The Discipline of Doing Hard Things - My1Brand

Doing hard things isn’t optional in entrepreneurship, it’s the requirement. In this episode, Benjamin Behrooz, Founder of My1Brand, reveals why discomfort is the doorway to better leadership, stronger teams, and real creative excellence. You’ll hear how hardship shaped his career, how he builds empowered teams, and why great agencies must invest in doing things the right way instead of the easy way.

 Key Takeaways

• Why embracing difficulty is essential to building long-term success
• The mindset shift that turns failure into forward momentum
• How to empower your team to make strong decisions without constant oversight
• What happens when agencies rely on “value-meal marketing” instead of true strategy

Episode Transcript

Russel (00:01):
Welcome to An Agency Story podcast where owners and
experts share the real journey,the early struggles, the
breakthrough moments, andeverything in between.
I'm your host Russel Dubree,former eight figure agency
owner, turned business coach.
Sold my agency and now helpsagency leaders create their
ideal business.
Every agency has a story, andthis is your front row seat.

(00:23):
This is an agency story.
Welcome to the show today,everyone.
I have Benjamin Behrooz with myone brand.
Thank you so much for joining ushere today, Ben.

Benjamin (00:40):
It's a pleasure.
It's a pleasure, Russell.
Thanks for having me.

Russel (00:42):
Glad to have you.
Let's just get right to it.
Tell us what my one brand doesand who do you do it for?

Benjamin (00:48):
My one brand has been in existence since 2007.
Very humble beginnings HQ was inLos Angeles.
Now we're in every majormetropolitan city across
America, and we're storytellers.
With all of the noise in theworld, we're able to make
something that's impactful withour clients that allows them to
have longevity and be able towithstand the storm.

(01:10):
If you have a good brand, you'reable to go up and down and work
with what the environment givesyou.

Russel (01:16):
Well, we're gonna get more to how you actually affect
that and make that happen foryour clients and everywhere
else.
But let's go back earlier in thestory and I wanna hear how young
Benjamin came up in the worldand what that looked like.

Benjamin (01:30):
Really humble beginnings.
I was able to create a companyjust out of inspiration to wanna
be able to do more.
I was lucky enough to be able togo to UCLA from that means I was
able to have exposure to someamazing teachers that really
were able to kind of gimme adifferent perspective on life.
And I think that's what collegessupposed to do and being able to

(01:52):
kind of see things differentlyand do that component.
I was working with Sony Music.
I worked for the vice presidentof Sony a and r.
The gentleman that I worked forwas able to sell ice to an
Eskimo, and through that it washumble beginnings of just having
long nights trying to make it asan intern and making my bones

(02:14):
and through that process.
I was able to work in a spacebefore YouTube was profitable
and trying to figure out howwe're going to premiere the next
Britney Spears video and allthese amazing things that I was
fortunate enough to do.
And I had a amazing group ofpeople that were on my shoulders
helping me and supporting me,which really did help.

(02:34):
And I was able to start my loveaffair with media and content.
And understanding that giving avoice to people is so utterly
important.
And through this process, I wasable to be brought on to a
company called Truth th.com.
Uh, truth Thig is similar to aHuffington Post or Sister
website to them.
And I was able to be workingunder Robert Sheer.

(02:58):
He was the editor in chief ofthe LA Times.
So.
Having these amazinginspirations around me kind of
pushed me to be able to do more.
And through this process I wasable to work with in truth
thick, find my love, find myunderstanding, and then my
company was coming about.
And through this process, wewere able to bring on clients
that needed local digitalmarketing help.

(03:20):
I think when we started,initially we were web
developers, that was our term.
And my background was, I do knowcoding as well.
So that's something I startedwith.
But our company, as our companykind of transitioned, we grew
and we've been growing and we'vebecome a more sustainable voice
in the market, and it's been anamazing course that we've kind

(03:43):
of had.
And I think finding where we canserve people the most and enjoy
what we do, that's, I think thebalance that now I'm trying to
kind of fulfill for myself aswell as myself.

