Blueprint to Legacy: Inspirational Rise and Unfiltered Life Lessons | Brad Lea | EP2

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Justin: What’s up everybody? Welcome back to the entrepreneur DNA Show. I’m your host, Justin Colby. And today, I quite literally have one of my favorite humans on the planet. And I just told him how much so Mr. Brad Lea is on the show. What’s up, brother?

Brad: What’s happening? Appreciate you having me.

Justin: Yeah, dude, listen, we got a lot to talk about. I was just recently on your show, and I gave you so much love because you’re following your community. What you have put out into the space of entrepreneurship is, in my opinion, basically second to none at this point. I think you are the leader of the pack. I appreciate you so honored to have you on the show, dude. So excited to have you, bro.

Brad: Well, thanks man. What a what a welcome. I like that. Yeah, leader of the pack.

Justin: I’m saying I’m saying, well, let’s let’s jump into entrepreneurship. Right. Like, you know, I know a vast majority that people know you already probably all know your story. But there may be a handful that don’t, why don’t we just kind of start off with your intro into entrepreneurship, what that looked like and do kind of an elevator pitch for that before we dive into some deeper stuff about real time right now. But yeah, how did had Brad Lea become Brad Lea?

Brad: Well, that’s a long story, my friend. But you know, I became Brad Lea because my mother and father decided one night to do the dirty. And that ended up producing Brad Lea. And out I came. Now what I popped out. I was living in a small town in the Pacific Northwest called Cottage Grove, Oregon. I was born in Eugene, Oregon, at Sacred Heart Hospital. However, Cottage Grove was about 20 miles south of there. That’s where we live. So I just grew up in a blue collar family, you know, I would like to say we were broke, and we couldn’t afford food and all this shit. But we could. Yeah, my dad didn’t make a lot of money. But he had a lot of kids. So it didn’t go very far. On the best he could he worked his butt off. And I watched him struggle for a lot of years. And, you know, I never could figure out you know, why he would struggle so hard. Because he was such a hard-working individual. You know what I mean?. And so, as I was growing up, you know, it was pretty much children should be seen and not heard is we didn’t we didn’t there wasn’t a bunch of you know, lessons from the fence post. There wasn’t a there wasn’t a mentorship going on. It was pretty much they made sure we didn’t you know die. And that’s about it. So we were kind of raised on our own even though we did have a parental units in the in the dwelling we did they just weren’t parenting. You know, so anyway, I grew up. Little smart ass, clever little son of a gun, though. Shocker. Shocker figured out, I could sell it about six years old when I went around selling candy bars and outsold everybody on planet Earth. There you go. Yeah. And then and then kind of forgot that I learned how to sell and ended up getting a job when I was 17 fighting forest fires, or at least I thought I didn’t like that. And so I said, Okay, let me try sales. So I went into sales and love that. And a lot of money and being very successful in the game of sales, influence and persuasion, grew up through the ranks selling all kinds of stuff, from art to automobiles to RVs, two, you name it. And then I got very good at showing people how to do sales. And so about 30 years old, I helped this guy, it was in the back of my car, lot. Make money, and I watched him and I watched him change his whole life because he went from minimum wage to, you know, 15 to 20 grand a month. And it reminded me of my dad, for some reason, and it made me feel real good helping this guy. And then I said, Man, I’m gonna quit my job, and I’m gonna go start a company, training people. So I quit my job. And that’s technically, I mean, I tried a few other businesses before but failed. But that’s technically my first real foray. Because I was convinced once I had that feeling, I’m like, it is what I’m doing. I’m gonna go help people learn how to make more money. That’s it. That’s when I started. Well, 20 years.

Justin: Here we are. I love that. Well, you haven’t stopped like I said, Man, I get more messages from your podcast drop and it’s all about people believe in what you say and getting out of the rat race. And I know now you have multiple brands, I think you know, in our space I prefer have you through software, right educational software, which is a game changer in and of itself. So if you’re an educator out there you need to Brad’s team about that software. But now you have a bunch of bunch of brands, right? You’re working on the financial side, the solar side. What else do we talk about? You have a credit card. merchant processing side? Yep. So you have all of those opportunities out there? I mean, is it? That’s a lot of opportunity, right? I mean, you really, what I’m saying is you’re really showing you you’re passionate about helping people make money and break out of the rat race, not by just educating them, but actually giving them the opportunity to do so.

