REAL AF with Andy Frisella

How do you make a real change--in business and in life? How do you negotiate transitions, exchange bad habits for good ones, and transform how you look at life? In this episode of The MFCEO Project, Andy Frisella and Vaughn Kohler talk about the art of metamorphosis for the sake of success. (And as a bonus, Andy provides his take on common sense and common mistakes in relationships.)

"What if I get successful and lose all my friends?" That's a question that The MFCEO gets all the time. "Listen," says Andy Frisella. "As you move up the ladder of accomplishment, your peer group will change." Why? Because you will change. You will become a better, more badass person; and better, more badass people will be attracted to you and your life. It doesn't mean certain members of your old peer group are bad people. It just means that you've become very different people with different hopes, dream, and goals--and moving apart is natural. You better accept it. The alternative is keeping your friends--and staying average and mediocre.

Entrepreneurs are always asking how to get opportunities, how to network, and how to get opportunities. According to The MFCEO, the best way to find opportunities is to put yourself in motion: meet people, shake hands, get in conversations, and do sh*t! Bottom line: you don't find opportunities. You create them!

It's great if you are out there trying to build a business and life of value. But too many people out there are complaining that they have "haters." According to The MFCEO Andy Frisella, very few people have accomplished anything significant enough to have haters. The haters are imaginary; they exist in the minds of people who want to create excuses for their lack of progress. In reality, you might be on the receiving end of legitimate criticism. If that's the case, don't call it "hate." Accept it humbly. Learn from it. And use it to truly accomplish great things.

Mike Dillard is a dad, entrepreneur, thought-leader, and freedom fighter who has helped thousands of people build wealth to live the life of their dreams. Also the host of the "Self-Made Man" podcast, Mike joins the MFCEO crew to talk about the keys to success in business and life, with special attention paid to the process of self-development, as well as the finer points of online marketing and sales. Filled with Mike's practical insights and brave transparency, this episode is one of the best ever.

In entrepreneurship and in life, timing is vitally important. A good decision made at the wrong time is a wrong decision. Like a good NFL running back, you have to know when to let obstacles in your way pass--and when to move ahead and plow right through them. In this episode, Andy Frisella explains that while mastering the art of timing is very difficult, the very first step is to be aware of its incredible importance.

Gerard Adams, known as "The Millennial Mentor," is a thought leader, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and philanthropist, with a simple purpose: to inspire others to leverage their passions to create the successful lifestyles they dream of. In this episode, Adams joins Andy Frisella and The MFCEO Project crew to discuss everything from work ethic to personal branding.

What is personal branding? Is it only important for a chosen few or everyone? Recently, Andy Frisella was featured in an Inc. Magazine article on the topic. Whether it is being mindful of the online presence you have cultivated over time, transferring solid social skills from real life to digital platforms, or creating content that is an authentic reputation of who you really are, successful entrepreneurs have to be aware of the critical issues connected to personal branding.

This is a 2-for-1 Thursday Thunder! First: are you an entrepreneur who likes to take "the shotgun approach?" Do you come out with a product, release it to the public, it goes "okay" but not good, so you just move on to another product--or even another company? According to Andy Frisella, most people don't understand that success takes time and tenacity. They don't have the aggressive patience necessary to succeed. Without it, they will bounce from one thing to the next and never enjoy the amazing results that are bound to come. Second: When it comes to personal branding, are you comfortable tooting your own horn? You need to be. If you don't, nobody else will do it for you.

When you're in business, most of your revenue is generated by repeat customers. So it is not only important to gain customers, it is vitally important to keep them. You cannot think of customers as a one-time transaction; but rather think of them in terms of their lifetime value. In this episode of The MFCEO Project, Andy Frisella explains how to gain, maintain, and retain customers. Bottom line: if you want to move up in the world of business, you've got to learn how to follow-up and follow-through.

"I'm doing my best." That's what people say all the time. But Andy Frisella asks, "what is your best?" According to The MFCEO, "your best" is always developing, always evolving. That's why you can't ever really say you've achieved your best. Instead, you should be constantly pushing yourself to your best, which will always be just out of your reach.

