Off The Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe - Elena Cardone | Can You Have It All? (Marriage, Money & Identity)

Episode Date: May 28, 2026

#949. Can you have a successful career, a strong marriage… and still feel like yourself?Today, Kaitlyn sits down with Elena Cardone for a conversation that goes way deeper than “having it all.”From a traumatic moment at 14 that shaped how she showed up in relationships… to leaving everything behind to build a multi-billion dollar empire… Elena shares the mindset shifts that changed the trajectory of her life.They get into identity, independence, and what it actually means to be in a “support role”—and why she sees it as power, not limitation. Elena also opens up about why she doesn’t bring relationship problems to her friends, the importance of doing your own internal work, and the kind of sacrifice it really takes to build something lasting.Plus—money. The difference between saving vs storing, how to start thinking like an investor, and what women are getting wrong when it comes to building wealth.Listen Now!If you’re LOVING this podcast, please follow and leave a rating and review below! PLUS, FOLLOW OUR PODCAST INSTAGRAM HERE!Thank you to our Sponsors! Check out these AMAZING deals!Macy’s: Shop in stores or online only at Macys.com!Nanit: You can get 20% off The Nanit Smart Baby Monitor System — including the new 8 inch Home display, PLUS free travel case with code VINE when you visit nanit.com.Paka: To grab your PAKA hoodie, go to WWW.PAKAAPPAREL.COM.Progressive: Visit Progressive.com to see if you could save on your car insurance!ASPCA Pet Insurance: To explore coverage, visit ASPCApetinsurance.com/VINE.Apartments.com: The place to find a place!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode of Off the Vine is brought to you by Macy's. Shop in store or online at Macy's.com. Nanit, you can get 20% off the Nanit's smart baby monitor system, including the new 8-inch home display, plus free travel case with code Vine when you visit nanit.com. Paca. To grab your Paca hoodie, go to www.pacca apparel.com. That's www.paccaapparel.com. Progressive, visit progressive.com to see if you could save on your car insurance.

ASPCA Pet Insurance to explore coverage, visit ASPCA Pet Insurance.com slash vine and Apartments.com, the place to find a place. You're listening to Off the Vine with Caitlin Bristow. Hey, everybody, welcome to Off the Vine. I'm your host, Caitlin Bristow in today's episode. Is for anyone who's ever been like, wait, can I actually have a successful career, a strong marriage, and still feel like myself? I feel like the universe giggled at me today and put her right.

in front of me, so I got to hear the messages that I needed to hear. Today, we're talking to someone who has built a literal empire alongside of her husband, but also it went through a full identity shift, becoming a wife and mom after being completely independent. And we are getting into, I mean, everything, we get into money, we get into marriage, power dynamics, identity, and some takes that I think we'll get people talking. So if you've ever questioned your role in a relationship in life or your ambition or what having it all might look like, this one's going to hit. Okay, I want to know first off, why were you so independent at 17 years old? Hmm.

Because I had a situation occurred in my life at 14 where... Forced you? Yeah. I witnessed my best friend who lived across the street, parish in a house fire with her mother. No. Yeah, at 14. So every time I was going... Oh, that just made my heart drop.

I know. It was horrific. Yeah, yeah. And obviously a lot of trauma. associated with that. So I didn't know what else to do other than try to go pursue acting because I was not, I didn't think I was capable or smart enough to be anything like a lawyer or a doctor sit in an office somewhere. I was always kind of a creative wild type. I was like, okay, let me move out. And so at 17, I moved to Los Angeles. And that is why. I have to escape

this environment. Wow. Yeah, that'll do it. That's, I mean, First of all, how do you, because we were just talking before this about dogs and my obsession and how I go to intrusive thoughts, how do you move past intrusive thoughts after experiencing something like that? Or do you just accept that intrusive thoughts are part of life? And you have to do it. No, I don't accept that intrusive thoughts are part of life anymore. No, I'll tell you. I brought a book with me today called Dianetic. It's very important to me and it's changed my life. It's by Elron Hubbard and it's called the modern. modern science of mental health. And so when I picked up this book, Dianetics, I learned about the two parts of the mind, the analytical mind and the reactive mind. The analytical mind is able to solve problems in present time. It's what you and I are operating with currently. The reactive mind, however, is the part of the mind that has all of the pain, trauma,

