The Entrepreneur DNA - Why 80% of Entrepreneurs Fail (And How You Can Win) | Dean Graziosi | EP 69

Episode Date: April 28, 2025

CALLING ALL ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS! Register for Dean & Tony Robbins' FREE live event at Thrive70.com -- In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, Dean Graziosi — legendary entrepreneur, multiple-time New York Times bestselling author, and transformational leader — sits down to talk about the real journey of entrepreneurship. Dean shares lessons from decades of business success, overcoming adversity, building resilience, and creating lasting impact. He opens up about his early struggles, the importance of growth mindset, resourcefulness, evolving through life's challenges, and why entrepreneurship isn't just about wealth — it's about living life on your terms. This is a masterclass in persistence, personal transformation, and creating a life of meaning. -- About Dean: Dean Graziosi is a globally recognized entrepreneur, multiple New York Times bestselling author, and success coach. Over the past 30+ years, Dean has impacted millions of lives through his books, courses, live events, and online education platforms. He co-founded Mastermind.com with Tony Robbins and teaches people how to turn their life experience, skills, and passions into thriving businesses. Dean is also an expert in real estate investing and personal development and is passionately committed to helping others unlock their full potential. 📲 Dean Graziosi Socials Instagram: @deangraziosi Facebook: Dean Graziosi YouTube: Dean Graziosi Website: deangraziosi.com   --   Thank you to Mando for supporting today's podcast! Stay Fresh, Stay Confident with Mando! Tired of body odor? Mando Whole Body Deodorant keeps you fresh for up to 72 hours—pits, feet, and everywhere in between. Grab the Starter Pack and get $5 off (over 40% off!) with code [COLBY] at ShopMando.com. Smell fresher, stay drier, and boost your confidence. Get yours today! -- About Justin: After investing in real estate for over 18 years and almost 3000 deals done, Justin has created a business that generates 7 figures in active income through wholesaling and fix and flipping as well as accumulating millions of dollars of rental properties including 5 apartment buildings, 50+ single family homes, and 1 storage facility Justins longevity in real estate is due to his ability to look around the corners, adapt to changing markets, perfecting Raising private capital, and focusing on lead generation which allows him to not just wholesale and fix & flip, but also accumulate wealth through long term holds. His success in real estate led him to start The Entrepreneur DNA podcast and The Science Of Flipping podcast and education company, and REI LIVE where he’s actively doing deals with members. He has coached and mentored thousands of aspiring and active investors over the last decade. Connect with Justin: Instagram: @thejustincolby​ YouTube: Justin Colby​ TikTok: @justincolbytsof​ LinkedIn: Justin Colby

Tony always says, uh, to get the r the most energy it takes to put a rocket in space is the first 10 feet. You know that to get that big heavy thing on once it's in space hits the button 10,000 miles an hour. That's right. But to get that rocket off. So if you got to focus on a bigger future to get the rocket, great. But if you got to go to the dark side and say, if I leave my life the way it is, I'm going to get to the end of my life, realize I missed it, realize I left me on the table. I never jumped in the game. I missed the thing I want to do with my wife or my husband and my kids. Like feel that pain if you need to do whatever it takes to get the rocket to come off the ground. And that's like when people say, no, you don't

want to go to the dark side. Screw that. Whatever it takes to move you in the direction you need to do. So what my one of my things is, yeah, change your story, change your life, you've heard all that stuff. Try a different approach. If you're focused, if you have a vision board of the car, the life, the dreams, screw that. If the vision board isn't working, put a picture of the person you don't wanna become on it.

Put a picture of you at 90 years old in the wheelchair, and you know you missed the whole damn thing. Do whatever it takes. OJVNOR DNA family, welcome back to an incredible episode. This is gonna be one you're gonna wanna rewind, re-listen to, re-watch time and time again. Cause I have a dear friend, someone who has changed the game for millions and millions and millions of people

and continues to do just that. Multiple times New York time best seller, Oxfamor extraordinaire and someone that all of you should be following and looking up to. He's a genuine guy. Dean Graciosi is here. Good to be here man. Yeah, I'm excited about this one. We, it's funny because we've been playing in the Phoenix market together for, from my case 18 years for you. You've been doing this now 30 years. Yeah. And we've spoken on each other's stages and you've keynoted a lot of the same stages.

But you have a big mission that I want everyone to understand because I'm in total alignment with the mission that you are on in this chapter of your life. Because it doesn't matter if you're my age, your age, or if you're 20 years old. It's the same thing. And it's about growth. It's about your mindset. Completely. You know, I have been doing this a long time. And thanks for the invite and thanks for those watching, listening right now. I know you got lots of other options. I think you're really gonna enjoy this time because I'm here to serve.

And after 30, I've been an entrepreneur for 40 years in this industry for 30-ish. I hope I figured out some stuff by then. Avoid pitfalls for people and allow you to hit the gas in certain areas. That's what I hope to achieve today. So allow you to overcome the obstacles, go as faster in the areas that you should. But one of the things that, you know, there's a million great things we could talk about, but why is it that 80% of all single entrepreneurs, being someone who says, I'm done with this

career or I never want the career, I'm doing my own thing. Whether it's real estate or the self-education industry, like Tony and I are in, I've been in real estate for almost 40 years. Literally, I bought my first deal 41 years ago, just doing the math in my head. But why is it that 80% fail after five years? Did you know that number? 80%?

I just thought it was even a shorter time, right? Yeah, so in the first year, 50%, but by year five, 80% are gone. And I think that's a byproduct. I think there's a couple of things. One, I think we get programmed to have a career mindset and it takes a little bit too long to get out of that. So maybe we could touch on that today.

Number two, I think so many crazy entrepreneurs, most of your friends and family don't understand. They think you're nuts. You wanna do this big, bold thing. I think you're a little bit alone. And when you're alone, sometimes you're trying to do it on your own and you forget to model proven practices. And then secondly, you don't have the assistance to say, Hey, I'm stuck here.

What do I do on this pot? Nobody in my family understands this. How do I get the money or how do I manage this or how do I build a culture? How do I make my first hire my 20th fire? What do I do the money or how do I manage this or how do I build a culture? How do I make my first hire, my 20th hire? What do I do with the extra money? Do I reinvest it? Do I reinvest it in my company? Do I put it alongside?

