SFR 72: Coaching Funnels! Special Interview with Akbar Sheikh...

Living in a supply closet to multi-millionaire in a few years... Learn the incredible story (and coaching funnel) of the impressive Akbar Sheikh...

Steve Larsen:

What's going on everyone? This is Steve Larsen. You're listening to another fantastic episode of Sales Funnel Radio. This episode, we've got a special guest on here for you, his name is Akbar Sheikh. He's going to be representing the author/speaker/coach/consultant category of funnels.

Now, this is actually the biggest category of ... probably people online actually in general, who are entrepreneurs. So, this represents a lot of you guys. Now, as we start going through this, I want you to know before I introduce the guest, before we start the episode ... Akbar has made many millions, and he is more than qualified to be on this podcast thing and teach us.

What you'll notice though in this interview is, how much he doesn't focus on the funnel. Meaning ... the funnel is important, the funnel is there. You have to have it, there's elements ... every single piece he has thought through action by action, piece by piece of what he has inside of his funnel.

It's very important obviously, and he's going to go through those things with you. But you'll notice as I go through the interview, more importantly, is his mindset.

I'm not going to lie, when I first started going through reading marketing books, and business books, I kind of thought that that was a little bit of a frilly thing like, "Ah, you've got to have a great mindset, mindset, mindset," but it's the way that he approaches it that is so key I think to his success with this. It's fantastic, probably one of the most humbling stories and beginnings I've ever heard in my life.

So anyways, sit back and enjoy the episode, but take key awareness of what it is that he's teaching you to do with your brain, very different look at this. Honestly, probably a more developed theology on what it takes as far as the right mindset than most entrepreneurs out there.

Anyways, I hope that you guys enjoy the episode, and let's get right into it.

Announcer:

Welcome to Sales Funnel Radio, where you'll learn marketing strategies to grow your online business using today's best internet sales funnels. Now, here's your host Steve Larsen.

Steve Larsen:

All right. Hey, today we have a very special guest on ... Frankly, I'm excited that you're all here and I got to hit the actual record button, because I actually want to talk to him probably more than anyone right now. I'm really excited for what he's going to share.

This is going to be the author/speaker/coach/consultant segment.

This is part of the six part series we have going on right now, and there's no one else I can think of who is probably more of an expert, but also extremely hard to find to be honest. He's very very humble, he's a bestselling author as of late, which is awesome, has multiple "Two Comma Club" awards, if not physically in hand and well deserved.

I'm very excited for you guys to all hear ... His name is Akbar Sheik, how are you doing my friend?

Akbar Sheikh:

What's up Steve? Doing great, phenomenal, how about you?

Steve Larsen:

Oh, doing so good, living the dream. Thanks for getting up early and do this.

Akbar Sheikh:

My pleasure.

Steve Larsen:

A crazy schedule, that's for sure. Hey, I first heard your story ... You're part of the "Two Comma Club" coaching program, right?

Akbar Sheikh:

I am a "Two Comma Club" member, yeah.

Steve Larsen:

That's right. So, you're actually a member itself. I see your award all over the place, which is awesome, really exciting. But, I heard your backstory, and how you got to where you are now, and it was frankly extremely humbling. A huge reminder to myself, and I think for everyone else who's going to listen to this. You can do this, it's really not rocket science.

I love the story, and without me kind of botching it up or anything else, do you mind sharing some of that story?

Akbar Sheikh:

Yeah no, I'd love to Steve. It's a wild story actually, and I'll kind of just try give you the highlights. The reality is, as a human being, I ... Okay here's what I believe: I believe that everyone is consisted of several orbs. I believe you have your physical health, your mental health, your spiritual health, and your big "Why?"

These are the four magic orbs I believe that create a human being...

With me, right? A few years ago, all these orbs were pulverized. In other words, I was 60 pounds overweight, I was a fast food junkie, they'd have my name on the parking spots at Burger King, Wendy's, all these places.

Steve Larsen:

I would have no idea, 60 pounds overweight, no way.

Akbar Sheikh:

Yeah, I was 60 pounds overweight. Mentally I was ... Actually, I don't really talk about this too much, but I had crippling anxiety.

Steve Larsen:

Sure.

Akbar Sheikh:

Crippling, debilitating anxiety, which took over my life. I was in a completely toxic relationship, I hated what I was doing with a passion, and I didn't have a big "Why?"

Steve Larsen:

Right.

Akbar Sheikh:

All of this combined, and I wasn't very spiritual, and stuff like that. I didn't pray or meditate. All of this combined broke me as a person. I literally ended up in the hospital half dead. I literally ended up in the hospital half dead from frankly, partying too much. I was just a party animal to be honest with you, and I should have died. But, I truly believe God saves me, okay?

I took advantage, I took advantage of this second chance at life, and I overnight dropped all my bad habits cold turkey, by the way. I lost 60 pounds, and I did it all the clean way. I took my name off the parking stickers at McDonald's, I stopped going to fast food, stopped drinking sodas, I just started eating clean bro. I just started eating organic and cleanly.

If I couldn't spell it, I'm not going to eat it. If it contains more than three ingredients, I'm not going to eat it. Just some light exercise.

Honestly, that's the thing. It's not complicated frankly, but it just ... I'll talk about what that one magic thing that it takes to do these things.

Steve Larsen:

It seems to be the thing that pushes over to the funnel area, and your personal life, and whatever it is, you've done [crosstalk 00:06:25] now.

Akbar Sheikh:

It is, yeah. So, I lost that weight, I got out of that toxic relationship into a healthy one, I started meditating and becoming spiritual. I started praying and stuff. So, I completely ... I just changed, and I was on the road to recovery now. My anxiety was still there, because one orb was still malfunctioning. That was my big "Why?" What am I doing here? What do I do on a day-to-day basis? Why am I here? All that.

I was on the road to recovery now, I had obviously lost everything, and I didn't really have much frankly, because I hated ... You're not going to be very productive if you hate what you do, right? At this point, I migrated West to my birthplace, which is San Francisco.

Steve Larsen:

Okay.

Akbar Sheikh:

No money a...