From Breaking Sweat To Breaking Norms (Pt.2 Sept. '23) Ep 649

In this insightful conversation, Alex Hormozi discusses the importance of effort and personal growth, using his own experiences as an entrepreneur to highlight the journey of self-improvement. He delves into the pitfalls of ego in business, contrasting it with the benefits of humility and teamwork, especially noting the success of businesses led by self-aware couples. Alex defines confidence as the likelihood of expected outcomes and emphasizes the significance of authenticity in content creation. He also touches on the concept of legacy, stating that he creates content for personal fulfillment rather than external recognition. The discussion shifts to Alex's content strategy, where he uses audience engagement as a metric for content value, and he stresses the importance of staying true to oneself to sustain long-term personal branding. Moreover, Alex shares his views on the role of entrepreneurship in solving world problems and the value of learning from everyone, including negative examples, to improve oneself and one's business.

• Timmy aims to make his future self (dad) proud by closing the gap between his effort and his potential.
• His business endeavors are a reflection of his personal journey towards self-improvement.
• The podcast focuses on customer acquisition, value maximization, and retention, while sharing lessons from failures.

"If I'm Timmy and future me is dad, looking back, I want to make that man proud. And that man's the only man who knows how hard I could have tried."

The quote emphasizes the importance of living up to one's potential and being accountable to oneself for the effort put into achieving goals.

• Successful companies in Timmy's portfolio are often led by couples who are aware of their deficiencies and complement each other.
• Teams with less ego focus on product, service, and culture improvement, while ego-driven leaders tend to seek personal credit and struggle with delegation.
• Ego does not cause success; it may even hinder it, but it does not prevent it.

"Only assholes want to work for assholes."

This quote highlights the negative impact of ego on team dynamics and talent attraction within a business.

• Confidence is the likelihood of an outcome happening as expected.
• Confidence can vary across different activities, such as public speaking versus mathematical tasks.

"Confidence, I would define as the percentage likely that what you say will happen will happen."

This quote provides Timmy's definition of confidence, relating it to the predictability of successful outcomes in various domains.

• Ego-driven individuals can reach high positions, but their success may lack a stable foundation.
• Success can occur despite ego, not because of it, and the actual drivers of success are actions like advertising, building sales teams, and product quality.

"But I would say that I would make the argument that they succeed despite their ego."

The quote suggests that ego is not a facilitator of success but rather an obstacle that some people manage to overcome.

• Timmy finds the idea that people won't remember us liberating, as it allows one to live life for oneself.

"I think it's really freeing because you... Yeah, do it for you."

This quote reflects Timmy's philosophy on living authentically without concern for long-term recognition or legacy.

• Timmy started making content 26-27 months ago and currently produces about 300 pieces of content per week.
• His content creation process involves brainstorming on Twitter, gauging traction, and expanding on popular ideas.

"I think right now we're about 300 a week."

The quote indicates the volume of content Timmy produces and his dedication to content creation.

• Timmy believes in staying true to oneself when creating content.
• Authenticity ensures long-term sustainability as interests and branding evolve naturally over time.

"The biggest brands are built over decades, not days or weeks or months."

This quote emphasizes the importance of authenticity and consistency in building a lasting brand.

• Entertainers fall into the trap of creating content for algorithmic success rather than personal interest.
• Educators make the mistake of teaching beyond their experience, leading to imposter syndrome.

"Educators go down to the ego and status faking, track the fake it till you make it, which I'm so aggressively against."

The quote criticizes educators who pretend to have expertise they lack, advocating for authenticity in teaching and content creation.

• Timmy believes content should be evaluated within the context of the creator's background and accomplishments.
• He advocates for creating content based on real experiences and achievements.

"All content is consumed within the context of the creator's background."

The quote underscores the importance of a creator's background in lending credibility to their content.

• Timmy's content creation evolved with his career, from gym ownership to investment.
• He views content as a way to demonstrate knowledge and nurture leads, not just to attract customers.

"I just saw the content as just, like, lead nurture."

The quote reveals Timmy's strategic use of content creation to build trust and credibility with potential customers.

• Timmy discusses the impact of personal branding on business success, citing examples of celebrities with massive exits.
• He reflects on feeling inadequate after seeing the financial successes of Kylie Jenner, Conor McGregor, George Clooney, and Huda Beauty.
• Timmy initially resisted the idea of fame but was persuaded by the potential for impact and started creating content.
• He emphasizes that while having a public persona is not necessary for all entrepreneurs, it can significantly aid in customer acquisition and trust-building.

"So Kylie Jenner became a billionaire. Or like, she was on the cover of Forbes and she was like 20 and I was 27 and I felt so poor and bad."

This quote expresses Timmy's initial feelings of inadequacy when comparing his financial success to that of Kylie Jenner.

"And so that was when I started getting into the idea of, like, maybe I should build a personal brand, maybe I should start making content."

Timmy explains his decision to build a personal brand as a response to witnessing the success of others and realizing the potential benefits.