Do I put it in the stock market? Should I buy crypto? All those things happen in this evolution and I've experienced all of them. So I'll let you, you know your audience better than anyone and I'm here to serve. So you could take that in any direction because I think, let me just tell you,

I think that 80% Failure rate is just because they didn't have the guidance and I think we have the opportunity to Absolutely crush that especially where the world is going and especially in that right away I'm gonna make sure all of you are following being he's everywhere Again follow him on Instagram and all the places because he's someone that you really genuinely look up to I think And I don't think I'm pretty sure 100% you are the heir apparent to our guy Tony Robbins. I mean you are just that much of an impact to so many people across the world. So I thank you for everything you're doing. Thank you.

You said a word that is is triggering for me. Evolution, evolve, adaptation. I've done this for 18 years in the real estate space. I graduated UCLA in 2003. And so I've only, I've never had a W-2 job ever. Which is unique, right? That's a rare thing. That is a rare thing. That's really rare. And I have a degree that I could've.

I just didn't. Went straight into door-to-door sales. From there, got into real estate. Of course, at 2007. Why not get into real estate in 2017? Brilliant time to get into real estate. Yeah, I remember it those days as well. But evolve, evolution, adaptation, iterations. You said it yourself and we're talking offline

about it like the iterations of Dean are growing and will continue to grow. Right you're talking about a 30-year career and even more in the real estate space but like you're not done and I think a lot of the people need to understand your own philosophy. Why is Dean not done? I mean, you in all intensive purposes. Guys, I'm out. It's been fun, right? You absolutely could have done that 10 years ago

if you wanted to. But I don't know if that creates the best version of me for my wife or the best version of me for my kids, right? I think we were put on this earth to grow. I think we die when we stop growing. I think I watched so many people retire and they don't know what to do with themselves. on this earth to grow. I think we die when we stop growing. I think I watched so many people retire and they don't know what to do with themselves. They golf themselves to death

and then they're looking for something else. I even have friends that would exit for a hundred million, 500 million. I have a friend that exit for a billion dollars and thought this is what I want. And after three months, he's like, my family's not gonna look up to me anymore. And he's starting a new business right now.

Cause he's like, I want kids as a parent, you know, kids don't do what you tell them to do, they become who you are. Right. We have to model the practices that we have to model who they want to be. I mean, what I know about being married to the love of my life and being a dad is, but all of them have maybe a better man because my, my actions determine who I am, not my words. Right.

because my actions determine who I am, not my words, right? So with all that said, I think, I don't think the entrepreneur journey is about, let me do this so I can get out. I think it's what ignites passion in front, and it allows us to, and we could talk about this, it allows us to overcome the resistance that most people allow to dictate their lives. It allows us to make crap up in our head

and then make it real and someday go, I dreamt about that, taking a walk. I got goosebumps right now. Yeah, I have too too. I was on a beach, it wasn't even a beach I could afford to be on, taking a walk. And I thought someday I'm gonna flip a house a week or a house a month or I'm gonna own 30 doors

or I'm gonna own commercial. And if you had anybody near you, they'd be like, what are you talking about, Justin? You just graduated for a year, knocking on doors to make money. Like, that's what I... I'm gonna be 57 this year. Like, at this phase of my life, I look back and realize that was the...

That was the real success. The success is, yes, I could quit and live five more lifetimes. And I'm working harder right now than ever before. My partner and dearest friend in the world, Tony Robbins, working harder than ever before because we get to make an impact. We get to give back and we get to stretch ourselves. Like, that is life.

I don't mean ignoring dance recitals and missing date night. I'm not talking about that. They are exclusive to each other. Mm-hmm. But gosh, the opportunity to make stuff up and make it real, I think it's what gets me going every day. As many of you know, I'm constantly on the move, juggling multiple businesses,

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You know, I believe in something that we have mutual friends that talk a lot about this, but there's kind of this four pillar or circle ecosystem mind body connections in business right you are a shining example I mean look at you just gave your age away you didn't have to but you look like you were younger than me no I don't like that I mean brother at the end of the day you'd care about your body because it's in my opinion starts with the mind. That belief system of, you know, I'm not going to go attempt because so-and-so is going to be snickering about me or waiting

for me to fail. That's where it all starts. And this is your brilliance, in my opinion. Your brilliance is helping people out of that, in my opinion. You've done a lot in life and you've done a lot in real life. That's my goal. But it is a genuine brilliance. And so I

want to kind of connect that within this episode because entrepreneurship is brutal. I don't think there's a better way of saying it but as brutal as it is it gives you the the highs of all highs that you will never get as... I want to I want to push back on that for a second because it is brutal and you need to be resourceful once you get resources. So we could talk about resourcefulness too. I mean, my kids, if I could leave them money or resourcefulness, I would choose resourcefulness every day of the week.

I want my kids to be able to, in a burning building, out of money, relationship going wrong, they can be, find the resourcefulness to get out, to fix it, to thrive, right? That's right. Because resources alone, why do people who hit lotto lose it? Why do trust fund kids end up derailing? Because they have resources, but no one taught them resourcefulness. Right.

I want to tell you a story. I don't think I've ever shared this publicly. I've shared it in a small group of people. As you, I've never worked for anybody in my life. At 17, I saw both my parents work really hard and have not much of anything other than a trailer park as a kid. Then we all have our story, right? Went to school some days without lunch money, right? And told my friends I wasn't hungry, right? But I always had this, like, I'm doing my own thing. I'm not going to be like, and my main reason, we all have a reason and let's use that

reason. It could be the rocket fuel that gets the rocket off the ground. It starts the momentum. As I watched my mom work three jobs to make nothing. She cleaned houses, she cut hair and she painted houses. She'd come home at nine o'clock every night. My dad left when we were three, didn't really support her. So she just hustled, never complained, never said a word. And all I remember, I think I was seven thinking to myself, I'm going to retire her. Like, you know, my sister was resourceful as heck.

She was four years old than me. We'd come home, make dinner for her. We'd do the laundry. That's great. Right? And, you know, in it, I wasn't like, poor me. I didn't know anything different. It was just what we did for my mom, because she was hustling.

