REAL AF with Andy Frisella

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.

You know how you take your life to the next level? You actually figure out what your limits are. You identify your limits physically, mentally, in your relationship, and in your career. Then you make a specific, intentional effort to go beyond those limits. You have to know where the point of failure is for you so you can overcome it on your way to success.

What do you do when you want to be successful, but you've got a relationship in your life that is counterproductive to all your personal and professional goals and dreams? The answer isn't easy, but it is simple: You cut them off. Yes, this kind of thing can be really messy. But you have to do it. In this podcast, I tell you why and how I've done it. If you want to fulfill your potential, you'll need to do it, too.

So many entrepreneurs now think they are going to start a business, make a half-ass product, charge a lot of money for it, and become wealthy. But here's the reality: that's not going to happen. Great entrepreneurs know the best, most effective marketing strategy you can possibly have. It's the most critical factor in a company's success. Do you know what it is?

People contact me and explain that they are making decent money, but don't feel like they are really making a difference in the world. So they tell me they are thinking of trying to start some sort of charitable organization or join a movement dedicated to some worthy cause. I tell them that is wrong thinking. They--and you--need to realize that you can make a difference right now. In this episode, I tell you how.

Is chasing money a bad thing? I don't think so. Money is not everything in life, but it's a great, great thing. And in this episode of the podcast, I re-emphasize how important it is to change your beliefs about money. Why? Because you have to think right about money to make a sh*t ton of it.

How have I worked through the process of building something successful? How have I developed the mindset that has helped me earn millions of dollars? I've tried different kinds of life hacks and mental tools over the years. One thing that I really believe in is holding yourself accountable. How do you do that? In this podcast, I share two practical tools - a set of questions and a mental dialogue - that have helped me immensely. Listen to find out what they are.

When you experience an extreme situation that presents an obstacle that is hard to overcome, something amazing can happen: it can end up becoming one of the best things that ever happens to you. The process of recovery, the journey of overcoming, can produce qualities in your character and assets you can add to the arsenal you use to achieve the highest levels of success. Bottom line: obstacles are opportunities for greatness. You have to choose to believe that.

Among other things, Mark Bell is a former champion power lifter, entrepreneur, the owner of the Super Training Gym, and the inventor of the Sling Shot. The MFCEO's wide-ranging conversation about the story of Mark's success will leave you educated and motivated. From pressing on through adversity to inventing and selling a product, no stone has been left unturned in this comprehensive discussion on what it takes to succeed in business and life.

How do you stand your ground against the goliath of your industry? Should you be flattered that industry leaders are following your steps on social media or worried they are about to pounce on us? Should we wait and get business open with a bang (sort of like a Trojan Horse) or should we tease our clientele with what's common and create a buzz--but risk giving our competitors a chance to prepare for us? These are questions Andy Frisella was asked by listeners and social media followers. The MFCEO's short answer: F*uck your competitors! Why are you worried so much about them? Focus on you."

Even if there was a quick and easy path to get rich and powerful, the MFCEO says you shouldn't take it. Why? Among other reasons: when you get money easily, you lose it easily. It takes time and experience to become the kind of person who can really handle large sums of money. And you cheat yourself out of the things you gain when you take the long and hard road: a great story and the right to respect.

If you are waiting to see what other successful people do just so you can do the same thing, you are doing yourself a disservice. It's one thing to notice what someone else does well. It's legitimate to cherry pick a good idea or best practice and apply it to your life and business. But here's the bottom line: whatever you draw from someone else should be adapted and be developed for you. Personalize it or pass on it. You don't want to be a carbon copy of someone else. It's less than you deserve and bad business.

One idea that doesn't belong in an authentic entrepreneur's mind is the idea that somebody is out to get you. That someone is trying to put obstacles in your way and keep you down. That's false. The reality is, it's up to you. You have to grow your skills. You have to create the opportunities. You need to put in the work. The only person you should be worried about is yourself.

How do the rich manage their money? Do they keep a budget like average people? Do they avoid impulsive purchases? How do they use credit cards? Do they care about their credit score? In this episode of The MFCEO Project, Andy Frisella covers the basic principles and best practices for anyone who wants to get and stay rich.

There's a common mistake that stalls a lot of people's progress. They may be on their way to achieving their goals, making more money, but then all of a sudden, they hit a brick wall. Why? It's because people assume that the same plan and practices that earned them some success at the early stages of their life can be applied to every other stage. It can't. Yes, there are fundamentals to success. But you also have to be adaptable. Your plan has to evolve. Your skill set has to be developed and reinvented. Bottom line: if you want to continue fulfilling your own true potential, you have to learn to change.