• Timmy discusses the rising costs of customer acquisition and the importance of trusted ambassadors for brands.
• He highlights that trust is at an all-time low, necessitating brands to establish credibility with consumers.
• The discussion includes the strategy of partnering with creators or being the public face of the brand oneself.

"Brands will need to have trusted ambassadors to associate with so that consumers trust whatever they're buying, because trust has never been lower."

Timmy outlines the necessity for brands to associate with trusted figures to overcome low consumer trust levels.

• Timmy explains that having a public brand can be the most efficient way to monetize, especially through a public company.
• He discusses the potential of a public company to reach a vast audience and the risks associated with a public figure's actions.
• The conversation touches on the example of Elon Musk's success with Tesla and the downfall of Travis Kalanick with Uber.

"The most efficient vehicle to make money if you have a public brand is to go public."

Timmy describes the advantages of going public for a brand with a significant personal brand at the helm.

• Timmy discusses the mission of his business to make real business successful for everyone, offering free resources.
• He believes anyone can be an entrepreneur, but the level of success may vary due to genetic predispositions and upbringing.
• He recommends working on skills such as delayed gratification, generosity, and focusing on the work rather than the outcome.

"So the mission of the business is to make real business successful for everyone."

Timmy states his business's mission, emphasizing the democratization of entrepreneurship.

"I think if we're defining entrepreneurship as just someone who transacts in a business, I think anyone can do that."

This quote highlights Timmy's belief that entrepreneurship is accessible to all, at least at a basic transactional level.

• Timmy shares his perspective on the motivation behind his work and the importance of enjoying the pursuit rather than the achievement of goals.
• He discusses the concept of pushing oneself to the limit and the satisfaction derived from continuous improvement.
• Timmy uses personal anecdotes and references to sports and pop culture to illustrate his points about motivation and effort.

"The thing that has unlocked more juice for me than anything else is I'm going to try and say it in a way that's not trite, actually, seeing what your best looks like."

Timmy explains that his motivation comes from the desire to see how far he can push his abilities and effort.

"The more I do, the more I realize I can do."

This quote reflects Timmy's belief in the limitless potential of personal effort and growth.

• Timmy discusses his future approach to parenting, focusing on effort rather than outcomes.
• He wants to praise his hypothetical child for trying hard, regardless of whether they win or lose.
• This philosophy extends to his own self-evaluation, where he aims to make his future self proud by putting in maximum effort.

"I want to be the dad who's completely divorced from the outcome. And we won ten to zero. And I look at little Timmy and I'm like, you did not try your hardest. And on the flip side, if we lost ten to zero and he left everything on the field, I'd be like, you fucking crushed it, right?"

The quote emphasizes Timmy's desire to prioritize effort over results when it comes to parenting and self-assessment. He believes that true satisfaction comes from knowing you've done your best, not necessarily from winning.

• The conversation shifts to what prevents people from giving their all ("emptying the tank").
• Speaker B suggests fear of failure or laziness might be factors, while Timmy adds that discomfort with new challenges and a lack of clarity on goals can also hinder effort.
• Timmy uses the metaphor of needing "another bone" to gnaw on, indicating a need for clear goals to channel his efforts.

"The times when I don't empty my tank now is usually when I don't have clarity on what I should be doing."

This quote reflects Timmy's belief that a clear understanding of one's goals is crucial for putting forth maximum effort. Without a specific objective, it's challenging to fully commit to a task.

• Speaker C introduces the idea of being so engaged in an activity that you don't notice weekends or holidays, using comedy as a personal example.
• Timmy and Speaker B agree that when you're deeply involved in something you love, you don't experience fear of missing out (FOMO).

"You don't experience fomo if you're doing something better."

Timmy's quote highlights the concept that true passion for an activity can overshadow the potential regret of missing out on other experiences, leading to a state of contentment and focus.

• The discussion turns lighter as they talk about personal vices like drinking and enjoying desserts within one's dietary macros.
• They share a love for ice cream and discuss the perfect dessert combination, highlighting the importance of contrast in textures and temperatures.

"I like mixed methodologies, though. I like warm cookie ice cream with, like, crunch contrast."

This quote from Timmy reflects his enjoyment of desserts that offer a variety of sensations, suggesting a preference for complexity and balance in his indulgences.

• Timmy discusses his struggle to find value in therapists and coaches due to the need for extensive context and potentially misaligned incentives.
• He introduces the concept of the Solomon Paradox, where people give better advice to others than they do to themselves.
• Timmy's solution is to seek advice from a mental envisionment of his 85-year-old self, who he refers to as Solomon.

"I was like, well, what would be the best person to give me advice? And so for me, the best person to give me advice has been my mental envisionment of 85 year old me."

Timmy's quote reveals his unique approach to self-guidance, where he consults an imagined older version of himself for advice, bypassing the need for external context and ensuring alignment with his long-term goals.

• The conversation shifts to physical fitness and bodybuilding, with Timmy and the others discussing their favorite bodybuilders and physiques.
• They touch on the evolution of bodybuilding physiques over time and their personal preferences for certain body types.

"I think Frank Zayn has a great physique. He aged extremely well."

