Success Formula – The Search

We believe life is precious. This is it. We've got one shot at this. It's on us to live life to the fullest to maximize what we've been given and play the game of life at our full potential.

Are you living up to your potential? Are you frustrated that despite your best intentions, you just can't seem to make the changes needed to take things to the next level. So you can impact your career relationships and health.

If this is hitting home, you're in the right place. Our mission is to open the door to the exceptional life by showing you how to play the game of life at a higher level. So you're playing at your full potential, rather than at a fraction as most people do. We'll share the one thing that once we learned it, our lives were transformed. And once you learn it, watch what happens.

Welcome to Think It Be It the podcast. I'm Kelly Hatfield.

Hey i'm John Michell. So, Kelly, the topic today is finding the success formula. And I know both you and I have been on this, this journey. And I saw really want to get into this because anybody that's listening to this podcast is searching for the success formula. But before I get into that, I want to share with our audience, some pretty cool things that are coming up. So I have written my book called The missing secret.dot.of, the legendary book, Think and Grow Rich. And so you know, I've thought about it a long time. But I actually wrote it about two months ago and refined it and then got a publisher, and then I got an editor. And yeah, it's exciting. Because, of course, the publisher is telling me it's going to be a giant seller, weighing what's, what's bubblers your gotta tell you? Totally right. But, but it's interesting. I mean, maybe I'm drinking the Kool Aid, but he says, you know, this book has tremendous legs like no other book, because you're tagging along to a book that's been read by literally about 150 million people. Now, how many books come out that have direct tie in to that? And in, you know, I've always said, you know, with 150 million people have read thinking Grow Rich, why aren't there 150 million wildly successful people? Right? Yeah, well, well, the reason is, I don't know what the friggin secret is.

Exactly.

Come on. You know, you know, I've figured it out. And so, you know, that's why I think the potential the book is, is significant. And so I'm excited. But and, you know, in doing this book, I see that there's, like, I guess, three important things, you know, you gotta have a great name of the book. So the missing secret of the legendary book Thinking Grow Rich, is, is pretty compelling. You know, the word missing is intriguing secret is usually intriguing. So I think, I think the name is good. The other thing you got to have is great cover. So I'm spending the money to get a great cover. And then the third thing is you got to have a great editor. And, you know, here's what's fascinating about the editor. So I assumed that I would go with the editor that the book publisher has, and as it turns out, though, you know, I start looking at like, my favorite book, one of my favorite books, entrepreneur roller coaster by Darren Hardy, which have you read that?

Yep, that's great. Yeah. Oh, that goes along with it, too.

Oh, he has a course with it. Wow. That's, that's probably very good. Yeah. Anyway, a girl named Amy Anderson was the editor. Well, I met Amy 10 years ago, in Dallas when I lived in well, I guess as long as the nap. But, you know, so I meet her and find out that she, she added to Darren book, and I'm like, Well, this be logical. Let's get her to do my book. And she's expensive, but that's okay. And so, but as I'm firming it up last week, I'm like, Namie let's have a little zoom. Lets you know, I want to be convinced that she is and of this book, not just another He had no job. So I asked her point blank, how are how ended this do this book are yet. And she says, You know, John, I met you 10 years ago. And I didn't tell you this, but I was blown away by your methodology. And I've been doing your methodology for 10 years.

That's crazy. Right. Right.

And, and, you know, she never said she ever said that to me before. She didn't ask me can I see your template or anything like that? She just has been doing it. And she's been telling everybody she knows, here's a way to be more successful, you know, create the succinct articulation for your life and feed it to yourself every day, you know? And so I'm like, Okay, I have so I am now so but that really sort of blew me away.

That's awesome. Is that crazy how to use just sometimes? Yeah, the universe works. You know what I mean? Interesting, that is so crazy. I can't believe that I didn't hear I hadn't heard that story yet. That's awesome.