unconsciousness. It's got the losses, the insubrinated. injuries, the accidents. Everything is recorded on an unconscious level in the reactive mind. And it is the source of all of the unwanted thoughts, emotions, behaviors, irrationalities, anxiety. It is the source of all of that negativity. And it acts in a way where it represses anything that's good and it has compulsions which force you to act upon anything that is wrong. And that all comes from the reactive mind. I have like so many healthy tools and so much therapy background. So did I. You're blowing my mind right now because I'm like, I lost my best friend at, I was 18 years old in a tragic car

accident. It has been, it was again, same horrific. It was awful. There's so many things that I could sit here and tell you for an hour of like either coincidences or things that I'm, you know, how was I not in that car? How did I not go to that party? My best friend was supposed to be in that car. She passed out in a freaking ditch and didn't even make it in and all these different things that have happened where I didn't even realize how much that had taken over my brain with how I showed up in relationships with men. And the, then I got my heartbroken, like the worst I ever have. And then that validated my insecurities of don't, don't let somebody close to you. you're going to get hurt. And it has taken me till I am the age of 40 years old to be like, okay,

like 10 years, no, 13 years of a lot of therapy. And like, yes, I have the more capacity and ability to hold the like scary and negative and like all the bad things that could happen. But my intrusive thoughts take over so much. And I'm like, what is the next step for me, past the therapy, the brain mapping, all the things that I have done to now. clear that and be in a safe, healthy, happy relationship and not think, don't get too close because I'm 40 and I'm not doing that anymore. That's right. The only way for me was getting rid of that reactive mind.

It was the only thing. The rest of the stuff for me, I've done a lot of these in the past, too, these remedies and therapies. Yeah. And all that did was kind of maybe try to make me keep it at bay. Yeah. It helps. It's a little band-aid. It's a little band-aid. But you can really have life actually not trigger you. I like, don't believe you. I'm like, nope. Not possible. Here's the thing. Let me set an example, okay, of this reactive mind. Well, let's say you take, you take this car accident. Okay. So you've been in a car accident and you maybe go unconscious or you break something or you hurt something. Now you're unconscious and your mind is still recording.

the whole incident, right? Okay, it was, you were driving in the car and it was raining and a deer came out and you had to slam on your brakes and you had this adrenaline and plow, you plowed into the deer, you swerved off and you hit a tree, whatever the circumstance. And so now you're in the ambulance, right? And you think you're unconscious and your brain just shuts off. Your mind doesn't shut off. It continues to record. So you don't remember this because you were quote unquote unconscious, but the driver are, it says, to the other guy, oh, how's your relationship? Oh, God damn, what a, what a pain in the ass. I hate relationships. Do yourself a favor and stay out of relationships. And if you're in one,

get out of one as quick as you can. Trust me, man, they're a ball and chain. What is all that doing? Recording in your mind. Your mind's not distinguishing. They're not talking about me. It gets recorded. Okay. So let me give you a scenario. You don't even know this because you've never looked at this. All the other therapies never addressed this because it's subconscious and it wasn't known to you so it doesn't come up in the therapies. But then now you have a situation in life and you're going through all your therapies and you're trying to hold everything at bay and you're doing a good job and oh, must be because my mom, you know, put me in the corner and now I feel bad about myself. All those things that aren't the real solution because if it would, it would handle it.

But it wasn't. It was the wrong why. But now you're driving along in the car with your husband and you're planning the wedding invitation, you know, you're really excited. excited about it. And he's over there. And all of a sudden, it's raining and it's dark. And now there's enough of these reactors pushing that trigger button. Okay? And all of a sudden, it's raining. And all of a sudden, he has to slam on his brakes because the car in front of him slammed on his brakes. So he slams on his brake. And all of a sudden you get that jolt of adrenaline. And now it mirrors the situation of the accident before. So what happens? It cuts off your analytical mind and the reactive mind kicks in in present time. And all of a sudden, you know, now you're like,

God damn it, can't you make a decision on the invitations? What is wrong with you? I shouldn't even be in this relationship. You're a ball and chain. You're a ball and chain. You know what? I want out of this. I'm calling off the wedding because your reactive mind started feeding you these commands that were fed to you when you weren't even realizing what was occurring. I am literally the biggest bitch in a car, no matter who I'm with, because I'm so anxious about a car accident that I am like so hard on that person and all the shit comes up for me in cars. And to like it's, and I recognize it, but don't. You see what I'm saying? Because you've been triggered. You've been triggered based on what is coming out of your reactive mind. But when you go clear, you get rid of that. It's not like

you erase your bad trauma memories or anything like that. You're just getting rid of the, the negative mental energy associated with it. And you're getting rid of those trigger buttons. So when you go clear, now you're in your analytical mind. So you're driving down the street. You're discussing the wedding invitations. He slams on the brakes. Your adrenaline kicks in.

