Violence is the Answer & What I Learned from Having 4 Meetings with Arnold Ep 137

In this podcast, the host discusses the inevitability of facing negativity and opposition as a byproduct of success, drawing lessons from meetings with Arnold Schwarzenegger and observations of Donald Trump. The host emphasizes that with higher levels of success come increased "noise" and hate, which should be seen as a "condition of success." He argues that entrepreneurs must develop mental fortitude to withstand criticism and that the impact of detractors is negligible compared to the reach of a successful marketing campaign. The host advises focusing on the core business metrics that drive success, such as applications, sales conversions, customer retention, and profitability, and ignoring the distractions that don't impact these areas. He concludes by reinforcing the importance of massive action and the resilience to remain unfazed by negativity, maintaining that success is the best revenge.

• Speaker A shares personal experiences from charity work and meetings with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• Speaker A has learned significant lessons from Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• The concept of "delusion of optimism" is introduced, relating to the backlash successful people face.

What I learned from having four meetings with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

This quote introduces the context in which Speaker A gained insights from Arnold Schwarzenegger, setting the stage for the lessons to be discussed.

• High-profile individuals like Arnold Schwarzenegger require extensive security due to threats.
• Success brings not only admiration but also negative attention and hatred.
• Speaker A reflects on the necessity of security measures for public figures.

The amount of security we had to go through to get into Arnold's house and all of those things is just befitting of the fact that there are people out there who send him death threats every day for just existing because they watched a movie and their wife divorced someone for who looked like him.

This quote highlights the extreme measures that are sometimes required to protect high-profile individuals from threats, illustrating the darker side of fame.

• The more impact one has, the more likely they are to encounter negative reactions.
• Speaker A suggests that a significant number of detractors is a natural consequence of reaching a large audience.
• The ability to handle negativity is essential for those seeking success and impact.

If you want to help 10,000 people, then you have to be prepared to have 500 people who fucking hate you, all right? Because anyone who does anything worth doing is going to have an equal and opposite reaction.

This quote emphasizes the inevitability of facing opposition when making a substantial impact, suggesting it's a natural law of human behavior.

• Speaker A posits that hatred is not just a byproduct but a condition of success.
• Without opposition, one may not be making a significant enough stand on any issue.
• Fear of confrontation or hatred can sabotage one's success.

Hatred is a condition of success. It's a condition. If you have no hatred, if you have no people who hate you, who talk against you, speak against you, then it means you're standing for nothing.

This quote encapsulates the idea that facing opposition is a sign of making a meaningful impact, and the absence of such indicates a lack of substantial influence or stance.

• Mental strength is required to disregard negativity and maintain focus on one's goals.
• Both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Donald Trump are cited as examples of individuals with a strong mental attitude towards detractors.
• Speaker A admires their ability to maintain an optimistic outlook despite criticism.

One thing that they both share that I really admire is almost a delusional optimism, is that they don't even address it. They don't even acknowledge the presence of haters.

This quote points out the mental strategy of successful individuals to ignore detractors and maintain an optimistic outlook, which Speaker A finds admirable.

• Negativity from others affects the individual personally rather than their business or professional success.
• Speaker A reflects on the personal toll of negative comments and the resilience required to not let it impact one's business.

None of the hatred, none of the trainer who leaves and starts talking shit about you, none of the clients who leave and talk shit about you. None of that ever affects your business. It only affects you.

This quote distinguishes between the impact of negativity on personal well-being versus its lack of effect on business success, highlighting the importance of personal resilience.

• Addressing negativity can sometimes result in increased attention from detractors.
• Speaker A recounts an incident where a social media post led to unexpected backlash.

She was basically like, if anyone talks shit about you, it's because when they talk about themselves, no one gives a shit.

The quote reflects the idea that people often criticize others to draw attention away from their own shortcomings, which can lead to an increase in negative feedback when addressed publicly.

• The concept that there is no negative publicity is discussed, emphasizing that any form of publicity, good or bad, can be beneficial.
• Negative events or publicity can lead to increased attention and potentially more sales or engagement.
• The speaker relates this to a presidential election, suggesting that owning the conversation, regardless of its nature, can lead to victory.

"Because as ugly as this sounds, there really is no negative publicity."

This quote encapsulates the idea that all forms of publicity, even those perceived as negative, can ultimately have positive outcomes by keeping the subject in the public eye.

"He won because he owned the conversation, good and bad."

The quote suggests that taking control of the narrative, whether positive or negative, can be a successful strategy, as demonstrated by a presidential election.