In today's day of entrepreneurship, we have young people (and old people, too!) who are constantly looking for the grand slam or overnight success. They want to try to mimic the stories they read about that say how someone took a rocket ship to mind-boggling wealth. Here's the reality: in spite of the rare stories that are posted all over the internet, there's no easy way to earn big money. You have to provide value. You have to execute in an exceptional way. You have to do the things that are difficult. But--in the end--these things pay off.

The most valuable thing you are going to learn in business isn't how to sell. It is how to manage a team, from the guy sweeping the floor to your highest-level VP. Mastering the art of leadership is hard, but worth it. So how do you learn how to lead? The first step is to make a habit of taking initiative. When you see something that needs to be done and you do it well, you're on your way to becoming an incredible leader--the kind that knows how to build wealth and build an empire.

Marketing has become so sophisticated over the last couple of years that developing an effective strategy can become overwhelming. In this episode of The MFCEO Project, Andy Frisella shares the basic principles and practices that have helped him promote his businesses and generate millions of dollars in revenue. In a wide ranging conversation, Andy discusses everything from basic marketing philosophy and common social media marketing mistakes to the use of brand ambassadors and use and abuse of the principle "sex sells."

What skill can determine whether you are going to be an average person who earns $40,000-$80,000 a year or an exceptional person who earns 6 to 7 figures a year? It's the skill of leadership. If you learn and master the effective management of people, your potential for success and greatness will be unlimited. How much time are you investing in the development of this skill? It is an investment that pays off.

Happy 4th of July! The men who founded America believed in something bigger than themselves. They believed in something that could make their lives better, as well as the lives of their families. But they also knew that they were up against impossible odds and that the cost of failure was high. Are you motivated to pursue amazing, seemingly impossible goals? Not just goals that benefit you, but others too? Have you considered the high cost of achievement? America was built by people who, in the face of massive adversity, decided to move on regardless. What about you?

Think about all the things that people have said to you that bother you. Go back to when you were a little kid. What did they say? Maybe it was that you were: fat. Stupid. A loser. A weirdo. Even though you were little when it happened, the hard truth is that you grow up and remember that sh*t. Here's the deal: People have a tendency to think their struggles or issues are worse than everybody else's. But the reality is that everybody deals with something. What it comes down to is this: When you get pushed to the brink by the negative memories and thoughts, what do you do? You can cave in and give up. Or you can dig deep and press on.

This one goes out to the guys (and gals) who are working hard and have a chip on their shoulder because everybody they know - even their friends and family -are telling them to "grow up" because they are crazy to "pursue an unrealistic dream." Guess what? Someday, when you are successful, they will tell you "you are a genius" and "I always believed in you." And it will be bull sh*t. But it doesn't matter. Those stupid things that people say are blessings. They will create the chip on your shoulder. They will drive you. And when you make them eat their words, it will feel damn good.

What if? What if? What if? Entrepreneurs are always sending Andy Frisella emails and direct messages freaking out about this or that. Most of the time, they are afraid of things that aren't really threats to their success. In this episode, Andy walks listens through the lineup of "bogeymen that don't exist." Instead of being afraid of these things, The MFCEO says, fear mediocrity. And fear never doing anything at all.

Good communication skills are critical to success. Unfortunately, society has become so soft and overly sensitive that people feel they need to be passive and tentative in the way they speak to others. They tone down the truth to avoid offending someone. They are vague in order to avoid hurting someone's feelings. Guess what? This doesn't work. In order to succeed personally and professionally, you need to speak clearly. You need to speak truthfully. You need to be direct.

The importance of excellence has always been one of Andy Frisella's foundational values and one of the basic assumptions of The MFCEO Project. But in 150 episodes, Andy has never explicitly explained why excellence is so important - why it's everything. From how it undergirds the confidence necessary for success to how it protects us from the danger of laziness, The MFCEO unpacks and breaks down his thoughts on excellence - and shows exactly why it's essential to personal and professional success.

What do you do when the person you love does not support you and your goals? Or, what do you when they support your overall goals, but they often nag you about your lack of progress? Do you suck it up and take it? Do you just tell them to go to hell? In this episode of Thursday Thunder, Andy Frisella unpacks his thoughts and answers this frequently asked question. The bottom line: a relationship is two people believing in the same things and being committed to the same goals. Is that what you have with your significant other or not?