Brad: Well, yeah, because I mean, a lot of times I was teaching people how to sell, but they were selling the wrong thing. And they weren’t making much money, even though they were good at selling whatever they were selling. So I decided to go, you know, take it a bit farther and start the companies that they can go sell for. And I’ve made sure that those companies are companies where someone could make three, four or $500,000 a year, you know, as long as they’re willing to work. So those are the three that I’ve come up with so far. I’ll be coming up with more. I also have go, I also have RV dealerships. Again, I have a software company.

Justin: Lightspeed TV, by the way. So if you’re an educator, you need to read about Lightspeed TV, there’s no doubt.

Brad: Don’t do TV do that’s porn site, V T, VT. So, one time I was at a meeting, there was 12 13 GMs in a room, and I’m typing Lightspeed VT t up on the screen, because it was and I fat fingered it and accidentally put in TV, I enter, URL porn site.

Justin: Big meeting big fun, big laughs

Brad: Was like, there was laughter and I couldn’t believe it, because it’s like, Damn, dude. Like, I’m a transposing of letters away from a porn site.

Justin: Dude, there’s definitely people that that transpose that letter, and say, well, I might stick on this site for a little while, I’ll get there. What, um, so let’s talk about this idea that I become really, really passionate about. And this is the ability to get around the right people, such as yourself in how to do that. I think everyone wants to say, Man, how do I level up? How do I? How do I get there? How do I become you? How do I get around you? How do I do these things? And they do that to me, I can only imagine what people are, you know, saying to you. Let’s give people some words of advice of how to get to be to our level to be around us to be at the same dinner table, etc. How would people do that? In this economy?

Brad: Well, when people ask me, how do I, you know, how do I get around influential people, I say you become one. You know, you become one. That’s how you get around them. Or the other way, which is much quicker and easier is you buy access. You pay for shit, bro. You know, when when someone’s joining a country club, you know, go join the country club. You know, when someone’s going to a $5,000 You know, charity dinner, go to the 5000 our charity dinner sponsored a table. People like well, I don’t have any money. Well, dude, listen, if you don’t have any money, you’re not going to hang around a bunch of people that do trust me. That’s right. Okay, so So what you need to do first before you worry about hanging around your people, is go figure out why you’re not making any money. Because the reason why people don’t make money nine times out of 10 is because they don’t actually believe they’re worth money. So I try to get people to focus on fixing their self worse, so they can fix their net worth. And then let’s go Yeah, and then once they once they start to realize they are more valuable than they’ve given themselves credit for. They they you know, buddy isn’t limited. You know, things are possible, you know, and they start getting out of that limited scarcity whiny bitch, crybaby victim mindset. Now you’re ready to go talk to other people. Because if you go around other people with that attitude, broke desperate, dude, you’re not going to stick around those people I’m telling you right now they’re not. Those people do not want a bunch of frickin negative low level low frequency people around them.

Justin: Your silver they’ll repel. It’s repelling when you have someone who’s needy victimized Woe is me. I can’t like it’s just when I get around those type of people I literally repels me like I will have to leave the room the situation the area, I don’t care. I just can’t do it. Like I’ll tell my tribe my students. I’m like, there is no Can’t you they’re gonna say I give up. And that’s your decision. But there’s no can’t because you can everyone can everyone can achieve greatness. And I said this on your podcast, the differences not everyone’s willing to work for it.

Brad: Well, that’s a fact. So I tell people, you know, that’s how you get around somebody. Let’s pretend you already have good self esteem and you’re already, you know, abundant mindset. And you’re pretty good dude, you just you just don’t have a big network, row go places that they go do the that they do. And then once you establish those relationships, you know, nurture those relationships grow in those relationships. But again, if someone said, Brad, what is the easiest way? What is the quickest way? What is the best way to get around all these influential people? The best way is to become one. Because now you walk in, they want to know you. Instead of you want to know them. I mean, I literally, now that I built a brand. I literally get people that see me on social media, which they think is the tetanus is the new TV. Like, I’m at the airport, dude. And people will come up and be like, Hey, can I take my picture? I’m like, Sure. And I’m taking a picture with them. And then they’re like, Dude, I freaking love your shit. And I’m like, Thanks, man. And then and I’m like, Well, where do you where do you follow me? They go, Dude, I see on TV all the time. And I’m like, I’m not on TV. And they’re like, you know, Instagram, Facebook, you know, Twitter, like, social media. I’m like, Yeah, but they think is TV because that’s what everyone is nowadays. That’s it. So that’s it. So the best way is to become one. And you become one by building a brand by by becoming, you know, unique, gay, everyone tells you to fit in your whole life. You don’t want to fit in, do you want to stand out. But there’s no doubt, you build a personal brand and you become one and then you’ll start hanging out with them all the time, because you’ll be invited to all those places they go and, you know, you’ll be rubbing elbows with all the celebs, et cetera. Because you became one. The other way is to pay. Like, dude, I can call I can get any any person you name right now I can get them in my office or at my event with object. No doubt, Tony Robbins, dude, he’ll probably charge about four or 500,000 now. No doubt, and his jet fuel. But guess what? You want to hang around Tony Robbins, dude. I’ll put his ass right in your studio. That’s it. Now you got an hour with him. Now what now? You better you better have your game prepared. And again, I always tell people instead of worried about meeting a bunch of people. Dude, go meet yourself first.

