WEBVTT
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00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:12.860
[upbeat music] Welcome back to the Level Up Business podcast. I am JR Ley, and today I'm gonna ask you a very important question.
2
00:00:12.920 --> 00:00:20.580
It's a question that changed the trajectory of not just my life, but also the trajectory of my life as an entrepreneur. And that question is this:
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00:00:21.560 --> 00:00:35.100
If you had ten years left to build, to build something as an entrepreneur, what would you build differently? What if you had five years left to build? What if you had just a year left,
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00:00:36.020 --> 00:00:50.060
three hundred and sixty five days, twelve months to not just build, but twelve months to live? There is a Latin phrase that has shaped how I think about this. It's two words. It's memento mori.
5
00:00:50.290 --> 00:00:58.980
And if you're watching this on YouTube, you can see it on my shirt right now. And if you're not watching this on YouTube, go to YouTube, subscribe to the channel. I'd love to see you there.
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00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:15.760
And memento mori, it means remember your death. Not in this dark, scary way, but for me, memento mori has helped me to clarify, clarify my life as a, as a father, as a husband,
7
00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:30.620
as an entrepreneur, and, and that's why it's my life's motto. Because when you remember that our time here is finite, you stop asking about how you can do more, and you start simplifying. You start letting go.
8
00:01:30.720 --> 00:01:39.170
You start asking yourself the deeper questions like: What is worth keeping? What is worth sharing?
9
00:01:40.810 --> 00:01:47.720
And really, the, the, the big one that I've been hearing from entrepreneurs that I've been talking to is: What's worth leaving behind?
10
00:01:48.560 --> 00:02:00.400
Because if you're listening to this, if you're watching this, I'm, I'm gonna assume something about you. You are a visionary entrepreneur, and you have built something. You've built something meaningful. You've led,
11
00:02:01.700 --> 00:02:10.780
you have risked, you have failed, and that's why people come to you for advice because they trust you. They trust your judgment.
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00:02:12.500 --> 00:02:22.300
You're not just starting from zero, you have become a master at delegating and elevating, and that's why you've reached seven figures, maybe even, even eight figures in revenue.
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00:02:22.480 --> 00:02:36.460
Maybe you even have a plane like some people I know [chuckles]. But there's still some tension you feel. Your wisdom lives in conversations. It shows up in meetings.
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00:02:36.620 --> 00:02:47.320
It, it, it surfaces when someone asks you the right questions, and then it disappears. The impact you make is also real.
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00:02:48.720 --> 00:02:59.040
But the challenge is, is that the impact you make is dependent upon your availability and your accessibility, and, and let's be honest, your calendar is probably already booked in full.
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00:03:02.100 --> 00:03:18.420
We live in an age where knowledge is cheap. The age of AI, artificial intelligence, and if we've not learned one thing already, it's that things that are artificial, are they really that healthy for us?
17
00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:32.540
You know, artificial sweeteners, artificial, uh, smells, artificial flavors, artificial colors, ar- artificial dyes. And I'm not saying that AI is inherently bad or evil. It's just that
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00:03:33.860 --> 00:03:44.020
AI can generate knowledge, can generate content in seconds, and, and anyone now can position themselves as a, quote, unquote, "expert." Many are doing this right now.
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00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:58.640
You've probably seen them on LinkedIn, on TikTok, on Instagram, and that's because information is everywhere. And it's like, is, is the information being shared, is that providing clarity
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00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:10.500
or is that just increasing the noise and the confusion that a lot of people are feeling right now? And this is why I believe that expertise, quote, unquote, "is in danger of becoming extinct."
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00:04:10.600 --> 00:04:27.270
It's also why the wisdom you carry as an entrepreneur is different. Wisdom is earned. It is not found in some large language model. Wisdom is shaped. The wisdom you have
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00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:41.140
has been gained, earned through your lived, learned, and shared experiences. And most entrepreneurs I talk to, they don't lack wisdom, especially if they've been doing it for over a decade. They lack structure
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00:04:42.040 --> 00:04:57.140
on how to share it. So there are some, and it might be you, who've been thinking about sharing this wisdom, writing a book, speaking, because you want to share your wisdom, you want to share your story to help others.
