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If you had 1 hour with MJ, or someone similar...

SteveO

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I think a lot of people, myself included, would work insanely hard if they truly believed it was possible. I think often our subconscious doesn't really believe it and holds us back.
Bingo... But, you don't need to work insanely hard. Just work steady and don't give up.
 

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JAJT

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A few of us spent more than an hour hanging out with MJ over the weekend.

How'd we spend it?

Mostly smoking cigars, having some drinks, telling stories, laughing, and enjoying each other's company.

Wouldn't have done anything differently.
 
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Respectfully, I would ask they help me believe at a deep real level that it's possible.

I think a lot of people, myself included, would work insanely hard if they truly believed it was possible. I think often our subconscious doesn't really believe it and holds us back.
I don't know how MJ or others could do that. Maybe just an hour of stories of people who they know who've made it with misc different businesses.

This is what happens at the Fastlane Forum meet up
 
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JAJT

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How is it supposed to make people more successful?

It was a joke, that's all.

I was at the Fastlane summit (the meet-up for this forum) sitting around a table with folks I highly respect. We happened to be smoking cigars.

Yes - you are correct. Cigars aren't exactly a health food. Don't smoke if you don't want to. In fact most folks at the event didn't (including some at our table in the smoking lounge). Make your own decisions.
 

SteveO

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How is it supposed to make people more successful?
Some people get things so locked in their heads. I had one cigar in 30 years time. Not much of a chance that will hurt me. I sat there and puffed it in a large group of people that were mostly doing the same. We talked until late in the evening about business and other nonsense.
 
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Greg R

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I'd spend the hour catering the conversation to their enjoyment.

Better to make a successful friend that will positively impact your mindset than badger someone with questions that could be answered in a book.

As @AgainstAllOdds said and because I had the chance to talk to a lot of successful people first hand at the 2018 Summit.

The best conversations were the ones that established a relationship and not the ones that were mainly shop talk.

I now have friends for life verses one or two tactics to apply to my business.

You tell me which one is more valuable.

EDIT:
A few of us spent more than an hour hanging out with MJ over the weekend.

How'd we spend it?

Mostly smoking cigars, having some drinks, telling stories, laughing, and enjoying each other's company.

Wouldn't have done anything differently.

^^^THIS
 

JAJT

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The problem is getting myself to do it.

The simple reality is that if you could find a way to get folks who "know what to do" to actually go ahead and "just do it" - you'd be an overnight billionaire.

Lose weight - eat less.
Be fitter - exercise more.
Make money - work more.
Be a better parent - spend more time with your kids.
Be a better entrepreneur - take more action.
Get smarter - read more.
Make more friends - talk to more people.

The depressing reality is that the most beneficial things we can do in life aren't even remotely complicated and yet we still struggle to actually do them.
 
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DavidTT

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In all honesty, I'm not really sure what I would ask. Maybe just ask how is it really like to be super rich lol.

I've had an amazing opportunity to be around very high net-worth individuals thanks to my previous job. I've driven most supercars (Lambos, Ferraris, McLarens, you name it). I got to know a billionaire (not gonna mention his name tho) and would deal with multi-millionaires on a regular basis.

At the end of the day, I usually just carry on a normal conversation with them just like any other human being. There's a lot of very special people out there all right lol. However, asking about the whole money/help me thing kinda puts me off a bit because it comes back to the consumer mentality and it's as if, I want something from them when in fact, just being friends is more than enough for me I guess.

I've had one client who owned a McLaren 570GT (which I've driven of course lol) and he had his fair share of supercars (lambos, ferraris, porsches and recently a 675LT) and told me that he got his 570GT because it was comfy and he was a bigger guy. We were discussing about supercars and all but he didn't like the lambos and ferraris because he had back pains.

In that interaction, maybe I could have offered him to train together and get him in shape. Who knows lol. I ended up figuring out that he owned a company who would build private jets (base models were around $35 million lol) , mostly for royalties in gulf states.

