Transcript

Best of This Week: March 18th

I feel like I can rule the world, I know I can be what I want to I'm put my all in it like my day's all on the road, less travel, never looking back. Hello and welcome to My First Million Best of the Week edition. This is Ben Wilson. Best of the week brings you some of the best clips from this week's episodes, no new content, just highlighting some of the great moments we've had over the past few days. We have some great clips for you today.

To start off with, we've got Sam and Sean recapping the Mr. Beast interview on Joe Rogan and talking about the power of betting on yourself. You you saw Mr Beast one on Joe Rogan. I don't know if you've you caught the episode at all. I didn't I just a couple of the clips where they said like what do you do at your money? And he's like, Not much. He goes, I I used to have a roommate up until recently and we each split our place for seven hundred dollars, but I got a fancier place because someone broke into my house. So I needed like some security, but it's still like pretty normal of a house. Yeah, I didn't see that. So I've only seen one clip. And it was basically the clip of like how did you make it on YouTube?

And it's a great clip, right? Like it's a What's he say? So he goes. So he's twenty three now? He goes. I started doing this when I was eleven. And Joe's like, What? He's like I

He's like, I started doing this when I was eleven. And he's like, I sucked, obviously at the beginning. He's like so he's like he's like, Look at me now. I don't look cool now. Like imagine me at like twelve. Like I was like, you know, pimply. You know, Pimply face, scrawny, awkward, mumbly kind of guy. And like here I am trying to like Make videos. And he's like back then also YouTube really

There wasn't a thing like YouTubers wasn't like a thing twelve, thirteen years ago, you know? So it's like He's like, Yeah, I just was doing it'cause I liked it. He goes, I hated school. He goes I never He's like in high school, I just never even brought a book home. Like I'm like, I remember doing zero Studying my parents got so mad at me.

He's like and then like when I turned eighteen. Um basically win in three phases, he goes. From eleven to thirteen. I was trying to make videos.

But I was like super embarrassed'cause it were so bad. And Joe's like, do are they do they still exist? He goes, No, I deleted my channel when I turned thirteen because like I got like I don't know like bullied in school a little bit. I felt embarrassed. So I've deleted all those videos, but I like started fresh uh again at thirteen and like Whatever, kept going. He's like so then from thirteen to like seventeen or eighteen, I was just trying to make like videos all the time. He goes my first video.

randomly got like 20,000 views. He's like, that was the best thing that ever happened to me. I got like this instant hit and I was hooked. And then like it didn't happen again for a while, but like That first one, which was about like He like hacked some video game like here's a here's a beat this level in a video game or whatever. He's like some obscure game and it just like

People wanted to know how to do that hack. So that's how I got popular right away. Um or he's like that's how that video got popular and then I got I wanted to chase that. That. Feeling again.

So he's like, I wasn't making any money. He's like, finally I got to the point where I was making a dollar a day. And he's like, Yes. And he's like, So I saved up for like a few months and I bought a microphone. And I was like, Yeah, like now I sound good. Like, here we go. And he's like, I just kept doing that. I kept like Make it a couple bucks. Saving it and then like buy a camera or buy like you know, like a a c better computer so I can like Edit the videos or screen record or whatever.

And so he just kept doing that for like six years. He's like my whole goal was that by the time I graduate from high school Can I like just Make enough money doing this because I don't want to do anything else. Or his his number. So it did not happen. He's like I by the time I

He's like, by the time I graduated high school, I was making like four hundred bucks a month or something like that. And he's like, you know, it's three hundred, four hundred bucks. He's like so my mom gave me this ultimatum. She's like, you know you're moving out or you're like going to community college. Like you're not gonna do this video thing. And so he's like, uh fuck, okay. I he's like, uh didn't want to go to community college. He's like, it's like the worst thing in the world, just sitting there listening to this lecture. Like it's just not what I wanted to do.

He's like, so I started skipping he's like, every day I would just go to my car And instead of going to community college, I would just edit videos in my car. He's like, I do that all day and I come home and my mom thought I went to school. He's like and he's like that created a clock. Because now she was gonna find out. Like by the end of the semester I had zeros as my grades, like She was gonna know that I did not go to community college, so I had to like I bought myself like one semester more of time.

