Full Transcript for Creating Income Mobility and Freedom with Jason Stapleton

had all that money coming from one customer, would you feel safe? Or do you think you'd be waking up at 3:00 in the morning sweating bullets, going, "Man, I hope I don't lose this customer"? Right. 30 00:04:48.900 --> 00:04:55.600 That's what most employed people are dealing with, even though they don't know it. It feels safe, but it's really not. And so- Right... 31 00:04:55.640 --> 00:05:03.280 in order to kinda bridge this gap, I really think entrepreneurship is gonna become something that is, uh, that we're all doing in one form or fashion. 32 00:05:03.620 --> 00:05:14.140 And then last but not least, and that kinda focus is on what we wanna talk about today, is to make that business mobile, um- Mm... by i- investing your time in business activities that can be done anywhere. 33 00:05:14.580 --> 00:05:25.040 A- and that's what I've been doing now for about the past 15 years or so. A- and what I do today is I help, uh, early-stage entrepreneurs, that would be people under $500,000 a year. 34 00:05:25.100 --> 00:05:29.860 It doesn't matter how long you've been in business. If you're less than half a million, then we're kind of in that early stage. 35 00:05:30.300 --> 00:05:38.820 I help them build digital businesses that are going to help them ge- attain the autonomy and the income mobility that they're really after. That's, that's what I do. 36 00:05:38.860 --> 00:05:50.160 And then for higher-end clients, we do a whole bunch of other marketing and branding stuff that I, I probably left for another time. [laughs] You know, it's amazing as you're talking, because it's really funny. 37 00:05:50.260 --> 00:05:58.620 Um, the people that listen to me regularly know that I, I made this, uh, this confession about a year ago. Um, so prior to the pandemic, 38 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:12.076 almost 100% of my business income came from me getting on an airplane, flying somewhere in the world- Mm... to train people. To be better leaders and salespeople. And I knew that wasn't where I needed to be. 39 00:06:12.216 --> 00:06:23.316 I knew I needed to be more diverse. But as I kind of, uh, explain it all, you know, when you're being fed constantly, and I had, I had worked really hard to get to that point, you know, I'd, uh, increased my fees. 40 00:06:23.416 --> 00:06:28.836 I was, you know, demanding what I, you know, wanted and what I knew I was paid for, you know, what was the right value. 41 00:06:29.736 --> 00:06:40.256 And I had all these things that I wanted to do, but I was so busy being fed and, and then, you know, serving up those meals, that I didn't take stock of what the next step was. And, 42 00:06:41.196 --> 00:06:49.716 and so same thing with people who, you know, have worked, who are working for one company right now. You're thinking, "Okay, this could never end." Or maybe now most people know it could end. 43 00:06:50.056 --> 00:06:59.896 Many people have seen it has ended. You know, how do I protect myself? And actually, um, you know, this last year was the best thing that could have happened for my business. I mean, it sucked, you know, without a doubt. 44 00:07:00.316 --> 00:07:10.676 But it was the best thing because it forced me to change... All the things that I'd wanted to do, I finally had to do, and I feel so much... I sleep so much better now. 45 00:07:11.055 --> 00:07:20.296 Even though we haven't recovered financially from that lost year, um, I can see where it's going, and I see how it's going to be much more sustainable. And so now that I... 46 00:07:20.616 --> 00:07:30.896 I think I told you in the beginning, it's interesting the mix of my followers on this podcast because three years ago, 80% of them were mid-career to mid-level sales managers. 47 00:07:31.296 --> 00:07:34.636 Um, not all in sales, but, you know, the vast b- v- uh, percentage. 48 00:07:34.996 --> 00:07:53.136 And now more than 60% of my followers are entrepreneurs, and the individual people haven't changed so much, but what they're doing to protect themselves and to have a, their side hustle become their full-time gig or really considering or buying into a franchise or something that they're doing, now they're making the transition. 