Are You Living in Freedom? - EP252

Tony Whatley delivered this closing speech about Freedom at the 365 Driven "Advance 4" event on May 21, 2022, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Tony speaks about 3 types of freedom we should all be striving for: financial freedom, time freedom, and mental freedom. Financial freedom isn't just about the numbers, but more so about the freedom to choose where your money is coming from and have the ability to make decisions that will bring in more money if that is what you want. It’s not being tied to a company or job where you don’t have control of the money you can acquire.

The next is time freedom. Tony talks about how we have been sold an idea that we have to hustle all the time in order to be successful. In reality, we should be intentionally delegating tasks to others in order to free up time for things that we enjoy. This is the key to scaling a business while getting your time back. Focus on your strengths and get help with everything else.

The last freedom is mental freedom. Tony shares about his near-death experience and the perspective on life he gained from going through that. The truth that we all have to face is that we will die someday. Wasting time and energy on what other people are going to think, or fearing judgment is a waste of time and holds us back from taking action, making a real impact, and creating a life we are truly proud of.

Key highlights:

  • How Tony started his first company by teaching himself how to build websites
  • Being more focused on giving than receiving
  • Selling Tony’s first company at age 34
  • Developing money maturity
  • Providing value to others
  • You don't have to work 24/7
  • How to scale your business while getting your time back
  • Getting rid of negative or toxic people
  • How Tony’s parents instilled discipline in him
  • Being fired from his corporate job
  • His near death experience and what he took away from that
  • Action, belief, consistency- take the action before you have the belief
  • How Tony got better at public speaking
  • Losing the fear of judgment

Quote from the episode:

  • “Regret is avoidable, but only with action.”

Connect with Tony:
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Facebook
LinkedIn


How to Get Superhuman Confidence - with Ed Mylett - EP251

 

Ed Mylett is back on the 365 Driven podcast, and you already know this will be an episode packed with lessons and advice from Ed that you are going to want to take notes on. Ed is an incredibly successful businessman, creator of the Arete Syndicate, and one of Tony’s mentors. Since being on the podcast in April 2020, Ed has gone through the loss of his dad and spent the last year writing his upcoming book, The Power of One More, which is a very in-depth guide full of Ed’s powerful strategies and insight that will guide you to a happier and more successful life.

In this episode, Ed takes us through some life-changing lessons that are included in his book that will benefit anyone, no matter what stage you are in your life. Tony and Ed’s conversation brings out a side of Ed that no one has asked about before. Ed exposes how our society is programmed to avoid pain, which is keeping everyone stuck and repeating the history of those before us. You are sure to hear a perspective from Ed that other people don’t talk about because it is hard to hear, but he doesn’t shy away from the truth bombs that are guaranteed to motivate you to take action in making the changes necessary to reach the potential you didn’t think was possible.

Key highlights:

  • Introduction to Ed and what he has been up to the past year
  • Dealing with the recent loss of his father
  • The concept of “Beginning with the end in mind” from Think and Grow Rich
  • The concept of “memento mori”
  • We all have visions on our life, the issue is depth perception, you think its further away than it is
  • You are one decision away, one meeting, one relationship, one thought, one book, one podcast away from a different life
  • Most people don't meet their highest self because they are not willing to go through the pain of getting there
  • How Ed developed his listening skills as a child
  • Truth bomb that’s hard to hear: “The most insidious form of child neglect is a parent not pursuing their ultimate potential. You’re instilling in that child that it's okay to settle.”
  • Most lessons our kids learn are caught not taught
  • We are programmed to avoid pain and not do hard things
  • Successful people pursue the inconvenient thing
  • How our parents instill their limitations in us
  • Why Ed is different from other people on social media
  • A different view of Ed: What his dogs mean to him
  • How to balance being successful and maintaining your family/parenting
  • Most people are operating out of their memory and history, but happy people operate out of their imagination and dreams
  • How to get your kids to be dreamers and have high confidence
  • Surround yourself with people that say “imagine when” not “remember when”
  • Your identity is the thermostat setting of your life
  • How to train your RAS (reticular activating system)
  • Anger is the manifestation of fear
  • The importance of finding emotional control in stressful situations: equanimity
  • How his book will apply to everyone
  • How to get access to Ed’s virtual event for free

Quotes from the episode:

  • “It's not the events of our lives that define us, it's the meaning we attach to it.”
  • “On the other side of temporary pain, you get introduced to your other self.”
  • “What if the highest potential exists in something we haven't even started yet?”
  • “Success is where your life matches the blueprint you have for it. You come up with a blueprint for your life and you get it”

