Transcripts
whoa, wait a minute.
2
:I, I'm not here to quit drinking.
3
:I'm perfectly happy with
my alcohol consumption.
4
:I've been drinking 38 years and
I have no intention to quit.
5
:Finally they cut me loose at 17, gave
me a diploma and said, don't come back.
6
:There's nothing like sparring
there, there's nothing that
7
:brings you so in the moment.
8
:If you can scrub away all the anxiety
and everything else that we have that's
9
:just kind of layered up on top of us.
10
:once you clean that slate,
you're left with happiness.
11
:And that's what we're trying to show
12
:wherever you are in life and whatever
you've been through, it has nothing
13
:to do with where you're going.
14
:past has no bearing on your future,
and you're free to change the direction
15
:you're headed at any time you want.
16
:Russell Newton: Hello listeners
and welcome back Social Skills
17
:Coaching I'm your host Russell, and
our guest today is Rick Culleton.
18
:Rick is an entrepreneur, an
author, and a mindfulness advocate.
19
:You have a book already out.
20
:Tell us about that.
21
:Rick Culleton: my first
book is Messed Up Like You,
22
:And it's a story that's framed
around me getting my pilot's
23
:license, which was a pretty unusual
thing to happen in the first place.
24
:it's got some great stories in it and
it's inspirational probably to anybody
25
:who's trying to get by with a DHD.
26
:Russell Newton: So tell us what a DHD
is and let's start with, as a child,
27
:because I don't think we have a real
understanding of some of the struggles
28
:that, that, diagnosis brings, to,
to children and their development.
29
:Rick Culleton: when I was a child,
they were all over the place.
30
:should we medicate 'em?
31
:Should we not medicate 'em,
put 'em in a special room.
32
:one point in the third grade, they
moved me into an accelerated class
33
:and put me with third and fourth
graders, the idea that I would skip
34
:the fourth grade and go right into
the fifth grade, which didn't happen.
35
:And I went from that class to the
fourth grade the next year where
36
:they thought they should hold me
back and keep me there an extra year.
37
:And then finally they cut me
loose at 17, gave me a diploma
38
:and said, don't come back.
39
:And so it was a bit of
a rollercoaster ride.
40
:And, you know, again, I didn't
really see I had a problem learning.
41
:I knew that I was all over the place,
but as a kid you didn't know that
42
:everybody else wasn't too, so it
didn't really seem to me to be unusual.
43
:Russell Newton: You are an entrepreneur.
44
:You have several businesses, in
several countries it sounds like.
45
:Are they related?
46
:Are they a wide variety of things?
47
:It sounds like you dabble
into a lot of different areas.
48
:Rick Culleton: very similar at all.
49
:And I deliberately look for things
that are, different challenges
50
:to keep me entertained, you
know, and I prevent the boredom.
51
:But my, oldest company I have
is about 20 years, 28 years old
52
:now, and it's based in Texas.
53
:We sell refurbished computer equipment,
a place called Discount electronics.com.
54
:and over the last 20 years or so,
I've been investing in real estate and
55
:opened a company in Austin that does
primarily, purchases, real estate,
56
:Fixes it up, rents it out.
57
:Commercial, residential,
multifamily, single family.
58
:We've expanded that into Colorado
and a little bit into Costa Rica
59
:where I got into the hotel business.
60
:started with vacation rentals down
there, that I moved an operation from the
61
:states into Costa Rica, and then later
changed the building type from homes
62
:and apartments and such into hotels.
63
:I enjoy working, so it's, a labor
of love I have great people, and
64
:I couldn't do this without them.
65
:that's a big part of being
successful is to have the right team.
66
:we've got some of the most
fantastic people both in the
67
:United States and in Costa Rica.
68
:the folks I work with, the
discount electronics, many of
69
:'em have been there decades.
70
:we're a family.
71
:It's a small company, 30 employees.
72
:we've all worked together for
a long time and I think we
73
:all enjoy our jobs very much.
74
:I've still got, one employee who's about
to hit the 10 year mark down there.
75
:the hotel manager's been there
since the day we opened up one
76
:of the hotels is on the beach.
77
:It's a beautiful spot to be.
78
:I'm not such an awful boss.
79
:they've got a pretty good job
and they enjoy life down there.
80
:And then the, the real estate company
is more of, on demand type thing, where
81
:I'll, you know, we have tenants, we
manage a lot of that with software.
82
:And then when we need people,
we sub out, we have regulars
83
:that we sub to all the time.