49 00:07:53.176 --> 00:07:56.656 And it's really interesting to see that dynamic because I think people... 50 00:07:57.796 --> 00:08:07.116 I know I had a lot of people reach out to me and say, "Thank you for sharing the fact you lost, you know, 100% of your business overnight because it really reminds me of, you know, we have to, we have to look at this differently." 51 00:08:07.176 --> 00:08:13.596 I'm like, "Yeah, you're welcome. I did that on purpose just for you guys." [laughs] Yep. 52 00:08:13.636 --> 00:08:31.956 But it really is, it r- there really is, um, there really is great opportunity when you're thinking ahead of how to be diverse, how to have, you know, the money that's made in your sleep, how to make your business sustainable and ongoing so you're not always driving it, you know, every day of your life, that it's all dependent on you. 53 00:08:32.276 --> 00:08:35.616 Mm-hmm. But that you also know that it's gonna feed you more sustainably over time. 54 00:08:35.996 --> 00:08:45.036 Yeah, and I, and I think that's, that's an important point you make, is that I, I think a lot of times, especially with people who are new to entrepreneurship or, or if you're younger, you don't have a lot of money. 55 00:08:45.516 --> 00:08:52.136 Um, I've always said money only matters to people who don't have any. Yeah. A- a- and after that, it becomes about something other than the money. Yeah. 56 00:08:52.176 --> 00:09:00.576 And the reality is, is I think what we're all after is, is a form of freedom, uh, that I, that I refer to as total autonomy. I mean, in a perfect world, what would we have? 57 00:09:00.636 --> 00:09:11.876 We'd be able to do what we want, when we want, with who we want, where we want, on our terms, without care or concern for the cost, right? Yep.

That's total autonomy. Well, that looks different for different people. 58 00:09:12.276 --> 00:09:21.576 For you, you doing what you want, when you want, where you want, with who you want might be up in the mountains in a cabin, and you don't need, uh, a, a million and a half dollars a year in order to do that, right? 59 00:09:21.616 --> 00:09:31.316 Mm-hmm. But what you do need is you need income mobility so that if things become a, a, a, unpermissible in your environment, that you can go somewhere else. And 60 00:09:32.256 --> 00:09:42.236 the only way to have that level of autonomy is to actually own your own piece of it. And so what I try and get across to people is we're not after g- gazillions of dollars. If that's what you want, great, go after that. 61 00:09:42.636 --> 00:09:53.376 But I built a business where I, you know, millions and millions and millions of dollars a year and multiple employees and, uh, we, we had clients in 110 different countries. It was exhausting. Yeah. 62 00:09:53.436 --> 00:09:57.336 I don't, I don't want that life anymore. I don't want that business anymore. Yeah. 63 00:09:57.356 --> 00:10:07.916 What I want are a group of people that I really enjoy spending time with, um, and a business that allows me the freedom to go anywhere I want in the world and still continue to operate that business. Yeah. 64 00:10:07.976 --> 00:10:16.516 Um, my fiance and I are talking about getting, renting one of those big touring RVs and just traveling the country. Yes. Um, going to Spain or to Paris for a year. 65 00:10:16.636 --> 00:10:26.355 Th- those are all things that I get to do because my lifestyle and my income affords me the ability. I mean, shoot, I get to live here in California, where most people vacation for a living, right? Right. 66 00:10:26.376 --> 00:10:37.976 They come here to vacation. I live here because I have the financial means to do it, and I, I have the ability to, if necessary, just, uh, go spend time other- elsewhere. Yeah, absolutely. 67 00:10:38.016 --> 00:10:44.936 And I know, you know, we'll dive down a little bit deeper into this kind of nomadic concept, which I love. But I just wanna throw something at you and see whether or not you think this is... 68 00:10:44.976 --> 00:10:55.316 It just popped into my head, and this was a stat that came out about a year before the pandemic hit. But I remember about a year and a half ago, um, that there was a report that said by 2050, 69 00:10:56.296 --> 00:10:59.276 50% of Americans will be self-employed. 