Transcript
Speaker: Are you ready to learn, grow and become the best version of yourself? then make sure you're listening to the Entrepreneur Speaks podcast. where we go beyond the success stories to uncover the highs, the lows, the failures, the breakthroughs and the lessons behind the journey.
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Speaker: So you mentioned earlier on the game of 10. What exactly is the game of 10 and how does it help high -performing individuals eliminate self -doubt, fear, guilt?
Speaker: as well as shame. Well, great question. You want to play the game of 10 with me? Sure, let's look at it. I have a feeling that you are a 10, so let's play. So... Repeat after to me. it's ah It's an affirmation meditation, and I'm going to ask you how you feel after you say it, okay?
Speaker: So... Repeat after me, and with some great enthusiasm. I'm 10. I'm 10. I'm doing the best that I can with the awareness that I have.
Speaker: I'm doing the best that I can with the awareness that I have. I'm always right with the awareness that I have. I'm always right with the awareness that I have. I am enough.
Speaker: I'm enough. I do enough. I do enough. we heard I have enough. I have enough. It answers all the questions our chatterbox mind is constantly asking all day long, all night. It shuts it off.
Speaker: That puts you in the state of present moment awareness. This is where you, is fundamentally where you and work from intentionality to step to Create small goals, medium sized goals, big goals.
Speaker: And through... Ideas, intuition, symbols. Dreams. And this is where... ideas will come from? And we're still That will help you bring those ideas into physical form.
Speaker: Touching it.
Speaker: Dreamers!
Speaker: Today's guest is Steve Barton. a Executive coach, author and creator of the Game of 10. A powerful awareness -based framework. helping leaders operate at their highest level of clarity.
Speaker: confidence and performance Steve has over 47 years of real -world business experience. His work blends practical business strategy with deep insight into human awareness.
Speaker: Decision making. and emotional intelligence. Steve, welcome to the Entrepreneur Speaks. Kofi, thank you so much for having me. I love business. I love people. I love psychology. and um look love look being on podcasts and looking forward to having some great questions to help business owners navigate business in a much easier way. Going with the flow versus the resistance it brings. so Let's begin.
Speaker: All right. So for listeners meeting to you for the first time, who is Steve Barton today? and what journey brought you to the work you do today.
Speaker: Oh, that's I'm 70 years old. So there's a lot that brought me here. So I think in a half hour podcast, I can only touch a bit of it. I i started business. I grew up in a family business at eight years old. going over to the flower shop and and working at the shop. And I sold my first floral arrangement at eight years old. So I started in business early. in my life and I always wanted to be a florist. Okay.
Speaker: graduated from business school, college. Three days before I was leaving for Europe to study floral design and business in Europe. ah My father, I get a phone call from my mother. My father had a stroke. He was 48 years old. Half his body was. paralyzed he he came back about 95 to 98 percent so he lived to be 91 and But I ran the flower shop since I was 22. Until the time I was a...
Speaker: Probably 52. So about 30 years. and ah So I learned a lot at a young age. and ah And halfway through there, I...
Speaker: went to therapy and... But before that, it was just happening finding all these books that were coming to me. And and without knowing it, I had a profound awakening and.
Speaker: I have put That. awareness into my life. And. I've been in figuring things out and being curious ever since, so I've created the game of 10. to make life simple.
Speaker: Simpler, if you follow the rules, the game of 10 is the game of life. If you come from a place of... loving. intentionality, intuition. And then...
Speaker: operate from there. your life will be a lot better than you've come from old thoughts, old patterns, old hurts and disappointments. Okay, so we'll talk about the game of 10 later on in our conversation. But let's go back to... to your your experience during the retail floral business so you have Build and scale your family's retail floral business. as I was reading from $200 ,000 to $2 million.
Speaker: in annual revenue. What did that experience teach you about entrepreneurship, leadership, and also success? Don't take no for an answer. Do things really legally, do things ethically. Do things morally, be good to your employees.