So it was that desire for me to be successful. I wanted to be wealthy at a young age so I could take care of my mom. It was 100% retire my mom. That's right. Which I did at 24 and I've been sending her a check every week since I was 24. Congrats.

And she's still alive, thank you, thankfully. And I got to do that, right? Bought her the house that she wanted, bought my dad a house, like all those, I get to do those things, right? But my point is, when I was in high school, I had a firewood business. And I was, so I would sell cords of wood, mostly to my teachers. That's great.

So Mr. Pagnato, when I was failing science and I'd give him a discount on a cord of wood, I just have to say I got a B plus. I didn't get the A, but I got the B plus. Mrs. Minisi, I got a B plus. And anyway, so I was cutting and selling firewood and I would buy wrecked cars, fix them up and sell them. And then I get- How old were you with the firewood? 17.

Cars? 18. Keep going, I'm gonna connect that. 19, my first house with no money down. I flipped my first house at 19, I didn't flip it. I bought an old rundown mansion Like like destroyed so i'd work on cars during the day. Yeah, right. So i'm gonna get to my point. I promise you i'll get to my point about Entrepreneurship, so I would work on cars during the day when I was 19

And then at night i'd go take i'd go eat and i'd go to this old rundown, it was an old big mansion in our town. And every night I learned to be a plumber, a carpenter, a sheet rocker, a tile guy. I did all of it back then. And I had all my buddies my age helping me. And I remodeled this old place into nine apartments. So I'd work on one while I lived in it. Soon it was ready, I would rent it

and I'd move in another one that was half ready. And I went through the whole house. Just brilliant by the way. By the time rent it, and I'd move in another one that was half ready. And I went through the whole house. Just brilliant, by the way. By the time I was, and I was using the cars that I was flipping during the day to fund this. And I mean, it was a shoestring budget. But when I was done, it shifted my life because I had nine apartments.

I lived in one of them, and back then, I made five grand a month net. And then I put washer and dryers, and that made me another 800 bucks a month. So I was like $5,800 a month profit and I lived for free. Talk about a foundation. Unbelievable. Right.

So it shifted my life. Like all my friends, I was in the car business and the house business. So I would buy a wrecked car. So I'd be in a car for half price and I didn't pay any rent or I didn't pay a mortgage and that gave me, then I took everything I made and I bought my next house and bought my next house. And by the time I was, you know, 22, I think I had 30 apartments and I started fixing, I started, I bought raw land, subdivide and started flipping houses.

But think about the confidence, not to keep, to take you away, but like the confidence you built in yourself, your abilities, your resourcefulness to be able to flip cars, manually do the labor on this. You're building certainty team confidence, which I believe. Yeah, and when you're in it, you don't know that. Here's what I want to say. I got to say that grand description, but I didn't share all the suffering I did in silence

or my father saying, hey, it takes money to do that stuff, kid. You're going to lose everything. My dad didn't talk to me for three months once because he told me I was biting off more that I could chew that we don't come from that side of the tracks. You didn't go to college. We don't have money. You got to accept that you're probably going to work for somebody. Like that is, my friends thought I was crazy. So here's the part I was getting to about entrepreneurship because every level, if you want to write something down, write this down. Every level has a new devil.

Every level has a new devil. So I told you the fun part. I didn't tell you the part where I stayed up all night stressing, ran out of money, had to apply for five credit cards at once. So the banks wouldn't all see that I was doing it on my credit score. And then as soon as I got all five, went to the bank one day and did 80, $90,000 in cash advances to finish real estate deals. And then stress out of my mind that if I didn't pay it in 30 days, it's 22% interest and you know, you can go down that road of what could be wrong and then you got to just, so all those invisible, the things we do in the invisible.

That's right. You do, I feel a connection to you even though we've only, you know, we've hung out several times. I know who you are. I get to know you more and more, but I have an affinity attraction to a friendship because I already know all the stuff that you had to do when no one is watching. I already know all the stuff you had to do at home listening wherever you are when no one was watching.

So we already have, we're already kindred spirits before you start. But here's what I'm going to say, as I was doing this real estate stuff and making those moves of credit cards and borrowing money and hustling and all day at the collision shop, you know, the place where I'd fix my cars and all night laying tile and grouting and sheet rocking. A lot of my friends would come by like, hey, we're going out, let's do this. And I still had fun.

Sure. And like, dude, you're killing yourself for nothing. Yeah. You're working so, and I remember, and I'm not gonna share his name, but one of my dearest friends growing up, his parents and my parents were friends. I knew him since I was four years old. One of the sweetest humans you ever met in your life.

Like if you met him, they'd love this guy. And we were about 20 years old and I'm hustling. And his uncle was the head of a union in New York City. We lived about an hour out of the city, hour and a half out of the city. And he said, Dean, all this craziness, my uncle is going to make me a shop steward in the city. I'm going to make 1400 bucks a week. Yeah.

Back then, you gotta figure out how long this is, 1992, right? I'm like, oh my gosh. And he said, I'm going down there. He said, I don't have to worry. I don't have to risk. I just have to take the train in every day and I'm set.

At 50 years old, Dean, I could retire and be done. He's like, stop killing. why don't you just come down on me next week? And I never went. And I have to tell you, through the years, I always thought about that conversation of like, as a career, you might think, oh, the guard rails are up, it's safer, but is it?

Does it have its own devils? And so the moral of the story is this, I went down this path that looked like the adult crazy roller coaster. I got this, I got this, oh my God, I'm never gonna make it, I'm gonna fail. My family thinks I'm crazy, my cousin stopped talking, my girlfriend broke up with me because I'm a dreamer.

All these things, and it seemed like it was just skimming along. We were together about a year ago in my little town where I grew up. And you're still friends with him? I am. I see him, but I love him so much. I mean, you have no idea.

So in my little town I grew up in of 5,000 people. I bought a 20 acre farm. So we have that's conned and organic vegetables and apple trees. And we go there in the summer, right? So I hang out with him a couple months ago. And he said something that really, when you say entrepreneurship can be brutal. But he said to me, hey, I used to think you were crazy. He said, but I got to tell you something.

You were right. I was wrong. He said, ready for this one? He said, I missed it. I'm like, what do you mean you missed it? He said, I got up before my kids woke up to get on the train to go to New York City and I got home, they were asleep. He said, I got up before my kids woke up to get on the train to go to New York City. And I got home, they were asleep. He said, I missed all of it.

