 30 a day, that's gonna take more time, right? But the truth is it can be done if someone's willing. It's going to be hard. The odds are against you. But I would start off with one, selling something people actually need. And so for example, what's the best analogy I can give you this? Let me actually take a step back.

I would say first step is timing. So many times people are trying to make money but they're just in at the wrong time. So give you an idea. Like I got into Facebook advertising 15 years ago. And the reason why people miss timing a lot is because timing isn't sexy. So for example, when I got into Facebook ads, nobody wanted to learn Facebook.

Most of the time when I went to pitch somebody on Facebook ads, they go, what is that? That social media thing, that doesn't work. Are people even on that? Da da da da da, is it a ripoff or a scam? How do I know where my clicks are going? So to most people, they go, this is bad timing to get in the industry because nobody wants it.

It's not there yet, right? But that's early. That's why people, it's like same with Bitcoin is all the people I know that had Bitcoin early, it was like, it sounded crazy. It sounded like you were a lunatic. So one, recognize that timing comes in weird times. So there's start.

So when I think about this big picture, I think about what's happening with artificial intelligence. And to me, I think the simplest way I can give it it's like everybody moving from a fax machine to email. In the sense of like, like no one's using fax machines anymore. Obviously, everybody uses email, but that transition didn't happen overnight, right? Like there was at first, most people hung onto the fax machines. Like I already got to set it up. I have my landline.

That's taken decades for people to counsel their home phone. Like you ain't calling nobody on the phone anymore. Like the process is taken forever, right? However, I'm sure there's somebody out there who made a shitload of money helping people set up their email. Now of money helping people set up their email. Now it sounds crazy to set up an email, I do that myself.

That's because where we're at now. But before it was like, how do I do an email? What does that mean? How do I get a vacation? So there was somebody who was the middle person that said, yo, you're on a fax machine. Let me build a service based business helping people convert because I see the future going like this. Now fast forward to AI.

When I see online marketing and I see this word funnels, when basically, you know, I think of advertisements, I think of landing pages, I think of follow-up emails, I think of follow-up text messages. When I got into this game, you used to have to do all of these things manually. I had to learn graphic design, I had to learn how things manually. I had to learn graphic design. I had to learn how to code. I had to learn how to persuasively write. Now all these things that I spent decade plus

learning and mastering can be done for you like this. It would be like me just telling you I was really good at long division when everybody's got that fucking TI-83 calculator or whatever it is. Like it's, that's where we're at. So anyways, there's this transition that all businesses online are going to make right now.

And that is to using automation and AI in their business. Right? So that's, that's not like groundbreaking. Everyone's probably watching like, yeah, okay. It makes sense. However, most business owners are either too busy or too lazy or just simply unwilling to learn something new

because of everything else that's going on. So for example, it used to be like, let me go write 30 emails and then you go on a fucking retreat to go figure out what to say. Now you can put in the proper prompt and ChatGBT will do that in five seconds. It used to be, let me go build this website

and hire a designer, I need a code. Now people are using my partners, my brothers over at high level, and they build a funnel in two seconds. We know that no business today exists without content. Like literally, that's why we're creating this right? Like, you know, if you and I go to a random city tomorrow, we're deciding what to eat. And we Google something, we're not choosing the restaurant with no pictures, with no videos, with no reviews, like you cannot win in business. So here we are,

more than ever, businesses need content. The manual labor to get content is a pain in the ass that most are unwilling to deal with. So if you can use artificial intelligence to make that content with them to follow up for them, because you know, how many businesses lose money because they just ain't calling people back, they're not emailing people back, they're not responding. These are very simple things, but they're in high demand. So, my job as an AI marketer is to go to small business

owner and say, hey, you're way too busy to follow up. You haven't posted on your page in quite some time and you know you need to create the content, would you like to pay me to do it for you? Simple. And they're like, okay, cool. Now what's nice about that transaction is people are paying for the result, not for my clock in clock out. That is where you make the money and the time because I'm not just trying to go check in. If I can deliver you content, if I can follow up with everybody who reaches out to you and I do that for you, what's that worth to you?

