Welcome back to the Daily Mastermind, George Wright III with your daily dose of inspiration, motivation, and education. And I am joined by a friend, a partner, a guy that I've really gotten to know the last little while. We're going to have a great conversation with Sam McGue. How are you doing? Doing good, man. Good to be here. Yeah. You know what? I want to give everybody a little bit of a background on you because we're going to have a conversation today about scaling businesses and entrepreneurship and really learning and growing and expanding the circles that you're around. And so let me give you guys just a little bit of background because Sam has quite a bit of things going on. He's a healthcare executive. He owns a, he's a founder and CEO of Discovery Medical Center. He's founded the National Mobile Wound Care. He's worked with masterminds. He's got an HVAC business, real estate investor. I met him at the board of advisors Mastermind, which is a high-end mastermind for elite, high-performing executives. And he's also launching an incredible podcast coming up called The Hunt for Success. So we have a lot of things to talk about today, Sam, and you've got an amazing background. So maybe you could do me a favor and just give us a little bit of your backstory so everyone gets a frame of reference. I think a lot of times people hear all these accolades and business success and they think it's unattainable, but everybody comes from a background. So I always like to get to know that. Give us your background leading you up into business? Sure. I just grew up in a small town in Northwest Alabama. Grew up where my family was pretty much all blue collar. Wanted me to go to college, wanted me to become more than what they were. And then went to college, ended up becoming a chiropractor. Quickly realized that was a manual labor job. And I was like, why don't I go to school for someone to be a manual laborer? And then I figured out I wanted to get into the business side of things more so. And when I really started studying business and how to grow and scale, it really didn't make sense to be the technician anymore. And so learning how to get out of that technician phase into executive phase was big. That's when my original business started taking off, which is Discovery Medical Center. I brought in medical teams, brought in other practitioners and providers so that I didn't have to do all the work. But learning how to scale those teams and scale and become a leader, I guess, was a really hard part. I'm still working on it, to be honest with you. And then over the years, I created a mastermind just because I wanted to be around other high performers and I wanted to be at the forefront and learn what they knew. And so we did that during COVID and we still have that going on and created a wound care management program. We have 10 offices across the country that we manage and help them grow and scale their companies. Got into HVAC, was getting into real estate, really, and realized that I had to get, because you get into real estate because you have tax problems. And that's mainly why people, a lot of people jump into real estate. But I realized from a mentor that he's like, if you can't control the cost of fixing problems and fixing when things break, you're going to get eaten alive. And so that's when I started really researching home services. And so last year I acquired half of a HVAC company and then we added electric. Plumbing's next, it's on the way. But we'll probably have pretty much all the home services. Well, you definitely see the opportunities, right? Yeah. Yeah, you're always seeing the opportunities. And so it's interesting to me why it just evolved because you said it early on, you said, I didn't want to just be an operator. And I'm curious, was there like a pivot moment for you on that? Or did you just say, all right, I can make a business successful, but I want to be able to scale a business because then if I could get your mindset there, then we can talk about how that just extended to other businesses. But what made you switch that mindset or have you always been wired that way? No, I don't think I was always wired that way, but there was a point where I realized that I could only make, I could only be earning money when I was actually doing the thing. And I was like, I don't have enough time in the day. And so how do I get out of that trading time for money thing? So then it required bringing in more people and bringing in other services and other things to do that. And so it really became, that was it. I remember I maxed out. I can only do a certain amount of stuff and a certain amount of time and a certain amount of hours to the day. And I remember thinking like, at some point I want to take a vacation. I want to spend time with a family. I think it really came down to when I had children. I was like, I'd like to spend time with them or I'd like to do things. So that's what really came from me. Yeah, I love that because I do think there's a lot of people that are very successful at what they do, but are poor time-wise. Or they might have a high level of business, but it's not systematized. It's just like a full-time job. And you keep mentioning people. and I'm curious, how much was it bringing in more people and how much was it building the systems to scale or was it both for you? It was both. I mean, first you had to have a system that they could follow, but then you got to make them feel like your original, like, well, I think of the technician that replaced me. You got to create a system that they can be as close to you as possible, like what you were doing, to maintain the same level of success that you were doing. And then it was just about people, But then about how do you make those people better and give them systems and things that you follow, set them up for success. And then about set them up for management so that you can really back away. Well and your skills had to change right Because not only did you have