#222 - David Drebin: "I Sell Feelings for a Living" (The Business Behind $100K Art)
What does it take to believe in yourself, build a recognizable brand, and create a life that reflects who you really are? On this episode of The Necessary Entrepreneur with Mark Perkins, photographer and artist David Drebin shares the mindset, philosophy, and relentless work behind his journey from commercial success to fine art entrepreneurship.
David discusses how self-belief, authenticity, and creativity influence both business and life. He explains why making people feel something is at the heart of great art, how to develop a distinctive brand, and why staying true to yourself matters more than chasing external approval. He also shares lessons from pivotal career moments, the value of patience and persistence, and how gratitude and perspective can change the way you define success.
This conversation goes beyond art to explore the principles entrepreneurs can apply to building a business, developing a personal brand, and reaching their potential. David challenges listeners to rethink how they see themselves, keep working when results take time, and focus on the person they become along the way.
Key Takeaways:
- Why self-belief is essential to pursuing ambitious goals and building a successful career
- How to transition from commercial work to a more authentic creative vision
- Why emotion and making people feel something are central to great art and branding
- How to build a recognizable brand without losing your individuality
- Why relentless work, patience, and persistence matter more than quick wins
- How your personal philosophy shapes your decisions, reputation, and results
- Why gratitude and perspective help you define success on your own terms
- How underestimating yourself can create an unexpected advantage
- Why authenticity matters when building a business and a meaningful life
- How to approach creativity, entrepreneurship, and personal growth with greater purpose
If you're an entrepreneur, creative professional, artist, or business owner looking to strengthen your mindset, build a distinctive brand, and pursue success without losing yourself, this episode offers a fresh perspective on what it means to create meaningful work and live with intention.
Listen to The Necessary Entrepreneur with Mark Perkins for practical conversations about entrepreneurship, business growth, leadership, mindset, and the decisions that shape successful careers.
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📌 Find Out More About David Drebin:
https://linktr.ee/daviddrebin
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I'm more interested in sharing with the
world what I've experienced as ~ more
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of a cultural figure than I am with
sharing the world with
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my limited edition artwork.
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We just said a New York City in the
background,
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you all. That is not a one of his awesome
images.
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~ what I love is when I have someone on
and we hit the record button
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and I don't even know how to pronounce the
last name,
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but I bet it's Drebin I hope.
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It is, you're right, it is, it is.
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So what's the ~ I always like to know the
background,
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the heritage, the history of last names.
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What's in that name? I have no
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I
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have no idea. I have no idea. I just ~ ~ ~
I don't really ~ it's probably
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the only good thing my dad ever did for me
is give me a cool last name.
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We could go deep there.
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It's true though, it's actually true,
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but it's okay. It's fine.
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Fine. So what so have you, so I'm forty
seven,
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we don't have to talk ages, but I'm forty
seven.
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~ I wonder have you gone through wife
enough?
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I'll give you a nice intro here in a few
minutes,
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but have you gone through a a wife enough
when you say something like that,
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like, hey, it's the only good thing my dad
did?
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There's a ton of context that none of us
know.
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Have you come to terms and are you okay
and settled on what that experience is,
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or are you still processing and learning?
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No, I'm okay with everything. ~ ~ I I
think it's really important to
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be grateful for the hand that you've been
dealt in life and to deal with it,
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whatever that hand is.
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Did you always feel that way, or is this
maturity now?
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Obviously
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the the eight year old version of me and
the fifty six year old version
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of me are very different. ~ ~ when I was
eight,
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nine years old, I wanted my my mom to give
me little trucks for my birthday.
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And now I just wish that my mom was alive
for my birthday.
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You know what I mean? So things change and
you grow and you have
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to accept how things change and how you
grow.
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You know what I mean?
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Yeah. What's your ~ what's your personal
philosophy when you when you wake
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up every day? What's your what's your
brain think?
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How does it function? How do you process
everything happening in the world?
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Because what I found is everyone's
personal philosophy is pretty much
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the foundation of how we interact with
everything happening around us.
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If you're nice to me, I'll be nice to you.
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If you're tricky with me, I'll be trickier
with you.
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So I ~ ~ deal with people that way to
figure out who I'm aligned with
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and who I'm not aligned with, and I just
deal with that situation accordingly.
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I ~ ~ think of life like animals,
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wild animals on the Serengeti plains of
Africa.
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We're all just trying to survive out there
and we figure out.
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Who's with us and who's not with us.
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And it's all kind of a big game to me.
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And the world's a stage. And I like to be
entertained.
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And I live for fun. I really live for
creativity and fun and bringing
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out the the the inner child in me and the
inner child in you.
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That's why I love kids, because kids are
so creative.
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And adults often lose their creativity
because they're kind of secretly.
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Living quiet lives of desperation.
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I really believe that. Most people aren't
happy because they're not having fun.
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And I live for fun and I look for fun.
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I'm always looking for fun. You're fun.
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You're not fun yet, but you're gonna be
fun soon.
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Am I not fun yet? How's he I'm gonna give
him his intro now?
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He's gonna say something like that to me.
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I'm giving David his intro. ~ let me give
you this intro and I'm gonna
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you better be thinking about how I'm not
fun.
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That's not nice, guys. ~ hey, so today's
guest is David Drebin.
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He's an internationally recognized
photographer and multidisciplinary artist
whose
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work has been exhibited and collected
around the world.
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David graduated from Parsons School of
Design in nineteen ninety-six
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and built his early career shooting
celebrities.
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Major advertising campaigns in some of the
world's biggest brands.
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But he eventually turned that to
commercial success into global fine art
business,
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creating limited edition photography,
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sculptures, neon installations,
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and other works that have sold for as much
as $100,000.
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I guess that's why he can say I'm not fun.
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But what interests me about David is the
business behind the art,
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how you take creative skill, build a
recognizable brand around it,
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create demand, and turn your own work at
work into an asset.
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So
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David, the fun David, welcome to the
necessary entrepreneur.
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Thank you, sir.
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Yes, yes. So I'm not fun. I'm gonna make
you deal with that.
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You
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are I think you are fun, but I think
beyond beneath that fun exterior
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is a very serious, ambitious person.
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And beneath that's more fun. So you're
like a fun,
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serious, fun person.
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I think my nature, ~ it's funny we talked
about the limits a little
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bit about the limits we put on ourselves
after we I guess,
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get through adolescence. And if you go
back to that kid,
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~ there's a picture that my significant
other,
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I guess when you don't get married and
you're with somebody for eighteen years,
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we call partner significant others.
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Who knows what the world puts on it?
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But she saw a picture of me one time.
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you know, my mom one she gave me an
envelope.
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With a bunch of pictures as a child.
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I think the older parents get,
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they want to make sure that you have those
things and they don't get lost.
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And there was this picture of me sitting
on a little toy car,
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and I had the most spiky hair ever.
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But I had this smile that was just
awesome.
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And I go back to that kid and say,
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I want to try to live my life every day
the way that that kid lived his life.
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And to your point, it really he was happy.
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He was really fun.
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He saw all opportunity in the world.
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And then we start stacking all these
obligations on us.
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So in my nature, I'm fun, but ~ business
is serious.
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So maybe we'll talk about today on how you
find the fun inside of
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the level of seriousness and business and
growth that you've had.
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So how do you pull that off? If you're a
fun guy,
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how have you found to pull this off over
thirty years?
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It's really simple. It's like it's I like
to simplify ~ complicated concepts.
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And I think the key to life is to make
other people feel great.
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And I live through that idea in my mind
that
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my goal is to always make people feel
seen,
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special, special,
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and seen.
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Has there been times where that's been
lonely?
