In this empowering episode, we sit down with high performance coach, serial entrepreneur and creator of The Next 90, Nick Long. Nick is not your ordinary entrepreneur, in fact his journey is very far from ordinary. During his 18+ year entrepreneurial journey, Nick went from being multi-millionaire, to 100k in debt, broke and working at at pizzeria for $10.00 an hour. Determined to succeed, Nick tells a story about how he found inspiration from his grandfather, which changed his life's focus from making a profit, to having his profits fill his purpose. Nick is not just building businesses, but he is also helping others live life with purpose. After being part of the Wake Up Warrior Program since 2015, Nick is now helping men through The Next 90. An immersive 90 day challenge that helps men break free from the person they used to be and live a life they truly want. If your'e looking to level up you game, hear inspirational stories about victory, defeat and the bounce back, this episode is definitely for you. You can check out Nick @nicklong365 on Instragram. You Can Follow The White Tiger Podcast on Social: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhitetigerpodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewhitetigerpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/whitetiger092 Also Check out our YouTube Channel at: https://youtu.be/oP_LAWULXCs
Full Transcript of Episode:
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All right, all right, all right. What is up, everybody. And welcome back to another
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fun filled episode of the White Tiger podcast. I'm Craig Castle it on your co host. But you guys know that already. And I'm here with the one and only the man. You know, I love my podcasting partner in crime, Asante Cleveland.
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And now I have some exciting news. I'm officially just at Sante Cleveland Instagram. So, yes, that is bigger news than most
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official, the official. And you know, it's it's taking him a very, very long time to
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get that. So very long ago, we were talking on the podcast like you're at least a year ago. Perseverance is key, right? Absolutely. Absolutely. Finding already people, but important thing to this
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week. We are very honored blasting very grateful toe Have this week's guest. His name is Nick Lawn. If
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you guys were watching, you can see this gentleman right over here. We're very blessed
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to have him here today. He is not just a high performance sales coach. He is a serial entrepreneur investor. He is the CEO Performance Capital Group. Well, it's getting launched. Yeah, Yeah, I think I know you just put it out. Put it out there. The universe? Yeah, exactly. There you go. You're right. I am the CEO of Performance Capital Group. That's right. And he is not just that, but he is a proud husband, A very proud father. And I didn't know this, but I found this out recently. He has a PhD from the school of hard knocks. That's right. I love that I have a PhD from the school of hard knocks. Yes, And he is the creator of the next 90 program, which I'm very excited to hear about it. Talk about Lee's and gentlemen, Nick Lowe. Thank you, Craig. Thank you, Santa, for having me here, man. It's an honor.
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Thanks for coming on. I So I can vouch for the sea, Uh, the degree from hard knocks because we met at a dinner and it was a cool environment where they're supposed to be a lot bigger than it was and turned out to just be five people. So what we did was each person just took time and, like, just told their story where they came from, how they got to where they are now. And Nick hearing your story of just the bounce back of the highs and lows and highs and lows was so inspiring. So that's why
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Wow, that was great. I was telling Craig in the lobby that, you know, you go to those things, and obviously that room was much bigger than thin. What were expected or what we we anticipated. But I went home and told my wife I said that was probably one of the most refreshing experiences I've had it a corporate meet up or get together Networking event, whatever you wanna call us, because we just got time for everybody to talk and get to know each other, like on a real level. Yeah, you know, not that surface level. Hey, what do you do? Are you from type of thing? But, like, who are you? You know, And that's a question that drives me. And I often asked My coaching clients is like, Who are you? You know, So that was cool. And I resonated with your story. It was it was great.
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Oh, yeah, yeah, just that intimate environment to just really get to know each other. It just made the experience that much more, much more riel. Everybody just genuinely connect with each other. Just hear each other stories. And I think that's something like moving forward. Yeah,
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I think that that format was great. Plus, we got extra truffles on everything. Who doesn't love that? Exactly. That's a win win attack bonus. So, you know, You know, Nick, I was I wanted to start off with this. If someone were to to do some research about noon long on the Internet, they may find out some stories about how successful you are in the business world. Being a CEO, entrepreneur, starting businesses, very successful businesses. They're going to find out about your next 90 program and so on. And I think a lot of times we often see the destination. And we often don't necessarily, Unless someone is specifically for you. Maybe heard you speak about the journey. So much value in that journey. Can we start off by talking about your personal professional journey where that started? Yeah. How far you get your back? You got your backpack? I'm ready. I'm going down to the bathroom. I don't know. There's a time limit. So, um Ah, start when I but first I saw my dad and my my father. My dad is my father. When I saw my father, my uncle and my grandfather, they were all in the same industry. In fact, it was they were. I was fifth generation in that industry were there in the grocery industry, and they all did very well. Very, very well, um, but only later in life, you know. So I saw them grind. They were gone all the time on Lee to retire, you know, and then enjoy, like, the fruits of their labor. And I was like, God, this equation just doesn't add up to me. But I kind of went down that same path and I started working at one of the company's My uncle was a CEO. I became one of the youngest sales executives, and I was just watching these people in these cubicles, and I was like, Man, these are like little mini prison cells, you know? And And I was in school. I was working full time, was going to school full time, and I was running and managing. Ah, valet company. You know, I always had this kind of hustle and drive. And so at 2021 I'm I'm making over six figures, but I'm like working myself to the to the bone. And so I started just thinking differently. Like I just started looking at things and questioning, like instead of for