The Mfceo Project

Many people in the world are in a situation that they find very, very comfortable. Maybe they are making enough money, are in good enough shape, and in decent personal relationships. Their lives aren't terrible, but they are also not great. So they get into this mentality of not really being motivated to change the status quo. The irony is that this comfort zone is actually uncomfortable. In this episode, I tell you what that means, and why you definitely want to push yourself beyond your comfort level.

Yes, you learn from losses. But you shouldn't celebrate losses as if they are moral victories. That's not the mindset that is going to propel you to the highest levels of success. True winners hate losing of any kind. You can't just console yourself with the "I did my best" mantra. That is a cop out. It's about going for the W:  Every. Single. Time. 

Brad Lea is the founder of LightspeedVT, an interactive learning software, and a veteran marketer and training expert. In what may be our funniest episode in months, we sat down and talked about the building blocks of training your team (and yourself): great content, repetition, role playing and real life application, and accountability. This conversation is full of insight (and laughs).

J.P. Dinnell is a Navy SEAL, business consultant, and Jocko Willink's partner at Echelon Front. In one of the best podcasts we've ever done, he and I talk about his SEAL training, his experience fighting in the battle of Ramadi, and lessons he's learned in war that very much apply to achieving success in business and real life. This is a special podcast. If you don't come away amazed by the insight and motivated by the stories, there's something wrong with you.

The most important thing you can do to achieve success is commit yourself to self-development. How many books have you read?  What have you taught yourself lately?  It is nobody's responsibility but yours to put good sh*t in your brain. There is no excuse you can make to not take your own improvement seriously.  In this episode, I tell you what has worked for me and what can work for you. 

Buckle up: this is a pretty wide-ranging conversation about everything that is going on with me right now, the vision I have for transforming the lives of the younger generation, and the plans we have for providing tools for REAL entrepreneurs who want to build a business and make millions of dollars. (I also throw in my thoughts on something essential to entrepreneurial success: the importance of recognizing the lifetime value of a customer.)

How you view conflict in your life has so much to do with what energy you're putting out, what progress you're making, and how far along you're going to get. What makes movies and books so exciting is the conflict! Yet people have such a terrible view of it. But if you want to be successful, you have to change your perspective about it. In fact, you have to come to believe that conflict is actually what creates the greatness in you.

Whether you're trying to build your personal brand or build your business, social media is huge. We know that, right? But it's amazing how many people spin their wheels on platforms like Instagram and Facebook and really don't get any return on their investment of time and energy. That's understandable. What worked just last year won't work now. But I've spent a ton of time figuring out the principles that drive social media success both now and in the immediate future. In this episode, I share them with you.

I am so proud and grateful for the community that has built up around The MFCEO Project podcast. The people who listen to this podcast understand that life is about dominating everything you do, about kicking ass, stepping on throats, and running up the score. So we decided to do something to step up our level of engagement with you and show our gratitude to you for being part of a movement that is changing the world. We call it the 2-Minute drill. Listen to find out what it's all about.

On your journey toward success in business in life, you're going to go through stages.  Sometimes you feel as if you've earned your swag, sometimes you will feel as if you don't know what the f*ck you're doing. Regardless of how successful people feel, they do one thing that the rest of the world doesn't. In this episode, I tell you what that is, and how you can/should do it too.

When I first bought and drove luxury sports cars like my Lambo, I didn't tell anyone about it. I felt guilty and embarrassed because so many people think being motivated by material things is immoral. I have come to believe they are wrong. While life is more than material things, it is legit to use them as motivation. In fact, they are a great motivation. In this episode, I tell you why.

When people experience hard times or something they didn't plan on, the tendency is to freak out, start second-guessing themselves, and back track on their plans.  In this episode, I tell a story about flying home from Vegas when something we heard scared the sh*t out of us. The lesson for us then, and the lesson for all of life, is this: Relax. And trust your instruments.

People always email or DM me and say stuff like "Oh, Andy, I'm going to be the best entrepreneur that you've ever seen. I know you'll be proud." But then they add, "Uh, but I don't know where to start." Well, in this episode, I tell you where the start.  I give you the basic sh*t you need to do to get rolling in business and making money."

Does loads of talent determine your success? No. So stop looking at other people and say, "Man, if I had his talent, I'd be able to achieve my goals." That's total bullsh*t.  Here's the reality: It's not lack of talent or ability or circumstances that keep you from success. It's the failure to make the right choices. You have to know what to do and to choose to do it.

My buddy Lewis Howes wrote a book called The Mask of Masculinity. He joined me in the studio and we talked about how getting honest and transparent and dealing with your sh*t will help you succeed. We also talked about how being vulnerable doesn't make you a p*ssy, but actually helps you be even more driven and competitive. This is one of my favorite episodes ever.  Listen and learn.

When we're little, most of us are encouraged to be great. But when we get older, for some reason, the script changes. We're told to be practical, realistic. The people who used to support us now discourage us--so we can be average, like them. You need to learn how to react to people like that. You need to learn to get p*ssed at their negativity and drive it into productive action. Learn to do whatever it takes to "live a life that says 'I told you so' without having to say a word."

How do you beat burnout? Here's the reality: It's something that has happened (or will happen) to anybody who is trying to build/run a business and/or do something great and sustain it over the long haul. Have you lost hope in the process? Have you lost your vision for what you're trying to accomplish? There are a number of reasons why people burn out. I talk about these and other main causes for burnout and share what my experience has taught me about overcoming it and pressing on.

I've told a lot of you guys that when my best friend and I started our business, we were so broke we had to live in the back of our store and sleep on an old mattress from Goodwill. In this episode, I go into detail about actually sleeping on that mattress, how embarrassing it was, but what it taught me: Successful people know when they shouldn't take themselves too seriously. If you learn to laugh at yourself, you'll laugh all the way to the bank.

Are Millennials entitled? Do they lack work ethic? There's some legitimacy to those charges. But on the other hand, there are plenty of young people (men and women under 30) who have the drive and ability to do great things. In this episode, I talk about the key flaw in many Millennials. It might be what's keeping you from success, too.

In business and life, it's great when you really get rolling. But when a little success makes you bigger and busier, you might make certain critical mistakes that will derail you before you really get started. In this episode, I tell you what those mistakes are and how to avoid them.