84
:One who used to be an employee who
now is a subcontractor that just
85
:does his own thing and works for
me in a variety of other people.
86
:but that's pretty much my work.
87
:You know, my email is very interesting.
88
:WhatsApp, you never know what's coming in.
89
:You open that phone up and you
don't know what language it's gonna
90
:be in, and you have absolutely
no idea what it's gonna be about.
91
:But I guarantee every morning.
92
:It's interesting.
93
:Russell Newton: how do you
go about building that team?
94
:What do you look for?
95
:expand on that, and then when you
have a team together, obviously
96
:you're doing some things very right
that keeps that team together.
97
:Can you talk to both points?
98
:Rick Culleton: to hiring, I, I really
look for self-motivated people.
99
:I am not an over the
shoulder kind of boss.
100
:I don't know where anybody is.
101
:I don't know what time they
come to work, when they go home
102
:or where they're working from.
103
:And for that, you know, it just requires
somebody that's got self-discipline
104
:that knows how to get the job done.
105
:I don't care if you work
four hours or 12 hours.
106
:I prefer you don't have
to work 12 hours and.
107
:It's just a matter of getting
the job done, you figuring out
108
:how to do it and getting results.
109
:The hotel's a little bit different
in that, you know, we have places
110
:there where people need to be, you
know, somebody's gotta be sitting at
111
:reception, so there's a schedule and
they need to be there to check people in.
112
:And, you know, it's a little bit different
hiring there because you need somebody
113
:bilingual and there's a lot of other
requirements, but this kinda electronics
114
:and most of the folks that have been there
long time, have had varied positions.
115
:You know, they'll come in the door
as one thing, you know, one of my
116
:favorite stories is a guy that we
hired outta the Home Depot to lay
117
:bricks at the construction of a
new store back in:
118
:And when we finished up, I gave everybody
a little bit extra money, thanked
119
:them for the work, and said goodbye.
120
:And the next day I came in when
the store opened and he was there.
121
:And I said, well, you know,
Fernando, what are you doing here?
122
:And we're done.
123
:And he goes, no, I'm gonna work.
124
:And I'm like, any work for you.
125
:And he goes, I'll do whatever you need.
126
:I'm like, well, I don't need anything.
127
:He goes, you got this store.
128
:Somebody's gotta work here.
129
:Right?
130
:and he barely spoke English at the time.
131
:I'm like, you know, I, I'll find
something for you for now, but you
132
:need to find a job It's now 2025.
133
:That was 2010.
134
:He is our number one computer technician.
135
:He, he's never left, got married,
had some kids, and has turned
136
:out to be quite the employee.
137
:Russell Newton: your bio talked about
a journey through A DHD, which we've
138
:talked about, and then it mentions
a phrase I've not seen before.
139
:Accidental sobriety.
140
:what does that refer to?
141
:Rick Culleton: you know,
that's an interesting story.
142
:I was on a path I was having a
lot of anxiety, which I think is,
143
:Pretty typical for entrepreneurs.
144
:And, sometimes we don't even
realize how much we're living with.
145
:And, mine had gotta the point where
I'd wake up in the morning trembling,
146
:like literally shaking in bed
and have to get outta bed quickly
147
:because it was just gonna get worse.
148
:when I'd stop and think about
what was causing the problem,
149
:I really couldn't get to it.
150
:There were acute things every single day.
151
:It was something different.
152
:Or sometimes it would be the same things.
153
:It could be money, it could
be this, it could be that.
154
:And you'd see a recurring theme,
that once this problem left
155
:my mind, another one, fill it.
156
:and I knew that, these weren't
really problems of the severity
157
:that I was giving them credit for.
158
:And I received an email one day from a
woman by the name of Julie Hutchinson.
159
:it read, would you like to Wake Up Happy?
160
:And then the email proceeded to.
161
:Sound like she'd been peering
through the windows and watching me
162
:because it was just very spot on.
163
:And I showed it to my wife and I
said, this is just kind of crazy.
164
:And so I responded to the email.
165
:It turns out that Julie,
was a family member of some
166
:people that I knew very well.
167
:two of her family members
had worked for me.
168
:One of them, her niece and I
had worked together very closely
169
:and had traveled together.
170
:And, so that there was a
little bit of trust there.
171
:And, I started a course that she
took, called Core Performance.
172
:And, was tricked a little bit, maybe
outta my own naivety in, in a few ways.
173
:But the first one was that we started
breathing exercises, which is a meditation
174
:practice that I still use every day.