You know, that's a good point how the universe works. You know, if you don't believe in God, you're mistaken. Because there is way too much order in too much of that type of thing for there not to be a god. It's just fascinating to me, that, so to wrap up on the book, so it's coming out in October, we'll talk about a little, little more between now and then. But that's the plan. And then the second thing that happened last week was I was talking to the company that manages our podcast. And I started realize, you know, the podcasts and the book are so intertwined and connected. Because, you know, the people that are listening to our podcast, they gotta have a way to do the methodology, you know, and the podcast is really the support, the weekly support for the people that do the methodology, but you got to give the people Oh, wait to do the methodology to learn the methodology. And so as the book comes out, that's going to be the way that we teach the methodology. And again, the podcast is, is how we support them. And so anyway, I have a conversation with the people that manage our podcast. And so I ask us, Well, how many people are listening to our podcast each week? And I would dare say, most podcast hosts would not reveal this to their audience. But we have 36 people listening to our podcast every week. And, you know, on one level you make Well, that's, that's nothing. Or, you know, we wish we never promoted our podcast, because we're just originally started doing it. Just because you and I liked each other so much, we had so much fun doing it. We didn't care if anybody listened to it. Right. And, you know, they certainly can't get to it through like the name that people don't know, what the heck think it be it been since so they're not going to get through it that way. But, you know, I sort of love that as 36 people, because right now, it's our own little club yesterday. Oh, you know, I'm saying, Yeah, I love it. I love it, that it's only 36 people, because I think a virus is the best kept secret. And we're going to keep it secret, a little longer. But also tell you, we're not going to keep it sacred forever. You know, as the book launches, I'm going to spend the money to promote our podcast and again, because the podcast and book have such a symbiotic relationship to each other, and fit together so, so closely that, you know, I want the podcast to grow as well. And so I don't know you think all this cool do you think are? What do you think about all that?

No, I love it. I'm excited. I think the book I'm very excited because, you know, people consume and take in information in different ways. And so to your to your point about the book Thinking grow rich, you know, I'm really excited about what you're doing and how you're bringing this information to, you know, the masses, and I know it only really is going to resonate with a certain number of people, but Think and Grow Rich to your point. You know, it has been how many people

A 100 150 million 100 million people

You know, have had an interest in that. So I think that I'm really excited about your book, and then I'm, as far as the podcast is concerned, I just love to do this. This is fun. It's like well, let's just record our conversations and we'll throw them off and if people are interested in it great, you know, as far as around this methodology, and just some fun conversations we have so I'm excited. You know that although we're a small club of 36 and I love it Uh, I'm excited because I this can change people's lives. And so the more people that are listening to this, right, the more this message is getting out to people, the better as far as I'm concerned.

Right, you know, I'd tell you what's also interesting is the person that manages our podcast said, we're in the top 20% of podcast listenership. I'm like, How the heck can that be? That you got 36 people. And that is true, you know, because both podcasts have no list or ship it to speak of, and I and I've seen this play out, because, you know, I went on a big podcast entrepreneurs on fire a few years ago. And over the next two days, I get like, 600 emails, be it out. And then I would go on, you know, I got a podcast agent, I'd go on a number of podcasts that that I'd never heard of, and evidently nobody else had heard of. And I might get, you know, one or two emails, but I saw in the podcasting world, what a difference, you've got the mega giant shows, and then everybody else. And so that's how you can be in the top 20% And have all a 36 people listening to you. But one thing I would say to the magic 36 is, if any of you want a copy of the book, and learn how to do our method, before October, just send me an email. And three weeks, I'm also going to have the algorithm down the AI algorithm where you answer 40 questions and press a button. And our template is customized to your unique life. And so I don't want our 36 to have to wait until October to to embrace it. And so if you want to just send me an email, and if you don't mind reading my Word document copy of the book, which a couple of people have take me up on, we can do that. So nicely,

We'll just make sure that that email is in the show notes here for people and right. Great.

Okay, well, let's talk about our subject today, finding a success formula. And I know that you have been on a journey to the with regards to that as I have, would you share with the audience your journey?

When you say, do you mean the journey to finding you and implemented?

