You may already know I won War Room's Wicked Smaht 5x in a row. But, here's a secret no one knows: I should never have been there in the first place if it wasn't for this gift.

It all started with my friend Calvin Correli. I brought him and his team to T&C because I thought it would be helpful to get our creative juices flowing.

He and I were roaming the exhibitor hall together and wandered past the War Room booth. For those of you who don't know, War Room was the longest-running and most successful marketing mastermind in history.

I mentioned to Calvin how much I had always dreamed of joining War Room. When he asked me why I hadn't, I made every excuse in the book: money, time, I wasn't ready, etc., etc.

The truth is, and this is painful to admit, I have some pretty severe self-worth issues, and I just never felt comfortable investing in myself - at least not to that degree. Calvin spotted that but let it go. We moved on, and I forgot all about it.

Fast forward a few years, I wasn't working with Calvin any more. I get a call from him: "Hey man, I have a surprise for you. I bought you a War Room membership." Y'all, War Room was $35k to join! Calvin just gave it to me. I was absolutely dumbstruck. Truly speechless.

It would prove to be a defining moment in my life. I met people I never would've met (including Steve Sims, who launched my speaking career). I seized opportunities I never would've had access to. And, hopefully, no one minds me saying, I was able to shine in ways I never would've been able to shine.

In fact, War Room is where I met Perry Belcher; my Wicked Smaht wins caught his attention and ultimately led to him asking me to be his partner in the Driven Mastermind (his follow-up to War Room). I believe Driven may prove to be the biggest professional opportunity I have ever been given.

And I wouldn't have had any of it if my friend Calvin hadn't done for me what I was too afraid to do for myself.

For those of you who are afraid to invest in yourselves: I hope you'll see me as a cautionary tale. If Calvin hadn't pushed me, I would have missed out on so much.

Please, go out on a limb and just DO IT! Put yourself in the room that makes you the most uncomfortable. There's nothing more powerful for growth than standing firmly outside of your comfort zone.

Hopefully, I can do for you what Calvin did for me and give you the little nudge you need to go for it. Tell me, what's holding you back?

Driven Mastermind: https://drivenmastermind.com/

0:00 The Gift That Changed My Life

2:52 The War Room Mastermind

5:32 Joining War Room's Wicked Smaht

8:01 You get seen when you put yourself out there

10:07 Be willing to look a bit foolish

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I want to talk to you a little bit about investing in yourself.

2

And before I do that, I just

want to preface with the fact

3

that I have nothing to sell you.

4

And I say that because anytime anybody

says, you need to learn to invest

5

in yourself, it's always followed

by, and I have this course, I'm

6

this coach, you can do this thing,

join my membership, give me money.

7

I mean it in the real way.

8

I had of the most impactful experiences in

my professional life came on the heels of

9

a gift that was given to me by a friend.

10

I was working with my buddy Calvin

Corelli, who's the CEO of Simplero,

11

I was his fractional CMO, and I I

was horrible at that job, by the way

12

he and I were, roaming the halls of

traffic and conversion together which

13

I used to go to every year religiously.

14

It's one of my favorite events still is.

15

And at traffic and conversion, they

always had a booth for war room,

16

which was a huge marketing mastermind.

17

It was the longest, most successful

marketing mastermind in history.

18

It ran for like 13 years

and it was a who's who of,

19

entrepreneurs, not just marketers.

20

Like, I mean, if you were for real

in the business world, you were in

21

war room at one point or another.

22

And the booths were cool.

23

They were like, this black and silver

aesthetic and they had the velvet rope and

24

these couches that you could go in and sit

on if you wanted to, talk about joining.

25

And it was 35 grand to join at that point.

26

And I think it got up to

40 grand for the year.

27

And you would show up once a quarter.

28

With all these other hyper,

hyper, hyper successful people.

29

And you just learn from each

other and collaborate and talk.

30

And there'd be speakers and workshops.

31

And I wanted to join so bad.

32

And I mentioned it to Calvin.

33

I was like, dude, that's war room.

34

Like I got what I wouldn't

give to be in war room.

35

And Calvin's like.

36

Go join.

37

Why I Revenged, you joined yet?

38

And I gave him every excuse you could

possibly think of, it was like, nah, I'm

39

not ready, soon, the money's tight, and

then, I might not be able to make the

40

dates, whatever it was, it was just non

stop excuse making cause I was terror

41

stricken I was terror stricken, I could

have swung it financially, and what's

42

interesting is the minute I joined, I,

Recouped my cost first meeting just based

43

off of the people that I met and I was

capable of and what they needed But that's

44

not why you should join those things

incidentally just as an aside that said

45

we moved on I figured that was the end of

it and then it must have been like a year

46

or two later it was a long time later.

47

I hadn't been working with calvin

for Much longer after that.

48

I get a phone call from Calvin.

49

He and I stayed buddies.

50

I still really love him and he

goes, Hey, man, I got you something.

51

I got you a seat at war room.

52

And I was blown away.

53

. Super generous.