175
:I do the same, meditation
that we learned back then.
176
:Did it today, and I'll do it tomorrow.
177
:during this process, as we were getting
in here through this, she told me about
178
:a month in, she said, Rick, you know,
you're gonna find, when, when this
179
:anxiety leaves and you get all of this
under control, you're probably not
180
:even gonna need the alcohol anymore.
181
:And I said, whoa, wait a minute.
182
:I, I'm not here to quit drinking.
183
:I'm perfectly happy with
my alcohol consumption.
184
:I've been drinking 38 years and
I have no intention to quit.
185
:And, a couple months went by and I
was in Manhattan in my apartment one
186
:day and had gone to see an old friend.
187
:I bought a bunch of beer that
morning and I loved, IPA still do.
188
:I just drink it without the
non-alcoholic version now.
189
:And I, I bought some pretty expensive
beer down the street from my apartment,
190
:brought it back, put it in the fridge,
walked around town most of the day and
191
:came back at about five o'clock threw
it and all the rest of the alcohol down
192
:the trash chute from the 45th floor,
193
:a hit the bottom and I
never had a drink again.
194
:I'm sure I'm still not a hundred
195
:Russell Newton: Wow.
196
:Rick Culleton: what
caused that to be the day.
197
:I mean, it was something
I contemplated before.
198
:You know, I always thought, you know,
one day when the doctor tells me that
199
:my liver's gonna jump outta my body
or something that I would quit, I
200
:drank every single day of my life for
38 years, except for two days when I
201
:took my son in a Boy Scout camp out.
202
:So it was a pretty major change.
203
:Russell Newton: you now help others
find true and lasting happiness.
204
:Does that relate to, another
entrepreneurial adventure you have
205
:going is that personal relationships
are, are you a coach or a, a counselor?
206
:Rick Culleton: means of doing that
right now is through the second book.
207
:Um, but you can find out more
about that1@mymorningstack.com.
208
:But it, I took the, the meditation
exercise that I did and when
209
:I found that that was, um.
210
:Doing so much good.
211
:And then when I did it in the
day seemed to really matter.
212
:And I learned within a couple
months that the earlier in the day
213
:I did it, the better off I was.
214
:That became one of the first things I did.
215
:And then I, I, I took that piece that
came from having done the meditation
216
:and thought, you know, I'm gonna make
use for the, of this for a little while.
217
:And I developed a, morning
stack that I follow.
218
:And the second piece of that is something
I call techno fasting, which is where
219
:we, you just stay away from technology
for as long as possible in the morning.
220
:You don't wake up with a cell phone.
221
:But this is where we're going with this,
is to try to help people build their
222
:own morning stack and find That comfort
zone, that peace, that can be there.
223
:I believe that we're
all happy and peaceful.
224
:If you can scrub away all the anxiety
and everything else that we have that's
225
:just kind of layered up on top of us.
226
:once you clean that slate,
you're left with happiness.
227
:And that's what we're trying to
show is that, you know, you can get
228
:to this with just a little bit of
work, but it's a continuing effort.
229
:It's not, you know, the gym, you can't
go to the gym for a month every other
230
:day and get done at the end of 30 days
and go, look, I'm strong and fit and I'm
231
:gonna be great for the rest of my life.
232
:And, and.
233
:is the same way.
234
:You know, it's a, it's a,
it's a lifelong practice.
235
:If you want to be mentally healthy, it's
the same as being physically healthy.
236
:it's something you need
to work at all the time.
237
:You can't eat good one day and
then live on cotton candy and
238
:expect to maintain your health.
239
:So this is where we're going with this.
240
:it's a starter plan that it'll
get you going with your stack
241
:and then instructions as to
how you can develop your own.
242
:Russell Newton: what does
your average day look like?
243
:What are some of these things that you're
doing that you're willing to share?
244
:Rick Culleton: I have a special stack that
I brought with me because I'm traveling.
245
:I'm in Europe right now, so I
don't have a cold plunge that
246
:could carry around with me.
247
:I'm working on that, but
at the moment, I'm without.
248
:So, it starts out pretty easily.
249
:I get up very early, so I'm up at
about normally five 30 in the morning
250
:and, one of the very first things
I do, I drink a glass that's pretty
251
:much salt water, it's got magnesium
in it and so forth to rehydrate.
252
:And then I head outside, not looking
at light through the windows, but
253
:actually get out, get outdoors and
help reinforce my circadian rhythm
254
:and make sure that, you know, I'm
keeping my sleep cycle, in sync.