There was a lot of really wealthy, low-key guys as well. I had one dude who dressed like a construction worker yet, made $6.5 million annually (athlete) and this older lady whom I always treated her as if she was my mother. Her husband had this supply-chain logistic company and let's just say that she would occasionally comes with her husband's Rolls Royce (also driven it loll) while she had an S63 amg as a daily. Never really asked about mentoring or money or anything. I was just happy to serve them and assist them just like any other human being. She was always super nice appreciated my gestures.

IMHO, at the end of the day, I always treat everyone the same which is with dignity and respect regardless if they have money/status or not. The reason why "I think" I'm not as wealthy as them is not necessarily because I think they know a million more than me or have a "secret formula" for wealth but because of MY inaction (execution) and things are lacking from my end. Regardless if my circumstances are in my favor or not, whether I'm at a disadvantage or not, I'm the only guy who could pull myself out of my own sh*t lol. Fastlane is not easy and you gotta be one tough mofo to get thru. I'm definitely not the toughest or smartest animal in the valley.

If I had 1 hour with MJ? I guess I would just chill with him lol hehe. Grab a drink, talk about interesting stuff, listen to all the amazing things he has to say, make a new friend. Just hoping all is well. His book TMF was absolutely nuts and it was an amazing read. Definitely one of my favorite author and book. Truly inspiring.
 
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AndrewNC

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If you are an entrepreneur who has managed some form of success

No matter what that success is, weather it is being retired or are currently running a successful business. Maybe you built a brand or whatever it is. You have been hounded by the guy above and finally thought "Screw it, I'll throw the guy a bone"
What do you think you should be asked? What would be a huge turn off? What do you think will benefit the guy most from him asking? What do you wish you had been told when you were just starting your journey?

I just got a response from someone on this forum I helped in regards to habits and motivation.

We spoke on Skype calls twice over the holidays.

When he responded back and said that the things I helped him with actually worked, I was fu*king blown away. Do you know how many people as people for help, yet NEVER take their advice and run with it?

To see someone not only take the advice, but demonstrate they put it to use, and they are making progress with it is....

It's like they are a friggin unicorn. They don't exist. It's this type of stuff that makes people who are successful (in whatever realm it is) want to help this person more.

I can't count how often people don't do anything and waste the person's time who can help, and they are the reason why it's hard to get mentorship from successful people.

MJ is a different story because he has a large brand (similar to 4HWW, gary V, etc.). But in terms of the silent people out there who don't have the brand, they might be more open for generosity of their time when people clearly demonstrate they put it to use.

Which reflects on a friend of mine who is an informal sales mentor, keeping on hounding me to adjust the order of a few elements in my sales copy...and I haven't been doing yet. Whoops. On the flip side, I help him too in different areas of life that I can help him with, like double checking the setup of his email marketing automation, tell him about new networking events, etc.

generally hounding, MJ

I think I spent about 20 hours of time with MJ playing poker back in Scottsdale.

Most of it was spent going all in blind in texas holdem and pissing off everyone at the poker table. Reflecting back it wasn't the questions I asked, but what I recognized naturally that helped me the most. In poker, just like I'm sure with his business - being calculated with investments based on various set criteria, versus just going all in blind and letting it up to chance.
 

JAJT

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After a while of badgering, phone calls, emails and generally hounding

BUT this is a one time, will never happen again deal so don't blow it!

Kind of sounds like I've shot myself in the foot before the race! Not only have I bugged the crap out of them but apparently they never want to see me again! Sheesh!

In all seriousness, the ideal mentor/entrepreneur/success story to be talking to is the one who has a great answer based on tons of experience to the toughest question/problem currently facing you.

Basically the networking equivalent to the concepts in this thread: Notable! - The absolute BEST book you MUST read!