Thousands of dollars a month? Of course it is, of course it is, easy, right? But it doesn't mean it's gonna take me all day. Because when you know how to use all these tools, these things can be done, hour, set up for the whole month. And that's it. So it's not, and this thing is AI makes it

so you don't have to be techie. So I want everybody to think about that is most people hear me and they're like yeah but I'm not a techie person. Most of my students aren't. Most like most are busy parents that don't even know how to touch a damn computer. But that's the that's the revolution with AI is you do not have to be techie anymore. That's the kicker. That's the catch. It's set up in design for mom and who don't aren't techie. And so that's the catch. It's set up and designed for mom and mom who aren't techy. And so that's how I would do it, is I would go help small businesses automate their processes

and create content using AI. And so yeah, in that mini course that we have our 10 day challenge, that's exactly what we do. I give people scripts, I give them a presentation, I give them the trial of the software, and I'm like, this is it, this is how it all works, this is what we do. I give people scripts. I give them a presentation. I give them the child of the software. And I'm like, you know, this is it. This is how it all works. This is what you do. You know, but, uh,

just like when I got into Facebook ads, you know, years ago, uh, people are like, that sounds crazy, dotted out, same shit now. Okay. And those that are willing, they win. And those that are not, they spectate and spectate greatness of other people. Nope, dude, I connect on that on so many levels, which is why I wanted you to bring that up because I can go back personally to me, COVID happened. And I had just started a consulting business

that was helping businesses with growth strategy, sell strategies, right? Like that was the first. Hold on, run that back a second. I had a little cut out. You said consulting business and you cut out for a sec. Yep, so I had a consulting business that was helping businesses with growth strategies, sell strategies, scaling strategies, right? That was the premise of my business. COVID happened.

Zoom was introduced to the world. I had been using Zoom for six months. Really, do you know that for the first 12 months of my business, I was not teaching growth and sell strategies, I was teaching companies how to use zoom. And I made over $2 million teaching companies that you would think like government entities, large financial institutions that you would think would know how to do that stuff, right? I had no idea how to learn it. And so at that point, my mind started shifting to, at one day, there's going to be an elimination of SaaS.

So for those that don't know SaaS, or software as a service, right? At some point, it's going to be implementation as a service. And I think that's where we are now with what you're talking about. I don't need to have the software solution. I just need to know how to utilize it and then help other people use it better or learn how to use it or to implement it. I think that that's where we are today

where SaaS companies aren't the power anymore. It's the implementation as a service. Those companies and the people that are doing what Billy is talking about are going to be the wave of the future now and beyond. Yeah, I mean, I don't think you're you're wrong. I think it's the simple as people are just like, yo, just kind of pay you to do this shit for me. Like, that's it, you know, and so be it but but we're you know, people lack is that they don't know how to do the thing that they need. And the reason why is it's almost like there's this mentality of when we

graduate high school, or college, whatever our last degree was, we're never going to learn anything again. And as adults, we think that experience and time gives us, you know, experience and wisdom, but it doesn't at all. It doesn't, just because you've been around in the workforce for a long time, doesn't mean you've actually gained any unique skills or knowledge.

And I think that's what the obsession needs to be. Like, if somebody, if I sit down with somebody and I said, hey, I want you to write out everything that you can do that most people can't, I can tell you how much money they make just from looking at that list. Yeah, yeah. So Billy, man, you've worked with big brands, Kia, Massage Envy, Dave and Busters, Procter and Gamble. I can go on and on and on and give out all your credentials,

but we'd be here for five days and we don't have time for that, right? But those big companies have a lot of similarities to the small companies as well too, right? So when you're going in and you're working with a Kia IKEA or Procter and Gamble, what are some of the similarities that they have that the local restaurant down the street or the local insurance agent down the street is also struggling? I like this question. Because I think the answer is important. And it's this is they like to laugh too. And I say that because for some reason

when people come into corporate sales, they even give it a different title. They call it B2B. I'm in B2B sales. I said, what does that mean? Oh, I'm in business to business sales. Are you not selling to humans? Oh, you're in business to business.