He's like and in that time I pulled it off. Like I got to the point where I could like self sustain. I just moved out. And then I could like do this like full time moving it uh on my own. He's like and so that's kinda like the progression of how I did it. And I was like, How how awesome is that? How awesome, exactly. A Bet on Yourself story.

Where Burn the bridge behind you, right? So so you know you you No. We say burn the bridges. I don't know why we say that. It's burn the boats. Uh like if you wanna take the island, you gotta burn the boats. And so he burned the boats when he when he did that.

And uh and knew what he wanted to do, right?'Cause like School's great, but school's not for everybody. If you If you kinda know what you want to do. Um You're much better off, I think.

competing in the free market. on that thing than like competing for your teacher's Like love and affection, you know, with th writing the essay they want to grade as an A plus, right? Like Writing the thing they want you to write about. In the format they want you to write.

In a way that will get them to give you the grade, right? Like that's like a that's like not a real market. Whereas you make videos on YouTube, you're competing in like a real market, or you want to be an athlete. Yeah, it it's just that most people think that they're like gonna do something for life and they aren't willing to, or they don't actually want to. I think I think the the rarity here is not is someone eighteen and capable. It's Do they actually love

what they're saying they love enough that they're willing to dedicate ten or twenty years to it. Right. Yeah, like do yeah, do you know what I exactly are you act do you actually have a thing you love? Uh most people do not. Uh my s I remember my sister when she was going to college, my dad was like, All right, well, like what do you want to major in?

She's like, I don't know. He's like, Well what's your favorite subject? Like what do you love to study? She's like lunch like you know I just I'm not I don't have anything against any of them, but like Do any of them make me happy? Not really. So what now what? And like I think that's how most people's careers go.

Like Alright, well I don't hate it, but I don't love it, but now what? What am I supposed to do? Yeah, yeah. So I think that's the rarity here is that he actually Th that he liked something enough. Um

But anyway, that's a good story. I I'll have to go and watch this podcast. Alright, next up we've got a segment from the Kanye West episode, where Sam and Sean are recapping the new Kanye documentary on Netflix. And by the way, if you haven't listened to that episode, you need to go back and listen to it if for no other reason than to hear Sean's incredible impression of Donda West, Kanye's mom. It's just spot on. It's incredible. On this clip.

They're actually talking about knowing who you are and what you want to do and how that enables you to achieve more. Which which, by the way, a lot of people forget. Do you realize how much he produced before he actually got famous? That's kind of crazy. It's pretty crazy. Like the big one was H of the Izzo. Right. And there's like there's like dozens more. I can't think of anything off the top of my head, but there was dozen more where you like, Wait, you did that? And he did it before he had his own thing. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And he was great at it. And then he's like

He talks about he's like, Yeah. People want my beats. They oh oh I want okay, can I get one, can I get I need a beat, give me a beat. He's like And then they then they hear my song, Yo, I didn't hear this. Where'd you get this? He goes, That's my shit. I use that for me. And he's like He's like trying to like

On one hand, he needs to sell beats to Pay for life. But every time he does, it's a step away from where he wants to be in a way, like to be a rapper. And so he's in this hallway and the this guy's trying to hype'em up because he's like, Oh, you got the documentary crew. So he puts his arm around him. It's like the the pr the the managing director at Rockefeller Records and he's like Yeah, this one right here, Kanye West.

He's the best rapper producer in the game. Best rapper producer in the game, period. And then Kanye's like kinda like upset. And he's like, what? And he goes, Why you guys say that, man, that's like saying I'm the best kid rapper in the game. He's like, Well, I say you're the best rapper producer in the game. He goes

I'm just a rapper. If I'm the 50th best rapper, just say he's the fiftieth best rapper. Don't call me the best rapper producer in the game. That's whack. All them a whack. I'm not that. I'm a rapper. And like Think about what's going on that moment, right? He's like fighting to get a record deal. Where most people are in desperation mode.

Like they'll take what they can get. And instead he's got this identity and the whole world is trying to pull him to just be a producer. 'Cause that's what's in it for them. Like. That's proven.