why, like, Why not? Why couldn't Why couldn't I do something different than my dad did? What, going to do Something different than my uncle did. My grandfather and ah, as as fate would have it, I met a gentleman through the valet company and he said, Is that what you do? And I said, I said, Well, this is not not aspiring to be a valet, Parker for the rest of my life for a manager, I said, I work for a company that we, uh, help new and existing manufacturers get distribution at that grocery and retail outlet egos all you got to meet my friend Fleming Fleming was a guy from Denmark, and, ah, he had a lightbulb company was young man whose I was 21 at the time. So Fleming was probably 24 25 he was selling these energy efficient lightbulbs, right? I didn't really know much about him, but what I did know was this guy was a hustler because it within his first year he sold over a 1,000,000 light bulbs and and this is back when the energy thing was just starting to become like a front of the mind, you know, conversation. So I was attracted to his charisma, is attracted to the fact that he had his own, um, company. And so I said, Look, I need another opportunity like I need a hole in the head But let me take this with me and I'll ask around. So while I was doing my day job and I was, you know, come to see Craig to sell him whatever widget I had it, I would put that on the table and they be like, What's What's that? I was like, Oh, this is these energy official light bulb. You heard of them? They're like, Yeah, but God, they're so expensive, you know? Ah, well, when Nick can ever get him for the right price And I said, Well, what price do you need? Let them tell me. Right? And so they told me the price that they needed to buy them. And I'm looking at my cost sheet and I'm like Jesus. That's like 400% profit. Let me see what I can do. So anyway, go back. Told Fleming like a These guys want to buy this at this price is like, Are you out of your mind? That's crazy. That's three times for whatever. We sold it for it the highest. So we ended up doing a deal, and that deal netted about 100 and 50 grand like Boom. So within 30 days, like I had made more money, then I had working to two jobs, you know, going to school. And probably more than half the people, maybe 80% of the people in my company, like the light bulb, no pun intended, literally, literally went off. And I was like, All right, so I told Fleming I was like, Look, give me this 150 grand. Don't Don't give it to me like personally, so I can go spend it. But let me take this and build something. I will quit school. I will quit this job. I will walk away from everything cause, like this is it. If we did this in 30 days, imagine what we could do in 30 years, you know, and he said, Go for it And we did. And, um, that ended up turning into a company that was doing about 10 to 12 year. Um, we raised 3.5 $1,000,000 of capital at the ripe age of 22. We opened up a production facility in Vietnam where we're manufacturing 15,000 light bulbs. Today we had offices in Denmark, Spain, the U K Mexico and the U. S. Right. And so I'm the third largest shareholder of this company, and ah, on paper, 24 years old. I'm I'm worth a few 1,000,000 bucks. And I was like, Yes, I have arrived. I have seen the light. And so, uh, everything was was going great, right? Everything was going great. Well, ultimately what happened is we got we talk about, you know, going in, trying to grow the company too fast. And that's ultimately what happened. We started acquiring other businesses, and all of our working capital just started toe to dry up. And as we got bigger, we needed more cash. So we went to the investors and they were like they were tapped. They're like, we're not gonna put in more cash even though you know we could see the formative future and we got the stalemate because nobody wanted to sell their shares to bring in more cash. Nobody wanted to put it in their own cash. And so we're just kind of stuck. So Fleming, basically kind of, you know, made them an offer they couldn't refuse. He's like, Look, I'll let you guys all walk, acquire 100% of the debt, but I'm also acquiring 100% of the company. And so there I was four years later, after being a millionaire on paper and and kind of like thinking by the time I was 30 like I was going to be done. Now I'm $100,000 in debt because I had borrowed some money to buy more shares of the of the business. I've got no college education, and I walked away from, you know, a potential career, and so is depressing. I ended up getting a job making $10 an hour under the table at Ze Pizza in Seal Beach, California and I was telling Asante I would play what I call Bill roulette, right and, ah, it was a game for me because I had to do something. So I didn't, like, you know, want to put a bullet in my head where I have all my bills. And I put him out on the table and I would just wait. I would wait till whatever thing got shut off or shut down. You know, like the lights. Okay, cool. That that's the one. And I called them and I negotiate, you know, 50 bucks, 60 whatever I could give them to get, get him turned back on for however much time, period. And then I would pay that. Then I would wait for the next week for the next and, ah, I was just barely barely making it. And finally, I had to just, you know, kind of throw in the towel and move in with my twin sister. And that was like, depressing, you know, now 25 going on 26. My sister's killing it in the mortgage business. She's my twin, you know, And I'm like, I'm grossly in debt with no opportunity. But like, I started thinking, I'm like, You know what? I did it once. I can do it again. I just need to find the right opportunity because they could take everything from me. But they couldn't take that skill set that couldn't take those four years of traveling the world and sitting down with I mean companies like Home Depot and an Albertsons and big, big institutional type stuff. They couldn't take my experience from starting a business in another country. I mean, so I knew that I had an asset, but I was looking for an ally, and, um, finally I stumbled upon ah, guy who had a marketing company in the mortgage industry. And he said, Dude, you're what we're looking for. And I said, All right, yeah, What are you looking for? I'm it. And he said, We need someone to help us grow this business So I came in. He may be the VP of sales, making very little money, but a lot of upside and I just went to work, and we grew that business from 100,000 month to 1/2 a 1,000,000 a month in six months, and most of my comp was based on commission. So you can imagine I added $400,000 of top line revenue to the business in six months Like my commission checks started getting pretty big. And he said, Hey, man, what if I made you a partner? I'll put you on a guaranteed salary and I'll give you 25% of the company. I'm like, Yeah, I've already seen how this works. Like, I know that equity is gonna be a lot more than just kidding, you know? Ah, paycheck. So he did. And we did, and we we went on. Ah. Problem was with him is that he was young as well, and and, ah wasn't emotionally mature enough to handle the type of money that was coming in. And so he end up getting heavily addicted to prescription pain pills. And it was very, very sad. Thio watch. Ah, good. Good friend. Good guy. That just started doing things that just weren't in alignment with who I was and where I wanted to go. So there I found myself again at a crossroads of making a decision. And I said, You know what? I could do this, and I could do it better and faster, more ethically than this guy can. And I didn't steal any other clients. I just pivoted and I Ah, I started out very small. Start out with four or five people were selling mortgage marketing right in 2006. 