It's night. It's raining. All the similar scenario was occurring. But now you're like, oh, my God. Are you okay? Are you okay? Yeah, I'm okay. Oh, wow.

That was crazy. Okay. So as I was saying about the wedding invitations. Okay. So then that brings me back to, that's obviously why you became at 17. You're like, I'm going to get out. I'm going to go do this. I'm going to act and doing your thing for how long?

10 years? Well, 17 until around my late 20s. Okay. And that's when you became a wife and a mom. I became a wife at 30 and a mom at 36. And then a mom again at 38. Yes. Big identity shift.

Yes. How did you meet Grant Cardone? I met him on a commercial shoot. in downtown Los Angeles. Okay. And he knew the director. I was acting out a little vignette, a little piece in the commercial. Yeah.

And did not think anything of him. I was into actors and musicians. He looked like a business guy to me. So not interesting. Right. But he got my number from the director, and then he proceeded to call me twice a month every month for the next 13 months without a return phone call. You're kidding.

No. Because you were so in an independent space that you were like, I'm not doing a relationship? Or what was it? Well, I was definitely like that. I was definitely like, I don't do relationships. I thought I wanted to be single forever. Plus, I had this reactive thinking that all men hold you back. So what did I do?

I went and cast like a role in my movie all the men to prove me right about how all men hold me back. And boy, did I prove myself right on that. And how all men cheat. So, you know, I had to pick accordingly. Yeah. So, yes. So I was very no, no, no, no. But I started doing some really hardcore self-enhancement right around that time.

From the time he started to call me to where I surrendered and tapped out was I had done a lot of self-enhancement. And then finally I was able to really see the man in front of me, analytically. Yeah. And recognize that I was pushing away the good thing that was potentially like look at my life now. I mean, we've created an incredible, incredible empire, family, success. All of it. All of it. So. And I was about to push that away. Do you think he is different than other men or do you think you just got into your more analytical brain? I think. I think both. I think he's very different from other men. The reason I finally agreed to go on a date with him is because he became friends with my friends. He was showing up at the same places.

He became like super stable and he wasn't going anywhere and I knew that he actually really cared about me and every little trick that I did that would normally have made men run. Yeah, yeah. He would just find amusing and his stability and persistence. was very safe for me in my little fluttery ways to land. Yeah, I think a lot of women listening to, like, feel like very self-sufficient and we should be. And, you know, sometimes I feel like that also makes it harder to let somebody in. Right. Which, cough, me, cough, cough, did you have to, what did you have to unlearn about independence in order to build a relationship?

Well, a couple of things. I was always, I'm an independent, powerful woman. I'm never going to depend on a man for anything. Right. And so part of, look, I'm not justifying this because I definitely cast the misfits of guys that cheated on me. But when I looked at my responsibility or in that whole scene, I could see it from their viewpoint. I had my own money, which is fine. I'm not telling women not to have their own money.

So don't take this out of context. But I never asked him about anything. I never even included him in my thoughts, decisions, or, or, you know, because I didn't need him. I was going to do what I was going to do. And so if you look at it from that point of view, like even as a woman now with Grant, like I want to be included in the decisions. I don't want to be with a guy who just is going to run off and do whatever.

Like there's an inclusion. So I didn't include them in my life, which I think contributed to, you know what? Here's the next girl who's interested in me and needs me or likes me or whatever. Like the feeling of being needed is important to, I think, men and women. So that's what I had to unlearn, which was I need to include them in my life and let them feel appreciated or needed. Yeah, I'm like nodding my head like crazy because I am kind of in this position that you're talking about right now where I have found that I'm hyper independent. what that makes it so that nobody can hurt me. Right.

I make my own decisions. I make my own money. And that is how I'm going to survive and be happy. And that's what it takes. But what I'm working on is that's just like a coping mechanism. Right. I've been talking about my hyper independence on this podcast as a coping mechanism for too long to the point where I should not still be talking about it. It should be.

