TDM 1374 - Larry Weidel
[00:00:00]
George Wright III: [00:00:05] Okay, welcome back to The Daily Mastermind. George Wright [00:00:10] III with your daily dose of inspiration, motivation, and education. And I'm joined today [00:00:15] by a guy I'm super excited to interview, Larry Weidel. How are you doing, brother? Yes, sir, George. I'm [00:00:20] excited too. Looking forward to it. Listen, you are one of those 1% [00:00:25] guys that actually teaches the 1%, so I gotta tell everybody a little bit of your background before we get rolling.
[00:00:30] Guys, and if you're listening to this podcast for the first time, make sure you do me a favor and subscribe to it. We got some [00:00:35] great stuff coming out. Um, but Larry Weidel, listen, this guy's a sales executive, [00:00:40] investor, business a- advisor. He's got over 6 billion in assets under management, but he's, he's the host of the [00:00:45] Million Dollar Big Hitters podcast, a bestselling author of Serial Winner.
He's been featured [00:00:50] everywhere from Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, The Globe, but he helps thousands of entrepreneurs and [00:00:55] investors every day reach their business, career, and financial goals. And I will add, he's also [00:01:00] a photographer, painter. It's unbelievable what this guy does. So Larry, yeah, I don't even know where to begin with [00:01:05] you, but I think maybe the best place to start is tell me the difference between winners and serial [00:01:10] winners.
Larry Weidel: Winners, y- it's such ... It's, it's ... That answer [00:01:15] touches so many things, George, uh, because it's a matter of doing [00:01:20] something once or making it a way of life. And I'm really big on this [00:01:25] thing, uh, lately, that it seems like the ... It's, it's like you go [00:01:30] out, uh, it is like your approach to life. I'm gonna do something once [00:01:35] versus I'm gonna make this a way of life.
And the deal is that it has to do with your [00:01:40] thinking and your expectation. It's just like if I'm gonna start playing ... I don't know even know where [00:01:45] this idea came from. Oh, by the way, I get, gotta get, I gotta get this off my mind. It's 11 and [00:01:50] a half billion now. I- Oh my God. I, I haven't corrected- Next week it'll be [00:01:55] double that.
Come on ... I haven't corrected that nu- I haven't corrected that number in a long time, but anyway, the, uh- Oh man, that's [00:02:00] awesome ... the thing is that pe- you, people go through life [00:02:05] And, uh, they do like one thing. They think in terms of one thing. It's like they go [00:02:10] through life like stab, stab, stab, stab, stab. "I gotta do this.
I gotta do this. I gotta do this. I gotta do this. [00:02:15] Oops, I forgot that. I gotta do that." And then there's just no rhyme or reason, you know? There's no rhythm. [00:02:20] And companies that are set up that way fall apart, and there's a [00:02:25] lot of multinational companies that are ch- you know, internally [00:02:30] are set up that way, not because the head guys want it to be that way, but they've got [00:02:35] all of these little fiefdoms where they have people that are really, you know, got [00:02:40] personality problems or whatever.
They're trying to protect their turf, and they're going over here, and they're [00:02:45] restricting their guys. "Don't open your mouth on that." And, and you have people that are capable, all kind of [00:02:50] potential, but they're just trying to survive. And so companies are just [00:02:55] like people. If they're not set up for success, the [00:03:00] success will be accidental or sporadic.
It's like occasionally winning the lottery, [00:03:05] and it happens. You know, you come up with a good product or something, and the... But, uh, the-- it [00:03:10] has to do with your expectation. Like somehow I got this idea, uh, early [00:03:15] on, whatever you wanna do, go for the top. And I think it's this extension [00:03:20] of those lousy labor jobs I had in high school in [00:03:25] the summer, where you're working for minimum wage You're usually working for a [00:03:30] manic depressive, uh, personality who can't, uh, uh, get a better job than [00:03:35] to manage the laborers.
And, uh, you know, they've got their own psychosis they're dealing [00:03:40] with. And you, you, you got the worst jobs, you got the [00:03:45] worst income, and you got the worst bosses. And I said, "I don't know what it means," [00:03:50] but I said, "I'm..." The rest of my li- I'm gonna do whatever it [00:03:55] takes to make sure whatever I'm doing, I'm gonna be at the top.
George Wright III: Yeah, you know [00:04:00] what's crazy, La- Larry, the funny thing about that is that it's so misleading nowadays because [00:04:05] people see some big win that someone has- Yeah ... out in the marketplace. Yeah. But what you talk about is [00:04:10] consistently winning, and there's a big difference between consistently winning. But you've identified [00:04:15] patterns too, right?
Like, obviously there's a pattern to a consistent top percent, one percenter. Yeah, [00:04:20] and I guess what I was getting at there is the beginning, which is, what's your intent? You know, do you want [00:04:25] to, uh, learn how... You know, it, it's kind of like people start, they'll [00:04:30] play a musical instrument for, as a hobby, mainly because there's one song that they wanna play, [00:04:35] and then they get where they play that.
Larry Weidel: And I did that. You know, I've done that, uh, with the banjo [00:04:40] and the guitar, this, that, and the other, you know. At least the g- the banjo, anyway. That, you know, you want to [00:04:45] pay, play the Foggy Mountain Breakdown, you know, like ... Your fingers are flying, and this, that, and the other. [00:04:50] Okay, got that. But if you don't keep playing it, you know, the people that become [00:04:55] professionals are the people who love it so much, they're gonna play that every day.