Justin:  Dropping bombs already. I don’t have a cool little bomb dropping sound machine like you do, brother. But come on. You’re bringing it? I would I agree. 100%. And I think listen, I think you and I are both Well, in I don’t even know if you do this anymore. You’re at that level, but I absolutely pay to play. And I’m not ashamed of ever. Right if I need to go be around people that are. Say that again.

Brad: I do too.
Justin: That’s it. It’s just a faster route. So what you’re bringing up is maybe a slower route, but a good route become one? Well, that puts a lot of work right? I mean, 15 years is taking me to become friends with Brad Lea and Grant Cardone and people of that nature. And by the way, there’s times where there’s checks being cut just to be in the damn room with them to get the relationship started right. But that check doesn’t get cut 15 years ago when I’m sleeping on a couch and my home was taken to foreclosure my repo man took my car and I have no money. I had to grind for 15 years that is I think again the missing link. When you say become one that means work your damn face off. Make money put yourself in positions to win get into a country club get into go watch. The is the Vegas knights is that the hockey team?

Brad: Yeah, Vegas Golden Knights.

Justin: He’s He’s row one people. You can find Brad right there. You’re you could rub shoulders with demand. But the reality is those tickets aren’t you know $45 Right? In so

Brad: You know who sits behind me at the hockey game?

Justin: Every one I saw I was dying. I couldn’t. I’m so obvious that that I’m in bed with my wife. We’re about to watch them scroll through Instagram. Your story pops up. And you do that exact line. You’ll never guess who’s behind me. I’m like, oh shit, who’s behind you? Your next thing says, everyone. I was dying, bro. Cracking Up. I love it. It’s true. But in what I’m saying is true. What you’re saying is true. Right? Like people I believe people want it today. They look at Brad Lea today and they say I want to be Brad. You don’t know the last however many I mean how many years you’ve been putting in the work.

Brad: I don’t blame them personally. Backs backs. I mean realistically, dude, I’m not the I’m not the guy that will tell you. You know I struggled and I you know even though I did, but I will tell you because my mindset the whole time has been of gratitude and optimism meaning I don’t really think I’ve had that hard of a time. Now. I’ve been homeless on the beach in California for a couple of weeks. And someone asked me, you know, what did it feel like when you hit rock bottom? And I’m on a podcast, and I go, Yeah, I’ve never really hit rock bottom, and they go, didn’t you just say you were homeless on the beach? And I’m like, Well, yeah, but it was a beach in California. Yeah, like, dude, like, Come on, dude. People pay to sleep on the beach. So I mean, at the end of the day, it was a choice that I made. I didn’t have any money. I didn’t want to go home. You know, it was just a simple choice to we’ll all crash on the beach, on our at the frickin gym. Or there are the, you know, bathrooms that have the showers. So like, to me, I don’t think man has been a strip. I just think it’s been pretty easy. It’s been pretty easy the whole time. Like, I’m a lucky son of a gun.

Justin: Let’s go You damn right. So as everyone, I mean, we all have our stories. Don’t get me wrong, but I think you said something that really resonates with me at least, it was a choice. Brother, I swear. People would rather choose to play mediocre because of their feel fear of failure than actually choosing to go for an epic life to become the next Bradley. Either way, they’re looking in the mirror and they’re making that choice because if they chose to go for it, not that you aren’t incredible. You are bro but like people can become can become the next Brad Lea. Right?

Brad: 100% dude.

Justin: It’s a choice.

Brad: But I don’t think they should become the next Bradley. I think they should become the next whomever they are.

Justin: They are Yeah, I got your 100% there. It’s yeah,

Brad: It’s gonna be pretty difficult trying to, you know, keep me.