Russel (03:56):
All right, so you know, just picking apart a few aspects
of your story, you're right inthe heart.
You're going to UCLA, you'reworking for Sony and starting
out as an intern, I can justkind of hear some of the great
experience.
What do you think that taughtyou when that maybe particular
experience working at Sony?
So

Benjamin (04:13):
the best way I can say it is you have to suffer.
Before it actually becomessomething, a substance, and it's
hard to see the sunlight whenyou're in the fall.
I mean, you're in the dark, butyou have to push through right
now.
When I think back, and I'msmiling right now, and I'm
thinking about those overnights,and I'm thinking about how we

(04:34):
were able to find a BritneySpears video before it was even
launched and be able to segueit, making it to Reddit homepage
a couple times, all these littlethings that kind of.
Play in the back of my mind oflike how and what we did.
And I'm so thankful for thathardship because it allows me to

(04:54):
manage and conquer and be ableto do what I can do now.
So whatever hardship you face,just know you have to deal with
it, be welcoming of it.
And I think David Goggin saysit, embrace the suck.
If you're able to embrace thesuck and be okay with suffering,
and it takes a different kind ofanimal to be able to be wanting
to suffer and wanting to gothrough that hardship because

(05:15):
you know that there's somethingamazing gonna come from the
other end.

Russel (05:17):
I think that is, I don't, I don't wanna say common
theme that naturally comes up ina lot of these conversations,
but something we do talk aboutthat, you know, our definition
of what is hard is only arelative comparison to the
hardest thing we've ever done.
And so I think if right to yourpoint, if we can find ways to
embrace more uncomfortabilitythan when we do encounter hard

(05:39):
things, they just might notquite feel as hard.
And make it easier to getthrough inherently.
So throw yourself in hardsituations to sharpen that edge
for yourself.

Benjamin (05:50):
The personality building situations, you're
thrown into something and you'rehaving to scale that wall and
being able to figure out how todo it.
When you look down, it looks,wow, that was so easy to do.
You don't know if you don't try.
All my failures have led to mysuccesses and I'm like proud to
say that.

Russel (06:06):
Well, as I like to tell folks, I don't know that
anyone's failed worse than I didin the same business.
I always really enjoyed thatexperience because when we did
find a right and better way todo things, it's like, well, I
know this is it because I'veseen all the ways not to do it.
And that proved that all themore true.
You kind of start to share wherethe business is at today, but
was there any critical turningpoints in your journey that

(06:29):
really defined, or I guessnothing short of critical to
being to where you're at today?

Benjamin (06:36):
I think the understanding, and this is just
kind of taking me back, I wastrying to kind of dig in my mind
and the biggest thing I kind ofunderstood that I was able to
consistently do was makesacrifices to help the company
grow.
So if it was me not getting apaycheck for six months, it was
not only getting paid for oneyear, but we were able to add a

(06:57):
new department.
If it was me having to, and thisis an exact example of moving to
New York for a year and a half,to be able to go establish a new
HQ and be able to create thatnew funnel.
I think it definitely is theidea of being able to sacrifice
for growth and definitely theunderstanding that having people

(07:19):
that are amazing with you.
You have endless power and yourreach becomes something else.
So I definitely think myunderstanding about creating
opportunity for others and how Iwas able to bring on some
amazing people on our team to beable to give our company flight,
that's probably one of thebiggest things.
As our company grew, you canonly do so much as one, but as

(07:39):
you have amazing creatives andpeople that are able to make
amazing decisions for thecompany and our clients are
really able to see the scale.
Creating more with amazingpeople that are on my sides.
We had an internship program,this was a while ago.
This was when I initiallystarted the business.
That internship program reallyhelped me do what I love, which

(08:03):
is educate and work with peopleand help them kind of find their
passions, and through that.
We were able to really findpeople that meh with us, allowed
us to be able to work withpeople.
So when I look back on myLinkedIn, I can look at my past
staffers and they're working inamazing positions.
They're living their best lives,and it's something that, I don't

(08:24):
know why, but it's veryfulfilling to be able to help
contribute to someone's successand them finding their passion
and believing in people at thebeginning of their careers.
I'm sure you were faced withthis as well because you're
working with people there, andthat is something probably that

(08:44):
I've had to really understandand embrace, which is we need to
believe in the people that wework with.
We need to be able to give themthe ability to grow and lead
them in a place where they'resuccessful.
And if it's not with you, that'sokay.

Russel (09:00):
I love that.
That was our mantra.
It's like once you come into oursphere.
I want you to be successful.
And I realize, I know that isnot always gonna be here, but I,
I think it's that mentality inof itself that's going to do a
lot of the things that you talkabout of investing in people and
helping them see a betterversion of themselves.

(09:21):
'cause if you assume theopposite or don't treat it that
way, then it might be inherentlya self-fulfilling prophecy as
well.

Benjamin (09:28):
I guess I'm a part of the old guard.
I've been here for a little bit,and the reality of being
righteous to people and beingable to give them a platform
that is the spotlight is onthem, and they're able to grow
and become who they are there.
It really is this ecosystem thatI'm so proud of that I've been
able to create.