2007. So I started Ah, mortgage marketing business in 2000 and seven and it was great for about six months. I literally I would call a Santa Who's my customer who just spent 20 grand the week before and it's, like, out of business. Go buy The place was boarded up. I mean, that fast that fast And I was like, Damn it. Well, maybe I'm not meant to be an entrepreneur, and I'm like, No, I'd like I know this is my path. Like I tasted it. I cannot like I cannot untested. And, um so is that all right? In any economy, like, people are making money down economy, people making money up economy more people are making money, but money's never disappearing, just merely shifting, right, transitioning hands. So I said what would thrive in a down economy, So we started doing like that settlement, low modification discount healthcare. You know, all the stuff that would work in a down economy, and we stumbled upon this little niche called auto warranty but didn't even know about it. To where? Most people by their out of warranty, if you know when they're buying the vehicle. But there's this whole other world. Once that warranty is out of manufacturer warranty, you can actually buy an extended warranty. So we started marketing for that and it blew up. We went from 18 people to 500 people in in about 18 months. We went from, I don't know, three or four million a year in business to 40 million in 18 months. Wow, it was insane. That is crazy. Absolutely insane. And, um, So there I found myself kind of almost in the same position. Is that other man where the money came so fast and so abundantly? And I'm 28 years old, you know, at the time, So I went from ah, 100,000. Well, I went from, you know, I'm gonna have this 30 year career path and retire at 65 you know, with the pension and all the bullshit that comes along with that, too. I went to being a multi $1,000,000 millionaire on paper, $200,000 broke at a pizza place to now a multi millionaire from a liquidity perspective and just cash coming in faster than I could. I could handle it. And so I found myself not emotionally mature enough, actually. You know, and I started especially here in Orange County. Imagine you're 20 years old. I mean, barely getting out of bed, making $350,000 a month. I mean, cos pretty much running without me, right? Got a bright red Ferrari. I got the murdered out Range Rover. I've got a 1952 Jaguar Classic car. I've got the big house. I mean, I've I've got it. Yeah, bawling like, keep up with the Kardashians. No, no. Keep up with me, baby. Uh, so, like, around here, you get what I call a lot of false positives, right? Where? What does that mean? It means like like people are giving you all this positive affirmation because of the things you have, Not necessarily for the person you are. And so I thought I was kind of untouchable and invincible. And, you know, people around me were telling me that, you know, I was kind of king of the Shit heads and ah, so I didn't respect the money. Um, ultimately, cause I didn't respect myself and, ah, you know, my partners and I After a couple of years, we just came to an impasse where they're like, Nick, you know, you're not the same guy that started out with, and as you know, I didn't hear it at the time. You know, I was listening, but I didn't hear it at the time. And King Kong was like, Well, screw you. I'm gonna go play in another jungle. And I thought I had this might is touch, and so we kind of they bought me out and and I had, um, a good amount of money, Um, and probably should have been enough money to live on for quite some time. And I didn't do anything for about a year. Turned 30 and I was just, like, screw it. Had fun party, travelled the world, all that kind of stuff. And then I just started, like getting involved in things that I'd hadn't no idea what they were. You know, you come to me with an idea. Sounds great. Here you go. You Craig has an idea. Here you go. It was like It was like Jim Carey in Domine number like There you go. There you go. And, you know, meanwhile, I still have a hefty nut because of all this stuff that I'm, you know, acquiring bought, et cetera, et cetera. And then I found myself again, like in that dark place where I'm like, damn, like I've just pissed it all away. Like I just opened up bars and nightclubs, you know, just kind of chasing, like nothing with purpose. Um and so my grandfather, who I spoke about early on, right around that time, um, he he got pretty ill and he went to the VA hospital in Long Beach, California and I'll never forget. I drove up there in the Ferrari with this girl that I was dating, who I had no business being with. But I was so busy trying to fix her life, I didn't have to worry about my own. And I walk in the room and my grandfather was an only child. But his mission in life was not wealth of the, you know, the monetary kind of was life in life, experience, wealth. And so he was on a mission to have the biggest, most connected family he could ever have. And when I walked in that room, there were five of his six Children. Five are still alive. They lost one. But five of his kids were all around the bedside. There was grandchildren and there was great grandchildren and I just looked at him and like not leaving this earth with two nickels to rub together. I mean, he lived to 91. He retired at 55. He was actually retired longer than he actually worked. So he had outlived his money, but not his wife. And I was like the ah ha moment where I was, like, damn, like, this is what I want from my life, like I have all the trappings of the world and I have all these life experiences. But if I get hit by a bus on the way out here, boom zero trace of Nick Long zero trace of the impact that I could potentially have have made. And that's when I literally transposed two words that radically changed my life. Like I used to have my purpose to be profitable, and I changed those that I wanted my profits to fill my purpose. And but I needed to find that purpose for so fast forward to today. I reconnected within a strained girlfriend who was in my life at that time in humble beginnings. Didn't care like that. I was sleeping on my sister's couch. She just loved me for me, not for what I could provide for her. And she believed in me Ah, who is now the wife of my Children. But in that time, when when money was abundant, I just she was just dispensable. Everything wasn't so. I kind of threw to the wayside through so through a lot of groveling and radical self inventory. We were able to reconnect and and we Ah, we started out very humbly by the time she came back in my life, like we had $14 between the two of us $14 between the two of us. But I told her, I'm like, Look, and I and I proposed to her with the cubic zirconia. I said, This is all I could buy right now that I said the settings real, But the diamonds not but is pretty, I said, But mark my word like before we get married like I will replace that rock. It will be a real rock because it's not necessarily like, you know, the actual diamond. It's what it signifies. And so her and I started with two cell phones. Just just the two of us again started