What's new

Lex DeVille's: One Thread For All My Genius, Unhinged, Mostly Really Bad Ideas

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Live your best life.

Tired of paying for dead communities hosted by absent gurus who don't have time for you?

Imagine having a multi-millionaire mentor by your side EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has been a cornerstone of Fastlane, actively contributing on over 99% of days—99.92% to be exact! With more than 39,000 game-changing posts, he's dedicated to helping entrepreneurs achieve their freedom. Join a thriving community of over 90,000 members and access a vast library of over 1,000,000 posts from entrepreneurs around the globe.

Forum membership removes this block.
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 13831" data-quote="Lex DeVille" data-source="post: 1168541" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1168541" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1168541">Lex DeVille said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> She&#039;s got a ton of &#039;em. They&#039;re all over her walls. I love them because they&#039;re so different from the rash guard designs everyone else has. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>Until they buy them <img src="/community/imgs/emoticons/em-shades.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":cool:" title="Cool :cool:" data-shortname=":cool:" /></div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper">Had my annual check-up this morning. I tried not to laugh at the doctor&#039;s questions...<br /> <br /> <b>In the last 30 days, have you experienced a fall?</b><br /> <i>Does being violently thrown through the air and slammed to the ground count as a fall?</i><br /> <br /> <b>Are you experiencing partner violence?</b><br /> <i>All of my partners are violent.</i><br /> <br /> <b>Within the past year, have you been hit, kicked, or otherwise physically hurt by your partner?</b><br /> <i>Yes, all of it, a lot!!</i><br /> <br /> <b>Are you in a relationship with a person who physically hurts you?</b><br /> <i>They try to strangle me or break my bones every time I see them.</i><br /> <br /> <b>Are you single? </b><br /> <i>Yes <img src="/community/imgs/emoticons/em-frown.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":(" title="Frown :(" data-shortname=":(" /></i><br /> <br /> <b>Weight</b><br /> I&#039;m following ChatGPT&#039;s guidance. It worked well last time. I&#039;m right on track to make weight. I need to reach 165 by Saturday. I woke at 170.8 today. I&#039;ll probably be in the upper 160s tomorrow. So no water fasting needed. Just clean eating, a bit of cardio for sweat.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 13831" data-quote="Lex DeVille" data-source="post: 1168979" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1168979" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1168979">Lex DeVille said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> <b>Are you single? </b><br /> <i>Yes <img src="/community/imgs/emoticons/em-frown.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":(" title="Frown :(" data-shortname=":(" /></i> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> <i>No, I have dozens of very affectionate guys always happy to hug me.</i></div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><b>FUJI<br /> <br /> Weight</b><br /> I woke up at 164.2 lbs. 165 was the goal. 167 was the allowance. Weigh-ins aren&#039;t til tomorrow at 8am, so I just need to manage what I eat and drink today. No water fasting needed.<br /> <br /> <b>Divisions</b><br /> None of my opponents are competing in more than 2 divisions. Some are only in 1. I&#039;m competing in 4 divisions. 2 Adult divisions (Gi and NoGi). 2 Masters divisions (Gi and NoGi). <br /> <br /> <b>Matches</b><br /> I&#039;ll have a minimum of 9 matches, the most I&#039;ve had in a tournament. The big challenge is there are no lengthy rest periods between Gi and NoGi, nor between Adult and Masters. I think the most time between matches all day is 10 minutes, so I&#039;m going to have to pace myself and be strategic about finishing opponents quickly whenever possible.<br /> <br /> <b>Opponents</b><br /> There are 3 opponents that could be challenges, 3 others who are wildcards, and 1 who looks like the lowest threat. <br /> <br /> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><b>Challenges: </b>A brown belt in Judo, a wrestler, and a kid with more wins than me. Each of these guys is 18 - 19 years old.<br /> <br /> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><b>Wildcards: </b>My Masters division opponents are wildcards because none of them appear to have competed before, so there is no indication of skill or experience. They could be 3-year white belts. They could be 6 monthers. Who knows.