Speaker: i love I love my, after we sold a couple of employees said you were. I didn't always agree with you, but you were always fair. and I thought that was the best thing that could ever be said because being an owner is difficult. Sometimes it's a difficult decision that you have to look out for the company.
Speaker: As well as... Most of the employees, but some are not going to be happy. So if you're going to be a people pleaser. In business, you're going to have a. a difficult time because not everyone's going to be happy with their decision. whether it's politics.
Speaker: or business. You can't please everyone, so you really have to do what's right. And. And be really. do Don't take no for an answer. Find out why.
Speaker: And there's always workarounds and walkarounds to get to where you want to go. or you got to go through it. And. I would tend to go right through it. and ain' It's not easy, but it's and when you get on over the other side, it's so worth it.
Speaker: And I think that you have to have a success mentality. a success mindset, a happy mindset. It's happy, healthy, abundant. Healed. and whole. Mindset.
Speaker: and stick to it. because there's a lot of evidence. To. come at you otherwise, and you have to be true to yourself. and true to others. And sometimes that's a difficult...
Speaker: task and it's you and it must be done. What's up? Hmm. So... at some point you discover that achieving outward success doesn't necessarily bring peace of mind, clarity.
Speaker: or stronger relationship. Was there a particular moment that changed the way you viewed success? Yeah, it was when I had that profound, I had an out -of -body experience, near -death experience.
Speaker: and and i consciously said i'm not going i'm finally happy and i stayed and And I've been happy ever since. and have gone through some very difficult situations.
Speaker: and everyone I've gone through. has made me stronger. And more vulnerable, too, with boundaries. i i I go through life with my heart open and really strong boundaries with myself. And others. And coming from a place of... Truth, honesty, love.
Speaker: Respect. and intentionality and using my intuition. versus my old thoughts. Hmm. Hmm. you mentioned earlier on the game of 10.
Speaker: What exactly is the game of 10 and how does it help? high performing individuals eliminate self -doubt, fear, guilt asu as well as shame. Well, great question. You want to play the game of 10 with me?
Speaker: Sure, let's let's less's let's look at it. I have a feeling that you are a 10, so let's play. so Repeat after me. it's ah It's an affirmation meditation, and I'm going to ask you how you feel after you say it, okay?
Speaker: So. Repeat after me and with some great enthusiasm. I'm ten. I'm 10. I'm doing the best that I can with the awareness that I have.
Speaker: I'm doing the best that I can with the awareness that I have. I'm always right. with the awareness that I have. I'm always right with the awareness that I have. I am enough.
Speaker: I'm enough. I do enough. I do enough. I have enough. I have enough.
Speaker: It answers all the questions our chatterbox mind is constantly asking. All day long. all night get It shuts it off.
Speaker: That would put you in the state of present moment awareness. This is where you is fundamentally where you... can work from intentionality to... start to create small goals, medium sized goals, big goals.
Speaker: And through... Ideas, intuition, symbols. Dreams. And this is where... Ideas will come from
Speaker: That will help you bring those ideas into physical form. Mm -mm. So, you describe awareness as the absence of thought. That's a very fascinating concept.
Speaker: How does ? idea improve decision making for executives and also entrepreneurs. Well it doesn't, then you go into thought. So you start from your right brain.
Speaker: Creating the dream. and then you go into your left brain. when thoughts emerge. From. this state of awareness. So you use thoughts. most of the time people have their thoughts use them.
Speaker: and they come from their 60 ,000 thoughts a day, 80 % from the past. 80 % of negative. as well. So you're ah most people are operating from their filter of awareness.
Speaker: through a lot of negativity, a lot of fear, self -doubt. guilt, shame from the past, and that lens of awareness gets... dirty or sullied through Being off 10.
Speaker: And that is, I call the game often played. Typically, when I get a new client coming in, they typically work around. Level of awareness at six. 7. 8. Nine. The closest you can get to nine.
Speaker: On levels. Four elements, fear, one through nine. Self -Doubt 1 -9 Guilt, one through nine, and shame, one through nine. So you can get to nine on all levels by positive thinking.