to build the systems and people which is a real key to success in business but you had to learn how to be more of a CEO versus just someone that could be both in the trenches or even just managing people So what did you find was the hardest part about that? You say you're still growing as a leader, but what are the things you had to change about yourself to become more of a CEO of these practitioners and businesses? Well, you had to learn how to set the target and the numbers and gather the information, like the KPIs and things. And then you also had to delegate, learn to delegate. Like no one will do it better than I did. Right. But then again, I can't have to do it every time. I can't. So I'll run out of time again. That's hard for guys like you and I to delegate. Man, that's hard. It's like letting go of the control is tough. So you got to be able to give that team in control. Yeah. So you went from operator to scalable business, bringing in people and systems and CEO, then you extended that to other businesses. And I'm curious, did you use similar systems and leadership traits when you went from medical to wound care, to HVAC, to real estate, a little different story, but is it similar the way you build businesses with people and systems it's yeah i didn't expect it to be but it really is it's the same it's almost the same system just put different people in it or going from medical to in fact it's just changing the verbiage a little bit think about it like an hvac technician's the doctor and it's been really eerily similar like the hvac doctor they're the doctor and they know what they're doing but they're not necessarily best at business they may do something that makes no money but it did the right they do the right thing they think but if me and that lost or cost us a lot more money than they would have. I think doctors are the same way. They have an innate ability to spend money and not make it. Yeah, it is crazy because I feel like, yeah, I feel like business is business. And people a lot of times go into different businesses, even if it's real estate investing, stock investing, or whether it's like HVAC, medical, professional, thought leader, whatever it is, and they go into it like it's a specific thing, but the fundamentals of business are the same. And so obviously scalability, growth, leadership are also the same. So you also found something I thought was unique, why I wanted you to have you on the show is you really see the value in people because we had a conversation and you were telling me that one of your biggest goals was to, and this is probably why you started your mastermind, which is why I'm bringing this up, but is that you saw value in the people and the network that you were connected to both for growing business, but also personally. So what motivated you to start your mastermind that you started? Yeah, I mean, definitely you can learn something from everybody, you know, for paying attention. And so that just growing my network was you start off networking for your business. And then I realized, like, that was too small thinking. So then it became networking also to find out what information I had. And so I'm still also not only a mastermind, thinking about mastermind, like making one yourself. I'm a big proponent of growing them. big proponent of getting into other rooms. And so when it came to creating one of my own, I thought I wanted to make one that where it wasn't a pitch fest and you actually got something out of it when you left. And then we, that's what we did. We created one where you learned something every time he showed up and, but you also networked and building the network has been massive because now I grew up thinking like more, like bigger, it's really easy for me to make a few phone calls and get almost any information they need because they're growing that network. And I just want to tell people, the more people, the more access you got to what you need. And before we did the HVAC thing, I'm not that smart. I'm okay to pay for information or buy information. I think that speeds things up. So I think that's where masterminds come in place. I think that's where finding mentors or people, you don't have to recreate something. You just got to find something that works for you and go for it. So you've also been someone who I've, I noticed that you're very willing to so many entrepreneurs and leaders, they want to master everything themselves. And that doesn't, that's not something you have to do. You want to network, build the network, but you said it a couple of times. It also helped you to expand your thinking, which is, I think one of the best reasons, not only to have one, but to be in one that when it comes to masterminds, expand your thinking. I always talk to people about the idea that there's this belief transference too, because when you get around big thinkers, it doesn't seem as hard to do as it does when you're trying to do it on your own because people are just doing it all around you. And so the spanning your thinking is big, right? I think so. And I think that's huge because when he, I remember going to this semester, it was 20 years ago maybe. And I remember meeting this guy and he was like, way, doing way better than I was. And I remember thinking, this guy can do it. I can do it. But there's some of that. And so no offense to that. I think like, there's nothing special about this And so, I mean, and that's the same thing. There's not really nothing that special. It's just that getting in those rooms, you start, like I said, start really believing in yourself either because of something like that or because you talk to someone and they like just break it down for you. You're like, well, that ain't the part. And it really isn So Yeah And it is an evolution because you made a great comment You started out with a successful business You scaled and built systems and people evolved and played that same pattern on other businesses Then you started getting into some tax trouble like