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No, I don't really get lonely,
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actually. Okay. Maybe in big crowds,
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but because it's an energetic thing,
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but I can't imagine being lonely.
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I can feel alone sometimes, but I love
that feeling of being an entrepreneur.
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I'm in the art business, but I'm an
entrepreneur.
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And I'll tell you one thing I've learned.
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I probably shouldn't say this,
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but when you're really young, you want
people to think you're really smart.
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And I realized nope, I want people to
think I'm not that smart.
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And I'm ~ a little crazy and ~ eccentric
because I'm none of those things.
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But if I can trick you and fool you into
thinking that I'm not that smart
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and you're smarter than me, and I'm crazy
and I'm eccentric,
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then I have you exactly where I want you.
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It's kind of like boxing roll up a dope,
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lure the person in, lure the person in,
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lure the person in, then smash them in the
face and they're like,
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holy shit, I didn't see you coming.
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And that's kind of been my business
philosophy is to be underestimated.
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I love being underestimated and I love
being seemingly a little bit dumb.
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I don't want people to always
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Smart. Were you always comfortable being
underestimated?
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'Cause if I go through back through my
trajectory,
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you had to build the self esteem and the
confidence and the belief in yourself
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to be okay in those moments when you're
underestimated.
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I think when you turn 50, you realize that
no one cares.
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So when you're younger, you think,
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no one cares. And then you get older,
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you go, you what's great? No one cares
because nobody cares.
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People are too busy thinking about
themselves.
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So when I meet people, I turn everything
around.
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I become the mirror, and it's always about
the other person.
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Everything I do is about you, never about
me.
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Yeah. I want
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So it so I
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to show people who they are.
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Yeah. So you answered the question when I
said,
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Then what do people care about?
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You're saying themselves.
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Yes, how you make them feel. It's all p
it's all people care about is
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how you make them feel. Everything's about
feelings.
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Did you learn that in a class through a
mentor,
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through the experience of life?
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How'd you come to this understanding?
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Called it's called living in New York City
and walking these city,
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busy city streets and what looking a lot
of people in the eye,
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seeing what they're thinking, imagining
what people think about themselves.
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I don't think what people think about me.
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I think about what people think about
themselves.
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People in business, which at the end of
the day,
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we're all in sales. I don't want to be a
salesperson,
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but we're all in sales. And what you just
described was when someone comes to me,
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~ I really built the wife that I have now
through real estate and real estate sales
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and all kinds of stuff and
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I've taught these classes and so many
people look at me like I'm crazy at times.
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And they want to know how to become you.
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I bet so many people come to you and ask
you,
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~ they want to be you. And I don't think
they want to be you.
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They want to have they want to have the
outcome,
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right? They want to have the respect.
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They want to live the life. But so often I
said,
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You all, it's antithetical to what you
think.
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I got here by not selling anything to
anyone.
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I got
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I
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never think I never I never think about
selling anything to anyone other than
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themselves to themselves.
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That's it. That's it. How can they I'm I'm
assuming,
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and I'll have you share this, but how
could they take this image you've created,
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whether it is a could be a sculpture,
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could be an image that you've created,
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could be a painting? I don't know,
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I don't know how much painting you do,
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but you could how could they put this on a
wall in their home and feel good about
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walking by it every day and maybe having
those quiet moments and it
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be the thing that they look at?
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How can I find the inspiration where I can
improve somebody's life just
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a little bit? I'm assuming.
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Even if you don't wanna be that,
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I think your brain probably has evolved
that that's the game you're playing.
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I
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I
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love when I have exhibitions all over the
world or do one of the many
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art fairs we do with galleries all over
the world.
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I like to stand back and watch people look
at the artworks.
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And nothing makes me feel better than when
people look at
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an artwork and say, That's me,
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because the artwork is just a reflection
of themselves.
212
00:10:41,944 --> 00:10:44,545
Without me being a an art connoisseur,
213
00:10:44,545 --> 00:10:49,355
I can go through really c we have a good
museum and fine arts ~ city in Cincinnati,
214
00:10:49,355 --> 00:10:50,748
right? It's not one of the top in the
world,
215
00:10:50,748 --> 00:10:55,400
but it's pretty good. And I haven't been
someone that really understood.
216
00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:57,380
It's like I'm coming from a layman's
perspective.
217
00:10:57,380 --> 00:11:02,472
I might walk by some blown glass or a
really nice image or some pottery,
218
00:11:02,472 --> 00:11:03,683
and I'm like, that's really neat.
219
00:11:03,683 --> 00:11:08,405
But I haven't ever fully embraced the idea
of sitting in front of that
220
00:11:08,405 --> 00:11:09,905
and finding out what it means to me.
221
00:11:09,905 --> 00:11:10,966
And I a little bit, I'm
222
00:11:11,338 --> 00:11:12,769
I'm jealous of that sum.
223
00:11:13,774 --> 00:11:14,774
Listen,
224
00:11:13,994 --> 00:11:15,815
listen, what it is, ~ ~ is. It's like
food.
225
00:11:15,815 --> 00:11:19,456
You know what you like. I don't I don't
want to know how it's made.
226
00:11:19,456 --> 00:11:22,418
I know I like certain types of food and I
don't like other types of food.
227
00:11:22,418 --> 00:11:24,979
It's the same with clothing, the same with
art,
228
00:11:24,979 --> 00:11:27,620
same with design. You like what you like,
229
00:11:27,620 --> 00:11:30,121
and no one can tell you what you like.
230
00:11:30,121 --> 00:11:35,003
You should know what you like before
someone else tells you what you like.
231
00:11:35,003 --> 00:11:41,466
Because so often it's a world of people
who think about what other people think.
232
00:11:43,052 --> 00:11:44,052
Before they think.
233
00:11:44,556 --> 00:11:47,887
Yeah. ~ I was just Yeah.
234
00:11:47,887 --> 00:11:51,088
And I think there's I was pulling up your
website before we jumped on
235
00:11:51,188 --> 00:11:52,609
and I was looking at your collections.
236
00:11:52,609 --> 00:11:55,910
And and I was doing that as I was going
through looking at the collections.
237
00:11:55,910 --> 00:11:57,890
And myself, I was like, I really like
that.
238
00:11:57,890 --> 00:11:59,631
That kind of speaks to me. I can stay on
the wall.
239
00:11:59,631 --> 00:12:01,732
And I clicked on another style.
240
00:12:01,732 --> 00:12:02,752
But then I went to some others.
241
00:12:02,752 --> 00:12:05,073
I'm like, I really like that. And I
thought too,
242
00:12:05,073 --> 00:12:06,993
really quick, why do I like it?
243
00:12:06,993 --> 00:12:09,034
I don't know. I just like it.
244
00:12:10,254 --> 00:12:11,254
Exactly.
245
00:12:12,226 --> 00:12:15,883
Hmm. So where did this start from?
246
00:12:15,883 --> 00:12:18,107
Because I'd love to talk about the
business part of this.
247
00:12:18,107 --> 00:12:22,565
If so many people look at the success that
David's had and where you're
248
00:12:22,565 --> 00:12:23,927
at now and the wife you're living in,
249
00:12:23,927 --> 00:12:24,950
living in the big city.
250
00:12:27,318 --> 00:12:29,199
Instead of giving people advice,
251
00:12:29,199 --> 00:12:34,542
where'd this start and what are some of
the critical moments that happened along
252
00:12:34,542 --> 00:12:36,883
your journey that you really look at and
say,
253
00:12:36,883 --> 00:12:40,165
those were the moments that were that was
the times when I showed up.
254
00:12:40,165 --> 00:12:41,206
That was critical.