255
:And then I come back inside and,
meditate for whatever amount of time
256
:it takes me to get my 600 points.
257
:And then I do 25 pushups and I stretch.
258
:I've been nursing an achilles tendon
injury and I just started running again,
259
:so I'm being kind of cautious with that.
260
:I journal after I get done stretching.
261
:I have a quirky thing that I
picked up about a year ago or
262
:a little less with my journal.
263
:For the first paragraph I
write with my left hand.
264
:It's a neuroplasticity trick
that, on top of, keeping all
265
:the neurons firing in my brain.
266
:enough, I've learned to write pretty
well with my left hand, even in cursive.
267
:I'm impressed.
268
:I've even impressed myself.
269
:And so, you know, this is probably
where I would leave most of the people
270
:is like, this is where, you know,
if those things work for you, that's
271
:a great foundation for your day.
272
:You know, you're talking
about 40 minutes or less.
273
:So, I think that's that type of stack.
274
:It doesn't need to be those things.
275
:And then where I go from there is,
there's physical exercise every day.
276
:It's either gonna be running or
the gym and I'll go back and forth,
277
:and then I take at least one day
and sometimes two days a week.
278
:To recover.
279
:And I'm a gadget junkie, so I've
got an aura ring on one hand and
280
:a Garmin watch on the other hand.
281
:And, you know, I'm always looking
at the data and I listen to it too.
282
:So when it says, Hey, you need to
back off, time to take it easy.
283
:I do.
284
:I learned, just recently how
important the recovery part was.
285
:I was always go, go, go, go, go
ignore, you know, they're, they're not
286
:talking to me when they say slow down.
287
:So I was pushing it and I started to see
some data signs that looked really bad.
288
:Rate, my resting heart rate was going up,
my heart rate variability was going down.
289
:And so since I've started to listen
to these gadgets a little bit
290
:more closely, I'm doing better.
291
:So, you know, every other day I'll run,
every other day I'll go to the gym.
292
:and then once I finish that routine,
you know, it's then my workday really
293
:starts, you know, so when I get
that stuff out of the way, that's
294
:when I, go and on the computer.
295
:and one thing I left out in that
whole routine is the techno fasting.
296
:And that, you know, I
stay away from the phone.
297
:So my phone stays and do not disturb
all the time, every day, all day.
298
:But I do need to use it in the
morning for the meditation.
299
:I have a tone that plays, so
my breathing is, asynchronous.
300
:It's the same amount of time
in and out, which has been a
301
:very important part for me.
302
:So I do need that gadget for that part.
303
:But, you know, I don't
use it for anything else.
304
:When I'm done with the
meditation, I put it down.
305
:and then, you know, it's usually at
least two hours before I pick something
306
:up electronic or turn on anything where
you've got any screen or any even audible.
307
:I don't even let the news play
in the background or anything
308
:sleep's an incredibly
important part of the day.
309
:You know, we can't even talk
about a morning stack if you
310
:haven't had a good night's sleep.
311
:There's no point at all.
312
:Sometimes I'm just in it, you know,
I go out and see the sun when it's
313
:setting as well as when it's rising.
314
:So you get some of that light, at sunset.
315
:It doesn't be right at sunset, but
it's really important to send that
316
:signal to your brain that this
is the end of the day, especially
317
:for someone who moves around.
318
:And it's not just about going from the
states to Europe, but when I move from
319
:Colorado to New York, that two hours
difference, it's really important that
320
:I get reset, stay reset, then, you know,
if I need to at night, I use this little
321
:electronic gadget that makes you drowsy.
322
:It's got damp sponges.
323
:You put in your temples.
324
:It's called TDCS.
325
:Transcranial something.
326
:anyway, that along with Bin Beats
and knock myself out in seconds.
327
:Literally, I mean, literally
it's probably five minutes with
328
:that stuff and I'm, I'm out.
329
:I've fought TaeKwonDo for a decade.
330
:I've been, I have put my body through some
stuff and cold plunge makes me pain free.
331
:I forget about the endorphin
release or the, the weight
332
:Russell Newton: Really.
333
:Rick Culleton: the mental,
I am pain free and it's.
334
:Without it, it came back quick.
335
:I think it was day seven
without a cold bunch.
336
:Like here it comes.
337
:And, the same pain that I've probably
been living with for decades in my
338
:shoulders and neck didn't bother
me that much then, because I was
339
:accustomed to it when it came after.