(09:49):
I'm thinking back right now.
I just had one of my firstgraphic designers that was with
me, she just messaged me.
She works for a huge companywriter and she's about to take a
step into a new direction andshe meant, Hey, is it okay if I
put you down as a reference?
I'm like, I just sent her like ahundred heart emojis and I'm
just like, of course.
She's like, you believed in mewhen no one else did.

(10:10):
I'm thankful for every day wehad together.
It's just that embrace for menow is amazing and I'm able to
see the people that I was ableto help and I did what I did.
But it was all of them.
All I did was give them aplatform, give them the ability
to find their ambitions andeverything else.
So it's really amazing and themore I understand those people
you have around me, theopportunities that you give

(10:31):
others and the payoff isimmense.

Russel (10:34):
And really it just boils down to you get what you give.
But I think that is a agenciesthat do grow well, do have
talent that takes ownership andis empowered, have embraced that
investment, that culture oflearning.

Benjamin (10:50):
I think the reality of what you get with staff members,
you have people that.
Come to fill a position, but noone is the same shape and size.
Everyone's a little bitdifferent at strengths,
different places, andunderstanding how each team
member is able to learn orcontribute and have that become
a cycle.
So there's a constant growththat we have as a company on the

(11:11):
technology side, and we havespecific people that will
manage.
I'm constantly creatingone-on-ones group sessions where
one is able to teach the other,and for me.
My biggest issue is, and I toldmy son, if you're not asking
questions, there's a problem.
So for us, we're very much soembracing the questions.
So I will let my team membersfail if they have to, but

(11:32):
they'll learn from that cycleand I'm okay with it.
For me, I look at the lossversus reward.
Like, what are we gonna reallylose if this happens?
So give people the ability tolearn, not telling them what to
do.
You don't need a mule.
There's enough mules in thiswork.
You need someone that's able tomake a good decision for you,
your client, and for it to comefrom a basis of knowledge that

(11:54):
you give them.
I know my years in the ring thatI've had, I have so much back
data in my brain.
I can think of a situation topull up, but my team members
don't know until I tell them.
And I think that's been themajor thing of just
communication amongst my team tobe able to educate each other.
One of my team membersyesterday, she was legitimately

(12:14):
jumping.
She's like, I broke the AIchecker.
I broke the AI checker.
And she's like, I went home, Itold my husband I broke ai.
He's like, I have no idea whatyou're saying.
It's okay.
I did good.
And she just kept walking.
So for us, we really.
Enjoy the wins and enjoy.
I think I'm a nerd and I think alot of my staff is too.
We really geek out over hackingcertain things and figuring out
how to reverse engineer things.

(12:35):
So it's fun.
We enjoy what we do and I thinkthat's the main thing.

Russel (12:39):
Yeah, that's great.
And just kind of the bins, cliffnotes of uh, some.
Core concepts there behind thatof one, understanding people's
learning styles and adapting tothat in the process, and not
just having one way of trainingand meeting people embracing
this aspect of teaching eachother.
What can we all learn from eachother in that shared collective

(13:01):
experience?
And part of that is embracingquestions.
And then this one, and I thinkis often the hardest one.
Is let them fail, uh, and maybebe willing and focus on breaking
stuff in the process, which isinteresting.
Right.
And I think any founder wouldagree with this is you are who
you are because you had to showup in situations and you were

(13:23):
naturally going to fail asyou've been about your journey.
But the team, they get to comein whenever they might come in.
They get to come at differentpoints when it's already been
solved for them, but they stillneed that same experience, that
same understanding of failure.
So how can you give that to themand not screw up the clients in
the process?
I think that can be a toughthing for owners to be willing

(13:44):
to do or even help facilitate.

Benjamin (13:47):
You said it Russell, I think, uh, I'm not always right
and I know that.
And as a, as an agency owner, wehave to understand that the
variety of our team members,their way of thinking, their
ability to be able to solveproblems, it really is important
to listen to people becausesomething that was working for X
amount of time might not beworking for the remainder of

(14:09):
time.
And because with us, we havesuch a hyper focus on certain
industries, we can adapt andunderstand much faster.
So I've had this understandingof.
Let's try, what will we lose onthe backend?
And because we have so manydoors that we manage across
America, we can mitigate theissues, we can mitigate the

(14:30):
catastrophe.
So just our liabilities wherethey lie and figure out how we
can test things to actually have'em deploy.
So definitely giving our teamthe ability to create new ways
for us to be better.
I'm always, always asking forthat.