There should be more of a change now. But I'm really working on that because I have. have also tried to believe that, that that's what keeps you safe and happy and all, like, when I was reading through and doing my research on you and reading through this prep doc and coming up with the questions, I was like, the universe is so funny. Like, I would be interviewing you and unlearning certain things that I need to unlearn. Like, I just, I just think it's, um, what is it, you call it the supporting, the support role. Yeah. The support role. Um, I want to break down your support beam analogy because I do think it flips also a narrative in a way that people don't

expect. When you hear support role, most women hear less important. So how do you define support in a way that still feels powerful and not like you are shrinking yourself? Right. Well, that is, I think, what society associates the word too. Yeah. And, you know, it's kind of where I was at until I really looked up the word support. And, you know, it is a support beam. It's, it's, it's bearing the weight of something. So again, how I'm identified with that word is if I'm supporting Grant in the whole world that comes along with that and it's a lot, wouldn't I have to be stronger than the thing I was supporting? So you mean to tell me I take a second rate seat for being stronger than Grant Cardone and you know how strong that man is? So it got right with me, you know,

I got right with me. I got right with who I am. I don't need titles. or identities. It's like, who am I? What is my purpose? I want to empower women, protect children, restore the family unit. You know, I want to create a loving environment in my house. Why do I care if someone says I'm a support role or I don't measure up or this or that? That's more on them. That doesn't take away from me and who I am and where I've worked to come from to get to now. So I've really let go a lot of having to have all these identities attached to me. Yeah, because I, there's where I want to get to this point I want to come back to this but you're touching on something that I have written down um the messaging that women get today is don't lean on a man like don't be fully independent make your own money you don't need anybody and at the same time and it's a false narrative and it's a lie because why why would why would it say that you don't need anyone you're not going to build an empire if you don't need anyone no empire has ever been built alone by one person. You can't show me in the history of empire building. So if you want to go be alone in your own

little universe and build your own little thing, you're only going to go this high. You can only go 100% of your own little universe. But if you want big, if you want an empire, you're going to need the person next to you. Yeah. It better be the one you love and you trust to help you reach a heightened level of success because what is the purpose of a partner to help you reach a heightened level of success? otherwise you're right. I don't need you. I can do that on my own. You're there to help me reach heightened levels of success and vice versa. And if we don't do that for each other with a big vision and a big goal, then we shouldn't be together. Yeah. You know, we shouldn't be together. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. I mean. So to be, oh, to be independent in this and that. I'm more

independent now as a wife and as a mother than I ever was solo on my own wanting to be the just prove myself, prove myself, I'm independent, I'm strong. You see, I don't need anyone. Why am I cutting my nose off despite my face when I have a person that can back me and the kids and a community and a group? Yeah. The importance of groups and collaborations and my girlfriends and my shooting friends. Like I have groups. Yeah. And my groups are behind me pushing me. It's a group effort. It's not like an only me effort. Right. Okay. I obviously have New York on the brain. And when I think of New York style. I'm thinking main character energy, but still effortless, like you just threw it on and somehow you look amazing. And that is why I want to share with you and why I am so

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Okay, shop the on 34th Molly Rogers Collection now at Macy's.com. Okay, one thing I will fully own, I'm the coolant. Not just because I'm fun and spoil them and I'm crazy, but I'd say the parents think I am the coolant too, okay? Why? Because I actually listen to them. I really do, and I've learned really quick that it's not about more stuff, it's about sleep. So, no, I'm not taking the night shift.

No, I mean, I would, but I am gifting the nan. My friends with kids, they just, I feel like they don't stop talking about. I've heard, I don't even have kids and I hear about the nannet all the time. It's the smart baby monitor system that basically does everything. Breathing motion monitoring, sleep tracking, real-time alerts, all with crystal clear HD video. And the overhead view is, it's honestly wild. I've looked at my friends monitors before and you can literally see their little baby's eyes flutter or if they spit up. It's literally that clear.

But what I love the most is what it gives my friends. they can check their phones, see everything's good, actually relax or be present when we're out, just takes that constant stress down a notch. Kind of like how we track our sleep on our watches or rings, NANET does it for your baby. And then every parent I know says the same thing. They don't need more stuff. They need more sleep. And NANET really does help with that.

So you can get 20% off the NANET smart baby monitor system, including the new 8-inch home display. Plus you get free travel case with code Vime. Expectant listeners, add NANET to your baby register. on Amazon or Baby List. And if you have expecting or new parent friends, just go ahead and buy the nanette for them because they will be grateful. This part I find fascinating because you talk about having your support groups and your women and your girlfriends, but you also talk in your book that you don't go to your girlfriends

or other people about your marriage or relationship problems, which is very opposite of what most women do. So tell me why. Oh, definitely I'll tell you why. A, I don't want to go to my girlfriends and complain about something that my husband did. And you were going to hear about it from my viewpoint, not his viewpoint. And so I just pooed all over him to my girlfriends, vomited all over them, essentially. I go back with my husband.