<br /> <br /> </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><b>Lowest Threat: </b>This guy did one tournament. He lost every match. There are indications he has less experience than me, but I&#039;m doing my best not to underestimate him.</li> </ul><br /> <b>Age</b><br /> All of my opponents except one are younger than me. A 43 y/o got dropped into my NoGi Masters division. The thing is, I&#039;ll be 4 - 5 matches in by the time I face him, and he&#039;ll be fresh, so I can&#039;t discount him based on age. <br /> <br /> <b>Back Strain</b><br /> Last night, I was showing coach a takedown counter. They take me to the ground, I roll backwards over my shoulder and pop up to my feet. Psychologically, it&#039;s a real killer because it&#039;s a lot of work landing a takedown. When I roll out to standing and they don&#039;t even get points, it&#039;s pretty disheartening for them. After I did it a few times, I guess I strained my lower back. It&#039;s sore now.<br /> <br /> <b>Level Up</b><br /> Across the last 2 tournaments, and in my gym rolls, I noticed a change in stamina and awareness. It&#039;s clear once I get to mount. My opponent flails underneath me. I can hear their heavy breathing and see the strain and tension in their face. Meanwhile, I&#039;m chilling on top of them, breathing easy. I watch them switch positions, and switch my own. I&#039;ve gassed several opponents this way until they couldn&#039;t fight back anymore. Then finished my submission. <br /> <br /> Last night, I rolled light with two white belts. I didn&#039;t even apply pressure or strength, but I controlled them completely. They resisted, but it was like seeing the code in the Matrix. Everything was so clear and predictable. They bump my mount, I land in standing squat. They try to shrimp out of my legs, I drop my weight back down and control their hips. I touch the arm, it pulls away from my hand across their neck, where my other arm is ready to catch it under their neck for a giftwrap to a back take. <br /> <br /> <b>Coach</b><br /> He&#039;s going with me, so I won&#039;t be doing this alone. It will help a lot to have a coach there. Especially when fatigue and doubt set in during my final matches which will be Adult NoGi division. <br /> <br /> This will be the hardest division of the day. I wish one of my masters divisions were last. This division has the most opponents. It also has the wrestler who will be fresh, the Judoka, the 19 win kid, and the low threat kid. All of them will have had time to rest since the Gi division, but I will have been fighting constantly in between.<br /> <br /> Despite all of this, I still intend to bring home 4 gold medals tomorrow.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><b>FUJI</b><br /> Yesterday was a disaster. It started the moment I stepped on the mats. It felt like something was wrong in my body, like no matter what takedown I used, I wouldn&#039;t have any energy left after using it.<br /> <br /> My first round with the judoka went poorly. I got thrown to the ground a lot. It sucked. Even when I was on the ground, he still threw me to the ground lol. I scored points, and was up on points most of the match, but ultimately lost on points when I ran out of energy. Afterward I was drained.<br /> <br /> I went into my second round fully depleted. I had a sip of water between matches, but it wasn&#039;t enough. My opponent wasn&#039;t particularly skilled. He&#039;s someone I would beat 9 times out of 10, but today was 10. A few seconds into the match and I could barely stand. He got to my back, and I spent the rest of the match just hanging on. I escaped his back take and got to north-south with about 15 seconds left, then tried to work into a submission and was almost locked in when the clock ran out. He won on points. <br /> <br /> By my third match, I had no energy at all. When my opponent got a front head lock position - a position I&#039;ve worked out of probably a 100 times now - I couldn&#039;t move. I used the position to rest for a second, then tried to stand, but my body wouldn&#039;t do it. I ended up losing this match to a collar choke that I couldn&#039;t hold onto anymore and tapped.<br /> <br /> After the third match, something was clearly wrong. My mouth dried out so bad I couldn&#039;t talk and I got sick. I couldn&#039;t stand after the match was over. All I can figure is I didn&#039;t rehydrate enough and was low on glycogen. I asked coach to pull my other matches for the day, and went home.<br /> <br /> This was a frustrating and humiliating performance. <br /> <br /> I hate that it went this way. <br /> <br /> Not only did I lose and quit, but Coach and a teammate came out to support me and I feel like I let them down. <br /> <br /> I was so excited for this comp and don&#039;t think it was a good reflection of my jiu-jitsu. <br /> <br /> Adding insult to injury, my tweaked back is more sore after all those judo throws and somehow, I have to drag myself back into the gym and start training for ADCC.