You know, where me, I was [00:05:00] just trying to figure it out, you know? And, um- So you're saying intention is the starting place of- Intention is- ... are you just [00:05:05] trying to do something or be a consistent winner? Got it. It's like if you want... It's like this. When you start [00:05:10] playing golf, are you gonna learn how to play golf?
Or, [00:05:15] dumbass, are you going to say, "I wanna play it at the highest level. I wanna be the guy on the [00:05:20] golf course when I'm playing with a foursome." I want to be the [00:05:25] guy who hits the shots almost all the time, and when the ball [00:05:30] goes, everyone goes, "Great shot. Unbelievable." The professionals make money. [00:05:35] They don't need the pat on the back, but they get the pats on the back because [00:05:40] they've got a good golf game.
And I'm out there and they'll go, you know, I hit the ball and it's like, [00:05:45] "Well, let's go look for it," you know? And, uh, I ra- I rarely, I rarely get the [00:05:50] attaboy. But, uh, you know, the idea is how do the top people do it? The thing is, [00:05:55] it's 24 hours in a day. The top people have the [00:06:00] same, uh, time you've got. They had to learn.
They, uh, everybody's, [00:06:05] y- you know, nobody's a natural golfer, even Tiger Woods as a baby. You know, he had to [00:06:10] start swinging that club. And so while you're swinging it, what's your intent? [00:06:15] Am I going to be an idiot like listening to these people that [00:06:20] say 10,000 reps and you'll be a master? Uh, no. You know, all you're gonna be-- [00:06:25] If, if your last thousand reps were not much better than your first [00:06:30] thousand because you've been improving as you went along, you're not, all, all you did is [00:06:35] wasted your time.
The idea is intent. Per- you know, the idea of perfect practice or [00:06:40] targeted practice is what gets you ahead. So when I'm out there and I'm [00:06:45] learning, right from the first thing, I'm gonna be asking questions. I'm gonna be [00:06:50] trying to get the equipment. I'm trying to or- organize my schedule for, [00:06:55] for improvement and everything, and activity around what do the top people do?
In [00:07:00] fact, even when I'm around, uh, you know, playing I've [00:07:05] got a short attention span, so I've done a lot of things, but- You and me both. You know, you know, but [00:07:10] with, you know, the guitar, the banjo, you know, uh, it's like, what are these guys thinking? [00:07:15] It's not like what are they playing, what are they thinking?
You know what? What do they see? You're making... Yeah, and [00:07:20] you're making a huge point, because I, I, I think that everybody's about setting big goals- Mm-hmm ... but your [00:07:25] intent behind the goal is important. Yeah. But you just alluded to something else. Your mindset, if you wanna be [00:07:30] in a 1% that continue, continually creates, you gotta think differently too.
George Wright III: So what's [00:07:35] separating or what, what are these mindset things that are different between people that [00:07:40] have a different intent? Well, I don't want to get to where I do [00:07:45] something once and have the thrill of it, because then it's over. I wanna get to be where I can [00:07:50] enjoy it forever re- again and again and again.
Larry Weidel: W- I was driving in a car, [00:07:55] uh, in Denver with one of, one of my guys once, and, uh, [00:08:00] he had moved out there, and, you know, one of the things you do, you recruit, train, and you do big [00:08:05] meetings on the weekend where you get people from surrounding areas come in as you open offices. [00:08:10] And he was... You know, he'd had pretty good success, but he was ready to get serious.
He said, [00:08:15] "Okay, Larry," he said, "I'm gonna have a meeting. I'm gonna get 1,000 people, okay? [00:08:20] We're gonna have 1,000 people here." You know, and you could just see it. And he could, he could've done that. And I said, [00:08:25] "Yeah, Brian, but what are you gonna do after that, you knucklehead?" I said, "Why don't you think [00:08:30] I'm gonna run 10 years-" Long game
"of meetings?" Yeah. "And maybe you start with [00:08:35] 1,000 people, and then maybe you're filling up the, uh, the, the basketball, uh, [00:08:40] arena- Yeah ... at the end of 10 years." Why do you think people are so short-term mind... Like what, because he sounds like a [00:08:45] very success-driven guy. What, what- Yeah ... so it's the difference between a winner and a long-term winner, [00:08:50] but what, what, why do you think people think so short-term?
George Wright III: Like why, why do they not think long-term? They've never been there. They've never been there. They [00:08:55] don't have anybody who's been there to explain it to them. Mm. Like, it's like climbing to the top of a mountain. [00:09:00] All you're looking at is the top of that mountain, but if you're, you know, you're in the mountain [00:09:05] climbing community and you're around other climbers, you know, they're gonna climb this mountain, but they've, they're gonna be, [00:09:10] all along the way they're gonna be talking about these others and on the other side, or, you know, next summer we can [00:09:15] go do this.
Larry Weidel: And so it's, it has to do with your environment, your exposure, [00:09:20] your, you know, uh- The people, environment. It's- Yeah, I got it ... but the thing is, it's like this, George, it's [00:09:25] what I've always said, great ideas don't care who use them, and great ideas are a dime a dozen. Yeah. [00:09:30] And so as you get out there and you hear these i- that's why exposure...