We make up. I see his side. You didn't know his side. Plus, you didn't know the reason why I was critical and upset with him in the first place is probably because I did something similar that I'm not. telling you or admitting to him, but I did something similar that got me so upset with him in the first place. We make up, everything's all hunky-dory. I go back to my girlfriend and I'm like, oh, my God, grant this. Oh, but they're stuck with the negativity and they're throwing it back at me.

Oh, but he's, he only thinks about himself or he's, you know, he's not thoughtful or he doesn't, he's not romantic, whatever it is that you're, you know what I'm saying? So now that gets back in my universe. Do you think I'm going to go back in front of my husband and be like, oh, honky dory just hung out with the girlfriends. I'm going to be like, you mother effort, you're not doing enough. Yeah. Why aren't you romantic? Can you ever give me flowers?

I mean, what is wrong with you? And we now just recreated another fight. Why would I do that? Okay, so, and I think a lot of women feel like their friends are their safe space, which of course they can be, but. But here's the thing. Your girlfriends are amazing, and there's a purpose for your friends. but your friends have their own reactive minds

and they're going to have their own realities of what they think is best for survival. It does not make it true or correct because out of that reactive mind comes repressions. I'm going to stay away from things that are good for me and I'm going to be forced to do things,

compulsions that are bad for me. And so when they offer their advice, they're not in your shoes, they're not in his shoes. So they might be offering you pro survival quote unquote advice, but it's a detriment to you. They're not in your shoes. They don't understand. So then who do you vent to? Well, I pick one of like a clergy that I feel safe that I trust with that can show me some references or some data to help me conclude my own

decisions in the area. Because I mean, in the moment, you can't really, like when I go vent to my girlfriends, I'm not in a moment or a place that I can hold myself accountable and then talk about that, you know, where a therapist actually can help me recognize. Well, here's the thing with a therapist. And look, I'm not knocking therapy. Yeah. If that is helpful. The problem that I have with therapists is I don't want to, I don't want somebody to evaluate for me and tell me what is wrong with me. Because what if it's the wrong. why? What if they haven't discovered the actual correct reactive mind unconscious because I haven't told them because I don't even know it? So they evaluate, you act like this because of this.

And then I try so hard to handle it or maintain it, but it's the wrong why. It got a sign to the wrong thing. What's wrong with me? And then I think, well, that's what's wrong with me. But that's not what was really wrong with me. So it doesn't fully handle. And I don't want an evaluation or an invalidation. I don't want them invalidating my rightnesses. I don't want them invalidating my knowingnesses, my strengths. I don't want them invalidating what I know to be true. I personally want to be able to go in, analyze a situation, draw my own conclusions, and therefore be able to handle my own negative energy. Because at the end of the, at the end of the day, somebody can't take that away for you. You have to eliminate it. So is the problem that we're just

not doing our own work? Like are we just going to our friends? We're going to our therapists. We're going to other people to try and like validate or invalidate us instead of doing your own work. I think it's a little bit of that. Yeah. You know, I mean, I know some people are going to be like, I go to therapy and I confront and, you know, I'm doing the work in therapy. It's just the, the problem with therapy is a lot of the times, a very high percentage of the time, those therapists are going to want to put you on a drug, a medication. Yeah. Okay.

So I have been wanting to get off of an SSRI for a long time. Which has massive side effects. So if you do get off of that, you must, you must, you must make sure you medically do it. and very slow weaning off of that because it has very, very severe side effects when you come off of that that most of the medicos aren't telling you about. Well, even if I miss a day, I'm feeling like brain zaps and like dizzy and like sick to my stomach. So I can't imagine it's like, you know. Very, very bad side effects.

Yes, but I'm also worried about the long-term side effects of being on one. Right. And so I've been, but my fear is that I keep going down rabbit holes of like, what is the word? Not me not remembering the word for it. It's for like when you forget things later in life. All Alzheimer's or dementia. Dementia. I've heard that SSRIs can cause dementia and like long term effects, which I'm like, oh gosh.

Like I haven't been on birth control since I was like 23 and I'm 40 because I got so scared of the repercussions of that. And then now I'm like, SSRIs are so genius. And then I've been doing research on that and getting scared of all these things. But we also have so much information out there and so many platforms, people acting like they know what they're talking about or, you know, like when it's scary because we get just overloaded with different messaging all the time. Right. So it's hard to know what's true and what's not and what to believe when your doctor says this, but your naturopath says this, but your blood work says this. Like it's scary. Yeah, exactly.

it is because there's so many people out there searching to find answers. Well, and trying to make money. That's true, too. It's a big industry. Right. You know, they have that, they have subscriptions. You're on for life. Yes. And then you have an issue with the medication that you're on because it's known to have black box labels of certain side effects. So then they have to put you on another drug to handle the side effects. And you can see why we are now in a trillion dollar. pharmaceutical industry. Right. Okay, everyone has their thing that they're weirdly picky about hotels. Yes, restaurants, same. Sheets? Totally. Mine is also hoodies. I'm a hoodie snob. I just don't want like bulky. I don't want it stretching out. I don't want it looking like I've had it for five years after two washes. I'm just specific.