In the last couple weeks, a video by Simon Sinek discussing Millenials in the workplace has gone viral. In this episode, Andy Frisella interacts with Sinek's key points; sharing his thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the Millenial generation, as well as his insights for any employers or entrepreneurs who work with Millenials. Regardless of your age or generation, the basic principles of success and happiness remain the same: work hard, invest in deep relationships, and commit to the long haul.

It's already five days into the new year and some people who made grandiose resolutions have already compromised them. According to the MFCEO, that is exactly why they don't have the life they want - and that is entirely their fault. What is it going to take for people to understand that wanting success and being a real practitioner of success are two different things. Even if you've already screwed up your plan, stop being in love with the idea of success and start actually working toward it. Now.

"Never give up." In business and in life, we hear this a lot. But what does it take to persevere? What expectations for pursuing goals and dreams set people up for disappointment and failure. Here's the reality: anything worth doing in life is going to be very, very hard. You have to understand the mindset and the method for pressing on or you're not going to make it. In part 4 of the 4-part series Recalibrate, Andy Frisella unpacks his thoughts on the all-important quality of perseverance.

Thinking over the last year, Andy Frisella says he is incredibly grateful for the success of The MFCEO Project, as well as the successes of his other businesses. In this episode, two days before Christmas, Andy urges everyone to cultivate a positive attitude, focus on the things you are thankful for, and bring others with you on the road to success and happiness.

A few people in life are gifted with a natural talent for self-motivation. But most men and women on Earth struggle to motivate themselves. In this episode of The MFCEO Project - the third of the Recalibrate series - Andy Frisella unpacks his thoughts on overcoming the things that undermine our will to act - from self-doubt and discouragement to difficulty and defeat.

"Steve" is "the average mother f*cker." He buys all the success books. He goes to all the seminars. But nothing ever changes for him. Why? According to Andy Frisella, he doesn't have "The Intangibles." These are: heart, desire, drive, passion, intensity, a will to win. Do you have these? If you don't, nothing will ever change for you, either. If you do, you'll be part of the 1 percent that truly achieve success and greatness. Ultimately, your actions will answer that question.

What is greatness? How is a successful person different from someone who is great? Why doesn't the average person pursue greatness? What does it take to be considered great? How do you cultivate greatness in your life? In part 2 of the Recalibrate series, Andy Frisella gets more philosophical and unpacks his thoughts on a topic that is profoundly important to anyone who wants to live the best possible life.

Why do you take the time to whine and b*tch about your life? Why do you complain in person or on social media? Here's the reality: nobody cares. So why don't you take the energy that you spend (actually, waste) in complaining and channel it into something productive, like developing skills and getting sh*t done!

The MFCEO Project is all about action and execution. But that doesn't mean action without thinking or execution without reflection. In this episode of the podcast, Andy Frisella gets all philosophical and further unpacks his definition and understanding of success. This is part 1 of a 4-part series called "Recalibrate," a series meant to refresh your understanding of the core principles of success and get you reoriented and ready for the new year.

Look back at your life over the last several months. What did you accomplish? Did you stick to the resolutions you made back in January? Did you actually do the things that you planned to do or did you just talk about it? If you're looking for a reason to put off changing your situation and pursuing your best possible life, you'll always find one. Don't wait until New Year's to make a resolution. Make the resolution now--and act now.

Doing business today, people might think that online technology makes in-person contact less important. Only morons believe that. That's like saying that since we have the internet, we no longer need to know the alphabet. Wrong. The alphabet is fundamental; and so is one-on-one interaction. In spite of websites and social media accounts, businesses still have to make real phone calls, sometimes even go door-to-door, and have real conversations with real people. In business and in all of life, successful people know how to approach and engage.

What you focus on throughout your day will become your life. In this episode of The MFCEO Project, Andy Frisella talks about how you use your brain and how your brain controls your attention, your appetites, and ultimately, your actions. Every thought that pulses through your mind has a result; so it is imperative that we control our thoughts and use them to achieve peak performance in every area of life.

How can you be an outlier in a world full of people dedicated to mediocrity? How can you train yourself to be mentally tough, accomplish critical tasks, and set goals and dreams for yourself that stretch you beyond your comfort zone into the highest levels of greatness? In this episode, bestselling author and performance coach Ben Newman rejoins the MFCEO crew and Andy Frisella shares his thoughts on everything from the practice of visualization to his favorite tool: The Power List.