And that helps you know, helps them make hits and you know, you why aren't you just happy Pat you on your head and say you're a great producer. And he had this identity in his head so strong that I think ninety nine people out of a hundred in his position Would just become A

Producer. Because The whole world was pulling them in that direction and it was a faster clear path to success. And the money was there and the success was there and he didn't have to grind As hard.

as he did to try to prove himself as a rapper. But he had it in his head, No, I'm a rapper. And if I'm the fiftieth best rapper, I'd rather be the fiftieth best rapper than the best rapper producer. And I just it was such an example to me of like People. Will stay consistent with their identity. And so you kinda gotta ask yourself, like, what is my identity? Like

If I said Sam are you What's your job, Sam? What do you do? Uh, right now my job is I do podcast. If I just say what what like who are you? What do you do for work? What do you do for a living? Uh

I'm a business person. Okay. You're a business person. So if all of a sudden I it it doesn't matter what HubSpot offers you, right? Like okay, you're vesting out your deal. You you that's great. But let's say any company comes to you and say, Sam, we'd like to make you the vice president of marketing operations at biggest company in the world and you're gonna get this and that.

You're not gonna do it because it's not consistent with your identity. You're like I'm I'm a business person. I'm an entrepreneur. So entrepreneur I can't be an employee if I'm an entrepreneur. There's just not They're two separate things. And like in the same way, you know, you' if you're not gonna do heroin because you're not you're somebody who doesn't do heroin. You don't even have to weigh the pros and cons of it.

It's just really not a discussion for you. It's not part of who you are. It's not like I'm trying not to do it. It's no, I just I don't do that. I do do this and I don't do that. And so those lines you draw for yourself are so important on identity. And I would argue so there there's this book called Four Eight Laws of Power. Have you read it? No.

But I've heard of it. It's awesome. So he's got this one chapter. Where he says you always have to reinvent yourself. And he gives a bunch of examples about that. And the reason why you want to reinvent yourself is the person who you can't peg down typically can become the most powerful because there's something about changing yourself that it does a couple things. First, this whole act as if thing, it's real. So if you like act like you're gonna be an expert

artist or something and you work hard, you're you can eventually become that but you kinda gotta act as if Second, it kind of reinforces habits. So you see like, no, I'm a healthy person, therefore I don't do unhealthy things. And third, it gives you this aura of mystery. And people who have mysteries surrounding them typically are powerful. Right. And uh and and there's a ton of uh good examples about this, like a really interesting and easy one because she does it so Clearly is Lady Gaga.

So like oftentimes she'll reinvent herself. So at first she was this like kinda just normal, like white lady playing on the piano, if you see her like when she's a little bit younger. Then she becomes like this weirdo person where she like puts meat on her body. Then she transforms and becomes um She starts playing jazz with Tony Bennett. You're like, what the heck? Lady Gaga's doing that? What the hell is that? Now she's like is just got done doing some acting and she was a great actor. So like constantly reinventing themselves. I think Arnold Schwarzenegger has done a really good job at that. Yeah, you just you've gotta reinvent yourself consistently.

And Kanye has done that, where he's actually changed himself. And I think inventing reinventing yourself, you actually need to make the decision. You gotta be like I am this. Now I am that. Exactly. And then you're gonna choose that identity. And after a while then you could be like All right, great. I that season was this season had a beginning and a middle and now it's come to the end. What's the next season of me? And you can actually pick and choose what those inventions are.

And I've when I read that when I was a a little bit younger, that kinda changed my perspective on things. Last up we've got a clip from the Andrew Wilkinson episode. That's another legendary episode. I know I sound like a broken record, but another one you should go back and listen to. And on this one, Andrew, Sam, and Sean are talking about why some people are able to have just success after success, hit after hit, and what enables that and what it takes to get to that place.

You Andrew, I feel like you've reached this point. And um I used to be like, How did these motherfuckers do this? Where I remember I was doing a startup. It was so hard to get my one thing to work and then I would meet people who were like

Oh yeah, so I have that past success, then I have my current success, and then here's my three side successes. Then oh yeah, I had this idea and then we just started doing it, and then guess what? The line's out the door, and then this other one, it's like kind of cool. We just started it, you know, like I accidentally, you know, my hand just fell on my keyboard and I accidentally wrote this app. It was amazing, it went viral. And then this other thing that I just tweeted about, and then this all coming together nicely. And I just remember being like, what? W do they know something I don't know? Is there just like extreme luck component? And I felt that way for many years, five, six years straight when I was pushing the bowl up the hill with my startup.

And then I now have experienced exactly what The thing that I was most jealous of and I have no idea what switched in between Where like the last five things I've tried have all worked and all worked. Pretty much immediately.

