Podcast

My First Million - with Tony Whatley - EP 291

Tony’s journey to his first million involved a combination of an engineering career, a couple of side hustle businesses, and long hours of putting in the work to get to where he is today. Through this journey, there have been countless important lessons that all business owners need to know. Although your business may be totally different in terms of your services or products, the takeaways remain the same and apply across the board to all types of businesses.

From humble beginnings, Tony learned early on the value of working hard for what he wanted. Having started working at 15 years old, each job along the way revealed a valuable lesson that would carry into life and entrepreneurship. One theme remains the same: relationships are incredibly valuable and can reap rewards for decades, so make sure to do right by others. Your first million is possible, but you need to invest in the skills that will get you there and learn from all the lessons along the way.

Key highlights:

• Tony shares his upbringing, lessons from his parents, and his first job
• How Tony got into the entrepreneur world
• Tony’s tips for getting more people into your group or website
• The difference between a community leader and an influencer
• The importance of building relationships with integrity
• Being proactive and not reactive when dealing with common customer complaints
• How do you get recognized in your industry?
• What is vertical integration?

Connect with Tony Whatley:
Instagram: @365driven
Facebook: 365 Driven
LinkedIn: Tony Whatley

by Alexi Cortopassi

Forged Through Adversity - with Marcus Aurelius Anderson - EP 290

Adversity is the catalyst or litmus test of why we do what we do because it makes us question whether we are doing things for the right reasons. We know that adversity and hardship make us better, but some people hope it doesn’t have to be that way because they want to take the easy or quick route to their goals. If you feel like you haven’t faced much adversity in your life, the hard truth is that chances are, you have been living in mediocrity and need to seek adversity or else you will continue to stay stuck. Marcus Aurelius Anderson viewed his adversity as a gift and used it to inspire and teach others how to use hardships to create a meaningful and fulfilled life.

Marcus Aurelius Anderson is back on the 365 Driven podcast, and you can check out episode 23 with Marcus in the episode resources. Marcus is a proud veteran, author of “The Gift of Adversity”, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker, and High-Performance Mindset Coach. He is the creator of the Acta Non Verba movement and host of the Acta Non Verba podcast. While preparing to deploy with the U.S. Army, Marcus suffered a severe spinal injury that left him paralyzed, and his life was turned upside down. In an instant, he went from preparing for war on the battlefield to a war within his own body and mind. After dying on the operating table twice, the surgeons saved his life but told him he’d never walk again. Having no other option, Marcus started doing some in-depth soul-searching, looking for the lesson to be learned from his injury. Once he started seeing his adversity as a gift instead of a curse, everything changed.

In this episode, Marcus is real and honest about why people fail to move toward their goals and purpose in life. We are either moving closer to our goals, or moving further away, so it becomes essential to put ourselves in situations in which we are uncomfortable and lean into that feeling because that is where growth happens. Creating adversity can look like pushing yourself in the gym, or hiring a coach that will call you out on your excuses and push you to do what needs to be done to get the results you want. 

Quote from the episode: 

“Be careful that what you're doing right now to escape your adversity isn't creating more down the line, because it will be waiting for you.” - Marcus Aurelius Anderson 

Key highlights:

• What keeps people stuck?
• The concept of aggressive patience
• The difference between stupidity and ignorance 
• How do we get people to break the cycle of thinking they need to just get to the finish line instead see that it needs to be an acceleration through the finish line? 
• How can we create adversity for ourselves?
• The importance of boundaries and saying “no” to what isn’t aligned with your goals
• Why you need to put yourself first above everyone else 
• The problem with the “must be nice” mentality
• Why you shouldn’t overshare on social media
• The 2 ways to deal with adversity: correctly or again

Episode resources:

Listen to episode 23 with Marcus: Gain Gratitude for Your Adversity 

Connect with Marcus:
Website: marcusaureliusanderson.com
Instagram: @marcusaureliusanderson
LinkedIn: Marcus Aurelius Anderson
Facebook: Marcus Aurelius Anderson