255
00:12:42,722 --> 00:12:47,730
Most important moment for me was in
nineteen ninety four when I
256
00:12:47,730 --> 00:12:52,177
had a roommate living in Vancouver and he
was taking photography classes
257
00:12:52,337 --> 00:12:53,337
and I thought
258
00:12:55,148 --> 00:12:56,359
You want to be a photographer?
259
00:12:56,359 --> 00:12:58,660
You're like a creative artsy person.
260
00:12:58,660 --> 00:13:03,344
And he came home to the apartment in
Vancouver and he laid out five black
261
00:13:03,344 --> 00:13:05,025
and white photographs on the floor.
262
00:13:05,025 --> 00:13:09,988
And I looked at these co-workers of his
that he photographed,
263
00:13:09,988 --> 00:13:12,910
their souls literally jumped off the page.
264
00:13:12,910 --> 00:13:17,393
It was like magic to me. And at that very
moment I thought to myself,
265
00:13:17,393 --> 00:13:22,317
I'm gonna move to New York. I'm gonna
start out as a photographer,
266
00:13:22,317 --> 00:13:23,778
and that's my dream.
267
00:13:24,044 --> 00:13:25,155
And I'm gonna make this happen.
268
00:13:25,155 --> 00:13:27,576
It was a moment I will never forget.
269
00:13:27,576 --> 00:13:33,320
In 1994, I saw my whole life and career
flash in front of me.
270
00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:38,364
And I've never ever taken my foot off the
gas since '94.
271
00:13:38,364 --> 00:13:41,726
Not even for one second. I've never
doubted myself for one second.
272
00:13:41,726 --> 00:13:47,170
And I think the most important thing is no
matter what the world tells you,
273
00:13:47,170 --> 00:13:53,614
to have belief in yourself and your dreams
and the plan.
274
00:13:54,254 --> 00:13:58,164
For your dreams. And it all comes down to
having
275
00:13:59,674 --> 00:14:03,608
a relentless drive, patience.
276
00:14:05,856 --> 00:14:08,564
And self belief.
277
00:14:12,130 --> 00:14:14,163
What's that so why is self belief?
278
00:14:14,163 --> 00:14:16,937
Why is it so important? 'Cause that was
the one at the end,
279
00:14:16,937 --> 00:14:18,780
but then you went and self belief.
280
00:14:18,780 --> 00:14:19,892
Why is that so important?
281
00:14:20,502 --> 00:14:25,187
I love watching boxers the way they walk
out to the ring,
282
00:14:25,187 --> 00:14:31,094
the man in the arena, and they're gonna go
through the crowd,
283
00:14:31,094 --> 00:14:37,031
step into the ring, and either knock
someone
284
00:14:37,031 --> 00:14:41,006
out or be knocked out. I love that risk.
285
00:14:43,096 --> 00:14:49,642
But the boxer has such belief in
themselves 'cause they're the man in the
arena.
286
00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:57,433
I love that concept of the ring walk
stepping through the ropes.
287
00:15:01,068 --> 00:15:05,950
And thinking that you're either gonna
knock that person out or you're gonna
knock
288
00:15:05,950 --> 00:15:08,697
that person out. You don't even think
about being knocked out.
289
00:15:08,697 --> 00:15:10,602
That's why I love boxing.
290
00:15:11,714 --> 00:15:16,824
What do you think happened before they got
in the ring that helped them create that
291
00:15:16,844 --> 00:15:17,844
self belief?
292
00:15:19,768 --> 00:15:20,905
They train for the moment.
293
00:15:23,736 --> 00:15:28,309
That's the key is to train for the moment.
294
00:15:28,309 --> 00:15:31,420
The problem nowadays is that people want
fast money because they look
295
00:15:31,420 --> 00:15:34,732
at social media and they compare
themselves to other people.
296
00:15:34,732 --> 00:15:37,654
And comparison is the thief of joy.
297
00:15:37,654 --> 00:15:42,846
And people don't want to do the work and
they want to hit grand slam after grand
298
00:15:42,846 --> 00:15:48,350
slam. But some of the best baseball
hitters in history hit singles with
299
00:15:48,350 --> 00:15:50,601
the odd home run. I've hit singles,
300
00:15:50,601 --> 00:15:52,782
doubles, singles, doubles, the odd triple.
301
00:15:53,026 --> 00:15:55,347
The odd home run, occasional grand slam.
302
00:15:55,347 --> 00:15:58,088
But I'm in the business of s hitting
singles.
303
00:15:58,088 --> 00:16:01,510
And I think a lot of people don't think
that way.
304
00:16:01,510 --> 00:16:06,212
And I think social media's kind of screw
people up into thinking about fast money.
305
00:16:06,212 --> 00:16:09,133
And the faster it comes, the faster it
goes.
306
00:16:10,892 --> 00:16:14,555
What's hitting singles look like in your
world of artistry,
307
00:16:14,555 --> 00:16:17,536
being an artist, photography, what's that
look like?
308
00:16:19,992 --> 00:16:24,123
The most important thing for me is I've
never seen myself as a an artist
309
00:16:24,143 --> 00:16:30,855
or a photographer. I've always thought
that I had these images in my mind that
310
00:16:30,855 --> 00:16:33,166
I wanted to get them out there into the
world.
311
00:16:33,166 --> 00:16:39,748
I never labeled myself as anything other
than providing value for other people.
312
00:16:39,748 --> 00:16:43,729
I knew that I could provide value for
other people
313
00:16:44,229 --> 00:16:47,970
and show people themselves through art.
314
00:16:50,222 --> 00:16:52,283
Because art is just a reflection of you.
315
00:16:52,283 --> 00:16:58,906
So the goal for me every time I make an
artwork is for someone to say,
316
00:16:58,906 --> 00:17:01,647
my God, that's me. That's the goal.
317
00:17:01,647 --> 00:17:05,248
The goal for me is that people see
themselves in the art.
318
00:17:05,248 --> 00:17:06,568
Art is just a mirror.
319
00:17:07,394 --> 00:17:08,736
As I sit here and think about it,
320
00:17:08,736 --> 00:17:10,638
if there were an image on a wall,
321
00:17:10,638 --> 00:17:12,842
something you've created.
322
00:17:14,868 --> 00:17:15,868
If it's a mirror.
323
00:17:17,922 --> 00:17:22,406
The metaphor is it means something
different to everyone.
324
00:17:22,406 --> 00:17:25,181
What does the artist think when that's
happening?
325
00:17:25,181 --> 00:17:26,813
Is that not on your brain at all?
326
00:17:26,813 --> 00:17:29,126
You just have the image create it,
327
00:17:29,126 --> 00:17:30,648
make it, and it is what it is.
328
00:17:33,070 --> 00:17:34,961
I don't see myself as an artist in any
way.
329
00:17:34,961 --> 00:17:37,973
I never have. It's for me,
330
00:17:37,973 --> 00:17:40,154
making art is like making magic.
331
00:17:40,154 --> 00:17:45,977
And ultimately, my goal in life is to
bring out the magic in other people,
332
00:17:45,977 --> 00:17:48,739
to stimulate other people's creativity,
333
00:17:48,739 --> 00:17:55,503
to show people and remind people of the
kid inside that is often buried.
334
00:17:55,503 --> 00:18:00,916
And art can sometimes make people feel
something that words can't.
335
00:18:01,056 --> 00:18:03,857
make people feel. They just like what they
like when they see the art,
336
00:18:03,857 --> 00:18:05,217
whether it's my art, your art,
337
00:18:05,217 --> 00:18:07,348
someone else's art. It's just a feeling.
338
00:18:07,348 --> 00:18:11,009
I manufacture feelings. I sell feelings
for a living.
