Dave Woodward was at Ernst and Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Gala in Salt Lake city. He shares his thoughts and experiences from being surrounded by 1,200 attendees hoping their entrepreneur won. He talks about what it takes to become successful and the importance of those who are around you.
Tips and Tricks for You and Your Business:
Quotable Moments:
"There is no such thing as overnight successes."
"If you are afraid of doing hard things, you will never make it."
Other Tidbits:
Success and hard work as an Entrepreneur.
Appreciation to those who surround you.
Make your dreams come true.
Links:
FunnelHackerRadio.com
FunnelHackerRadio.com/freetrial
FunnelHackerRadio.com/dreamcar
---Transcript---
Speaker 1: 00:00 Welcome to funnel hacker radio podcast, where we go behind the scenes and uncover the tactics and strategies top entrepreneurs are using to make more sales, dominate their markets, and how you can get those same results. Here's your host, Dave Woodward.
Speaker 2: 00:17 Well, welcome back everyone. This is going to be a little different podcast than you're used to getting from me. Uh, it's probably be a lot more vulnerable than I normally am and it probably won't be as much of a hype and, and jumping around. I've just been thinking a ton and pondering a ton. I literally just flew back from Salt Lake City and he was there yesterday with, with Russell and his wife, his parents, um, my son Chandler and his wife Fran, John Parks and Brandon at, uh, the entrepreneur of the year event. And it was just, it's caused me so much reflection. First of all, congratulations to Russell. For those of you guys, you may not have heard. Uh, he was awarded entrepreneur of the year and it was just an amazing event where we'll walk into where there's basically 1200 people in this, in the grand American hotel. The ballroom there, downtown Salt Lake City and 30 different finalists all basically been going for, you know, being the entrepreneur of the year.
Speaker 2: 01:25 And I honestly thought, you know, there's no one deserves it more than Russell. And it was interesting for me to start to really think about entrepreneurship and so often we see this, these overnight successes or what appears to be an overnight success. And it was fascinating for me as I sat there reflecting back on our journey. And most of you, you know, click funnels to most of you guys. There's only three and a half years old even though wrestled, tried literally for over the last 10 years, uh, two different times to come up with it. It wasn't till todd came on board that a click funnels actually came, came into being. But I sent me down a long journey as far as my journey as far as being an entrepreneur and all the struggles and the craziness. And yet the, the excitement that most importantly I guess for me is I'm feeling so much gratitude and such appreciation for those who have stuck by me over all the years. Most of all, my wife, um, you know, it's,
Speaker 2: 02:33 when I started as my entrepreneurial journey, it wasn't as glamorous as a lot of a lot of people are, are seeing entrepreneurship to be these days. Um, I remember, Gosh, over 20 years ago now, where at the time entrepreneurs were really those people who are referred to as people who just couldn't make it. They couldn't get a job. I remember so many times my wife been asked, so what is it that your husband does? And her not really being able to explain it and how grateful I am for her and grateful great plan for, for really anybody who is there for those who are out there going for it, who are trying to make their dreams come true or trying to have an impact on the world. And I know those people who are listening here, I don't know where you are in your journey. There's no such thing as an overnight success.
Speaker 2: 03:22 Um, I've had a couple of overnight successes. Each of one of took anywhere from five to seven years. Um, this one year as far as clickfunnels take off a little bit longer than that, and I've thought so much about just the importance of involving your loved ones and expressing gratitude to them as well as those people who support you through all of it. No one does this alone. And as we sat and saw all the entrepreneurs get up last night to accept their awards and, and just seeing that and I thought so much about so many of my conversations with Russell over the last decade there so that I've known him in different things. We tried different things we've done. And it's fascinating for me to see, to see the journey recently, Russell's done a couple of amazing podcasts. If you haven't heard of, I highly recommend you go back and check them out.
Speaker 2: 04:16 Uh, one, one of them refers to the importance of doing hard things because it increases your capacity. And I think that is so, so, so true. If you're afraid to do hard things, you're never going to make it. Um, the other one is the importance of the universe that you're creating. And for me as I, I was in the airport today and as, as we were flying back, I, it's very rare, others see me without some click funnel swag on and this a young guy who basically just graduated from college came up to me saying, Hey, do you know much about click funnels? Like, yeah, I do now, what's your question? He says, well, I'm just graduating, I've got a degree instruct in architectural engineering and I don't want to do it. And yet I'm so I'm trying different things and network marketing. I'm trying different things and, and people are encouraged me to read rich Dad, poor dad and thinking grow rich.
Speaker 2: 05:06 And, and I've heard of Russell's books. I'm like, yeah, you definitely, definitely need those. Uh, but it was just fascinating for me to see only because I was there where he was over 25 years ago. Now I'm accepted to medical school and chose not to go, uh, pursued a master's degree in exercise physiology. And then a master's in physical therapy. And after my first semester of physical therapy school, haven't been married to my wife for six weeks. And having a full ride and a four point Oh, and all that crazy stuff. Walking away from that and my dad being furious and I'm sure my inlaws must've thought, what in the world are you doing to my daughter? But as I take a look at, I mean, my wife and I are celebrating 25 years of marriage this year and I can't, I can't even begin. Thank her enough for sticking through all the craziness.
Speaker 2: 06:01 No, I've, you've heard Russell mentioned these, these quotes that are in our office quite a bit that we used them at funnel hacking live. Uh, Brent made a Winston Churchill's quote into a, uh, beautiful piece of artwork that hangs in Russell's office and says, you know, every man and I would add in here, woman to every man or woman, there comes that special moment. Winning figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered that chance to do a very special thing unique to him or her and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy. If that moment finds an unprepared or unqualified for that work and thought, you know what? The only way you get qualified for that work, you've got to do hard stuff. It is hard being an entrepreneur, but when you sit back and you think of what you're trying to do and you're trying to help.