Justin: But I think that’s the next thing you will be wrong. I got you. But that is also a disconnect in our society right now. Dude, people are trying to be the neck Bradley or Grant Cardone, or name the name. They want to become them. And you set a perfectly go become you. Exactly you. And by the way, my philosophy

Brad: We did, that’s what we did. I didn’t do somebody else. You know, I became myself, and so did Grant and so to pretty much every influencer or you know guru out there. Right?

Justin: And in the more I spend time around all of you, the more I’m appreciative of that. And I think there’s a lot of people out there that watch you or Grant or name the name again, you might say, Oh, they’re blustery. They’re cocky, they’re arrogant, or this or that. I can tell you honestly, from someone who has spent time with Brad and Grant and named the name like, these guys are some of the best people you will ever meet.

Brad: You ain’t rely on either.

Justin: And so, you know, kind of just what I’m trying to impress upon people make the damn choice to win. It is your choice. We all have our story. Brad’s on a beach. I’m on a couch. We’re both in California, by the way. But we made a choice to go win. Right? And that’s why we have levels of success. I want to bring up a point real quick. I know Do you how many partners do you have in your multiple multiple businesses? Right? So you have Lightspeed merchant services? Solar? I mean, you got a lot you got a lot cookin? How many actual partners do you have in those businesses?

Brad: One, and all of them. And when I say one, sometimes it’s a couple or a pair. But there’s one in all of them, because they’re the operating partner.

Justin: Love that. All right. So let’s talk about that a little bit. Because in my world of real estate, there’s always the people they’re like, Yeah, me and my buddy are going to, we’re going to partner on this. And I don’t Well, I don’t like that, Brad, for a lot of different reasons. But it’s usually because they just don’t want to be alone to go out there and get it themselves. And they want to buddy up. I can respect it. I get it. Right. It’s hard to be the lone wolf. But let’s talk about partnerships and why you’ve decided to partner on all of them. Right and how that looks.

Brad: Well because let me tell you something my friend and this is a fact you’re not going anywhere by yourself. You’re and you’ll never ever get to the to the promised land by yourself. So if you want to get to the promised land do then you’re going to need partners. You’re going to need employees, you’re going to need team members you’re going to you’re not going anywhere by yourself Bro. Saw that. If if someone said should I team up with somebody? Not necessarily but he I would say you have to team up eventually. You can’t do Everything, like I have eight companies, I can’t run all eight companies, you know. So what I can do is is is talk with eight people that run those companies. Now, it would be, it would be an ego thing for me to say, Oh, I own them all by myself. But guess what, I wouldn’t own them all if I owned them all by myself.

Justin: That’s the point I want to get to. I’ve now bought into that belief more so than ever. I think in my space, mostly in the real estate space people buddy up. I don’t believe that’s the right reason to have a partner. Brad mentioned, what I believe is the right reason it’s the same thing that I’m David Grubman, here in Miami, big restaurant tour guide. Are you familiar with David Grubman?

Brad: No

Justin: Big he has all the really amazing when you come to Miami hang out with me, we’re gonna go to his restaurants, let’s put it that way. Right? The best of the best, he has the same philosophy, you have the same philosophy. And that is to be able to get bigger to get to this bases that you want to get. You have to do more, and you can’t do more if it’s just you. That’s the philosophy. Brad can’t own and run in when eight different companies. He can’t, I can’t No one can. But you can have partners that operate in manage and lead the companies and he can ultimately be the leader of those leaders. Right. And I think that is where I believe I really adopted this right. I was really against all partnerships for a while, but I just believe, if you want to attain more and have more, like I don’t have eight companies, but I have four. And there’s no way I could do four without having people to help run the companies. And then people will get get greedy. And I want you to talk to this.

Brad: Yeah, well, I want to give up 50% Or I don’t want to give up.

Justin: What do you say to those people?

Brad: Well, I would say that’s a matter of negotiation, you don’t have to give up 50% To have a partner. I own I own more than half of all my companies. And if I were you, I would definitely try to retain at least 51% of all companies if you want to be in control. But partners can be 10% partners can be, you know, salaried, I mean, you know, there can be all kinds of partnerships that you can create, but you need you need people or you’re not going very sure. There’s a saying that says, if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far go together.

Justin: I like that. Yeah, cuz like that.