Connect with Tony Whatley:
Instagram: @365driven
Facebook: 365 Driven
LinkedIn: Tony Whatley

by Alexi Cortopassi

Build Unconventional Wealth - with Pejman Ghadimi - EP 289

In today’s world of social media and instant gratification, people are looking for shortcuts to wealth and want that influence and the ability to buy fancy cars. They see people on social media with flashy cars and expensive watches, but oftentimes, they are not thinking of what it took to get there. Maybe that person is just faking the influence and wealth as we have discussed in other episodes, or maybe they truly have built the wealth to get there, but it is probably a longer, more challenging path than people realize. Pejman Ghadimi is back on the 365 Driven podcast to demystify what it takes to get on the path to wealth, how that can be done by unconventional means, and since Tony and Pejman are both car guys, they also dive into a little about exotic cars.

Pejman Ghadimi is a self-made entrepreneur, philosopher, author, and the creator of the wealth transfer methodology. Over the last 20 years, Pejman has built several businesses ranging from a one-of-a-kind investment firm that focuses on alternative asset management known as 1 OFF Investments, to a series of online education businesses including Secret Entourage, Exotic Car Hacks, and Watch Trading Academy. These platforms have forced people to rethink their understanding of business, luxury assets, and money management. Pejman's companies have grossed well over $420,000,000.00 in combined revenue. Pejman is an example of how resourcefulness and self-education are the two most powerful keys to success. He was also featured on Netflix’s Fastest Car Season 2.

In this episode, Pejman explains that having a path to wealth comes from having a path as a human and acquiring skills along the way no matter what types of jobs you start out in. Very successful people rarely share about their first job and the 10-20 years of struggling and lessons that it took to get them to where they are because oftentimes people don’t want to hear about that. It’s a very important piece of the journey that people need to realize and research for themselves. Listening and talking to people that have what you want can help shortcut the learning, but not the result, so starting to build that wealth now is going to be key.

Key highlights:

• For someone that thinks that they do not have a path to wealth, how do they start?
• People don’t understand the path to success and they think it’s not possible due to having a fixed mindset around it
• Acquiring skills and knowledge to get to that next level
• What do you need to know to buy an exotic car? What do you need to assess?
• As a society, we focus on the wrong things: fear and negativity
• Greatness will always be in demand because it is in short supply
• If you find someone that will share how they got there, pay attention to what they say
• Real success is having a choice and living life through your own value system

Connect with Pejman Ghadimi:
Website: pejmanghadimi.com | learnfrompj.com
Instagram: @icreatemillionaires

Connect with Tony Whatley:
Instagram: @365driven
Facebook: 365 Driven
LinkedIn: Tony Whatley

by Alexi Cortopassi

Planning, Productivity, and People - with Emily Frisella - EP 288

So many people struggle with proper planning and claim that they don’t have enough time to do what will move the needle forward in either their business, fitness, relationships, or personal development. Those of us that are 365 driven are always aiming to reach the next level in various aspects of life while learning how to balance it all. Some people are really disciplined in their business, but struggle to prioritize in other areas. The hard truth is that they just aren’t doing it right, and today’s guest is here to share the hacks we need to be a better planner, maximize productivity, and prioritize the relationships that matter most.

Emily Frisella is a multi-passionate entrepreneur who started her first brick-and-mortar business at the age of 20. She is the Founder of The Paper & Plan Co., A twice published best-selling cookbook author, Co-host of Curious Me Podcast, Founder of The Women in Business Workshop, COO of 44Seven Media & the Arete Syndicate, a Business Coach, and a speaker. Emily’s latest book “Relationships First: People, Passion, and Profit” explains the importance of nurturing relationships for both personal and professional success. As a business owner of several businesses, Emily has planning and productivity down to a science and she shares her best tips in this episode.

With so many distractions around, such as social media and people demanding our time and attention, learning to balance it all to focus on what needs to get done, can be very overwhelming. Emily explains that so many people overestimate their brain power and ability to remember every single thing that needs to get done, and also may struggle with setting boundaries with others when it comes to protecting their time. In order to be productive in all areas when it comes to business, fitness, and personal life, learning to plan in a way that works best for you (not what someone else says is the “perfect” schedule) is going to be key.

