Right About Now with Ryan Alford - Elena Cardone - Actress, Speaker, Author, Investor, and Entrepreneur

Episode Date: January 11, 2022

Welcome 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 Radcast, 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. 

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 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 focused. 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. 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.

I'm joined by Elena Cardone, actress, speaker, author, maybe just call her a badass, but I think I'm just Mike. 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 with 10X

and you're doing a lot of things with Empowering Women and a lot of things I admire. My wife 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. I love my women. I love my women. Yes. Let's start with a little bit of your story though, Elena. I know obviously people can Google and, 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. Hmm. Well, it was transformational for sure. Started out in New Orleans, Louisiana, kind of kind of a rebel punk rock chick, you know, but back when it was real punk rock, Honorable, 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, I was this 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 modeling. 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 LA 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, I just clicked

better with guys. I just kind of understood them better. So, I mean, I worked on sixties hot rods. I was, um, 10th in California for shooting sporting clay. And, um, and, and I always just had this mindset of never depend on a man be independent. And, 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. Um, so I was kind of, you know, kind of dude-ish in my mentality with, in, in regards to relationships. And I just never wanted

to let anyone in and didn't none, you know, I'm, I say this braggingly, I've, I've never wanted to let anyone in and didn't. You know, I say this braggingly. I've never been broken up with by a guy. And, you know, it's just 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 RS, SS, 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 competitions. 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 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 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. 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, uh, 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, I'll meet you at the range. And then we shot and then, you know, it 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 and um 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 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 to just see something in me that I like was so terrified of letting myself go to that place.

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 still operating with never 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 we were 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 alone. 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 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 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 a 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, what do you think it was and how have you, 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.

But I'd love to know what maybe innately made you that way. And then transitioning to maybe how you're using all the knowledge that you've built now with the empowerment, the relationship, the dynamic duo that you are now, and maybe how you're teaching other women about that. I know that's a couple of different questions. Yeah,. Okay. So, 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, 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 cheat 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 feet. I'm a winner. 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 imagined 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, you know, quit this acting career. What does my life now look like? And how am I going to build this thing? Cause we literally had not nothing, but we were struggling to hang on. Um, 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. Uh, how are we going to deli up our strengths and weaknesses based on that, on strengths? 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 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 finger. So you're the boss at the business. And 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. Doesn't matter what Papa says, because at the end of the day, I'm the boss of that domain. So what 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 and 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. 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. And obviously it at a really high level. But I really admire the way you guys have embraced. I love that, you know, the dual strengths, you know, and it's 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 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 going for the Super Bowl ring of life, you know? So, you know, I make this analogy a lot. 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 receiver and there's a throw and he misses it, 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 Superbowl. Like we're trying to, we're trying to do something so much bigger. So it eliminates a lot of the, 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, what 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, there's toughness along the way. It's

like you take hits, it's hard, you know? But the second thing I wanted to say is about the roles. Um, 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 10 X? And, and I always say, um, 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 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 of, is that something to be ashamed of? No, I show active interest in the success of two to bear the weight of 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, 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. No. 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 Grant 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 mouth, 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. And, 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 thing that I was saying previously is that Grant has done an incredible job of acknowledging who I am and how big I think and 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 7 billion people to know who I am. And I finally said, okay, I met my match because 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, um, he asked me a similar question and I said, um, 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 7 billion people, I was like, that's it. That's, that's the goal. That's the plan. He said it. Now he's going to do it. How do we get 7 billion people to know his name? Which is why I insisted that he 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 him 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 free, people can actually have when seven billion people know who we are and we're so far away from that target It's such an impossible target. I I do live in reality I know that's an impossible target, but yet that keeps us focused and 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, and I changed 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 seven, like as 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, but I think when you set that big of a goal though, I mean, I've heard, I've a lot of highly successful people put the, put the goal line so far out there that 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 are that make that, you know, it's the journey. I mean, it's a spiritual legacy play at this point, we hit the targets, you know, the sub targets, a billion, we hit it. you know, the sub targets a billion, we hit it. Yay. Next is target 10. But, um,

you know, those are just, 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 re 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, so I'm, I live now more for a spiritual legacy, you know, cause 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, you know, with the guys trying to shoot three gun, you know, 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 MMA. Bruce Buffer was on the show a couple of weeks ago. Amazing guy, the voice of the Octagon. But you answered it a little bit there. I was going to ask like 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 affected 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. It's really not. I mean, I'm not complaining, but I'm just telling you the reality is, 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 sheer joy. What else is sheer joy? Seriously, when I run a three-gun match and 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. Barts 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 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 written a book, Build an Empire, and certainly want 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 tenets for you? What's been your learning lesson

in 18 years, 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 mine might be larger or whatever in comparison to other peoples, 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, the whatever, right? Or if you want to make it platonic and it's a business partner and a business partner, but they're at the head, right? So like these are tenets 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 you have problems with Grant. Come on. I don't see any flaws. My head almost exploded just thinking about it. But, um, but, but, 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, you 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. Do you realize how unethical that would be to diminish the king role, to diminish your role? 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 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. 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 don't owe it to anybody else to, to, to, 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 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 and 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, 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 fringe 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's, 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, where's it all headed? I mean, you know, I know the goalpost is way out there at 7 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 goalpost is way out there at 7 billion, but what's the future hold for Elena and what's kind of your overarching message 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 10X 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. 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 that 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 at 10,000 units. The next is 40,000. Everything is just to grow and expand. Of course, the children to flourish and prosper and so that they become contributing members of society 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. You know, it's insane. It's insane because I question myself often because I feel like there's certain areas that 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, 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. Like I actually like 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. Like you can't, you can't ever lose unless you say you're no, no. You're right. I don't lose. I never will. Like you can't, 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. 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 Cardoz. Okay. So I was, 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, I know I am black belt at what I do, like what I do,

not what Grant does. Grant sensei, I call him that, whatever. We're talking about me here, black belt. Like I, 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 and 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, 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? ElenaCardone.com. My book, if I can reach it. Yes. My book is free. You go to ElenaCardone.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 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 10xempire.com. Yes. And help me fulfill my legacy. Get in early. You know, tells me get on the bus early because I have a feeling it's going uh to the moon maybe along with uh elon musk and all the other you know billionaires out there is grant gonna is grant gonna get on uh the blue origin like jeff bezos like are we getting does he have aspirations for space he does he does i'm like yeah go go to space see buddy elena you've been charming 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 Alford. You know where to find us. We're at theradcast.com. Search for all the content today. Every bit of the content on every episode is searchable at theradcast.com. We'll see you next time on The Radcast.