See, [00:09:35] people, w- we don't know what we don't know. Yeah. And so when you're around people who know [00:09:40] what you don't know, they don't even know what you don't know. And so for that- Mm ... you got to get where [00:09:45] you're in a conversation, like what you're doing with your, uh, podcast- Yeah ... where [00:09:50] you give people a chance There is- Expand your thinking
yeah, there [00:09:55] is something to the thing that, uh, you know, a, a [00:10:00] secret of some, you know, breakthroughs is spending time around people [00:10:05] that are further up the ladder you wanna climb than you are. For sure. Be- because what [00:10:10] happens is they'll wind up talking to you and discussing, [00:10:15] and subjects will come up that are common to them because they're up at that higher level.
George Wright III: Yeah, [00:10:20] yeah, but not to you. And you're down here, and you say, "I never even thought of that," you know? Yeah. You s- you know, "I never thought to [00:10:25] say it that way," or, "I didn't look at it that way." Ah, great point. And so all these [00:10:30] missing things, but it comes by degrees, you know, step by step. So it's a matter [00:10:35] of saying, "Do I wanna do something one time or why not do it [00:10:40] all the time?"
Larry Weidel: 'Cause we all know people that do that. You know, they go from success to [00:10:45] success. They minimize the setback. Mm. And they've got terrible things happen to them, too. It's amazing [00:10:50] to me Super, the, the terrible things that happen [00:10:55] to super successful people- Yeah ... but you never let, but it doesn't slow them down.[00:11:00]
Yeah. Somehow they minimize that. Well, obstacles, right? Limitations- Yeah ... and things. How, how big is [00:11:05] confidence in this whole game of, you know, winning long-term? Well, confidence is, it's, it's the [00:11:10] key to everything, you know? It, it, there's, there's a magic to confidence, but the confidence that [00:11:15] counts comes from accomplishment.
Yeah. You've got to get off [00:11:20] your butt and do something. You know, the thing is, like, if, you know, i- if we [00:11:25] all start, we're always starting, you know, people like us, we're always starting new stuff. Yeah, right. And here's [00:11:30] the th- here's the thing that nobody tells you. At every level of success, you know, you've taken, [00:11:35] you've learned something, you moved up, guess what?
You're gonna maximize your, your [00:11:40] success you're gonna have with that amount of knowledge. Right. And, you know, guess what? Now you've graduated to another level [00:11:45] of being a rookie again, and like you're- Right. You wanna be the rookie in the room- Yeah ... but at a new [00:11:50] level every time, right? New level. Like, if you, I've, you never made a million, then I've never made 10 [00:11:55] million, then I've never made 100 million, and then you get in a room around billionaires, it's like, "Well, I've never [00:12:00] been in a room with billionaires."
Then you're in a room with 10 people- Yeah, yeah ... who've got 10 and 20 bill- So [00:12:05] it's always, you know, there's always an awkwardness when you move to a new level, and [00:12:10] the way to, you get through that is be in an environment where you're [00:12:15] exposed, you're constantly exposed to people that are ahead of you, where you can continue [00:12:20] to be feeding yourself things that maybe you don't even kn- need them right [00:12:25] now, but you're gonna need them down the road, and you're always preparing yourself for that next [00:12:30] level.
George Wright III: I love how much you've emphasized environment, because I think not only does it [00:12:35] give you new ideas, not only does it help you level up, not only does it help you keep winning, um, you [00:12:40] also get more confidence, 'cause there's belief transference when you're in a group that's doing it every day. Where you might [00:12:45] think it's a long stretch- Yeah
they're doing it every day of the week. And so for you- Yeah ... all of a sudden the belief kinda goes up as [00:12:50] well, and you start to see this as habits and shr- and things that just happen [00:12:55] for people, right? You have nailed it, and this is why, uh, I have, you know, [00:13:00] my, uh- In my training center, we, we have a concept called master [00:13:05] builder.
Larry Weidel: You know, if you ... You gotta build the life you want. Nobody's gonna build it for you. Mm. And you've got [00:13:10] to master a bunch of skills to be able to build this life. And for you to go from, [00:13:15] most people are stuck at mastermind, you know, George. Yeah. Yep. They, they ... It, [00:13:20] not their fault, but they, you know, they listen, they read the books, they g- listen to the podcasts, this, [00:13:25] that, and the other.
Freebie, freebie, freebie, freebie, freebie. You know, it's all f- everything's free or a book- [00:13:30] Right ... or something like. But until you get skin in the game, until you get in an arena [00:13:35] where you can get consistent high level coaching, [00:13:40] and you've got some of those people around you that are moving forward, like you're saying, and you're [00:13:45] seeing it, they're playing out on the field.
They've got the success happening, and you realize, "I can't lie to [00:13:50] myself." You know? Yeah. That you get that peer pressure. So you need championship coaching, [00:13:55] and you need championship competition- Mm ... to be able to [00:14:00] have, uh, maximum, uh, development in the shortest period [00:14:05] of time. You can do that, but you have to be in, like, a pr- you know, subject yourself to a little bit of a [00:14:10] pressure cooker arena and a, you know, kind of a winning tunnel, growth [00:14:15] tunnel.