• The speaker discusses the inevitability of facing problems when dealing with large numbers of people.
• A certain percentage of any group is likely to react negatively, and this should be accepted as a normal part of business.
• It's important to contextualize issues by considering the proportion of negative incidents to the total number of interactions.

"And so understanding that the law of large numbers is that the more people you impact, the more by percentage you're going to rub the wrong way."

This quote explains that with a larger audience, a proportionate increase in negative reactions is to be expected, and it's a natural outcome of reaching more people.

• The speaker emphasizes the importance of putting problems into perspective by comparing the number of incidents to the total possible incidents.
• They provide an example of a minor issue with PayPal that seemed significant to one manager but was statistically insignificant.
• The speaker suggests that understanding the context of problems can reduce their perceived impact and help maintain focus on what truly matters for business growth.

"So 0.1% of people had a problem with it. Don't even let it touch you."

This quote highlights the speaker's advice to disregard issues that affect an insignificant percentage of people, suggesting that it should not be a concern.

"What percentage of humans do you think are kind of crazy? I would say at least two and a half percent at least, right?"

The speaker uses a rhetorical question to illustrate that a small proportion of negative reactions are to be expected in any scenario involving people.

• The speaker outlines four key business metrics: applications, close percentage, churn, and profitability.
• It is suggested that negative feedback from a small number of detractors is unlikely to have a significant impact on these metrics.
• The speaker advocates for focusing on these metrics rather than getting distracted by negativity.

"Is any of these things going to drive more applications? Is it going to drive a higher percentage of close? Is it going to decrease my churn? Is it going to increase my profitability?"

This quote lists the crucial business metrics that should be the focus, implying that other distractions should not detract from these goals.

• The speaker shares a personal rule regarding negative comments: only say negative things if they have been communicated directly to the person involved first.
• They reflect on past behavior of talking negatively about others and the decision to change that habit.
• The speaker suggests that this approach to criticism can lead to personal growth and a more positive way of interacting with others.

"And so the rule that I made is that if I am going to say something that is negative, I'm going to say to the person first."

This quote reveals the speaker's personal policy for dealing with negative thoughts or comments, ensuring direct communication before discussing issues with others.

• The speaker emphasizes the importance of word of mouth for growing their podcast.
• They mention not using ads or sponsorships and instead rely on listeners to share and promote the podcast.
• The speaker encourages listeners to continue spreading the word about the podcast as a way to support its growth.

"The only way this grows is through word of mouth."

This quote underlines the speaker's reliance on organic growth through listeners sharing the podcast, rather than traditional advertising methods.

• The personal influence of an individual, such as a former client or employee, is relatively minor compared to the broader reach of advertising.
• Focusing on key business drivers is more impactful than worrying about the opinions or actions of a few individuals.
• The success of a business is not significantly affected by the negative comments or organic reach of one person.

"What actual impact do you think they have? None."

This quote emphasizes the negligible impact that one person's opinion or actions can have on a business compared to the broader scope of the business's marketing efforts.

"The things that matter in the business are the things that matter."

This statement underlines the importance of focusing on the critical aspects of a business that drive growth, rather than getting distracted by minor issues.

• Documenting the journey of entrepreneurship is a personal choice that may not directly contribute to sales but serves as a record for reflection and learning.
• The act of creating content, such as videos or social media posts, is more about personal satisfaction and less about immediate business impact.

"I make these partially for me because I like documenting the journey and I want to look back."

This quote reveals the speaker's personal motivation for creating content, highlighting that it is more for self-reflection than for driving sales.

• The core of scaling a business lies in executing fundamental practices on a larger scale.
• Essential tasks like refreshing ad content, following up on leads, and making sales calls are what truly drive business growth.
• Distractions, such as criticism from others, should be ignored in favor of concentrating on these fundamental tasks.

"The things that do are the things of doing the boring work, of making sure that we refresh our ad content, make sure we have good offers, make sure that the leads are getting worked, make sure that we're following up."

This quote lists the fundamental business activities that are crucial for growth, emphasizing the importance of consistent and sometimes mundane work.

"All scale is, is doing the fundamentals in larger numbers."

This quote defines scaling as the expansion of basic business practices, suggesting that growth is an extension of foundational work rather than a complex, separate process.

• Criticism can be a sign of success, as it often means that the business is making an impact and drawing attention.
• Negative attention should not distract from the main business objectives, as it does not affect the key growth drivers.
• Focus should remain on measurable business activities, such as advertising reach and sales processes.

"Any person who's speaking against you is confirming the fact that you are being successful."