Well, just that, I mean, maybe you didn't look at it as clearly as I did in terms of, there's got to be a success formula. I'm looking for it. Were you not like that? No,

I was, I've always been a, you know, like dreamer. And okay, this is I'm going to do this, and then I'm going to take action. And then I would say my success formula has evolved over time without realizing really what that was, through failing, you know, through doing something and going okay, well, that didn't go quite as I'd expected. What if I did this? You know, so like, through taking action, you get information, which you then use to kind of hone I know, John, with our journey, we think it be it, you know, we've kind of gone through, you know, some of that, which we may talk about here a little bit later in the in the podcast episode. But, you know, as far as my success, you know, formula is concerned, it's evolved over time. And so we're gonna go through business growth, hitting a ceiling, and then seeking what that next and being like, Okay, I don't know what I don't know. Yeah, I know, has gotten me to this point. I know, it's not what's going to get me to the next point. So now I am seeking. And through that seeking, that's where you came into my life because I started my podcast back in 2016. You know, and really, that was as a result of, it was a marketing tool for business and to bring value to customers. But it was also my mission, to understand and learn from other successful people and kind of shorten my path to success, shorten my listeners path to success. And that's where you and I, you know, so, you know, I had, I would say I had a success formula up until that point. And then, like, having a real true success formula and understanding the science. Yeah, science brought in a whole other element to my success formula that I didn't even know existed, and how that played with it. So yeah,

Well you know, on my end, you know, I remember, so I become an entrepreneur at 30. And, you know, I'm just going in life like everybody else. And probably by the time I'm 35 I'm like, I'm not quite as successful as I wanted to be, although, as you know, is proud that I became an entrepreneur at 30 and ended you know, got a big pop Have money and, you know, I never looked back. But but you know, by 35, you know, I hadn't found really the business, I wanted to be in long term and I hadn't created financial security. And so 35 I'm looking for, you know, there's got to be a success formula where, you know, if you do this one thing, and you do it consistently, you're going to be successful. And so I, you know, I'm searching for it, I'm looking, and I assume it exists, and I'm, I'm rolling into my 40s. And I'm looking for it. And, you know, in my 40s, I probably arrived when I turned 40. I'm like, Well, you know, this is exactly working. And, and I'm like, I'm just gonna do my best. Yeah, that's all I could control. And I'm just going to do my best Let, let the results be whatever they, they are. Well, and I discovered, I talked about this in the book, too, in your best on work? You know, I mean, you know, it's, it's a good thing to think about, but, you know, I was so naive about what do my best was she, you know, I thought, you know, by essentially doing my best was just getting up at 530 in the morning, you know, I didn't realize that, you know, you had to tune in to reality, maybe doing your best would would be helpful by knowing how the human mind works. You know, it was hot, but I had a live very limited understanding what doing my best was. And so, as I roll into my 40s, I'm still looking for that success formula, because while doing my best as a good thing, it it certainly didn't turn things around. And you know, when I finally got to 50, and hadn't found the success formula, and I've taken a hard look at my life, I'm like, you know, it friggin doesn't exist, you know, because I've been looking. And what's ironic now is I look back and go, it was in the most obvious place, sin, the top book of the world on success. It just wasn't right there. You know, for all to see, in the book, he was buried deep, deep, deep in the book, because author only gave you half of the secret. But yeah, that was my, my journey on finding success formula. And, you know, I don't know, it's interesting how how your story is, you were never per se looking for that success formula. But you were evolving a success formula would be, that'd be a explanation of what you picture.

You know, and to be honest, I think probably like many people listening, I was just striking that 36, the 36 people all 36 of you were listening right now, I'm sure you could relate to this, where I really wasn't thinking that deeply about finding a formula for success. I was just striving, you know, and being like, Okay, what's next? What's the next kind of goal? What, you know, how am I going to get there, you know, and taking action toward that, and then that action, informing what the next action was gonna do, you know, towards success. And so I was very intentional, you know about that, and paying attention to it and have a very positive relationship with, I'll use the word failure. I know, there's a negative connotation with that. But with things not going as you had anticipated or planned, I have a very healthy relationship with that. I feel like if you're not out there trying, then, you know, you're losing, you know, what I mean, that the way you win is by being out there and trying, thanks. You know, so I looked at anything that didn't go as I planned, I never looked at that as a failure. You know, I looked at it as information, you know, that was going to help me with what with what to do next. And so I don't, you know, when we're talking in terms of like, a formula, I wasn't thinking about it that deeply. I was just doing, you know, what I mean?