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Dan Fleyshman, the youngest owner of a public company, the founder of First Slice Media, and the author of "How To Set Up Your Business For Under $1000" joins Andy Frisella for an episode packed with information and insight. From specific tips about drawing up a business plan to big picture advice about management and marketing, these two titans wax eloquent about all things entrepreneurial. But the bottom line is this: If you have a good idea for a product or service, get to work. The best time to start is now.

Like naïve little kids at Christmas, the average person thinks success is magical. They think that achieving your goals, fulfilling your dreams, and living a life of health, wealth, and happiness happens when somewhere, in Never Never Land, the stars align, the Success Fairy waves her Magical One Hundred Percent Guaranteed Success Wand, and everything in your life miraculously turns to glitter and gold. But people who are destined to succeed know better. They know they are destined to succeed because they know that success is not magic. It comes from busting one's ass. It is the inevitable result of hard work.

While you are ultimately responsible for your success, the effectiveness of your business will largely be determined by the people who work with you. For this reason, you have to know how to hire the right people and when to fire the wrong people. In this episode, The MFCEO shares his tips for recruiting the best help for your business and letting go of the dead weight.

People say this all the time: "I have this incredible idea. I've developed this awesome product or service concept. But I just don't have any money." So they justify failure because they had no funds. But according to Andy Frisella, lack of resources is a huge advantage. It forces you to get innovative and to work even harder.

The minds of successful people are always active. They have an opportunity mindset and want to make the most of everything that happens in their lives. That's the good news. But according to The MFCEO, the one downside of that mentality is that they think they can focus on everything; they think they can divide their attention and energy into every possible project. Spoiler alert: They can't. In this episode, Andy Frisella provides some practical tips for to how to focus on one thing; and how that laser-like focus can lead to even greater success.

Too many people attribute other people's success to luck. They don't really believe that hard work and persistence are the reasons that people do great things in life. They don't have faith in the process of execution. The first view of life allows you to sit on your ass and make excuses. The other view demands that you act and trust the process. The view that you hold determines the person that you are and the success you will enjoy in life.

What is The MFCEO Project all about? It's not just a podcast. It's not just a brand. It's a movement. According to Andy Frisella, our generation has lost the mindset and work ethic that leads to success and greatness. In this, the 100th episode, Andy unpacks his manifesto for restoring integrity and excellence to all of us as individuals and society as a whole. From making the decision to be a positive force in the world to urging people to take ownership of their lives, this is The MFCEO at his best--raw and real.

When you look at people's social media posts as well as their interactions in the real world, you'll notice something: They always try to emulate someone else. This happens all the time. The average person ends up becoming watered-down, carbon copies of other people. Successful people are different. They embrace their authentic self and are comfortable being who they are.

You've heard the old phrase, "there's a thin line between love and hate?" Well, successful people know the opposite is true. Intense, negative energy can be converted into positive passion. So if your business experiences a disgruntled customer, don't chock it up to "well, you win some, you lose some." You have been presented an amazing opportunity. Angry customers can become amazing advocates. You just need to adjust your mindset and adopt the right method.

If you want to succeed in life, you can't leave anything up to chance. You cannot go 40, 50, or 60 percent of the way toward excellence, but then leave a bunch of factors and variables free to handle themselves. Of course, some things are meant to be. You can't control everything, all the time. But the people who truly kill it in life are those who take control of every possible factor.

There's two ways to look at balance. There's the way average people understand it: it's a daily, possibly weekly, task. It's calibrating the different events and activities and obligations of our lives so that they all get equal time. But successful people look at balance far differently. Essentially, it's intense, single-minded investment up front with dividends later. If you want to be financially successful, you have to look at it the same way.

Most people exist as a byproduct of their environment. What does it take to create a life in which you can control your environment? How do you make yourself significant enough to make an impact, whether in business or all of life? In short, what do you need to do to get where you want to be? In this episode of the MFCEO Project, Andy Frisella is joined by Pejman Ghadimi, founder of Secret Entourage and the author of the bestselling book, Third Circle Theory.

Winners live an active daily life. They are proactive and organized. They take the whole of their lives and break it down into daily plans and specific tasks. Successful people don't achieve greatness by accident. If you want to be a champion and accomplish great things, you simply cannot be passive. Take control of your day!