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00:04:59.340 --> 00:05:12.300
They've outlined their ideas, they've written them down, but for some, the idea of disappearing for a year to write their book, it feels a little bit terrifying.
25
00:05:12.340 --> 00:05:28.610
It also feels misaligned because they don't want to become an influencer, they don't want to make up content for content sakes, and they don't want to perform. Some I've talked to have tried going solo on this journey,
26
00:05:29.870 --> 00:05:43.940
writing alone, burning the midnight oil, but they end up staring at a blank page. They, they just stare at the cursor on the screen because they're battling self-limiting beliefs in their minds. And as a result,
27
00:05:45.220 --> 00:05:55.920
their wisdom stays locked, their book stays trapped in their head, not because they lack discipline, but because no one has asked them the right questions on how to unlock the wisdom within them.
28
00:05:57.420 --> 00:06:09.960
So here's the reframe I have for you: You don't have to write your book. I want to say that again. You don't have to write your book Think for a moment how your wisdom was formed.
29
00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:20.620
It, the wisdom you gained, the wisdom you earned, it didn't come in, in isolation. It came through conversation. Conversations that you've had in the boardroom, conversations with your team over lunch,
30
00:06:22.300 --> 00:06:33.420
conversations with your kids around the kitchen table, maybe even a conversation with yourself on a long walk or run like I've done over the years. But the, the challenge with the conversation with yourself is
31
00:06:34.900 --> 00:06:45.600
you just run around in your own mind. You don't really get anywhere. Because think about the conversations that you've had with someone else for a moment. When someone asks you a question that stops you mid-sentence,
32
00:06:47.980 --> 00:07:05.580
and it helped you hear your own self think when you answered it. This is why wisdom, it's relational. So why wouldn't we unlock wisdom through conversations? Why do we struggle trying to unlock wisdom in isolation?
33
00:07:06.120 --> 00:07:18.440
Because the insights are already there. The wisdom is already there. It's just we, we don't have the structure. I wanna share something that a mentor told me long before I wrote my first book,
34
00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:31.400
and way longer before I started helping other entrepreneurs publish their books through podcast conversations. His name was David, and he told me this. David said, "You are already an author."
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00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:47.120
An author is not someone who writes words on a page. An author is an authority, someone who guides others by sharing what they have learned. You don't become an author when you publish a book.
36
00:07:47.240 --> 00:08:00.070
I think that's one of the biggest misconceptions around the idea of authorship. You become an author the moment that you stop withholding what could help someone else move forward on their own journey.
37
00:08:01.970 --> 00:08:13.310
So as we wrap up today, I wanna give you something that you can take action on right now. I wanna give you three questions that you can apply this week, not to write a book, but to get some clarity,
38
00:08:14.360 --> 00:08:19.580
to test whether or not there's a book already inside you that's just waiting to come out.
39
00:08:20.080 --> 00:08:27.680
Because if you've been on this entrepreneurial journey for over a decade, I know that there is wisdom within you, and questions are the key that can help you unlock it.
40
00:08:27.760 --> 00:08:41.540
So grab a pen, grab some paper, hit the pause button, and then write s- through these questions. The first question is this: What is the advice that you repeat most often?
41
00:08:41.700 --> 00:08:51.840
Think about the last ten conversations that you've had. What do you keep saying over and over and over again? This repetition is not random. It is a pattern.
42
00:08:52.640 --> 00:09:07.500
It is something to be aware of because that, that pattern, those patterns might just be a chapter. The second question is, where have you paid the highest tuition in your life?
43
00:09:09.040 --> 00:09:24.500
Not financial tuition, but experiential tuition. For example, what mistakes have cost you the most? What season of your life shaped you the most as an entrepreneur? Because wisdom usually lives where pain is processed.
44
00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:35.930
Because your pain that you feel has the potential to become a platform that helps others elevate. The mess that you have made, or the messes,
45
00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:49.560
and I'm thinking about myself here, that can become your message to inspire others. The tests and the trials, the tribulations that you've endu- endured, that becomes your testimony to give others hope.