And the one I keep going back to is my pack a hoodie. I've told you guys about it before. I've had it for quite some time now. It's just one of those pieces that somehow always wins. I'll try to wear something else and then I end up back in that hoodie. Every time. It's made from alpaca fiber, which I didn't know much about it first, but now I get it because it's softer than cashmere and warmer than wool but then still breathable. So you're not overheating and it just feels so good on and it actually holds up. It keeps its shape.

It still looks great even after wearing and washing it all the time. And believe you, me, I've had it on traveling, running errands just at home. It kind of does everything. And I love that each one is made. Peru and it comes with an Inca ID that's hand woven by artisans. So everything about this hoodie is just so thoughtful and sweet and comfy. So if you've been thinking about leveling up your hoodie game, here's your sign. Grab your PACA hoodie. Go to www.pakaapparel.com. That's www.pacaqa apparel.com. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, do you ever think

about switching insurance companies just to see if you could save some cash? Because Progressive makes it really easy. You just drop in some details about yourself. See if you're eligible to save money when you bundle your home and auto policies. The process only takes minutes and it could mean hundreds more in your pocket. Visit progressive.com after this episode to see if you could save. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Potential savings will vary not available in all states. So the message isn't just like be successful, obviously. It's really about building something together. And you said there's a framework to building an extraordinary life and marriage. What are the non-negotiables for you? Oh, definitely disloyalty. Yes. If they don't have honesty,

if you cannot trust them, these are non-negotiables. Non-negotiables in my inner inner circle for building. I can't have the toxic people. I can't have anyone. Again, no judgment. but nobody that's doing recreational drug usage, excessive alcohol usage. I mean, of course, everyone's going to have a glass of wine here and there or whatever. But I can't let that into my inner sanctum. So those are kind of non-negotiables for me. Do you think people are afraid to talk about sacrifice and what that actually looks like in a marriage, in a partnership in the world?

Like I think that word seems so scary to people. That word is scary because you think sacrifice, but you wrote a book, Elena. build an empire how to have it all you didn't say how to sacrifice no one wants to hear about that but the truth is is you do need to make sacrifices yeah um but the sacrifices are worth it in the end when you hit and achieve your goals in every aspect of life right and that's what i'm talking about sacrifice yeah i'm not talking about sacrificing pleasure happiness things that really truly excel you to benefit the rewards of life. I'm not, I'm talking about sacrifice in terms of the negativity, the drugs hanging out with negative people, ignoring red flags, watching too much TV when you

should be self-enhancing. That's the sacrifices that I'm talking about. I'm not talking about eliminating your personal purpose and goals and become nothing just so you can go give your life to somebody else and be worthless doormat. That's not the sacrifices that I'm talking about. Yeah, I think that's what people. You know, I'm talking about sacrifices. It was a sacrifice for Grant and I to sell our beautiful home on the top of Hollywood Hills. It was Lionel Richie's old house. Oh, cool. Yeah, I'm starting, you know, I'm dropping the celebrity name, but just to paint the picture of, it was a, it was hard. It was a sacrifice. We had to make that sacrifice. The taxes were going up. We were like, we're getting out of here. I had to leave.

All of my friends. I had been in California from the time I was 17. I had been in Los Angeles. And then we left at the age when I was 39. That was like my life and my home. We sold the house, the cars. I went to being, here this in context. I was homeless and carless for a short amount of time. We did have a nice place to say, but I didn't own a home. I lost all my, I didn't lose them, but I left all my friends. We moved to Miami. We knew no one. We had just our little family. We're out trying to recreate. That's what I'm talking about. We were willing to sacrifice and give up our comforts of where we were. We had to get out of our comfortable little chair in order to move to Miami to go sit at the next table of life, which was now the empire that we've built.