George Wright III: Yeah. And, uh, 'cause n- none of us are gonna- That pulls you forward, that pushes you forward, yes. [00:14:20] Yeah. None of us are gonna understand all the things we need to understand or learn all the things we [00:14:25] need to learn in one thing. You know, it's just like the ... Y- nature teaches us, if we pay [00:14:30] attention. Yeah. You, plants do not grow because one [00:14:35] major th- thunderstorm comes, you know, and then it's dry, the ra- you know?
Larry Weidel: You g- need that steady [00:14:40] rain. You need the steady s- the ... You know, it's not like one day, the sun, we get a [00:14:45] sunburst and, you know, we're gonna grow a, a, a field, a [00:14:50] crop Right, right ... or a bunch of trees or a forest. It, it's gradual, you know? Every day the [00:14:55] sun comes up. If you had the big blast, a sunburst, it would just fry the forest, you know?
[00:15:00] So- Yeah ... you gotta get an environment where you can evolve yourself and you can kind of [00:15:05] regenerate, you know? Life is cycles. Yeah. See, here's the thing. You asked me [00:15:10] about, like, it, when, when you- move up in [00:15:15] life, you realize life is cycles. It's not these onesie, twosie type things. It's [00:15:20] what kind of life am I gonna live?
George Wright III: I love that. You know, and if I'm gonna take, if I'm gonna take the [00:15:25] trouble to learn something that I don't know now, I wanna use it the rest of my [00:15:30] life. I wanna get the be- you know? I wanna be able to benefit from that. It's funny, Larry, you say that, 'cause one of my early [00:15:35] mentors told me everybody's around trying to figure out what do you wanna do.
The better question is, what do you want your [00:15:40] life to be like? Thank you. Because then you're asking the right questions. So that is so crazy that you say that, 'cause that's one of [00:15:45] my earliest mentor moments, so. Thank you. And usually that comes into [00:15:50] what is inside you and in your bones that you're- Mm ... you know, [00:15:55] from the beginning when, that you're attracted to.
Larry Weidel: You know, it's like things where your ear perks up [00:16:00] when in a conversation or you're, you know, you're doom scrolling or something like that or, [00:16:05] you know, as you go drive through a town- Yeah ... you see so- there's gonna be some aspect of it that's, [00:16:10] that stands out to you more than others. That's telling you that's inside you.
That was [00:16:15] planted in you. Yeah. You're supposed to go in that direction, you know? Mm. And so when you [00:16:20] follow your instincts and your natural cur- curiosity, what [00:16:25] happens is you get yourself on track for where you're supposed to be, and [00:16:30] usually we find out Even though we don't have the skills or talents when we begin, [00:16:35] that we've got the propensity to develop in that area.
Yeah. Yeah. You, you see what [00:16:40] I'm saying? That that stuff- Yeah ... is not an accident. Yeah. People wanna just find it, but you can't- Yeah ... find it until [00:16:45] you identify it, and then you- Yeah ... build it, right? Yeah, and you grow into- Develop it. Mm. Yeah ... what you have. [00:16:50] You can't grow into something that's ... You can't grow, you know, a square pegs is not gonna grow [00:16:55] into a round hole, but if you've got the propensity and you, you know, to be, grow [00:17:00] into a pretty big square and you get into a square situation, you know, a quar- a [00:17:05] lineman's never gonna develop into a very good quarterback, you know?
So Yeah. Right. Right. Right. Yeah. [00:17:10] Yeah. So how do you, how do you ... I, I c- here's a question I have for you, because I think you're right. [00:17:15] Environment, mindset, uh, repeatable, what's your intent? How do you begin with people that [00:17:20] you're working with? 'Cause you work with the top one percenters. How do you develop this [00:17:25] as a habit or a system?
George Wright III: Where do you start people? What do you, what do you try to start, help people with so [00:17:30] that they start to execute? Instead of being active, they're being productive and give, [00:17:35] creating results and, you know, once they know they gotta be in the right room. What do you, what do you tell people to do in order to [00:17:40] create this habit of success?
Larry Weidel: Well, first of all, I've gotta make sure I'm on track, [00:17:45] and so, you know, it's like a lot of this has to do with when I went to [00:17:50] visit my grandfather, uh, you know, we'd do that every summer growing up, and, [00:17:55] uh, he's on the farm. We'd have lunch middle of the day, and then he'd be off, you know, uh, [00:18:00] you know, he's heading out, back out to the fields.
I remember one time he headed, he was heading back out to the [00:18:05] field after lunch, and I said, "Can I go with you, Granddaddy?" And he goes, "If you keep [00:18:10] up." You know, and, uh That's a great statement, man. Keep up. But the ... [00:18:15] If you keep up. And so the deal is that I gotta, you know, I gotta [00:18:20] be living my life, you know?
Mm. And people ... Yeah, I'm not gonna, like, develop g- go [00:18:25] in somewhere and kinda create something new with somebody. I've gotta be living my [00:18:30] life, and then it's a matter of somebody who wants me to help them, you gotta plug in. [00:18:35] You know, I've got my things. Well, I've got my exposures. Should I have, like you do, I've got the [00:18:40] podcast.
