How did a dyslexic high school dropout become a successful inventor and entrepreneur? In this episode of Total Michigan, host Cliff DuVernois interviews Terry Duperon, founder of Duperon Corporation and Duperon Education. Terry shares his incredible story of overcoming severe dyslexia and other personal challenges to become a successful inventor and entrepreneur.

In this show, we discuss:

1. Terry Duperon shares his inspiring journey from early struggles with dyslexia to founding a multi-million dollar company.
2. Discussion of his educational ventures, including teaching entrepreneurship and starting Duperon Education and the One Degree Club.
3. Insights into his philosophy on life and business, emphasizing the importance of taking the next clear step and leveraging personal strengths.

Links:

The Class: https://www.duperoneducation.com/the-class

One Degree: https://www.duperoneducation.com/one-degree

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Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@totalmichigan

Show Notes:

00:00 Reflecting on Past Challenges

01:35 Terry's Early Life and Education

02:40 Overcoming Dyslexia

03:59 First Patent and Mechanical Aptitude

05:05 Founding Duperon Corporation

06:54 Starting Duperon Education

10:48 The One Degree Club

19:46 Expanding International Footprint

20:08 The Value of Real-Time Learning

21:23 The One Degree Club and Startups

23:26 Purpose and Outcome of the Class

27:08 Personal Stories and T-isms

27:23 Take the Next Clear Step

31:43 Embracing the Present and Faith

37:02 Conclusion and Next Steps

Mentioned in this episode:

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I believe everything that happened in the past, including

2

this problem I had, that crisis was the

best thing that ever happened to me.

3

Changed the way I had my faith,

it changed the way I do business.

4

I would never have the success

if I had not gone through that.

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So, I value the past.

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Cliff Duvernois: Hello, everyone.

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And welcome back to total Michigan,

where we interview ordinary Michiganders

8

doing some pretty extraordinary things.

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I'm your host, Cliff DuVernois.

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If you're saying to yourself,

wow, things look different.

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Well, I'm happy to report that we are

actually filming this at our new studio.

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That's what I'm calling it T for Terry.

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We've got this wonderful

building, this wonderful location.

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And I foresee a lot of interviews

just taking place here.

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The show is growing.

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And I'm just beyond excited

to make that happen.

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And with that being said, I couldn't

think of any better person to have on the

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show to kick off this inaugural episode,

the new things that are happening.

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And there's definitely a

lot going on in his life.

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He's actually been a

previous guest on the show.

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That would be Terry Duperon.

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He is the founder of the Duperon

Corporation, as well as Duperon Education.

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And if you want to get to know his

full backstory, make sure to go back

24

and listen to episode 79 of the show.

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We're actually going to do a quick

recap of that right now before

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we jump into the meat of that.

27

But let's go ahead and get started.

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Terry, how are you?

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Terry Duperon: I'm great so far.

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Cliff Duvernois: So far, yes.

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It's been a while since you

and I have sat down in front

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of the microphones and chatted.

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It is.

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It's, it's always a new

experience when I do it.

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Nice.

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So Terry, let's explore your

backstory just for a little bit.

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Cause we got new listeners

here, but talk to us a little

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bit about where are you from?

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Where did you grow up?

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Terry Duperon: I was raised on a farm

in the Indian down, so I get them,

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so I go to Michigan, Saginaw County,

I, I grew up here till I was 18 got

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married and, uh, moved not far away,

but I moved to a different place.

43

But I went to school, a little,

little school in Indian town,

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a little, there was four in my

graduating class in the eighth grade.

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Cliff Duvernois: Now, was it, was it

one of these schools where you had like

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all the grades in the same classroom?

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Okay.

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All right.

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Terry Duperon: Well, we were bigger.

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We had two rooms.

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Two?

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Big room and a little room.

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Yeah.

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We're coming up in the world.

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And so you went from first

to fourth and then from fifth

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to eighth in the other room.

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that's where I got my education,

which didn't go real well because

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of the reading, writing problems.

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then I went to Saginaw High.

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Now this was about, this

was in the fifties, right?

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It would have been, uh,

Oh, Lord, I was born in 43.

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Cliff Duvernois: So late 40s, early 50s?

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Yeah.

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Going to school?

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Early 50s, yeah.

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And when you talked before about the

reading and writing problems, right?

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And of course, people didn't know

this at the time, but later on

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you were diagnosed as dyslexic.

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Terry Duperon: Yeah.

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and then I found out it's, a

pretty serious case because I,

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I couldn't read and write and I

have the attention span of a gnat.

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I'm not coordinated, which

leaves a few fields out.

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Athletic, it's not going to happen

because of the coordination.

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short in that story is that when I

was in the, in the third grade, my

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third grade teacher asked me to stand

up and read a first grade book, Dick

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and Jane, and I couldn't read it.

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I was in front of the class.

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Everybody in my world's in that classroom.

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I realized there's

something wrong with me.

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I couldn't do what they could do.