Russel (14:43):
Well, I mean, we know, I mean, just thinking since you
started your business, I startedmine in, you know, the last 20,
25 years in the digital spaceand how, how fast and rapid that
has grown.
It's unlike the world has everseen in any short time period,
it really, maybe collectivelyacross time periods.
And so it sounds like, you know,you cannot.
Let the learning process beserendipitous in your business

(15:06):
relative to that pace of changethat you have to embrace it, and
sometimes you have to slow downand let that learning happen.
Let that failure happen so thatyou can go as fast as you need
to or faster, as this is allhappening around us a hundred
percent.
I mean, it's a good reminder.
You know, it's so funny, some ofthose things might sound like

(15:29):
simple concepts at face value,but I mean, I'm sure as you well
know, it takes a lot ofdiscipline.
It takes a lot of intention toshow up and do that in a
meaningful way and Right.
We live in a business where it'sjust easy to just always wanna
focus on getting the work doneand really the discipline it
takes to, you know, step backand make sure you take time for

(15:51):
this.

Benjamin (15:51):
You know the people that are a part of your team,
they're representing who youare, and over time you're able
to understand people'scharacteristics and understand
who and what you need for whatjob.
I'm my staff's biggestcheerleader, and this is
something I've just reallyunderstood because empowering
people, allowing them to betheir best, there is no downside

(16:16):
to this.
There's just upside.

Russel (16:18):
And I don't know if it came up earlier in kind of where
you're describing, you know alittle bit about where the
agency is today, but you wentfrom a, what it sounded like a
one man show to a pretty decentsized staff today.
Obviously you're probably notable to have as close as touch
points with everyone on the teamas you once were.
So.
What has that been like to makesure that these philosophies

(16:40):
that you're sharing are sharedand filtered down by, like
you're saying, your otherleaders in the business?

Benjamin (16:45):
I think what we've been able to do is to be able to
understand who best communicateswith who.
This world, this ethos systemthat we're creating is ushering
in more creatives and betterpeople that want to work with a
similar minded group.

Russel (17:02):
I think anyone that has certainly done any sort of
former sports say there's a lotof inspiration to be taken from
the concept.
And things that are inherentlybaked into the sports team but
something that I do think isimportant to hit on because I
think in the agency space,everyone wants the team, the
talent, and I think that's alearning process to really
understand what that is.

(17:22):
But you know, just the aspectsthat you were talking about and
how important it is, one, tojust have this culture that
you're talking about, butputting that out there into the
world so that can be seen andknown and felt just as much as
the culture, if you will, thatyou're trying to showcase to
your potential clients that.
Attracts like, and that's howyou, you know, bring on the A
players and it's almosteffectively recruiting.

(17:45):
So what things have you done tohave, I guess call it a
recruiting brand, recruitingmarket out there in the world so
that you can continue to add tothat team?

Benjamin (17:55):
So for you to be able to find good talent is insanely
difficult, but having a culture,like I mentioned, is really
helpful and understanding thatyou do need to play the game
with running in Indeed dads anddoing these different things.
You do need to do it, but see aeye open on who needs the job

(18:15):
versus who wants to fulfill aprophecy or whatever it may be
that, oh, I want to be themarketing da, da, da, because
when you have someone that is incharge of someone's.
Their family's ability to paytheir mortgage, their kids to go
to college.
That for me, I understand therealities of our job of we're
allowing others to live theirhappiness, their lives, to be

(18:38):
able to pay their rent, lettheir kids go to school.
So the responsibility level forus is very high, and for us to
bring people in that are withinthose means and understand and
they're selfless and want togive back.
It really creates an amazingecosystem of people wanting to
give back to our clients.
And truth to be told, I put mystat first before the client, so

(18:59):
if I have a cancer client snipsnip.
So there definitely is thisunderstanding of putting your
stat first and having this ecothat allows for people to come.
And it's very interesting, man.
We've had a lot of amazing staffmembers.
I still have, I'm looking outright now.
They show up at our door.
They knocked on the door.

(19:20):
They came to our beach daycleanup, they came to our toy
drive that we have.
There's things that I've seen,pay attention to the people that
show up, not the people that areshowing off.
It doesn't end well when theyshow off.
Never.
It does.
So the people that show up, thepeople that have a selflessness,
those are the characteristics.