70 00:10:59.656 --> 00:11:10.036 So they'll be entrepreneurs, they'll be, you know, gig workers, they're whatev- you know, whatever it is, which I think it'll be curious to me whether that number changes because of COVID because I've seen so many people. 71 00:11:10.116 --> 00:11:15.756 I mean, obviously there's been people who've lost their businesses, and there's been a lot of other unfortunate challenges. 72 00:11:15.796 --> 00:11:23.516 But I think it's really prompted people who've been on the fence of, "I'm gonna, you know, I'm going to be responsible for my own future," to really make that leap. 73 00:11:23.576 --> 00:11:33.456 So, uh, you know, I think, my gut tells me we might see that sooner than 2050. What are your thoughts on that? Yeah, I, I wouldn't be surprised for, for more than just those reasons. 74 00:11:33.516 --> 00:11:38.576 Certainly COVID has helped to, to kind of improve it or, uh, uh, is to speed up that transitionary process. 75 00:11:38.636 --> 00:11:47.216 But also regulation and requirements on businesses are gonna cause people to be like, "Dude, I don't wanna hire people anymore." Yeah. "I want contract labor instead of employees." Yeah. 76 00:11:47.236 --> 00:11:52.136 And that's gonna open up, continue to open up an entirely new world for people to do freelance work. Yeah. 77 00:11:52.216 --> 00:12:00.636 And, um, a- and so I think that those things are gonna happen no matter what, and I think 50% is, i- i- is probably on the low end eventually. 78 00:12:00.656 --> 00:12:07.764 And here's another thing I'll, I'll just mention, is that one of the responses that I get frequently is, "Well, Jason, not everybody can be an entrepreneur." And 79 00:12:08.824 --> 00:12:15.724 that's such an incredibly sor- short-sighted belief system, uh, uh- Yeah... that has no basis in reality. Because if you look- Yeah... 80 00:12:15.744 --> 00:12:20.964 pre-industrial age, you're talking like, you know, pre-1900, virtually everyone was an entrepreneur. 81 00:12:21.244 --> 00:12:31.344 Everyone worked in the fields in an agri- in an agrarian culture, or they worked as an apprentice until they gained the skills that they needed to open up their own store or their own- Right... blacksmithing shop, right? 82 00:12:31.764 --> 00:12:40.564 So this idea that, "Oh, I can't be an entrepreneur, I have to have somebody else, you know, find the business for me and drum it up," is a fallacy. Uh, and it's a dangerous one at that. Yeah. 83 00:12:40.584 --> 00:12:50.784 And so if you buy into this concept that we're all entrepreneurs, then the next thing is to shed any belief that, "Oh, but not you," because it is you. [laughs] I- it's you whether you wanna accept it or not. 84 00:12:50.804 --> 00:12:59.064 And- Yeah... and the more pe- the faster you accept it, uh, the, the more time you're gonna have to make the transition. 'Cause here's the thing, this is literally, 85 00:13:00.044 --> 00:13:08.304 I, and I don't say this lightly, because a lot of people make this claim. It is literally the best time in the life to, uh, best time in history to be alive. It has never been- Yeah... easier. It's never been cheaper. 86 00:13:08.564 --> 00:13:17.304 We've never had more access globally. I mean, what we're doing right now wasn't possible 10 years ago. We could not- No... have sat here and done a video conference call like this on a podcast. 87 00:13:17.784 --> 00:13:29.484 So, uh, opportunity abounds and,

and you can do it at, with, uh, at minimal amount of risk. And so I, I, it really excites me to talk about this stuff and share it with people. Yeah, and it's interesting to me too. 88 00:13:29.564 --> 00:13:40.444 I actually own two businesses now, and the second one came, uh, through from the pandemic, but not because of the pandemic, just because, uh, I fi- you know, I opened my eyes to something new. 89 00:13:40.484 --> 00:13:47.344 'Cause my whole team is based in Kenya. Mm. And that happens from a long crazy situation from a client I worked with, and I got to know people. 