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That time, you're just not that smart.

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Frank.

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the first time I felt inferior, I

got sick to my stomach up there.

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It was awful.

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But in that, around that same

time, we, We studied inventors.

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And they become my heroes

because I believe they only did

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one thing and they were rich.

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So we're talking about,

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Cliff Duvernois: we're talking

about inventors like Henry Ford.

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Henry Ford,

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Terry Duperon: Edison.

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Edison.

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Yeah.

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Whitney, that group.

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And I was really impressed with that.

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So I had this dream at that time at eight

years old, I was going to be an inventor

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and make my living off my inventions.

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The rest, I was flunking.

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So that kept me going.

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Um, So I spent a lot of time headed

that way, just tearing stuff apart,

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trying to figure out how it works.

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But when I was about 19, I got,

my first patent and it said U.

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S.

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Patent Office, Terry Duperon Inventor.

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Cliff Duvernois: So if we break this

down a little bit, just to go back

106

for there and give, give the audience

a little bit of a, of a clue, right.

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You, you still struggle to read

and write at this time, but you

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still managed to get a patent.

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Terry Duperon: Yeah.

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It's two different skills.

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Yes.

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and I had a mechanical aptitude, so

I run with that aptitude, you know,

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with that mechanical aptitude, I

learned that success is nothing to do

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what I'm not, run with what you got.

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I had, I had that.

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so when I got the patent, I remember

the eighth grade, I remember making

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this commitment to this dream of mine.

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pretty unrealistic dream

if I told anybody I had it.

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But it happened.

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So then it become, how does a

third grade boy cause that future?

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then I decided it's got to

be in the way you, you think.

122

So I think whether you're successful

or not is all in the way you think.

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I agree.

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that led to do parent education.

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Cliff Duvernois: So before we

jump into that real quick, just

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to finish your story, okay.

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Round it up.

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you start finally, cause you

got more than one patent.

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Oh yeah.

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Yeah.

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One of your inventions actually takes off.

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You have actually built a business.

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Oh yeah.

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Around, around that patent.

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Right.

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And at the time of the interview, if I

remember correctly, your company was set

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to clear north of 20 million at that time.

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Terry Duperon: Yeah.

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Now that's pushing

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Cliff Duvernois: 50 seat.

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That's awesome.

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Terry Duperon: Yeah.

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Cliff Duvernois: And these people growing

up and I'm filling in your story a little

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bit here, but a lot of people telling

you, asking you why you were dumb,

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you were stupid, why can't you read?

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Yep.

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But here you are, you've gone off and

you have somehow built this company.

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You've got the right

group of people in place.

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Now you employ dozens, 77.

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People right now at 77 and these are,

this is a combination of like really

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smart engineers, engineers, project

managers, correctly, expensive people.

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Yes.

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Now for you yourself, cause you're

in your eighties now, you didn't

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learn how to read until when?

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Seven years ago, seven years ago.

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I, uh, and you built all of that in

spite of the fact that you've been right.

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Yeah.

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That's awesome.

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Terry Duperon: So, seven years ago, I

decided I would try to read, and I got

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a book called Jesus Calling, and I was

going to spend a little spiritual time

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in the morning, so I read one page.

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And I really struggled to read that page.

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So I read one page a day for seven years,

same book, over and over and over again.

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I still don't trust what I

read because I screw words up.

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even when I think I have it

memorized, is the word close to that?

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I mess it up.

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. So, so I, I get enough out of it that,

that I can read things to some degree,

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but I, I don't read anything that I

have to depend on without verifying

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it, because you can put the wrong

word in the sentence and it fits.

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It's a whole different meaning.

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Yes, that's true.

172

You know, anyways, I can read a bit.

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Cliff Duvernois: You were talking

before about how you decided

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to fire up Duperon education.

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Yeah.

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And I, I gotta say there's a

certain irony here because you

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are the high school dropout.

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Yes.

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You don't have a college degree,

but you decided to start a school.

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Terry Duperon: Well, first I was

asked by the Dean of Engineering

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and Science at Saginaw Valley State

University if I would, he knew I was

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an entrepreneur, if I would talk, teach

entrepreneurship to senior engineers.

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Oh boy.

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Yeah, what a challenge.

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Joy.

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it was an opportunity.

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So I weigh every

opportunity by two things.

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Number one, does this opportunity

take me closer to this man

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God created or further away?

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And I, I know who I am by the

things I love and care about

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matter to me and make a difference.

192

And the other one, does it take

me closer to one of my dreams?

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I have faith in dreams now because

of my third grade dream happen.

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I remember standing at the door

saying, Terry, what are you doing here?

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You don't know what a university does.

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You don't know what a professor does.

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You know, what makes you think you

can teach senior engineers anything?

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But I remember, success has

nothing to do with what I'm not,

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and never be the one that limits

is another phrase I hung on to.

200

So I'm not throwing me out before they do.

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Good chance I'll get thrown out.