Timmy expresses admiration for Frank Zayn's physique, indicating an appreciation for bodybuilders who maintain their fitness as they age.

• The group talks about experimenting with peptides and other substances to enhance physical performance.
• Timmy shares that he has been on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for several years and stresses the importance of considering the long-term implications of such choices.

"Well, if you can't do it for a decade, don't do it for a day."

This quote from Timmy underscores his philosophy on health and fitness interventions, advocating for sustainable practices rather than short-term fixes.

• Timmy prioritizes exercises based on joint comfort to maximize muscle fatigue and growth.
• Overhead press is not optimal for shoulder growth due to tricep involvement and core strength requirements.
• He suggests using exercises like lateral raises that focus solely on the shoulders to build muscle effectively.

"So everything for me starts with joint pain, which is like which of these hurt my joints the least that I can do the most amount of volume on, and then those are the ones that I hammer so that I can just accumulate the most fatigue on the muscle and then ultimately drive the most growth."

This quote explains Timmy's approach to selecting exercises that minimize joint pain while maximizing muscle fatigue for growth.

"So if you actually use perfect form as your compass for when you stop reps, then you always stop shorter when your shoulders are done."

Timmy emphasizes the importance of using perfect form as a guide to determine when to stop repetitions to prevent overworking the triceps instead of the shoulders.

• Timmy starts with strict technique for initial reps and gradually reduces the range of motion to continue the set.
• He notes that shoulders can recover faster and handle more workload compared to larger muscle groups like the back.

"So I'm strict with the technique for all of my first reps and then I will continue to do the same technique but with less and less range of motion."

This quote describes how Timmy maintains strict technique at the start and gradually decreases the range of motion to push the muscles further in a set.

• Timmy believes bodybuilding is the most functional form of training because muscular appearance has utility in visual mediums.
• He argues that physical appearance serves a purpose similar to a peacock's plumage—it's about visual impact rather than practical ability.

"In my opinion, bodybuilding is the most functional training. Hear me out, because being jacked is functional, right."

Timmy contends that bodybuilding has functional value in terms of visual presence, making it a practical form of training.

• Timmy avoids discussing gender roles due to their polarizing nature and focuses on entrepreneurship as a problem-solving tool.
• He believes that equipping future entrepreneurs is key to addressing global issues.

"I think it's the polarization of gender roles. So it's just like, right now, gender is the hot topic."

Timmy acknowledges the contentious nature of gender discussions, implying that it's a divisive subject he prefers not to engage with.

"Mine is about entrepreneurship and believing that there are a lot of problems in the world. And I believe that entrepreneurship and business is the most efficient way to solve problems."

This quote highlights Timmy's belief in entrepreneurship as a powerful means to solve global problems and his commitment to fostering future entrepreneurs.

• Timmy discusses how the human brain consistently identifies a fixed number of problems, suggesting a shift in perspective can redefine what is considered a problem.
• He believes that abundance in society leads people to find new issues to focus on, which could be a result of the brain's function to detect threats for survival.

"The number of problems that the brain finds is always the same."

Timmy shares a study suggesting that the brain is wired to identify a constant number of problems, indicating that what we perceive as problems can change based on context.

"The easiest way to solve a problem is decide it's not a problem to begin with."

This quote encapsulates Timmy's philosophy that reevaluating one's perspective can effectively 'solve' problems by reframing them as non-issues.

• Timmy reflects on the subjective nature of life expectancy and the impact of expectations on how we perceive the duration of life.
• He suggests that considering death can be a motivating force and a way to reduce concern over trivial matters.

"I'm sad because I think he should have lived longer. Like, it felt unfair that he died at just under two years old as a cat."

Timmy shares his personal experience with the loss of his cat, Bill, and his realization that life expectancy is a matter of perspective.

"If I die at 30 or I die at 70 on a 5000 year timeline, who cares?"

This quote represents Timmy's view that, in the grand scheme of things, the exact length of an individual's life is inconsequential, which can be a comforting thought.

• The conversation shifts to music and cultural references, with mentions of specific artists and songs that the speakers enjoy.
• Timmy and the other speakers share their current favorite songs and discuss the emotional resonance and memories associated with them.

"I would have said that Oliver song that went super viral. Yeah, I would have said that. I listened to that song, like, good."

Timmy shares his current musical interest, indicating the personal significance and the viral nature of the song.

"She's a korean dj, and she's big in Europe right now. I think she's breaking into huge in Germany."

One of the speakers discusses their admiration for the artist Peggy Goo, highlighting her international success and personal preference for her music.

• The speakers discuss their gym experiences and observe the diverse demographic of gym-goers.
• They reflect on the inclusive and unifying aspect of exercise, where everyone is equal under the weight they lift.

"The gym, demographically, it's all races, all ages, all people."

This quote illustrates the diversity present in gym environments, emphasizing the wide range of individuals who engage in fitness.

"The iron doesn't care. Like 500 pounds is 500 pounds."

Timmy points out the impartial nature of weightlifting, where the weight remains constant regardless of who is lifting it, symbolizing a form of unity among gym-goers.