90 00:13:47.864 --> 00:13:57.424 And, you know, during the pandemic, I went from having two remote employees in Kenya to eight. Um, so in a time where I lost all my income, I increased all my, you know, people. 91 00:13:57.804 --> 00:14:05.404 But it's allowed me to do things with my business that I'd never thought of. And then people kept asking me, "How do you, how do you have all these people? I want somebody," you know? 92 00:14:05.444 --> 00:14:15.184 And so we started a second business where we're connecting people. And what it's interesting to me is the ability, to your point, you know, you can grow and scale your businesses too. 93 00:14:15.224 --> 00:14:19.164 You can have a s- business and be your own person and not have to grow it. You can grow and scale. 94 00:14:19.184 --> 00:14:28.544 There's so many more opportunities because of how smaller we're making the world by video chat and different communication tools. So the opportunities are incredibly great. 95 00:14:29.344 --> 00:14:32.644 Um, and I don't think there's any magic sauce to being an e- entrepreneur. 96 00:14:32.784 --> 00:14:47.704 I mean, obviously you have to be willing to take some risk, but it's, it's really not any riskier, to your point, than getting up every day and putting on a suit and tie or high heels and trying to go into the office and try and make it when you don't know whether or not the company you work for will be open tomorrow. 97 00:14:48.104 --> 00:14:58.824 Yeah. It's, it's scary to think that you are solely responsible for all of your income, for everything that happens to you, that there's nobody to lay blame on because you're- [laughs]... the buck stops with you. 98 00:14:58.884 --> 00:15:05.184 I mean, those are real- Yeah... that's, I think that keeps more people from trying than anything else, is the- Yeah... fear of failure and humiliation. 99 00:15:05.704 --> 00:15:11.804 But what I think people need to understand is, is that you're putting yourself at, at, at re- you're really jeopardizing your future. 100 00:15:11.844 --> 00:15:22.424 You're, you're putting yourself at undue risk by not choosing this path rather than, rather than choosing to move into entrepreneurship because y- y- any day, you're, you're, you have no control. 101 00:15:22.464 --> 00:15:28.064 You have no control over how they run the company. You have no control over the, the decisions and choices that they make. 102 00:15:28.464 --> 00:15:35.924 And there is a bit of a learning curve, but it, it's, uh, the great thing about it, again, in the, in the world that we live in, is there are people like you and me- Mm... 103 00:15:35.964 --> 00:15:45.124 who aren't just, who aren't just teaching the stuff. It's not like we work for a college, but we're actively engaged in the work that we are teaching others how to do. Yeah. 104 00:15:45.184 --> 00:15:55.464 So, you know, podcasting and business development to sales an- and influence and marketing, all of that stuff. I do that every single day of my life, a- and I help other people do it too. 105 00:15:56.044 --> 00:16:06.524 A- and so it's, as I said, the risk for entering that market, the cost of learning the skills necessary to thrive are, are getting cheaper and cheaper. Yeah. I agree. 106 00:16:06.564 --> 00:16:13.064 And, and I know what we're gonna talk about when we come back from the break too, is the ability to go and do this anywhere, and I, I, uh, loved it. 107 00:16:13.124 --> 00:16:23.804 We, my husband and I spent three and a half months in Florida, you know, this last fall, which I'd never done before, but because he didn't have to be in his office, and, you know, I obviously can work anywhere with my company. 108 00:16:23.824 --> 00:16:29.204 It was, it was great, and I think it's a real freeing moment that most people haven't really thought about how that plays. 109 00:16:29.244 --> 00:16:40.204 So we're gonna take a quick break here from our sponsor, and we'll be right back to dive down deeper with that. 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And we are back with Jason Stapleton. 118 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:32.580 We are talking all things, um, entrepreneurship and really taking this, this jump and so the, uh, you know, the theme of the month is pack your bags, so getting people excited about travel again. 