all of us do And so you start in real estate investing and doing masterminds and all of a sudden it expands your learning And now, actually, one of the other reasons why I wanted to have you on is I know a lot of people that have started podcasts. I have a podcast. But there's very few of them that truly decided to start a podcast to expand their network and to create an environment for other individuals like yourself. Because we know it's a lonely road when you're an entrepreneur, a business owner, you're trying to do your own thing. So you are starting a brand new podcast called The Hunt for Success. Tell me about that and why you're doing that, what it is. yeah i'm really excited about it and because well i started it because yeah for personal reasons i wanted to expand my network but i also wanted to be real real picky about who i talk to and so i love hunting and fishing i love going like traveling all over the world i just booked a canadian hunt to canada in the fall and and so i love hunting that that's just kind of part of my nature but what i realized and this was years ago a couple years ago i was sitting in colorado in camp and I realized that mainly everybody in camp was some sort of business owner. And mainly all we talked about was business, whether it was like they had, they were just an executive or they had their own business. And so I wanted to be around those guys. I wanted to learn from them. And what better way to get in is to talk about hunting and fishing, which they already like. And then we can talk about some of the business strategies and things they've done to get to where they're at. And so that's what I want to do. I actually don't have any real alternative. Like you said, a lot of people start their podcasts. They want to grow their brand. I really want to grow my own network. But also there's the core part of me just wants to be around some of those people and learn from them. So it's like a lot of it's real personal. Yeah, and I think a lot of people that are listening maybe to this show, to your show, they're thinking the same thing. They're thinking, I would love to pick the brain of that super successful entrepreneur, business owner, investor, whoever it is. and look at the end of the day, we're all trying to achieve to create a life, the life that we're meant to live, that we want to live our best life. We want a lifestyle. And the problem is in business, usually you don't end up with lifestyle, which is why you said you wanted to scale and diversify and create systems. But, you know, it is about lifestyle. So that's the perfect combination in my mind. If you love hunting and fishing in the outdoor lifestyle, and now you're going to be talking business as well. So, so I imagine you're going to have business stories. I'm curious what is, cause you are a very avid hunter. What's probably one of the best hunts you've been on. I'm curious what, what you would say comes to mind. Cause you've been on some phenomenal ones. Give me one of your top hunts. I mean, I just got back from, I went to New Zealand in the summer. It was a great experience, but as far as like my, probably my favorite, most like memorable hunt was my first elk hunt because I'd wanted to elk hunt for a long time and I'd wanted to kill an elk. I wanted to be around them and hear bugle and all those things and if you don't know if you don't live out west like I don't it's not something you just go do and so I remember thinking I had one like needed enough money to even go do to take a week off and think I had made it like I had made it like because it wasn't about the end of the the prize that the elk it was about the accomplishment of I had done something that I'd wanted to do for like probably a decade and I just couldn't either couldn't afford it or couldn't get time off or couldn't all the things didn't match up I mean my first elk hunt I actually walked for 60 miles and never saw an elk and so that was my second elk hunt that I ever went on when I finally did kill something you know it's just it's like an accomplishment look at a business let's say you have a goal in a business like you're the target to hit and when you hit it if all this works it went into it to get there And that's what I felt like that first one. Like a lot of the hunts are going now. It's like I booked them. It's great. But that one had, there was so much leading up to it for me to be able to do it. So it's real special for me now. Yeah, I tell you, it's, there's so many things to unpack there because one I wanted to highlight for the people listening is that in life, it's not just about lifestyle, but it's about creating memories, right? Memories that lock in experiences. You said experiences. And I've seen some of the photos. I know you have some pretty epic lifestyle and hunts, and yet your first hunt, right? Like your first elk. And it's one of those things where that locks you in long-term. And that's what we're all about. One of my goals this year is to create more memories, right? Because memories are what make it worth living. But then you also said some other things, and you just say this naturally, and I know it's why you're doing your podcast, but business really is like a hunt because there are so many times that you go out there and you don't get anything and you got to decide if keep going or not. And so what I notice, and I want to ask your opinion on this, but what I notice in business is when people don't get caught up so much in the end result, but they love the process, it always becomes easier and longer term to do. And it reminds me very much of hunting and fishing because you could go, I've done some fishing in Alaska and man, we fished on the Kenai for days and got nothing. And then you get this 65 pound king and all of a sudden you like oh my gosh man it was all worth it for two years in a row So how do you feel businesses like a hunt right Because it like that I think it very similar because there so many hunts you come up with nothing