[00:00:00] a lot of the successful executives, leaders, entrepreneurs that we work [00:00:05] with because they have either moved up the ladder within their [00:00:10] organization or have built the organization in a certain way interestingly [00:00:15] enough, they've often climbed the ladder But as they've climbed that ladder, the [00:00:20] rungs between the ladder start to spread out.
Yeah, get further. Or they look around and [00:00:25] realize, "There's no more rungs above me," right? They've reached what they thought [00:00:30] was gonna be the pinnacle of their career, and they realize at the top of [00:00:35] that, they've run out of what they think are options.
[00:00:40] [00:00:45] Okay, thanks, and welcome back to The Daily Mastermind. George Wright III here with your [00:00:50] daily dose of inspiration, motivation, and education. Guys, listen, I'm super excited today because we're gonna [00:00:55] be talking clarity and focus, but we're also gonna be talking some strategies and tactics. I've got Mitch [00:01:00] Matthews on the podcast today.
Mitch, how are you? I'm doing fantastic, George. Excited to be here, buddy. [00:01:05] Yeah, this is good. I'm so glad we were able to connect. And so for those of you listening first time, make sure you follow the podcast. [00:01:10] I wanna also remind you that we're gonna be talking about some things today that are gonna help you in all [00:01:15] areas of your life.
It's gonna be your mindset, your, your business, your lifestyle, but it's always to [00:01:20] create the life you were meant to live. And so I wanna give you some strategies and tactics to do that today, [00:01:25] and we're gonna get inside your identity a bit as well. So let me introduce our guest. Mitch is basically... [00:01:30] Uh, he's got so many things going on.
I kinda almost wanted to, uh, introduce him in a way [00:01:35] that would help you to understand what we're talking about today because he's a speaker, a coach, an author, an [00:01:40] entrepreneur, over 20 years experience helping high achievers really think bigger [00:01:45] and take action. He's the host of the, uh, Dream, Think, Do podcast with over [00:01:50] 450 episodes.
He's had guests, everyone from, you know, Brendon Burchard, uh, Lewis Howes, [00:01:55] Michael Hyatt. Um, he's worked with leaders including NASA, Nike, Disney, [00:02:00] United Airlines. Um, he's got a great framework we're gonna talk about today. But if you are [00:02:05] a entrepreneur, business owner, you know, founder, and you're looking... You maybe just, you [00:02:10] don't feel like you've got exactly what you're looking for in life, or you're looking at some next chapter [00:02:15] in your life, that's what we're gonna talk about today.
So Mitch, I'm so glad you're here, brother. Um, I- you've got so [00:02:20] many things going on. I hope, um, we will be able to fit as much as I can into this time we have together. I was just [00:02:25] gonna say, I'm glad we're having a four-hour interview. Let's get after it. Right. Right on. Well, let's start [00:02:30] with this. Look, you, you talk a lot about what's next, so I want you to kind of frame up for our audience [00:02:35] who you work with and why because these are the types of people listening to this podcast.
What is it [00:02:40] when you talk about what's next, and why is that so hard- Yeah ... for sometimes people to determine? Well, I [00:02:45] love this. Um, so I, as a success coach, I work with executives, uh, [00:02:50] entrepreneurs, founders, and that's a big- [00:02:55] area that we dig into, because what's interesting is, is that with these high [00:03:00] achievers and, and your, I know your audience is just packed with high achievers, [00:03:05] they understand that, you know, most of the people that I work with, if I ask them, "What's next [00:03:10] for your organization?"
They'd be able to, to drill down and give me [00:03:15] specifics. Um, if I asked, "Hey, what's next for your team?" They would be able to [00:03:20] identify those things and maybe even point to a, a graphic or a, you know, [00:03:25] a slide deck, um, and, and be able to go into m- incredible detail [00:03:30] of exactly what's next for their team. But if I said, "What's next for you?"[00:03:35]
If they're gonna be honest, if they're gonna be raw, if they're gonna be open, they're like, "I don't know." [00:03:40] And that's what we dig into. We, we identify what success [00:03:45] looks like for that next season. And one of the big things with high achievers [00:03:50] is identifying what success looks like for your next season involves [00:03:55] giving yourself permission to say, "Hey, what I've achieved has been a form of [00:04:00] success."
And if you identify that maybe what, what, [00:04:05] how you want to define success, if it's evolving, if your next season [00:04:10] maybe success looks a little bit different, it's not judging your past [00:04:15] success as failure at all. It's giving yourself permission to define [00:04:20] success in a new way. And, and what we do is to say, "All right, let's, let's do that.
Let's [00:04:25] dive into defining what success looks like for you as an [00:04:30] individual or as a, as a parent, as a spouse," all those things. And [00:04:35] yes, you know, taking what success looks like for your team, for your organization, that's a [00:04:40] component of it, but making sure that is in fact in alignment with who you wanna [00:04:45] be in this next season.
That takes guts. Yeah, Mitch. Yeah, I, I, and I think what happens a lot of [00:04:50] times, so it might even be important for us to back up a minute, because when we're thinking about what next, this is being [00:04:55] driven by the fact that a lot of individuals right now look real successful on paper, [00:05:00] but they, they feel like something's missing, or maybe they're burned out, or maybe...
So talk to me a little [00:05:05] bit about, as you see these individuals, and you've worked with so many, what are the signs [00:05:10] that maybe they're feeling like they're not on the right path or something's [00:05:15] missing, even though they're operating at a really high level of success? Yeah. Well, [00:05:20] I, it, what's interesting, especially with a lot of folks that I wind up working with, um, they're [00:05:25] experiencing something that's misidentified as burnout, but it's more [00:05:30] accurately identified as being bored out.
Whoa. And what's interesting is, is that [00:05:35] burnout and bored out, uh, the symptoms are almost the same, but [00:05:40] the cause is vastly different. So burnout oftentimes, [00:05:45] it, you know, it's, it's being overworked. It's, you know, a, a feeling of [00:05:50] pressure, and the symptoms of that then are exhaustion, frustration, [00:05:55] low satisfaction.
Uh, you know, you don't, you're not as innovative as you once [00:06:00] were. You don't love what you do. And that happens. That absolutely happens. [00:06:05] But oftentimes the high achievers that I'm working with, the successful people that you're talking about, [00:06:10] right? They are delivering. They are getting it done day in [00:06:15] and day out.