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Because I have no idea what I'm doing.

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But it fit me.

204

It fit who I am, where I wanted to go.

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I wanted to grow the

company 25 percent a year.

206

And I thought if I could teach

people how to reinvent what they

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do in themselves every year, you

could grow a company that fast.

208

So that, it was, it fit me, it

fit where I wanted to go, it

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fit who I am, the challenge did.

210

Whether I know how or not evidently

doesn't seem to be in the equation.

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So I went in there, screwed it

up, I got, I panicked, tried to be

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whatever I thought a professor was.

213

Put everybody in a coma in 10

minutes, and I, I thought they're not

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going to let me back, but they did.

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So I asked a real teacher.

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what's important when you

teach anybody anything?

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And she said that you

know where they're at.

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So I started drawing on the board based

on let's figure out where they're at.

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And then the class started to evolve

and develop, the teaching aid developed.

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And then after three years there,

I thought if you're going to teach

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it, you ought to be able to start

your own business, your own school.

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So I started to do parent education.

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There's the entrepreneur again.

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Yeah.

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So.

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So now that's going on 20 some years.

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How many students do you think

have gone through that program?

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Oh, a couple thousand.

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At least.

230

Yeah, there was six professors

from the university took this.

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Cliff Duvernois: Yeah, because it's

been a collection, like you talk

232

about six professors university,

but we're talking also like CEOs.

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Oh, yeah.

234

Of, you know, big companies in

the area, we've had, professors

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that have come through, but it's

not just, people that you might

236

think would be like overachievers.

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Like in the first time that I took

the class, you had somebody who

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had a, like a lawn care business.

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You know, you had an engineer that had a

patent for a kitty litter box, you know?

240

Right.

241

So it literally was an eclectic

mix of people and we all

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got value from the class.

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Terry Duperon: what usually happens

is when people come into the class,

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they really don't know who they

are, where they're going, because

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they just don't think about it.

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You know, they're

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Cliff Duvernois: just busy.

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Well, they're following the plan.

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Terry Duperon: Yeah.

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Cliff Duvernois: This is your life.

251

You work at a job for 40 years

and then you retire and yeah.

252

Terry Duperon: And everybody

gets programmed and.

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We all get programmed.

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Yep.

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And that's why there's not a

lot of entrepreneurs, because

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we're not trained for that.

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We're trained to, uh, help other

people achieve their dreams.

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not your own.

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Now the class, what I'm doing is expanding

that, where we can, I'm doing some

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videos so other people can teach it.

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Then, so I'm.

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You're talking about an online version.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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So I don't have to be there.

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So that's coming to play.

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Cliff Duvernois: So you have the

class and the class is going on.

268

You've had students that are

going through, you've got

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this new project going on.

270

One of the things that happened

not too long after you and I had

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our first interview back in the

day was you started up One Degree.

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Terry Duperon: Yes, I, what I, what I

got it, what I was doing before that is I

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wanted to do startups, startup businesses.

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And I was, now when you say do them, you

want to invest in them, invest in them.

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Okay, I'm looking for an entrepreneur

or want to be entrepreneur start with.

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And I want to know the, I want to write,

do another book, be my fifth book.

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Can't read and write.

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do books?

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That's great.

280

So I, I want to do books.

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The fifth, this fifth one is I want

to know why so many startups fail

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and what can I put in place so they

don't fail and who's most likely to

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succeed in the entrepreneur world.

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Okay.

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So I've got 12 startups right now.

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I want to do 20 more.

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And they're all different.

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There's cafes and bakeries

and, gift shops and wood shops.

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And, uh, just recently buying

a boat company and, uh,

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three marketing companies.

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They all different.

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And what I do is, I'll pick the first

one I did was, Kay's Cafe in Frankenmuth.

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The young girl is, 21 years old,

out of culinary school, really

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creative in the food she makes,

wants to be in her own business.

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So I'll use her as a first study.

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It is a lot, I need to

gleam out a bit more.

297

So she asked me, she said,

I found this little cafe.

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So I said, I told you, if

you wanted, we'll partner up.

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So what that partner looks

like is I own 51 percent.

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I buy the material.

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she owns 49, and then the

objective is she buys me out.

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I don't have a profit in this.

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I'm, the study is my profit.

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I do that for her, so I buy the equipment

and get her set up, and then she takes

305

it and makes her own wages, about two

months in it, she says, I ate this.

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This is the worst job I've ever had.

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Because it's tough going from

employee to business owner.

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Oh my gosh.

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she's young and I know that

where she's been trained.

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If you look at our school system,

failure is heavily punished.

311

Failure is not acceptable.

312

if you're in a second grade and you

flunk, you don't get to third grade.

313

If you flunk a test, you get exposed

to the class as being not smart enough.

314

Or you don't get your diploma,

or you don't get your degree.

315

failure is heavily punished.

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Right up to doctor's degrees.

317

So, she's coming out of a system

where failure is unacceptable.