Are you not selling to humans or something? Oh, okay, I was confused. It's, there's just selling to humans or something? Oh, okay. I was confused. It's, there's just selling to humans. That is the whole process. And so what I, and by the way, I deal with this too. Like when I was, this is last year, when I was doing this consulting calls for Procter and Gamble, and it's, you know, you see their office in all these different countries,

Singapore, and da da da. And I'm getting nervous. And mind you, I do this every day forever, but I'm getting nervous and I'm getting in my head and I'm thinking like you know like well corporate like can I say this or will they laugh at this or will this land in this and so I just like took a deep breath and I gave my same style presentation that I would teach to anybody and they loved it and they hired me back immediately right after to come

again and it was just a reminder of like, people are people. People are people. So to answer your question is like literally everything. Everything is the same. You know, there's probably some, I don't know, some minor nuances. But overall, it's the same thing. You just talking to people, you know, you're just talking to people. So for the viewer listener right now, let's say that thing. You're just talking to people, you know? You're just talking to people. Yeah. Yeah. So for the viewer listener right now,

let's say that they're 10 million in revenue and under, right? So they're not big business, but they're also not mom and pop. What are some strategies that you'd give them as it relates to marketing and AI to really start to scale their business? Yeah, just one. One of my old coaches and good friends today, my brother, Frank Kern, shout out to him. their business? Yeah just one. One of my old coaches and good friends today, my

brother Frank Kern, shout out to him. Years ago he asked me a very very simple question and it stuck with me and I've used it on all my consulting since then and he just said hey how many people did you ask to buy today? He said well you want to make more money right? Well all it is is just asking more people to buy. And it was so simple. And then I let that sink in. So I started asking like students classes when I'm on stage and I say, hey, everybody, how many people do you ask to buy today?

Answers usually like one, two, five, mostly zero, right? Well, you know, today was just logistics and I was doing my logo or, you know, whatever. Like I didn't ask anybody today. So then when you kind of answer that to yourself out loud logo or you know, whatever, like I didn't ask anybody today. So then when you kind of answer that to yourself out loud, and then you go, wait, I'm trying to increase sales, but I didn't ask anybody to buy it by the way, it's kind of like you immediately figure out why how to make more money, like even people listening right now,

they're like, God damn, it's simple. But how many people did I ask by today? Now, the challenge is when people think of that, they're so used to the fax machine. You know, they think that means I got to call people, they think that means I have to go bang on doors, they think I have to go. They start thinking all of these things. When the truth is just run an ad. So even as I'm sitting with you I will still ask a million people to buy my shit today. And I'll just be hanging out with you. Right? And that's the power of advertising. And I think that is the number one opportunity for most small businesses, is to amplify your asking by using advertising.

That is it, just run a freaking ad. And I know you have to be crazy. I think sometimes people see my ads and they think they have to do all this fancy stuff. I was just talking with my barber the other day, it's like, dude, just run a video showing a before and after of what you do and at the end say, hey, first cuts half off

to earn your business. I'm trying to get lifetime clients. And that's all. Like that is the simplicity. The challenge is you put out an ad and not all of them bang. Some of them lose money, people don't respond, they don't want your content. But my thing is, is if this is an asset you can create one time and then use for years and years and years to make sales, kind of in the same way as you'll think of an asset like a home, right?

You purchase it, but you're looking to get, you know, pay. I'm just like, if the ad doesn't work, which you can shoot on your cell phone in 30 minutes, just make another one. And if that doesn't work, make another one. The reason why most people don't do it is because their unwillingness to fail and look stupid. It hurts our ego, right? You put out something and then you see that one comment that says, Oh, you look fat or you know, you, you're, you're, you said this wrong. You spelled this incorrectly. Who, what makes you an expert? And we let it get in our head. And it's like the one loud troll versus like the thousand quiet people that we're watching that got value. You know what

I'm saying? Like not everybody comments on everything. And so I think that's the thing that everyone needs to do. I get the simplest strategies. Ask more people to buy by using video because video can scale infinitely and anywhere around the world. That is the answer. A singular video ad can change someone's life like that. Look at the example of, you know, Dollar Shave Club, for example, right? Dollar Shave Club makes a funny ad, and then all of a sudden they sell for a billion bucks. Think about, I'll give you the best example of a video ad completely changing the

world. And it's this little company that actually I am not a fan of, but I respect them as the best marketing company ever. And that is Apple. Now right now, everybody listening, if I said, hey, who here has an iPhone? Everybody's gonna raise their hand. I got an iPhone. You have an iPhone? Through marriage.