But what's interesting about being bored out is bored out is actually [00:06:20] caused by doing the same things over and over [00:06:25] and slowly becoming bored with that work. Now, when you look at high achievers and [00:06:30] highly successful people, most of them have gotten that that way because they've delivered [00:06:35] in a consistent way over time.
But they're not realizing that, [00:06:40] "Oh, I'm actually starting to get bored." Even though their numbers, like you said, like [00:06:45] everything above the water looks solid, but underneath [00:06:50] they're... Like I used to live in England, and they would identify that person as a duck. You know, [00:06:55] fine on top of the water, paddling like hell underneath.
Paddling like crazy underneath. Yeah. Right? Exactly right. So [00:07:00] it's that thing of being able to, to be bored out. Um, first the diagnosis, [00:07:05] that accurate diagnosis is, is so helpful. I just, I know a lot of my [00:07:10] clients, like just even understanding that is wildly helpful. What's also really [00:07:15] interesting about being bored out, I had a neuroscientist on my podcast, um, [00:07:20] and we talked about this very thing, and she explained that she had been a victim of [00:07:25] being bored out.
She had worked at Google. She was an executive at Google. She wound up quitting because [00:07:30] she thought she was burnt out. She actually went back to a lot of her research in the [00:07:35] neurosciences and realized, "Oh no, I actually have been bored out." And what's [00:07:40] interesting is from that conversation and from many conversations since, [00:07:45] um, the solution or the, the first solution, the first step towards healing [00:07:50] being bored out is the simple and intentional injection of [00:07:55] novelty Hmm, interesting So 15 minutes of [00:08:00] exploring something new, experimenting with something different, trying [00:08:05] something that you've not tried before, doing that 15 minutes a day is [00:08:10] often the solution that's needed, at least for the first level of being bored out.[00:08:15]
And I, I introduce that with a lot of the folks that I work with, is to say, "Hey, let's just [00:08:20] try exploring something that you've been interested in or something you've always been curious [00:08:25] about, or, uh, you just even in a, uh, you know, engaging with somebody that you've been fascinated [00:08:30] with." Um, just that intentional injection of novelty often [00:08:35] helps them to start healing that sensation of being bored out.
And what it also [00:08:40] tends to lead to, starts to lead to, is something you, I know you and I both are, uh, [00:08:45] fascinated and passionate about, is it, it leads to more optionality. Yeah, I think that is a- Which is the intentional creation of options. Yeah.[00:08:50]
You know, it's interesting to me. I [00:08:55] wanna talk to you a little bit about optionality, but I was gonna ask you, do you feel like sometimes th- [00:09:00] when, when these executives are bored, um, would you say more often than not it [00:09:05] is either they don't see the vision of where they can go, or is it that they're not [00:09:10] doing stuff that's fulfilling to them ultimately, you know, long term?
Or is it a mix of the [00:09:15] two? It's, it's probably a mix of the two, and I think what's interesting, and I think this conversation, [00:09:20] uh, you know, can oc- happen to a, uh, uh, humans across the board. I think, [00:09:25] you know, people in all positions can certainly get dissatisfied with [00:09:30] the work that they're doing. If you look at engagement numbers in the United States, it's tragic.
Yeah. [00:09:35] You know, to say that 70% of our current working population is [00:09:40] in- disengaged or actively disengaged with their work. So that to [00:09:45] me is just a tragedy. Um, but I think what's different about [00:09:50] highly successful high achievers is that, uh, [00:09:55] because they're at that, they're performing at that higher level, they're more visible.[00:10:00]
The challenge with this is they kind of... If, if they start to express [00:10:05] dissatisfaction The, the, a lot of times they're either worried about [00:10:10] or actually experience people saying, "Who are you to complain?" Right. You know? Like- Yeah, [00:10:15] and they feel guilty about it. Yeah ... you, you, you've got success. You've got the car, you've got the house, you've got the [00:10:20] salary, you've got the business.
Who are you to complain? And so that's, that's [00:10:25] why I say the intentional injection of novelty, because what often happens if [00:10:30] this doesn't, if somebody doesn't address this intentionally, then you will [00:10:35] see, uh, yeah, unintentional injections of novelty. That's when [00:10:40] you see the affairs, that's when you see the drug use, that's when you see a lot of negative- A lot of-
[00:10:45] injection of- Hmm ... novelty. So the people that I work with, they, like, they're, they can [00:10:50] either see that ditch from where they're at and they're like, "Okay, you know, I just had a friend go down [00:10:55] that track. I don't wanna blow up my life that way." Or they see somebody saying, "All right," [00:11:00] you know, they just decided to burn down their career, move to Fiji, [00:11:05] you know.
I actually just got off a phone call with an entrepreneur who was thinking about [00:11:10] rapidly selling his business, making some terrible decisions 'cause he thought he was massively burned [00:11:15] out. And what we did, we shifted that conversation to say, "Hey, maybe you [00:11:20] don't have to burn everything down. Let's do some other things first."
And you could hear the [00:11:25] relief. Like, 'cause I think in some ways he just wanted to know he wasn't broken. Yeah, [00:11:30] or they just wanna change. They, they, they want something new. So tell me, in your mind, what [00:11:35] is... E- explain to me what you feel optionality really is for an entrepreneur and how [00:11:40] they can kinda create freedom without blowing up their life.
You know, what, how do you define [00:11:45] optionality besides this diagnosis of you're not burned out, you're bored out, but you need to increase [00:11:50] and create some novelty? So when you call- when you say optionality, what specifically are you [00:11:55] talking about? So yeah. So optionality in, in, you know, there's some different definitions, but the [00:12:00] definition that we land on, especially with the folks that we work on, is the intentional [00:12:05] creation of options.
Um, because a lot of the, the s- successful [00:12:10] executives, leaders, entrepreneurs that we work with, uh, because they [00:12:15] have either moved up the ladder within their organization or have built the [00:12:20] organization in a certain way, um, interestingly enough, they've [00:12:25] often climbed the ladder- But as they've climbed that ladder, the rungs [00:12:30] between the la- you know, on the ladder start to spread out.