318

And I'm putting her in a system

where failure is essential.

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It's trial and error.

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Because that's where you

do most of your learning.

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Pretty much all of it.

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You try things, they work, some don't.

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two months into it, she don't know

how many eggs to have, she don't

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know how much help to have, and

she's making mistakes right and left.

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she's feeling anxiety and overwhelm

and depression, which I know she's

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gonna, because there's this transition.

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So I tell her, I'm her I'm

her champion, her coach.

328

And I tell her that you're going

to wonder where the love of God

329

went here in the next few months.

330

So you are, have to make this transition.

331

You're gonna have to run the gauntlet.

332

I tell her, if you hold the course, you'll

come out of this wiser and stronger.

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So she holds the course, and

about 11 months into it, she said,

334

You know, I'll make mistakes,

but I think I can handle that.

335

And I got really excited

because she's making it.

336

She's got faith in herself, faith in

the endeavor, and faith in how do we

337

show itself, that she'll figure it out.

338

Then she started to grow.

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She tried catering, which really expanded.

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So the, One Degree Club is

to help people like her.

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The whole purpose of the One

Degree Club, let me first start

342

with the name, One Degree.

343

I've never met anybody in

my life that hasn't changed

344

my life at least one degree.

345

You're one of them changed my life.

346

Okay, so I, that's where

the name come from.

347

And we're there to be champions,

to have champions, and to be

348

mentors and to have mentors.

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Because these startups or these

people trying something new,

350

we need champions and mentors.

351

And we need to be it, and we

need to mentor other people.

352

But you always have something

to give and to learn.

353

So that's the purpose of One

Degree Club, to fill that gap.

354

That's what I'm trying to put

in place so they don't fail.

355

They have the strength of people

they know that they can trust

356

and they develop relationships.

357

that's where that came from.

358

So we're still doing that, and that

seems to be doing alright right now.

359

And again,

360

Cliff Duvernois: that's another program

that's basically open to anyone.

361

Yeah.

362

You don't have to be a business owner.

363

You could be Yeah,

everybody can come here.

364

Anybody can come and be a part of that.

365

Terry Duperon: Yeah, and

everybody has something to offer.

366

If you've lived any life at all,

there are people that need you.

367

And then there's people you need.

368

So it's a matter of developing a

culture that that's what it looks like.

369

And so that's new and it's coming along.

370

Cliff Duvernois: The one thing I have to

say I like about the One Degree event,

371

and this is something that I've seen at

all of them, is we all start off with the

372

same question, what can I do to help you?

373

Terry Duperon: Yeah.

374

Cliff Duvernois: It's not a

networking event where everybody is

375

saying, you walk in there and say,

how can I get business from this?

376

Right.

377

How can I get a client from this?

378

Yeah.

379

Everybody walks in that room and says to

each other, what can I do to help you?

380

Terry Duperon: Yeah.

381

And that's the objective.

382

And if we can create that

culture where that's just what

383

we do, that's the intent of it.

384

So now I got 12 startups and I want to

have a place for them to meet and to go.

385

Now, this building we're in,

bought this just for startups.

386

So we're remodeling it, setting

it all up for startup businesses.

387

So there's a lot of offices.

388

There's some lounge areas.

389

There's a hall for the One Degree Club.

390

And we're going to, we're

going to do the classes here.

391

Great.

392

there's so much to learn, because

every business is different.

393

actually, what helps people

is to be in their 30s, okay?

394

Because they've had enough mistakes

in their life, enough failures

395

that, not scaring them so much.

396

But I think the reason that there's only

7 percent of the country is, entrepreneurs

397

is because we're taught to fear failure.

398

So, the best gift I got from my

school years, I learned how to fail.

399

I don't like it, never feels

good, but it doesn't, own me.

400

It doesn't control what I do.

401

I can accept failure, but I can't

accept not trying, you know.

402

Yes.

403

That's big.

404

So that's how I ended up in that class.

405

I walked in there because I'm not, I can

handle the humiliation of failure, but

406

I can't handle quitting before I try.

407

Yeah,

408

Cliff Duvernois: and what you're talking

about there, and I've seen this so much

409

is, and I, I've even been guilty of this

myself on times, you don't even want to

410

try because you're afraid you've already

convinced yourself you're going to fail.

411

Terry Duperon: Yeah.

412

Cliff Duvernois: So if I already

know I'm going to fail, why even try?

413

Terry Duperon: Yeah, where I

have a good chance of failure

414

and I'm going to give it a shot.

415

And I'm finding out that if you don't be

the one that limits you, very little does.

416

I mean, there's a university setting

where I'm totally on and not equipped for.

417

But they kept me.

418

I learned and I learned and I learned.

419

I'm starting to, in studying what makes,

what's chara some of the characteristics

420

of who's most likely to succeed.

421

And this is simplification of it.

422

Some people have at it without

knowing what they're doing because

423

they believe they'll figure it out.