Brad: You’re not getting very far by yourself to not in business. Now again, people say we’ll look at this person, look at that person. I guarantee go look at these people. They’ve had their partners, they’ve had their team, they’ve done telling you they do. They may not say anything, but they do. You know, Steve Jobs had Steve Wozniak you know, and both of them had multiple people. (Yep.) You know, here at Lightspeed, I got a guy named Jason Straw. You know, he’s the CTO here. He’s the one that I convinced a long time ago to build the first version of this software. And he had a company, fairly good sized company, that that built websites and, you know, scheduling software for casinos, and, you know, high level high level things. And he was tired, coincidentally, of continually needing new projects to make money. So like he, you know, he’d do a $2 million project, but when it was over, it was over now he had to go get another one. And so he had a kick ass development team. I approached him to build my vision, the interactive training system was now known as LightSpeed VT, you know, and he was one of the only people in the country that were, it was able to do so. And so ultimately, you know, I offered him a little piece of the company and told him, Hey, why don’t you and your whole company become us? We’ll go do this. And coincidentally, I closed him on that boom. I picked up you know, 14 Loyal programmers and, you know, three or four different, you know, bad assets then that I brought in two of my friends made them partners had to buy them out because they ripped me Well, they did rip me off they were trying to, but had to buy them out for you know, millions of dollars each, which was screwed, because, you know, they did nothing but try and sabotage me and the whole company. Right? But see, that’s those are partnerships, and that’s why most people would be like, Brad, I’m surprised you’re four partnerships. I’m not four partnerships. I’m for kicking ass and taking names and I realized that you’re not doing that by yourself. So you get older and so much of it.

Justin: Yeah, your experience with your friends. I didn’t have the same experience but like I’ve just gone through it before. And it’s just, if you’re doing it for the buddy reason, which maybe that’s why you brought your two friends in or not, I don’t know. But I just would pass on that I would go find someone to help run the company. So you can go make more money. My whole belief is, I can’t go be the lion and go make more money if I have to run one company, period. So I need someone to go watch that and grow that herd that tribe while I’m out being aligned and killing and in, you know, getting done, what needs to be done for the greater good, right. So that’s, that’s my take on it. Real quickly, you know, I heard you say, I don’t remember where I heard you say, but getting rich fast, is better than getting rich, slow. So you said something very, very Brad, like there. But I want to talk about that. Because I I think there’s a lot of people that have this microwave society thing, that everything happens now. And I think that’s really where I want to go to kind of close this circle is is there’s a lot of people that see Justin Colby to see Brad Lea, the grandson, but I just we got to talk about that this isn’t overnight. It’s just not right. You can work hard and you can make some money pretty quickly. But to get to these levels, people got to really be willing to to lengthen their their time, line their time expectation.

Brad: I mean, anything’s possible, but they should. They should. I would agree. You know, what I said was someone asked me, What’s the best way to get rich? And I said quickly, Justin: There you go. Yeah. Yeah

Brad: The best way to be best way to get rich is quick, but, you know, it’s

Justin: No one’s gonna argue with you just to call it out. Who the hell is gonna argue that point?

Brad: Yeah, well, well, it’s much more rare to do it quickly. But in my mind, you know, there is get rich quick. Shit. That’s real, then it’s, you know, the question is, is what is quick? Because if you ask me 10 years, that’s pretty quick.

Justin: Totally. That’s what I’m talking about, Bro, that people want it in, like, two years. I just.

Brad: It’s possible, but guys, I mean, you’re gonna need to grind for a little bit, you’re gonna need to get some feedback, you’re gonna need to get some market research, you’re gonna be able to, you know, and again, I’ve seen people in two years blow up. Yes, it’s totally possible. And I wouldn’t tell anybody. It’s not I encouraged people to go for whatever they want to go for. However, getting rich quick, is sometimes 10 to 15 years. And this is like, you know, but you made it. And when you look back, dude, it’ll seem like it was a year or two. Right now, it feels like I’ve had Lightspeed for maybe five years. It’s been 22,

Justin: Bro. Wow, I had no idea.

Brad: 1999.

Justin: Wow.

Brad: And it feels like five years max. You know, people say how long have I been in this building? Because I have you been to my offices? I got a pretty sweet setup over. People are like, how long have you been here? And I’m like, I don’t really remember. I asked my assistant. How long? How long have we been here? She said 13 years. I’m like, we’ve been here 13 years like holy shit. I remember moving in like last week.

Justin: And you ain’t leaving. I’m surprised you haven’t bought the building. You might have tried, but she had I would have.

Brad: I tried and then COVID hit so I backed down real quick. Yeah, I did eight, the, you know, going home and not paying rent because everybody like I paid rent. I pay all my bills all the way through COVID

Justin: I see you bro.