54

I go.

55

Imposter syndrome haunted,

and it was amazing.

56

It was so much fun, everything I knew

it could be, and there was just all

57

these, brilliant people and super

successful, one guy's business just

58

went public, and somebody else just

started a little teeny sass product,

59

and I'm like, oh, what's the name of it?

60

And then they give me the name,

and I'm like, oh, it's not

61

a little teeny sass product.

62

It was like the belle of the ball at the

time, and I'm just sitting right next to

63

them, and at the table listening to people

with problems that you can't even fathom.

64

It was so cool but I didn't feel like

I belonged at all, you know, I was the

65

dumbest, poorest, least successful,

least experienced human in that room

66

and it was big, , War Room got close

to 400 members at its peak you're

67

showing up these Beautiful, opulent

hotels and resorts and it was just

68

an easy place to be intimidated by.

69

But, at the end of War Room, they had

this competition called Wicked Smart.

70

Wicked Smat.

71

You don't pronounce the R.

72

Wicked Smat.

73

And everybody submits, not, you but

like a ton of people, I think a third

74

of the room generally submits an idea.

75

You submit an idea.

76

It has to be proven.

77

This isn't like a concept that you have.

78

This is something you've done in

your business and you have to be able

79

to present in five to ten minutes.

80

And this is the last event of every

War Room, and I think it has been

81

since the beginning of War Room.

82

And it's one of the things that people

look forward to the most, because you

83

get just a Like freight train of ideas

one after the other and they're the best

84

ideas from the smartest people in the

shortest period of time It's so much fun.

85

And they usually would open up the bar.

86

So people have been drinking.

87

So just got like really irreverent

but high high value and so everybody

88

submits and then they shortlist the

submissions and they pick like the 10

89

or 15 best And then you just go through

those folks and, can take an hour

90

and a half to get through everybody.

91

But they get on stage,

they pitch their idea.

92

The founders, Ryan, Richard, and

Roland and Perry in various degrees.

93

I think Perry was always up there Ryan

was always up there, and then sometimes

94

it'd be Roland, sometimes it'd be Richard.

95

Which is relevant because, you know,

Richard was always a lot nicer.

96

Than Perry or Ryan were.

97

Roland never really poked much fun at me.

98

But, you'd get up there and they'd ask

you questions and then, they'd also

99

rip into you sometimes or make jokes.

100

Anyway, I submit for

War Room's Wicked Smart.

101

The first time I submit My submissions,

not only not accepted, but Ryan

102

shot it right out of the sky.

103

I love Ryan, by the way.

104

He's a really, really

brilliant entrepreneur.

105

And what I love about Ryan is

he's very honest, real direct.

106

And so the first time I submit, he

actually ended up being at my table for

107

some reason, which is really unusual.

108

But, you know, I was like, hey

man, what do you think of this?

109

And he goes, nah, I don't think

that's going to fly, man, because...

110

And it just ended up not

being broadly applicable.

111

you know, that was a little humbling.

112

But worked up my nerves,

submit the second time.

113

And...

114

I'm one of the shortlist and I go up there

and I present the idea, which ended up not

115

even really being my idea at that time.

116

It was my business partners.

117

It was a tracking or a targeting

tool we were using inside of

118

Google ads and I won Wicked Smart.

119

it was amazing.

120

it was a feeling that I was very

quickly addicted to because then the

121

rest of my life for the entire time

I was in War Room was dedicated to

122

winning those Wicked Smart awards.

123

And I won every time I went five times

in a row, which was a War Room record.

124

And what's cool about that is they

ended up sunsetting War Room, which

125

is tragic because I loved it so much.

126

they sunset War Room, the founders

went in a different direction, so Ryan

127

and Roland started their own thing.

128

And then Perry spun

off and started Driven.

129

or wanted to start Driven.

130

And I got a phone call from Perry,

who I didn't know very well.

131

I've always respected.

132

And he goes, hey man.

133

Do you want to start a mastermind with me?

134

I'm like, what on earth?

135

why of all smartest, most successful

people in the whole wide world, and he

136

calls me and it was my wicked smart wins.

137

You know, I'd show him that I was

capable of something other than sitting

138

in a corner and listening And then

he asks me to be his business partner.

139

It was, it's me Perry

Belcher and Jason Fladlin.

140

And Perry and Jason are legitimately

nerd famous and uber successful

141

and I'm, you know, kind of the

up and comer you might say.

142

But it's because...

143

My buddy Calvin gave me a gift.

144

It's because I actually showed up

because that was a thought in my mind,

145

too You know, even though this very

expensive gift was dropped in my lap.

146

I thought to myself like man.

147

I just don't want to go there So

intimidated by it and then when I showed

148

up I put myself out there and then after

having put myself out there I was seen

149

Which happens when you put yourself out

there you get seen and sometimes you get

150

seen in a negative light and sometimes

it doesn't go your way and sometimes you

151

get seen in a positive light and you get

to shine a little and you get to shine a

152

little and The result of that was me being

one of the co founders of what I think is

153

going to become and it's maybe arrogant

to say, but I think Driven Mastermind

154

is going to be better than War Room.

