Right About Now - Legendary Business Advice - Elena Cardone - Actress, Speaker, Author, Investor, and Entrepreneur
Episode Date: January 11, 2022Welcome to another episode on The Radcast! In this episode on The Radcast, host Ryan Alford talks with Elena Cardone, Actress, Speaker, Author, Investor, and Entrepreneur.In this episode of The Radcas...t, Elena talks about her career as a model, an actress, and her most memorable experience. Elena shares about how the ‘Build an Empire’ movement started, what she envisions every woman to become. She also talks about the challenges she's encountered and shares how the building blocks shaped her to be the person she is now and more...Learn more about Elena: https://elenacardone.com/ . Follow her on Instagram and Twitter account: @elenacardone.If you enjoyed this episode of The Radcast, let us know by visiting our website www.theradcast.com. Check out www.theradicalformula.com Like, Share and Subscribe on our YouTube account https://bit.ly/3iHGk44 or leave us a review on Apple Podcast. Be sure to keep up with all that’s radical from @ryanalford @radical_results @the.rad.cast If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, join Ryan’s newsletter https://ryanalford.com/newsletter/ to get Ferrari level advice daily for FREE. Learn how to build a 7 figure business from your personal brand by signing up for a FREE introduction to personal branding https://ryanalford.com/personalbranding. Learn more by visiting our website at www.ryanisright.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcript
Discussion (0)
Everybody has the job to do.
And you really, at the end of the day, it's like take the ego out of it.
It's who are you as a couple?
Like, you have to become a team.
And we're so far away from that target.
It's such an impossible target.
I do live in reality.
But yet, that keeps us focus.
It always keeps us driven.
I'm not just giving this as the PR answer.
This is pure joy for me when people come to me and they say that
something I said affected them and they had a big win in their life.
You're listening to the Radcast. If it's radical, we cover it. Here's your host, Ryan Alford.
Hey guys, what's up? Welcome to another edition of the Radcast. We're Empire Building today.
One by Elena Cardone, actress, speaker, author.
Maybe just call her a badass, but I think I'm just might.
What's up, Elena?
I like that.
How are you?
I'm good.
Thank you for joining us.
Sunny Miami to Sunny South Carolina here.
I love it.
I love it.
Keep it in the South.
Keep it in the South.
Come on now.
Come on.
I might be the only one with the Southern accent, though.
Appreciate you joining us.
I know you guys are busy, so I really appreciate the time.
I know you and Grant are doing a lot of great things in real estate and with 10X and
you're doing a lot of things with empowering women.
And a lot of things I admire my wife, I thought I was talking to you today.
And she was like, all right, that's cool.
That may be one of the first ones I actually want to watch.
I'm like.
I love that.
Yeah.
I know.
I love more women.
I love more women.
Yes.
Let's start with a little bit of your story, though, Elena.
I know obviously people can Google and go search for things and read things,
but I'd love to get it in your own words,
you know, kind of your story building up to today.
Well, it was transformational for sure.
Started out in New Orleans, Louisiana, kind of a rebel, punk rock chick,
you know, but back when it was real punk rock.
not before it was fashionable.
And so I just had a mentality of wealthy people suck.
They're greedy.
Give to the poor.
You know, steal from the rich, literally and did.
Steal from the rich, give to the poor.
So I was like just wild, you know, agnostic kind of chick.
Went to Los Angeles at 17.
I knew no one.
And I left at 17 to pursue acting slash mob.
But it really wasn't to, I mean, yeah, that was my dream at the time, but it was more so as that was my out and my escape to leave New Orleans because it was pretty hardcore, like literally hardcore.
And so that was just kind of the avenue.
I was never an academically overachiever.
I was more of a visionary and artist, but I did have an ability to memorize.
so I made passing grades, but I didn't really, there was nothing really that was applicable
that I knew how to apply.
That was not my area.
So I never went to college.
I went to L.A. at 17.
And, you know, I had my up years, my down years or months or however you want to call it.
I was, you know, I was always hanging around guys.
I don't know.
I just clicked better with guys.
I just kind of understood them better.
So, I mean, I worked on 60s hot rods.