Brad: You know, and well, I mean, that’s just how I am dude. Like, if I got the money, I’m gonna pay you. If I didn’t have the money. I would say Dude, I don’t have the money. People aren’t paying me or whatever. But I had the money sliders kept paying but what if I bought the building and then COVID hit? I don’t know if everybody else was paying. Yeah, I didn’t want to be the landlord. Like, like, you know how they say steal from Peter to pay Paul. (Yep) Well, I’d rather be Paul.

Justin: Dude, your wit. It gets me every time bro. Let’s wrap it up with this, bro. I know you have a family. You’re a big family, man. Let’s talk about that a little bit, I think is important for entrepreneurs to realize. At least in my opinion, I want to see what you hear about this or what you say about this. There’s no work and in family, right? There’s no separation of life. You have one life in my opinion in you as the leader of that life. You need to find a way to blend it. Right. And I’m newly a father, I have a two year old will probably have a second one coming around. I think you have several children. Right?

Brad: Seven. Just a couple, for you.

Justin: I would say, in my opinion, only having one like I do my best to make sure I blend my life so that there’s congruence throughout. And I’m not hyper on one side, and then hyper on another side. Talk to me a little bit about your philosophy, seven kids hyper successful and in business. You know, from everything I’ve seen, I’ve never met your family, but you look incredibly successful in the family side as well. Talk to me about that. That whole story there?

Brad: Well, you know, I had three different, quote unquote, opportunities, you know, to to get it right. So I’m finally I believe, getting a lot better at it.

Justin: But what have you learned along the way?

Brad: Well, I mean, again, like I used to want to be their friend, when you don’t really want to be their friend, you want to be their parent, you know, and I’m still a little guilty of wanting to be their friend and given him the things that he wants, you know, that you want them to have, but, you know, not too much. So they get become spoiled and entitled, and all this. So it’s like a second juggling act. But to me, it’s just priorities, right? Like, today, my wife is getting her hair did which by yes, that takes for her, literally all day. So my kids are with grandma. Now, right? They love grandma, I don’t need to go bother them with grandma. Because if I went home right now, they wouldn’t be talking to me much anyway. Right? You know, they don’t need me to come home and look at them in the eyes. And, you know, act like you know, I need to spend all my days with them. Because they don’t even want to, like, normal kids do not want to spend all day with their parents. Yeah. Now. Well, that being said, I definitely think you should spend time with your kids. But I just I just think there’s no such thing as balance. It’s, it’s more like priorities. Now what when I say that, it’s because sometimes I’ll go to work for six days straight, you know, not not worry about home, and then sometimes I’ll go home for six straight days not worry about work. But there’s no balance. It’s just priorities

Justin: Was one life. I mean, I think you’re just saying in a different way, dude. Yeah, there’s times where you need to be a killer for your work, and you got to go kill and that’s who you are. And then there’s times where you need to be Papa and you need to be the husband, you need to be all that. And that’s exactly who you are, is one life. There’s no this separation in there some work life balance that everyone’s saying kumbaya that it’s just in, at least for me. That’s not how I view it.

Brad: Now, now watch what I say there’s no balance, and then now asked me what my average hours are.

Justin: What are your average hours? Brad?

Brad: I usually come in from nine to five, and then I go home from five to nine.

Justin: That what? That is great.

Brad: Yeah, so even though I say there’s no balance, I’m pretty you’re out.

Justin: Very balanced. Yeah.

Brad: But home as much as I’m at work.

Justin: But you know, listen, you choose, that’s your life. That’s what I guess where I’m trying to go is like, it’s what fits you. But there are times to your point, like, especially on the come up without you don’t have as much balance when you’re grinding.

Brad: No, I mean, again, you’re correct. There’s, there’s times in my younger years that I had to, you know, be gone for weeks. You know, people say, Oh, you’re gonna regret it, you’re gonna regret it. I’ve never regretted it. My kids have never regretted it. I wasn’t gone so long that that, you know, they forgot what I look like. Okay, like, you know, and when I came home, I’d spend good quality time. I tell someone the other day, they were commenting on my YouTube posts about this very thing, because I said, basically, your kids don’t need you as much as you think they do. Like, you know, focus, because a lot of people want to use their kids as an excuse not to succeed. You know, and I’m telling them like, Dude, you don’t have to do that. You can, you can go home, you know, spend two or three hours quality time with your phone away. quit working with me because I can work at home too. So, yep, put your phone away. You get down on your knees, you get at their level and you play with them and you focus on for two or three hours. They’ll eventually run off and be done with you. They will will they get up and go to work again. But, you know, if someone said to me Brad, are you telling me not to spend time with my kids? No, that’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is don’t use them as an excuse so you don’t be successful. Because when you if you really think about it, your great, great, great like, Do you know what your great, great, great grandpa’s name was?