<br /> <br /> Oh well, nothing I can do about it now but get back to training.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 13831" data-quote="Lex DeVille" data-source="post: 1169620" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169620" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169620">Lex DeVille said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> After the third match, something was clearly wrong. My mouth dried out so bad I couldn&#039;t talk and I got sick </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote> <blockquote data-attributes="member: 13831" data-quote="Lex DeVille" data-source="post: 1169620" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169620" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169620">Lex DeVille said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Not only did I lose and quit, but Coach and a teammate came out to support me and I feel like I let them down. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>Don&#039;t feel like you let them down. To keep going would have been an unwise decision. <br /> From the first round, which already felt off, you kept going until the third match. You didn&#039;t quit: you made the most logical, best decision. The alternative would have been to deteriorate even more with sweaty men choking and getting on top of you. <br /> <br /> <br /> <blockquote data-attributes="member: 13831" data-quote="Lex DeVille" data-source="post: 1169620" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169620" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169620">Lex DeVille said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> This was a frustrating and humiliating performance.<br /> <br /> I hate that it went this way. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote> <blockquote data-attributes="member: 13831" data-quote="Lex DeVille" data-source="post: 1169620" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169620" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169620">Lex DeVille said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> I was so excited for this comp and don&#039;t think it was a good reflection of my jiu-jitsu. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>It&#039;s okay man. Something like this is <i>inevitable</i>. You&#039;re not always going to slay. <br /> To keep winning without any setbacks is ultimately meaningless either way. <br /> <br /> Trust me, I know this myself. From very hushed piano performances which felt like losing control of a car and sweeping off a mountain (in front of 200 people) to failed music compositions and even sometimes not being able to clean all windows well. <br /> <br /> You&#039;re doing well, don&#039;t let the inevitable dispirit you.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><b>Learning Through Loss</b><br /> The hardest part of losing is replaying my failures. I struggle a lot to watch the videos and relive the losses, but those videos offer massive insight that changes my game every time. It took all day, but I finally brought myself to watch the videos.<br /> <div class="bbMediaWrapper" data-media-site-id="youtube" data-media-key="y_rObypuqhI"> <div class="bbMediaWrapper-inner"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y_rObypuqhI?wmode=opaque" loading="lazy" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> </div> </div><b>Match 1</b><br /> This match was so rough. Opp was 19 years old with endless energy, and neat throws from a lot of positions (that were very painful for me).<br /> <br /> <b>Key Takeaways</b><br /> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I performed better in reality than in my head</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I pulled opp to the ground instead of letting him throw me at the start</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">0.30 opp uses a cool sweep, I&#039;ll add it to my tool kit</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">1:28 I escaped an Americana submission and reversed position</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">2:24 Got my elbow back to inside position</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">3:32 I attacked the back but couldn&#039;t get a hook in. Opp lifted his butt and I went over his head to my back. Not good, for me, but I&#039;ll add that to my tool kit too</li> </ul><div class="bbMediaWrapper" data-media-site-id="youtube" data-media-key="FIOzGtubJZ4"> <div class="bbMediaWrapper-inner"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FIOzGtubJZ4?wmode=opaque" loading="lazy" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> </div> </div><b>Match 2</b><br /> This match was difficult because I had to be very technical and spent most of the round defending a choke while escaping opp&#039;s body triangle. Overall, I followed coach&#039;s instructions well even though I could only hear him every once in a while.