I was 10th in California for shooting sporting clay.
And I always just had this mindset of never dependent on a man, be independent.
And I just, I never wanted to be in a relationship long term.
I never thought of myself as wanting to have kids, which is so ironic now because
because now I realize, wow, I would have, like, I would have deprived myself of my greatest,
most powerful talents. Like, I just didn't know how amazing I would be on that, this side of things.
But cutting back to the previous, so I was kind of, you know, kind of dutish in my mentality
with, in regards to relationships. And I just never wanted to let anyone in and didn't.
None. You know, I say this braggingly. I've never been broken up with by a guy.
And, you know, it's just because of you, because I was. Like, back in the day, I mean, I just used to be kind of a badass. I was on a TV show. I had hot rods. I mean, a 65 convertible R.S.S. Chevy Malibu. I mean, that I restored myself in a 67 Camaro with a smoker window. I mean, I was freaking hot, dude. And running around town, shooting shotguns, winning competition.
And so anyway, I then encounter Grant, you know, and he pursued me for 13 months.
And he was just very different from the type of guy I had ever dated because I was in the acting world.
So I knew a lot of, you know, famous actors, a lot of famous musicians.
And that was my world.
It wasn't a business world.
And Grant looked like a business guy.
Like the first time I met him, he was like it looked like he was in a golf outfit.
Just not my jam.
He calls me.
I don't return his phone call.
This is back in the day of the answer machine days.
And he leaves a message to a month, every month for 13 months, no return phone call.
Finally, he finds out I was shooting sporting clay at the time.
So he rented the range and was like, hey, I rented this.
He left the message.
I rented the range.
Da-da-da-da-da-da.
And it's not cheap shooting.
And I'll admit, I was like, oh, I'll, you know, oh, oh, he wants to
play big, bad guy.
Like, I'll let him pay for the bill.
So I was the first, but the joke was on me at the end because it was the only time I called
him back.
I was like, yeah, okay, I'll meet you at the range.
And then we shot and then, you know, he was cool, but he wasn't like, anyway, he becomes
friends with one of my friends.
I'm going to get off of that story.
But anyway, he gets in the circle.
Next thing you know, we're hanging out as friends.
I know the guy likes me, but he doesn't like do the typical guy thing where they get mad
when you don't like them back and, you know, all those stupid games and this and that.
And he was just always there, like, like a real friend.
And it was just really weird.
Like, why does this guy like me?
I don't even like him.
And he just wouldn't go away.
And then I would try all of my little tricks of everything I knew to make a guy disappear.
And he wouldn't leave.
It was so weird.
It was like I was checkmated.
Like he knew every step I was going to make before I made it.
I had never had a guy outplay me like that.
And, you know, just slowly but surely, he just made me fall in love with him because he was able to just see something in me that I, like, was so terrified of letting myself go to that place.
And so, I mean, we've been together ever since now 18 years, but it was difficult for me because the first four years of our marriage, and I didn't realize this at the time, I didn't realize it analytically, but the first four or five years of our marriage, I'm.
I'm still operating with never to depend on a man and, you know, be independent.
But yet I'm in a marriage.
And it was confusing because I didn't even want to make him a meal because I didn't want
him to think that I'm now some subservient woman that's going to make him.
I mean, I was really messed up in the head, like for a long time.
And I had issues, you know.
And so we were each creating in our lives and coming home and kind of destroying because I was vying for this male.
female kind of, you know, role. Like the last thing I wanted is like any guy thinking he's going
to dominate me. Ain't going to happen. And then 2008 happened and we're on the verge of losing it
all financially. I was pregnant with our first child. There's no more acting jobs for me. I had to
really look at, well, what am I going to do here? And it was the first moment where I had to really
confront the situation. And that's when I had to take my first entrepreneurial move, which is putting
all your chips and betting on someone or something with the hopes that it's going to pay off.
In this case, it was my husband, and it was a good bet, and I'm happy. I traded in the acting
career in order to trade up to what we have now. And amongst all of that, I learned, yes, I depend
on a man, and he depends on me. And that's okay, because we're a unit. And no one's ever made it
And that's the biggest lie that everyone's been told.
Like, no one's built an empire alone.