If you're in real estate, the best person to talk to would be a real estate expert with tons of experience and success. The best question to ask would be how to get to that next "rung" that has been eluding you. Maybe it's on joint ventures. Or moving from single family to multifamily homes. Or into commercial real estate. Or how to navigate the mortgage landscape. Or whatever (I'm not into real estate so I have no idea what the right questions are...)

There's a lot of folks I'd love to meet and buy a beer for but the reality is they are probably the wrong folks to be asking my hardest and most important questions to. I'd consider it a bucket list item to grab a glass of wine with Tim Ferris for even 20 minutes, for example, but the simple reality is the conversation would almost certainly be more fascinating than it was helpful.
 

Process

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MJ and multi-millionaires+ are top notch at perceiving value gaps in the marketplace. Then, they develop the process to fill the demand while eliminating redundant actions. So to model my fastlane system by mining their insights I'd...

1. Show them how I'm marketing to my prospects. Then I'd ask where I can cut out the fluff and be more direct.

2. Show them what I'm doing to add value to my customers at the point of sale, then I'd ask them what I'm overlooking.

3. Show them what I'm doing to add value to my existing customers, I'd ask them what I'm overlooking in terms of adding long term value. Specifically I'd be interested in retention and increasing my transaction sizes and frequencies.

4. Show them the people and systems I'm molding. Then I'd ask them where I'm over-complicating things or walking into a minefield.

5. Ask about their most memorable experiences/lessons because those will be loosely related to all of the above. These sort of rants will help tie it all together.

After that, I'd buy them another beer/coffee, shake hands, and thank them for their time and insight. I'd wave and walk away with my tape recorder and notepad.

For the next few weeks, I'd leave them to living their life without disruption. As I implement their advice, I'd periodically email them and ask if there is any way I could help them. (This would be made of pictures and concise descriptions of my actions)

Whether they respond or not, I'd keep sending them the updates so that they know that their insight and time were not wasted.
 

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As @AgainstAllOdds said and because I had the chance to talk to a lot of successful people first hand at the 2018 Summit.

The best conversations were the ones that established a relationship and not the ones that were mainly shop talk.

I now have friends for life verses one or two tactics to apply to my business.

You tell me which one is more valuable.

EDIT:


^^^THIS

You can call me any time. Hit me up when the time comes and I will get you my contact information.
 

MJ DeMarco

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but id ask how to stay relevant,

Stay valuable in a changing world.

Value attracts. And value's perception changes over time. Leg warmers might have been valuable in the 80's, but not today.

I would ask they help me believe at a deep real level that it's possible.

Read up on the cancer-corollary in Unscripted . For the most part, humans are color blind when it comes to their selfish needs, wants, and desires. Belief starts with understanding the system.

Maybe just ask how is it really like to be super rich lol.

LOL, I'm not "super-rich" -- I'm only super-rich in terms of freedom while living in comfortable luxury, free from debt, bills, and mortgages.

what kind of beer he wanted and get him one.

Oak Creek Canyon Ale
Killians Red
4 Peaks Kiltlifter
Sam Adams

:)

The best conversations were the ones that established a relationship and not the ones that were mainly shop talk.

The GF wished your wife lived next door. She was a breath of fresh air among the cigar smoke.

Smoking cigars? Is that not unhealthy and dangerous?

Yes, if you do it all day, everyday.

I don't think one every so often would be harmful.
 

mrarcher

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I thought this might be a good thought exercise for the forum. Especially if we get participation from both sides. Here's the deal..

If you are a new or growing entrepreneur (or just want to play along of course)

We all have some successful entrepreneurs we look up to and would love to know more about. After a while of badgering, phone calls, emails and generally hounding, MJ or <insert your chosen entrepreneur here> has finally relented and agreed to give you 1 hour, and only 1 hour to sit and talk with you and offer their insights, a bit like a mentoring session. BUT this is a one time, will never happen again deal so don't blow it!
What questions do you ask and why? What would you want to discuss?
There are some general rules of course.
If you ask for investment of any kind your time will end so no pitching!