Speaker: but you can't get to 10 by thinking it out.
Speaker: Most high -level achievers work at nines. Highly successful. but they always have a little bit of fear, self -doubt, guilt, and shame. What ifs? what if i don't What if I fail? What if I...
Speaker: ah They want it themselves, and they and they're motivated just by a little bit. But they they need more. They want more. They got to get more. They're chasing. Okay. From 10, you don't chase. You are that shiny object, and you shine bright.
Speaker: And that is where awareness is. So awareness is infinite. And we have to let go. of those thoughts about fear, the thoughts about self -doubt. the thoughts about guilt, the thoughts about shame from the past. And if they come in present moment, peg them off right away so you can come from that space of confidence.
Speaker: Confidence, is the root word, means is look comes from Latin with faith. Knowing. that we are. divine beings having a physical experience. and not from the old.
Speaker: Ego telling us, boy got will look out. Maybe you're not. 10 maybe you're not right with the awareness you have maybe you're not ah Doing the best that you can. you know Maybe you're not enough. Do enough or have enough. And that is what the gay that's why I call that the game often played. But you have to come from that place of awareness.
Speaker: to observe it. And when you observe it. You allow it. You feel it. And then when you're ready, give it five minutes, give it 10 minutes. And then you let it go.
Speaker: But you have to let go. of those limiting thoughts, limiting beliefs that hold us back. Because every thought is limiting. Every belief is limiting. Because what we believe in the infinite can only believe in a small portion of it. because it's infinite.
Speaker: So you you make a distinction between operating from the game of 10. and what you call the game often played. What is the difference and how does it show up in? Every day.
Speaker: leadership situations. Well, depending on the level of awareness. If it's a one you're going to get, you're operating from a limited, very low, 10 % of your potential awareness.
Speaker: Okay. Yep. At 9, 90%. At 10, 100%. So it's going to show up that you're good. If you'd say you're 50%. We're gonna have some good days and bad days. Okay? You're gonna make some money, not lose some money. you're going to It's going to be a balancing act of a seesaw.
Speaker: At five. But at 10... It's consistent. Hmm. And if there are some disappointments coming in, Peg them off to get back a point. to back to your appointment. So we're all appointed then. It's our job.
Speaker: 2. Keep that appointment. Peg off any. Limiting. Leafs. negative beliefs. negatives beliefs Negative self -doubt beliefs, fear beliefs.
Speaker: guilt believes, and shame believes, and come from that place of intentional. ah honesty, truth. Go. If you're doing some bad things and don't feel guilty about it, that that's another issue, okay? It's unhealthy. Okay. Be kind. You can't be 10 and be a psychopath. Okay. Because.
Speaker: i don't I don't know the that behavior and I don't want to know it, but I know that they are not healthy if they come from a place of... hurt. harm. and dysfunctional. mind of hurting and harming. You can't do it. we have to come They come from a place of fear.
Speaker: whether they can admit it or not. So you have to come from that place of love, respect for yourself and others, and hold those boundaries of... Sometimes love says yes. what We call it respect in business, that's what I'll say. Sometimes respect says yes. Sometimes respect says no. Sometimes respect says yes. And sometimes respect says no. And do, know, and go in a respect.
Speaker: All right. so so So fear, self -doubt, guilt and shame are very central. to your framework. um How do these emotions and mental patterns Quietly limit performance and also personal fulfillment.
Speaker: Well, I'm going to say love is in respect is central to my game. Okay. Fear, self -doubt, guilt and shame are secondary. emotions that aren't real. Okay.
Speaker: So respect and love are essential and fundamental to the game of 10. and we have to, we get conditioned by Bye. Parents by our caregivers from the time we're zero to seven.
Speaker: We get. We take on the generational traumas, we take on the the societal traumas, we take on, we don't know, we just... yet children with sponges, and we take that on. from They say from zero to seven, we are just taking it all on. So if we come from a...
Speaker: of war -torn countries. lots of trauma, lots of ah fear around there. We'll take it on. But as we get older, we have to let it go. So at the other half that's essential. to the game of 10 is how to let go.