<br /> <br /> <b>Takeaways</b><br /> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I shot a double-leg and didn&#039;t get guillotined</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">1:03 I escaped a front headlock</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">1:10 I attempted a kimura counter to Opp&#039;s single-leg takedown but lost balance before I locked it in. After going down, I got my foot under my butt which stopped opp from scoring points, so I still won the scramble</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">At 4:55, I finally escaped opp&#039;s choke, back control, and reversed into top position</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">At 5:01 I went to north-south position, but there were only seconds left and I was exhausted and disoriented. I tried to secure head scissors. Coach was shouting &quot;armbar,&quot; but time ran out.</li> </ul><div class="bbMediaWrapper" data-media-site-id="youtube" data-media-key="rU6NtdOz7rc"> <div class="bbMediaWrapper-inner"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rU6NtdOz7rc?wmode=opaque" loading="lazy" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> </div> </div><b>Match 3 </b><br /> Everything I did was from total exhaustion. I don&#039;t remember any of the match except grabbing a kimura grip from turtle. My body was redlining, so I&#039;m pretty pleased with my performance after reviewing it.<br /> <br /> <b>Takeaways</b><br /> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Opp pulled guard and pulled me down, but I took us back to standing</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">0.47 opp went from front head lock to my back, and I took turtle position (mostly to stall and breath lol)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">1:06, I reach around opp&#039;s arm to position for a kimura lock, but couldn&#039;t lock it in</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">1:34, I worked the kimura lock again and this time use it to reverse position</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">2:50 opp attacks a head and arm choke, but I managed to escape it</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">3:08 I use a hip bump sweep that mostly works, but opp takes an underhook and drives me to the ground</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">After the failed hip bump I had nothing left. It was all I could do to hang on, and I ended up getting submitted when I couldn&#039;t do that any longer.</li> </ul><b>What&#039;s Next?</b><br /> Well, I&#039;m pretty irritated about FUJI. I feel like my body cheated me and I want a do-over. So I signed up for a tournament in Kentucky this weekend. It&#039;s an 8-hour trip. I&#039;m not dropping weight. I&#039;ll compete in the 170 - 180lbs weight class so I can come in at full performance, fully hydrated. All of this assumes my back feels better before then.<br /> <br /> I&#039;m not telling anyone at the gym, partly because I&#039;m struggling to define my game versus following coach&#039;s instructions in matches. I want to go solo and work only my approach.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/attachments/rdt_20250520_222624-mp4.66330/" target="_blank">View attachment RDT_20250520_222624.mp4</a><br /> <br /> Footage of Lex found when he was 4 years old..</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><b>Louisville, KY</b><br /> My back isn&#039;t 100%, but I&#039;m still going. For this comp, I&#039;ll fight 2 divisions - Adult Gi and NoGi. Even though it&#039;s Adult, my opponents range from 19 years to 34 years old, so there&#039;s a good span of ages. There&#039;s at least one wrestler/judoka. I&#039;ll have 5 matches assuming my body holds up. I&#039;m not cutting weight, so I should be hydrated and well-fueled. <br /> <br /> <b>Takedown Strategy</b><br /> Coach taught some judo takedowns this week for Gi. We&#039;re doing singles and doubles tonight for nogi. I think my biggest problem is too many options and getting overwhelmed, so I resort to double legs that fail. Going into this tournament, I plan to lean into my A-game - the one takedown that has never failed me - the Kimura grip. <br /> <br /> Coach doesn&#039;t teach Kimura takedowns. Most people don&#039;t know how to counter them. The more I study the grip, the more I find new entries into it from standing positions. In theory, I should be able to submit my opponent from standing with the grip. <br /> <br /> Since I&#039;m flying solo, it&#039;s a good chance to test my A-game without any distractions. No more second-guessing based on what coach is telling me to do. It&#039;s 100% my game and it either works or it doesn&#039;t. I suspect it will.