Money, money, money! In today's episode, Andy Frisella shares his take on all things money: Is money the greatest thing in the world or the root of all evil? What's the difference between making money and earning it? How do the most successful people think about money and handle it? This is a favorite topic of The MFCEO's - one that he has talked about before, but is so important that it bears repeating.

We live in a society that has produced very soft, very delicate little snowflakes. An entitlement complex is running through the current generation. They think they should be handed the good things that come from a life of hard work--without actually working for them! But one of the worst qualities of so many people today is that they want to know what to think. They haven't learned how to think. That is an indispensable requirement for becoming successful.

It's popular today to go around saying, "I'm gonna be me. And I give zero f*cks what anyone thinks about it." While we should not be enslaved to other people's opinions, Andy Frisella says that what other people think about you matters. People are going to judge what kind of person you are by how you treat people and what you put out on social media. If you don't take that seriously, you're in trouble. Opportunity comes from other people--and how other people perceive you is huge. If you struggle with how to connect with people and build relationships that lead to opportunity, The MFCEO shares a tool in this episode that will help you!

Too many people complain that their friends and family aren't supporting their business. Here's the reality: you're going to need way more than the support of your friends and family to be successful. Plus, your friends and family aren't obligated to support you. When it comes to the real world of business, they owe you nothing. It's your job to provide a quality product or service that everyone would want to support. And it's your job to sell them on that quality product or service. But above all, you have to think of support in terms of a bank account. Don't constantly ask other people to make withdraws on your behalf. You want to be the guy who make more deposits in other people's accounts.

How do you suck the marrow from every 24-hour period you live and work on this Earth? Is there a difference between working hard throughout the day and making the day work hard for you? In this episode of The MFCEO Project, Andy Frisella shares his tips and tricks for moving beyond time management to time mastery. Other people may have more brains, talent, or money. But everyone has the same amount of time in their day. To be successful, we have to learn how to make that time count.

A chronic problem with the world of entrepreneurialism right now is the ubiquitous presence of "hustlers" who are showing the world their "baller" lifestyle. The problem is, they are just showing it. They aren't really living it; because they haven't done the hard work necessary to experience it. The reality is, people like the show and the style, but they've never developed the substance required for success. The MFCEO says: you can't fake it. You won't become an authentic success without taking the hard road and doing the hard work.

One of the common killers of inexperienced entrepreneurs is not knowing how to manage your cash flow. In this episode, Andy Frisella talks through the typical mistakes that he himself has made and the lessons he's learned from doing business for almost two decades. From not paying your invoices before they are due to finding innovative ways to generate cash, The MFCEO's advice will help any entrepreneur and any business avoid a cash flow crisis.

When you begin a new project or venture, you are extremely excited. But as the days pass, it becomes harder and harder to sustain enthusiasm. Things become monotonous. You become frustrated. You wonder: what is wrong with me? Answer: nothing. That's normal. But the reality is, when the excitement wears off, most people quit. That's too bad, the MFCEO says, because if you push through the excruciatingly hard times, it gets easier. It's gets more satisfying. It's gets awesome.

There are two groups of people on the Earth: Whiners and Winners. Whiners believe that life is a playground. They are surprised when they experience conflict. They are surprised when they get hurt. Winners are different. They succeed in life because they possess a battleground mentality. In this episode, Andy Frisella explains exactly what that means.

What really matters when it comes down to being successful? It's not motivation. It's discipline. Anybody can give 100 percent at the gym when they feel like it. Anybody can do the work they need to do when they feel like it. But it is the people who are completely unmotivated and even repulsed by the thought of hitting the gym or doing the work - and do it anyway! - that are the ones who truly dominate in everything they do.

When it comes to sales, you can't settle for mastering product knowledge.That's too myopic. You have to broaden your approach to include a comprehensive knowledge and expertise, not just of a particular product, but of the whole industry or field of which your product is one part. As Andy Frisella says, you have to be "the guy." You yourself have to be a holistic resource for your customer. Those who do that will reap benefits for your brand and bottom line.

You think you're making a sacrifice in the pursuit of your dream? You think you are giving up so much as you work to build your business? Andy Frisella says that you need to radically readjust your thinking on the matter. Pain and struggle and sacrifice are a normal part of achievement. You aren't doing anything that anyone who has ever achieved greatness hasn't done. You need to understand that. You need to quit your bitching and get work done.