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00:09:51.580 --> 00:10:02.560
So the final question is this. It, it, it loops back to what I was sharing before about memento mori. If your business disappeared tomorrow, if you disappeared tomorrow,
47
00:10:04.520 --> 00:10:15.600
what ideas, what insights, what wisdom would you still feel responsible to share? You could strip away the company, you could take away the revenue. What convictions remain?
48
00:10:15.640 --> 00:10:28.559
Because that's the core of your thesis, and if you can answer these three questions with clarity, with honesty, you're not short on wisdom. You've just simply been short on structure. Because here's what I've learned.
49
00:10:28.600 --> 00:10:38.680
Most entrepreneurs, they, they don't need more confidence. They just need better questions, and your impact doesn't have to stay dependent upon your availability and your accessibility.
50
00:10:39.760 --> 00:10:51.180
Your wisdom can travel without you, but it's not gonna organize itself. The wisdom is not gonna unlock itself. It starts with a conversation. It starts with questions to articulate what you have already learned.
51
00:10:51.240 --> 00:11:07.060
So here's the move you can make this week. Schedule an intentional conversation with someone you trust, a spouse, a partner, a friend, a colleague, and ask them to ask you,
52
00:11:08.520 --> 00:11:15.680
"Ask me about the lessons that I've learned along my entrepreneurial journey. Ask me about the hard lessons I've learned."
53
00:11:17.180 --> 00:11:31.560
And then just listen to yourself answer, because you're, you might surprise yourself, and you might realize you don't have to write a book. You just need to be asked the right questions to unlock it, to speak it,
54
00:11:33.020 --> 00:11:40.090
to share it, to amplify it. [upbeat music] Before we wrap up today, I wanna leave you with something.
55
00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:52.840
If today's episode resonates with you and you're feeling called to create an even bigger impact by sharing your wisdom, your story, your message, and your voice, take the first step and visit levelupbusiness.com.
56
00:11:53.840 --> 00:11:58.050
[upbeat music]
1
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:12.860
[upbeat music] Welcome back to the Level Up Business podcast. I am JR Ley, and today I'm gonna ask you a very important question.
2
00:00:12.920 --> 00:00:20.580
It's a question that changed the trajectory of not just my life, but also the trajectory of my life as an entrepreneur. And that question is this:
3
00:00:21.560 --> 00:00:35.100
If you had ten years left to build, to build something as an entrepreneur, what would you build differently? What if you had five years left to build? What if you had just a year left,
4
00:00:36.020 --> 00:00:50.060
three hundred and sixty five days, twelve months to not just build, but twelve months to live? There is a Latin phrase that has shaped how I think about this. It's two words. It's memento mori.
5
00:00:50.290 --> 00:00:58.980
And if you're watching this on YouTube, you can see it on my shirt right now. And if you're not watching this on YouTube, go to YouTube, subscribe to the channel. I'd love to see you there.
6
00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:15.760
And memento mori, it means remember your death. Not in this dark, scary way, but for me, memento mori has helped me to clarify, clarify my life as a, as a father, as a husband,
7
00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:30.620
as an entrepreneur, and, and that's why it's my life's motto. Because when you remember that our time here is finite, you stop asking about how you can do more, and you start simplifying. You start letting go.
8
00:01:30.720 --> 00:01:39.170
You start asking yourself the deeper questions like: What is worth keeping? What is worth sharing?
9
00:01:40.810 --> 00:01:47.720
And really, the, the, the big one that I've been hearing from entrepreneurs that I've been talking to is: What's worth leaving behind?
10
00:01:48.560 --> 00:02:00.400
Because if you're listening to this, if you're watching this, I'm, I'm gonna assume something about you. You are a visionary entrepreneur, and you have built something. You've built something meaningful. You've led,
11
00:02:01.700 --> 00:02:10.780
you have risked, you have failed, and that's why people come to you for advice because they trust you. They trust your judgment.
12
00:02:12.500 --> 00:02:22.300
You're not just starting from zero, you have become a master at delegating and elevating, and that's why you've reached seven figures, maybe even, even eight figures in revenue.