339
00:18:11,009 --> 00:18:14,830
That's my business. I'm in the business of
feelings and art.
340
00:18:14,830 --> 00:18:19,451
Making you feel good. I people ask me all
the time,
341
00:18:19,451 --> 00:18:21,832
so what do you do? Right? What do you do?
342
00:18:21,832 --> 00:18:24,853
They judge me for what I do. I never say
I'm an artist.
343
00:18:24,853 --> 00:18:29,664
I always say I'm in the business of making
you feel great.
344
00:18:30,114 --> 00:18:32,015
Let me try right now. And they're like,
345
00:18:32,015 --> 00:18:33,846
holy shit, how'd you do that? I'm like,
346
00:18:33,846 --> 00:18:36,657
because I'm in the business of making you
feel great.
347
00:18:36,657 --> 00:18:42,399
That's my business. Make people feel
special and seen.
348
00:18:42,399 --> 00:18:45,981
And seen and special.
349
00:18:45,981 --> 00:18:48,842
The business of making people feel good.
350
00:18:49,934 --> 00:18:51,605
How often does someone do that for you?
351
00:18:52,460 --> 00:18:55,231
Very rarely, actually. And that's okay.
352
00:18:55,231 --> 00:19:01,012
Very, very, very rarely. Cause I'm
actually in my own imagination.
353
00:19:01,012 --> 00:19:03,813
I wake up every morning and think to
myself,
354
00:19:03,813 --> 00:19:07,514
I'm a wild card, but I have a heart of
gold.
355
00:19:07,514 --> 00:19:13,706
And I kind of like to use that duality of
being a wild card with
356
00:19:13,706 --> 00:19:15,556
a lot of empathy and compassion.
357
00:19:15,556 --> 00:19:18,717
So the deal I make with people is I will
have a lot of empathy
358
00:19:18,717 --> 00:19:21,398
and compassion to you. I don't care if
you've
359
00:19:21,608 --> 00:19:26,023
any empathy and compassion for me because
I have a lot of empathy
360
00:19:26,204 --> 00:19:29,387
and compassion for myself. So let me love
you.
361
00:19:29,387 --> 00:19:32,071
I don't need you to love me. Let me love
you.
362
00:19:32,071 --> 00:19:33,903
Let me bring out the magic of you.
363
00:19:33,903 --> 00:19:34,903
I'm good.
364
00:19:37,302 --> 00:19:41,250
What happens when you do get that
reciprocated once every decade?
365
00:19:42,958 --> 00:19:46,099
I don't think about once every decade,
366
00:19:46,099 --> 00:19:48,700
and I don't think about it ever being
reciprocated.
367
00:19:48,700 --> 00:19:54,073
I'm thinking about how I can make other
people feel great.
368
00:19:54,073 --> 00:19:56,033
Because I know how to make myself feel
great.
369
00:19:56,033 --> 00:19:58,985
And a lot of people don't know how to make
themselves feel great.
370
00:19:58,985 --> 00:20:01,756
~ ~ I make myself feel great through the
food that I eat,
371
00:20:01,756 --> 00:20:05,967
through what I see, through what I look
like walking through the park,
372
00:20:05,967 --> 00:20:07,528
feeling the magic of the universe.
373
00:20:07,528 --> 00:20:09,749
The universe has compassion for me.
374
00:20:09,749 --> 00:20:12,070
And I have a great relationship with the
universe.
375
00:20:12,290 --> 00:20:15,451
The universe is my boss and the universe
is my guide.
376
00:20:15,451 --> 00:20:20,924
And I think it's really important for
people to listen to that quiet voice
inside
377
00:20:20,924 --> 00:20:26,496
of them. That's the universe speaking to
them to figure out what their goal,
378
00:20:26,496 --> 00:20:30,948
purpose, and meaning is for the 30,000
days that they're alive.
379
00:20:30,948 --> 00:20:33,239
If you're lucky, you live 30,000 days.
380
00:20:33,239 --> 00:20:37,140
That's ~ 80 years. So it's all about
purpose and meaning.
381
00:20:37,140 --> 00:20:40,852
Stop fucking thinking. Just make shit
happen,
382
00:20:40,852 --> 00:20:41,852
man.
383
00:20:41,464 --> 00:20:45,889
There you go, right. So a guy I don't I
don't get big on a lot of these quotes
384
00:20:45,889 --> 00:20:47,511
and stuff, but there's it's something came
to my head.
385
00:20:47,511 --> 00:20:49,663
There's a guy named Tom Bilieu.
386
00:20:49,663 --> 00:20:51,456
He has one of the top podcasts
387
00:20:51,498 --> 00:20:53,039
I love love I love Give me one second.
388
00:20:53,039 --> 00:20:54,157
I love I love I love
389
00:20:54,698 --> 00:20:56,781
And I'm gonna quote so you can probably
hear what I'm saying.
390
00:20:56,781 --> 00:20:59,185
So he says the only thing that matters,
391
00:20:59,185 --> 00:21:00,948
and every time I hear something like that,
392
00:21:00,948 --> 00:21:02,931
when someone says the only, I'm like,
393
00:21:02,931 --> 00:21:05,636
here be here comes a definitive statement
from a guru guru.
394
00:21:05,636 --> 00:21:08,851
He said the only thing that matters is how
you feel about yourself when you're
395
00:21:08,851 --> 00:21:09,851
by yourself.
396
00:21:10,488 --> 00:21:11,868
Yeah, you know why? You know why?
397
00:21:11,868 --> 00:21:16,560
Let me tell you why. Because we all have
three faces.
398
00:21:16,560 --> 00:21:22,461
The face we show the world, the face we
show our friends and family,
399
00:21:22,461 --> 00:21:26,042
and the face that we don't show anybody.
400
00:21:26,042 --> 00:21:32,984
And the face that we don't show anybody is
the face that the universe sees.
401
00:21:32,984 --> 00:21:38,306
And that's the face that you have to
really work on.
402
00:21:38,786 --> 00:21:41,550
The face that no one sees, that only you
see,
403
00:21:41,550 --> 00:21:43,614
your reflection in the mirror,
404
00:21:43,614 --> 00:21:45,737
your competition is you.
405
00:21:48,258 --> 00:21:49,801
What's that work on look like?
406
00:21:49,801 --> 00:21:52,926
Because you didn't just wake up and become
this person.
407
00:21:52,926 --> 00:21:57,765
Through through this this mindset and this
perspective that you have that lets
408
00:21:57,765 --> 00:21:59,978
you just have total freedom. That's what
this feels like.
409
00:21:59,978 --> 00:22:01,972
It's like data David has total freedom.
410
00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:04,088
Total freedom, yes, I do. I do.
411
00:22:04,118 --> 00:22:08,101
Yep. And so when you say we have to do the
work on us,
412
00:22:08,101 --> 00:22:11,465
what's that look like without feeling like
we're giving people advice?
413
00:22:11,465 --> 00:22:16,009
But but to talk about an approach or a
strategy a little bit to help someone
become
414
00:22:16,009 --> 00:22:20,893
that, if they just don't feel the
experience in life right now that you're
actually
415
00:22:20,893 --> 00:22:22,164
going through that you've created for
yourself.
416
00:22:22,776 --> 00:22:24,363
Never distracted by pleasure.
417
00:22:26,454 --> 00:22:32,716
I put in the work. And I think it's really
important to be repetitive,
418
00:22:32,716 --> 00:22:38,847
almost boring in the work that you put in
that nobody sees except for
419
00:22:38,847 --> 00:22:42,238
the face that no one sees. Yourself.
420
00:22:42,238 --> 00:22:46,079
Putting in the work, being relentless.