This quote suggests that criticism is an indicator of success, as it implies that the business is significant enough to be noticed.

"It doesn't matter anyways. All of it doesn't even matter because none of it is impacting the things that grow your business."

This quote reinforces the idea that distractions, such as criticism, are irrelevant to the core activities that contribute to business growth.

• Small businesses should challenge the methodologies of larger competitors to gain an edge.
• Incumbents should remain open to innovation and adapt successful strategies from newcomers to maintain their market position.
• Personal attacks are an ineffective strategy and can harm the attacker's reputation.

"If you're the small player, what you want to do is you want to attack the methodology of the bigger player."

This quote advises smaller businesses to differentiate themselves by critiquing the established methods of larger competitors.

"The strategic move is to take it, distribute it, and then wipe you."

This quote outlines a strategy for incumbents to adopt and improve upon the innovations of new market entrants to remain dominant.

"You don't want to be the type of person who attacks someone's character."

This quote warns against personal attacks as a strategy, suggesting it is counterproductive and damaging to one's reputation.

• Companies aim to outdo competition, but success often comes from not worrying about being first but rather focusing on profitability.
• Continuously seeking the next profitable venture is crucial in business to stay ahead of competitors.
• Businesses should expect competition to increase, and lower-tier players may struggle to survive as industries evolve.

"How do you beat them? They don't have an ego about it. They don't give a shit."

This quote emphasizes the importance of not letting ego drive business decisions and instead focusing on what is profitable and what customers want.

"It's only the people who have the ego about being like, I was the first one. No one cares."

This quote suggests that being first to market is less important than many believe and that the market's primary concern is value, not originality.

"The only thing people care about is how much money you make them, period."

This quote underlines the fundamental business principle that profitability for stakeholders is often the main concern.

"And so if I'm helping the most amount of people I have to create or the next opportunity to shift everyone into, which is going to take the next seven years of gold rush until eventually more and more people copy it and then we'll come up with the next thing."

This quote discusses the need for innovation and the anticipation of market saturation, suggesting a cycle of creating new opportunities before others can replicate them.

• Success in business requires a focus on increasing opportunities, market share, and reducing customer turnover.
• Distractions, especially from competitors, should be ignored to maintain focus on business growth.
• Mental fortitude and a certain level of 'delusion' can be beneficial for business leaders to drive success.

"Massive action is the only thing you can do, right? It's the only combat you have."

This quote implies that taking decisive and significant actions is the best strategy to counteract competition and challenges in business.

"The only way that it starts to actually affect those numbers, if it takes up your head space, it's the only way someone wins."

This quote suggests that allowing competitors to occupy your thoughts is the only way they can impact your business performance negatively.

"The principle, the essence that I got from him was that he exists on his own playing field, he plays his own game, and he just lets everyone else react."

This quote reflects a strategic approach where a business leader focuses on their own actions and goals rather than reacting to competitors, thereby controlling the game.

• Marketing efforts should be focused on reaching a broad audience and not be affected by competitors' actions.
• A company's reach and marketing budget can render competitors' influence irrelevant.
• Remaining unaffected by external negativity and focusing on core business activities is key to continued success.

"Their little itty bitty reach is irrelevant compared to how much we're spending."

This quote highlights the advantage of having a larger marketing budget and reach, making competitors' efforts insignificant by comparison.

"None of that is any way going to affect your business unless you allow it to affect you."

This quote advises businesses to maintain control over their reactions to external factors, as these will only impact the business if they are given attention.

"You keep steamrolling forward, and the thing that pisses everyone else off is being unfuckable."

This quote uses strong language to emphasize the power of resilience and the importance of maintaining forward momentum in business, regardless of external noise.

• Business leaders should cultivate a level of confidence that borders on delusion but is backed by results.
• Ignoring negative external feedback and focusing on business metrics is essential.
• Maintaining a positive outlook and not letting competitors live rent-free in one's head is a winning strategy.

"The only difference between crazy people and geniuses is that the geniuses are right."

This quote draws a line between delusion and genius, suggesting that confidence in one's business strategy is justified if it leads to success.

"The only way that it will actually affect our business is if we talk about it, because it doesn't actually affect our business in any way."

This quote advises against engaging in disputes with competitors, as it is a distraction that does not truly impact the business unless it is given attention.

"Thanks for thinking about me, bro. I appreciate that. Thanks for talking about. Thanks for keeping me. Top of mind."

This quote reflects a dismissive yet positive response to competitors' negative attention, turning it into a form of flattery rather than a concern.