From where I retired at 50, they're off living on their own life. He said, I missed it. And when I think of brutal, at the end of my life, that's brutal. That is the one that punches you in the face and says, why the hell didn't you break the norm? Why didn't you break the norm? Why didn't you step out of your comfort zone? Why didn't you find a way to have resilience to overcome hesitation, to overcome the resistance that I mean, starting your own thing, you have to overcome resistance.

It doesn't seem normal. It doesn't seem right. But on the other side of that storm is the life worth living. So I have been and I'm not knocking anybody that has a career Thank God we have people that we employ that of course. I totally get it so if you're gonna be employed great, but still adopt this mindset of growth and Overcoming resistance and persistence and resourcefulness because then in the career you have you'll be at the top of your skill You'll get paid the most you'll get the the most promotions. And just, you gotta remember,

everything has its own devils. Every level has a new devil, but whatever path you do has it, but you gotta weigh the odds. If I'm in control of my decision, if I get the opportunity to make my own decisions, that I can make my kids breakfast every day, that I can take them to school every day,

that I can be there for dance recitals or softball practice. That means I get to control my calendar. What is that worth? Is that worth all those sleepless nights? A thousand times over. 100%. You said something without saying it, but the creation part, I know you believe in this fully

and so do I, but even if you have a W-2 doesn't mean you can't be a creator. Absolutely. I don't believe it's this either or world I think it's an and and even if you have a W-2 and I don't care what the W-2 is. Yeah and you do real estate on the side or you build a course on the side or you coach on the side. Amazing. I mean literally that is your sweet spot. You can help someone today if you aren't following Dean go to Dean he has an event Thrive is coming up Thrive.com like guys Thrive70.com Thrive70.com but this is part of your genius dude and I've been following you now for the however long you've been putting out books right yeah I mean you show people

that it's not black and white it's not this or that it is an and and if the and becomes your main thing then lean into it But it doesn't have to be your main thing and my message says thank you. It's my message for 30 years I also say there's no such thing as a magical money machine. You got to learn from people who have already forged the path That's right, and you got to take uncomfortable action. That's like you want to know the ingredients. There's no getting rich overnight Yeah model proven practices That's like, you want to know the ingredients? There's no getting rich overnight. Model proven practices take uncomfortable action.

You help people, you coach people through real estate. Cause you got 18 years. Somebody could go figure it out in 18 years, or you can collapse almost two decades into days by saying, no, no, no, don't do this. You got to do that, but you still got to do the work. So why don't people take even the coaching space and education and mastermind space for longer than me? Why don't people Understand that and say that investment

I collapse time here's what I'm doing this long enough. I want to tell you that it's becoming more and more Eye-opening to people and go Wow, and I think's just, I think it's the way the culture prepared us. It's like, no, you go to college, you go to high school, and then you go to college and you get a degree. And the only people that can teach you that is a professor who's never actually done what it is they're teaching you to do. Like I'm not knocking professors, there's some great ones out there. There's great teachers out there.

Some teachers change my life, but there's others that are teaching something. Don't let their ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to actually put it into play. That's right. Right? But that's what we've been programmed to do. Right? Did you know even degrees, did you know that 76% of people who get a degree don't use it right now? No kidding. Yep. And 55% of the people who use it don't like the job they're in. Do that math. Right? That's a tough life. So what people are, people are, so you could just look at this industry.

We call it the self-education industry. Yeah. Tony and I, people learn from you. They learned specific, specialized knowledge. That's right. Right? Tony and I teach people in our, in our event that we're doing, we teach people how to unlock a life experience, an asset, a skill, an expertise they have and turn it into a course, a product,

a program, just what you do. We teach specialized knowledge. We've been doing it collectively for 70 years. We know how to do this thing. You don't have to do the whole degree. Just know the thing that you're doing. You, real estate, know the thing to get deals done. But I just think it's been such, it was the fringe for a long time. You know what I tell people? Again, in this almost 30 years, in coaching and creating books and courses and programs, Tony Longer Than Me is the only one I think in this space longer than me.

That's why I love the partnership we have. But think about if you were at a dinner table 20 years ago, and you said to somebody, I mean, I'm trying to do real estate. I got a coach. The dinner party would be like, what do you mean you got a coach? Like are you on a sports team? That's right.

Right? Or I got a coach to help my marriage thrive. Or I got a coach to be a better dad. Or I got a coach to be in better shape or eat healthier. People are like, I don't even need a coach. They wouldn't get it. What do you mean you got a coach, right? But I want to tell you, it's changing.

Be at dinner with a group of people right now and say, you got a coach and somebody will say, oh, me too. I have one that's helping me through this. I have one for helping me, uh, night train my children. I have one to help me, right. It's becoming more popular because people are realizing I can go back to college and get general knowledge. I have to go really wide to learn a little bit of the thing I want to do for my life.

And I'm probably not going to use the degree. Or I could take 18 years and figure out how to be a badass in real estate. Or I could work with Justin and collapse time to cut him a check, to gain proven practices and be pushed to take uncomfortable action. You put those, it's hard to fail when you're modeling somebody who's already done it. Somebody already forged the path. They knock down the forest, they knock down the trees, they have the map, and they're going to stand alongside and go, don't go that way, don't go that way.

No, no, no, straight, straight. You got this. Like, I mean, the numbers prove it. This industry used to be this big. Absolutely. When Tony and I not first started in this industry, eight years ago we decided to create a company called Mastermind.com and share with everybody what we do in case you want to take your life experience and do what you do.

Not only do real estate but teach others how to get started. Why should they struggle if you can help? Any vertical, you can tell anybody. Every vertical right. We have people that are in real estate and then they come and said but I've been doing yoga for 40 years I really want to teach on yoga and they blow up. That's it. Or we have this amazing woman people that are in real estate and then they come and said, but I've been doing yoga for 40 years. I really want to teach on yoga and they blow up. That's it? Or we have this amazing woman. She kills it in real estate. You know what she's helping women do?

Get through menopause because she said it almost destroyed her whole life. And she found a natural way to get through it. Now she teaches women how to get through menopause like a badass. Yeah. How cool is that? How cool is that?