Yeah, get further. Or they look around [00:12:35] and realize, "There's no more rungs above me," right? So they, here they are, [00:12:40] they've, they've reached what they thought was gonna be the pinnacle of their career, [00:12:45] and they realize at the top of that, they've run out of what they think are [00:12:50] options. So again, it, it, this can take a negative bent, or if you lean into [00:12:55] the, uh, you know, optionality and the intentional creation of options, is to be able to look around [00:13:00] and say, okay, how can you use what you have current- [00:13:05] currently...
You know, what's brought you the success, whether it's, you know, skill set, [00:13:10] mentality, um, you know, your experiences, all those things. How can we use those in a [00:13:15] different way, in an additional way, um, that allows you to [00:13:20] create more options? And so that's something that we do. We have a coaching program [00:13:25] specifically for that called Authority Bridge, which has been allowing those types of [00:13:30] leaders, executives, entrepreneurs to really, uh, create more [00:13:35] options by also understanding how they could package what they know into [00:13:40] coaching, speaking, or online training.
Um, and, and again, it's not [00:13:45] burning down their current life. It's not quitting their job and walking away. It's not rapidly selling their [00:13:50] business. It's keeping those things in place, but adding this so that it can have more [00:13:55] impact, ha- you know, generate more income, and also start to have legacy and leave a [00:14:00] legacy in a different way.
Yeah. And you know, I've heard you talk about this a few times, and you've had a TED [00:14:05] Talk out and a few others, but you've also mentioned a couple other things that really piqued my interest. You've said things like [00:14:10] success can actually make our options feel smaller or, or even this idea of [00:14:15] gravity of success.
Can you kinda talk to our listeners about that a bit? Yeah, absolutely. [00:14:20] Well, it, it's kind of along those same lines of being able to climb that ladder. And I know Stephen [00:14:25] Covey is famous for saying the, you know, many people climb a ladder to realize it was leaning [00:14:30] against the wrong wall. And I think to me, I know I can identify with [00:14:35] that because I was in the se- uh, the pharmaceutical industry for a number of years [00:14:40] before we have our own business, and I kind of experienced that myself in that [00:14:45] I'd gotten into the pharmaceutical industry at a time where it was a good fit for me.
I [00:14:50] rapidly shot up that corporate ladder, had success in sales, moved into some leadership [00:14:55] positions, then moved into the training department. All of that fit [00:15:00] great for me, and then I got promoted into a bad fit job. And I [00:15:05] definitely experienced that, that wake-up call of like, am I on the right [00:15:10] ladder? Am I leaning against the right wall?
And it's one of those things where I'd, I'd [00:15:15] kind of pulled myself onto a rung that immediately I knew [00:15:20] wasn't a good fit. And, uh, we were, I admit this, and it's absolutely true, George, we [00:15:25] were in a sitcom situation where my wife was staying home with our two boys. So [00:15:30] we were a single income, two children, oppressive mortgage.
And so I couldn't just quit that bad [00:15:35] fit job. I couldn't just say, "You know what? Screw it. I'm gonna build my own business." I had to [00:15:40] figure it out while in this bad fit job. And I still hit my [00:15:45] numbers. I still did what I needed to do. In fact, my manager was wildly pleased with me. But I [00:15:50] knew that that job was killing my soul.
And I was definitely in the, the [00:15:55] situation where, you know, I had the car, I had the salary, I had the title. So [00:16:00] for me, I couldn't go and just talk with anybody about my situation. Most [00:16:05] people would say, "Are you crazy? Like, who are you to complain?" Um, but I knew [00:16:10] if I didn't do something, I was gonna lose myself and probably everything [00:16:15] with it.
And, uh, I know for me, I, I was lucky enough, I, I married [00:16:20] up. I know you're in the same situation. I married up. And one particular night, I came home, [00:16:25] and my wife laid a business magazine down in front of me, and there was an [00:16:30] article on an executive in the airline industry. And I started to read it, and I'm like, "I'm sorry, [00:16:35] babe, I don't, I don't get the connection here at all."
Well, yeah, what's the fit, right? And she's like, "No, it's not that." And she pointed to a [00:16:40] sidebar article about this entrepreneur's coach, and she's like, "That's what [00:16:45] you do. You've always done that." And my wife was doing what we do, like you [00:16:50] dig into the clues, right? Success leaves clues. Optionality also [00:16:55] leaves clues.
So sometimes it's taking what you've done in the past and [00:17:00] looking for new ways to apply that. And she pointed at that article, and she said, "I don't know. I didn't [00:17:05] even know this existed, but that, what, what this article is saying this man did, that's what you do. [00:17:10] You need to figure out how to do that." And so I leaned into that and, and started [00:17:15] coaching on the side and then speaking on the side, and that blossomed into something that completely [00:17:20] replaced my income in a very short period of time.
And so we've been doing that ever since. And I [00:17:25] will say that, again Being exposed to that new idea and [00:17:30] starting to take steps towards it was what started to reignite the [00:17:35] flame. It started to give me hope again. And again, I didn't burn everything down. I continued to [00:17:40] deliver. I continued to do a good job until I knew I'd built something else entirely.
I'd [00:17:45] created options, um, that had not existed before, and that's what I [00:17:50] love to see in people. Yeah, it's definitely a process, and, you know, I, I feel like a lot of [00:17:55] people, especially executives, high achievers, are in that place where... And you, you've sort of [00:18:00] alluded and answered this question, but they just don't know where to start looking for [00:18:05] options.
And so, you know, I was gonna ask you what your thoughts are on where they should start looking, and you [00:18:10] commented just a second ago about looking into your past and your experience and the things that you're good at, and [00:18:15] then you applied that, and you found, you, you kinda said found ways to apply that.
So [00:18:20] tell me, from your perspective, as people are saying, "All right, I don't know what I [00:18:25] wanna do, where I wanna go. I don't know what options my, mine are," where do I start looking for that? Where do I [00:18:30] start finding the ways to create optionality in my life? Well, [00:18:35] I, I love that and I appreciate that question.
And, you know, one of the first things would be to say listen to George [00:18:40] Wright III and The Daily Mastermind podcast, right? Uh, two guys. Because, you know, if somebody's listening to [00:18:45] this, they're getting exposed to a lot of different stories, a lot of different examples, and I think that's [00:18:50] one of the first ways that we can experiment.