421
00:22:46,079 --> 00:22:48,720
I chase rejection too. I love,
422
00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:52,241
I love when people reject me because
eventually they come back.
423
00:22:52,241 --> 00:22:55,702
I love to make people feel smart.
424
00:22:57,260 --> 00:23:00,142
And then make them feel dumb afterwards
and then hammer them
425
00:23:00,142 --> 00:23:01,572
for that for underestimating me.
426
00:23:01,572 --> 00:23:03,974
And I don't mind revealing this to the
world.
427
00:23:03,974 --> 00:23:06,775
You're smart, you're smart, you're smart,
428
00:23:06,775 --> 00:23:09,216
I'm dumb. Actually, you're dumb,
429
00:23:09,216 --> 00:23:11,057
I'm smart, and I'm gonna destroy you right
now.
430
00:23:11,057 --> 00:23:15,780
If if you have bad behavior, I'm in the
business of bad behavior.
431
00:23:15,780 --> 00:23:20,202
I expect bad behavior. I do a lot of
policing of bad behavior.
432
00:23:20,202 --> 00:23:22,584
So if people give me bad behavior,
433
00:23:22,584 --> 00:23:26,726
I'm like an art policeman. So I just
punish them and in
434
00:23:27,668 --> 00:23:32,604
only ways that I know, which is that if
you can't convince people,
435
00:23:32,604 --> 00:23:34,666
confuse them.
436
00:23:36,898 --> 00:23:39,281
And I can walk away and I can walk away
from everybody too.
437
00:23:39,281 --> 00:23:40,823
I can walk away from every situation.
438
00:23:40,823 --> 00:23:42,285
I can walk away from everybody.
439
00:23:42,285 --> 00:23:45,970
I've experienced the worst thing that
could ever happen to me besides my own
death,
440
00:23:45,970 --> 00:23:47,492
which is the death of my mother.
441
00:23:47,492 --> 00:23:51,497
So experiencing that makes me feel like I
can handle anything.
442
00:23:51,497 --> 00:23:53,118
If I can handle the loss of my mother,
443
00:23:53,118 --> 00:23:55,362
then nothing can really affect me that
much.
444
00:23:59,010 --> 00:24:03,460
What's bad behavior look like in in the
art world or what what's that look like?
445
00:24:03,460 --> 00:24:05,746
And I mean to be drone. Yeah. ~
446
00:24:05,816 --> 00:24:09,788
I I work in the art business. I've never
tried to be in the art world.
447
00:24:09,788 --> 00:24:14,900
I'm in my own world. I'm not trying to
enter into anybody's world.
448
00:24:14,900 --> 00:24:19,191
People enter into my world and I'm gonna
allow you in or not,
449
00:24:19,191 --> 00:24:22,122
based on your behavior. If you've got good
behavior,
450
00:24:22,122 --> 00:24:24,364
then you're gonna stay. If you've got bad
behavior,
451
00:24:24,364 --> 00:24:27,055
then you're out. And I don't really care.
452
00:24:27,055 --> 00:24:31,997
It's almost like Confucius during the day
battle war,
453
00:24:31,997 --> 00:24:34,097
and at night I become Buddha. I just let
go.
454
00:24:34,097 --> 00:24:35,308
It's like, did I try my best?
455
00:24:35,628 --> 00:24:36,897
All you can do is try your best.
456
00:24:37,218 --> 00:24:39,569
What's your relationship with being
misunderstood?
457
00:24:39,569 --> 00:24:44,201
Because I'm gonna go out on a whim here
and I'm gonna make
458
00:24:44,201 --> 00:24:47,612
a provocative statement that if I was in
the same room as David,
459
00:24:47,612 --> 00:24:49,103
he might want to throw something at me.
460
00:24:49,103 --> 00:24:54,165
But I bet you're misunderstood by the
masses,
461
00:24:54,165 --> 00:24:57,566
but to the folks that truly know you,
462
00:24:57,566 --> 00:25:01,048
they get both perspectives of Confucius
and Buddha,
463
00:25:01,048 --> 00:25:04,229
and they understand the true depth of what
they're working with.
464
00:25:04,229 --> 00:25:06,260
I bet you're misunderstood very often.
465
00:25:06,924 --> 00:25:09,456
I don't think about being understood or
misunderstood.
466
00:25:09,456 --> 00:25:12,098
Doesn't affect me either way. I don't care
what people think of me.
467
00:25:12,098 --> 00:25:16,621
I care what I think you think of yourself.
468
00:25:16,621 --> 00:25:21,884
And I think everybody listening should
think about what they think about other
469
00:25:21,884 --> 00:25:24,937
people, not what other people think about
them.
470
00:25:24,937 --> 00:25:30,210
Because in your twenties, you really think
that people are thinking about you.
471
00:25:30,210 --> 00:25:35,384
In your forties, you don't really care
what people think of you.
472
00:25:35,958 --> 00:25:41,364
And in your sixties, you realize that no
one ever thought about you anyway.
473
00:25:41,364 --> 00:25:42,925
So who gives a fuck?
474
00:25:44,590 --> 00:25:46,171
Yeah, and if they thought about you to
your point,
475
00:25:46,171 --> 00:25:48,052
if they thought about you, who cares what
the thoughts were?
476
00:25:48,052 --> 00:25:51,314
But isn't it isn't it funny that we're in
this world,
477
00:25:51,314 --> 00:25:53,325
maybe you're totally disconnected from it.
478
00:25:53,325 --> 00:25:58,137
If you if you are, you're at this level of
operation
479
00:25:58,878 --> 00:26:02,560
~ that is freedom, control,
480
00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,562
a total positive stoic space.
481
00:26:05,562 --> 00:26:11,555
But we don't we say don't care about what
people think about you,
482
00:26:11,555 --> 00:26:13,466
but then so often you hear people say,
483
00:26:13,686 --> 00:26:14,995
All you have is your reputation.
484
00:26:15,490 --> 00:26:20,619
My reputation is what I think about myself
when nobody's watching.
485
00:26:22,752 --> 00:26:28,826
I know when I shine and I know situations
that don't make me uncomfortable.
486
00:26:28,826 --> 00:26:33,730
And I don't mind being in comfortably
uncomfortable situations,
487
00:26:33,730 --> 00:26:38,832
but I'm very aware of where I shine and
where I don't shine.
488
00:26:38,832 --> 00:26:41,815
And you can't control what people think
about you.
489
00:26:41,815 --> 00:26:46,799
So who cares? Reputation. My reputation is
my own reflection in the mirror.
490
00:26:46,799 --> 00:26:50,061
I really don't care. If anyone actually
knew me,
491
00:26:50,061 --> 00:26:51,362
I'm a very generous person.
492
00:26:51,896 --> 00:26:54,266
Generous spirit, generous financially.
493
00:26:54,266 --> 00:26:57,387
I take all my friends out. I treat
everybody.
494
00:26:57,387 --> 00:26:59,669
I when I go for dinner, I look to pay.
495
00:26:59,669 --> 00:27:02,791
I never look to have someone take me for
dinner.
496
00:27:02,791 --> 00:27:05,332
And oftentimes I look at people and think
to myself,
497
00:27:05,332 --> 00:27:07,303
do you want to take someone for dinner?
498
00:27:07,303 --> 00:27:09,414
Or do you want to be taken for dinner?
499
00:27:09,414 --> 00:27:13,356
Let me take you for dinner. Let me take
you for breakfast.
500
00:27:13,356 --> 00:27:17,117
Let me take you for lunch. And let me talk
about you the entire time.
501
00:27:17,117 --> 00:27:18,658
How's that sound? You like that deal?
502
00:27:19,448 --> 00:27:23,925
I understand from the twenty minutes we
spent together twenty five.