Companies rise and fall…on leadership. Governments rise and fall…on leadership. Any movement that's trying to do something good rises and falls…on leadership. Here's the reality: the strength of a nation…of a culture…of the whole human race rises and falls on the strength of it's leaders. Whether you're the CEO of a multi-million dollar business or you're just a dude with a 9-5 job who wants to fucking kill it at that 9-5 job, you have to learn to lead. There's no other way to be successful.

Life is short. We're going to die. So why would you spend your life doing things that you don't want to do, because you are afraid that if you did what you really wanted to do, you might screw everything up? Here's the reality: You're going to make mistakes and screw up either way. If you take the time to think about what you are really afraid of, you can use fear as an advantage.

Resourcefulness is the ability to creatively cope with difficulties and challenges, in business or in life. Whether it is knowing how to learn from their experiences or adjusting their game plan to make the most of their assets, men and women who develop and exercise their resourcefulness are bound to succeed. But the foundation of all resourcefulness is the mindset that says, "Failure is not an option."

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone. It is the hot thing right now, but it is being sold by shady people peddling the dream of making a million dollars in less than a year. If you are wondering whether or not you should start a business, embark on an entrepreneurial endeavor, or pursue any other big goal in life, here's what you need to realize: It's going to take time. It's going to take everything you have. You aren't going to be able to do it unless you are all in.

Do you ever run into people who say, "I don't have the resources to succeed" or "our company doesn't really have any assets, so that's why we're failing"? According to Andy Frisella, lack of traditional resources is one of the greatest assets you can have. This positive way of thinking, this no-resources-is-a-good-thing mindset is what The MFCEO calls "Zero Options Mentality." It's essential for success.

"Everything you do is competition," says The MFCEO. You can't hide from it. You can't pretend that life on Earth doesn't run by the rules of "compete or die." You will either be a do-nothing or a champion. The good news is that it is not a zero sum game. Anyone who adopts a killer competitive attitude and commits to hard work can win at life.

Just as businesses thrive on products that solve problems and bring value to customers, successful people are men and women who have learned how to provide value through who they are and what they do--no matter what it is. "No matter what job you're working," says Andy Frisella, "ultimately you always work for yourself." Whether it is forming the habit of hard work or always seeing the bigger picture, there are practical steps anyone can take to become a truly valuable person.

The difference between people who fail and people who succeed is that the latter are brutally honest with themselves. They don't make excuses for themselves. They don't blame any external factors or circumstances. They execute. They push through. And above all else, the believe they are in control of their lives. And they use that control to accomplish incredible feats that others only dream about.

How do you control momentum? How do you effectively convert movement into success? Whether it is learning how to focus on the benefits instead of the work or celebrating the small steps as victories, Andy Frisella shares his insight for how to get your life and/or business moving in the right direction.

The cheesy self-help gurus and self-proclaimed masters of success always repeat the same phrase, "Don't quit. Don't ever quit." Even though it's gotten to be a cliche and is often expressed in a sunshine-and-unicorns way, it is true. Success is hard. The world doesn't owe you anything. You are going to have to fight like hell for every inch of progress. Above all, you have to learn how to finish. You must quit quitting.

Sales skills aren't just helpful for business. They are applicable--and essential--for success in all of life. Joined by his brother, 1st Phorm President of Operations Sal Frisella, The MFCEO returns to a favorite subject. Ultimately, it's not about selling products and services. It's about selling yourself--and helping people.

"Why are you afraid of the work?" That's the question the MFCEO poses to people who aren't realizing their potential and pursuing the kind of life they really want. At first glance, Andy Frisella says, people might seem lazy. Sometimes they are. But often, people aren't lazy. They are afraid. The prospect of working hard terrifies them because they don't understand the benefits. They don't believe that their hard work will ultimately payoff.

There's so much craziness in the world. People are stressed out about everything from ISIS and environmental disasters to gun violence and racism. The truly great, successful people know how to be surrounded by this craziness and keep their cool. They know how to live in the middle of this chaos and still get sh*t done. The MFCEO knows this is a tough task, but he believes it can be done. In this episode, he shares his thoughts on how to do it.