Speaker: And how do we move forward? How do we heal that inner child? that didn't know that they took on all these negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions of fear, self -doubt, guilt, and shame. so But as adults, we have to have the awareness and support and tools to do it.
Speaker: So with clients, I'll tell them to create a temple in their mind, and in that mind, it's their own Kofi temple. Okay, we did Kofi Temple. then you with the Have it be sacred and create an altar in there. So any thoughts that do come up?
Speaker: About. that are in the category of fear, self -doubt, guilt and shame. put them on the altar, and be willing to let them go. Because we're willing to let them in, either consciously or subconsciously, we have to be willing to let them go.
Speaker: as well. If they're a traveler, if they are abuse. they may come back, but they'll come back less. But if you keep doing it, they eventually no longer. control who we are. It doesn't mean the situation didn't happen. It just means it no longer has to define who you are, control who you are. and have you live in the state of fear, self -doubt, guilt, and shame, and protect yourself from others when it's unnecessary. in this point in your life.
Speaker: Hmm. So Steve, how come... Someone moved from overthinking and stressing to a period of clarity and also confident action. Well, I have my clients do those phrases. at least five to 20 times a day. No more than 30.
Speaker: But that... When you do that, I've had people who say those phrases and say I can't think. Okay. And they couldn't think for like, I wouldn't even say the longest I've had it happen was probably about two minutes.
Speaker: But. You want to be able to... it's going to be a new phenomena so they've blissed out and they couldn't think So you wanna be able to think, but you wanna think with clarity. and think from a place of not 60 ,000 thoughts coming in all today, with one and two or three, those you can manage.
Speaker: And those you can put into, you can write them down. Oh, I've got a thought. Here's another one. Here's another one. But if you've got 60 ,000 thoughts coming through, let's say there's even... 500. You know, how are you gonna, you're gonna be overwhelmed. you get Three. 30 ,000 in there, you're going to have anxiety. You're going to have overwhelmed of where do I start? Oh my God, um I've got so much. i've got So much to do, I don't know where to start. It's confusion.
Speaker: So. it really does help to know how to think and what you have to begin with, a clear mind. And then allow the thoughts the thoughts will come in. and the thoughts will go, but they that it's much more manageable.
Speaker: And peg off. All the ones that you don't need. and It's data dumping, basically, that we're not taught to do. Let go of all those thoughts that you don't need anymore. They're just taking up space in your awareness.
Speaker: One of the ideas associated with your work is I am enough. What does that actually mean, particularly for someone who have spent years defining themselves through their achievements.
Speaker: When we say I am enough, I do enough, and I have enough, It puts us in the present moment of being. Because I am, I do and I have. we always have been being, doing, and having.
Speaker: and what the universal... That is the universe of time is now, the present moment. Always been the present moment. It's infinite. And the other... part of time is space.
Speaker: Time -space continuum. What is the universal space? the universal quantity. the universal portion. Enough. It puts us in a state of grace and gratitude, those three phrases. The ones I'm... The other two phrases, I'm doing the best I can with the awareness that I have, I'm always right with the awareness, puts us in a state of... innocence.
Speaker: And the first phrase declares who we are. and who everybody is. whether they know it or not. Hmm. Let's still talk about Aminaf. So how does believing Aminaf?
Speaker: How does that influence leadership? effectiveness relationships and the way we respond to failure or even criticisms. Well, if you are great in a state of grace and gratitude,
Speaker: You're not going to respond or react to it and you won't believe it either because this is my enough right now. I'm grateful for what I have. and my awareness is... open and expanding.
Speaker: to receive you receive at the level of our awareness. At ten you receive. 100%. At 9, 90%. At four. 40%.