503
00:27:23,925 --> 00:27:27,320
I understand your elite level of success.
504
00:27:28,206 --> 00:27:29,387
Why is that? Thank you.
505
00:27:29,730 --> 00:27:32,594
Yeah, a hundred percent, man. That what
you're doing.
506
00:27:32,620 --> 00:27:34,603
right here? Is it my backdrop I have right
now?
507
00:27:34,603 --> 00:27:38,848
Because let me tell you, I lived in a
shitty New York apartment for 25 years
where
508
00:27:38,848 --> 00:27:41,702
I slugged it out. This is ~ this is only
in the last couple years.
509
00:27:41,902 --> 00:27:44,484
Kudos for that. And I think that ~ no,
510
00:27:44,484 --> 00:27:49,767
but here's here's here's why. You're
talking about something today that
511
00:27:50,008 --> 00:27:53,140
I don't know if it's tough for people to
understand and comprehend,
512
00:27:53,140 --> 00:27:55,331
or they just don't want to believe and
understand.
513
00:27:55,331 --> 00:28:01,195
You're talking about an idea about
operating in a world where everything
514
00:28:01,195 --> 00:28:06,479
you do is about other people. You're
operating at a level that most people
don't
515
00:28:06,479 --> 00:28:09,040
get to, and they could. This isn't
ability.
516
00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:11,392
This is an understanding and an operating.
517
00:28:11,586 --> 00:28:15,897
It's like you're you're dealing with an
upgraded level of operating system that
most
518
00:28:15,897 --> 00:28:17,848
people haven't downloaded into their
brain.
519
00:28:17,848 --> 00:28:21,549
And everything I've built in my life,
520
00:28:21,549 --> 00:28:24,150
everything. I just came out of a of a
meeting.
521
00:28:24,150 --> 00:28:28,211
I have an office building here and I have
a bunch of tenants and a brand new bank.
522
00:28:28,211 --> 00:28:30,092
some people that I know in the banking
business,
523
00:28:30,092 --> 00:28:34,263
they went and found investors and they
acquired a bank and ~ I they they have
their
524
00:28:34,263 --> 00:28:35,834
corporate headquarters in one of my
buildings.
525
00:28:36,290 --> 00:28:37,921
And we opened a retail branch,
526
00:28:37,921 --> 00:28:39,861
their first retail branch in the
Cincinnati,
527
00:28:39,861 --> 00:28:41,712
Ohio, Northern Kentucky area, just opened
today.
528
00:28:41,712 --> 00:28:45,614
And the Chamber of Commerce people are out
there and they're giving their speech.
529
00:28:45,614 --> 00:28:47,525
And I'm at the back of the room just
listening.
530
00:28:47,525 --> 00:28:50,456
But afterwards, I talked to the COO and
the CEO.
531
00:28:50,456 --> 00:28:53,607
And they talked about, hey, thank you.
532
00:28:53,607 --> 00:28:55,238
And hey, we meant to mention everything
you've done.
533
00:28:55,238 --> 00:28:59,740
Say, guys, here's the deal. I'm in a place
where it is my job
534
00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:04,252
to create spaces and to give you guys a
platform to go out and crush how
535
00:29:04,252 --> 00:29:05,252
you want to in life.
536
00:29:05,218 --> 00:29:07,359
That's how I get my recognition when I'm
building.
537
00:29:07,359 --> 00:29:09,299
If I do, I just told him this.
538
00:29:09,299 --> 00:29:13,750
If I help you get enough of what you want
and you're starting to live
539
00:29:13,750 --> 00:29:16,141
the life and I'm associated with that in
your brain,
540
00:29:16,141 --> 00:29:17,921
I'm gonna get way more than I ever wanted.
541
00:29:17,921 --> 00:29:20,900
And what she said back to me, she said,
542
00:29:20,900 --> 00:29:22,403
I believe that. I said, You better believe
it,
543
00:29:22,403 --> 00:29:25,454
because whatever you all think that I've
built here and I'm still building,
544
00:29:25,454 --> 00:29:26,884
everything has come from that principle.
545
00:29:26,884 --> 00:29:31,105
Everything. And so I tell people often is,
546
00:29:31,105 --> 00:29:33,006
guys, if you want a great life,
547
00:29:33,006 --> 00:29:34,296
you have to go first.
548
00:29:36,492 --> 00:29:39,595
You can't wait for other people to do all
these things for you.
549
00:29:39,595 --> 00:29:42,948
You have to go first because other people
will give us.
550
00:29:42,948 --> 00:29:44,630
I don't have, we don't have use
reciprocity,
551
00:29:44,630 --> 00:29:46,812
but they feel the desire, the want,
552
00:29:46,812 --> 00:29:50,015
and the need to help us do things if we
help them do and become.
553
00:29:50,015 --> 00:29:52,187
So I'm not saying there's some ulterior
motive,
554
00:29:52,187 --> 00:29:57,663
but what you've talked about today is
master class PhD without sitting
555
00:29:57,663 --> 00:30:01,086
in a classroom on how people to unlock the
life that they want.
556
00:30:02,136 --> 00:30:03,136
That's how you have everything you want.
557
00:30:03,097 --> 00:30:06,512
That's how you're sitting in the apartment
that you have in New York City.
558
00:30:06,512 --> 00:30:09,316
Because all those times you were eating
shit,
559
00:30:09,316 --> 00:30:11,139
living in shitty apartments for all these
years,
560
00:30:11,139 --> 00:30:13,122
you were doing and helping others.
561
00:30:13,774 --> 00:30:16,656
I still need a lot of shit. I think the
key to being an entrepreneur
562
00:30:17,117 --> 00:30:21,640
is the ability to withstand being punched
in the face repeatedly.
563
00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:26,634
If you can withstand being punched in the
face repeatedly and love
564
00:30:26,634 --> 00:30:32,649
the battles and love the wars of doing the
right thing while you deal with
565
00:30:32,649 --> 00:30:35,712
a lot of people who do the right thing but
also do the wrong thing,
566
00:30:35,712 --> 00:30:39,204
that's the key. Are you gonna do the right
thing?
567
00:30:39,204 --> 00:30:41,807
I'll treat you like gold. Are you gonna do
the wrong thing?
568
00:30:41,807 --> 00:30:43,488
Okay, well I'm gonna punish you
accordingly.
569
00:30:44,014 --> 00:30:45,014
That's it.
570
00:30:45,526 --> 00:30:47,235
It feels like you have no judgment,
571
00:30:47,235 --> 00:30:48,382
you just have evaluation.
572
00:30:49,314 --> 00:30:53,897
For me, I just look at all people and
think to myself,
573
00:30:53,897 --> 00:30:58,239
what are your intentions? What's important
to you?
574
00:30:58,239 --> 00:31:02,161
And let me watch your behavior over a
sustained period of time.
575
00:31:02,161 --> 00:31:04,362
I'm never gonna listen to what you say.
576
00:31:04,362 --> 00:31:06,464
I'm gonna watch what you do a little bit,
577
00:31:06,464 --> 00:31:10,506
but I pay attention to patterns and then I
make my own judgments.
578
00:31:10,506 --> 00:31:12,947
I only fight with people once I know I'm
right.
579
00:31:12,947 --> 00:31:14,448
I only fight if I know I'm right.
580
00:31:14,448 --> 00:31:17,182
If I think I might be wrong, I never
fight.
581
00:31:17,182 --> 00:31:18,182
I
582
00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:21,311
Only fight if I a hundred percent sure
that I'm right.