Speaker 2: 06:47 Last night as we sat there and to the other awards that I remember being given one was to accompany and I remember his acceptance speech. He's got up and basically said, you know, most of you guys fight for the top 10 percent of the employees. Uh, we, on the other hand, we fight for the bottom 10 percent. And it stuck with me. I'm like, what is he talking about? Great Hook by the way. But he basically was referring to this whole idea as far as their job and what they work on is trying to help people who are coming out of prison or jail or, or drug rehab or other things whose lives are in shambles of trying to help them so they don't become a burden to society, but really giving them a skillset and doing whatever it takes. And so they were awarded the social entrepreneur of the year.
Speaker 2: 07:33 And I thought, you know, that takes a lot to do that. I mean it takes a ton and it's when I look back as far as an entrepreneur that, and we've talked about this before, and an entrepreneur basically sees a problem and it's not, not typically their own, but they own it. They go out and to capture that they, they realize that it's something that they can do, that they can change the world. They can have an impact. That's why I think so much about Winston Churchill's quote as far as that that cut every single one of us, there comes that time where you're going to get tapped on the shoulder to do whatever it is that God wanted you sent you here to do and what a shame if you're not prepared, and that preparation comes by doing the hard stuff. It comes from fighting the good fight.
Speaker 2: 08:15 It comes from being out there and doing what it takes. I just, oh my gosh, my heart is just so emotional disaster because I just think of all of those who have stood by me through all the craziness and now they see success. And they think, oh my gosh, it's overnight success. It's never overnight success. It comes because you paid the price. It comes because you fought. The fight comes because you were willing to go into do what others wouldn't do, and I'm just so thankful for my wife. I'm thankful for my kids and for my friends. Thankful for my partner's a click funnels and those guys who have stood by us as we've of gone through some crazy stuff. No, I was Russell ended his acceptance speech last night with the same shirt or the same quote was on our funnel hacking live shirts. The quote that Steve Jobs gave in 1984, the misfits quote from Roberta, I think it's still tinian basically says, here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently, they're not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo.
Speaker 2: 09:24 You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them about the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things. They push the human race forward and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do, and for those of you guys were listening, I don't know where you are in your entrepreneurial journey. First of all, thank you for listening. There's a million podcast you could listen to what? I appreciate you taking time to listen to this one, but I just, if I can do anything, all is to give you hope and encouragement to just keep fighting the fight. It may not yet know. We talk a lot about you're one funnel away. This may not be the one, but what you're gonna do is you're gonna.
Speaker 2: 10:10 Learn through it. You're going to fight and you're going to gain skills. I've had the opportunity of talking to my son Chandler quite a bit over the last week, so he's been out here in Boise at the two comma club x event. I drove back to Salt Lake City where he lives with he and his wife yesterday talking about different things. Young married couple, 22 and 23 years old and you know, obviously nervous. We were sitting and talking as he's taken me to the airport this morning. As far as you know, dad, it's tough. It's tough going for it. And it's like. But I know it is. I know how hard it is, you know, it's because you have to have a guy down last month to the end. There's only $20 left in their account and if you don't, we still did a dad and oh man, I just sure there's times I think, Oh man, I'm just putting some money as an account. But the other time it typically says no, he's got to fight that fight. He's got to learn. He's got to cut his teeth and I'm so happy that he's doing it. Um. Oh Man, I just got a million thoughts. I'm having a hard time conveying them in a way that, uh, I really want to. I just hope, if anything that you feel,
Speaker 2: 11:20 did you feel that you can do it? That no matter how hard it is, we're rooting for you and therefore you. I want you to go every once in a while and when, when it gets so dark and you think, oh my gosh, this is never going to happen, and you just poke your head up and see this little glimmer of light hoping that's not an oncoming train, it's going to take you off your tracks that you know what? It's not that light there is there to get it. It always gets better. It's always darkest before his light and I just, man, I would just hope that anyone who's listening to this that you just continue, just stick it out. Just keep fighting it. It's worth it. It just is worth it. I, I've been down this road so many times where in hindsight, all the crazy crap that I went through, it's all worth it because of who I became and who you will become because you fought the fight, man. Just keep swinging. Just keep doing it. Oh, I just, I wish I could reach out somehow and just touch your heart and just let you know that
Speaker 2: 12:24 men spend time on your knees, have gotten here and answer your prayers. Speak to those who you love, who trusts you, who have faith in you, who can encourage you and just know that it's worth it. Having an amazing day and God bless you. I just, Gosh, I just want so bad for you guys just to never ever quit. Don't ever quit.
Speaker 3: 12:45 Hi everybody. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to the podcast. If you don't mind, could you please share this with others, rate and review this podcast on itunes. It means the world to me or I'm trying to get to as a million downloads here in the next few months and just crush through over 650,000 and I just want to get that next few 100,000 so we can get to a million downloads and see really what I can do to help improve and, and get this out to more people. At the same time, if there's a topic, there's something you'd like me to share or someone you'd like me to interview, by all means, just reach out to me on facebook. You can pm me and I'll be more than happy to take any of your feedback as well as if people you like me to interview more than happy to reach out and have that conversation with you. So again, go to Itunes, rate and review this, share this podcast with others and let me know how else I can improve this or what I can do to make this better for you guys. Thanks.