424

Okay, those are also our

leaders in a company.

425

It's just the difference

between a good leader and an

426

entrepreneur is the amount of risk.

427

But a good leader is risking, he's

risking embarrassment, he's risking,

428

he's leading, he can do things wrong.

429

an entrepreneur will

just do it from nothing.

430

Okay, and start with nothing.

431

Where a good, leader in the company,

there's something to start with.

432

So there's a difference, but a lot

of the characteristics are the same.

433

Now the, so I've been looking at DuParent

Corporation, looking at its leaders.

434

And I'm trying to figure out

why this seems to work well.

435

for example, we have, Mike,

who is project manager.

436

We want to go into international,

we want to go into Mexico.

437

Well, we thought could

speak Spanish, he can't.

438

But anyways, he wanted to step up

to work on the international side.

439

Now, Mike has no training.

440

No school.

441

He's not, did not, don't went to college.

442

Never read a book on

international marketing.

443

He's our international marketing

guy, because he'll just have at it.

444

Okay, what the advantage of just having

at it is, knowing what you're doing, is

445

that everything you touch is real time.

446

So he's talking to an

international customer.

447

Now, not a book he read five years ago.

448

Okay.

449

He's talking to him now.

450

He's learning from that

customer right now.

451

So everything he learns is in real time.

452

So now he's got to work, he's working

on a job in Baghdad and so now he's

453

got to work with the World Bank.

454

He didn't know the World Bank.

455

But he starts calling around,

he starts calling all the

456

agencies that will help us here.

457

Now he's learning the

World Bank as it is today.

458

In present time.

459

So everything he learns is real time.

460

That's what makes him so valuable.

461

He's put us in Columbia, Peru,

Baghdad, Italy, New Zealand, Australia.

462

They come to my mind right now.

463

Cliff Duvernois: And for

somebody who doesn't have, yes,

464

never, doesn't have his degree.

465

He doesn't have his degree in

international marketing, no experience

466

in international marketing, but

yet he's really done a wonderful

467

job of expanding your footprint.

468

Terry Duperon: Amazing job

because everything he learns

469

is now it's in the present.

470

So to me, that person that will just

have at it, that knows he will figure

471

it out, I'm making a lot of noise here.

472

The person that'll just

have at it is so valuable.

473

Because of the way he learns in real time.

474

There's and he, now that he

learns it, he can apply it.

475

Okay.

476

We just talked to Israel, I mean, he's

got people coming from everywhere.

477

so the, how's a guy that don't

know what he's doing do that?

478

There's a certain characteristics

of people who excel.

479

you gotta have them same talents.

480

You gotta be able to just have at it

without knowing what you're doing.

481

Cause you know you'll figure it out.

482

Cause you started a new business.

483

And when you start a business,

there ain't much you know about it.

484

That's true.

485

a few things and the rest

is learned on the job.

486

You know, the rest is learned

trial and error by mistakes.

487

The One Degree Club is to support

anybody who wants to do anything.

488

And that they get to know each other.

489

And you'll find people you trust and you

want to work with and, so it's social

490

enough to just get to know each other.

491

And then pick the people

you feel confident in.

492

I want to do more startups

of all different kinds.

493

Because the description I give you

about a really early startup and

494

the fear of failure and then some

of the things I could put in place

495

about that was to be a mentor.

496

As we go more and more,

there's more and more startups.

497

They're all different.

498

They all need different things.

499

So I'm trying to pin down what that is.

500

What works when you put it in

place, so it's all trial and error.

501

And so some of it's working, some

of it I don't understand yet.

502

So I think this is going to

be, two million dollar study

503

by the time I get done with it.

504

To learn exactly what it is I want to

know, but I think it'll be a good book.

505

I think it would be a valuable book

to people who deal with leaders to

506

know what works and what don't work.

507

And so I think hopefully I'll

make it up with the book.

508

Cliff Duvernois: Hopefully so.

509

for audience, we're going to take a

quick break and thank our sponsors.

510

Once again, today we're talking

with Terry Duperon of the Duperon

511

Corporation, as well as Duperon Education.

512

And we will see you after the break.

513

Are you enjoying this episode?

514

Well, I can tell you

there's a lot more to come.

515

Jump over to TotalMichigan.

516

com, enter your email address,

and get on our mailing list.

517

You'll get a list of the top

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518

Along with that, you'll get

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519

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520

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521

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522

Hello, everyone.

523

Welcome back to Total Michigan, where

we interview ordinary Michiganders

524

doing some pretty extraordinary things.

525

I'm your host, Cliff DuVernois.

526

Today, we are joined by Terry Duperon,

founder of Duperon Education, Duperon

527

Corporation, all around nice guy.

528

Well, thank you.

529

Yes.

530

Before the break, we were talking about.

531

About the class and putting together

the class and how you really don't

532

have any real formal training and

doing this, but you did put it

533

together and the class really is.

534

I recommend anybody who's listening to

this to definitely sign up for the class.