Right? So just so you know, this industry was tiny. When Tony and I, seven years ago, decided to create this company and teach people to do this, Jim Rohn changed Tony's life, Tony changed my life. Why don't we let everybody in on it, right? So long story short, it was about a hundred million dollar a day industry.

Three years ago, it was a billion dollar a day industry. And the latest report said by 2027, it'll be a trillion dollar a year industry. No, cause people are going general knowledge, not for me. Don't want to waste time through my own trial and error. Who has done what I've already, who's already done what I want to do. And how do I cut a check for speed? So I don't think you could be better positioned to be in this industry, especially those I talked to this about John that while we were walking up here,

especially those that have a heart to serve that want to not just sell, but want to absolutely deliver the shortcut to people. Those that, that have a desire to impact others, find purpose for themselves. And can do the work to extract it. I think it's, it's probably the greatest thing on the planet. I mean, I've done real estate and this. I love both. Yeah.

I love real estate. I'll never be out of real estate, but I'm more the heart to serve. Right. And that is love. Do you love one of your students crushes a deal? No. Is there any better feeling? There is no better.

I highlight it all the time. I don't highlight my flips where I make 75 grand. I highlight theirs because that's the proud moment. That's the big brother, the father figure. Like they did it. I have a mutton. You'll appreciate the crap out of this. I have a guy, he has two full-time jobs, nine to five.

And then he goes and works at in and out at the night until two in the morning. He has three children and a wife and he's on four deals since January in my community. I love it. The only reason is cause he just does the thing I advise him to do to your point, proven model, I've done it 18 years. I just need you to do it and be uncomfortable. So he finds time in the morning,

he finds time on the weekends, he does what others aren't willing to, and he gets the result others don't get, right? And you know that to be true. I'm curious to hear your answer to my four pillars to success. I've asked every incredible entrepreneur this. The first one is you have to decide what you want and who you need to be to get it. That is the first pillar. It's all one pillar. Decide what you want. And I actually think there's a zero, a zero through five. The first is

you have to dream big enough to know what you are looking to do. That dream has to be there, right? But then you got to decide what you want, who you need to be to get there, right? Number two, you got to take massive, you got to commit to it. Number two is you got to commit. Three, take massive action. This is the uncomfortable part you talked about. It is always uncomfortable. New levels, new devils. It's never familiar because you're at a new level. It's going to be uncomfortable. Right. Number four is be uncomfortable.

And number five, this is where I really believe why you're such a great person for our space is because you echo this and I know it to be true is remove all your time expectations on the result you're trying to achieve. Yeah. If you can do that, you start to unfuck your mind about when you're trying to achieve. Yeah, if you can do that That's a great you start to unfuck your mind about when you're gonna get the money How much like all the things that you're kind of doing it for you say I'm gonna go as fast and as long as I need To do to achieve the thing I need to achieve and you and I know this true that goalpost keeps getting kicked down the field

Right. Oh, I love I love But now I love, um, I don't want to get back to this. I love those five. Um, Ogman Dino, I geek out on writers every once in a while. I geek out on all his stuff, the world's greatest salesman, a bunch of great books, right? Yeah. And he, in the world's greatest salesman, he writes about 10 scrolls to be the world's greatest salesman. Really is 10 scrolls. I make my kids read it.

They read it like once a quarter, my older kids. Um, but he's got a scroll in there is I will persist until I succeed. It has nothing to do with. I'll persist until the money comes in. I'll persist until I get my first sale. I'll persist until my friends and family believe in me. It just, I'll persist until I succeed. That's right.

There's no way not to succeed. If you would put the word persist, right? If you just keep going. And in there he said, and he wrote this book probably 50 years ago, he said, how did we ever get to the point where we thought the prize was at the beginning of the journey? It's at the end. And he said, we don't know. It's not our job to know. I love this saying. It's not our job to know how long the journey is. And how we equated it is we don't know how many corners, I look at those corners as obstacles, we don't know how many corners we need to get around before our prize is there. So you're working hard and you're like, there's the

corner. You get around it and you look, there's nothing. And then you work again, you're like, oh my god, I finally got around it. And you go around the next one, there's nothing. And the way I look at it is some people might get blessed and have to go around two corners. Others might have to go around the next corner, there's nothing. The way I look at it is some people might get blessed and have to go around two corners. Others might have to go around 20. And we don't know, I just equate that to, I gotta pay my success tax. Like I need to pay, maybe God the universe,

the success tax auditor is like, Dean you're a troubled child. I wasn't, I'm just saying, like you got 22 failures, number 23 your life changes. And how many people give up at 18? 14, you gotta persist until you succeed. And one more thing about that fifth one, because I like it so much,

is what if you measured your accomplishments like Kaizen? It's one little step at a time, one little, like you listen to this whole podcast, it's a pat on the back. You read the next chapter, you go to the coaching program. If you wanna learn what Tony and I are doing, register for the event. Everything should be a micro win.

And if you look at micro wins, the most successful people I know, Tony and I have a great group of humans we put together and high level mastermind, no different. But one common thread is measuring micro wins. And the byproduct is you don't even know when the first sale comes. Think about that. Think if you're like, hey, listen, I'm getting a coach. I'm going all in. I'm taking uncomfortable action. I'm not letting this old limiting belief stop me. I'm not letting my sister who tells me I'm a dreamer talk me off my path. I'm going to make that

offer. Oh, I got to get on a call. Oh my God, I got to talk to somebody or I got to go on camera or I got to film a course. Oh, it's uncomfortable, but I'm doing it. I'm doing all make that offer. Ooh, I got to get on a call. Oh my God, I got to talk to somebody or I got to go on camera or I got to film a course. Oh, it's uncomfortable, but I'm doing it. I'm doing all of a sudden. You're chipping away. It's like, I made the call. I filmed the course. I did the thing. I did that thing. And then all of a sudden, one day over here on the side, there's a sale made and then another and another, imagine if your goal wasn't the thing, it was just becoming a better version of you knocking down one hurdle at a time. and you won't even recognize...