Ah, okay, I was going to ask what were you leaving for? What was that next step in Miami? What was it that you guys left everything for? We left everything for the potentiality of building an empire. At the time we left, we were on the verge of losing everything financially. 2009 happened. We were, you know, there was no office and staff. It was just us. We moved, we came here with the idea to build a huge real estate portfolio, to create a business where we could have hundreds, if not thousands of staff,

an employee of 10x mindseted people on the team. team and community. Everything that you've seen us built was why we moved to Florida. It was to go for that dream and that goal and that purpose. And what year was that? You said 2009? We moved in 2012. 12. Okay. Okay. No one really prepares you for how much you start thinking about your dog once you have one. Like I've Googled the most random things about ramen and Pino at this point. Every little thing. I'm like, is this normal? Actually, I'm not going to lie today. I had something with Pino where I think he was just overhydrating because he never has. an accident. He had an accident. I went to the vet today in New York City. I don't even want to tell

you how much it was, but I had peace of mind because I have pet insurance. But you always just want to make sure that they're okay always. And that's the hard part. Sometimes things come up that you're not expecting like today for me. And vet bills never small or convenient. So a quick message from today's sponsor, the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Program. Their plans are customizable so you can find something that actually fits your budget, your lifestyle, your pet. And they've been around for almost 20 years and have covered nearly a million pets, which I feel like that says a lot on its own. So when you enroll in an ASPCA pet health insurance plan, you could get a $25 Amazon gift card, just a little treat for you while you're doing something great for your pet. So to explore coverage,

visit ASPCA pet insurance.com slash vine. That's ASPCA pet insurance.com slash vine. Eligibility restrictions apply. Visit ASPCA pet insurance.com slash Amazon terms for more info. This is a paid advertisement. Insurance is underwritten by other independent American insurance company or United States Fire Insurance Company and produced by PTZ Insurance Agency Limited. The ASPCA is not an insurer and is not engaged in the business of insurance. And I want to make this part super tangible for people because I like the way you talk about money and you break money down into three, things, earning, storing, and investing into income-producing assets. First of all, what's the difference between saving and storing money?

Well, saving is where you store, you save money in a bank, okay? But the bank, you don't get, it depreciates in value. Like $100, 50 years ago is only worth, what, $70 today? The same $100 isn't going to buy you would have bought you back then. So your money actually depreciates in value. Plus, the bank isn't giving you 5%, 6%, 10% on your money. It's not, there's no reward for saving money when it's losing value over time. Right.

So the difference between saving and storing is you can store your money in a bank account until you reach a certain amount to then you have to flip it over into a multiplier, an income producing cash flowing asset that is, making money, whether you're sick or injured or working or not working, that money is making little babies for you. Right. Right. Making more money babies. Yes. I feel like most people think they're doing the right thing just by saving. That's something that I've recently learned to. You can't save yourself to wealth. Right. You only get wealth for the third thing, the income producing asset. Right. And instead of saving, why not just self-enhance and go create more and be able to

generate more work and out-produce. And then if someone's starting from zero right now, and that sounds scary to them, what should they do to start building wealth? Like, what could anybody do at home right now to start building wealth? Well, start educating yourself. Watch Grant Cardone's videos. They're free on YouTube. And start understanding money. Don't be afraid of money.

Look at the considerations you have about money. Maybe start knocking some of those down. Maybe you have some considerations about wealth. It makes you bad. It's not good. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. There's trauma that needs to be cleared around people how they look at money from what their parents were. That's right.

Actually, the derivation of the word wealthy. Do you know where it comes from? The derivation of the word wealthy comes from the word well plus healthy, well, healthy. So actually being wealthy, if you look at it, means you're well and you're healthy. And somehow we deviated from that original derivation and meaning of wealthy. So if you're not wealthy, you're not well. And you're not healthy. So if you look at it like that, it's like, well, gosh, you almost should be wealthy, right?

There's an Instagram clip. There's an Instagram clip right there. That's good. I'm just like, wait, are people at home being like, yeah, duh, Caitlin, why do that? But I've never heard that before. That's true. And that makes sense. I love that.

Where do you think women specifically are getting wrong with money, specifically women? Not thinking that they can know about money, complicating money, attaching different meanings to money. I've always heard money doesn't make you happy. Yeah, well, it's probably because it came from somebody who doesn't have money. But you're right. It doesn't make you happy. I mean, I have a lot of money. If something happens to my child, no amount of money is going to make me feel happy.

Totally. If something is horrible with my child. Absolutely. Right? Yeah. But it does make certain conveniences in life. So I would say they're going wrong with money by not understanding it, not knowing how to invest it into an income producing asset that's going to take care of their legacy for the rest of their lives and their children's lives. And women are about to come into a lot of wealth.