You know, I don't know about you, but my grandpa worked-- [00:18:55] He was a farmer, and he worked in the John Deere plant in Ottumwa, Iowa, [00:19:00] right? And if he needed or wanted to learn about something or somebody else, he would have to walk [00:19:05] down the street, uh, and go to the public library and check out a book, and he couldn't ever do [00:19:10] that because he was always working and all those things.
So the things that we're exposed to now [00:19:15] that our grandparents were not... I mean, we are wildly blessed in the [00:19:20] season that we live in. At the same time, our grandparents weren't dealing with AI and the things that are [00:19:25] shifting now and all those things. So we all got, we all got our challenges, we have our opportunities.
For sure, yeah. [00:19:30] But, but we live in an era where we c- really can be exposed to a lot [00:19:35] of ideas and to start experimenting in, in a lower-risk way, and [00:19:40] that's, that-- I'm a big believer in that. So, you know, in some ways, it's looking [00:19:45] for people, individuals, stories, examples of... You know, [00:19:50] I know for me, my wife pointing at that sidebar column in a magazine, right?
I [00:19:55] know magazines are a big part of your world, too. But that was where it started, to be able to [00:20:00] say, "Hey, listen, I don't fully understand that." Uh, you know, at the time, I didn't even know [00:20:05] coaching was a thing. Was a thing. Yeah, yeah. Right? Like, I didn't even know that was a job. I didn't know that I would [00:20:10] eventually be able to charge thousands of dollars for that.
I didn't know that I would, you know, be able to equip thousands [00:20:15] of coaches to be able to do that very thing. And, and in some ways, there is so much need [00:20:20] right now, especially for good coaching. Um, so part of it is to be exposed to those new, new [00:20:25] ideas. And, and listening to podcasts, reading, checking out TED Talks is, is [00:20:30] certainly a way to do that.
Um, but also then give yourself permission to intentionally [00:20:35] go deeper. Like, I'm a big f- uh, fan of 30-day sprints. [00:20:40] What I see a lot of people do is they, they basically spend, you know, months at [00:20:45] a time going one inch deep on a thousand topics. My encouragement is do a [00:20:50] 30-day sprint and expose yourself to a lot of different ideas, but then give yourself [00:20:55] permission to do a 30-day sprint and go deep into one.
Yeah, you're, it's [00:21:00] interesting you say that, 'cause I think a lot of people dabble, but they don't go deep And I think, [00:21:05] and our algorithms reward that, right? Like, that's the thing is like when you think about, I just saw [00:21:10] an ar- you know, an interview with, uh, basically somebody who was trained by the CIA [00:21:15] to brainwash people, and he was equating short-form social [00:21:20] media posts in the form of, of brainwash.
Because what it's doing is [00:21:25] it's keeping us perpetually swimming, not perpetually diving. [00:21:30] Yeah. And, and having intention will cut through that. Yeah, 'cause you, you can't [00:21:35] avoid it. Like you said, you can't avoid the short form, the attention, the grab, the visibility. It's just really difficult. [00:21:40] But if your intention is to go deep, if your inten- And I, by the way, I wanna back up and, and highlight [00:21:45] something you said, because I think you're right.
Most people don't realize simple exposure [00:21:50] and getting out there and seeing examples and being around, a lot of [00:21:55] times something will resonate with you, and you'll know that that's the way to go. But if you don't get out there, and it's so easy [00:22:00] nowadays, whether it's podcasts or meetings or whatever it is.
So you gotta get exposure, and then [00:22:05] I like what you said, go deep. And, and take 30 day ex- you talk about 30-day experience and, [00:22:10] experiments and things, and go deep. And so when you, when you say that, what do you mean? Like, when you, when you talk about [00:22:15] going deep, you just find something you really love, and then you go deeper into what it's [00:22:20] involved with?
What were your thoughts there? Uh, what I like to do with these 30-day sprints, like I always say, give [00:22:25] yourself a 30-day sprint of guilt-free scrolling Right? To be able to say, "I'm just gonna [00:22:30] go 30 days, and I'm not gonna feel bad about just seeing what comes to [00:22:35] me." Right? Do that once in a while. Don't do it a lot, but do it once in a while.
Give yourself a window for [00:22:40] that from time to time. But as you're doing that, though, be intentional with taking notes. I'm a big [00:22:45] fan of actually written notes on, or, you know, written, uh, [00:22:50] planners- Paper. Yep, yep ... and, and journals and all those things. There's a lot of neuroscience and brain science [00:22:55] behind the power of actually writing things.
So I have a section in my journal [00:23:00] that is collecting notes during those sprints to say, "All right, what can I go deeper [00:23:05] into?" What... Whether it's an individual thought leader or a specific school of [00:23:10] thought, or it might be a specific strategy. And then to set up 30 days to [00:23:15] go, "You know what? I'm gonna go deep.
Now I'm gonna shut off the scrolling, and I'm gonna go [00:23:20] deep. If I have an extra 15 minutes, I'm gonna go deep into that subject." Whether it's, you know, again, [00:23:25] one, uh, individual thought leader, and I'm gonna just go deep into [00:23:30] their content. Um, you know, those kinds of things. Maybe it's signing up for a program.
Maybe it's getting some [00:23:35] coaching. All those things. But give yourself permission to scuba dive once in [00:23:40] a while. Snorkel for a period of time, but then give yourself permission to go deep and, [00:23:45] and, and scuba dive. And that's what really allows for the [00:23:50] deep optionality as opposed to surface level optionality.
Like, a, a lot of [00:23:55] people will think, "Well, I could become overwhelmed by all my options once I've trained my [00:24:00] eyes to look for options." You know, they go from saying, "I don't have any options," to, "Now I have too [00:24:05] many options." It's like, well, no, what we're gonna do is we're gonna boundary that, we're gonna inventory that, and [00:24:10] say, "All right, we're gonna go deep on a few of these to figure out what's your next season.