Justin: Hell no.

Brad: That’s because he never left you anything. (Right?) If you think about it, If your great, great grandpa left, and left and left and left, if that legacy kept being passed out, you’d know his damn name. Damn right. So worry worry just as much about legacy, what are you going to leave? You know, you’re going to leave with a bunch of memories? Are you going to leave them with a bunch of memories and money and land? And you know, real estate? Like, what are you going to leave them in? I don’t want to I don’t want to be sitting there, you know, best friends with my kids. We’ve been inseparable since the day they were born. And they’re supporting me. You know, I’m borrowing money from them. (Right?) Because guess what, when you get 1819 20 years old, what do you want to do anyway? You want to leave, you want to go hang out.

Justin: You’re out. You’re, that’s it.

Brad: You’re gonna hang out with your parents all damn day.

Justin: That is exactly right. That’s right.

Brad: Don’t, all I’m saying is don’t be foolish. And act like you have to be there. 24/7 or you’re a bad parent. That’s not true. If you ask all of my kids, with the exception of maybe one who’s not real happy with me right now, they would all say that frickin I’m great. You know, they love me. I’m the greatest. And you know, it’s awesome. And fortunately, when they needed cars, I was able to get them stuff. So like, in my mind, I’d sacrifice a little time for the ability to give them unlimited support. You know, you just it’s a trade off. But do I regret not spending as much time as I could have? A little bit?  Yeah, like, you know, I’ve got back when they were playing football. And they were like, you know, little, you know, I kind of missed them being little. (Yeah). And I think Man, I wish I could, I could have spent more time with them when they were little. But in reality, these these new ones that I have now that are little did, they’re growing up so fast. I just think that I didn’t spend time with them. I’ve been there the whole time.

Justin: Yeah, I hear you that I’m trying my best Bro. Like, I feel the same way where I’m like, Man, I’m doing everything I can to be a part of this little thing. I don’t feel like it’s enough. But I’m like, I’m literally watching this whole thing from A to Z. This is incredible. And I would say, you know a lot. I was on your show. And I think you guys just came back from Disney Land. Did you guys just go to Disneyland? You had the fam at Disneyland?

Brad: Yeah. Not just but yeah.

Justin: So I just came back from Disney World. We went to the have you gone to Disney World? Yeah. Taking the family out there. Yep. It’s Dude, we just did this Mickey Christmas holiday thing. Bro. I hate amusement parks. I now love this thing. This whole Mickey Christmas, the face of my daughter. She goes to bed at seven o’clock every single night. 11pm She’s rocking in Disneyworld, just rocking it. Because there’s this parade in this whole thing. I say all that to say you are doing what needs to be done to be an incredible husband and father by spending the right time and quality time, whether it’s Disneyland, Disney World, vacations, whatever that is. And that’s what’s the most important part, right is I work as hard as I work and I believe you probably would say the same. So that those moments we can afford. i You couldn’t price me out of anything in Disney World. It’s expensive as fuck. You know it. And I know we just talked about this. You were telling me about LA? Like, I’m at the Ritz. There’s nothing that is too expensive for me while I’m there. Because that’s why I work is to have these moments that are quite literally considerable, priceless to me. Right. And I just think that’s the reason why it’s you and I can kind of say, Hey, do we regret working as hard or trying to do this? To me? The answer’s no, because it affords me the ability to give my daughter something that I for sure never had as a kid.

Brad: Awesome. Disneyland as they say it’s the happiest place on earth. I say it’s the biggest rip-off on the planet.

Justin: It is a racket my friend. You know, and I know they got you once you’re in those gates.

Brad: But I do but my kids do love it. So I do go three, four or five times a year. And when we go I’ve spoiled them because I get what’s called a VIP host Have you ever got one of those? (Yep. Yep). So a VIP host is now nothing more than a tour guy. Yeah, for they give you all the front and everything. Now because we just did this last time. You all you really got we’re almost the equivalent of Fast passes.