Speaker: So you have to increase that go to 10. Broaden. Your awareness that everything is possible. it may not And you have to let go of the outcome. And it's not going to happen. rarely happens when you expect it, how you how it's going to come in, but you have to have the awareness. that That it. is happening. And it doesn't mean it's
Speaker: passive, it's active. You do. you create in a business. you create if you' If you don't have the customers, what do you do? You create more value. You learn more things. You get more. you build value, you build demand for what you're having, you could create... a unique product, something that nobody else has, you're building your own pie. It's not it's about being aware of competition, but don't think that you have to...
Speaker: that you have competition because they come for you, they come for what you've got, and you have to provide that value that nobody else but we can do. So it's about building a brand.
Speaker: And then when you build a brand, you want to, I'm building a brand called the game of 10. It's coaching. All right. I can't sell Steve Barton coaching when Steve Barton dies, but I can sell the game of 10 and the game often played. and build that brand.
Speaker: to the point where it has value and someone can buy it. and they can have another. but Kofi can buy it and say, i've got I bought the game of 10, and this is how I coach, or this is what I do.
Speaker: And Steve Barton's family has the money when I'm gone. So that's what you want to do in business. Create a brand that is irresistible, that is yours. It's registered. you you've built it, you've developed it like nobody else has had it.
Speaker: Mm. All right. So what practical steps can someone take to today to increase their level of... awareness and begin operating at a level 10. Well, they can first let go of their their disappointments and guilt and shame because it always holds you back. That's the first thing.
Speaker: Let's start with that. And once you, and it's ongoing. You're never there. You're constantly doing it. Okay. In the beginning, it seems overwhelming. But after you've cleaned out. There's nothing there's nobody on this planet that I have to forgive.
Speaker: that's Okay. Everything that ever happened to me, it happened. I don't have to let it go it i I acknowledge it happened and we're going to talk about it. Great. Nobody can say anything to trigger me about it.
Speaker: So what what is this and what? What does this have to do with you? You know, what do you what is your point? Are you trying to humiliate me, shame me, guilt me, make me feel self -doubt? making still fear in me. Good luck with that. Okay, so what does it give you confidence?
Speaker: BR, you become unaffordable. Okay. Because you'll just laugh when people try to diminish their light. you know we become the shiny object and we want to just increase that. through awareness, we don't chase it.
Speaker: We are. The shiny object. that people chase. we I don't chase. They chase. I don't. Someone doesn't want me. Great. If someone doesn't like me. great tell your friends because they're probably more like you so tell them too So you know you just have a confidence that...
Speaker: I had came up with a word called tenkare. when you deeply deeply deeply care? and deeply, deeply, deeply doubt. And I say, and there's only one, I asked chat. Gemini and Grap.
Speaker: come up with a word. One more. that tell And they came up. All three of them came up with compassionate detachment. And that's where flow is. When you deeply, deeply, deeply care.
Speaker: deeply deeplyd dutly du Someone doesn't want to do business with me? Great. Someone wants to do business with me. Great. Let's go. I'll give you the best service and the best value and the best experience. that I can offer, and I'm open to do a better job.
Speaker: and then when i do a better job and i create more value guess what my price goes up My demand goes up. So that's the benefit of having this. Game of 10.
Speaker: Mm -hmm. So what's... When someone catches themselves overthinking... Doubting themselves or reacting emotionally. What can they do in that moment to shift from the game of him played?
Speaker: into the game of 10. Well, first I can do those phrases. center themselves. It's a mindset reset. It's an affirmation meditation. So reset your mindset right there. Okay, I'm overthinking. Let's shut that down right now.
Speaker: Boop. Do those phrases. Any thoughts of overthinking? Trade yourself all the thoughts I'm having. there that create the overthinking. Go on to that altar.
Speaker: Good. oop I'm willing to see things differently. That's what you can do and do it. over and over and over again until you wear out that mind that has been addicted to running the show.
Speaker: We get addicted to it because we get traumatized by it. Remember little boy Kofi? Remember when your little boy... Coffee, what were you thinking? Oh, my God. What were you thinking? Why did you do that? Why? why in the blue co goes you can't you can't And you can't fight. You can't flight. So what does Kofi do? What does little Stevie do? We freeze.