I was Samsung all day and then I got married. Okay, there you go. Right. So through marriage, you go, right? So, do you bet it's got you, right? So, but I remember when these first dropped, and you know, iMac had the big bulky computers, et cetera, and there was PC, and Apple was, if anybody remembers,

Apple was so inconvenient because you always needed extra hardware and extra software to make it compatible with anything. Like it didn't work with anything. I'm like, this is so annoying. And then they were expensive too. So I was like, it's not compatible. It's more expensive. Why the fuck would anybody buy this thing? And so, you know, all of a sudden, you start seeing Apple everything, Apple, everything, Apple, everything. And obviously there's the iPad and iPod and all this is, but there was something else that happened.

And if you could add it in the clips to show the commercials, because people will remember. But there was this little commercial that came out and it had two guys standing on a white backdrop. And one was dressed in a old crusty suit, looked like a very corporaty, uncool type of cat. And then the other guy was just like a T-shirt and a hoodie. And he goes, they start off the ad, he looks at the camera and he goes, I'm a Mac. And he goes, I'm a PC. And then the whole 30 second bit was just a compare and

contrast. Like I think one of them was like, you know, I'm a PC and you know, sometimes I have viruses and Apple's like, no, we don't have viruses. We don't actually get like it. That was it That was that was literally it and they made about a hundred of these ads Maybe even more and they put them out put them out and then all of a sudden It became cool to have an iPhone to have a Mac to have those things and once they started gaining momentum Boy, did they not stop and obviously had great products and things of that nature

But you know for that switch to happen, I do not believe that can happen without a message like that. And then also they carry on this war. This wasn't a small thing. Even right now, if I text you or you text me, you guys know what happens. Since I'm an Android, if I'm in your guys' group text, they give me a blue bubble or a green bubble, whatever I am.

So it's like, who's this person in my chat? Like they villainize the whole thing so brilliantly. And that was it. You know, so that's why I said it's the best marketing company ever. Like, I mean, that was maybe the hardest business challenge to ever overcome, considering at the time, PC had such a hold on the game, their market share was on like, it was crazy. So for them to break in, of course, it took great marketing. Of course, it was crazy. So for them to break in, of course it took great marketing. Of course it did.

So yeah. I want to know, this is my rant of the day. Who was the person at Apple that decided to like, think it was cool to have backward keyboards and mouse. And I didn't use a Mac for that reason. I couldn't use a keyboard and mouse. It's like, dude, come on, man. For five years, we've been typing and maneuvering this way. And now you want to train

my 30 plus year old brain to do something different. So I was anti Apple for everything until I got married. And my wife was like, but we can FaceTime other family members. I'm not gonna get angry. I'm not gonna get angry. I'm not gonna get angry. I'm not gonna get angry. I'm not about to argue with you. It was in my vows, but I had to switch over to Apple.

So Billy, another question I've always wanted to ask you in particular, because you are, I don't use the word genius a lot. For sure. But dog on it, brother, you are that person. Thank you. What do people do wrong when it comes to ads? Right? Like again, the everyday business owner. Yeah, I think the most common is, is thinking that people want something that you made up in your head. So for example, you know, it's like I see it all the

time, you know, people have the most dynamic personalities online. But when the camera's on, they think they have to be a certain way for people to accept them. It looks like this, like I'm, you know, I'd be myself in this interview, but then they'll turn on the camera, shoot down, they'd be like, real estate agency with the best. Hi, my name is Bill Jean. And here in Southern California, we care about hope, trust, plug in word, plug in word, plug in word. And that's just our mission. Give us a call for data data. Shut the

fuck up. Like, you know, it's like it's that that that that is the number one mistake is losing the communication. And that's why I think I was able to have such momentum and impact on this game is because I came in, and I was just I think I was able to have such momentum and impact on this game is because I came in and I was just me. I was just me. And by the way, not everybody likes me, but a lot of people do. And also people believed just it was a breath of fresh air.