<br /> <br /> <b>Combat Experience</b><br /> To date, I&#039;ve finished 8 tournaments and completed 30 tournament matches. After ADCC in June, I&#039;ll be close to 50. That&#039;s solid! I&#039;ve logged 200 hours of mat time in just 10 months of BJJ.<br /> <br /> <b>After ADCC in June</b><br /> I might dial things back a bit so I can re-focus on business. I&#039;ll still train and compete, but maybe not at the same pace I&#039;ve been competing the last few months. By Sat, I&#039;ll have finished 5 tournaments in 2 months, with 3 this month alone. A better pace would be 1 tournament per month so I have time to train at the gym in between and refine my approaches.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><b>KY Tournament Canceled</b><br /> I rolled hard Thursday and it made my back/ribs really sore when I woke up the next morning. It felt too risky to compete, so I canceled the KY trip and stayed home to rest. Better safe than sorry.<br /> <br /> <b>Promotion (Sort of)</b><br /> Since I was home, I went to Friday&#039;s family class. Coach handed out stripes again. All the kids got a stripe except those who just got one the other day. One girl got her yellow belt. Then all of the parents got a stripe. So I guess I&#039;m a 1-stripe white belt now.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/attachments/1000021336-webp.66476/" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/data/attachments/60/60188-3c49e0888cdb159f6c1e9ddd5e11bfc7.jpg?hash=XTjj8iV7tc" class="bbImage " style="" alt="1000021336.webp" title="1000021336.webp" width="200" height="213" loading="lazy" /></a><br /> <br /> <b>ADCC</b><br /> Starting tomorrow, I have to get serious about ADCC. I need to drop weight now. I&#039;m around 174lbs and I need to be 167. I&#039;ve got about 3 weeks, so plenty of time to make weight without significant cutting.<br /> <br /> <b>Jiu-Jitsu Jamboree </b><br /> Lilith and I are heading into the Missouri boonies for a jiu-jitsu festival next weekend. We may camp out overnight if the weather holds. Jiu-jitsu, superfights, swimming, food trucks, craft vendors, and friends. Should be a good time.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper">Incredible journey and strong will power.<br /> <br /> You are competing in combat sports with opponents 20 years younger than you.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><b>Might Quit Gi</b><br /> I&#039;m fed up with Gi training and thinking about doing NoGi only, once I earn my blue belt. Gi still feels like a huge waste of time. I&#039;m 9 months into Gi, and only know how to finish a single Gi choke and have <b>never submitted an opponent with one. </b><br /> <br /> The only reason to train Gi is to eventually get promoted. But I don&#039;t care about belts beyond blue. Blue belt tells others I&#039;m not a beginner. But I don&#039;t need a belt to tell me if I can beat purple belts, brown belts, or black belts.<br /> <br /> <b>Ex-Wife</b><br /> She wanted to do roller derby and started in Utah, and again in Missouri. But the vibe was never right. Roller derby attracts a certain kind of person throughout the sport...<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/attachments/1748525941530-webp.66583/" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/data/attachments/60/60249-06b7767fe78e9e58b5a8d59a1e0e5464.jpg?hash=0Gl39BpbU2" class="bbImage " style="" alt="1748525941530.webp" title="1748525941530.webp" width="341" height="200" loading="lazy" /></a><br /> <br /> ...and though she&#039;s very tolerant, it was too much. So I invited her to try BJJ. She tried two Gi classes with me and loved learning takedown throws. She hasn&#039;t rolled yet, but she&#039;s coming back for more.<br /> <br /> I&#039;m excited to see her there. Not only will it be good for her if she sticks with it, but it offers my daughter a family activity where both parents are involved.<br /> <br /> She&#039;s even going with us to the Jiu Jitsu festival thingy this weekend. I think it&#039;ll be a lot of fun. Fighting has brought so many good things into mine and my daughter&#039;s lives, so maybe it can do the same for my ex.</div>
 
Last edited:
<div class="bbWrapper"><b>An idea...</b><br /> An idea for a viral YT channel popped into mind today. Did some research. Pretty sure it&#039;ll take off. Gonna make some videos and find out. Not sure how I&#039;d monetize it. I&#039;ll figure that out if any of the first 10 videos get traction.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><b>YouTube Content</b><br /> I created and published the first two videos. They&#039;re between 20 and 30 minutes each. I&#039;ll try to get the length to 8 - 11 minutes, but it&#039;s tricky with the content. The first video was recorded, edited, and published yesterday, and is starting to get views.<br /> <br /> The content is intended to be viral, but also capitalizes on an SEO void. So I set up a website and created blog posts with the videos embedded. I&#039;ll make 10 free videos first, targeting choice keywords, then produce paid content at a rate of 1-2 files per week.<br /> <br /> It takes 3 to 4 hours from start to finish for each video. I can create a video per day, but may drop back to 2 videos per week once I have enough content so I can focus on creating high-value paid content. Ideally, I&#039;ll publish at least 4 paid files per month starting by July.<br /> <br /> <b>Seasonality</b><br /> My content will appeal to horror fans, but in a few months, as long as I upload consistently, I&#039;ll have a good shot at going viral when Halloween attracts a broader audience. By then, I&#039;ll have between 40 to 100 videos published.<br /> <br /> <b>List Building</b><br /> I set up a basic opt-in on the site. I don&#039;t have a lead magnet yet. I&#039;ll work on that tomorrow.<br /> <br /> <b>Monetization</b><br /> The main route for now is the purchase of paid files through my website. I&#039;ll post longer-form content for purchase and will accept custom content requests. Once I find the right keywords, I&#039;ll run Google Ads. I think I&#039;ll earn my first customers by the time I reach 15 YT videos, maybe sooner.<br /> <br /> <b>Product</b><br /> The product is digital. I&#039;m aiming for pricing between $35 and $50 for most products, with custom requests starting around $99. Once each product is published, it becomes a fully passive evergreen income system for as long as I have funnels running to it.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><b>YouTube</b><br /> 4 videos published. All videos are getting views. Most are from YT search with a few from YT browse and other features. All videos link to one another. All video descriptions funnel back to my website.<br /> <br /> <b>YouTube Stats</b><br /> - Videos: 4<br /> - Views: 57<br /> - Watch Time: 4.1 Hours<br /> - Subscribers: 1<br /> <br /> <b>Split-Testing</b><br /> I&#039;m running multiple variations of video thumbnails to see which performs best for each one.<br /> <br /> <b>Google</b><br /> Blog posts are ranking for some search terms. Analytics, Ads, and Clarity accounts are set up and synced. Google simplified the process between Analytics and Ads so you easily connect the two during Ads account creation.<br /> <br /> <b>Lead Magnet</b><br /> I created a short audio file and set up a 1-step opt-in funnel with Mailer Lite.<br /> <br /> <b>Custom Orders</b><br /> The first product is live on the website. Users can purchase custom requests for $49.97 or $99.97.<br /> <br /> <b>What&#039;s Next?</b><br /> Now that the foundations are in place, the focus shifts to:<br /> <br /> 1) Consistently publishing videos<br /> 2) Consistently publishing SEO articles for each video<br /> 3) Setting up basic Google Ad funnels<br /> 4) Creating lower price tier ($29 - $39) evergreen products</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><b>ADCC Texas</b><br /> Tournament week. Feeling good overall. Friday, I&#039;ll leave for Texas. Weigh-ins are Friday evening. The comp is Saturday. There&#039;s nearly 1,100 competitors which makes it the largest one I&#039;ve done.<br /> <br /> <b>Injury</b><br /> The injury I got before FUJI worsened when I rolled with a new white belt. He&#039;s a 220lb wrestler. It&#039;s sore to the touch now. I&#039;ll still fight, but I switched divisions to, hopefully, avoid further injury.<br /> <br /> <b>Divisions</b><br /> I was set to fight at -167lbs in Adult and Masters. But I&#039;m worried the water cut with the injury could go poorly. So I dropped the Adult division and bumped Masters up a class (-182lbs) to fight at my walking weight (175lbs).<br /> <br /> I added a second Masters division at a higher weight class (-201lbs). Once these guys rehydrate, they&#039;ll be 215 - 220lbs while I&#039;ll be 175lbs (but fully fueled with no water or food cut). Smoothcomp has me ranked #1 Seed which, as I understand it, means I&#039;m favored to win.<br /> <br /> <b>Jiu-Jitsu Festival</b><br /> Had a good time. Tapped out a 220lb guy with my signature head scissors. Later, I learned he&#039;s a Blue Belt and was one of the Superfighters, so that was cool. We had good food, swam in the river, watched teammates in superfights. An awesome day.<br /> <br /> <b>ADCC Strategy</b><br /> A big focus is really slowing down and working on position before attack. Since points don&#039;t accrue until 3 minutes in, there&#039;s no rush to shoot takedowns. Since my opponents will be heavy and strong, I can&#039;t afford to make mistakes that let them drop their weight on me.