[00:24:15] Where do we wanna go deeper for a longer period of time?" And I know for, you know, I, [00:24:20] I, I'm a little bent in that I tend to work with executives and leaders and [00:24:25] entrepreneurs who often wanna make money. You know? Like- Yeah. Yeah ... it, it can be, it can be satisfying. Yeah. Funny how [00:24:30] that works, right? Um, but also one of the, one of my markers is, does it generate an [00:24:35] extra $100,000 plus a year?
Like, okay. You know? I, I like to make impact- Well, the irony is both are gonna [00:24:40] happen when you find the right fit, right? Absolutely. When you find something you are gravitating towards, right? [00:24:45] Well, and it's that thing of, you know, oftentimes, and it doesn't have to be this, I know some of our folks have found, [00:24:50] you know, areas where they're able to give back and, and, you know, serve, and that's [00:24:55] fantastic.
But for our, a lot of our folks that are in the Authority Bridge program especially, [00:25:00] those folks now find a way to use their skills, their strengths, their [00:25:05] experiences in a new way, in a complementary way to what they've been doing. It creates [00:25:10] more options, but also allows them to have more impact, right?
To help [00:25:15] groups of people that are outside their organization, people they would not have been able to [00:25:20] touch and reach and help had it been before that. But also [00:25:25] making money on it is also a mile marker to say, okay, well, when people invest in [00:25:30] things, they tend to digest them more. They tend to be intentional with those things.[00:25:35]
They tend to take them more seriously. They tend to run with them and apply those things. So as [00:25:40] they're making money and, you know, it's great 'cause sometimes, sometimes people make it a, a, you know, a [00:25:45] second career or a full-time gig, but a lot of people just like to have it go alongside their [00:25:50] current life, their current world and, and, you know, another revenue stream.
But it's that thing [00:25:55] of being able to say, "Okay, now, now my authority goes with me wherever I go." [00:26:00] Yeah. Well, and, and Mitch, I think what it, what it boils down to, and I'm glad you said that because besides getting [00:26:05] exposed, you might find some new ideas out there from, you know, s- snorkeling and things, and going deep and finding [00:26:10] these topics.
You'll find some. But I think more often than not, someone has been [00:26:15] in areas, I, I talk about their unique talent, but I, I think areas that they're competent or even excellent at [00:26:20] most of their life, which is why they're successful. So leveraging what you've already [00:26:25] developed helps you to feel sometimes like you're not starting over, [00:26:30] right?
And so if one of the ways to find something to be able [00:26:35] to create options is to look into your past, to look into what your unique talents are, not just the [00:26:40] things that you're excellent or competent at, but you're excellent, competent, and passionate about that you feel like you can give back, [00:26:45] then they line up.
And so if you do that, this kind of brings me to the Authority Bridge, you know, [00:26:50] program that you have now where y- you know, I want you to explain that to people and, and I'm gonna dig into a minute, uh, [00:26:55] like how you do that with people because I think identifying and inventorying what you're great at and you're [00:27:00] unique at is the best bridge for options because you [00:27:05] don't feel like it.
It might be a fine line between conflict of interest or not, but y- i- i- it, it's [00:27:10] something where you don't feel like you're completely stepping off a ledge over to something else. You're [00:27:15] leveraging what you're great at, but you're truly finding ways to do it in a way [00:27:20] that's not Just the grind of your business, right?
Yes, exactly. It's so true. Well, yeah, [00:27:25] the Authority Bridge process kind of was a happy accident for us in that back in [00:27:30] 2002, I was a full-time, uh, success coach working with [00:27:35] entrepreneurs, executives, uh, founders. And then in 2006, other [00:27:40] coaches and speakers started to notice what we were doing, and they're like, "Hey, it actually works.
You're... [00:27:45] You know, what, what you're doing is producing, you know, bus- bus- a business that [00:27:50] you love, a life that you love. Tea- so teach us what you're doing." And so I started to teach and [00:27:55] coach other coaches on the business side of building a successful coaching and [00:28:00] speaking business, and those two worlds kind of existed independently, [00:28:05] which was okay.
I really liked still working with my executives and my leaders, and I loved helping other coaches and [00:28:10] speakers. But then a few years ago, I held a conference for coaches and speakers, [00:28:15] and a few of my CEO clients attended, and they , [00:28:20] they came up to me and they're like, "This whole world exists. Like, why aren't you teaching us this [00:28:25] stuff?"
Like, and, and it's funny because, uh, you know, tho- those two worlds started to bridge [00:28:30] accidentally. And as I started to lean into this process, uh, you know, again, it wasn't [00:28:35] dismantling, it wasn't burning down their current lives. It was doing exactly what we're talking about, [00:28:40] inventorying the things that have made them successful.
Uh, you know, the, the stories that they [00:28:45] have, the experiences. Then also thinking about the delivery systems that actually [00:28:50] mesh the best with their life and support the kind of experience they wanna have living. [00:28:55] And for some of that, it was- Well, I'm glad you're saying this because- Yeah ... I, I, I wanna make sure that people understand that sometimes [00:29:00] they think that the q- the, the way to deal, to basically go down that path is [00:29:05] identify the things and just jump out there and do it.
But the reason I'm bringing this up is because you have this Authority [00:29:10] Bridge formula because it, y- you really do need to take some strategy around this. You can't [00:29:15] just say, "I'm great at this. I wanna go out and coach and consult and do these things on the side." [00:29:20] Without a good plan, because what are some of the things they're gonna bump up against that you already [00:29:25] know from having people do this, right?
What are some of those things? Well, it's funny 'cause I had, I had somebody reach out, uh, from a [00:29:30] very well org- well-known organization, I won't say, but, um, you probably used it [00:29:35] today. And, uh, you know, they were like, "Well, I, I'm thinking about, I'd like to do more coaching and [00:29:40] consulting. I'm passionate about helping people."
And I, and I said, "Okay." And, and they said, "Well, I'm just [00:29:45] gonna announce it on LinkedIn that I'm gonna do it." Yeah. And I said- See how many takers I get ... "Please don't [00:29:50] do that." Right, yeah. "Please don't do that." And he was like, "Really?" And I said, "Yeah, no. What you [00:29:55] need to do is build your authority so people start asking you for it.
They start demanding it [00:30:00] from you, and you won't have to announce it. It will just make sense as it [00:30:05] happens." And that's what happens, is oftentimes people in our Authority Bridge program, they [00:30:10] do often, you know, make it known down the road, but [00:30:15] oftentimes they're getting clients left and right having never made an announcement, having [00:30:20] no website in place.