when your first success comes, next success comes. You know how many people I've said, I didn't even realize I was a millionaire. Like, I've met people like, I just had my head down, like, going, I looked up one day, I was like, I'm here, and then like, put my head back down, let's keep going. Yeah. And that's the journey is, there's no, I mean, I love the new levels, new devils,

because that has always been the case for me. Every time I push harder, I go further. There's always like, wow, that's a big brick wall. How the hell am I getting around that? And the thing that I believe that you've done, I've done so many others is we say, okay, but we're going to, we're going to get around that brick wall. Right? And that level of consistency and persistence is what will create anybody. I don't care if this is your first day of listening to this episode. You want to get an entrepreneurship. If you're sitting here and you are trying to aspire to be an entrepreneur, this is your guy.

thrivein70.com, free event, right? That is happening. You have mastermind.com, I mean. I'll tell you real quick, and this is not a shameless plug. It's thrive70.com. Tony Robbins and I, once a year we go live and for three days, about three hours a day, we just pull the curtain back on entrepreneurship, specifically in the lane. If you were going to do it, you'd be doing it on real estate. That's right. I taught real estate for 20 years, right? Love it. Still tell everybody to get in real estate, still love real estate, still buying deals. I bought a lot of deals in the last two years.

But what we're teaching in that three days is why every single human being on the planet, when they've acquired knowledge in their skill, in their career or a a life experience that not, you know, they went through a divorce, it was horrific, now they're on the other side, kids are thriving, they're thriving, ex is thriving. Like, it doesn't matter, we've all had a life experience, a career skill, or a passion we have that is extremely valuable to someone else

who you know how to package it, because it condenses that time. That's right. So over three days, we're gonna show people why every single one of you should consider being in the knowledge industry. It might sound like a big word. It really just means how to extract that asset of your life experience, how to package it. Maybe you want to be a consultant, maybe you want to create a course, maybe you want to create a workshop, a mastermind,

maybe you want to write a book. We're going to show you how to extract it, identify it, and get some assistance through AI that things like Tony and I on how to extract it, identify it, and get some assistance through AI that things like Tony and I on how to create that and then how to market it and how to turn it into a business. We do it once a year. We have 800,000 to a million people register. And I think we're moving the world. I think we're, we're, I think we've created a mission.

I mean, I watched yours last year. This is guys, if you were aspiring or maybe you're in it and you're struggling and you need some of the secrets, 30 plus years, 40 years in the real estate space. Like you two are the top of the pinnacle, right? I say that with all humbleness. You guys have achieved what every one of us in the education space or the product space want to be at. And so you two should be totally proud of yourselves. I'm sure you are, but I want to make sure you know, uh, how much we appreciate it.

So thank you. Thank you. Yeah. And we do it for free once a year. So I'd love, I'd love for you to check it out. It's definitely one of those things that if you miss it, you have no idea what you're missing. And the last thing I'll say about it, the only thing I always tell people.

Is pretend you paid a thousand bucks for it. Cause a three day event with Tony myself, we got some amazing guests coming. My friend Matthew McConaughey is coming because we turned, I read his book, Greenlights, I loved it so much. We turned it into a course. Then we did that big launch. We had two and a half million people show up on that launch. Yeah, it was insane.

What a great book by the way. Yeah, oh, I love that book. So he went down that journey. He took his journaling of 30 years and turned it into a course. And in one day, I think we had probably one of the best selling courses in history that day. That's wild.

Right? Tens of thousands of courses sold in the first couple hours and people went nuts over. My whole point is we got great people coming. We're delivering great value and we're charging nothing because we want people, you said before, Tony and I are insanely passionate about getting people who are dying to just grow, to live into who they're meant to be, not who they're settling to be. So we do it free once a year. And then the only reason I'm saying that is because if you cut a check for 50 bucks, 500 or 5,000, you'd show up. Sometimes we do free, you register, like, I was free. Don't discredit it.

We go all in for these three days. Yeah, I, you know, I always say people pay attention what they pay for. True story. And so I just, I would urge you, act like you spend a thousand, act like you spend 10,000, but show up every day and don't do the stereotypical like, oh, well yeah, but I gotta leave now

cause I gotta go do this thing. Yeah, it's only three hours a day. Solve that thing for three hours. You know, solve the issue so you can really pay attention to what they're gonna be delivering. Cause you know, you two are great at so many levels, but I want to pour a little bit more into this mindset side. Let's do it.

It is my newer passion because I realize my strength is people. I think that we saw each other and you're like, God, Justin, there's that connect. You are a server. Like that is who I'm meant to be. I told my grandmother who was a teacher, then a principal, then like a district manager if you will. She just, I told her when I was six years old, I was going to be a teacher. Six, I knew it.

I knew it, Dean. Now the form of structured in school teaching versus what I'm able to do today on podcasts and in my coaching program, different, but I've always known I had the heart to serve and you two, you both do as well. But part of what I want you to impact people today on this episode is helping them get out of their own way. And I think that's just a mindset shift. Yeah.

I think that's them realizing they can do this because to me, what is their option? What do they have the option to, to exist? To be okay? To live in the struggle? Or do they actually have the option to live a big, wonderful, powerful life? You know, I think one of the, if I was watching and things hadn't been going so well in my life, or you tried something and it didn't work out, it might say, well, where you guys are now, it's easier. And I don't say that like you're copying out. Like that's the emotion I might feel, right? And I never want to, and that's something I see in your eyes and the way you talk about your clients and how you never lose what it felt like. Was there ever a time in your career,

I know for a fact there was, but I want you to think about it. We're like, I don't know if I'm going to make it. I don't know if I can do this. There's no doubt. There's been two out of the gate I can answer right now. And was it so bad that you thought to yourself, maybe it's time to go get a job? I literally thought I should go be a bartender. Yeah. And let's not talk about just in your heart, the story you were telling you so how did that feel? Did it feel? Not desperate it's not even word like This is it. Like I guess I'm gonna be like everybody else or I guess I'm gonna be I mean

I don't put words in your mouth How did that feel when you thought I should bartend and this is very vulnerable with me to say it and I don't know If I've talked about a lot So my biggest hurdle that I've gone to a lot of therapy over is, am I good enough? A lot of therapy. My mom was an alcoholic. My father was an alcoholic. My stepfather was an alcoholic.