It's impossible.
And it should start with the person who's in the bed next to you
and then go out forward to the platonic relationships after that.
I depend on my nanny to take care of my children when I'm not there.
I depend on people.
There's nothing wrong with that.
You know, so now I've learned my real strength and power as a woman,
not just for myself, but in elevating my husband's husband's life.
my husband's game to a heightened level of success, we work together to achieve our goals and our
dreams. And that works for us. And that's really where I've come to evolve what is really,
what is the purpose of a marriage and what is the purpose of us. And, you know, it's so much bigger
than just the little two individuals that we are. It's so much bigger than that now.
Well, I really appreciate it. That's a lot to unpack. I do have to ask you. And I want to,
I want to make this about business. We are marketing and business.
podcast. But there's something fascinating about your story that leads me to a couple of questions.
I mean, one, if you don't mind sharing, like, what do you think it was and how have you, you know,
one, what was it innate inside you do you think that was embedded in you that makes it?
Because I see a lot of people struggle with relationships. I see, especially, I don't know,
I don't want to like streamline it to the hot girl, hot guy syndrome. It's certainly broader than that.
But a lot of girls, a lot of women or a lot of men struggle with these things with kind of like letting them in their circle when they're so strong-willed, so independent.
Right.
But I'd love to know what maybe innately made you that way and then transitioning to maybe how you're using, you know, all the knowledge that you've built now with it with the empowerment that the relationship, that the dynamic duo that you are now and maybe how you're teaching other women about that.
I know that's a couple different questions.
Yeah, okay.
So, I mean, innately, who knows where it came from?
I mean, I have an idea.
My mom was a sole breadwinner in our family,
so she ingrained into me, never depend on a man.
My father was amazing World War II veteran,
but when he came back into society,
he just didn't really, he just, it just didn't,
he didn't know how to assimilate into the work world.
And my father wanted to be a voiceover comedian
or whatever he wanted to be,
kind of like an actor, but he felt like he had to give up his goals and dreams because he had to
raise family because, you know, now he has a wife and two kids. So he kind of blamed my mom for that.
And he also embedded into me never depend on a man because a man would make me stop doing my goals
and dreams. And he knew I wanted to be an actress and this whole thing and to get out of New Orleans
and whatnot. So I had two of them telling me never depend on a man and be strong. And, you know,
somehow I'm not legitimate unless I do it myself, right?
Like everything had to be done myself.
That's what I thought.
So how did I get out of that?
Well, in 2008, when we were on the verge of losing it all, and I had to reassess, you know,
it was a very terrifying move for me because I thought women around the world were going to call
me a sellout and that I was so stupid leaving my acting career to go support a man in his
work and help him to build this empire thing.
And then, you know, of course, he's just going to achieve.
and leave you in the end. And I had to like really work through all that. And I just thought,
okay, at the end, he cheats on me. What's worst case scenario? I look like a jerk. I'm humiliated.
Okay. I'm from New Orleans. I did a good enough job doing that to myself. I'm okay. Always land
on my seat, on my feet. I'm a winner. I'm like, you know, I'm not a victim. So I will deal with
that painful situation if it arrives. And that's what got me okay with my head. I said,
I have to live my life for me, not for all these.
pretend women that existed in my head.
And so that was the moment I said,
forget it, I'm going to do this.
And then again, back in 2008, when I said,
okay, I'm going to quit this acting career,
what does my life now look like
and how am I going to build this thing?
Because we literally had not nothing,
but we were struggling to hang on.
And it was a very crucial moment.
And I said, okay, we're no longer,
this is no longer about,
the game became bigger.
Now it was no longer me, this woman against this man
and vying for a position.
Now it was like, you got, you got my back,
I got your back, there's the targets.
How are we going to deli up our strengths and weaknesses
based on that, on strengths and,
what are our roles based on strengths and weaknesses,
not male, female?
So you get to be the boss of the business.
I mean, there's not many people who are smarter in business
than my husband.
And I know I'm not a dummy.
I'm like an artist.
I'm a visionary.
I'm my other things that I'm good at.
That's not one of them.
Can't even count to 21 at a blackjack table
without using my fingers.