535

If you haven't done it really is

good and it really is worthwhile.

536

What I would like to do is I would

like to first off talk a little

537

bit about the purpose of the class.

538

Right.

539

What is the outcome?

540

Like somebody signs up for the

class and they walk away from it.

541

what is it that you're

hoping that they get from it?

542

Terry Duperon: I hope they get

a little better look at who they

543

are and where they want to go.

544

when I talk about dreams, a dream

is just hope for a better future.

545

Or a future that you would like.

546

And then the class is in,

how do you cause that?

547

What skills do you need to cause that?

548

So the focus is, figure out who you are,

where you want to go, and I can show you

549

ways to cause, a way to cause it, and

not the way, because everybody will do

550

their own version of that, but a way.

551

But the class is not set up to save

anybody's soul, or to, it doesn't have

552

that purpose, it, it isn't there to, Fix

anybody, because I don't know anybody

553

broken, you know, it's just take a look

at this and see if it works for you.

554

See if it betters you.

555

So I get a lot of people come

back and say, change your life

556

and not, I never asked them, well,

how did it change their life?

557

Because it seems like I'd be putting them

on the spot, but, Oh, I think you should.

558

Cliff Duvernois: Should

do that study probably.

559

If they're going to make that bold

of a statement, the class changed

560

their life, you should ask how.

561

In what

562

Terry Duperon: way?

563

I should.

564

I have not.

565

It seems like when somebody says that,

it's like a nice thing to say, and I

566

don't want to put them on the spot,

but maybe I should follow up on that.

567

Oh, you should definitely

put them on the spot.

568

Cliff Duvernois: I say that because

when we're talking about Like people

569

taking the class and a lot of them come

in and they don't know the direction

570

that they're heading or, or whatever.

571

Some of the things that I found

interesting when I took the class,

572

like I talked about before about

the first time that I took it

573

was literally about the show.

574

Terry Duperon: Yeah.

575

Right.

576

Cliff Duvernois: And the

direction I wanted to go.

577

And I had some ideas that I, I really

wanted to explore, but I wasn't exactly

578

sure what had happened, but there was a

young lady sitting in the classroom and

579

hers was, I think it was a trip to Paris.

580

Okay, that was like, that was like her

dream and she revealed that in class.

581

So it's not necessarily, it has to be

business centric, you know, it's what is

582

next for you, whether that's taking that

European vacation, you've always dreamed

583

of, maybe it is starting this, maybe

it's starting a nonprofit, who knows?

584

So it just seemed like there was a

lot of, there's a lot of different

585

people with different dreams.

586

That come in there that

your class accommodates.

587

Terry Duperon: And some of them

figure out how they're going to do it.

588

I had a professor in a class who wanted

to take students to Africa, to Ghana,

589

because she was connected to Ghana, to

another professor at the university.

590

that was her dream, but she didn't

see any way she could possibly

591

do that, because it costs a lot.

592

So I said, How many

students you want to take?

593

And she said, I don't know, 12.

594

I said, well, what would it cost for plane

tickets, you know, 10 days in Africa?

595

She says, it probably costs 4, 000.

596

I says, I'll buy two students.

597

Okay, now you got two students.

598

All you have to do is find somebody

else, sponsor the rest of them.

599

And she did it.

600

Yeah, she did it.

601

She built it up.

602

And she's taken several times, several

years now, she's taken students.

603

She's in a world where that

entrepreneurship is, a foreign

604

language in the education system.

605

Because you teach what you

learned and you spit it out and

606

teach it again to somebody else.

607

I've seen it happen in the class.

608

Cliff Duvernois: I want to explore,

because I love these things.

609

People that know you call them T isms.

610

Terry Duperon: Yeah.

611

Cliff Duvernois: These little

sayings that you use and you've put,

612

you put out about four or five of

them today during this interview.

613

But the one that I love the most.

614

Personally, that really resonates

with me is Take the Next Clear Step.

615

Yeah.

616

Yes.

617

So talk to us a little bit

about what that meeting is.

618

Where did that even come from?

619

Terry Duperon: I have, I had, I built

a business doing up to 5 million

620

projects and then I lost everything I

had plus a million bucks I didn't have.

621

So that's a hot spot.

622

Cliff Duvernois: Yeah.

623

You're looking at bankruptcy, right?

624

Terry Duperon: Yeah.

625

Well, I didn't have enough

money to go bankrupt.

626

Cliff Duvernois: So you got plenty

627

Terry Duperon: to go.

628

uh, the thing that saved me, I was

so poor, I owed a million dollars

629

on a hundred thousand dollar house.

630

So, nobody sues you.

631

But they try.

632

So, I spent a really rough year.

633

Well, anyways, I fight the good fight.

634

I'm going to, I get subpoenas every day.

635

I'm in court all the time.

636

And I can't pay them.

637

They should be upset.

638

So I'm the bad guy.

639

I can't, you know, I'm the

villain here in this story.