I've got the book. Plug in, get all the free stuff. Yep. Yep. And, uh, [00:18:45] but then if you wanna take it a notch further, I've moved to a stage of life [00:18:50] which, uh, uh, you know, to where I've got, only got limited amounts of [00:18:55] time, and you're a master of using small amounts of time to biggest advantage. Yeah. Thanks. And [00:19:00] so I have a training center.
You know, I've got an online training center where we can connect [00:19:05] people that are motivated to move up fast in winning and, uh, you know, all the way from ... [00:19:10] You know, the, here's the interesting thing. When, from the time you start- to the [00:19:15] time you finished, you got, if, if you're, you, you, in the beginning you c- don't even have a [00:19:20] job.
But then, then down the road maybe you're a billionaire, but you got the same problem. You wanna keep [00:19:25] winning. Yeah. You still you wanna- Yeah ... enjoy that rush of accomplishing stuff. [00:19:30] And so we're all the same, so it never really changes. And if you're going to win, George, [00:19:35] you gotta learn more stuff. You gotta get more insights.
Yeah. You gotta keep being challenged. [00:19:40] You gotta keep, you know, s- stuff that would come in that would cause you, uh, fresh [00:19:45] ideas and then fresh challenges to kinda keep you m- making those steps forward. And so that's- [00:19:50] Yeah ... why I run, I run a training center where we kick it off every Monday morning, but I do all of my [00:19:55] coaching, training type, uh, things.
The coaching by itself is no good. You got to have [00:20:00] the competition to go along with it. Yeah. And for that to happen, you have to have kind of like an [00:20:05] environment. And so we do two things. Guys, I ... Go ahead, go ahead. Finish that. I wanna- We do- I'm gonna add to that ... we do two, [00:20:10] two things. I do a Monday morning call to kick it off.
I keep it an hour, uh, because [00:20:15] I don't have a lot of time, and I know busy people don't have a lot of time, but we're kicking the week off with a bang. And [00:20:20] then there's, I challenge them, by the end of the week- I want you to put, we have a big win [00:20:25] scoreboard. I want you to put on our scoreboard some big wins, some [00:20:30] big insights, something, you know, doesn't have to be big, but for you it was big.
And [00:20:35] if we go through... So I'm challenging them, compete with yourself. Who am I competing with? Yourself. Yes. Yes. [00:20:40] And so challenge yourself to make some kind of breakthrough that you write down, [00:20:45] 'cause it only counts when you write it down, so we have a scoreboard. And then if you do that [00:20:50] week after week after week, settle into that pattern, George, then at the end of the [00:20:55] year, guess what's gonna happen?
You're gonna have the greatest year you've ever had, and you might have [00:21:00] compressed two, three, four, five, six years of growth into that year. And so that's how we [00:21:05] take it. That's how I run it. So the way I coach people is plug in with me. [00:21:10] Plug in, run with me, and let's grow together, 'cause I'm still in train- I'm still in [00:21:15] training too, you know?
George Wright III: Yeah, I love that perspective because, you know, most entrepreneurs, business owners, founders, [00:21:20] they're chasing success. A lot of them that we're around are continually winning, but you [00:21:25] just made a distinction, and that is with yourself, right? So it's like Jim Rohn said- Yeah ... success is not to be pursued, it's to be [00:21:30] attracted by the person that you become.
So if you work on you, and you grind- Right ... and you do what's win- and you're a [00:21:35] big winner- Yeah ... the big winners are gonna come your way, and you're gonna- Right ... lead by example, which actually takes [00:21:40] us into another thing you're well known for, like leadership, leadership and building winning teams. You know, [00:21:45] you've spent your career building teams consistently out- outperforming.
How does [00:21:50] it, how, how do you build teams like you've built? Well, you have to do, you, you have to have [00:21:55] duplicatable processes. You have to make things simple for people, but then you have to, [00:22:00] you have to hold their feet to the fire. You know? That, I mean, if you're gonna be in business, you're a [00:22:05] leader, there, you got, they've got numbers to create.
Larry Weidel: You know? Accountability, yeah. You gotta h- you gotta [00:22:10] win. And, you know, I was around a big ta- the night of COVID, [00:22:15] I was at a big table out in Aspen, and we ha- [00:22:20] we, with a bunch of the ski instructors and some of their big clients that they bring in every year. Most of them [00:22:25] were, uh, ha- horse racing, you know, they owned racing stables, you know, and one of them had just won- Yeah
the [00:22:30] Kentucky Derby and all that. And so one of them leans across the crowded place and says, [00:22:35] "What's the main way, you know, you judge l- you know, a leader?" And I [00:22:40] said, "Results." You know, you could... It's like- Obviously ... results. [00:22:45] If you can't give re- here's my thing, George. If I'm the leader [00:22:50] And I'm in ... Working with a team.
In the end of the month, we're not growing, [00:22:55] what was I there for? They could've, they, they could- They could've done that. They could've not grown without you. [00:23:00] Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. They c- they could've floundered, they could've slumped [00:23:05] without me. The only way I can show that I had a positive impact [00:23:10] is if there's growth.
And so you teach that [00:23:15] into the mentality, into your people, and, uh, you know, you take the [00:23:20] thinking out of it, you know, with ... So people can perform, and that way they can build their confidence, [00:23:25] and, uh, you p- put them in a situation where they can grow. But, uh, if you wanna be a [00:23:30] leader, you gotta teach people.