Speaker: and we get traumatized. And we get taught to think your way out of a problem. That's not how it works. You are where you are. Awareness yourself out of the problem by letting the problem go.
Speaker: So you can work from... The solution. State of mind. what ah What's the solution? What are the opportunities? What is my dream of being? doing and having.
Speaker: And that, what is my huge audacious enough? let's Let's still talk about the game of 10. So what transformation can someone expect? when they begin applying the game of ten principles consistently.
Speaker: Well, they're going to have aha moments. If they're at six, they go to seven. Oh, I didn't know I was doing that. I didn't know I was thinking that. And then you go to say it's seven. And you go to eight. Oh Here's an aha moment.
Speaker: I didn't know that. I was holding on to that. I didn't know that that. So you have an awakening by yourself. You create your own awakening. And then when you get to 10. you have the awareness that what what we think about, we bring about. So we're coming from that observing. place of awareness.
Speaker: and what we And who we are, we attract. So we're going to attract at 10. And we want to attract all the beauty. So what we have to see is through that lens.
Speaker: Let me put it this way. At six, we have a mirror. Everyone's a mirror. So who we judge. I know it says this up. I know. So what we see at level... 1 through 9 are.
Speaker: So rather than blame them, shame them, guilt them, self -doubt them, and fear them, know that it's in you. So once you've let that go, all those aspects that you thought... about others, you you don't become they don't become the mirror. Life is not the mirror, you are the window.
Speaker: and you create the reality that you see. Not. without any fears of guilt or shame. So that's the benefit. Be the window, not the mirror. The mirror's great. to reflect back at you who you are.
Speaker: But when you're the window, you create from that place. Mm. They say the eyes of the wind goes to the soul. So what do you see you are? Hmm. Hmm.
Speaker: So reading it about you, I read that you've presented your coaching process to the Harvard Business School case study team. Um, What did that experience teach you about communicating this kind of inner work?
Speaker: to highly analytical business leaders. You told me i had the i like say I had the balls to do it. Yeah. Somebody asked me and and it went great. in that And in fact, the director is still friends of mine. We communicate. on regularg but She's going to be reading my new book and I'm going to be asking her to write a forward. So if she says yes. Great. If she says yes, no. Great.
Speaker: All right. So. Someone asked me about a few months ago, what did that bring you for business? What did that bring? Because you did that. I said bragging rights. You did it.
Speaker: yeah Right. Be audacious. have something But I better have had something good to offer them. Oh, that would have been. The end of it, you know? So you have to really know your value, know that you're presenting something to somebody.
Speaker: isn't this the The director is very much in. She's brilliant. There are whole brilliant people who do this, and she's very much into mental health. as much as is she's into case studies.
Speaker: and you you have to see through a clear lens, they're writers. and they tell a story about a business where it's been where it is and where they see it going And this is what they do. They have to see from a clear lens of what.
Speaker: They're are based on data, based on trends, based on economic focus, all this stuff. They have to take every, and that is the game of 10. So it is very pragmatic, it is very analytical, but you want to see these numbers. from a place of Oh, you see data. Well.
Speaker: Who paid for this data, okay? Was it was it the... Was it the food industry paying for the data for the food industry? Okay. You want to have an independent resource. presenting the data. So I am very suspect to all data that was paid for by the people that wanted the data to come out the way they wanted to do because i know i took probability and statistics and you can if you could have if you could assemble
Speaker: data system to use and these data have people have you've surveyed these hundred people or a thousand people all pi picked to have the same oh and paid to give you the same outcome, you're going to get the outcome you want. So you've got to have a really observant eye. And I get red flags all the time. You know, when I listen to people, okay, there's a red flag right there, you know, and I just, I follow through with it. I got an offer the other day from this.
Speaker: About three a week ago, maybe two weeks ago, I became number one in Podmatch, number 10 in the world. and pod match. And then I get an email from this. company that says, oh, we love your book. We'd love to make it into game the game of 10.
Speaker: We have this company that's international. Amazing pitch. Amazing. I'm thinking, oh my God, what a day. Three things that happened. It's like the slot machine getting dollar sign, dollar sign. And then. Then until a day and a half after.