with two cell phones and just went back into that marketing world. And, ah, we just started. Like calling people said, Hey, Craig, you know what business are you in? Okay, cool. You need lead. You need marketing that I call Asante. Hey, I I need I need some mortgage leaders, like, Okay, cool. Your price is 50 bucks, and I call you back. Good news. I got him your prices 60 bucks, and I would make that spread. And I'd be like, Okay, hold the phone. I'm gonna transfer you to Nicole, and then the cops'll pick up the phone. Hi, this is Nicole in accounting. How are you? Look like we're having this big business. Maria, let our two bedroom apartment right. But we'd make 500 bucks for that day, and it was enough to like, you know, fight for the next. And then all sudden Craig's order turned into, you know, 500 a day and then we take a little bit of that. And then we we open up a small office and then you could afford to employees and three employees. And we did that for for a year. And in that year, we were able to pay for our wedding payoff $75,000 of American Express debt pay for a world class honeymoon. We flew first class Thio Hong Kong, Macao, Cambodia, Thailand Ah, for 3.5 weeks. Ah, oui. And I, also on December 9th, were married on December 30 1st I put a new diamond in a ring and that birth, like our business that we built over the next 6.5 years from $14 to over 30 million and 300 employees. Wow, that's amazing. I told you to pack the bags, but yeah, I
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really have to still have to sit on the bag. Really? Yeah, you know, you know,
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yes, they would not approve of the way away. It would definitely be overweight and cost me a fortune, but on. But you know, one thing that I was thinking about through all of these highs,
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these peaks and valleys of your life in your career. Professional career, personal life. Like what is it stopped you
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from just saying. You know what? This is not for me. I'm just
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gonna go back to certainty and just screw this uncertainty life, you know, because
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I think I think had I not had that experience as it is, a young man like watching these people like they were like zombies, Literally like zombies showing of our to the coffee machine. Ah, you know, the copy machine to the water and and they were just none of them seem happy. I really like this is like, this is what it's about. Like No, not for me. Like I want to live. Like I want to enjoy my time, my money, Like, right now, you know, um so I kind of had before YOLO was like a popular phrase. I kind of had always that in my mind set. And once I knew I did it once I knew that I could I could do it again. And so that's what kept me from like, I'm totally unemployable. I mean, I've been an entrepreneur for 18 almost 19 years now. I would probably be the single worst employee because, like I would be trying to figure out like how the business works would be dismantling it at night and trying to rebuild it. And I just couldn't I couldn't do it, you know? But I knew that, like, I had enough in me to just make it till the end of the week or just make it until the end of the day until they turn the lights off and then I'll I'll figure it out, you know? So I just I just saw that early on I was like, No, I'm not signing up for that. How much of it do you feel like? It's just getting comfortable with being risky? Yeah, I think it's a risk is one thing, but I think it's just getting comfortable being uncomfortable, right, because a lot of us are. Our most people are comfortable, like when I say comfortable, they you know they can got a comfortable job. They got a comfortable salary. They got a comfortable, you know, house. But really, there's a lot of discomfort that comes with that because they know that there's more and there's this internal like tug of war that happens all the time where they're like God, why him? And why her? And why that and you know why not me? Why couldn't my parents be rich And instead of for asking, like, why not? Well, like cause in that comfort there actually miserable. And I would rather be uncomfortable from a monetary expense. We'll be comfortable knowing that, like I'm in charge of my destiny, not someone else. My efforts are going to make me wealthy, not someone else, you know, But I might be uncomfortable like, and have to be top ramen for the next two weeks, but it won't be like this forever. So just that shift of that mindset, right? And then also, like I said, like transposing words all the time between the my purpose is to be profitable. It's like, No, I want to be profitable to feel my purpose. Two words different arrangement, entirely different outcome in mind. Set. It took you a long time to get there. Yeah. Yeah, well, it took me, like burning everything to the ground and watching a man that I adored in love, like, you know, take literally take his last breath and look around and see like I mean to this day, like me talking about him on this podcast that your listeners are gonna hear he still lives. If I would have died on that same day, Yeah, my my small circle would probably still be sad, but there would be no spoken word of me, no trace of me, you know? And so it took those kind of paradigm shifts for me to actually pull my head out of my ass and get on the right path. When you tell the story about your life, do you tell the story? And it feels like you're talking about a different person. Yeah. You know, I looked back and I see these like it orations, you know of myself. Um, and, you know, part of thing that, like, I always tell, you know, my private coaching climbs my corporate clients is like, this version of you got you here, but we need to kill this version so you can step into the version that you see. You're the version that you you want to become. So I I see my my my old self in, like, these compartments, you know, there was that guy, the early baby Bambi on the Ice Entrepreneur. Then here is the Hustler entrepreneur. Here's the guy that became a CEO. Here's the guy that actually is now making an impact and a lot of people because, I mean, in that time from like 26 toe 30 I was still a good guy. Like my my soul was always like rooted right, but it just kind of covered in soot. And even with my my wife, Nicole, I made some really poor decisions when we were dating. I mean cheated on her, lied or and ah, everybody's like Well, do you regret it? I'm like, It's hard for me to say that I regret it because every one of those decisions led to the husband. I am the father. I am, I tell her. But it would have been way easier for me to go and meet another woman as this quote unquote new version of myself. This epiphany that had happened and just start fresh. No baggage but like the easy thing isn't always the right thing. And I wouldn't trade like my life with my wife for for any of that ease that comfort that we talked about I mean, it was uncomfortable, you know, having to unpack some of that stuff. But like we've been able to create the life that we have together as a result. If there's if there's a person out there that's listening to this and they are one, though, zombies they are in that corporate job and they need to get the hell out.