What do you do when you have a business partner who can't get his head in the game? What do you do when you can't seem to motivate the other stakeholders in your business venture? In this episode, The MFCEO drops some truth bombs about the responsibility that every entrepreneur has to "paint the picture" that will cast a compelling vision that will motivate your team and create a winning culture.

What do you have to do to impress Andy Frisella so much he gives you his phone number? Joe and Mike Maki of Brokkr Wood and Metal Working pulled it off. How? By creating a product of amazing value and coordinating a surprise delivery to The MFCEO - who was blown away. In this episode, Andy talks to the Maki Brothers and breaks down his thoughts on building something of value, taking initiative, and doing the work necessary to open up amazing opportunities for yourself.

How did Andy Frisella build a huge social media following and motivate millions of listeners to download The MFCEO Project every month? How did he become a highly sought after speaker and consultant? He did it by creating killer content: Instagram captions that punch people in the mouth, Facebook posts that speak the truth and light people on fire, and podcast episodes that motivate and educate. In this episode he shares his guiding principles and practical tips for putting together the kind of material that draws a crowd and makes you money.

What's next for Andy Frisella? In this episode, The MFCEO shares his plans for further developing the podcast and the mission of The MFCEO Project. From starting a new YouTube show to developing a new array of digital resources, the mission is the same: Provide value. Help people maximize the potential of their business and lives. Also in this episode, Andy shares the principle that "doing the inefficient is essential." Sometimes the things that take the most time are the most important.

Every entrepreneur feels at times as if they are going through hell. Whether it is experiencing the paralysis of self-doubt, a gnawing sense of isolation, or discouragement and depression, struggle is par for the course. In this episode, Andy Frisella serves as a guide through the underworld and provides his thoughts on confronting and overcoming the trials and tribulations that are faced by men and women who are serious about running their own business.

In spite of what The MFCEO has said countless times, people are always clamoring for the "next level content" and "the secret" to success. Andy Frisella says, "no." There's no "next level content" that only the elite know. There's no "secret" available to a chosen few. It's really basic: "make a list, do the list. win now." The problem is that people don't really want to do what is necessary to be successful. They are more in love with the idea of success.

What do you get when five entrepreneurs of varying ages win a contest and come hang with The MFCEO? You get an hour of great questions and incredible answers. In this episode of the podcast, Andy Frisella hosts a Q&A with the winners of The MFCEO Project's 100th Episode Contest. From building confidence and being an alpha male to the service industry's neglect of social media, the conversation is rich, wide-ranging, and packed with insight.

How do you make a real change--in business and in life? How do you negotiate transitions, exchange bad habits for good ones, and transform how you look at life? In this episode of The MFCEO Project, Andy Frisella and Vaughn Kohler talk about the art of metamorphosis for the sake of success. (And as a bonus, Andy provides his take on common sense and common mistakes in relationships.)

"What if I get successful and lose all my friends?" That's a question that The MFCEO gets all the time. "Listen," says Andy Frisella. "As you move up the ladder of accomplishment, your peer group will change." Why? Because you will change. You will become a better, more badass person; and better, more badass people will be attracted to you and your life. It doesn't mean certain members of your old peer group are bad people. It just means that you've become very different people with different hopes, dream, and goals--and moving apart is natural. You better accept it. The alternative is keeping your friends--and staying average and mediocre.

Entrepreneurs are always asking how to get opportunities, how to network, and how to get opportunities. According to The MFCEO, the best way to find opportunities is to put yourself in motion: meet people, shake hands, get in conversations, and do sh*t! Bottom line: you don't find opportunities. You create them!

It's great if you are out there trying to build a business and life of value. But too many people out there are complaining that they have "haters." According to The MFCEO Andy Frisella, very few people have accomplished anything significant enough to have haters. The haters are imaginary; they exist in the minds of people who want to create excuses for their lack of progress. In reality, you might be on the receiving end of legitimate criticism. If that's the case, don't call it "hate." Accept it humbly. Learn from it. And use it to truly accomplish great things.

Mike Dillard is a dad, entrepreneur, thought-leader, and freedom fighter who has helped thousands of people build wealth to live the life of their dreams. Also the host of the "Self-Made Man" podcast, Mike joins the MFCEO crew to talk about the keys to success in business and life, with special attention paid to the process of self-development, as well as the finer points of online marketing and sales. Filled with Mike's practical insights and brave transparency, this episode is one of the best ever.