They're just building their authority and [00:30:25] delivering it in a way, not saying, "I'm a coach, I'm a coach, I'm a coach, hire me." What they do is [00:30:30] they put out value. They deliver value. They build their authority so that they [00:30:35] own the authority in a way where they're actually helping and h- making impact [00:30:40] On the people that they would love to help, and doing that in a way that frames [00:30:45] their authority so that they can deliver that value, but that people start, I don't wanna say [00:30:50] beg, but it is almost begging them- Yeah, no, they, it comes to you.
Yeah ... Yeah, exactly right. And, and it [00:30:55] really does produce fruit in a lot of ways. Sometimes it's coaching, sometimes it's consulting, sometimes it's [00:31:00] speaking. One of our Authority Bridge- Sure. Collaborations ... people just, uh, they started this [00:31:05] process, and they're, they're a fabulous, they, they have a heart to coach.
They, they [00:31:10] love helping people. A lot of wisdom, but they work for an organization that [00:31:15] nobody knows about. Wildly successful organization in a- Yeah ... very niche industry- That's [00:31:20] common. Yeah ... that, you know, when he tries to explain what he does as an organization, everybody's [00:31:25] like, "Okay." I don't get it. Yeah.
Right? Like, I don't, I don't get it at all. Yeah. But when he started to [00:31:30] teach and bring value, where he started to talk about h- the things that he'd learned, the [00:31:35] war stories from his leadership experiences, and it, you know, it's, it's [00:31:40] sharing the wins, but it's also sharing some losses from time to time too because people are, [00:31:45] are so much more willing to share and celebrate the wins if they know about some of the losses.
[00:31:50] And you know from your vast experience that we tend to learn so much more from our [00:31:55] setbacks and losses. And he started to do that. And, uh, unbeknownst to him, [00:32:00] somebody reached out to him, and they offered him a board seat, a, a [00:32:05] well-paid, well-compensated board seat because they're like, "Hey, we've seen you and the kind of leader [00:32:10] that you are, and we just had a board position open up.
We want you to come and help us [00:32:15] with that. It w- it, it's a perfect fit." Um- That was a great example ... he, he had some income, [00:32:20] you know, some revenue goals for his coaching, and with that one move- He [00:32:25] knocked it out ... that he didn't even pursue- Mm ... yeah, he blew it out of the water, right? And so he's still [00:32:30] able to do some coaching on the side, but it, it's that thing of w- we always say hold loosely to [00:32:35] that outcome, but package things that you wanna deliver, and it's often, [00:32:40] it's amazing to see how the opportunities and the optionality presents itself.
Yeah, and I, and [00:32:45] I think that that's a good... First of all, I wanna, I wanna, um, you know, definitely double down on what you just said as far [00:32:50] as, you know, know the vision of what you want your life to be like and what you wanna do, but don't be so tied to the end [00:32:55] destination because you never know, because you don't know what options are out there.
But the other [00:33:00] thing I wanted to ask you about is, and I found this, um, you know, in my business, you know, whether it's [00:33:05] financial education, marketing, and things like this, I found that there's another invisible layer that [00:33:10] determines a lot of the results, which is why I got into the world of personal development and mindset, because your [00:33:15] inner world really does create your outer world.
And so as you start talking to these people about [00:33:20] authority, and we're talking to people about finding options with your experience- They're g- you're going to [00:33:25] inevitably bump up into identity issues, and that will make or [00:33:30] break. It's one of the reasons why you shouldn't just go out with your experience because you're [00:33:35] subconsciously gonna have some obstacles that come up.
And so Mitch, I want you to talk about how important it [00:33:40] is in your program or in your frameworks that you talk about [00:33:45] really clearly identifying or building or structuring around your identity as [00:33:50] well. What are your thoughts there? 'Cause I just, I find that's something people don't necessarily talk about, but is [00:33:55] absolutely a huge factor when it comes to creating options, growing your life, and everything else.
Don't [00:34:00] you agree? I, I do agree, and identity is so vastly important, and it's [00:34:05] such a big topic. You know, there's, there's spiritual components to it. There's, uh, you know, [00:34:10] personal components to it. Um, there's also positional components to it, too. And I think that's one of [00:34:15] the, the hidden bonuses and benefits of this Authority Bridge process for a [00:34:20] lot of people, and it's to your point in that, um, a, a lot of our high [00:34:25] achievers, uh, whether it's executives or entrepreneurs, um, they [00:34:30] get to, uh, you know, establish an identity in a title [00:34:35] or in an organization.
And, and again, it's one of those things that, uh, [00:34:40] that, that comes from a lot of hard-fought Battles and lessons and all of [00:34:45] those things, and, um, uh, that's a beautiful thing, but it's also a very [00:34:50] dangerous thing. Um, because as you well know, you know, organizations [00:34:55] go away. Titles go away. Oftentimes not because of something you did, but [00:35:00] because of a market shift or an organizational shift or a leadership shift, and all of a sudden [00:35:05] that organization doesn't exist anymore, or that title doesn't exist anymore, and then that person [00:35:10] is without identity.
They have lost their identity. And one of the things we talk about with [00:35:15] authority, and, and we, we chose that word very specifically. I was, I was, uh, [00:35:20] interviewed on a podcast recently, and he's like, "I think that's a terrible name." And I said, "Oh, this is an [00:35:25] interesting conversation." He goes, "Well, I think, you know, nobody wants to be in authority because they're so [00:35:30] worried about being authoritarian."
And I said, "Well, I think people, you know, don't wanna be [00:35:35] authoritarian or seen in that way, but that's vastly different than authority." [00:35:40] You know, authority is knowing how you deliver value and being able to walk that [00:35:45] out boldly. It's also, um, not framing it in a way [00:35:50] where you're forcing people to believe it, but you're inviting people to join you on a [00:35:55] journey so that the authority is given, it's granted, it's not [00:36:00] demanded.
That's a huge distinction because also I do think, [00:36:05] I think people know enough by now, I don't, I don't know who the podcast was, but know enough by now that if you're an [00:36:10] authority, people know, like, and trust you, and they're gonna work with you. But it's, an authority is not something you can make [00:36:15] people have.