If you are an entrepreneur who has managed some form of success

No matter what that success is, weather it is being retired or are currently running a successful business. Maybe you built a brand or whatever it is. You have been hounded by the guy above and finally thought "Screw it, I'll throw the guy a bone"
What do you think you should be asked? What would be a huge turn off? What do you think will benefit the guy most from him asking? What do you wish you had been told when you were just starting your journey?

I thought this might be a nice exercise from both ends and maybe get an insight different mindsets and how they change as we progress.
 
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Andy Black

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I'd spend the hour catering the conversation to their enjoyment.

Better to make a successful friend that will positively impact your mindset than badger someone with questions that could be answered in a book.
You beat me to it.

I’d shake their hand and tell them it’s a pleasure to finally meet them.

I’d thank them, explaining why.

Then I’d ask them how things are going and just enjoy the meal/coffee/view.
 
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RobD88

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After reading his books, Unscripted twice, I'd ask MJ what kind of beer he wanted and get him one.

Honestly, I feel like I've spent hours with the man learning various insights on business. While direct input on what I'm doing may be helpful the one message that really hit me in both books and in several threads on this forum is take action, make mistakes, and learn from them. I don't know that I would want to waste time discussing business when I feel I owe the man so much already.

At this point I'd just want to shake his hand, share a beer, talk about life and get to know him as a person.
 

Almantas

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I think most of the gold nuggets that can help anyone succeed are already in this forum and MJs books. His books are culmination of his life and business experience, not only that but he's always present on this forum too - dropping wisdom bombs everywhere without any mercy.

What I am trying to say is that I wouldn't want to waste MJs time. He has provided more than enough. He has showed the path. The only thing that we have to do now is to follow that path and learn along the way.
 
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Greg R

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ZCP

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I helped him setup his sketchy backdrop for pictures (a.k.a. read the instructions for him). Then took grief from him for my hapless fantasy football team. Then thanked him for this awesome community and the opportunities it has provided my kids.

@AgainstAllOdds nailed it. create a friend.
 

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What questions do you ask

Respectfully, I would ask they help me believe at a deep real level that it's possible.

I think a lot of people, myself included, would work insanely hard if they truly believed it was possible. I think often our subconscious doesn't really believe it and holds us back.
I don't know how MJ or others could do that. Maybe just an hour of stories of people who they know who've made it with misc different businesses.
 

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Respectfully, I would ask they help me believe at a deep real level that it's possible.

.


yes this the point

asking questions is useless if we don't believe we can go somewhere in life.

there are only 41,000 users on this forum

considering that business is an important matter in a capitalist society , i think that this is very small number

very small


i am surfing on a bushcraft forum while writing this and there are 70,000 users on this bushcraft forum

but bushcraft is not an important matter to make a living. this is just a hobby ...

so entrepreneurs don't really believe that they can become milionaires or fastlane success stories in the western world

otherwise, they would search for that kind of forum

it makes sense, doesn't it ?

even here, most people never reply or do anything .
 
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S.Y.

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For MJ, I will curse the f!cker out for the first three min for making go through few weeks of cognitive dissonance. Then I will thank him for the paradigm shift for the next 5.

For the rest... He opened a new world for me. In my book, his job is done. And so, if it is a one-time thing and never again, I will talk to MJ the person, not the entrepreneur.

For other similar entrepreneurs, at this point, I am not ready to ask any questions. I need a bit more experience. Down the line, what I would ask will be based on where I am and who I am talking to. I look up to different people for different reasons (Musk for the guy tenacity, Charlie Munger for his thinking process, Yoshua Bengio for his knowledge of AI....)
 
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Greg R

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You can call me any time. Hit me up when the time comes and I will get you my contact information.

Thank you. I know where to find you. ;)
 

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I would ask them what I could do, to definitely have them give me $1M - in the next 59 minutes.
 

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