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But they've given themselves every excuse not to, or why they can't. What kind of advice would you give that
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type of person? So simple, but not easy? Um, what does that mean? So, like, it's It's simple on paper, but it's not easy when you break it down. So I tell them to ask themselves like three questions. The power of your life will essentially come down to the power of questions. You ask yourself, right? Why, versus why not? Right, Um so, like a what is it that you truly want? Like, what is it that that you truly want your zombie? You're in a 9 to 5. Like what? Like what do you want for your life? And it seems simplistic, but like when you start to, like jump into that like it, it has multiple layers. And then the second question that's yet to answer The first is. Why does that matter like, Why does it matter that you have that life like Tell me why that's important to you? Because if you don't understand why it's important, the first thing is, is my might as well be obsolete. And then the third question is, what are you willing to do in order to get all of that? Because once you figure out the why and you figure out the what like the reason why you want that the how will figure itself out, the universe will get out of your way because you will become obsessed with it like we live in the greatest technological age ever. But human beings have become more stupid, you know. It's like anything you want to learn is literally in the palm of your hands
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at the YouTube university.
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Yes, you could do anything you want, work your 9 to 5 and then work your ass off afterwards, go uber and save that money and invest in whatever you wanted to do. I mean, it's just Do you know what you want? Do you know why it's even even matters. And are you willing to do what it takes to get there? And half the people will give up. Even on the first question,
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what was your inspiration to originally get into coaching?
spk_0: 29:59
So, yeah, what really got me into coaching was I was seeking to coach myself. So my businesses were growing. My family was growing, Um, and I was, like, growing. I was putting on weight. Like, even though I was doing well financially, I was carrying all this emotional baggage, and my external wait was kind of just a reflection of what was I was carrying on the inside and we got pregnant with with our son, Noah. Um I mean, my wife got pregnant. I was there for it, but, ah, I'm just the best supporting actor. Ah Mei s. Oh, my son. My son was about to be born, and I had a daughter. First night. I knew I could be a good girl, Dad, right. You just be strong and you love him, and you keep the bad guys away. And, you know, like you take him to Disneyland, and you just you just have fun and be goofy. But when when I was having a son is like shit. But how do I raise this creature to be a man when I still very much feel like a boy? Like how much you like. I'm not the adult that I want him to be like. This has gotta change. And so I found a group of men, all entrepreneurs, all married, all fathers, right? The Bermuda Triangle of insanity. Like start a business. Great. Get married. Oh, shit. Have a kid. Oh, my God. Like, how am I going to do it all? And they were like they were having real conversations like you and I had at that dinner and was like talking about how hard it was and how they were vulnerable. They're talking about cash flow issues and not feeling worthy and, like, no intimacy with the wife. And I'm like, Wow, it was like being inside the Matrix. So I found that and things shifted from I mean, we literally are businesses, hockey stick after that. And my marriage got better. My son came and I was, like, proud of the man like that was holding him in the picture, which was me. My body changed like everything about my life changed. I was able to let go of a lot of that stuff for the baggage from the past. And I was like, Wow, this is like, really worked. And I was like more men and more women even need to know about this. And an opportunity opened up inside of that program that I was in to become certified. Well, at this point, my businesses were running themselves and, you know, I didn't want to go back down that same that same path. So with that profits for a purpose, I was like, Well, I'm gonna go do this. So I spent a year of my life becoming certified. Ah, and really what that means I just did a little a lot of work on myself. Um, and then, you know, launch my podcast, and I didn't know if anybody would listen, but all of sudden they started to come. They started the lineup. Then I didn't know if it was gonna work. Didn't know if I was worthy enough. Thio lead someone from a place that they were to a place that they wanted to be, and all sudden results started happening and then word of mouth is we talked about Craig. People started reaching out to me. And hey, I heard you worked with Sante. I want you to work with me. And now it became like a business. The purpose actually became profitable, and now it's 100% of what I do. Wow, that's amazed you ever was there ever a point
spk_2: 33:05
in your mind where you felt like that purpose that coaching purpose was going to be profitable, that you feel like there was.
spk_0: 33:12
It started out as, like, a passion project. Um, and so, like, I didn't know. I mean, the guy that that was is my mentor, like, it was very profitable for him. So I knew there was a way, but I didn't know if that was gonna be like my path, you know, even though, like I always enjoyed speaking. And, um, from a very young age, I was like, Yeah, you know, I didn't I didn't see it. Like what I thought was gonna eventually happen was I was gonna, you know, have this big exit from one of my businesses, and then I was gonna be, like, sell my business and then go sell my story. Right? But I didn't know that was gonna be, like in this format toe where, like, now, someone would want to come and work with and help them. But after the 1st 3 guys that came through, I was like, Oh, man, we got a little white tiger by the tail here, you know? Yeah. Let's let's figure this out. Yeah. And now I mean that 1st 6 months, Um, when you know, I got my certification. The 1st 6 months we did $600,000 in six months coaching. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. And I I won't forget this. Um, So we bought the this big ranch up in, Ah, in Idaho, where we run our immersion events. And, um, so everything was just firing on all cylinders. We just closed on the ranch in May. Um, we had a about 1/2 a dozen guys come through the program. Tremendous amount of success. They all signed up for the year long program. So we got that recurring revenue, and ah, my wife and I got invited to go on this vintage car rally in Europe, and it started in the Swiss Alps and then went along the Italian Riviera and then ended up in the vineyards in Tuscany. And it's all like billionaires and millionaires. So by all intensive purposes, we're, like, kind of the smallest fish in that pond. But we got invited. Um, actually threw that. A very original business partner. Oh, no kidding. Yeah. Who still has the business to this day? Yeah. Fleming. Yeah. Wow. Still has the business to this day. And so he's a vintage car collector. And so he invited us to come on this thing. And ah, so we're in The idea behind it is you get your whatever. Vintage cars, like cast in poor. She know you name it. Ah, you have to dress the era. So that what if your cars from the sixties you gotta dress in 60 style and then whatever country. So we were We were driving a 1964 Morgan like a Great Gatsby. Big hood convertible. So he had a dress like English Tudor style, you know, driving your 1964 to the Swiss Alps. So we got your one of your body and each my wife and we're driving, and ah, you just get that sense that someone's looking at you and we're listening to Sinatra and I look over and we're in this, like, picturesque, you