So you're the boss at the business.
When I come to the office,
like he's the boss of the business.
We're equal in marriage,
but he's the boss of the business.
So I'm his junior at the business.
Now, everything in the home,
ironically, it's set up like a traditional male,
female role.
But again, you know,
I can't write this story.
It just is the way that it is.
I happen to be really good at, like, protecting the empire, running the household, the kids,
the who comes into the circle, who doesn't come into the circle, all the behind-the-scenes
infrastructure.
That's like my specialty.
That is my jam.
So everything under the household is all my decision.
And he can't change it.
Like I decide if the kids are being homeschooled or who we hang out with, go on vacation
with, what we, like, I run everything.
And he is my junior in that department.
Kids want something.
They know they got to come to me.
It doesn't matter what Papa says
because at the end of the day,
I'm the boss of that domain.
So what did it did is it alleviated us
trying to have to fight for each other's roles
because now we know who's the boss of what department.
It's very clear.
And it's been agreed upon.
You run that.
I run PR.
I run protection.
You run this.
You know what I'm saying?
So it's like I'm now fighting to make my areas
be so booming that I really can't pick on him
in his areas because all I care about,
is that my area and my stats are like higher than his.
I think it's, and the reason I ask that is I think a lot of people, a lot of couples go through
that. And I think that perspective is really valuable. And it's valuable to me because,
you know, I own an agency in South Carolina, where we've grown really fast. And I have a wife
and we've considered, she's an assistant principal at a middle school. And we've had this exact
discussion. And I find it fascinating. I've watched you guys from afar and really,
admire the way you've built it.
Obviously, at a really high level.
But I really admire the way you guys have embraced.
I love that, you know, the dual strength, you know, and seeing what those are.
I think a lot of people struggle with that because you're like, everybody's trying
to play in each other's sandbox when we know what, you know, everybody's had,
everybody has a job to do, right?
Everybody has a job to do.
And you really, at the end of the day, it's like take the ego out of it.
it's it's who are you as a couple
like you have to become a team
like a fortified team
who are you as a couple
and where are you going
what is the goal
what is the reward what are you working toward
so Grant and I are gone
for the Super Bowl ring of life
you know so you know I make this analogy
a lot like and I don't really even know
football that well so if I mess up the terminology
get what I'm trying to say
but like in game three
if I'm the quarterback and he's the receipt
and there's a throw and he misses it.
I, I, I as the quarterback, can't just harp on him and blame him.
I have to take responsibility for aiming better and he has to take responsibility for catching better.
And then we have to go on to game seven and game nine.
And certainly I'm not going to bring up the mistake from game three when we're in game nine.
And, you know, the thing is, is we're trying to win the Super Bowl.
Like, we're trying to, we're trying to do something so much bigger so it eliminates
a lot of the small, the pettinesses, because we're trying to go for a heightened level of success.
We're trying to, you know, for me, again, this, like, I think the greatest act of love you can give
someone, whether platonic or not, is to help them achieve their goals and their dreams.
So if I know what Grant's goals are and he knows what my goals are, and I can support him
to achieving those goals and reaching a heightened level of success, when inevitably happens,
is he falls more in love with me.
And when he helps me achieve my goals and my dreams,
I fall more in love with him,
which is why after being together 18 and a half years,
we keep being in love, not that we're perfect,
but every time that we have a win
and we get to a higher level and we both are accomplishing,
the more fortified we become
and the more like in love we are along the way, you know?
And there's toughness along the way.
It's like you take hits, it's hard, you know?
But the second thing I want to be,
wanted to say is about the roles, you know, a lot of people come to me, especially men,
and they say, how do I find someone who's like me and like 10X? And I always say, well,
what is it exactly that you're looking for? Do you need another monster like you? You know,
do you need another monster? Because I'm not, I'm a monster, but not like a Grant monster. I'm a
monster in my element. But Grant is like a hammer and a push and a shove and a grind. And I mean,
he got us to where we are. For me, I was comfortable playing the support role. And not a lot of
people are comfortable playing the support role. But the support role is my superhero. So I
freaking own that. And I look that up. What does it mean to support? The definition of support means
to show active interest in the success up. Is that something to be ashamed of? No. I show active
interest in the success of. Two, to bear the weight of. So imagine this, to bear the weight of.