George Wright III: Yeah. But you said, you said results, you said results over activity, which I agree. Yeah. How do you create that [00:23:35] accountability? Because I think that's the thing people sometimes sheer away from. They're like, "I wanna lead them and [00:23:40] inspire them." No, you gotta hold people accountable, right? Right. And, uh, if you
Larry Weidel: It's like [00:23:45] why do you have them there? I mean, if you're the leader, why do you e- You know, they, [00:23:50] they put, they, they used to, uh ... We went through a phase in our company where [00:23:55] they brought in a ... They brought me in, uh, one time to go into the home office [00:24:00] and go around and somehow have a, you know, like a fertiliz- positive fertilizer [00:24:05] effect on the home office.
So nobody, no, nobody knew what I was supposed to do [00:24:10] or I didn't know, so I, I would just go in, close the door with ... At the, uh, [00:24:15] uh, executive level. I close the door, I say, uh, "What do you do?" [00:24:20] You know? I love it. "Why are you here?" You know? "What difference do you [00:24:25] make? Why should I care about you? How do you help us out in the field?"
You know? "How can [00:24:30] you m- how, how can you help us more?" You know? "You tell me. I'm just asking. I'm not ..." You [00:24:35] know. And so you put, put people, uh- That's great ... uh, you know, put people on the [00:24:40] spot to ... Uh, 'cause if they can't explain that, what are they there for? [00:24:45] Larry, that's the best kind of accountability because it's one thing to be like, "Show me your numbers.
George Wright III: Give me your stats." But when you go in and [00:24:50] say, "Hey, tell me what you do, how you do it, how you help, what's going on," put it on [00:24:55] them to be accountable. Yeah. I love that. Right. That's a great technique. And so you're going [00:25:00] through, you don't even need to know a lot. You just go through and just, uh, you figure out what everybody's doing, and they're all [00:25:05] trying to figure out how to convince you that they are making a difference.
Larry Weidel: Yeah. And if it's your company, then, and [00:25:10] you have people, you know in that department what needs to come- Yeah ... out of that department and how to measure [00:25:15] that. But people have gotta keep up with their own numbers. You know, it's great to have everything automated and have [00:25:20] all these dashboards with agents and everything.
However, uh, you still gotta have the [00:25:25] numbers, and they still ... I, you know, I, I would have a ... If there's no [00:25:30] accountability where they ... I don't care if they get it from an agent or if they write down the numbers themselves. [00:25:35] They gotta get those numbers, and they gotta come in and talk to me And we gotta talk about those [00:25:40] numbers.
You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. And so- Oh, yeah ... it, people, it's like a report card It's a [00:25:45] cultural thing. It's a cultural that you, you've gotta create the culture of accountability being the, the norm, right? You've got to have a [00:25:50] report card. If you're, you know, if you're not gonna have report cards, how, how [00:25:55] successful is school gonna be?
George Wright III: Yeah. You're not focused on doesn't grow, for sure. Right. That's a [00:26:00] great... You know, there's a couple things I wanna make sure we get to in our, in our, in our last little bit of time, but I f- I [00:26:05] feel like at some point success becomes more than about money and business growth, and I, I know that the [00:26:10] top one percenters and the people you're around believe this as well.
And so, you know, what do... H- how do you [00:26:15] view, you know, building something that lasts outside just the success? I mean, [00:26:20] we're talking legacy now. What is it that's on your mind for legacy? From the beginning, [00:26:25] George, you've got to start with the idea of I'm after [00:26:30] financial goals, but I'm after professional goals.
Larry Weidel: In other words, I've got to [00:26:35] be working on things. I've gotta make sure that as I h- make [00:26:40] money, that I'm making a difference- Mm-hmm ... a positive impact in the world, 'cause I do not [00:26:45] wanna be down the road at some point and said, "Hey, I made a lot of money, now my life [00:26:50] is empty." You know what I'm saying? Right.
And so you've got to have that from the [00:26:55] beginning because the goal is, George, and a lot of people screw up on this, [00:27:00] you don't want... It, it's amazing how many people fall into this. You don't [00:27:05] wanna become a huge success and screw up your life. You know? Yeah. Uh, [00:27:10] wreck your life. You know, it's like- Right ... uh, in fact, that's one of the things that, that we talk about how, [00:27:15] what we could do for people, show you how to be successful without wrecking your life.
And you mainly you do that [00:27:20] because you've got to build those other skills, if that's a priority for you. Yes, yes. It takes [00:27:25] skills to be successful. Like where you are in business, you've developed [00:27:30] some incredible skills. Well, thank you. You're not there because you have great intentions and [00:27:35] everything.
You've not had the... You had the intentions- Sure ... but then you tr- you stayed on and hammered [00:27:40] away until you got those skills because y- you could hire the people to do things, [00:27:45] but nobody's gonna make... You can't hold their feet to the fire if you don't have- Yeah ... the skills yourself. Right. And so [00:27:50] the thing is that in, on the personal side, personal accomplishment, and, [00:27:55] and I know, you know, your family's important to you, and, uh, you know, your health [00:28:00] is important, and your lifestyle's important.
That's your foundation. Yeah. You [00:28:05] don't wanna be a tall tower- where you have a super skill where you make a lot of [00:28:10] money, but you've neglected the personal side, the relations [00:28:15] side, the health side, the spiritual side, your relationship with your maker, and you're like, [00:28:20] "You know, my life is all empty, you know?