Justin: Yeah, I was just gonna say that in almost kind of like a tour guide like hey, The rides over here and you’re just like, well, and or can you just get us to the front and in? Like, that’s what we used to be able to do here. Yeah,

Brad: I told my wife, I’m never going back, but I’ll be back on the 17th I think

Justin: How quickly that changes. Well, Brother, I really appreciate you. You know, we will definitely be hanging out when I’m coming out the Vegas you ever had out here in Miami?

Brad: Yeah, here near.

Justin: Alright, hit me up.

Brad:  I’ll be coming out there February one and two. When I’m doing this keynote for this convention at the Marlins stadium or wherever it is. Okay. I think that’s the first time I’ll be there. But yeah, wanted to.

Justin: Well, I’m sure you have plans, bro. But hit me up or I’ll hit you up and take you to dinner and just hang out have a cigar chill.

Brad: What’s the best restaurant there?

Justin: My favorite is Komodo. That is my favorite.

Brad: What about? Was that steak place that has the golden steak. I keep seeing him?

Justin: Oh, yes. With

Brad: Big Papi or something.

Justin: Whatever it is. He does this thing. Salt Bae.

Brad: Not that guy.

Justin: Not Salt Bae? Poppy steak.

Brad: Yeah, maybe PaPi Steak. I would never go to a new Stret I’d never go to Salt Bae place. Justin: In any reason you wouldn’t?

Brad: Well, yeah, cuz I went to salt base place. And we were having fun and doing what we do. And it’s just all bunch of high priced nonsense. But still, it’s fine. I was having fun and doing what we do with the stupid. Well, the lady brings over the check, right? I’ll say it was like 1500 bucks or so. And so. And I’m leaving her $500 tip. And I say (I’m in). Can I get it? Can I get a refill? On the iced tea? She said, Yeah. Be right back. And she came back and she said, Can I get your credit card again? And I said, I swear to you. I said, for what? And she said, Well, we don’t give free refills. And I said, What? She said, we don’t give free refills. I said, Okay, can I get the check back real quick. She went and got my check back. I scratched it out. I scratched out a $500 tip and I wrote $100. And I said No problem. I’ll go by mile. And I left. And I never went back and I will never go back because of that. They would have to like the management restaurant, the restaurant, and management would have to call me and basically beg me back before and admit their mistake. Yeah, back there. Because dude, if you if you all give somebody that just spent $1,500 in your restaurant, a free iced tea. You’re a piece of shit. Okay, and I don’t participate. I don’t patronize dirt balls.

Justin: Bro. I love it. I mean, I was wildly short sighted that That’s shocking. Anyway, somebody

Brad: And by the way, people say, Oh, that must just been the waitress were new no, the waitress was not the reason they did it. That’s their rule.

Justin: That’s her wild.

Brad: I said, Are you Are you kidding me? She goes, it’s not my calling. And I’m sorry. And I’m like, and I felt bad after I left because I realized it wasn’t her fault. And I caught and I scratched her tip off. But I didn’t know what else to do. Right? Like, I was pissed, dude, I never get pissed. I was pissed. I even got off social media and said something which I never do. Like if I if I go into a restaurant or business and have a bad experience. I don’t sit there and bitch and complain and tell everybody in the world about it. Because maybe that was just an off night or something and I don’t want to hurt business, you know, let everybody make their own decision. You know, so so it takes a lot for me to get pissed off enough to get on social media and leverage my several million follower base, which I did. But again, you see Nusret out of business no, so they don’t give a shit.

Justin: No, I’m but here’s what I’ll say. I’ve never been there. So. But Papi Steak is phenomenal growth. If you’re, if you’re down. I’m more than happy to I’m sure you have your crew that you’re going to be running with whatever I’d love to either join or get out. We all go out and

Brad: There’s a steak restaurant there that have these really high back chairs. What’s that one call? Forged?

Justin: It could be could it be prime?

Brad: Maybe would mean there’s so many great spots I root knots place.

Justin: The what? Oh, Dave Grubman? That’s Papi Steak Dave Grubman’s a part owner Papi Steak.

Brad: No there’s this particular steak restaurant. Everybody goes to when they’re there. And I can always tell because there’s these really high back chairs that they’re all sitting in

Justin: I’m just because edge steak bar Fleming’s prime fish and steak. Just because I’m in front of my computer Nusret

Brad: Nerves your Nusret no. Pass that place can blow me

Justin: I’ll text you offline. We’ll we’ll take it there. Well, Brother I appreciate you coming on dude. I hope to connect with you here in shortly. Thank you for coming on entrepreneur DNA. Let’s light it up. Appreciate you bro.

Brad: Likewise man, peace. Be cool.