That's a sales presentation, right? Authority is something you earn and that you build over [00:36:20] time, but it does tie back to what you said, which is your, your [00:36:25] identity needs to not be tied to a title in a business. It's got to be truly [00:36:30] built. Just like you have to earn authority, you have to build your identity from in- inside.
And when you [00:36:35] do, it's a game changer when it comes to options in your life, don't you think? Well, I, I, I totally [00:36:40] agree. It's interesting. It's the, you know, it's the McDonald's business model in that you can [00:36:45] own a McDonald's, but you don't own the land that it's built on. What? So you can own the building- Yeah
[00:36:50] but it, the ground is leased. Yep. Right? And I- People are renting attention all the time, but they [00:36:55] don't actually own the attention. Yeah. That's exactly right. It's that thing of I think a lot of titles are that model. [00:37:00] Where you own that building, but you're on leased property. [00:37:05] So if that organization or that position goes away, the value [00:37:10] oftentimes does too, and your identity can get caught up in that.
So I always say, like, be able to [00:37:15] build your authority in a way that you own the authority, not so that it's borrowed. But a big part of that is [00:37:20] also realizing in your identity that you bring value [00:37:25] in vastly more ways than one title, one position, or in, you know, [00:37:30] one delivery system. And also, you know, you and I are both people of faith.
It's that thing of [00:37:35] we know a big part of how we b- bring value is we are loved, and so that [00:37:40] we can love, right? So- Yes. Yeah ... that's where it starts- Yeah, yeah ... to know whose we are and, you know, [00:37:45] and who we are in that. Well, and your value is inherent, I mean, at the end- Right ... of the day. But, but Mitch, how do you, how do you [00:37:50] advise people, like, what, how do they identify what parts of their [00:37:55] experience really can become the assets to focus on?
[00:38:00] Yeah. Well, I always, you know, we inventory a passion and a pissed list. Sorry, I [00:38:05] don't mean to cuss, but it's one of those things where I always say, what's interesting is your passions may change, but the [00:38:10] things that tick you off stay pretty consistent. So we inventory the things that [00:38:15] you're wildly passionate about, but we also inventory the things that just [00:38:20] miff you, the things that tick you off.
And it could be injustice. It could [00:38:25] be, uh, you know, a, somebody being mistreated. It could be, uh, [00:38:30] you know, misunderstandings, all those things. And so we dive into both sides. I just wanted to [00:38:35] clarify. These aren't things you're trying to avoid. These are just things that you're passionately opposed to. Is that what [00:38:40] you're saying?
Yep, exactly. Okay. Got it. So they're, they're the things that you are, like the types of people you are passionate about [00:38:45] helping, but also what are those things, what are the things that are just you see are [00:38:50] broken in the world and you either think, "We need to fix that," or you've said [00:38:55] recently, "Somebody needs to fix that."
Well, it could be that, you know, where your [00:39:00] authority is in the next season, where you wanna take your authority in that next season [00:39:05] is probably a component of the things you're passionate about and the things you wanna [00:39:10] fix. I love it. I love that. That's a great perspective, 'cause a lot of times, [00:39:15] honestly, I see people will sometimes go to the mats more for something [00:39:20] that angers them or pisses them off than something that they really feel [00:39:25] good about.
Um, you know, at the end of the day, we all have that, right? It's like sometimes we'll do more for others than we will ourselves. [00:39:30] Sometimes we'll do more for things that get us emotionally angry versus [00:39:35] feeling peaceful and at rest, right? So, um- Exactly ... that's a really good point. I love that a lot. Um- [00:39:40] Well- So- Yeah.
Go ahead. I was gonna say, what, what do you- No, I was gonna say my, my... Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. I was gonna say, what, what do [00:39:45] you, what do you feel you get people across the map? Do you feel on average people [00:39:50] generally get more passionate about the things that they're, you know, ag- against, right? [00:39:55] Or they see injustice, injustices versus things that excite them?
Do you... I mean, I'm just [00:40:00] curious. Yeah, no, I think it's a both/and. What's interesting though is what tends to piss [00:40:05] people off is what tends to make them make that first step. Ah. [00:40:10] It gets... Hmm. So I'll give you an example. They- Good point ... the, uh, engineer that I mentioned that got offered the [00:40:15] board position as an example, introvert Like I, I'm [00:40:20] an introvert, he's a ninja level, black belt level introvert, right?
Uh, incredibly [00:40:25] wise, really good, uh, just an exceptional leader, right? But [00:40:30] doesn't demand the spotlight, doesn't wanna be on stage. Like he's definitely [00:40:35] doing the coaching track. He could be a great speaker, great facilitator, but that's not his thing, [00:40:40] right? Doesn't wanna be in front of the room, wants to be alongside people.
So when it came [00:40:45] to there, there's a, a sequence that we walk people through with the authority bridge, and part of [00:40:50] that sequence then becomes, after we've done those initial things, we start to teach from [00:40:55] those, our passion, our, you know, our pissed list, and also our, our, our [00:41:00] genius inventory, our brilliance inventory And what was interesting was is that he [00:41:05] was really wrestling with the, the inner introvert and, and [00:41:10] putting posts out.
He was kind of like, the inner introvert's like, "Hey, who [00:41:15] really needs to know what I think? Why does it matter? I, you know, who am I to [00:41:20] think these things?" And what was interesting is I could have talked to them all day long about the people [00:41:25] that he was passionate about helping. That wasn't gonna move the first needle.
So I [00:41:30] said, "Hey, what do you wish somebody would have told you 10 years ago about [00:41:35] being a leader? What are you kinda pissed that somebody didn't share that with you? T- what, [00:41:40] what, what, what could have saved you five to 10 years of sleep, of, [00:41:45] of performance, of impact?" And he's like, "Oh, let me tell you." And he w- he wrote [00:41:50] this amazing post.
He was pretty fiery, but it was from the heart. It was [00:41:55] authentically him. He was not worried about what anybody thought 'cause he wanted to get this out [00:42:00] to people that, you know, that need it, right? And he hit send. [00:42:05] He hit publish. He hit print. And what's amazing is is that, you know, I won't say that that [00:42:10] post went viral and saw millions and millions of people, but it really did have impact, [00:42:15] and people did start to engage with it.