Tell me more. Well, because we're inheriting money. Our husbands are leaving it to us. We're now, you know, since 1973, when we could take loans for our own businesses. Look at the amount of female billion. that have have become successful in their businesses. So women are not only running and operating big, huge companies and their own businesses and becoming wealthy that way, there's also a transition of money and wealth from husbands,

parents, whatever. Right, right. The baby boomers. Yeah, yeah, no, you're right. And then you were saying about Grant's YouTube channel, is that, can people learn about financial freedom there? Yeah. He speaks a lot.

Everything I know really about money, not everything, because, I've listened to the books that he's recommended. Yeah. It really comes from grant and explaining things and really taking the time to educate me on money. And then all of the work that I've done listening to my own financial books that have helped me understand it more. Yeah. So I would say just don't complicate money. Yeah.

It's a flow of energy. Yeah. You know, outflow equals inflow. Know how to use the money. It's a tool, you know. it's a tool. You use it to go get attention. Attention gets more eyeballs. More eyeball sees your product. The more opportunity, the eyeball, you know, those people then buy your products and services. But if you're like, I have to save, I have to save, I have to save, you might not spend money on marketing. Right.

You know? Or doing a podcast or putting yourself out there. I'm sure this cost you money. Right. Yeah. Yeah. But if you don't, if you're just thinking, I have to save, save, save, save. You see it's the wrong mentality. And I had that mentality because I, I never had money. Like, I mean, my parents were very generous and helped me pay rent. They had money. But like, I didn't, I didn't learn much about money in my 20s. I didn't care about money. I always tell my listeners, if I had $5 in my account, I was stoked because I was like, it's five more dollars and not zero. Like, I just didn't care. I started learning more about money in my 30s because that's when I started to make money.

And then as I started to make money, I thought I had to save, save, because I don't know how long this success is going to last. So I got to make hay while the sun shines and keep it up here. Then I started realizing after, oh, okay, actually this is, I'm growing a business here. Caitlin Bristow is a business now. And to keep that business running, you have to put out money and spend the money on this. As long as you're doing it, obviously, in a smart way. But I always had that mentality.

And now I'm like, so much of my money goes into this podcast because one, I'm passionate about it. But two, I want it to be the best it can be. And I've learned that putting the money into it only generates more, you know. Yeah. Best known beats best product. Yeah. So Coca-Cola might not be the best product, but it's going to beat every time because it's in every shelf and every store around the world. Yes.

Best known beats best product. You could have the best water that makes you young and gets rid of your reactive mind. Yeah. Yeah. Let's say there's this is a magical water. But if nobody knows about it and it's obscure, no one's going to buy it. Best known beats best product. I like that.

That's a good mindset for me. I like that. Okay. And then on your page on Instagram, I'm sure you use your platform to help educate people and inform everybody of all these things. So where can they find you on Instagram? At Elena Cardone. I'm Elena Cardone on all socials. So yeah, absolutely. I'd love a follow. Yes. My husband has millions of followers and I'm just struggling to hit a billion.

Oh, yeah. You know absolutely get that. I don't know, 780. Which is insane. I always think about it when I think about like the numbers on a platform. I'm like, could you imagine like how much money used to go to just putting up a bill in one city that like however many people would pass just one billboard like and now you can reach people in different countries and you can think about you can have a million views on one post that's insane i know swift and a sold out huge stadium is like 75,000 people wow so then you think about those people in a stadium watching taylor swift and you can reach somebody you can reach a million people with a post like think about how big that is really big and you don't need money to do

that. No, right. You can just make an Instagram post or a Facebook post or a TikTok post. Yeah. So you've got free marketing. Free marketing. Exactly. That's so good. Be everywhere. Yeah. It's, I mean, everyone's trying to be viral on Instagram and, but at the same time, I feel like if you find your, like, I would say like your three pillars of things that you are really passionate about and that you can speak on and that you are trying to do. And you just keep doing that. Like, I just, people try to. too hard. People complicate money. People also complicate social media and having a platform and what that looks like and what they should be doing what they should be doing instead of like what is making them happy. What did they know they're good at? What do they want to pursue?

And I just feel like people get lost in the social media of it all. I appreciate you so much taking time today and coming and from Miami and I can't wait for everybody to like just take everything away from what you just said. Okay, we all know this feeling when your to do list is so long. You don't even know where to start. Oof, I feel like that right now, actually. Work appointments, catching up with friends, remembering to drink enough water. Life is nonstop. And if you throw apartment hunting into the mix, well, forget about it.

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