This is Grant. This is me bearing the weight of Grant Cardone and everything that comes along with it.
How strong, I mean, it would just logically make sense that I would have to be stronger than the
thing I'm bearing the weight of. So for me, I don't have a problem being in the support role because
I know how extremely powerful and crucial that is. And, you know, and Grant has really done an
amazing job giving me credit and validating me for the visions that I've had, for pushing him,
for demanding that he achieve his full potential and making it so that he hits these goals
that were a lot bigger than he even imagined. But I did that because, A, I saw that is who he is,
and for him to not be that, then I know that energy comes at me.
So greedily, I made the target be out there and not at me.
Yeah.
I love that.
And it's, I don't think enough people embrace, you know, they hear support or whatever.
And I think you laid it out perfectly, the foundation of what you're holding.
You have to be stronger than.
And I think there's a lot to take from that.
Even in, not just in a husband and a wife, but just in general,
the roles in life.
I want to transition to like the book and a few other things.
But I mean, the last thing, I think the thing, and you probably get asked this a lot,
I've never heard, at least I haven't seen, you know, you or grand answer it.
But like, you know, some people look at the level that you guys have gotten to now.
And I always wonder, like, when is enough enough?
Like, not that you would stop doing, but like, I do.
It's like you guys have achieved so much.
Like, when does it, is it just another hurdle?
Is it just a journey?
You know, like, I don't want to put words in your off.
But I just, I think a lot of people think, like, you know, where does, where does the success end?
Not the end.
Yeah, I know.
I know.
I know.
I know.
And that's why, that's why I'm, I'm glad that I'm with a partner like Grant Cardone because I finally felt my comparable magnitude.
I met my match.
And, you know, the one, the thing that I was.
was saying previously is that Grant has done an incredible job of acknowledging who I am and how big
I think and how how just the visions that I have of where we can go. And, you know, Grant, I had asked Grant
years ago, what is it that you want to achieve? And he said, I want seven billion people to know who I am.
And I finally said, okay, I met my match because I remember, I, I remember, I, I, I, I remember,
I tried. I tried to be normal once.
And I dated this guy for far too long, but I tried.
I was really trying to just be like a normal girl.
And I remember he asked me a similar question.
And I said, when he said, what do you want to do?
I said, I want to change the world.
And he was like, you see, that's the problem with you.
You always like everything's so big and over the top.
Like that's so stupid.
That's so ridiculous.
Who would say that?
Like, and I remember thinking in my head, like, who are you to tell me that I can't
change the world. Like, what is wrong with you? You know? And so when Grant said, I want to reach
seven billion people, I was like, that's it. That's the goal. That's the plan. He said it. Now
he's going to do it. How do we get seven billion people to know his name? Which is why I insisted
that he'd become a billionaire. And at the time, he asked me the same question. When is enough enough?
You're not the hammer. You get to just have all these ideas. I'm the one that has to go out there
and claw and beat and scrap and I was like, yeah,
and then you come home and I pat you up and kick you back out.
So, you know, we're a good match.
But I told them that because, you know,
if 7 billion people were to know who you are,
you're going to help and change half of those people's lives.
I believe in you. I'm your biggest fan.
I know your material works.
I've seen the success stories.
If 7 billion people have Grant Cardone products in their hands,
the world will be a better place.
And I believe that and I know that to be true.
Financially, like, free.
People can actually have an understanding of the correct information
to actually be able to change and make a difference
for the trajectory of their life.
And so that's the mission.
So when is enough enough?
Enough is enough when 7 billion people know who we are.
And we're so far away from that target.
It's such an impossible target.
I do live in reality.
I know that's an impossible target.
But yet that keeps us focus.
It always keeps us driven.
Of course, we have sub-targets in between that,
or we just get overwhelmed and exhausted
because 7 billion people, eh, it's a big number.
But it's never enough until I feel like, you know, I've made a difference.
And I change the world in my little way.
And I'm nowhere near closing the surface.