But more importantly, what he realized [00:42:20] was, "Oh, that was an easier hurdle than I thought." And so [00:42:25] we, we sometimes will lean on the pissed inventory just a little bit more especially [00:42:30] in initially to get some of those new habits established. Because [00:42:35] passion can move the needle, but what you're mad about tends to make that first [00:42:40] step easier.
And, and the irony is that the first step is always the hardest, and the first step- Right ... is the [00:42:45] one, the only, the only one... Guys, listen to me. You know, you can create the life [00:42:50] you're meant to live, but it will be the first step that is your biggest, uh, and, and most important. It's like [00:42:55] anything else.
Compound interest, same thing. It's like investing now versus down the road, but the compound effect that [00:43:00] happens down the road always begins with the first step, so I think you're, you're right. Well, Mitch, this has been, [00:43:05] um, amazing conversation, and I know I- we talked about this before the podcast, but I'll have to have you back into our [00:43:10] academy.
Um, and I, and I really do wanna have individuals sorta [00:43:15] learn more about what you do and how you do it. So what is the best way for them to connect with you? What's the- I appreciate that ... what do you [00:43:20] recommend? Yeah, so much. I love it. So, um, they can go to mitchmathews.com [00:43:25] and kind of that's where a lot of what we live and, and breathe sits.
But also, we put a [00:43:30] gift together for your group. We have a training because for folks that are wanting to create [00:43:35] optionality, oftentimes the first real hurdle is they don't feel like they have [00:43:40] time for it. And so we created a workshop called Making Time For Your [00:43:45] Next Chapter. Um, it's a $97 workshop, but people can go to [00:43:50] mitchmathews.com/time, and your people can use the coupon code [00:43:55] daily, and they'll get it for free.
And what that does is that workshop [00:44:00] helps, it, it introduces some really tangible strategies for people like, you know, high [00:44:05] achievers, rock stars, people who are getting it done, and probably people who feel like their calendar's [00:44:10] pretty tapped out. And it gives them that first step, that hurdle that, [00:44:15] you know, allows them to clear that first hurdle of, "I don't feel like I have any time to [00:44:20] work on this."
This helps to introduce that, and we start to get into some of the things we've talked about with [00:44:25] Authority Bridge and, and being able to say, "All right, o- once I got a little bit of time, even [00:44:30] 15 minutes a week, what could I in fact do with that?" And so if they go to [00:44:35] mitchmathews.com/time and use your coupon code daily, they'll get it for free.[00:44:40]
I love it. No, that's awesome. Um, well this has been very, very helpful, 'cause I know that a lot [00:44:45] of individuals that are not feeling, may, might be feeling stuck, might be feeling burned out. I think that was [00:44:50] great to talk about, th- that they're potentially bored out. And, and I, I think that they're just kinda questioning, [00:44:55] and so having direction's the whole reason we do this podcast.
You've, you've, you know, l- opened up their [00:45:00] minds, opened up my minds to various things. You've got a, a, a finesse-ful way of really [00:45:05] communicating it. You've worked with a lot of people, so I appreciate your time. Really do value that. Um, is there any final thought you [00:45:10] have for our audience before we, we sort of end the, the episode here?
Yeah, my, my encouragement, [00:45:15] especially for your audience of high achievers and rock stars, people who are getting it done, [00:45:20] especially as they're thinking about what that next chapter might be. [00:45:25] Uh, one of my favorite questions, you know, I have this podcast called Dream Think Do, and so we talk about [00:45:30] big dreams.
We talk about big goals, all those things a lot. But for the [00:45:35] ver- very successful person that can probably list the goals for their [00:45:40] organization, their goals for their team, the strategies and the flow charts and the to-do [00:45:45] lists, all of the things, the action items to get those things done, they can do that very easily.
But [00:45:50] when it comes to what you want to do next, it might be [00:45:55] harder to list what are some of those dreams for you? What are some of those goals? So [00:46:00] sometimes that is, is almost too high a bar. So one of my favorite questions [00:46:05] to ask for those, those people that are thinking about their next chapter, what their m- next chapter might be, is [00:46:10] don't ask yourself what are, what are your big dreams?
What are your big goals for next? Say, [00:46:15] what do you wanna experience more? in your next chapter, in your next season. [00:46:20] And what's interesting is we talked about clues before, is if you give yourself permission to explore what you [00:46:25] might wanna experience more, the clues of the goals and the dreams [00:46:30] will follow what you want to experience more.
It's an easier question, it's a better [00:46:35] place to start, um, and it's a great conversation starter for those that you know and love and wanna have [00:46:40] these conversations with as well. So for your audience, that would be something I'd really suggest, is [00:46:45] give yourself... D- you know, don't wait for the mountain retreat or the time at the beach.
I mean, if you've got that coming up, do [00:46:50] it. But give yourself a half hour and just list out, "Hey, what are some things I'd love to [00:46:55] experience more in my next season?" And just see where the question takes you. I love that. [00:47:00] That is such great advice, because I do believe that experiences are really what we're [00:47:05] really most looking for in life, and so why not begin there?
Um, you know, I end a lot of our [00:47:10] episodes by saying it's never too late to start creating the life that you were meant to live, but you gotta ask that question, like, what do [00:47:15] you want your life to be like? We grow up our whole lives thinking and getting questions asked like, "What do you wanna [00:47:20] do? What do you wanna be?
What, what kind of job?" Instead of saying, "Well, what do I want my life to be like?" So [00:47:25] asking yourself what experiences you wanna have in this next season, I really love that. So [00:47:30] guys, thank you so much for joining us today. Um, as always, I appreciate you. I wanna hear your [00:47:35] feedback. Hit me up on the Daily Mastermind.
Let me know what you're winning at. Let's celebrate some wins, what you're [00:47:40] dealing with, what we can do to help you, and, um, you know, and that's our goal here. So check it that- check that out. [00:47:45] Head over to the website also. Make sure you're getting the Prosperity Report so you have all the strategies every week that [00:47:50] we have from our episodes.
And, uh, we look forward to talking with you again soon. Once again, this is George Wright III [00:47:55] with Mitch Matthews. Have an amazing day
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