Jerry Brazie grew up in abject poverty.
Six kids under five years old. No washer. No dryer. A mother who slept every other day for a decade.
By 14, Jerry was stealing food with his little brother—secret pockets in their coats, stashing Snickers bars just to survive.
At 17, he was living with hookers and heroin addicts in a $25-a-week flophouse.
Most people would've stayed stuck.
But at 14 years old, after getting beaten nearly to death and left bleeding under a bus stop, Jerry heard a voice:
"Everything is your fault. Whatever you do going forward, this is all on you—or you're gonna end up like them."
That moment changed everything.
Today, Jerry has built and sold dozens of businesses, generated over $450 million in revenue, and is launching The Kronos Group—a peer-to-peer mastermind for entrepreneurs who want straight talk, no BS, and real solutions.
In this episode, Jerry breaks down:
→ The two epiphanies that saved his life: "Everything is your fault" at 14, and "Shut up and listen" at 28
→ Why his first son being born was the real catalyst (he decided his kids would NEVER grow up the way he did)
→ How he escaped generational poverty (and why "the hood" tries to drag you back down)
→ The $10/hour job offer that changed his career (and the street-smart negotiation that got him a $45K salary six months later)
→ Why he's never done ANYTHING he's passionate about—until now (and why "follow your passion" is terrible advice)
→ The truth about passive income: If someone's selling you a "set it and forget it" business model, ask yourself why they're not doing it themselves
→ How he lost $10 MILLION on mistakes (and why he kept going anyway)
→ Why you CAN have a successful business AND a successful family (he's been married 28 years, worked 18-hour days for a decade, and still put his kids to bed every night)
Bottom line:
When you come from nothing, nothing scares you.
When you believe everything is YOUR fault, you have all the power.
When you're willing to risk it all because "what's the worst that could happen?"—you become unstoppable.
This episode is raw, real, and unpolished. And that's exactly why you need to hear it.
ABOUT JERRY BRAZIE:
Jerry Brazie is the founder and CEO of The Kronos Group, a peer-to-peer mastermind for entrepreneurs. Over his 30+ year career, he's built and sold dozens of businesses across transportation, real estate, car washes, convenience stores, and more—generating over $450 million in revenue. He's been married 28 years, raised three kids, and lost (and rebuilt) multiple fortunes. Now he's helping entrepreneurs navigate the messy, unglamorous reality of building a business that lasts.
Website: TheKronosGroup.org
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