So I feel like I'm working as fast as I can 24-7,
like this little hamster in this wheel, like trying, like,
I'm running out of time.
I got to make a difference for the better, you know, like.
I think when you set that big of a goal, though, I mean, I've heard a lot of highly successful people put the goal line so far out there.
It really is an endless journey, but because it's so far out there, they stay driven.
And there's something about people that are wired, I think, like you and Grant R that make that, you know, it's the journey.
I mean, it's cliche.
It's a spiritual legacy play at this point.
We hit the targets, you know, the sub-targets, a billion.
We hit it.
Yay, theme.
Next is Target 10.
But, you know, those are just Super Bowl rings.
You know, those are just validations in the physical universe that you're on the right path.
You're reaching enough people.
You can do more.
You're not this little small, little dumb girl from New Orleans, Louisiana,
who's not supposed to be here.
Like, you know what?
If you can do it,
you're setting the bar for everybody else
that they can do it too.
And that's,
so I live now more for a spiritual legacy,
you know,
because I have materialistically
everything that I could ever want.
Look, I forget to even put my jewelry on.
Like, I had to remember to put earrings on.
Like, it's not, I'm not comfortable in, like, dresses.
I like that stuff.
I like Chanel.
But it's not really where I'm comfortable.
I'm comfortable, you know, training.
MMA every morning, which is ridiculous because I'm horrible at it.
And I'm happy on a gun range with the guys trying to shoot three gun.
That's what really makes me happy and what I would be doing if I didn't care about trying to change the world.
Well, you almost answered for me, but ironically, you mentioned the MMA.
Bruce Buffer was on the show a couple weeks ago, the basic guy, the voice of the octagon.
But you answered it a little bit there.
I was going to ask with someone that once you reach these pinnacles, you've got a few Super Bowl rings.
What's pure joy for Elena Cardone?
Like pure joy.
That's not what's success.
That's not what makes you happy.
What is pure joy like for Elena?
Many moments.
I mean, pure joy is when I mean, I'm not just giving this as the PR answer.
This is pure joy for me when people come to me and they say that something I said,
them and they had a big win in their life.
Like, it's pure joy because my life, even though it looks, it could look on the surface
perfect and easy and, oh, it's so easy, she's Elena, da-da-da-da-da.
It's really not.
I mean, I'm not complaining, but I'm just telling you the reality is there's lots of levels
to play this game at this level.
And it's an enormous validation when I see other people be moved and really change their
life because it's such a validation that everything that we're doing is paying off and we're making
a difference. That's sure joy. What else is your sheer joy? Seriously, when I run a three gun match and
like I kill a station, that's pure joy. When I beat the number one three gunner in America on the
shoot house during the biggest competition at Fort Benning with all the army, when I beat him on
one stage, like that's just pure joy for me.
And, you know, skydiving or, you know, when we go to the St. Bart's and we're on a boat and I'm with my family and it's just, you just take in the scenery or in Thailand and, you know, just these special magical moments that I've had with my family around the world.
We went to 19 countries in 2019. There's just pure joy, you know, when you can really just appreciate life and the beauty that it really is and you're around the loved ones. That's pure joy for me.
So we've read the book, Build an Empire, and certainly wants you to mention points from the book, but it's really broader than that. I mean, and I know the book touches on it, but like an empire is a big word. And, you know, the Empire for the Cardones is one thing, an empire for someone else. I take from it kind of, you know, building the life that you want to, whatever that is. And that's defined a lot of different ways. That's how I.
took it and I think it's probably how you meant it but like what are some of those core tenants
for you what's been your learning lesson than 18 years and especially the last you know 10 which
have been on fire you know for you and grant but like are there things that you like I don't know
two or three of those bullet points that what it takes truly to do it well yeah you know I say empire
and and mine might be larger or whatever in comparison to other people's but I really struck her
structured the book empire because it's it's really a mindset. It's really a thinkingness no matter where
you're at in your empire. Like just take the king and the queen for instance, okay, the husband,
the wife, whatever, right? Or if you want to make a platonic and it's a business partner and a
business partner, but they're at the head, right? So like I these are tenants that I apply in my life.
Like when I have an argument or a problem with Grant, which, you know, like who doesn't, right?