Episode resources

Book: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Connect with Ed

Get free access to Ed's upcoming event: Maxoutlive.com
Preorder The Power of One More: thepowerofonemore.com
Instagram: @edmylett
Facebook
YouTube
LinkedIn
Twitter

Connect with Tony:
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn


Through Adversity Comes Opportunity - with Cynthia Thurlow - EP250

 

Cynthia Thurlow is the CEO and founder of Everyday Wellness Project, and she’s the host of Everyday Wellness podcast, which was listed in “20 podcasts that will help you grow in 2020” by Entrepreneur magazine. Cynthia is an expert in nutrition and intermittent fasting, and she has a viral Tedx talk on this subject that has been viewed over 11 million times. She was also one of Tony’s earliest coaching clients, and a former guest on the show from 2019, although so much has happened since then, including the release of her book: Intermittent Fasting Transformation.

Cynthia has been a nurse practitioner for over 20 years, and in this episode she shares all about her huge career shift, and the major catalyst in her life that set her on a path of opportunity and success. Through dealing with a major health scare, she learned that the toughest times can allow us to have the opportunity to grow into the people we’re meant to be.

Key highlights:

  • Cynthia’s experience as a 2x Tedx speaker
  • How she got on stage 27 days after being hospitalized and almost dying
  • How her second Tedx talk was a powerful catalyst for opportunity
  • How that talk led to Cynthia’s book that sold 14k copies in the first month
  • When you are in difficult circumstances, focus on what you can to get through it
  • Cynthia’s advice to do the 3 things you don't want to do first thing in the morning and set up your day for success
  • Tony’s advice for when the people close to you don't understand or acknowledge what you're doing
  • Why Cynthia left her job as a medical professional
  • Tony’s advice to create boundaries with people that bring you down
  • A big cultural difference between the US and UK and how we value our careers
  • How our culture has an unhealthy relationship with our careers and we are exceedingly toxic with labels and expectations
  • You can’t serve everyone in your business- you have to know your avatar first and serve them
  • You can't have a big casting net or you won't catch anyone
  • People are looking for specialists, not generalists, so you need to be specific in who you serve
  • Podcasting is the new networking
  • Tony’s tip for fewer filler words while podcasting
  • Be intentional about personal development
  • How Cynthia deals with imposter syndrome

Connect with Cynthia:

Website
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook

Connect with Tony:
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn


Stop Being a Spectator

Remaining a spectator in life and in business, creates no individual results, and procrastinates the potential you have within.

One of my favorite speech passages is "Man In The Arena" by former US President Theodore Roosevelt. It reads like this:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;

but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause;

who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." -T. Roosevelt, 1910

My business coaching clients have heard me advise them not to be spectators. When we have meetings, they should come prepared with questions and challenges that need to be overcome.

If you participate without any questions or challenges, you are merely a spectator. It indirectly tells me that you believe you already have everything figured out, and nothing left to learn.

Understand this, the highest level performers in any area, always have something new to learn. They crave new knowledge, new experience, new strategies. It's an eternal drive to improve daily.

I want you to step into that arena, onto the field, and pay attention to the game. Focus on what the best do, and how you can learn from them. Look for weaknesses in your opponent, and capitalize on them. Grow a mindset so strong, that you take actions without intimidation or fear.

You'll never win by sitting in the stands. 🏆

-Tony


Fake Media Influence Exposed - with Kimanzi Constable - EP249

Kimanzi Constable is an author of four books and a freelance writer whose articles have been published in Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, Business Insider, SUCCESS Magazine, NBC, CBS, FOX, and 80 other publications and magazines. He's a global traveler and digital nomad that has been to 83 countries and counting. He started his first business at just 19 years old, after having been previously homeless, dropping out of high school, and living in a shelter for 18 months. In 2011, Kimanzi discovered business podcasts and dove into writing his first book.

In this episode, Kimanzi shares all about the lessons he learned along the way, and everything you need to know about paid publications vs. pay-to-play PR. He explains just how he built an audience and took his business to the next level through writing articles. He walks you through how to pitch yourself to publications, and what being published can do for you and your credibility. Kimanzi also reveals how you can ruin your credibility by taking shortcuts and playing into the fake media influence games.