And I, I developed this one skill." Well, you're building a tall [00:28:25] tower. You know, you need, you need to have the other, uh, s- skills coming [00:28:30] along there, the relationship, the spiritual growth, and all of that so you can have a [00:28:35] foundation. You do not build a skyscraper without a proper foundation. And [00:28:40] so, uh, it's best if you, you know, get that in your mind from the beginning is, "I will not be [00:28:45] one of those that builds a big thing and then it all blows up because I do something stupid 'cause I [00:28:50] don't have a, a good foundation," you know?
George Wright III: Yeah, I love that analogy of don't just be a tall tower, 'cause I [00:28:55] think actually a lot of people do wanna just be a tall tower, and then they realize that that's, uh, not built [00:29:00] on a good foundation. I, I think that is, that is huge. You actually talked about something in our pre-interview I wanted to [00:29:05] make sure I brought up as well, which is you talk about this amateur trap.
What is the amateur trap? Yeah. What is [00:29:10] that? Well, s- that, that relates right to the, what we've been talking about all along is, like, an amateur is somebody who does stuff [00:29:15] and, you know, they, they like it, you know? They, they play with it and, uh, s- they do it [00:29:20] sometimes. And they, sometimes they get very good at it and have some [00:29:25] wins.
Larry Weidel: And sometimes that amateur can be a professional, but a professional is [00:29:30] somebody who knows what to do, when to do it, how to do it- Hmm ... and they do it. You [00:29:35] know, they've got it in their mind they're gonna do it whether they feel, uh, like it or not. You like it. You know, you might be a [00:29:40] funny guy. You could tell jokes.
You know, you're funny, people at parties, you know, this, that, and the other. But to get you on a [00:29:45] stage in front of 20,000 people, you know, and then to get you up on stage- You gotta be professional. Yeah. You gotta be [00:29:50] professional, yeah. We're gonna have you in an HBO special with 20,000 people in the [00:29:55] audience, and you just got, uh, diarrhea, uh, a half hour before [00:30:00] backstage before you went on.
You know, how much of a professional are you [00:30:05] there? And so the deal is a professional gets paid that big money [00:30:10] because they know how ... You know, they've developed that up to a, taken a [00:30:15] skill that they, they could use occasionally and developed it into a super skill [00:30:20] that they can be p- Mm. So they could perform at such a level that people give them [00:30:25] above average income.
And see- Yes ... the deal is amateurs and pros still have [00:30:30] 24 hours in the day. Yeah. It's amazing how much time, [00:30:35] just intent. Like if I'm an amateur and I, I've spent a lot of time on, uh, [00:30:40] uh, golf and, uh, you know, music instruction and things like that. [00:30:45] Never in my mind did I have the idea of being a professional.
I probably c- probably could have [00:30:50] been if I wanted that lifestyle with the amount of time I'd put into it. You see what I'm saying? Yeah. But- Yeah, right ... [00:30:55] but that was never gonna be where I was headed. But the thing is a professional, uh, [00:31:00] goes and, and, and didn't have that ability, there'd be a f- you know- Yeah
that, at that level. [00:31:05] But the deal is 24 hours in a day, I could be a whole lot better [00:31:10] musician or, uh, you know, of those, those kind of golfer if, uh, [00:31:15] I'd had it in my intent, my intent to say, "Maybe I wanna be you know, o- [00:31:20] on the, uh, senior tour. Maybe I've got friends that are, had great business careers, but now [00:31:25] they're playing.
They want to get by f- uh, you know, 50 years old, they want to be able to play on the senior [00:31:30] tour. You know, they want to get in some of these, uh, senior amateur type- Right ... [00:31:35] uh, things where they play- Because their intent's different. They're not just g- Yeah. You know what's funny is I know a lot of amateurs that [00:31:40] put in just as much time as the professionals.
George Wright III: Thank you. So the great differentiator is your [00:31:45] intent will determine whether your time is well spent, and why not make your time well spent? [00:31:50] That's, so I gotta ask you- Yeah ... a question. Before I ask my final one and we go, um, if you're watching this on YouTube, [00:31:55] guys, he's got a, a couple of great pictures behind him from Aspen.
Uh, how did those things [00:32:00] come about? What was the deal with those pics behind you? Yeah, well, as, uh, we talked earlier, I, [00:32:05] I am a professional photographer and, uh, painter. And so, uh, but [00:32:10] the, uh... That's some of my photography from Aspen. I've been going out to Aspen [00:32:15] every three months, uh, for the last 20-something years, 25 years.
Larry Weidel: [00:32:20] And so in the winter, it's beautiful out there, but you can't see much of [00:32:25] the terrain from town. So periodically I'll rent a helicopter and we'll [00:32:30] go up and, uh, take shots from the, uh, from the skies and, and kinda make [00:32:35] available some of the scenery that you would never see otherwise. Guys, the reason I brought that up is, [00:32:40] is, Larry, I, I just had to give an example of how you think differently because most people would be like, "I'd love to take [00:32:45] some pictures of Aspen."