13
00:02:22.480 --> 00:02:36.460
Maybe you even have a plane like some people I know [chuckles]. But there's still some tension you feel. Your wisdom lives in conversations. It shows up in meetings.
14
00:02:36.620 --> 00:02:47.320
It, it, it surfaces when someone asks you the right questions, and then it disappears. The impact you make is also real.
15
00:02:48.720 --> 00:02:59.040
But the challenge is, is that the impact you make is dependent upon your availability and your accessibility, and, and let's be honest, your calendar is probably already booked in full.
16
00:03:02.100 --> 00:03:18.420
We live in an age where knowledge is cheap. The age of AI, artificial intelligence, and if we've not learned one thing already, it's that things that are artificial, are they really that healthy for us?
17
00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:32.540
You know, artificial sweeteners, artificial, uh, smells, artificial flavors, artificial colors, ar- artificial dyes. And I'm not saying that AI is inherently bad or evil. It's just that
18
00:03:33.860 --> 00:03:44.020
AI can generate knowledge, can generate content in seconds, and, and anyone now can position themselves as a, quote, unquote, "expert." Many are doing this right now.
19
00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:58.640
You've probably seen them on LinkedIn, on TikTok, on Instagram, and that's because information is everywhere. And it's like, is, is the information being shared, is that providing clarity
20
00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:10.500
or is that just increasing the noise and the confusion that a lot of people are feeling right now? And this is why I believe that expertise, quote, unquote, "is in danger of becoming extinct."
21
00:04:10.600 --> 00:04:27.270
It's also why the wisdom you carry as an entrepreneur is different. Wisdom is earned. It is not found in some large language model. Wisdom is shaped. The wisdom you have
22
00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:41.140
has been gained, earned through your lived, learned, and shared experiences. And most entrepreneurs I talk to, they don't lack wisdom, especially if they've been doing it for over a decade. They lack structure
23
00:04:42.040 --> 00:04:57.140
on how to share it. So there are some, and it might be you, who've been thinking about sharing this wisdom, writing a book, speaking, because you want to share your wisdom, you want to share your story to help others.
24
00:04:59.340 --> 00:05:12.300
They've outlined their ideas, they've written them down, but for some, the idea of disappearing for a year to write their book, it feels a little bit terrifying.
25
00:05:12.340 --> 00:05:28.610
It also feels misaligned because they don't want to become an influencer, they don't want to make up content for content sakes, and they don't want to perform. Some I've talked to have tried going solo on this journey,
26
00:05:29.870 --> 00:05:43.940
writing alone, burning the midnight oil, but they end up staring at a blank page. They, they just stare at the cursor on the screen because they're battling self-limiting beliefs in their minds. And as a result,
27
00:05:45.220 --> 00:05:55.920
their wisdom stays locked, their book stays trapped in their head, not because they lack discipline, but because no one has asked them the right questions on how to unlock the wisdom within them.
28
00:05:57.420 --> 00:06:09.960
So here's the reframe I have for you: You don't have to write your book. I want to say that again. You don't have to write your book Think for a moment how your wisdom was formed.
29
00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:20.620
It, the wisdom you gained, the wisdom you earned, it didn't come in, in isolation. It came through conversation. Conversations that you've had in the boardroom, conversations with your team over lunch,
30
00:06:22.300 --> 00:06:33.420
conversations with your kids around the kitchen table, maybe even a conversation with yourself on a long walk or run like I've done over the years. But the, the challenge with the conversation with yourself is
31
00:06:34.900 --> 00:06:45.600
you just run around in your own mind. You don't really get anywhere. Because think about the conversations that you've had with someone else for a moment. When someone asks you a question that stops you mid-sentence,
32
00:06:47.980 --> 00:07:05.580
and it helped you hear your own self think when you answered it. This is why wisdom, it's relational. So why wouldn't we unlock wisdom through conversations? Why do we struggle trying to unlock wisdom in isolation?