You know, I was like so but I just remember I mean, I had those limited beliefs too. I was at the University of San Diego. And I remember like coming into business, I thought people wanted my name is Bill and come on over to data. I can be your marketing guy. And then, you know, you know, the greatest lesson, one of the greatest lessons in business I've ever learned is that, and sorry, I don't know if this is cursing or not, but like, um, it's that Like, it's that rich people tell dick jokes too. Like, that is probably, I shit you not, that is one of the greatest lessons I've ever learned because as I become more successful

and we're behind closed doors and the cameras are off, they're just as immature as me. The same ridiculous jokes, the same like, and I just like, in my head, I was like, Oh, wait, you talk like that too? You do that too? Like, and it was so refreshing. What's not refreshing is how they appear to be different online. But like behind the scenes, like everybody's just cool. And people make their decisions the same way. And they relate on the same things. And so, man, I just I hope this gives people permission strategically and monetarily

to be yourself because it pays. Like once I started being myself and I saw it's working and I'm making money from it, it became really easy to continue to be myself, right? Like the green validated the theory, so. Yeah, all day. So Billy, another thing, man, you know, on Make Unplugged, we talk about your because, that purpose, that thing that's deeper than your why,

that keeps you going, that's your accountability. For Billie Jean, man, what's your because? What's that purpose for you? I think my why is broken up into phases because, and I think this is an important one too. My original why was all about not being embarrassed for living at my parents house. So I've been in born and raised in San Diego and we partied a lot. We had the club, pop a bottle, even when I didn't have any money, right?

Like it was the home, it didn't matter. We were just out. We were out all the time. And I remember the feeling, even telling the story. I just remember the gut feeling and being out and hoping and trying to control the conversation. So nobody asked me one simple question. And that question is this, where do you live? Because I was so embarrassed.

I was a grown ass man living at my parents' house. And let me tell you, my why was to not be living at my parents' house. So when girls ask me where I live, I could be like, my place. That was my why. And like, look, and it was powerful. Like it moved the hell out of me.

I share that because I think, what happens is, is people study people who are already there and don't realize how much that person has changed. So sometimes they take things out of context, right? Like, so for example, most people outside looking in, they see someone really successful and they hear why and be like, well, I wanna change the world and I wanna make a difference.

Look, in the beginning, fuck all that. I didn't care. Like I had to build my own foundation. I wasn't worried about that. It doesn't mean I was a bad person. I was just very selfish. I was like, look, I don't wanna be embarrassed. I don't wanna live in my parents' house. Then it was like, it bad person. I was just very selfish. I was like look I don't want to be embarrassed. I want to live in my parents house Then it was like it was immature as I'm at low 20s, right? There was like at the club

I want about a bottle. I want to get the table. I want to pull up in the Yari You know what I mean? I remember me and my boy Brandon We're watching these videos of soldier boy and bow Wow go to McDonald's and order McDonald's in their Lambos And I thought it was the coolest thing ever. That was legit. My wife's Bow Wow and soldier boy buying McDonald's. That was it. Right. And so that was my why that got me out of that.

And then, you know, once I had my own place, it was like, I just want to travel and like do cool shit with my friends. As I started doing employees, I was just like, let's just all go to Arizona. So I needed more money for that. And then I was living in Portland, San Diego. It was just, it always changed. So now, now this chapter in my life,

my now why is one word duty. I am wildly aware of how fortunate and lucky I am. Now, don't, people don't get this twisted. I am not by any means downplaying my skills, my worth ethic, or what I'm capable of. But make no mistake about it, I am grossly aware of how lucky I am. I am grossly aware of how lucky I am. My parents, right, like I could have easily had a different parent and my parents could have been addicted to drugs. Like, you know, that's how close it was in our family,