Speaker: I had a hunch, and my co -writer in this book, the new book, The Game of Ten Book Writing, said, They rarely ever send out a pitch. And I said that was a red flag. as as much as I wanted it to be true. So I i took the email. Cut. pasted into chat.
Speaker: I said, give me the odds of this being fraudulent. It came back 95 to 97 % fried. Wow. i know I laughed. But the good news is I sent that to their fraud department.
Speaker: And then a few weeks, or just a couple days ago, I sent the email to the correct person. and said, hey. We got a new book coming out. These fraudsters really know what we're what's capable of our...
Speaker: of the game of 10 in our book. you might want to take a look at it because we are going to pitch it to your competitors. And you might want to pass this on to your boss. So that when we do, if you don't respond. i will We will be pitching to other...
Speaker: Publishing houses. Top. I recommend that you pass it on so you keep your job. So that's how you played the game of 10. very strategically with awareness.
Speaker: That's how you use it. Play around. and the day F -A -F -O.
Speaker: So Steve, tell me, so what's one kind misconception? high achievers have about personal growth that you wish. you could change.
Speaker: I don't want to wish I'd change anything. if the people They aren't higher achievers if they aren't into personal growth, okay? And they aren't great leaders if they aren't growing. So I get these questions. What do you say to great leaders who don't grow, who don't. support their staff and they leave all that well first of all they're not great leaders okay let's get that straight and they're not great leaders if they don't ah get into growing Warren Buffett said in an interview on CNBC, Uh,
Speaker: And then Becky Quick said, Warren, what's what do you think? What can you tell first -time investors to invest in when they're starting out? And he goes, without missing a beat, he goes, Becky. personal development.
Speaker: Is what you're first? investment needs to be. Because the markets go up and the markets go down. And if you sell low. because of fear. self -doubt you know he didn't say that but he just basically if you played if you react to the market, you're always going to lose.
Speaker: And the goal is to sell high and to buy low. Always. In the market, you never can time it. it's you There's so many variables, so many factors involved, whether they are insider.
Speaker: Trading, shorting the market, longing the market. You don't know what what the global ah banking system is doing. And the little guys really don't have a lot of influence on it. So you just, it's it's a buy and hold for the little guys. It's a short and long for the big guys. and using derivatives and all All the... tools that have been implemented. It's ah it's a it's a banking game.
Speaker: So. Hmm.
Speaker: so So you've been on this. journey for a very long time. So looking back at your own journey from the family floral business to becoming an executive coach and creator of the Game of 10.
Speaker: What has been your greatest personal lesson? My bet is success. my Greatest success? You said? Your greatest... personal lessons.
Speaker: Greatest personal lessons is...
Speaker: Just be yourself all the time. No matter what. And that's enough. and people don't like it. Too bad. If they like it. Great. That's my biggest lesson, to be myself.
Speaker: unapologetically Be who I am. And if they love me great, if they don't love me great. Doesn't matter, because I am love. I know everyone else is. and some people don't know they are and they want to.
Speaker: take that out on somebody else. It's it's none of my business, okay? what What people think of me is none of my business.
Speaker: So Steve, tell me, what's up? some of the challenges of setbacks. you've had on this journey and and what did that teach you? Well, first I was born with two fingers on one hand. I have.
Speaker: ad h d I've gone through, I've had two divorces. I've had two four broken legs, four hip replacements. What else? Good out.
Speaker: Broke but my femur bone at two and a half. My brother and I jumping on the bed. So I was in in the hospital for two months at or six six weeks in the hospital in traction at two and a half years old. Those are just a few things that have happened in my life. That had brought me to the success that I am. And to overcome that, you know, that you become very resilient. So anybody who's gone through a lot of...
Speaker: Uh.
Speaker: Tested. I want to call them test of resilience. those are this Those are my people. those are but this Those are people that... Don't let the small stuff. Hold them back.