Business is a lot of that too It a lot of little small successes stacked on top of each other. And so one of the things that I had to learn early on in my team used to get so mad at me, like we'd have a target, we'd hit it and I wouldn't even celebrate. But I love the process because I was like, I just wanted to skip it and go on to the next process. And so the thing about hunt differently is you have this trophy if you get it. You're like, okay, now I have it. I suppose for a number on the spreadsheet, we had a number way. And so, but yeah, there's a lot of similarities between business and hunting and fishing because like you said, you're, you have this goal, maybe it is to like for the harvest, the trophy or whatever, but you know, that's not all you have to, all these little micro steps to get there and the little small victories. And then also, if you've ever killed an elk a couple miles back out from the back country, so you've hit your milestone, but now other work starts. There's a whole other process of work that's going to start. And that's what I think about. It's like, because truly successful people never hit, like, the top. There's no such thing. There's no ceiling for them. They hit it, and they're like, okay, cool. Okay, cool. We're just going to keep getting a different ceiling. And the same thing with hunting. It's like, hey, we're chasing something new now. Well, there's a great lesson to be learned in that from an outside looking in because I think people get into outdoor lifestyle because they love the lifestyle, but there are rewards along the way. I think people get into business for the result. And so the process they don't get excited about. But if you could learn to take that lesson and say, I learned to love the process of the systems and goals and achieving and things like this. Instead of trying to achieve success, you're happily achieving. Then just like you would naturally with hunting or fishing or things like this, if you love the process and you get those rewards, it's different than only getting into it for the reward, not loving the process. So there's definitely a lesson to be learned there, right? Well, exactly. I said the first elk hunt I went on, I walked 60 miles and never saw an elk. But the second hunt, I killed an elk. I wouldn't have killed that elk if I hadn't went on the first time. And I learned so many things. there was i can remember it was a learning process i mean i had never hunted out west and i never and so it was like i remember leaving going empty-handed but man what a week i had spent a week out in the wilderness and i'd learned about how they move or what we were looking for and things and so like it and the next time around it made it i was tracking a lot better and so i think that's how business is too like you're gonna fail so many times before you win yeah and and you can't figure out how to enjoy some of the losses along the way and keep moving and learn from them, you're never going to win. Yeah, I agree. Well, I've heard you've got some great guests coming on. You've got a lot of things happening. You have a bunch of things that are going to be coming up with masterminds and things that are going to be around. So I definitely think it would be a great idea for people. It'd be very entertaining, but also very educational strategies and tactics for them to check out your podcast. So it's thehuntforsuccess.com is going to be the site that'll be in. And this will be launching in April, correct? Yes, sir. Awesome. What else would, any other thoughts you have before we take off? Any other thoughts? No, I mean, really just the, I'm really excited about the podcast. I know that we do have some pretty incredible guests on there. So you should be able to learn some things and it'd be really entertaining if you like these sort of things. If you like business, even if you don't like hunting and fishing, you're going to learn some stuff about business. And by first, if you're not in business, but you're going to hear some pretty incredible stories about hunting. So. I love it. Where's the best place? Go ahead. I was going to say, where's the best way people can follow you? Oh, yeah, huntforsuccess.com. They can also find me on Sam and Youve, my Facebook page, Discovery Medical Center. I'm working all over the place. Primetime Home Services. There's videos and ads of me everywhere, so they can't miss me. I'll make sure I put the links in the show notes so people can check it out, and we'll definitely get them to follow you. But you're also going to mention that you had some other things coming up. What were you going to say about that? Yeah, we're going to be planning some trips with the people from our mastermind to some pretty cool locations. We have New Zealand, an island in Belize. We'll rent a whole island out. We'll spend a couple, maybe seven to ten days just fishing and masterminding. Same thing in New Zealand. We also have one in Alaska coming soon, maybe one in upper Michigan where you can come in. You can mastermind with some fellow entrepreneurs, but you can also take advantage of the lodge and go hunt somewhere or fish. I love it. I love it. Well, listen, guys, I appreciate you listening to the episode. I hope you've learned a few things. I definitely want you to go check out Sam. I'll put links in the show notes. But like anything else, the goal of our show is to help you to be able to get strategies and tactics, but ultimately create the best version of the life that you deserve and you're meant to live. But to do that, you've got to expand your network. You've got to expand your knowledge. You've got to be willing to grow. And so hopefully you've gotten a few of those tips and strategies today. Do me a favor and share this show. And if you have any questions, let me know, hit me up on the Daily Mastermind on Facebook, Instagram. Sam, I appreciate you being with us today, man. It's been a pleasure. Thanks. All right, guys, have an amazing day. I'll talk with you soon.