But, granted, you have problems with Grant.
Come on.
Oh, my God.
I don't see any flaws.
My head almost exploded just thinking about it.
But as like in the pretend empire world, if I'm going to be a queen, I then can't afford the luxury to go to my friends.
In this case, just for the mindset, let's call them the chambermaids or whatever, if we're taking it back into time.
I can't go talk to them about a problem that I'm having with the king.
like do you realize how like unethical that would be to diminish the king role to diminish your
role and do you think any one of your friends has any sort of reality of what you two have and what
possible advice could they give you that could be constructive like you know and then the problem is
is then you know you hear somebody else go into agreement with how horrible your husband is about
this or that then you make up with them but then that's still sitting there and then when you go back to
visit the girlfriend, then they remind you of it, then you go back, you rehab the fight all over
again. So I really do keep, seek my own counsel, and I'll only talk about a problem that Grant
and I have had after the fact. Like in 2020, hardest year we ever had, like very difficult,
the worst year for us, like, ooh, but I wouldn't talk about that at the time because I needed to
figure it out for me. It wasn't anybody else's, you know, I'm.
I don't owe it to anybody else to have you know every aspect of my life, even though in 2008,
Grant and I made a vow to keep our lives transparent for everybody so we can help fast track
their way to success.
It also doesn't mean you have the right to be in my marriage.
I am married to one person, that's Grant Cardone.
And until I figure it out with him, nobody else is going to know my deal until I get on
the other side.
So that's one example.
You know, the other thing every empire needs to have is like, who's in your royal court?
Who do you hang out with?
Like, you have to know that these people are affecting you.
And what, who is an asset?
Who is a liability?
Who is dependable on what for what resource?
Like, this is how I think.
I don't think, oh, friends, we're all friends.
And we just play this game of life.
Like, no, every single thing in the way that I think is structured, intentional.
I don't know, maybe that's too structured for people, but every single person, I am aware of every single move and who's in there and why.
And I think it's part of the reason why we have our success.
Another thing is like the bottom line infrastructure to the whole empire is your purpose.
What are you doing it for?
What is the reason?
What is your why?
It doesn't have to be the one that's long term.
Like now I'm, you know, I want to make a difference for the better.
I want to restore family values.
I want to restore the value of women to society.
I want financial literacy for all.
Like I have these big purposes and big goals.
But in 2008, my purpose was, I just want to survive.
There was no caring about Ryan in 2008.
You know, it was all about how do we survive and how do we not lose it all.
So the purpose can change.
But my point is, is you have to have your foundation, your purpose.
What are you building this on?
And without that, you can't enlist your army.
No one's going to want to be on your team if it isn't like a goal and a mission that everyone can partake in.
Like, you should be able to say, I fight for this cause and this cause.
And then people are like, yeah, I want to be a part of that movement as well, you know.
Love it.
And I mean, my biggest takeaway from everything you just said and which you owe no apologies for intentionality.
Like everything you just described, you know, from the friends to everything like that.
I think in life, a lot of us kind of go, you know, just go with the flow or like, this is okay.
And it's certainly more complex being the Cardones in making some of these decisions, I recognize.
But you have intentionality in the friends that you trust, the people that you bring in your circle, that they're bringing value to you.
You're bringing value to them.
That is a very not only intelligent, but highly successful way of living.
your life with intention. Exactly. And I think that's probably the biggest takeaway. What,
um, where's it all headed? I mean, you know, I know the goal post is way out there at seven billion,
but like what's what's the future hold for Elena and what's kind of your overarching message,
you know, to women. I know you're doing a lot with empowerment. Talk about a few of those.
Well, yeah, I'm on a big, massive movement. I have 10x ladies coming up in February. And then I have a
build an empire mastermind workshop the two days after the 10th.