I essentially kind of raged myself through that. Like I show up at home, my mom would be two o'clock in the afternoon, she's passed down the kitchen floor. My friend's like, what's wrong with your mom? And I'm like, oh, well, right. So I had to have that instinct. Um, and so my entire life is am I good enough? Cause I didn't believe I was as a child, right? So I've had to have that instinct. And so my entire life is am I good enough? Cause I didn't believe I was as a child, right?

So I've had to work through that. So when those moments in business where I immediately go back to, of course you do, I'm not good enough. I couldn't do it. I tried, I gave it my all. I fucking had it. And then I don't. And so, but, but here's, you know, leave it there and I'll let you take over.

That would last one night for me. Yeah. So let me ask you something, and this is where you get empathy, and this is where you work harder to get everybody in, not just the A players, B players and C players. You bring them along too. What if you weren't designed in a way that it lasted one night? What if it lasted 30 days? That's right.

What if it lasted a year? There are people watching right days? That's right. What if it lasted a year? There are people watching right now that went through that and they're a year in, five years in, three months in, just different wiring doesn't make you bad, right? So when I think through that lens, Justin, the reason I'm still at this, the reason I wanna make my craft better, I think my events are getting better and better and better. I don't wanna live on last year's event.

I wanna, because I wanna reach that person who's a year in thinking, yeah, Dean, Justin, this is great listening to you today, but it's not for me. I'm not sure I tried. I couldn't get momentum. I couldn't, the marketing couldn't start. Nobody would listen to me.

What could I actually create? I want you. The A players are coming. I already know that. The A players are gonna show up. They're going all in. I'm gonna do it. I got this.

But it doesn't mean you're a B player. I shouldn't even say A players. I should say people with a mindset were only last the day. Right. If you doesn't mean you were like a B player is a bad thing. It just means a different version. I want to help you. And so do you.

Like, I know that about you. Right. So when you start thinking about that, like when they have this option, it's almost like you're thirsty and I have a glass of water and they don't reach her. It's like, what's wrong with you? Just take the water. It's like, because of somebody else's mom and dad were alcoholics, they took a different path.

Do you ever hear that saying the twins talk about one was homeless and on drugs and one was a millionaire they use. And they say, they asked the one it's like, how come you're homeless and on drugs? He's a millionaire they use and they say they asked the one it's like how come you're homeless and on drugs like how could I not be my dad was an alcoholic who beat us and then they asked the twin brother who was a multi-millionaire and say how did you become a multi-millionaire says how could I not my dad was an alcoholic and beat us right I love giving service yeah because because you can't judge people one is the way that maybe they're wired It's a weight too heavy to carry

Yeah And I believe that every single one of you watching has the opportunity to push that weight off To craft I don't want to oversimplify things you've heard a million times But you can craft a new story you could focus on new things if how you're going about wanting to be successful doesn't work Shake it up. That's right. You know, some of us, some of us can go to the inspirational side. If I do this, I could be the best version of me.

I could take care of my children. I can retire my mom. I can make sure my wife is going to make sure my kids are good. I can live into, I can, I can control my calendar. I could set the date if I'm taking my kids to school. Like for me, somebody would say to me, hey, I'm gonna go to my daughter's dance recital. I have these nightmares of someone saying,

oh no, no, it's a busy day, you can't leave work today. I would die first. Or maybe kill somebody, right? So that passion drives me. And maybe desiring and focusing on a bigger future drives you stronger than anything. But sometimes, and I was on a podcast with my friend, Tom Bilyeu, and he said these words I thought was so strong.

We were talking about, he said, sometimes, and some people have to go to the dark side and know what that means in your case. I'm just going to use you as a example. You'd say, if I don't take this action, I'm going to become my mom. And that's right. That's a hard one. I love my dad dearly, but my dad was the youngest of 12. He was physically abused, sexually abused, old school Italian guy, didn't get help.

He just, he had anger his whole life. He fought with everybody. He had confrontational with everybody. I had a bleeding ulcer at 10 because I was so scared he'd fight with everybody. Yeah. Right? But I could either, I could either become him or I could use him saying, if I don't take this uncomfortable action, if I don't go after that next deal, if I don't do this,

I might end up as him. And that's a little bit of the dark side. Right. And that's okay. Because I love when Tony Robbins, Tony always says, to get the most energy it takes to put a rocket in space is the first 10 feet. Did you know that? To get that big heavy thing off. Once it's in space, it hits the button 10,000 miles an hour. That's right. But to get that rocket off. So if you got to focus on a bigger future

to get the rocket, great. But if you got to go to the dark side and say, if I leave my life the way it is, I'm gonna get to the end of my life, realize I missed it, realize I left me on the table. I never jumped in the game, I missed the thing I wanted to do with my wife or my husband and my kids.

Like feel that pain if you need to, do whatever it takes to get the rocket to come off the ground. And that's like when people say, no, you don't wanna go to the dark side, screw that. Whatever it takes to move you in the direction you need to, so that what my, one of my things is, yeah, change your story, change your life,

you've heard all that stuff, try a different approach. If you're focused, so what my, one of my things is, yeah, change your story, change your life, you've heard all that stuff. Try a different approach. If you're focused, if you have a vision board of the car, the life, the dream, screw that. If the vision board isn't working, put a picture of the person you don't wanna become on it. Put a picture of you at 90 years old in the wheelchair and you know you missed the whole damn thing.

Do whatever it takes. Dude, you're giving me shivers right now. This is gospel, people, gospel. So I journal every morning. And part of that is to make sure I keep a frame of gratefulness. Because you reframed right now when I said being an entrepreneur can be brutal, can be really challenging. You said, you know what's brutal?

Missing your kids every morning and every night. Right? And I, by the way, I fully agree. Different, you know, I kind of reshape the frame of what I say, but my first mentor and I've paid for coaching and Matt, just like you have forever. Yep. Was my mom for exactly what you're saying. She taught me exactly who I didn't want to be when I grew up.

Yeah, absolutely. She loved me. She never physically abused me. She just chose alcohol over me. At some point, it wasn't even a choice. It was just, she had to, absolutely. She loved me. She never physically abused me. She just chose alcohol over me. At some point, it wasn't even a choice. It was just, she had to, right? But she died early. She made it very aware that that was of precedence.

Like she couldn't pick me up from baseball practice because she was too drunk at the bar to drive, right? Stuff like that. Totally get it. But that was my first mentor. That was my first coach. You know, can I, do you mind if I share something with you? I'm sure you've forgiven your mom.