right, I could have easily, like luckily my dad had a lot of success in automotive sales. And so he was able to take us out of bad areas of San Diego, Southeast San Diego, and put us in a nice area. That had nothing to do with me, I'm lucky. And as a result of my dad's sales skills, I was able to go to the private Catholic school,

high school, all boys love private Catholic school. Then I went to the University of San Diego, private Catholic. I got in on the equal opportunity program, by the way, which I didn't make, I did not make that. I was pure luck to have that. Now I had to have the skill to meet there, but so having said that, I carry that with me every day. And even though, you know, like I could just technically

stop and really just minimize the business and just kind of have fun and do some things. I put in the work because I think of one thing, how fucking selfish would I have to be? How arrogant, how selfish would I have to be to get the things that I have, the resources that I have, and to just stop and only care about me? After all the luck and all the backs that I have, the resources that I have, and to just stop and only care about me. After all the luck and all the backs that I was built off of,

to not pay it forward, what I think is the damning, I think I should go to hell for that. I know that sounds extreme. I think that is ridiculous. And so for me at this point, is dude is paying it forward, giving other people opportunities, giving people game, right? 200,000 students, 75 countries,

hasn't been seen over one or two billion times, something like that. We be educating, right? So many stages, et cetera, like paying it forward created a lot of millionaires. And so changing that generation, giving people the path. That's it, that's it now, it's duty. It's like, it's beyond a why.

It's like, no, no, no, that's my job. That's my responsibility. I don't get a pat on the back for it. I don't. That's what I'm supposed to do now. Yeah. That's why I love you, bro. Because that scene, your energy, your confidence, the heart and passion that you have, I think are next level because when you're in a room with Billy, you feel it, right? Whether you want to feel it or see it or not, you're going to feel it

and it's going to embrace you. Last question for you, and I'll let you ride on this one. How can other people tap into that type of conviction? What a good question. I would say nothing else feels as good. I think as people go through their journey and you get the toys, et cetera, you know, like you feel it for a second and then it just doesn't mean a lot. I you know give you an idea I remember the first time years ago I had like a ten thousand dollar day which could have been a million buck date today you know I mean like I was I was

thrilled and I remember the exact emotions I went through it was like ten grand rest in peace one of my former employees, Brittany, you know, 10 grand. And we're excited. She's like, Oh my god, boss, like, look what we did. Da da da da da. I was like, Holy shit, what do we do? And I sat there and she left and I was sitting at my parents' house upstairs. And I was really excited.

And then all of a sudden, the excitement starts to dissipate. And then I'm trying to figure out like, what now? And the only thought you have in that moment is who you want to celebrate with. It like literally almost like the win doesn't even happen unless you have somebody to high five with it. Like, I just can't explain that to people just like how like winning by yourself is not fun. Like it's like it's very limited. And so I called up my my boys I said, Hey, meet me at this bar bootlegger doesn't exist anymore. And we ordered food, we just ordered whatever we want. And I said, Hey, guys, I went to the

server, I said, Can we actually get two of those? And then I said, Can you just put it in a foil and to go back? I said, Everybody just bring one home. And I was that was kind of it. But my point is, is like, I think once you go through the things, right, it's the hierarchy there. You get success and then you fulfillment. And so, I think it's just nothing feels as good. And also too, what I'm really proud of is that

I've created a business where I don't have to separate the two. I think sometimes people think they have their business and then they're like, now I'll go start a nonprofit. To me, when I pour into my current business, it's that it gets, it checks all those boxes. Like we're changing lives, we're helping people, it's fun. It lets me be creative and you know, so.

Yeah, that's a good question. Good question. Man, that is, that is dope. Again, I know you're busy, not busy, but I just appreciated you taking some time with us here today, man. You are someone who I've looked up to forever. I consider you like my mentor from afar

with me getting into the ad game and all the things that I'm doing. So I just wanted to say with you face to face, BG, man, appreciate you and love you, brother. I really do. I really, really do. And for all the viewers and listeners, remember your because is your superpower. Go Unleash it. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Mick Unplugged. the next level of your for you. Have a question or insight to share? Send us an email to hello at mcunplugged.com. Until next time, ask yourself how you can step up.