know, countryside. My wife staring at me like, What are you looking at, you weirdo? She's like you. I'm just so proud of the man that you've become. And I'm so happy that, like, you don't give up on me, and I don't give up on you. And I get emotional just even cause like that, right there was worth every fucking penny that I ever made. That one moment. Those words that just like, fiber raw connection with this other woman, you know, saw me for my soul, Not for my paycheck, you know. That's amazing. Yeah. What was it about her, you know, So I I met a lot of women. Ah, lot of Mrs Wrongs. And when I met her, that just it just clicked. It was so, like, easy. And I could be myself and, um, ironically enough, like my grandfather who used at the Sunday dinners, and he'd sit at the head of the table and I'm left handed, so I always sit here. And so I thought it was, like, kind of a badge of honor to march the women through. You know, I thought I was like machismo and all this kind stuff. So there's that kind of the flavor of the week, the month or whatever, and he never really paid much attention to many of the women that I brought through. He's a wise old owl, and, ah, but with Nicole was my wife's name. He would just like a chatterbox. He wouldn't shut up. And I was like trying to figure out how much he had a drink. And ah, but she got up from the table and he put his hand on my arm like this, and he looked at me. I said, Son, she's the one. I was like, Hey, you lost your marbles, man. But like, it resonated with me and literally in that moment, watching him take his last breath like I had this total out of body experience and I heard that I heard son, she's the one and talk to him 2.5 years. So yeah, and so that night I went home and I bought a bottle of gin. My grandfather liketo train chin. I don't like chin, but I was just too, and as an homage to him. And I poured a glass for him, a happy hour like he did every day in a port, a glass for me. And I just started crying, watching ice melt and, you know, just saying my goodbyes. And I heard it again. Like Son, she's the one. So after a little bit of liquid courage, after 2.5 years, I called her, which wasn't my best idea because she immediately hung up on me. But I just knew, like I knew that it was going to be hard. And I was willing to do the hard things to have an easy life thing, to focus on the easy things and have a hard life. And I knew it and I asked her, I'm like like like, Why me? Forget about you. I mean, she was an NFL cheerleader, you know? It's like I think she could have had any man of any stature, you know, and and, uh, she just said I always knew it was you. I was just hoping someday you would know it was me. And that little bit of hope that she held on to was enough to build the life in the marriage that we have today, and I wouldn't have it any other way. And she was at a point in her life where she could easily you guys could reconnect and start that relationship again. She actually was, I think, dating somebody. But, you know, she was always feeling the same thing that I felt like, you know, you could go out and have a good time with with anybody, you know, um but it never felt like it felt that that true connection, you know, And so she was always kind of chasing that. And so when I came back into her life, it it trust me, it wasn't like rebels and butterflies it like it rattled the cage. But here's the irony of the whole thing. When I talk about when you know what you truly want, why it matters and what you're willing D'oh! The universe gets out of your way. I hadn't seen her and talk to her for 2.5 years. I ran into her three times in the next three months, like, literally coincidentally or no, right? Right. But yes, like, you know, I'm one of my mentor says that coincidence is God's way of being discreet to make you feel like you got it all figured out, right? Whether you believe in God, you can replace that with the universe or whoever, but, yeah, coincidentally, three times. And because I had that one ounce of vulnerability that one ounce of, like just being riel and raw, I could just let her guard down just a little bit. And I was like a goddamn snipe project. Just firing bullets into her heart. Most of them missed you took off her arm, took off her leg a couple of times, But that one hit wonder Yeah, it was worth Yeah, that absolutely amazing. So how does this whole journey will tell? Tell us about next nine. Because I found that
spk_2: 40:22
super super interesting. And I know the coaching thing was really the birth of this,
spk_0: 40:25
right? Yeah. Yes. Oh, that's so, um, the coaching was the birth of it. And then how in the next 90 actually really started was so we're in the in the certification process in my mentor. His name is Garrett Jay White. He runs a company brand called Wake Up Warrior. and he said, Hey, I'm opening up three spots for certified trainers to launch a podcast. I'm gonna teach you how to do a podcast, and he's like, Who's in? And I'm like I'm in and I just I just didn't know what else to talk about it and know anything. I just I'm in. I just felt like called to it. He's like, Cool, what's the name and what You're gonna talk about it? Well, shit that far ahead. And I like alliteration, right? And so I was like And part of the principles that he practices is kind of breaking your life down. And in the 90 day containers, right? And I was like 90 90 Net, neck, Neck nine and the next 90 I was like It's called the next 90. In fact, it's called the next 90 with Nick, where there's another end, you know, and, uh, he's like, What's it about? So, like, I s so I just wrote this email about It's like about getting radically honest about where you are, where you want to go and going after it in a 90 day period, and he's like, I love it. You're in and So I launched the podcast in the first month, we had, like, 30,000 downloads, and I was like, This thing is on, people are listening. And then then people started reaching out from the podcast. Amen. Listen, your podcast, like I would love for you to coach and mentor me sexual shit. I mean, I'm getting I'm certified now, but I don't even know if I could do this, you know? And I was like, All right, So I put these guys together, and I literally called them Mr X Mr Wide, Mr Z, because it was like Project X. Like I didn't know what I was gonna do. And I had them all kind of separated. I was like, Well, this isn't working. I was like, You know what? No man fights alone. Like we need to put it all together. And we put them together and, like, things started clicking. And then I was like, Well, I need to put him in through an experience. What am I gonna call experience and, um, a partner of mine? He's He's, uh He wrote a book called The Sober Entrepreneurs names Russ Berrie. And he's like he wanted to do this thing called the blackout for people trying to get sober like it be a play on play on words. I was like, Hey, I like that. Can I Can I borrow that? And he's like, Yeah, because he, uh he came in as a partner on the ranch. Ah, he's like, Yeah, you can borrow it. And so I was like, Guys, we're going to this thing called the blackout. Well, what is it? Um okay, you're gonna black out from your current existed to create that. I was just kind of like doing this stuff, like on the fly. But it was started come, like, very naturally, because I knew the what? You know, I knew the why it mattered. And I knew I was willing to do whatever it took right. And so those guys came through. And what started out as Mr X y Z is like a just because I was called a Project acts has actually turned into something very meaningful inside of the blackout in the next 90 experience. So when you come in, Asante wants to come in. You have you talked about seeing you like yourself in the third person hit it right on that, Craig. Like I said, OK, you're no longer Asante. And you're whatever letter in the alphabet is next. You know, I think you would probably come in to be an M O r p or whatever. You're Mr P. And you're gonna talk about Asante in the third person so you can look at yourself objectively is Mr P and