340
:I've had relief for a
while, and it comes back.
341
:It's just a reinforcer is, and the lesson
behind all that is that, you know, once
342
:you learn the benefits to these things,
to eating healthy, to going to the gym,
343
:to getting enough sleep, it's not hard
to stay focused on them because it just,
344
:you know, do you want a great life?
345
:Do you want to be happy and healthy or
do you not, you know, it's your choice.
346
:Russell Newton: when you're building
your morning stack if you get one or
347
:two habits and then you build, do you
find it to be cumulative, something
348
:that you work on over a period of
time and it becomes a big part?
349
:Or did you jump into a large
part of it and just to maybe
350
:expand a little bit from there?
351
:Rick Culleton: is something that I.
352
:had to work on.
353
:And like I say, I'm no
different than anybody else.
354
:The meditation was on my list to
do, and in the beginning it didn't
355
:get done in the morning, and it was
oftentimes anxiety causing because
356
:it was on my list of things to do.
357
:And here it is, five o'clock and it hasn't
been done yet, especially when I was still
358
:Russell Newton: I.
359
:Rick Culleton: And six o'clock
is right around the corner.
360
:So you, you know, that
was a big, you know.
361
:I would do it, but it would be
late in the day and it didn't
362
:have quite the same effect.
363
:I would find that, I wasn't
getting the score that I needed.
364
:I wasn't getting the relief from the
anxiety that I had gotten at other times.
365
:And then if we had a scheduled class
or a meeting and I was doing it
366
:earlier in the day, I felt better.
367
:I didn't jump into it at all.
368
:I had no morning routine whatsoever
other than, wiping off my hangover
369
:and heading for the espresso machine.
370
:Russell Newton: And what was
the first thing that you started
371
:that started building your stack?
372
:Rick Culleton: The very first thing
that I did for my stack was pushups.
373
:and I don't even remember
where that started.
374
:Probably inspired by somebody
watching some YouTube video Almost
375
:immediately, within a couple days
of starting with the pushups, I went
376
:into stretching, just because I was
having so much flexibility, so many
377
:flexibility issues all the way around.
378
:And later on when I was having problems
with my Achilles, they reinforce that
379
:thought with, you know, I don't really
have it, and Achilles tendon injury,
380
:it's, the upper chain is just so tight.
381
:I was somebody who just went to
the gym and just lifted all the
382
:time and didn't pay much attention
to anything else other than that.
383
:So that was the next thing.
384
:It was pushups and stretching.
385
:And then I don't even remember
What got put in there next.
386
:the abbreviated version of techno
fasting came on pretty quickly.
387
:I knew the phone and the computer
were big triggers for me.
388
:I would use them all day long to.
389
:Aggravate myself looking at things that
I shouldn't be looking at, whether they
390
:were sales numbers or stock quotes.
391
:it's crazy how self-destructive.
392
:You can become with something like that.
393
:You know, your body's doing something
that you know is gonna do all the
394
:wrong things, just screw up your
endocrine system and send all these
395
:signals that you don't want yet.
396
:You do it anyway.
397
:You know, like putting
your hand on a hot stove.
398
:life is, um, is one big lesson, you know?
399
:And if you're willing to, to, to pay
attention and, and learn along the
400
:way, life becomes so much better.
401
:You know, I think when I was a
young man, I looked to, to old age.
402
:What now where I am is what I
thought was old age to, to be
403
:something, to dread and fear.
404
:And I'm so much happier today
than I ever was in life.
405
:and it's because I've learned the way,
you know, as you're going through life,
406
:you pay attention to what makes you feel
good and What, you should do, what you
407
:shouldn't do, and then act accordingly.
408
:And it's a great lesson it's something
that's just very, very enjoyable
409
:Russell Newton: can you give our listeners
a rundown of your top recommended
410
:books that are out there in addition,
of course, to messed up like you.
411
:what else would you recommend for our
listeners, to implement into their lives?
412
:Rick Culleton: that changed my life, um,
were Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
413
:seven by Dr.
414
:Covey and, uh, rich Dad,
poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.
415
:Russell Newton: Great.
416
:Yeah.
417
:Very well known, very
popular and for good reason.
418
:Some excellent works there.
419
:Rick Culleton: thing that I'd like to
finish with is that, wherever you are in
420
:life and whatever you've been through, it
has nothing to do with where you're going.
421
:past has no bearing on your future,
and you're free to change the direction
422
:you're headed at any time you want.