119 00:18:32.900 --> 00:18:41.760 But what I really love about your concept, and I want you to talk about some places that you've been, 'cause I know you've been nomadic in your career, so I definitely want some place that you think everyone should go. 120 00:18:41.800 --> 00:18:53.900 But I'd really like to dive deeper in this concept of, you know, getting people to understand that being an entrepreneur, unless you have a donut shop [laughs] somewhere that you have to be there and make the donuts, [laughs] 121 00:18:53.940 --> 00:19:01.200 you know, many of the ways to be an entrepreneur today means you can do it anywhere. You can have a nomadic lifestyle. 122 00:19:01.580 --> 00:19:09.140 But I think that even people who, you know, have gotten used to some remote working the last year, even if they've snuck away for a little bit, they felt guilty. 123 00:19:09.180 --> 00:19:16.740 Like, "I'm not in the same city, and, uh, is my employer gonna wor- worry about that? Or would my clients worry about that?" Talk a little bit about this, 'cause this has been... 124 00:19:16.920 --> 00:19:21.420 You know, you've been-- You've lived this life in a lot of ways and, and I know you really promote it now. 125 00:19:21.480 --> 00:19:32.740 So, you know, how can you tempt people to say, "Look, not only can I say maybe we're gonna get an RV and travel the country, but this is really an opportunity to change your entire life"? Well, yeah. 126 00:19:32.780 --> 00:19:40.200 And, uh, well, first of all, you've got to want to do that. Mm. And so some people, that, that idea is not even appealing to them. They're homebodies. They don't wanna go anywhere. Yeah. 127 00:19:40.220 --> 00:19:50.500 And so the first thing I would say is for you, uh, don't worry about that piece of it, but the idea of income mobility is important for more reasons than that. It, it has to do with tax implications. It has to do- Mm... 128 00:19:50.520 --> 00:19:56.980 with, uh, civil unrest. We've seen a lot of... I, I mean, it just feels like our country is more divisive than it's ever been. Mm. 129 00:19:57.100 --> 00:20:06.140 And, and God forbid, there may be some day when it's just not safe for us or for other reasons, it's just not... We can't, we can't stay here anymore. Yeah. 130 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:12.600 Well, I don't want my family, my kids to be stuck here because of the bad decisions somebody else makes. Yeah. 131 00:20:12.620 --> 00:20:18.340 And so that's the primarily, if you're not, if this appe- this nomadic life doesn't appeal to you, that's really important to understand. Yeah. 132 00:20:18.360 --> 00:20:25.600 But beyond that, um, I was in the Marines a- as a, I did special operations work for the Marines, uh, way back when, like 20 years ago. 133 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:33.480 And, and after I got out from doing that, I went to work as a, uh, as a private contractor. I did high-threat security work for the US State Department. 134 00:20:33.560 --> 00:20:45.200 I worked with the provincial reconstruction team that did, built bridges and roads and stuff in, in post-war Iraq and Afghanistan. And, uh, throughout that process, I kinda got to travel around the world. 135 00:20:45.260 --> 00:20:54.340 I was in some really nasty places, and I was in some great places. And when I, when I decided to leave that business, I said, "Well, I, I don't wanna leave that piece behind. I like traveling. 136 00:20:54.440 --> 00:21:04.580 I like the freedom of being able to go, and I like the money that I was paid to do that work." And so- Mm... um, I had been... W- when you're contracting, you've got a lot of two things, money and time. 137 00:21:05.040 --> 00:21:09.920 And so I spent my time learning how to invest my money and how to trade my money, and I got really good at it. 138 00:21:09.960 --> 00:21:22.580 And so I end up starting an education company that taught people how to do that, and it got really big, uh, really fast. And I realized, man, this is a perfect business because it's all remote. 