George Wright III: You're like, "I'm gonna get a helicopter. I'm gonna go up there." "I'm gonna be a professional and, [00:32:50] and get this done." So anyway, a little digression, guys. Thanks for, uh, humoring me there. Last question, [00:32:55] Larry. Um, I, I just, I, I have to think there's a lot of [00:33:00] maybe on-the-fence amateur professionals listening to the podcast, founders, owners, business owners, that are like, "You know what, [00:33:05] Larry's right.
I, I need to take things to the next level. I, I've, I've gotta level up. I gotta change my [00:33:10] environment. I gotta do some new things." What's, what's some of the first things you tell people to do if they wanna [00:33:15] level up their life? Well, the, uh, you know, you need to think about what you really want with your life.
Larry Weidel: I think, [00:33:20] you know, the thing is we really know, and, and George, you probably find this true, [00:33:25] it's like s- write some things down. [00:33:30] You know, start taking some time out for [00:33:35] yourself. Quiet the noise, write down on paper [00:33:40] things that matter to you, and just see what happens. See what [00:33:45] happens with you with pen and paper alone thinking about [00:33:50] your future.
Just see what happens. Because, you know, how, [00:33:55] i- is, i- there, at some point you gotta take charge of your life. And, and, and [00:34:00] you gotta go from doing things, which we're talking about the amateur approach or [00:34:05] just, you know, s- sporadic success to constant success, you gotta [00:34:10] center in on you. You know, like what do I really care about?[00:34:15]
And you gotta take stock. How many years do I have left? How much health do I have? [00:34:20] What resour- sources do I have? Usually we've got a whole lot more [00:34:25] resources. You know, in the beginning, you know, when you're not being specific, uh, [00:34:30] you're, you're thinking in general terms, "I don't have that, I don't have that, I can't do that, I'm too old [00:34:35] for this, nobody there"- Right
wrong part of the country. But then you start, when you start getting [00:34:40] specific, you write down, "Well, I could do this. I could do that." And [00:34:45] then sooner or later, George, it's gonna come down, do I wanna do it or not? And then you gotta get off your [00:34:50] butt and take the first step. 'Cause all you can do, and this is just [00:34:55] This is me talking to the world.
You gotta get off your butt and take your first [00:35:00] step. You probably know, you know, this whole thing, "I don't know what to do with my life." Yes, you do. [00:35:05] Yes, you do. You know what to do. You know the next step. Ask a [00:35:10] question. Go somewhere. Meet somebody. Just do. You know what you're, you, you know what you care [00:35:15] about, you know what you're passionate about.
Stop making excuses and start moving [00:35:20] forward the things that you want. You'll only be great at what [00:35:25] you want to do. Yeah. So why not get specific [00:35:30] about what you wanna do, stop pretending, stop delaying, and, [00:35:35] uh, you know, get- I love it ... going. I love it. I love it. And guys, if you [00:35:40] didn't notice it, and I always point out these nuances, every time I've interviewed in the [00:35:45] very top, I mean, he's in the 1% of the one percenters, but Larry said, "Get a piece of paper and pen [00:35:50] out."
George Wright III: It's so incredibly interesting that people that are at the highest levels, one [00:35:55] of the first things they tell consistently is, "Figure out what you want, write it down." And I [00:36:00] tell you, um, you said something really well, uh, Larry, because, you know, you know what to do, [00:36:05] you know what to do, you just need to do.
And I always tell- Right ... people, it's never too late to create the [00:36:10] life you were meant to live. Yeah. But you gotta start. You gotta just start. Yeah. You don't have to know what [00:36:15] it is, you just gotta start, and deep down, I think you're right, I think you do know what it is. [00:36:20] The, the thing is, you know what the next step is, and the deal is you could be [00:36:25] completely confused where you are right now, but you could take three steps forward, and then all of a [00:36:30] sudden, you get a new vantage point, the clouds clear- Yes
Larry Weidel: and it's like, [00:36:35] oh, oh. You know, it's just like don't be put off by what you're not good at [00:36:40] today, because you might be pretty good at it tomorrow, you know? Yeah. [00:36:45] This is great. This is great words of wisdom. I mean, I, I, I love it. Consistent 1%, your [00:36:50] intent, you know, leading, getting the example down, making sure that you follow through, uh, your [00:36:55] proximity and the environment you're in.
George Wright III: These are all, um, you know, go- golden nuggets for sure. Larry, [00:37:00] thanks so much for joining me on the podcast, brother. I appreciate you being here. My pleasure. My pleasure. [00:37:05] It's been a lot of fun. Guys, I'm gonna put links to what he's got happening in the show notes, so check [00:37:10] it out. I want you to, I encourage you to go check out what Larry's doing.
He's got a, some books coming out. He's got a [00:37:15] ton of great things going on. This guy is a, uh, phenomenal entrepreneur, but I'm gonna put the links in there so you [00:37:20] can go do that, and then hit me up. Let me know what you're working on, let me know what you're struggling with, what you're winning at, [00:37:25] and let's, uh, let's, let's create some wins for you and put some big wins on the board by the end of the week, [00:37:30] like Larry's telling everybody.
Larry Weidel: Absolutely. Absolutely. All right, guys, have an amazing day. Once again, this is [00:37:35] George Wright III with Larry Weidel on The Daily Mastermind. Talk soon.
[00:37:40] [00:37:45] [00:37:50]
