Big Shoes to Fill
We all look up to our parents to some extent. But the way I looked up to my mom was literal. She was nearly six feet tall. She was strong. And she was powerful. I mean that in every way possible. She was just an amazing woman, always saying that she could kick down any door for herself, or for me. The joke was that she could do it physically. But the thing that made it beautiful is that she also did it metaphorically. She gave me so many opportunities to learn, to grow, and to be a part of something. All she ever asked in return is that one day I kicked down doors for other people. I promised her that I would, and with that promise in mind, my professional journey began.
Learning to Learn
I started my first business when I was 12 years old, hiring a few of my friends to help me mow lawns. But you could say I really cut my teeth working for the family business. When you work with relatives, they don’t send you to some huge corporate training conference at a Marriott. They train you face to face. On the job and on the fly. Knowledge is passed down from person to person. So, in that sense, they’d created much more than a company. They’d created an educational environment where I could reach my full potential. I knew very early on, that one day, I’d keep the promise to my mom by creating a similar place for other people.
Creating Places to Grow
As an entrepreneur, I feel really fortunate to have one of the best jobs in the world. I try to create companies where people can grow professionally and personally. This is my way of kicking doors down for others. Maybe this is the business part of my brain, but I didn’t want to just reach out a hand to a few people. I wanted to take this philosophy and really scale it. I wanted to create a huge place of opportunity, then open the floodgates and give it away to everyone for free. And that’s how this online learning center was born.
Your Free Online Learning Center
This online learning center was designed as a place for everyone to grow. I’ve taken a lot of what I’ve learned over the years, and now I’m passing that along to you. We’ll be posting articles about everything from business to lifestyle… even a few ways we can all grow as people. Think of this as a reference library for your entire life. But most importantly, I wanted everyone to have access. So, this is all free. Yes. Free. When I first started throwing around the word “free,” almost everyone would add: “So, do you mean… free for 30 days?” No, I mean this whole experience is free. That’s it. You’ll never pay a single penny for any of this knowledge. I think everyone should have a right to learn regardless of their income. And I want to be your bridge to knowledge and opportunity, not just in business but in life.
The Bridge
I’ve always thought that doing something for someone is a way of selling them short. I want to empower people to do it themselves. We’re all more powerful than we’ve ever imagined. I truly believe in people and their unlimited ceiling. So, my goal is to use this learning center to help people unlock their full potential. Some people haven’t really had fair access to upward mobility. So, I want to try to bridge that gap by helping pave the way to greener pastures. Then once they’re on the other side, whatever they do is up to them. I want to give them more than just an opportunity. I want to help them build the skills they need to take full advantage.
Building A Community Around Learning
I think there’s a stigma around not knowing something. It’s not that you don’t know it. It’s that you don’t know it yet. So, it’s very important for me to say that I don’t know everything either. Far from it. I’m here to learn, too. That’s a big part of how this center is organized. I’ll have guests teaching you things that I know nothing about. And I’m inviting input from you. I’m guessing there’s a lot that you can teach me along the way, too. I want us all to embrace the unknown together. Because that’s where the growth is. That’s where the progress is. More than anything I wanted to create a community around learning. Because this learning center isn’t mine. It’s everyone’s. Enjoy – and trust the process.