be like, you know what? Fuck that about Asante are like cuts on this podcast percent. Okay? I love that about Asante. And you kind of go into this like Purgatory State for 90 days where you're not quite who you are, but you're saying goodbye to who you were. Are you not really who you want to be? But you're saying goodbye to who you were, and Mr P can just rip Asante apart. And you can also talk about King Asante, the future version of you. And so you come through the blackout experience and there's a moment in there. I can't really talk about it. But where you literally say goodbye to Asante and Mr P and you re introduce yourself as a king and it's it's like, super powerful. So the neck. That's kind of how it burst, and it's really morphed and and grown into something much bigger than that. Because then I had another theory. I'm like, this is working for the individual entrepreneur. Could I make this work at the at the corporate level? Because I did it inside my company. But was that just lucky? Was like, you know, was that just cause it was it was me? And so I started testing this out inside of corporations and frickin took off cos literally stuck at, you know, plateau sales within 30 days of kind of getting their mind right, not touching anything, not touching their marketing, not touching their operational. You know, I'm not going in there and twisting levers and twisting knobs. I'm literally twisting brains and souls and melding them together. 33% increase in sales, 100% increase in sales. One of my clients has been with me the longest. Now they've had record month for the last four months, and they're marketing less than they were before. I came in and I didn't touch anything other than the hearts and souls of the individuals, and I got them radically clear on those three questions. What do you want? Why does it matter and what you're willing to? D'oh! It's It's amazing now because now the impact on the reach is so much bigger. Because when I was doing it kind of belly to belly, Yes, I can impact Asante and his family and all the people he touches. But now you got Imagine, on a Monday when I walk into mindset Mondays with this corporate client of mine, there's 40 souls in there. That's just what's in the room that doesn't tell the story of their spouses, their Children, the moms, dads, aunts, uncles, whoever lives are being impacted because they made a decision to do something about their life. And so now I'm on a mission to, like, really take this to the next level, but then actually go like, really deep with a handful of companies that I can actually get an equity position in by putting my money where my mouth is and investing in the jockey, not the horse, and really taking it to the next level.
spk_2: 46:35
What are some of the biggest shifts that you see? These people that come to you needing,
spk_0: 46:42
so everybody comes wanting. What do you think more what exactly right. So like, it's it's just the world that we live in. And they and so they all want money. And they're like they always they always say, Well, if I had, you know, x amount of money then and you can fill in the blank, then my wife would appreciate me. Then I could take that dream vacation. Then I'd be able to actually get into the gym because I wouldn't have to worry about paying the bills. And so they have this, like, really messed up. Ah, story around money and what it will provide for them. And I'm like, man, if I gave you that amount of money Also would do is expose the asshole that you are. I mean, look it like, you know, with the NFL, right? Like the money either really, like, refines that person or it defines that person, and it really exposes them to who they truly are. Like an Aaron Anderson, right? I mean, it's just like the money just melted that guy down, and he became an even bigger villain than he was before. And so I'm like like so I go in with the money because that's what gets the fish on the hook. And I'm like Your money is a mirror of who you are and the value that you bring to the world. It's a measuring stick. The digits in decimal decimal points are just like a digital representation of who you are. You want to fix your money problems like Let's fix your marriage problems. Let's fix your body problems. It's fixed like your confidence problem and then the money will come. So I lead with the money. So the biggest shift is they all come in thinking they want more money, and then you start to expose the things that are keeping them from that money, and the money still becomes important. But when they start seeing the dividends into other areas of their lives are like Holy crap. I'm actually living now. Before I was just existing. So that's the biggest shift, and I say money matters. Don't get me wrong. It moves mountains and it's, you know, it's what provides the very building we're sitting in there now, so don't get me wrong, like I want all of you to make a lot of money But what if he's not married up to some greater purpose? The greatest success is being very cash rich. Like I was an emotionally bankrupt. But conversely, like we can all sit around in the desert rubbing feathers on ourselves and being like, emotionally enlightening, completely broke, right? Yeah. So it all goes together. So what if someone's listening to us and saying, Listen, this is what I need. This is right up my alley. This is what I need. I want to be part of this. Is there a specific person that that this is four? Is there a certain thing that they need to dio? How would they go about finding out about doing this? So, yeah, I mean, it's not for everybody. Um, and I mean, let me rephrase that. It's for everybody, but not everybody will be willing to do what's required. Let's put it that way so everybody could practice these principles. You don't have to be an entrepreneur. You could be an intra preneurs, I say. Were you working inside an entrepreneur's business? But like everybody needs to level up like their fitness, their emotional well being, their relationships and their bank, everybody but most are listening, and they'll they'll take this. It'll be a nice little cozy blanket, a little story that I was longwinded about. And they'll feel good for however long this last. Maybe an hour, maybe two hours, and then they'll settle right back in to the comfort of their discomfort. Right? Um, so where I've been the most successful is with people that control their own income, and they're not necessarily entrepreneurs. Their salespeople. They're real estate brokers, mortgage life insurance entrepreneurs, whoever where they can really like, take charge of their financial outcome. Um, I've had a few cases of people who work in 9 to 5 and have a set salary. I wasn't able to move the needle for them financially in that 90 day period because it's they got a set salary. But what I was able to do is like radically shift a lot of things in their lives, their physical body, their their marriage and relationships like the way they thought about themselves. So if someone is out there that can control their own income, it's the fastest path for success because I can show them, like, ah, return right, a monetary return because most people are ultimately chasing the money. Um, but it literally will work for anybody who's willing to do the work. Yeah, and that's the key. I think so many people went even with, like, social media, a bunch of stuff. People want instant gratification immediately. Yeah, they want to make the money immediately. Is that I'm gonna have success immediately. And it's so hard for people to think that they're gonna have to really put in a work consistent work for a long period of time in order to get that return on their investment. Exactly. I mean, we live in this like, give it to me now. You know, prime now is that communities, like, break into my house and put it in my hand. That's how fast I want it. You know, that's that's the world that we live in. But it's like like, yeah, like you. Like you said, people can see the success, but they don't see the story behind it. Yeah, right. Yeah. We always
spk_2: 51:46
get the destination in Never the journey.