Speaker: Or the big stuff. Hold them back. it makes If it doesn't break you, it makes you stronger. And also... Successful is more loving. and more compassionate for yourself and others.
Speaker: That is success. And when you are happy. Healthies. Abundant mindset, healed and whole, that is success. Every day, all day.
Speaker: Hmm. Still on success, um what does success mean to you today? compared with what it meant to you earlier in your career.
Speaker: Success means happy. Nathan? It's so simple. People want to complicate it. Okay. I'm happy. You're not going to like this. ah Kofi, I'm going to tell you what someone said. Someone did this and you're not going to like it. This is what they're doing behind your back. Okay.
Speaker: It has nothing to do with my happiness. It has everything to do with a choice I'm going to make. Because of it. i'm not I'm not afraid of confrontation whatsoever.
Speaker: And I will call if I know to find out that that something is someone, for example, someone's stealing from me. Okay. let's Let's catch them. in the in the right -handed Hey, let's do it. This will be fun. This is going to be fun. I just want to and make sure you get your camera out when you see their face.
Speaker: Because I want to post that. You know, the game of 10 is about having fun, no matter what. It's not something I wanted to go after, but guess what? I'm not afraid to. And I have done that before, too. I found out someone was stealing from me in the flower shop.
Speaker: Okay. and go we're missing some money it's like who likes to take down the bank deposit Jimmy does. Okay, give him the bag. i'm I'm going to follow him across the street. And sure enough, he was pocketing the money. I know.
Speaker: Yep. Yep. So anyway. you You'll learn. Your intuition it doesn't lie. And it may be. Yeah. You just find out stuff that some things you don't want to find out but I always want to find out who's stealing, who's lying, who's cheating. you know Because I don't want that around me.
Speaker: Ciao. Hmm. All right. So we're just about wrapping up. But for the entrepreneur listening to us today, the person who is outwardly successful, but... privately so struggling with self -doubt, with stress.
Speaker: or the pressure to constantly prove themselves. What would you say to such a person today? I would say to them, do you need a coach or do you need a therapist? Okay, but you've got to do something to get started.
Speaker: because you've got to do that because you will stay at the level of your awareness. And if you are working at a level of three, four, you will not be successful.
Speaker: At five even. It's not, you're not gonna, your competition who's... More where? will always outshine you and outsmart you and outdeliver for you. So get to 10. You will be unstoppable.
Speaker: i love I don't have competition. I support. Any time I hear a coach. I support them. I love talking to them. Here's what I'm doing. Here's what I've learned. You do you your thing. They can't do take my game of 10.
Speaker: Unless they pay me for it. So I dreamed that somebody like... Who has lots of money takes my game of 10 and says it's there. oh that's perfect Let's go. I got 350 hours of legal shield. I got to use up at some point. So let's do that. But.
Speaker: so Anyway, you just have fun with it. Have fun with life because people are going to be people and that's just the way it is. I'd play 10. All right. So before I sign off.
Speaker: be your last words to Mike audience and listeners before we sign off. I would say listen to Kofi's. Podcast because it's one of the best I've been on. You've got great questions and everyone's lucky to listen to you. And i just I've done over 200 podcasts and I'm impressed with what you're doing. And that's what I want to say to the audience. and also be you are yourself.
Speaker: Kofi. So let Kofi be an example for successful entrepreneurs because you got it going on. 10. Alright. So thank you, Steve, for sharing your rich experience with us today on the Entrepreneur's Fix podcast. We wish you the very best.
Speaker: Well, same to you. You're doing great. Keep up the amazing work for your audience. and Keep on being comfy and keep on being 10. Thank you. Thank you. So this has been another exciting episode of the Entrepreneur's Peace Podcast. I'll come your way next time with another.
Speaker: exciting episode. I am your host, Kofi Animedu. As always do take good care of yourself. And let's continue. to keep Hopa alive. Cheers.
Speaker: Please be sure to subscribe to the Entrepreneur Speaks podcast on all your favorite podcast channels. And if you have any questions or feedback. Feel free to reach out to us on social media or in the comments section below.
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