640

So, I fight the good

fight for about a year.

641

And then I just fell apart.

642

And I retreated to bed.

643

The End.

644

And I just lay there.

645

And I, I remember, I pray, okay.

646

I'm telling God I got nothing.

647

I don't have another idea.

648

I have no idea how I'll

get out of this mess.

649

I have no idea, if I got up, I

wouldn't know what, what I should do.

650

You know, so I just lay here.

651

And all that muddle and confusion,

this one clear thought shows up, and

652

it was do only what's clear, So, I

thought, probably clear to get my butt

653

out of bed, been a while, I'll do that.

654

And it's clear to take a shower,

it's been a while, I do that.

655

Clear to go to the office, answer

the phone, I answer the phone.

656

I owe this person in California

service on the machine.

657

So, I tell them my situation.

658

And he said, and I said, I, I

can't, I would, I feel I owe you.

659

But I'm not in a position to do it because

of the problems I'm having right now.

660

But I do owe you that service.

661

And he says, if you give me the

men and equipment and the cranes

662

and stuff you need to do it, I

will find a way to get there.

663

So that was clear, clear to say that.

664

I get on a plane, I got a, it was

like a 120 flight there and back,

665

and I'm staying in flop houses

because I, again, I didn't owe any.

666

They gimme the crew.

667

I provided, I did what my

responsibility was, flew back.

668

So all I did is start one

clear thought at a time.

669

So I started to live that every day.

670

Not, I didn't mastermind

my way out of that.

671

I just did the next clear step.

672

That was when I was 53, I think,

And I've been doing it ever since.

673

Here's where this ends

up in my belief system.

674

I believe everything that happened

in the past, including this problem

675

I had, that crisis was the best

thing that ever happened to me.

676

Changed the way I had my faith,

it changed the way I do business.

677

I would never have the success

if I had not gone through that.

678

So, I value the past.

679

So, I look at all the events in the

past, and there's a lot of things

680

that did not go well as gifts.

681

Because I think wisdom is, It's good

judgment learned from bad judgment.

682

So all of these things, I like that.

683

Is that another T ism?

684

It should be, right?

685

But all of those things in the past give

me some wisdom, some, and it has a value.

686

And not only that, I think God

turns things into being from that

687

to something really good for you.

688

So you get wisdom and you get.

689

this gift, okay?

690

So I think that anything I

say about the future is BS.

691

I mean, I made it up.

692

You know, I can say I'm going to go

home, kiss the wife, have supper,

693

I may not get across that street.

694

Yet, I would think I

can predict the future.

695

I can't.

696

So where it boils down where I am

today and have been for quite a

697

while, by the way, three years later,

I didn't even have a car payment.

698

I did not mastermind my way out of that.

699

I just kept taking the next clear step.

700

I continue to do this, the next clear

step, and I, it, I value the past as

701

a gift it gives, so I don't regret

it, and I can't undo it anyhow, so,

702

I don't go into the future because

it's made up, you know, I can make

703

any story I want, it doesn't matter.

704

it's the future.

705

Yeah, that's right.

706

Yeah.

707

I know it.

708

all I have is the present, So now, I

was an atheist for a long time, and

709

as I started to find God, which is a

long story, I started to, let's see,

710

I'm going to backtrack a little bit.

711

Somebody told me that I had a teacher and

a guide, a Holy Spirit, you know, and I'm

712

developing a relationship with my Creator,

little at a time, slow process for me.

713

So I say, all right, I'll

accept that possibility that

714

I have a teacher and a guide.

715

Well, it's got to talk to me.

716

So I'm saying, how would

a Holy Spirit talk to me?

717

And I thought it would be clear.

718

I'm the author of Muddled

Confusion, that would be clear.

719

So I know what I know, I trust my

own mind, I take the next clear step.

720

I don't know when I get

guidance, but I'm open to it.

721

I've been doing that

now for a lot of years.

722

This interview today is

because it's a clear step.

723

I have no idea what's going to

happen next, where this is going

724

to go, nor do I want to find out.

725

I don't, because you

can't, you can't find out.

726

You're guessing.

727

So it's all I can do, know

what I know, take the next

728

step, put my toe in the water.

729

I have enough faith to do that.

730

I have enough trust in my

creator to not ask for two steps.

731

Because for some reason, it's

never been a fortune teller for me.

732

And I suck at being a fortune teller.

733

I'm always wrong.

734

So I quit doing that.

735

So I just live in this just

one clear step at a time.

736

Very freeing.

737

Brings a lot of peace.

738

All of that has been a real gift to me.

739

So now I live a life

where I just love my life.

740

I'm at peace.

741

Not always.

742

I get days.

743

I get days I don't like me, let alone you.

744

I don't like nobody, but I,

you know, we're just human.

745

As long as we're human, we have that.

746

Cliff Duvernois: Now when you're designing

the class and you're putting it together.

747

You know, the lecture notes, whatever.