<br /> <br /> My Kimura game is getting good. I catch them on every white belt, and use to transition to other positions. The other night, I caught a rolling Kimura into T-Kimura position, then locked up a Crucifix with my legs, and transitioned into a Reverse Triangle for the tap.<br /> <br /> I&#039;ve also been working back takes. Getting to the back from duck unders, as well as from closed guard. Once I get to the back, my Rear Naked Choke is hard to stop.<br /> <br /> For the -201 guys, I should be faster, more explosive, and have better stamina. If I get stuck underneath them, it&#039;s gonna suck lol.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper">Your consistency, dedication, and meticulousness is phenomenal.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><b>ADCC</b><br /> There are over 1,400 competitors for the event, making it the largest comp I&#039;ve attended by far. The next closest was only around 950 competitors. It&#039;s gonna be insane!<br /> <br /> <b>New Injury</b><br /> At open mat on Sunday, a blue belt says &quot;let&#039;s roll light.&quot; He goes like he&#039;s in a cage fight... On a takedown, my left knee twists the wrong way. It didn&#039;t fully pop, but caused pain and inflammation. It&#039;s too late to refund ADCC, so I&#039;m competing with 2 injuries.<br /> <br /> <b>Tuesday Class</b><br /> Went to class yesterday with a plan to take it super super light. I get there and coach says, &quot;Tonight we&#039;re gonna work a single-leg takedown counter, and I&#039;ll show you how to do it without blowing your partner&#039;s knee out.&quot; FML, worst possible move he could&#039;ve chosen.<br /> <br /> <b>The Guantlet</b><br /> When it was time to roll, coach called out the ADCC competitors. For 15 minutes straight we worked takedowns. Everytime someone got taken down, a fresh opponent stepped in. The competitors never swapped out, only our opponents. By 15 minutes, I could barely stand up, but still hit kimura takedowns. At the end, I was dead.<br /> <br /> So I got water, rested for 5 minutes, and hit the mats, asking for rolls. I steam rolled a white belt, tapped two others, and man handled a blue belt. A black belt still kicked my a$$. <br /> <br /> My knee held up, but the rib injury was cooked and I jammed a finger. My stamina did well, and even though I had no intention of rolling hard, I walked out confident I can win both divisions this weekend, even with injuries.<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> <b>YouTube</b><br /> 6 videos published. One was an experiment that became my channel trailer. So far, it has the least views despite running ads to it. All other videos are getting more views. The one published yesterday is getting views the fastest.<br /> <br /> <b>Google Ads Experiment</b><br /> I put a video on a landing page for a search term, then sent traffic with a G-ad. The page delivers on the search term, but the search <b>intent</b> is mismatched. People who search for the term are searching with a health intent rather than an entertainment intent, so they aren&#039;t watching the video. I&#039;ll end this experiment today and start a new one.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/attachments/1000000128-webp.66964/" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/data/attachments/60/60482-022f69d6f4b28f0e2212a3601d97f2ce.jpg?hash=bkGkk0k4r_" class="bbImage " style="" alt="1000000128.webp" title="1000000128.webp" width="200" height="267" loading="lazy" /></a><br /> <br /> <b>ADCC Sold Out</b><br /> At 1,500 competitors, ADCC shut down registration stating, &quot;The event has reached maximum capacity.&quot; Today, there are 1,504 competitors. The comp started at 8am, but I won&#039;t compete until close to 8pm so I&#039;m hanging out at the hotel for now.<br /> <br /> Weigh-ins went fine. I was 3lbs under my lowest weight division. <br /> <br /> Smoothcomp favors me to win both divisions but some matches may overlap which would be a big disadvantage for me since none of my opps are doing 2 divisions.<br /> <br /> I need to defeat 3 opponents per division to win gold in each.<br /> <br /> The good news is, I&#039;m fully hydrated, rested, and ate well with no weight cut, so I&#039;ll fight at close to full power.</div>
 

Welcome to an Entrepreneurial Revolution

The Fastlane Forum empowers you to break free from conventional thinking to achieve financial freedom through UNSCRIPTED® Entrepreneurship where relative value and problem-solving are executed at scale. Living Unscripted® isn’t just a business strategy—it’s a way of life.

Follow MJ DeMarco

Get The Books that Change Lives...

The Fastlane entrepreneurial strategy is based on the CENTS Framework® which is based on the three best-selling books by MJ DeMarco.

mj demarco books
Back
Top Bottom