155

And I'm blown away still that

I get to be a part of it.

156

Especially in the role that I'm currently

serving in because Perry very easily

157

could have just been hey man I'll

you know put you on faculty if you're

158

willing to talk every now and again.

159

I'd have jumped at that But you

know to be a co owner and get to

160

guide the direction Here's what

I'm saying, and I didn't do this.

161

Well, by the way, so I'm giving you advice

I didn't take myself but go for it I'm not

162

telling you to join Driven, the time is

right, come join Driven, give us money.

163

But that's not it right now.

164

There's something else for you.

165

And I know that for a fact, because

it's, it's true for everybody.

166

We all have that, the booth that we

were too afraid to get close to, right?

167

Or the person that you're too

afraid to talk to, or the job

168

you're too afraid to apply for.

169

Or the person you're, dying to

ask out, or whatever, like I'll

170

try to keep it professional.

171

Just go for it.

172

Go try and then fail a little

first time I submitted for wicked

173

smart I did not get accepted.

174

I actually was told why my idea was bad

by one of my entrepreneurial heroes,

175

you just kept trudging along and the

interesting thing about it is I'm not

176

the most qualified person to be Perry

Belcher's business partner Probably by

177

a long shot I can name 20 off the top

of my head that would be better and

178

smarter But I put myself out there and

they didn't and he saw me So go for it.

179

Put yourself out there, go out on a limb

be willing to look a little foolish.

180

And I think you'll be really,

really pleasantly surprised by what

181

happens on a long enough timeline.

182

That's the other piece is you have

to give it a long enough timeline.

183

But if you can do that and trust

in Providence or fate or God or

184

whatever it is that you want to

attribute it to I've never not been

185

rewarded for going out on those

types of limbs, which is interesting.

186

it's an interesting Pavlovian

experience because every time I do

187

it I get rewarded and yet for some

reason I'm still so hesitant to do it.

188

Videos like this for an example.

189

Y'all every video I shoot I feel a

little stupid I feel a little stupid.

190

Hey, I'm sitting here in my office.

191

I'm by myself Or actually that's better.

192

Sometimes my wife's outside my office,

you know, she's in the house She's not

193

listening outside my door, but she's in

the house and I'm thinking like she can

194

hear my voice You can hear me talking.

195

She thinks everything I'm saying is

stupid and I Don't know if that ever

196

goes away And those are just my thoughts.

197

She doesn't really think that.

198

She's never said anything.

199

She's never been anything but supportive.

200

People on YouTube have never

been anything but supportive.

201

I don't get negative comments.

202

Not many, you know, I get

nothing but like really kind.

203

Sometimes I get low views.

204

Just a lot like a negative comment,

but for some reason I still feel silly

205

and, self important and obnoxious.

206

just sitting in a room by myself

staring at a little black box,

207

talking about my thoughts and ideas.

208

But I go for it.

209

Having done so, I've got 25, 000

subscribers on our YouTube channel today.

210

My YouTube channel is the

single most important marketing

211

mechanism we've ever had.

212

Blows me away.

213

Perpetual traffic, same thing.

214

I got that because I was a guest.

215

And Ralph like talking to me

and he just lost his co host.

216

Right place, right time.

217

But I've been a guest on

podcasts doing the work.

218

man, if there's anything I can

inspire you to do, just go for it.

219

Just do it.

220

Do it poorly.

221

Give yourself permission to do it poorly.

222

Give yourself permission

to say, you know what?

223

I don't know how to be a podcast

guest, but I'm gonna go do it anyway.

224

And I'm just gonna submit a couple

of times and my first couple

225

of ones might go really bad.

226

I'm gonna do my best.

227

I'm not telling you to set out

intentionally to do it bad.

228

But give yourself permission to be the

amateur, to be the fool, you know, to

229

be embarrassed, to feel silly, to blush.

230

And the first time will suck, and

the second time will be a little bit

231

better, and by the third time, it'll

be as good as anybody else, right?

232

Isn't that in that's just

sort of how it works.

233

So grateful to Calvin.

234

Changed the entire trajectory of my life,

just by, shoving me out front and center,

235

and giving me the opportunity to be seen.

236

And you deserve that opportunity

too, but , it's probably going

237

to have to come from you.

238

not all of us get Calvins.

239

Maybe you can be the Calvin

for somebody else, but maybe

240

you can be the Calvin for you.

241

the biblical adage, treat others as you

want to be treated that'll cut both ways.

242

That means you need to treat yourself as

though you're somebody worthy of being

243

cared for, because the way you treat

yourself is the indication to you as

244

to how you should be treating others.

245

So...

246

Anyway, for whatever this is worth, I feel

silly, but I'm still gonna post this one.

247

I'm gonna go for it, and

we're gonna see what happens.

248

I appreciate y'all watching.

249

I'll see you tomorrow.