Well, but you know, think about this, Kelly, by the fact that you decided, Okay, I'm going to do a podcast, and I'm going to be interesting people that that ended up becoming essentially your, your methodology for fighting the success formula, you know, maybe it went unconscious mind that that's and had the name success formula, but that's that was sort of going on and so you were seeking something

I was seeking. And I think to when I look back it you know, and I look at it in reference to the methodology. I had a lot of clarity around where I wanted to take the come by, you know, cuz that's really where this started. It wasn't about the other areas of my life. It was about success as it related to my businesses and in doing to have the same conversations and hit this. bump my head along the ceiling, this invisible ceiling that was there, you know, and And so I was clear about where I wanted to go, but was unsure of how to get there. So I'm like, Okay, what are some of the things that I can do that will move the needle and help me, you know, so it was talking about growth seeking a mentor. You know, that's ultimately what the podcast was, was seeking works from afar through developing relationships with these people who were on my podcast. And so it was, you know, getting clarity, taking action, and that action and forming the next action, just not really realizing until now, hindsight being 2020, what what was happening, you knew I, right?

Well, you know, I now look at the world and look at, well, what success formulas are there out there? And candidly, I don't see one other than our 12 minute a day methodology. But to put that in perspective, you know, a few years ago, there was this program called the morning miracle. You remember that? Yeah.

Yep. Hal Elrod,

I think, right? Yes. And so he writes this book called The Morning miracle, and he sells millions of it, we're really, and he's AC, based here in Austin. And there's six things six, six components of his morning miracle. And, you know, off the top of my head, I think that one of them was journaling. One of them was exercising, one of them was reading, there were six, six components, probably one of them was meditation. And but it took an hour to do, you know, and I remember seeing that, and I'm like, That, who really wants to spend an hour in their morning, before they get going, I mean, all the stuff that he's he's suggesting is good, but I don't want to spend an hour, my damn shirt spent 12 minutes, but I won't spend an hour. And then, you know, I start comparing what he created to our methodology that takes 12 minutes today. And I'm like, Well, you know, as good as some of the things he's doing, or in the end, it really is good, hard to compete against creating immense clarity about your life, and then feeding that clarity to yourself every day, especially when you're applying the central concept of the top book the world on success. And now, I may be biased in saying that, but just logically, I think that's true. Would you agree with that, your request by?

Yeah, no. And I think I would agree with that, you know, an aspect of that, because what's interesting, like, with Hal Elrod, in that book, Miracle Morning, you know, there are things that are in my visualization, that are practices that I do that are part of my, you know, my visualization in my method that are baked into it, like the syncing time, we every day, every single morning, like he has, it's locked out, you know, at two different times a week, you know, but for journaling and for thinking, you know, exercise or you know those things, but they're connected to, yeah, your visualization. And so there are definitely aspects of his miracle morning routine that are baked into, just because that's how the part of my success formula and going back is fitness is, or myself, that's number one on my success formula is No, and I think, you know, and I know that that's kind of baked into part of his routine in the morning, but I completely get what you're saying about the toilet, you have to have all of that clarity. First, you have to like all of the things that we've talked about, because the other thing was successful or male status to this popped into my head. When you mentioned earlier about you just thought doing your best? Well, I just thought working hard. I can outwork anybody, which I think is that's an important piece when you're in the building the business and everything, but it doesn't matter how hard you stink and work if you're not working on the right stuff. Right, exactly up to like working on, you know, be paying attention and being clear about what moves the needle. You know, I was not working smart. And so I think that also is part of the success formula, you know, is understanding that that my philosophy around success which is just all at work, everybody Yeah. led to me to success to that point. But in all honesty, my marriage wasn't great at that point because all I was doing was working things out on really important things. So you know, success is a loose term and it only related to my career because the other areas of my life work great other than health I've always paid a lot of digital my health but you know what you're saying about that miracle morning routine. I think they're absolutely in contrast to the the Think of the method, you know, night and day. You have to have, you know, the installation mechanism the the you know to be Make all of the other stuff happen. So this is just real quick point I want to make on that, on the contrast between the two, right? The problem that everybody has, is in doing the thing, whatever the thing is consistent. So it's fine to have a miracle to talk about the Miracle Morning and journaling. But if you don't have the mechanism to install that, so that our subconscious begins to do all of those things that you need to do to then it's all for naught, because that's the problem we all have. We're on autopilot, and our subconscious takes over. And we don't do the things that we need to do.