139 00:21:22.680 --> 00:21:34.020 I work completely online with people. Now, back then, if we wanted to put, you know, 500 people on a, on a call, it cost us $10,000. But now- Mm. Mm... we can do it for three, you know, 14 bucks a month. Right. 140 00:21:34.060 --> 00:21:37.800 So it was more expensive to get into that business- Yeah... but it, it, not impossible. 141 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:46.440 And, and so as the company grew, I started focusing more and more of my time on business growth and less time on actually teaching and educating. 142 00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:53.760 And so I hired people to do that work for me, uh, students of mine, and I really focused all my time and attention on growing the business. 143 00:21:54.220 --> 00:22:04.000 And w- what I learned from that, when I got tired of that business and decided to make a change, uh, it was a perfect transition to say, "Listen, I'm not losing the nomadic part of my life. 144 00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:11.000 I like being able to pick up and go. Um, but I wanna help other people achieve this same, this same goal and, and this same lifestyle." 145 00:22:11.260 --> 00:22:19.080 And so that was, that's what drove me into, into the current, uh, the current business that I'm in. Um, but I, I mean, we go to Mexico quite frequently. We just got back. 146

00:22:19.140 --> 00:22:29.220 Like, one funny thing that happened with us is I tried to get on a phone call to do this last week and, and of course, uh, my schedule was messed up because my fiance had, uh, her mother had a pacemaker put in. Mm-hmm. 147 00:22:29.240 --> 00:22:38.460 And she had to go up and, and help her mom out for about 10 days, and she said, "Do you wanna come with?" I said, "Sure." We packed up a mobile studio kit that I've got. Yeah. We go up to- Yeah... Northern California. 148 00:22:38.740 --> 00:22:46.900 Nothing changes. Money doesn't- Yeah... stop coming in. We can go. I spend half a day working. We spend half a day on the golf course or walking and, you know, going to lunches. 149 00:22:47.380 --> 00:22:53.420 That's the kinda lifestyle that you can build when you focus the business on nomadic activity. 150 00:22:53.460 --> 00:23:07.380 And, and the last thing I'll say about it, for those of you who own businesses, but they're kinda like traditional brick-and-mortar businesses, one of the easiest ways for you to start creating that, that, that mobile income is to take what you do and teach it to somebody else. 151 00:23:07.780 --> 00:23:20.420 Mm-hmm. Um, it is, it's a rare situation for me to find somebody who runs a traditional brick-and-mortar business who cannot make as much or more money teaching other people how to do that successfully. Yeah. 152 00:23:20.460 --> 00:23:30.760 Because the, uh, the odds of successfully mastering an entrepreneurial business are, are small. You know? Mm-hmm. It always, that 50% of the businesses will be gone in five years, something like that. Yep. Yeah. 153 00:23:30.800 --> 00:23:34.920 And, and so, you know, i- there's lots of people who want what you got. 154 00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:43.160 They want the freedom a- of owning their own business, uh, but they don't have the skill, and that's where you can step in and start creating that income. 155 00:23:43.220 --> 00:23:53.700 I've, I've got a, a dental client right now doing phenomenally well, and she has a dental practice that helps people with, uh, uh, sleep, for, uh, sleep, uh, apnea. Mm-hmm. 156 00:23:53.740 --> 00:23:57.560 And she's d- they've developed a new system that you don't have to wear the big mask anymore. Oh, yeah. 157 00:23:57.640 --> 00:24:07.940 And she has increased her business significantly by doing this, and she just started a business teaching other practices, other dentists how to employ- Yeah... this in their practice. Yeah. 158 00:24:07.980 --> 00:24:12.740 Is making a killing doing this. Um, it's that easy. And, and again- Absolutely... 159 00:24:12.760 --> 00:24:22.656 there are plenty of people out there who can help explain it to you a- and give you some guidance on it Which is another, um, you know, follow-up to what you said before is there's never been a better time to do this. 160 00:24:22.776 --> 00:24:32.256 Because- Never... now there are so many people in the business of helping you be great at