And then it doesn't matter how big or small, like, you know, w whether it's like uh the the podcast or the course or Um you know, the uh my e commerce business or my the new Milk Road newsletter business, like Each of these has just worked straight away in a bigger way than anything I'd ever done before. Um With less work and less stress than like the old stuff I used to do. And I have no idea

What changed? I have a kind of an inkling, but I I don't really know. Sam have you Are you what I'm talking about? And what do you think about it? I know ex I know exactly what you're talking about, and I completely agree. You're on a roll right now. Um and what's your inkling? I I have a feeling of my my my my answer is it's kinda like sh a shitty, it's like a mindset, like abundance attitude and being on all being on offense versus defense, but what's your what's your What's your inkling? So my inkling is that I

switched up my situation. So like I was in one situation for a very long time. Like And it was a nice situation. It was a very nice situation. But it was like where I was going to this office every day, working with these people in this hierarchy. With this boundary box of like What project or projects we can work on.

And like what success might look like. And as soon as I got out of that and I was just me, I was like, Oh, okay, so now that it's just me that I have to look out for I guess I could just do a podcast. I didn't have to have like this big venture billion dollar outcome. I didn't have twenty engineers to go tell what to do. I had no engineers. So I just did what I could do with no engineers, which was like I'll do a A podcast. I'll do a course. I'll do I'll just try to get big on Twitter. Let's just see what happens. And Oh, you know, like five tweets go viral and boom, got two hundred thousand followers. It's like

There's these things that I just wasn't doing before because I think before I had a really set thing of like here's what I need to do Like here's the only way to win. And I had like Almost too much Amo I had like too many people.

At my disposal too much funding, too much everything. And because of that, I could I had a very narrow window of what could work. And so I was just trying to come up with ideas that might work versus Oh, let me just try this because I th I'm I just kinda wanna try it. And then when once I got into I just kinda wanna try it and I didn't have it I didn't have to worry about what other people thought or it

I didn't have to come in and manage anybody in the w uh that day and tell them what to do. I didn't have like investors to go pitch to. I just did the thing. And then all of a sudden I feel like you know sort of like All the talents that and skills that I had been building up over the past ten years, like Finally got to just do them.

Yeah. Don't you think it's like dating or something though, where it's like you you know, you date a couple crazy girls and it's really exhilarating. And then over time you're like wow, that was horrible. And there's pattern matching. You're like, okay, when I go to a restaurant and a girl's rude to the waiter. That's a no. Right. And in the same way with business, you go, Oh, okay, like I used to think I wanted to build all these kinds of businesses. But those were 10 foot hurdles. I don't want to jump 10 foot hurdles. I want to jump one foot hurdles. And so if you think about it, all the stuff you're doing, they're in your you know circle of competence and they're relatively simple to execute. They don't require a lot of people. They don't require funding. I think learning that is like a 15 year overnight success kind of thing.

Where it just clicks suddenly and I'll catch myself occasionally getting pulled down rabbit trails of like Oh, what if I did this crazy, you know, drone AI startup, whatever, but then I always go back to base hits. And there's this third component of of confidence. And so I think that because of like my work, I've been more confident and I understand like Well, if I invest a dollar here, I think I can make at least uh three dollars the next two years. So like just understanding how machines like money making machines work, investments. But then also I think Sean, because the way you get to hang out with p we hang out with each other, we hang out with Andrew, we hang out with our circle of friends, we hang out with all the people we've had speak at our events, we hang out with our um Podcast guests. It becomes more normal.

Like succeeding has become far more normal than not succeeding actually. And not succeeding is just like Oh yeah, it's gonna happen, but then you just move on and do the next thing and it's like and then inevitably it works. So it's not if it's or it's not when, it's if And I think that confidence has actually helped a ton. Where So for example now, if someone wants to like

Real estate's an an an easy one because it's so predictable. But with real estate, you're like, Oh man, putting a hundred thousand dollars down on this house is a lot of money. That's a You know, that's six figures. It's like, Well, dude, but it's gonna make twelve percent. It's like well I don't know that and I'm like, Yeah, I know, but it's gonna do that. So you actually wanna invest more. So like That confidence of just knowing the motions and knowing the routine and process has actually helped a lot.

All right, that's it for this week. Thanks very much for tuning in and have a great weekend. Light. I feel like I can rule the world, I know I can be what I want to I put my law in it like my day song On the road less travel never looking back