spk_0: 51:48
Exactly. Yeah, which kind of kind of stinks because that's where, like I said,
spk_2: 51:52
when we started this things, that's where the value is exactly all those really good nuggets are. And you get to learn and hopefully use those to help make your life better.
spk_0: 51:59
Absolutely. Which is absolutely great.
spk_2: 52:01
So how often do you do this next 90 program
spk_0: 52:04
So it can start whenever, right and we don't have to wait for 1/4. Or but So, um, when I'm doing it, like with a small group, we just try to start it. You know, with 6 to 10 people together and sister 90 day journey like we don't need a new year's resolution or anything like that. We just need a commitment to change. And over 90 days, we're gonna show you that, Um but like, right now, I'm getting pretty busy, like with my corporate clients because they're started. Word's out about the success that I've had a handful of them. And so, you know, like we just started one with a, uh, with a pretty well known national bank. Um and so, like, that's a very, very exciting Um, I've got another big one starting next month with a very big insurance company, and so we'll start it whenever someone's willing to start Is the short answer That's amazing. What is the future for Nick Long? Can you predict it? Who? Um, So I could tell you the next 90 days. Yes, So that I mean, I I try not to get too caught up in, like, you know, the five year, 10 year plan, because, I mean, look at the last 18 than I gave you. Like it was I had more twists and turns in that vintage car rally, right? Yeah. And highs and lows. So I don't necessarily try to get, you know, tied into the road. I'm more focused on the outcome, right? And so impact for me is a is a big thing in the future. And how to to scale up the amount of impact that I can I can have, um, the next 90 days, I'm trying to lock in four more corporate clients. And that was going to be my my case study, if you will. For Performance Capital Group, which Performance Capital Group is gonna be the first ever hedge fund Private equity entrepreneurial. Ah, fund that's gonna focus on the development of the entrepreneur, not necessarily on the growth of the business, because we know that once we develop that entrepreneur growth of the business has come secondhand. So the long term is to have 10 to 20 companies that I have a personal equities taken through my own money and investors money. But I actually just have, like, 100% emotional stake in the entrepreneur themselves and taking them from where they are, toe where they wanna go. That's amazing. Yeah,
spk_2: 54:33
absolutely. I love that. Especially after a big ring out through your own personal experience, how you just have to really re invent the person to make it everything else work?
spk_0: 54:43
Absolutely. I mean, the operational risk inside of any business is the greatest risk, right? So if you could mitigate that and get that person married up to those three questions, most businesses will succeed. Reason why most businesses fails to reasons they're undercapitalized or they're poorly run, and most of the time they're undercapitalized. They're poorly run, right? You fix those two elements unless it's like just a dumb idea. Most businesses will succeed, but they will succeed at the level of belief of the entrepreneur in themselves. So whatever, however deep that well is, that's how big the business will grow my job is coming their a C four and blow the bottom out and fill it all the way back up. That's amazing. That and we also say I don't know how long we had, but I'm sure we took all of it, actually read it. But you know what? One of the things we like to do, we finish up. These episodes like to ask our guests with their grateful for Can you share a couple things? You're grateful for a man that's easy. My wife Nicole of six years, my daughter Neven N E v i n ah, five years. My son, Noah. Um and I'm grateful for me like I I really am. I'm grateful for my journey. Um, as I said, like, they can take everything from me again And they have multiple times, but they can't take me, and they can't take my wife and they can't take my Children. So I'm just grateful for every day I get to get up and spend time with him and grateful that I'm clear on the impact that I want to make in this world. Awesome. Thank you. Very well said we're working. People find you. Yeah, probably easiest way to find me. Just follow me on Instagram or Facebook. It's at Nick Long 3 65 at Nick Long. 3 65 Sent me a d m. Um, I have You could go to an x t 90 dot com, but really the best ways at Nick Long 3 65 Some guys for those watching those listening Follow. Nick, He is just an amazing individual. I signed any parting words, Nick. Thank you. That is just so great, man.
spk_2: 56:46
I have a story that is just so powerful And then just your resilience and that bounce back like you've done it once. You can do it again. I think a lot of people need to hear that.
spk_0: 56:57
Yeah, man a cz Long as you know what you want. Hey, you'll do whatever it takes to get it Awesome, guys. Thank you so much. We'll catch you next time.
spk_1: 57:08
Hey, What is up, guys? Thank you so much for listening to this week's episode of the White Tiger podcast. Please don't forget to rate review that subscribe. The podcast on all your favorite podcast platforms also hit us up on social media. You could find us at the White Tiger podcast on Instagram and Facebook. And don't forget to check out our YouTube channel. You will find video versions of these podcasts there. Extras. While you're there, don't forget to subscribe. Thank you, guys for all your support and we'll catch you next time.
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