748

Actually, I don't even think

you really have lecture notes.

749

No, but, I don't have no notes.

750

Yeah, no notes.

751

You just stand up there

and talk, which is great.

752

What gave you the idea to sprinkling?

753

Because you got a whole

bunch of these T isms.

754

We could probably spend, I don't know, the

next four or five episodes just covering

755

all the different T isms that you have.

756

But what made you decide to bake

these T isms into your class?

757

Terry Duperon: I was doing

a, a class at Saginaw Valley.

758

We're going to do

something to put it online.

759

And I was talking to the people

that do that at Saginaw Valley.

760

So we put a class together.

761

And they get, they get full classes, it

seems, no matter what you're teaching.

762

So, pretty soon I got a full class.

763

So I'm teaching the class.

764

And this lady's writing

down everything I say.

765

And then she handed me this

whole list of comments I made,

766

and she called them theisms.

767

And so that's where that came from.

768

She was writing them down.

769

And then, we took, we decided

to go through it and, uh, see

770

why I'm saying those things.

771

I, cause I, I, I don't have, you know,

I hate to talk too much about spiritual

772

things because I never read the Bible.

773

Okay, so everybody knows more about that

than I do, I tell stories to make a point.

774

Most of the stories are from personal

experience, because I have no choice.

775

I don't have anything else.

776

So if the story I tell doesn't

work, I don't have anything else.

777

Okay.

778

I can't quote a book.

779

Okay.

780

I can't.

781

I can quote somebody that I heard,

but most of them is personal stories.

782

Mm hmm.

783

You know, so the class consists

of a lot of those stories.

784

Each, in, to the class, each step has

method in the madness, Because one of the

785

things I find out in the class is that

people are really hard on themselves.

786

They find all kinds of fault

in themselves, and they

787

judge themselves harshly.

788

to get them to see who they are,

I got to get them to, in the first

789

three sessions, I got to get them

to see them, because I'm going to

790

show them how to see opportunities.

791

Because I see so many, I

can't possibly do them all.

792

I have to pick and choose.

793

Well, opportunities are just raw.

794

So what I'm trying to do is the

first question you should ask when

795

you see an opportunity, does it take

me, take it, take me closer to me?

796

Does it fit this man or this woman?

797

So I'm realizing they find so

much fault with that person.

798

I don't really see them.

799

I, uh, have experience with that,

so I try and apply it to the class.

800

So I ask questions like, write down

five strengths and five weaknesses, and

801

you got to get up and talk about it.

802

for one thing, I want to talk

about something personal that

803

matters to them, to share with

the class, because class bonds.

804

Yes, they do.

805

And another thing is, when they get all

done, I just tell them, Cross off the

806

weaknesses you got here on your strengths,

you didn't get here on your weakness.

807

The more time you spend with

your weakness, the less time you

808

got to go with your strengths.

809

I'm trying to shift just a

little bit, a little bit.

810

And I tell stories about

my own personal experience.

811

And I tell about I, I was married,

had five kids, divorced, single parent

812

with five kids for 2, 000 years.

813

And I know it feels like it sometimes.

814

Yes.

815

I got way, way big challenge.

816

Men aren't good at that, but they,

nobody died, so I did all right.

817

That's my, that's my measure.

818

So I get married again,

have two more kids.

819

But,

820

Cliff Duvernois: so Terry, why

don't you tell us real quick?

821

What's next?

822

What is that next clear step?

823

Terry Duperon: I won't

know it till I see it.

824

It's not clear.

825

I don't do it.

826

It's clear.

827

I do it.

828

This is my next clear step.

829

I'm living it.

830

Do I know why this is so?

831

I don't know.

832

Cliff Duvernois: just real quick,

Terry, uh, for our audience,

833

if they want to check out.

834

One degree.

835

Terry Duperon: Yeah.

836

Cliff Duvernois: If they want to

check out the class, where's the

837

best place for them to do that?

838

Terry Duperon: Call Cindy.

839

Call Cindy.

840

Yes.

841

Cindy's my assistant, and uh, she can

read and write, and she can keep notes.

842

So, see, I, I heavily rely on her,

but she is, fills in those spots.

843

Cliff Duvernois: For our audience,

we'll have those links all

844

in the show notes down below.

845

Terry.

846

It's been great having you on the show.

847

We need to do this more often.

848

Terry Duperon: anytime you want.

849

Cliff Duvernois: As long as

it's the next clear step,

850

Terry Duperon: right?

851

Exactly.

852

So you got a chance.

853

Cause you didn't scare me too bad.

854

Cliff Duvernois: Well, not like last time.

855

I think last time you were terrified.

856

So I think so too.

857

But you did great.

858

And, uh, for audience.

859

Yeah.

860

Like I said, you can get all the

links to The Class, One Degree,

861

if you're wanting to check that

out in the show notes down below.

862

We'll see you next time when we

talk to another Michigander doing

863

some pretty extraordinary things.

864

We'll see you then.