NX ladies. I also started a new business. I became a licensed realtor with EXP. So now my goal is
I want to build the largest, most successful real estate team in the world. So, and the reason
behind that is because the model and the structure of EXP is such where it's kind of set up like
an MLM, like a multi-level marketing component where you can get paid on the up to the seven
people that bring in the people to bring in the people. Anyway, it's a model that I love that when I
found, I thought, wow, now I have the opportunity to not only be the woman behind the man,
which is my superhero power, mindset, infrastructure, and support. Now I have that opportunity
based on this model to go out and be the woman behind the thousands. So that's my legacy,
my personal legacy play is to go out and to really be that woman that I was for Grant for the
thousands without giving up what I also do at home. So that's really my next move. And then again,
it's just for the real estate. We're 10,000 units. The next is 40. Everything is just to grow and
expand, of course, the children to flourish and prosper so that they become contributing members of
society and and whatnot. So that's really it. Just a little, just a few things. I mean,
I don't think you're going to be busy at all. I'm very, very busy. It's insane. It's insane because
I question myself often because I feel like there's certain areas. And I know I sound like I'm
full of myself, but I want you to know that I'm also realistic. Like I just became a brand new
realtor six months ago. So I understand I'm not a professional.
as a realtor yet. I have a lot of training to do. And I don't have confidence in that area.
I have to surround myself with mentors. So I know I'm not great at that yet. I actually think I suck.
But I know what I'm really good at, you know. And I don't know where I was going with that.
Forget it. It means you're busy. But I think, again, something tells me you're going to get there.
If you say you're not there yet with real estate. I don't know, just a sneaky hunch. I don't see
much getting in your way.
No, no, no, you're right.
I don't lose.
I never will.
You can't ever lose unless you say you're going to lose.
That's right.
So Elena, where can everybody keep up with everything?
Elena Cardone and find your book and all the things you're up to, which are, seem to be
countless things.
Oh my God, this is what I was going to tell you about being busy.
I was going to tell you a secret that I've never told.
Anyone? A rad cast exclusive, Elena Cardo.
Okay, so I was setting you up by telling you I know I'm not great at things because I know that sometimes maybe I sound overconfident or all of that.
So I told you I wasn't good as a realtor.
But there are things where I am extremely competent.
And like I know I am black belt at what I do, like what I do, not what Grant does.
Grant's sense. I call him that, whatever.
We're talking about me here, black belt.
Like I surprise myself sometimes with some of the life moves that I pull off.
I'm like, holy crap, that was amazing.
I can't even believe I did that.
Okay, now we've established how competent I am.
Literally, I worry about myself because there have been on more than one occasion, okay,
where I have showed up in the morning in front of my coach to go have my little MMA session.
And my workout pants have been inside out.
backwards.
Like how do you, how does somebody that capable, like I can't even dress myself?
You know, it means you're human, Elena.
Like, we had this whole interview all to boil down to the secret.
Elena Cardone.
It is so embarrassing.
Human being.
You have no idea how hard it is to be me.
Like, I can't even get my pants on right.
Like, inside out and backwards on more than one occasion.
It's just humiliating.
It's so humiliating.
But anyway, where can people go to find me?
You're not a robot.
Where can people go to find me?
Elena Cardone.com.
My book, if I can reach it,
my book, da-da-da-da-da-da, is free.
You go to elena cardone.com forward slash empire.
You just pay for the shipping,
but I send you the book for free.
And that pretty much gives,
if you're a realtor and you want to join
what's going to be the largest most successful real estate team in the world.
Go to join 10xempirate.com.
Yes.
And help me fulfill my legacy.
Get in early.
You know,
something tells me get on the bus early because I have a feel when it's going to the moon.
Maybe along with Elon Musk and all the other,
you know,
billionaires out there.
Is Grant going to get on the Blue Origin like Jeff Bezos?
Like, are we getting to see have aspirations?
for space. He does. He does. I'm like, yeah, go, go to space.
See, buddy. Elena, you've been charming. You've been wonderful. You've been human. I really
appreciate you coming on the show. Oh, thank you. I've had a blast. You're awesome. Thank you.
Thank you so much. Hey, guys, you know where to find Elena. Look her up on Instagram. Look her up on the web.
Just search Elena Cardone. You'll find her website, all the content, get that book. It's amazing.
I'm Ryan Offord. You know where to find us. We're at the Radcast.
search for all the content today every bit of the content on every episode is searchable at the ratcast.com
we'll see you next time for the ratcast.