Key highlights:

• Why do people struggle with planning?
• How to set and achieve goals
• How planning makes you a better boss/manager
• Emily’s tip: “Do first what you do not want to do most”
• Emily’s productivity tools and hacks
• How to set boundaries and protect your time
• How Emily prioritizes all her tasks
• Emily explains her “dungeon days”
• Making a schedule that works best for you
• Being mindful of ways to pour into people in all aspects of your life
• Relationship advice if you always feel like you need to be the problem solver

Connect with Emily Frisella:
Website: emilyfrisella.com
Instagram: @emilyfrisella

Connect with Tony Whatley:
Instagram: @365driven
Facebook: 365 Driven
LinkedIn: Tony Whatley

by Alexi Cortopassi

Integrity Vs Influence - with Tony Whatley - EP 287

Too many people are trading integrity for influence and trying to gain fake followers and fake notoriety to appear as though they are influential, but if it’s not real, what is the point? Do those fake followers and fake blue check marks matter if they aren’t actually providing real value to the world? Fake PR might work to fool people into thinking those fake influencers are more wealthy and successful than they are, but if that means sacrificing integrity to get there, those tactics are going to have long-term effects, and keeping up the fakeness will become unsustainable.

Our world is craving authenticity, and eventually, the fakes will be revealed. True influence is earned by making an impact and consistently providing value to others. Too many people want to skip the impact part, but that is what matters. It’s about the long game when it comes to influence, and if someone can’t provide value, they don’t deserve the influence. Let’s make 2023 the year of authenticity and the year we stop supporting the fakers. So how do you spot the fakes and frauds in the influence space? Tune in to find out the telltale signs of a fake influencer.

Key highlights:

• Stop trading integrity for influence
• Why people do fake PR
• What are things people can fake in the influencer space?
• What are things you can’t fake?
• How to spot fakes and frauds in the influencer space
• How to know someone is real and authentic
• Tony explains “Pay to Play” type of events
• Avoid groups that teach you fake stuff and start supporting real and authentic people

Episode resources:

EP 249 of 365 Driven: Fake Media Influence Exposed - with Kimanzi Constable

socialblade.com

Connect with Tony:
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn

by Alexi Cortopassi

Your Silence is Killing You - with Scott Harvey - EP 286

We’re living in a “cancel culture” society where we’re so afraid of saying the wrong thing, that we decide to say nothing. But what if our silence is more dangerous and damaging than expressing what we really think? We don’t all have to have the same opinions and agree on every topic, but it’s important that we have the opportunity to express differing opinions and learn from each other. It’s also important to listen to people that have different views than us. If we silence opposing opinions then we are not challenged and are no longer growing and getting better. This just creates an echo chamber that won’t give us an opportunity to really think about how things can be improved. Today’s guest explains why calling attention to the elephant in the room is important.

Scott Harvey spent 20 years as a hostage negotiator and public information officer and is not afraid to have difficult conversations. As a professional speaker and communication coach, he speaks to tens of thousands of people each year teaching them the tactics they need to speak with confidence and build their influence. Scott believes that in our "cancel culture" world, our silence is killing us because our reputation and our organizations suffer. Luckily, we can learn communication skills and how to effectively have hard and necessary conversations.

In this episode, Scott explains that we can’t influence real change and have a voice if we are too worried to speak up. Having the fear of saying the wrong thing is a good thing because of course we don’t intend to hurt anyone, but it's important to note that it is easier to defend your action than your inaction. People might mistake your silence for apathy, so just be real because our world is desperate for authenticity.

Key highlights:

• Why Scott retired from the police world and stepped into the speaking world
• Scott's thoughts on cancel culture
• The danger in silencing opposing opinions
• How to influence real change, and it isn't through social media
• Why you should challenge yourself to listen to both sides and form your own opinion
• Scott's opinion on why people stay silent
• Take time to listen to critics because they might have something that makes you better
• Why people unfollowing you and unsubscribing is actually a good thing
• How to approach difficult conversations
• Tips for building rapport and trust with your audience

Connect with Scott Harvey:
Instagram: @speakingofharvey
Website: speakingofharvey.com
Get Scott’s book: Silence Kills
Facebook: Scott Harvey
Twitter: @RamblinHarvey
LinkedIn: Scott Harvey

Connect with Tony:
Instagram: @365driven
Facebook
LinkedIn

by Alexi Cortopassi

The Importance of Strength Training - with James Gerland - EP 285

During this time of year, a lot of you are thinking “new year, new me” and setting really ambitious goals with great intentions, saying you’ll make health a priority this year, but then not long after, many people fall off the wagon. Today’s guest is just what we all need to light a fire under us to make physical fitness a top priority this year. James Gerland is on the 365 Driven Podcast to explain the importance of strength training not only for our physical health but all aspects of life including mental health and personal development.