Of course, 100%. Because that's a tax you will carry forever and you will never be able to start a new relationship. So I thought I forgave my dad. So my dad, I shared this with you and maybe just one person needs to hear this. Sorry, I'm gonna digress, but I know there's somebody watching, listening right now

that needs to hear this one thing and I'm going to digress, but I know there's somebody watching listening right now that needs to hear this one thing, and I'm going to use you as an example. So my dad, his brothers and sisters didn't talk to him. He didn't talk to his dad when he died. My dad is married four times. He doesn't talk to any of his exes. And I have a sister that's four years older than me, and they haven't talked in 20 years.

And I forgave my dad completely, or so I thought. Till, so Tony and I have been friends for about 12 years and about 10 years ago he calls me said hey come to Date with Destiny. I'm like I'm right in the middle. He goes please come to this one. Right? And I think everybody should go to Unleash the Power Within or a Date with Destiny. No doubt. 100%. And he's not gonna be doing it forever. Yep. So I'd suggest everybody go. So I'm at Date with Destiny once in their life. And he's not gonna be doing it forever. So I'd suggest everybody go. So I'm at date with Destiny and it's crazy. It's like 12 hour days for six days.

It's intense. You been? No, I've gone unleashed power. They still a lot. I mean still a lot. Make sure that times too, right? So it's funny, I'm gonna digress here. He was so, our friendship had been building for two years.

We had not done business together yet. We decided not to do business at the time because we, our friendship was growing so well. It's like, why cloud it with business? I'm doing good. You're doing good. Yeah. Let's just be friends, help each other where we can. Long story short, I, um, you don't leave Tony's on stage was I run out to grab some food and he must've had his phone behind the podium and he freaking texts.

There's 8,000 people in the audience. He goes, get your ass back here like oh I scarf down my food I run back like what the hell you doing you texting like in your pocket anyway I tell that story Tony does these incredible interventions yeah so I'm gonna tell you this and and if you don't need it someone else does so Tony this woman up, he's going through this shifting, shifting your core values and shifting who you are. And this woman stands up and he says, so what are you working on? He said, she said, I'm still trying to get over what my dad did to

me. And this woman's dressed to the nines. She's sitting with her husband, two older kids, beautiful family. So he says, tell me what's up. So she says, my dad, Italian guy. Um, I just, I remember the story so intimate. I was standing on a chair watching the whole thing. And she said, he wanted a boy and he got a girl and during pregnancy, my mom had emergency surgery, had to get a hysterectomy so he could never have any other kids. And I think he blamed me my whole life that I made it so he

couldn't have another boy. He was a swimmer, wanted me to be a swimmer. Said I worked my tail off. I made it to the state championship. I got second place. And when I looked up, he was gone. I had to walk home five miles because I disappointed him. So she's telling this thing and you can see the pain in her face, right?

Heavy pain. So Tony, he's just so magical at it. And we do interventions at our events too that hopefully you'll join this one. But Tony's so magical. So he's sitting there and he said, so, uh, yeah, I could see that. And I knew he's, I know what's coming. Cause he's like my friend. You know, I could see that.

And he said, so, um, how about did he, was he successful financially? He said, no, he was always broke. Was he nice to your mom? No, never told her or me that he loved her. So he goes, yeah, he goes, you followed in his footsteps, didn't you? No business, money tight for you? She goes, I started my own business at 19.

I'm beyond successful. And she talks about it and you can tell, and you can feel her presence. And he goes, yeah, don't tell your kids you love them. Don't have a good relationship. She goes, and she's rubbing her husband's head. She goes, I love this man. Like I could cry thinking about it.

And about your kids, I tell them I love them every day. They're empowered kids, they pat their mom on the back. And he goes through all these things and he said, then here's what you're gonna do today. You're gonna pick up the phone. Your dad's still alive? Yeah, you're gonna call him and You're gonna pick up the phone. Your dad's still alive? Yeah, you're gonna call him. And you're gonna tell him you blame him.

You blame him that you become the woman you are, that you have a successful career. You have your own business. You have a, I have goosebumps. You have a successful marriage. You're a successful mom. If God didn't give you that father, you wouldn't be the woman you are today.

So if you're gonna blame him for leaving you at that tournament, you better pick up the phone and blame him for everything he did because you're amazing. I watched 10 years fall off her face. They actually put a picture up. They put a picture up of before her interview, when she was talking about being left and a picture now, just that I'm not exaggerating, she looked 10 years younger, like a thousand pounds fell off her.

And that's just an example of what we can do. Like we can change our past. The, the, the perception of our past could change in this very moment when people say, no, but it's a reality. I'm like, okay. Two people get in a car accident. What's the reality? One person says, I can't believe you wrecked my car.

My insurance is going to go up. The paint's never going to match. This was the car. My dreams. You ruined it. Someone else gets out and goes, it's tin and metal. I have insurance. You okay? Cool. What's the reality? The reality is that two cars hit. Yeah. But our perception is our reality. She had a perception till 45 years old or 50, however, what she was that her dad was to blame for all that went wrong. In a moment, she realized that God gave her that dad so she could be this woman. 50 years of stress just fell off her place. She changed her past, and all of us had that option.

Mm. Dean, I appreciate you. Thanks, Mayor. I really do. I owe... We have to leave it there, dude, because I could keep going with you right now. Guys you can see who this guy is.

He's as genuine as it gets. If you have any desire to win, to live a bigger life, to have more money, more freedom, more time, more... This is your guy. Thank you. Thrive70.com Yep. Thrive70, it is free. Act like you just mortgage your

house to get there. Because it would be worth it. You should probably. Because he and Tony are worth it. This has been incredible dude. Well thanks man. I enjoyed it. It was good seeing you again. Yeah it was great seeing you. Mastermind.com. I mean you can find this guy everywhere. Get his books. I mean literally two or three national best sellers. They're all incredible. I appreciate everything you do or three national bestsellers. They're all incredible. I appreciate everything you do for us in this world and excited to do this again probably next year. Thanks, man.

All right, if this helped you guys even a little bit, make sure you share this with two people. Make sure you follow Dean Graciosi. We'll see you on the next episode. Peace.