And you know, that's a very good point. Yes. Because because, you know, Miracle Morning is all conscious mind. Yeah, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that. It's intentions. And well, you know, dreams are littered with the intentions, right? Unless you're seeding it into the subconscious mind with which they don't do. It doesn't do you a whole lot of good.

Well, that was one of my challenges early on was consistency. It was like, nothing I needed to do, I would do them for a period of time, and then something would derail me, you know, and then I would fall off track and not being doing the thing that I needed to do. And so that's the difference. That's where the distinction is, is that this is the installation. This is the mechanism that installs all of the things that you need to do to bring success into your life. Does that make sense?

Yeah, yeah. You know, the other thing, I think that that some people do that it may be their success formula is meditation. But I don't know if you feel this way. But But I think most people struggle with meditation. And in the in comparison to think it be it, you know, meditation is quieting the mind, thinking b it is focusing the mind, and which is infinitely more important than quieting the mind. Not that quieting the mind is a good thing. And you know, after I've read my visualization, or listened to it, before I really get cracking on my day, you know, I sit down and take five to 10 minutes and meditate. So I'm a believer at it. But I bet it's not a it's not better than feeding this the saint articulation of your life to yourself. What do you think about that?

I think it's, it's, they're just two very different things to your point, one focuses it, right, calms it. And to that with the focus, like one of the things that I recognized as a result of doing the method is that it ends up quieting my mind, like my stress level is so much because the mind thrives on order. Yeah, yeah, about that. And so one of the benefits that was unexpected of this methodology for me was that it helped quiet the noise in my mind, because there was a place for all of it. I mean, but I but to your point about meditation and the methodology, they do two very different things. So comparing the two, like, they're just two different things altogether. You know what I don't?

Yeah, yeah, I do. You know, I tell you another thing that I've thought about, and this sort of relates to talk to the people that hosts our podcasts, you know, we've done now, like, 105 episodes, which is unbelievable, I can't even believe that it's what that that many, like, I was guess 121 on your podcast? Yes. Yeah. Which is, you know, but, but the reason I bring it up is that I see then doing a podcast, you find your groove, you know, and I think that, that we're finding our groove, and I think that it may evolve. And one of the things I see that I think is interesting is, you know, you're very empathetic, and you will meet people where they are. And I admire that, but I've come to grips with I'm not that I am.

I wasn't gonna say it. I wasn't gonna say, I'm glad you brought it

As much as I admire that. I'm glad you're like that, you know, and I have tried to be that way. And finally, the I don't know what made me think about it, but I thought about it this week. I'm like, now, that is not me. I'm not going to be that. You know, we can you and I can be good cop, bad cop. You know, and I'm with me, I'm like, Come on people. Let's raise our game. I am not going down to your level and beg you to to move forward and baby you are bad at a conference. You know, here's a better way to live. Get it. I'll explain it to you until I'm blue in the face. But but come I'm on, you know, up here again, don't make me come down to you, you know, it's Fetty out, that works. But it's just like with ginger, and may I was telling her this this week, you know, Ginger is very different than I am, but I see, the value is that, you know, one in one equals three. And that's sort of like, you and me, you know, we were just the same way, you know, it wouldn't be nearly what it is. And so I and I share all this for multiple reasons. But think about your, your spouse, you know, they're gonna piss you off sometimes, right? Because they do like different than you, but she know, let it be them. You know, that's the power of having a partner in life.

I think bringing that Yin and the Yang and then just to the key is to be authentic to who you are, you know, so why, you know, you can admire something about someone and also acknowledge the fact that that's not how I roll, you know what I'm not so hey, that's actually what the spice of life is all about. Right? Is that, you know, we can is just being authentic and showing up as who you are. And then that balance happens, you know, with either your partner or your business partner, your significant other whatever the case may be, it's interesting

You know, I am a little irritated to chew that you laughs So, so quickly, my ability to meet people where they are. I will I will get over it. At least please by next set it I didn't. I know but she did it the lap that are well, until next time is I will get over this flight. We'll see you next time.

Thanks for listening today. If you've had your own aha moment from today's episode, send me or John an email. We'd love to share your epiphany with our audience. So email us at Kelly@thinkitbeit.com or John@thinkitbeit.com. In the meantime, live the exceptional life