your business, and especially, uh, you know, micro-niche, you know, um, opportunities like that. 161 00:24:32.716 --> 00:24:44.356 And when you take advantage of them b- because of your special, your expertise, it can be incredibly profitable, but really, really satisfying, and a lot more fun [laughs] than when you were in there making the donuts yourself. 162 00:24:44.356 --> 00:24:52.796 [laughs] Man, helping people's fun. I mean, I- it's funny, I... It's, this sounds so cheesy, but I get to wake up every day and help people get what they want. That's my job- Yeah... 163 00:24:52.836 --> 00:25:02.336 is to help people get what they want a- and to do it with the least amount of a- headache and overwhelm as possible. Dude, that's a really satisfying world to live in. Tha- I, I don't- Yeah... 164 00:25:02.376 --> 00:25:12.916 I don't have a single client I don't enjoy spending time with, because if they're terrible people, I get rid of them. Yep. And, a- and it's just, it's a really great, it's a really great way to spend your working days. 165 00:25:12.916 --> 00:25:18.696 [laughs] I love it when I fire clients, it's always fun. [laughs] You're like, "Yeah." 166 00:25:18.756 --> 00:25:27.036 It's, it's, it's rare, because I, I think, you know, when you build a good brand around it, people kinda know who you are before they come to you. Yeah. And there's a, a lot of, uh, synergy there. 167 00:25:27.116 --> 00:25:34.116 But occasionally you get somebody who's just way more trouble than, than- Ah... than they're worth. And you just gotta say, "Listen-" And then you're like, "Yeah." You're like-... "This isn't working out"... 168 00:25:34.136 --> 00:25:42.656 "Jason, it's not me, it's you." That's right. [laughs] It's not me, it's you. [laughs] Like, I, I have plenty of clients, but you're just not a good fit. And, and truthfully, sometimes that's what's right. 169 00:25:42.776 --> 00:25:50.116 They're just not a good fit for you. And so that's another thing to remember. Well, before we get to the end, I know you've traveled a lot of places in the world. 170 00:25:50.176 --> 00:26:00.636 What's one place that you've been to that you think that everyone should consider, um, putting on their bucket travel list? Oh, I love London. I know that's, that's kind of a weird thing to say, but it's, it's- Mm-hmm... 171 00:26:00.696 --> 00:26:10.256 it's old enough that you really feel like there's a ton of history there. The people there are really wonderful people. Um, and- Yes... and go to France, and it's kinda like, eh, you don't really know. 172 00:26:10.276 --> 00:26:19.076 Like, nobody likes the French. But i- i- in, in London, the people are so great, and, um, it's, it's relatively inexpensive, uh, as a place to live. Yeah. 173 00:26:19.076 --> 00:26:28.216 A- and then if you go down to, say, Belize is another beautiful area. I don't like the humidity as much, which is why I live in Southern California instead of in Mexico- Mm-hmm... or, or in Panama or

Costa Rica. 174 00:26:28.776 --> 00:26:38.656 Uh- Right... but, uh, you know, th- those are great places, some of my favorite places to go. And, and we're gonna be going to Greece for the first time here l- early next year, so spending- Mm-hmm... 175 00:26:38.716 --> 00:26:45.956 a, well, I don't know, a week or a month, however long we decide to after the wedding. And, uh, and that's gonna be another great adventure that we can go on. 176 00:26:45.996 --> 00:26:52.536 But the point is, I'll probably be doing some work while we're there, because there's no reason to s- It doesn't take a lot of time. Uh- Right... 177 00:26:52.576 --> 00:27:00.536 and so we'll, we'll continue the operation while we're out, and, you know, three, four hours a day we'll do some work, and then we'll go hang out the rest of the time. Yeah. 178 00:27:00.576 --> 00:27:10.056 So, um, the point is, is you kinda get to build the life that you want, the one that suits you. And the two... You really need a high income, and you need mobility. 