33
00:07:06.120 --> 00:07:18.440
Because the insights are already there. The wisdom is already there. It's just we, we don't have the structure. I wanna share something that a mentor told me long before I wrote my first book,
34
00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:31.400
and way longer before I started helping other entrepreneurs publish their books through podcast conversations. His name was David, and he told me this. David said, "You are already an author."
35
00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:47.120
An author is not someone who writes words on a page. An author is an authority, someone who guides others by sharing what they have learned. You don't become an author when you publish a book.
36
00:07:47.240 --> 00:08:00.070
I think that's one of the biggest misconceptions around the idea of authorship. You become an author the moment that you stop withholding what could help someone else move forward on their own journey.
37
00:08:01.970 --> 00:08:13.310
So as we wrap up today, I wanna give you something that you can take action on right now. I wanna give you three questions that you can apply this week, not to write a book, but to get some clarity,
38
00:08:14.360 --> 00:08:19.580
to test whether or not there's a book already inside you that's just waiting to come out.
39
00:08:20.080 --> 00:08:27.680
Because if you've been on this entrepreneurial journey for over a decade, I know that there is wisdom within you, and questions are the key that can help you unlock it.
40
00:08:27.760 --> 00:08:41.540
So grab a pen, grab some paper, hit the pause button, and then write s- through these questions. The first question is this: What is the advice that you repeat most often?
41
00:08:41.700 --> 00:08:51.840
Think about the last ten conversations that you've had. What do you keep saying over and over and over again? This repetition is not random. It is a pattern.
42
00:08:52.640 --> 00:09:07.500
It is something to be aware of because that, that pattern, those patterns might just be a chapter. The second question is, where have you paid the highest tuition in your life?
43
00:09:09.040 --> 00:09:24.500
Not financial tuition, but experiential tuition. For example, what mistakes have cost you the most? What season of your life shaped you the most as an entrepreneur? Because wisdom usually lives where pain is processed.
44
00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:35.930
Because your pain that you feel has the potential to become a platform that helps others elevate. The mess that you have made, or the messes,
45
00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:49.560
and I'm thinking about myself here, that can become your message to inspire others. The tests and the trials, the tribulations that you've endu- endured, that becomes your testimony to give others hope.
46
00:09:51.580 --> 00:10:02.560
So the final question is this. It, it, it loops back to what I was sharing before about memento mori. If your business disappeared tomorrow, if you disappeared tomorrow,
47
00:10:04.520 --> 00:10:15.600
what ideas, what insights, what wisdom would you still feel responsible to share? You could strip away the company, you could take away the revenue. What convictions remain?
48
00:10:15.640 --> 00:10:28.559
Because that's the core of your thesis, and if you can answer these three questions with clarity, with honesty, you're not short on wisdom. You've just simply been short on structure. Because here's what I've learned.
49
00:10:28.600 --> 00:10:38.680
Most entrepreneurs, they, they don't need more confidence. They just need better questions, and your impact doesn't have to stay dependent upon your availability and your accessibility.
50
00:10:39.760 --> 00:10:51.180
Your wisdom can travel without you, but it's not gonna organize itself. The wisdom is not gonna unlock itself. It starts with a conversation. It starts with questions to articulate what you have already learned.
51
00:10:51.240 --> 00:11:07.060
So here's the move you can make this week. Schedule an intentional conversation with someone you trust, a spouse, a partner, a friend, a colleague, and ask them to ask you,
52
00:11:08.520 --> 00:11:15.680
"Ask me about the lessons that I've learned along my entrepreneurial journey. Ask me about the hard lessons I've learned."
53
00:11:17.180 --> 00:11:31.560
And then just listen to yourself answer, because you're, you might surprise yourself, and you might realize you don't have to write a book. You just need to be asked the right questions to unlock it, to speak it,
54
00:11:33.020 --> 00:11:40.090
to share it, to amplify it. [upbeat music] Before we wrap up today, I wanna leave you with something.
55
00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:52.840
If today's episode resonates with you and you're feeling called to create an even bigger impact by sharing your wisdom, your story, your message, and your voice, take the first step and visit levelupbusiness.com.
56
00:11:53.840 --> 00:11:58.050
[upbeat music]