583
00:31:21,311 --> 00:31:25,953
If I catch you stealing and I see it on
the cameras that you did break into
584
00:31:25,953 --> 00:31:29,534
my place and you did steal my safe or my
watch,
585
00:31:29,534 --> 00:31:32,816
then I'll fight you. I've got cameras in
my mind,
586
00:31:32,816 --> 00:31:39,278
not in my life. And I watch the cameras in
my mind and then I make my decisions.
587
00:31:41,368 --> 00:31:43,394
I'm assuming that situation's happened to
you.
588
00:31:43,394 --> 00:31:45,663
Somebody stole a watching. Yeah.
589
00:31:45,663 --> 00:31:46,663
Yeah.
590
00:31:46,518 --> 00:31:48,068
No, no, no, not really, actually.
591
00:31:48,068 --> 00:31:50,461
That's just a metaphor. You know what I
realized?
592
00:31:50,461 --> 00:31:52,363
And a lot of people have to realize this,
593
00:31:52,363 --> 00:31:54,564
and it's incredible concept. Are you
ready?
594
00:31:54,564 --> 00:31:59,488
Life doesn't just happen to you,
595
00:31:59,488 --> 00:32:02,070
it happens to everybody.
596
00:32:02,546 --> 00:32:07,248
I love this place you're at. ~ as I'm
helping people,
597
00:32:07,248 --> 00:32:10,530
you know, grow and and get to different
places in their life,
598
00:32:10,530 --> 00:32:13,021
~ I look where I came from and trying to
be a I don't try to
599
00:32:13,021 --> 00:32:14,932
be an intentional mentor. If people come
around me though,
600
00:32:14,932 --> 00:32:18,633
I can help impact their life. I'm so often
telling them this is where I go,
601
00:32:18,633 --> 00:32:20,254
when somebody did something to them,
602
00:32:20,254 --> 00:32:23,175
right? I tell like, hey guys, hold on.
603
00:32:23,175 --> 00:32:25,977
Like I'll sit and listen to you and I'll
have empathy for what you're going,
604
00:32:25,977 --> 00:32:27,057
but but I'm just gonna tell you,
605
00:32:27,057 --> 00:32:29,258
they would have done it to anyone else
too.
606
00:32:31,672 --> 00:32:34,164
Don't take it personal. Don't get too
upset about it.
607
00:32:34,164 --> 00:32:37,177
Just look at their behavior, because
they're probably going to reciprocate that
608
00:32:37,177 --> 00:32:39,109
at some point. Decide if you want them in
your life,
609
00:32:39,109 --> 00:32:40,290
if you want them as a customer.
610
00:32:40,290 --> 00:32:43,013
But don't take it personal. Because they
didn't do it to you.
611
00:32:43,013 --> 00:32:44,434
They do it to everyone.
612
00:32:46,082 --> 00:32:51,106
Yeah. Well I take nothing personally and
when I'm speaking to people,
613
00:32:51,106 --> 00:32:56,510
I literally transform myself in my mind
into an imaginary mirror.
614
00:32:56,510 --> 00:33:02,825
So the person speaking to me is just
seeing their own reflection through
615
00:33:02,825 --> 00:33:05,838
my physical being. I'm just a mirror for
you.
616
00:33:05,838 --> 00:33:11,372
I don't exist. I am just a mirror for you.
617
00:33:12,376 --> 00:33:14,814
Hm. So then if that's the case,
618
00:33:14,814 --> 00:33:18,295
you have photographs.
619
00:33:20,558 --> 00:33:24,062
That have sold for, ~ ~ seventy-eight
thousand,
620
00:33:24,062 --> 00:33:28,828
a hundred thousand dollars. What's
somebody actually paying for?
621
00:33:28,828 --> 00:33:30,630
If you're a mirror for us.
622
00:33:32,994 --> 00:33:34,799
What are they are they paying for the
photograph?
623
00:33:34,799 --> 00:33:36,384
Are they paying?
624
00:33:36,396 --> 00:33:37,784
Simple. It's very simple.
625
00:33:40,214 --> 00:33:46,299
My prices for my artworks are based on a
30-year history
626
00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:51,744
of doing this. And my prices for my
artworks that are sold through galleries
627
00:33:51,744 --> 00:33:55,447
are all over the world are not based on
your budget.
628
00:33:55,447 --> 00:33:58,590
So if you can afford it, great.
629
00:33:58,590 --> 00:34:01,212
And if you can't, that's okay too.
630
00:34:01,212 --> 00:34:06,076
The biggest problem with selling limited
edition artworks for very expensive prices
631
00:34:06,397 --> 00:34:07,648
is that once it's sold out.
632
00:34:08,750 --> 00:34:10,357
Then you can't sell those pieces anymore.
633
00:34:13,078 --> 00:34:15,681
I think about what's not available anymore
once it's sold.
634
00:34:15,681 --> 00:34:18,246
I'm not thinking about selling the
artwork.
635
00:34:18,246 --> 00:34:19,779
I'm thinking, Well that's sold,
636
00:34:19,779 --> 00:34:22,473
now what do I do? It's not available
anymore.
637
00:34:22,473 --> 00:34:23,473
If we
638
00:34:22,882 --> 00:34:23,882
We
639
00:34:23,121 --> 00:34:26,206
took away everything that David's become,
640
00:34:26,206 --> 00:34:32,193
everything, except for your talent and the
ability for you to wake up and live.
641
00:34:32,193 --> 00:34:36,078
Take everything away. What do you think
you create?
642
00:34:38,315 --> 00:34:40,038
Today or tomorrow when that happens.
643
00:34:40,038 --> 00:34:41,418
What do you do?
644
00:34:42,190 --> 00:34:43,489
I don't think about this concept.
645
00:34:43,489 --> 00:34:47,851
You don't I think about no, I think about
staying gold,
646
00:34:47,851 --> 00:34:52,813
man. Stay gold. Stay healthy. Health is my
number one priority.
647
00:34:52,813 --> 00:34:56,373
Sleep, water, exercise,
648
00:34:56,373 --> 00:35:00,695
movement, stretching. I don't think what
if I lost everything today?
649
00:35:00,695 --> 00:35:06,917
Because ultimately, we all lose every
single thing we've ever owned ever.
650
00:35:06,917 --> 00:35:09,838
All our relationships, all of our material
things.
651
00:35:10,710 --> 00:35:15,634
It's all just a journey. And eventually
you end up with nothing.
652
00:35:15,634 --> 00:35:18,136
But I will say one last thing,
653
00:35:18,136 --> 00:35:19,958
what I've learned about people.
654
00:35:19,958 --> 00:35:22,440
When you're satisfied with nothing,
655
00:35:22,440 --> 00:35:28,084
you end up with nothing. The key is to be
grateful for what you have.
656
00:35:28,084 --> 00:35:31,487
Let's start off with just the ability to
see,
657
00:35:31,487 --> 00:35:34,530
smell, taste, hear.
658
00:35:37,046 --> 00:35:40,160
Walk, run, talk.
659
00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:42,250
A lot of people don't have that.
660
00:35:44,930 --> 00:35:47,392
How often do you wake up and think how
lucky you are to see?
661
00:35:47,392 --> 00:35:50,775
I've crazy eye problems my whole life.
662
00:35:50,775 --> 00:35:54,758
Dryness in my eyes. I've had retina
detachments,
663
00:35:54,758 --> 00:35:59,362
emergency retina detachments. And all I
think about is how lucky people
664
00:35:59,362 --> 00:36:02,185
are that they can see. And I make a living
with my eyes that
665
00:36:02,185 --> 00:36:05,607
are constantly betraying me. So I'm very
grateful.
666
00:36:05,607 --> 00:36:08,740
I had COVID so bad seven years ago.
667
00:36:08,740 --> 00:36:11,653
I was hospitalized in ICU because I
couldn't breathe.