Quote from the episode:

  • “Be the person that goes out and finds the information, the scoops, the stories, and brings it to the people. And you’ll get the same notoriety over time and hopefully some success behind that.”

Key highlights:

  • Kimanzi’s background that led to being an author and freelance writer
  • How he built an audience by guest posting
  • Tony’s experience with getting published in magazines
  • Pay to play vs. getting paid to write
  • Tips on how to pitch yourself to publications
  • What a good article contains: it's not about you, it's about what you can provide
  • His thoughts on HARO (Help a reporter out)
  • How to pitch to a contributor and why you should pitch to them to feature you
  • Tony’s tips on pitching yourself a podcast guest
  • What editors look for when vetting you
  • Recommendations for cleaning up your Linkedin
  • How social proof relates to your ideal client
  • Should you care about social proof?
  • Does being verified on IG matter?
  • Why you should want to be published and what it does for you and your credibility

Connect with Kimanzi:

Website
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
Kimanzi's books

Connect with Tony:
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn


Creating Balance Between Life and Business - with Jaime Villalovos - EP248

Jaime Villalovos has an incredible story of strength, perseverance, and growth mindset that took her from a childhood of welfare and food stamps, to being a 7-figure earner before the age of 30. She has helped thousands of people to successfully start their own business, and has coached many to become leaders earning multiple 6 and 7 figure incomes. Through her Happy and Strong movement, Jaime coaches leaders and entrepreneurs on how to build their dream life with more success in business and more balance, wellness, and fulfillment. Being known as the “balance queen”, Jaime has achieved all this with an inspiring marriage, raising four children, being a philanthropist, and staying involved with her church and community.

In this episode. Jaime shares all about her background and journey to achieving all that she set out to do. Her story is also a testament to the power of finding a great mentor and realizing that to unlock the doors that you want to open, sometimes you have to seek those that have already found the key and check your ego at the door when it comes to following their advice. Jaime also dives into the importance of not staying stagnant and continuing to set goals, yet finding the perfect balance to not let work control your life, because the true goal is happiness.

Quote from the episode:

“The great ones, the champions, the 1%ers, it’s not just a business plan, it’s not just goals, it’s like an emotional game plan. What keeps them going when things are tough, when things are hard, when they want to quit, when they want to flip on the TV, and instead they turn it off and they make 10 more phone calls.”

Key highlights:

  • Jaime’s story growing up poor in a small rural town and how that inspired her to do better
  • The importance of finding a great mentor or coach
  • Jaime’s tips for reaching out to a mentor you aren’t connected to
  • Tony’s advice for connecting with mentors
  • How our entrepreneur journey changes through life’s phases
  • What a good team can do for your business
  • How Jaime trains and hires staff
  • Tony’s time saving hacks for training new employees/team members
  • Why you need an emotional game plan for when things get hard
  • The importance of growth and new challenges
  • Challenging your belief system
  • Jaime’s process for setting big goals
  • How Jaime defines happiness and success
  • How a mentor might be able to help you see where you are stuck
  • Why you need fulfillment and contribution goals instead of a money “finish line”
  • Jaime’s new book Happy and Strong launching May 17

Episode Resources:

Preorder Jaime's upcoming book Happy and Strong

Connect with Jaime:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Connect with Tony:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn


Happiness Should Never Be Sacrificed

Happiness should never be sacrificed.

Most people take time for granted, until they are faced with an event or diagnosis that presents them with limited time remaining.

I tend to surround myself with other highly-driven people, who strive to achieve success. I've never been one to tolerate excuses from myself, or others.

In our pursuit of success, however we may define it, we sometimes make sacrifices and self-justify it as "paying our dues". Sometimes it even comes across as self-punishment, whether physically or mentally.

Here's the hard reality that nobody wants to discuss; Not everyone will become successful. Very few actually achieve the big goals that they set out to accomplish, in life. Many of those you perceive as winning today, will experience crashing downfalls only months later.

This is why happiness shouldn't be part of your sacrifice to achieve success. If you are going to put in hard work, dedication, and consistency into achieving success - do something you genuinely enjoy doing. Something that is backed with your purpose that makes you happy.

If you don't understand why, consider this; The worst regret of your lifetime may occur years down the road, once you've discovered your time is limited, and you haven't come close to achieving your goals of success.

In that moment, will you look back on years and decades of doing something you loved doing, and were happy doing, even without the goals being achieved? Or will you look back on decades of unhappiness and misery, because you placed your goals above your happiness?

Have a happy day.

-Tony