179 00:27:10.136 --> 00:27:21.676 Those are the two things that you need, and if you can accomplish those two things, you're gonna be well on your path to do that, and the secret to doing that is constantly increasing those rare and specialized skills that give you value in an economy. 180 00:27:22.336 --> 00:27:27.596 Yep, absolutely. I love it. Um, before, I know we're gonna have some last words here too. 181 00:27:27.716 --> 00:27:35.476 We'll have all your contact information on the show notes, but just in case somebody wants to look you up right now, 'cause they're like, "I think Jason might be the one I wanna work with," what's the best way for them to find you? 182 00:27:36.376 --> 00:27:44.096 Uh, Jasonstapleton.com is one way. Uh, uh, kinda the first thing that I, I, uh, push people into is [laughs] if I push people into, that I suggest- [laughs]... 183 00:27:44.116 --> 00:27:52.316 people get involved with is, uh, is I do a daily email, and as much as people hate email, this one's actually pretty good, um, if I do say so myself. 184 00:27:52.336 --> 00:28:05.976 [laughs] It's, it takes about three minutes to read, and it all is about, um, entrepreneurship, a- marketing, branding, and, uh, and communication. And so, uh, you just go to dailyalchemy.me, dailyalchemy.me- Mm-hmm... 185 00:28:05.996 --> 00:28:13.116 and you can subscribe to that if it looks like something that interests you. And, you know, couple a, couple of months or couple of weeks, and if you don't like it, unsubscribe. 186 00:28:13.576 --> 00:28:24.556 Um, but I really do, I, I really spend a lot of time trying to make that a very personalized, uh, communication tool, where most people are using email just to blast people with offers. 187 00:28:24.676 --> 00:28:35.096 We, I, I really take care and consideration to, to deliver some real value inside of that newsletter. So I would push people to that too. But Jasonstapleton.com's fine too. Excellent. 188 00:28:35.355 --> 00:28:47.656 And before we go, what are your last words of wisdom or pearls of advice for my listeners and viewers? I say, d- don't be afraid. D- Take, take a chance. Take a risk. Um, what's the worst that could happen? 189 00:28:47.916 --> 00:28:57.536 Now, I have four kids, so I, when I say this, I really do understand it. [laughs] The worst that could happen is you go bankrupt, right? Yeah. And, and that, that's like, you, oh, just you lose everything, right? Yeah. 190 00:28:57.556 --> 00:29:11.456 But I think most people cling so tightly to the scraps that they've been handed and been thrown down, you know, that 60, 80, maybe $100,000 a year job that they really don't enjoy, but, "Eh, it's okay," gives them a good living. 191 00:29:11.776 --> 00:29:13.276 They cling so tightly to that. 192 00:29:13.316 --> 00:29:27.416 The, all the house, and the cars, and all these things that they miss out on, on an incredible, on an amazing life that you can only have if you're willing to take a little bit of risk and, uh, a- and, and, and really test, test their mantle. 193 00:29:27.496 --> 00:29:36.796 I, I believe that most people live in s- th- most people live a life of mediocrity, somewhere between total failure and their true potential. Mm-hmm. 194 00:29:36.816 --> 00:29:44.576 Because that's what feels the safest, and I would just encourage your audience, man, go for your true potential. Test the limits. Find out what you're worth and what you're made of. 195 00:29:44.956 --> 00:29:53.916 And at the end of your life when it's all over, whether you got millions of dollars and a lifestyle you want or you're penniless, you'll be like, "Man, I left it all on the table. I, I, it was all there." Mm-hmm. 196 00:29:53.916 --> 00:30:05.636 "I, I regret no decision because I wanted to see." And that's the way I've always lived my life, and, and I would encourage your audience to do the same. I love it. Jason, thank you so much for being my guest. 197 00:30:05.736 --> 00:30:15.356 I appreciate everything you've shared, and I am so glad we had you on. Thank you. Thank you for joining us today on another episode of the Shock Your Potential podcast. 198 00:30:15.776 --> 00:30:27.776 Learn more about us today at www.shockyourpotential.com, and follow along with the story of Operation Fred by checking out thefredchronicles.com. 199 00:30:27.896 --> 00:30:33.796 [outro music]