James Gerland is the founder of AMMP Labs and is building a brand of performance-oriented gyms. James has been a high-performance coach for 19 years and takes his clients’ results and happiness very seriously. He specializes in hypertrophy training, strength and conditioning, bodybuilding, fat loss, and mobility. He works with high-level athletes from UFC, NFL, IFBB, NPC, college football athletes, and anyone looking to optimize their physique in a sustainable way. What makes James different from other strength and performance coaches is that he wants people to be safe and continue progressing in all areas of life.

In this episode, James shares how he helps people make fitness a habit and get the momentum to make it a lifestyle instead of trying for a bit, and eventually giving up. He is not about short-term gains and results, because making fitness and nutrition a top priority all throughout our lives is going to be key for longevity and feeling our best, which will transfer into all areas of life. James also gets into the topic of supplements, such as: What makes good supplements? Do you need supplements? Should you cycle off of certain supplements? Tune in for more.

Key highlights:

• Why James decided to become a strength and conditioning coach
• James critiques the “new” way of fitness
• Fitness isn't just about changing your body
• The first 21 days is when habits are formed
• What if someone is coming in at ground zero?
• Tony’s message to people that continually feel like they “fell off the wagon”
• The importance of rest and recovery for long-term goals
• Why the majority of what we see online about fitness is wrong
• Are free weights or machines better?
• Which machine types are the best?
• How James builds programs for beginners
• The 80/20 rule is BS when it comes to nutrition and exercise because should be 100% for both
• The importance of learning posture and stabilizing before throwing weight on the bar
• The problem with workout programs that are not customized to each person
• “Master the weight, don’t let the weight master you” (no ego pulls)
• Why a lot of commercial gyms are designed incorrectly
• What James suggests to people that feel they have hit a plateau
• The importance of setting up your lifts correctly to avoid injury and hit muscles correctly

Connect with James Gerland and check out AMMP Labs:
Website: ammpplabs.com
Instagram: @ammplabs

Connect with Tony:

Instagram: @365driven
Facebook
LinkedIn

by Alexi Cortopassi

How To Win in 2023 - with Tony Whatley - EP 284

Happy New Year and welcome back to the 365 Driven Podcast! Last year, Tony released an episode titled “How to Win in 2022” and it was one of the most downloaded episodes of last year. This year, Tony is back with more actionable advice on how to win this year, and the messages are not the same as the previous year.

While planning for personal and professional growth this year, it is unavoidable to address the big elephant in the room: recession. With all the indicators bring present, it is essential to make a plan to not just survive this market, but to know what is needed to thrive and make this your best year yet.

All of the “get rich quick” schemes of previous years are not going to work in a recession. Tony encourages you to take advice from someone that has been in business during a recession and knows what it takes to stay above the competition. Tony built his first business in the recession of 2001, and used the 2007-2009 recession to invest and grow his online retail company, which became a 7 figure business. It’s easy to be successful in a growth economy, but with the current market trends, you want to learn what it takes to use the market to your advantage and grow exponentially in 2023.

Most people will focus on doom and gloom and consider quitting, but winners see these moments as an opportunity. So how do you win when your competition is backing down? Tune in to learn how to win in 2023.

Key highlights:

• Tony addresses the topic of recession and all the indicators being present
• Tony shares his history with recessions
• The biggest growth comes during and shortly after a recession
• This is the time to play the “buy low, sell high” game
• How to stand out on social media
• Which social media platforms are showing growth?
• How to grow your email list
• Adjusting your offer for the current market
• Tony challenges you to get in the best shape of your life mentally and physically this year

Connect with Tony:
Instagram: @365driven
Facebook
LinkedIn

by Alexi Cortopassi