668
00:36:11,653 --> 00:36:13,154
My oxygen was 82.
669
00:36:13,416 --> 00:36:15,227
All I wanted to do was breathe.
670
00:36:15,227 --> 00:36:19,328
The key is to be grateful for what you
have.
671
00:36:19,328 --> 00:36:21,358
There's always someone doing better than
you.
672
00:36:21,358 --> 00:36:23,370
There's always someone doing worse than
you.
673
00:36:23,370 --> 00:36:26,191
So don't compare yourself to other people.
674
00:36:26,191 --> 00:36:31,053
Just be grateful for you because there's
only one you in life.
675
00:36:31,053 --> 00:36:33,734
Everybody else has taken. So shut the fuck
up.
676
00:36:33,734 --> 00:36:37,466
No? I've given you a lot of great material
on this podcast,
677
00:36:37,466 --> 00:36:41,197
I must say. I really, I really have given
you a lot of great stuff.
678
00:36:41,197 --> 00:36:42,398
And I hope.
679
00:36:42,488 --> 00:36:47,042
That people listening can ~ adopt these
principles for themselves.
680
00:36:47,042 --> 00:36:53,507
Because I'll tell you that I'm more
interested in sharing with the world what
I've
681
00:36:53,507 --> 00:37:00,143
experienced as like more of a cultural
figure than I am with sharing
682
00:37:00,143 --> 00:37:05,277
the world with my limited edition artworks
because a very small amount
683
00:37:05,277 --> 00:37:06,778
of people can afford the work.
684
00:37:06,778 --> 00:37:11,042
It's the 1% of the 1%, but I really want
to cater to the 99%.
685
00:37:11,820 --> 00:37:13,974
And bring out other people's creativity,
686
00:37:13,974 --> 00:37:17,080
belief and dreams and the magic of you.
687
00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:23,402
And that's what my purpose and goal for
the rest of my days are is to bring
688
00:37:23,402 --> 00:37:24,554
out the magic of other people.
689
00:37:25,582 --> 00:37:27,967
Does it start with a mindset or does it
start with an action?
690
00:37:28,588 --> 00:37:30,679
It doesn't start with a mindset or an
action.
691
00:37:30,679 --> 00:37:33,782
Just fucking be yourself, man.
692
00:37:33,782 --> 00:37:36,404
Really. ~ stop looking around.
693
00:37:36,404 --> 00:37:40,767
Just be yourself. Focus. Grind.
694
00:37:40,767 --> 00:37:44,950
Make shit happen, man. Make shit happen.
695
00:37:45,432 --> 00:37:49,245
Where'd that come from? She you see yes
you you talked about ~ your mom
696
00:37:49,245 --> 00:37:53,422
a couple of times. It it came through that
she's probably she
697
00:37:53,422 --> 00:37:54,422
was probably your person.
698
00:37:56,700 --> 00:37:57,700
~
699
00:37:59,980 --> 00:38:00,980
The things you've talked about,
700
00:38:00,922 --> 00:38:02,586
Dave, you're right. Yeah. They're they're
magic.
701
00:38:02,586 --> 00:38:04,339
It's money. It's so valuable. It's gold.
702
00:38:04,339 --> 00:38:05,482
It's the stuff you've talked about.
703
00:38:08,354 --> 00:38:13,213
Did so often we look at our wives and
there was one or two people that
704
00:38:13,213 --> 00:38:16,138
we really liked the most. That's what I
found from me and the people I'm around.
705
00:38:16,138 --> 00:38:17,811
There's ~ one or two. Not many,
706
00:38:17,811 --> 00:38:19,074
one or two.
707
00:38:22,178 --> 00:38:23,178
See
708
00:38:24,812 --> 00:38:27,020
As you looked at your wife, ~ what was
special about her?
709
00:38:30,594 --> 00:38:32,275
My mom made me feel like I could fly.
710
00:38:32,275 --> 00:38:37,598
My dad never believed in me. And I took
that combination
711
00:38:38,398 --> 00:38:42,881
of unbelievable confidence that I could be
whatever I want to be,
712
00:38:42,881 --> 00:38:45,902
and incredible fear that I wasn't good
enough.
713
00:38:45,902 --> 00:38:52,896
And to take that combination of you can
fly and you'll never fly.
714
00:38:52,896 --> 00:38:59,310
And you blend that together, this is what
happens fear and confidence.
715
00:38:59,788 --> 00:39:02,390
You can fly, you can't fly. You can't fly,
716
00:39:02,390 --> 00:39:06,422
you can fly. You blend that together and
boom.
717
00:39:06,422 --> 00:39:10,715
It's beautiful. That's all I got for you,
718
00:39:10,715 --> 00:39:11,956
man. That's all I got for
719
00:39:11,202 --> 00:39:12,202
That's
720
00:39:12,123 --> 00:39:15,445
Yeah, I think I think that ~ we said these
rest of the days,
721
00:39:15,445 --> 00:39:19,388
I hope that who know and I almost thought
about this in the beginning.
722
00:39:19,388 --> 00:39:23,292
~ the big figures in life, like a Dolly
Parton just passed away,
723
00:39:23,292 --> 00:39:26,494
what I'm starting to do now, 47 for me,
724
00:39:26,494 --> 00:39:29,217
~ I'm not worried about when it's all
over.
725
00:39:29,217 --> 00:39:32,349
But I'm thinking about it differently now.
726
00:39:32,349 --> 00:39:35,382
When I hear someone passed away at seventy
nine or eighty or eighty one,
727
00:39:35,382 --> 00:39:40,436
I actually think about how impactful I
want to make the rest of my time.
728
00:39:41,442 --> 00:39:42,693
I never usually when we were younger,
729
00:39:42,693 --> 00:39:44,024
I didn't think about it. But I'll go,
730
00:39:44,024 --> 00:39:46,837
I'll I'll subtract the difference from how
old they were to how and I'm like,
731
00:39:46,837 --> 00:39:47,988
man, that's twenty five years.
732
00:39:47,988 --> 00:39:50,630
You better get to work. You better do
something.
733
00:39:50,630 --> 00:39:53,513
If you want to make this life valuable and
make an impact in people's lives,
734
00:39:53,513 --> 00:39:55,065
you better go out and do something with
it.
735
00:39:55,065 --> 00:39:57,226
And ~ I appreciate the time that you gave
us.
736
00:39:57,226 --> 00:39:59,278
It is you're you're you're hard.
737
00:39:59,278 --> 00:40:01,170
I love it. You're hard. Go do things,
738
00:40:01,170 --> 00:40:04,553
take action. But the advice you're giving
people ain't comes from this experience
739
00:40:04,553 --> 00:40:06,085
you've lived. That's what I'm assuming.
740
00:40:06,085 --> 00:40:07,406
And what you think.
741
00:40:07,502 --> 00:40:09,153
Experience. I'm a self-made person.
742
00:40:09,153 --> 00:40:14,927
Yep. I've got self-made entrepreneurial
vibes with myself,
743
00:40:14,927 --> 00:40:19,570
with no one watching. That's how I see
myself with the face that no one sees.
744
00:40:19,570 --> 00:40:22,832
Just pay attention to that face.
745
00:40:22,832 --> 00:40:26,775
~ ~ that face? The one that no one sees
but yourself when you look in the mirror.
746
00:40:26,775 --> 00:40:29,157
That's the face you should pay attention
to.
747
00:40:29,157 --> 00:40:31,158
Thanks so much for your time, man.
748
00:40:31,426 --> 00:40:32,521
Hundred percent man. Thank you.
749
00:40:32,521 --> 00:40:33,898
Thanks for joining us. This will be
awesome.
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