Russel (19:40):
Well, I think this is a space that doesn't suffer
looking good.
It only rewards actually beinggood, and certainly at least in
the long run.
That was an ethos that we oftensaid, or at least I think back
to a fundamental key to oursuccess in, in our shift in
growing was one, just figuringout all the ways to attract good

(20:00):
talent, but right, starting withhaving a good culture first, but
then that's becomes, again, afortuitous cycle.
If you're gonna spend a lot ofeffort to get good talent, you
need to have an environmentwhere you retain and keep them
and invest in them as going backto our earlier conversation.
So always good lessons andreminders that we can't, not, no
one different if we're gonna goback to our sports team, right?

(20:21):
You gotta take care of theplayers, you gotta heal'em up
when they're injured from atough game and continue to work
on new plays, new ways ofworking.
So, very cool.
Well, again, so many topics Iwant to open up, but there,
there was a really cool wordthat you used in our previous
conversation, and this is veryresonant as this week.
I hosted a workshop that wasabout agency strategy planning

(20:44):
and building out a long-termvision and plan for the
business.
And the term you used, and Ijust want you to kind of shed
more light on is future casting.
And talk to us just a little bitabout that, what that means to
you and what that looks like inyour business.

Benjamin (20:57):
What's been happening with us is the people that we
work with, we're dealing withFortune 500 companies.
We're dealing with people thathave a lot of liability in
place.
And we are able to kind of helpstep in and figure out if the
investment is worth the reward.
And a lot of ways, with usfuture casting, we are able to
kind of take a deeper look tounderstand where are the

(21:19):
conversations happening, how arethe methods in which people are
getting to a brand or productshipped?
Is this Amazon proof?
All these things that we knoware realities.
Being able to look at yourbusiness, be able to make good
decisions, and have an actualstrategy and plan.
Something that's been happening,and I like to use this term,

(21:40):
value, meals don't work.
So if you try to get the exactsame thing as a thousand other
people and you feel, oh, I justsaved dah, dah, dah, dah, dah,
yeah, but how much did youactually lose because you didn't
make that money?
So there definitely is thismentality.
Being able to look at, is itworth investing for something to

(22:01):
be able to get that revenueback?
As well as having anunderstanding that you have your
front door, you have yourstorefront companies don't
necessarily make their mainmoney on the products they have
that are on the windows.
It may be one of the offeringsin the back that they're able to
serve because that had thefoundation.
So with us, we're able to reallyshake out.

(22:22):
The business and be able to lookat competitors, be able to look
at data, be able to do focusgroups, and then be able to come
out with an actual strategy thata board can kind of look at and
say, yes, I want to do this.
Because people think, oh, I'mgonna run Instagram or Meta Ads
is gonna solve my problem.
That's not the case.
You know, one little algorithmchange in your bubble pops.

(22:44):
So we're more so in a place ofcreating stability and
foundation for our clients.
You know, for us, we're not thatmatch.
And because the same way they'regonna probably do a chargeback
for that company and whateverthey're gonna deal with and
they're like, you guys didn't doanything.
But it makes sense.
You's gonna get on the firstpage of Google for$500 or$300.
It's not real.
If it's too good to be true, itprobably is not gonna work for

(23:07):
you.
So for us, I think it's reallythe future casting is being able
to do research, quantify withactual data.
Give the people that are runningthe company a sober view of what
they're doing.

Russel (23:18):
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Yeah, I think that was literallyanother conversation.
And if it looks too good to betrue, it probably is.
We've heard that saying since wewere the smallest of kids.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That just seems like so humannature to always want to seek
that out.
But yeah, just, just a coupletakeaways from, uh, what you're
sharing there.

(23:38):
There's no cheap investing.
And any significant return isgonna ever come from a
significant investment.
But the plan is to do the work,the discovery process said to
essentially measure twice, cutonce, which is ultimately an
important part of the process toget the buy-in, to make that
huge investment.
And it sounds like you've spenta lot of your own investment in

(23:59):
that process so that it givesmore confidence to this idea of
what the future could look like.
And uh, that sounds like that'sworked out well for you.

Benjamin (24:08):
It has.
And luckily we've been able tokind of help with this
transitions that taken placethrough COVID, through ai,
through all these things, andit's been really amazing for the
people that are seeking a pathforward instead of trying to do
the same thing hoping it lasts.
So we're definitely seeing thatand we're definitely like
stepping in constantly to beable to help with those types of

(24:30):
discoveries and kind of doingpathways for people.

Russel (24:33):
One other thing that I know is something that you've
just spent a lot of time and itseems like we've weaved it in
through different parts of thisconversation, is just a
significant, going back toinvestment and learning in just
human psychology and behavior.
Why was that important to youand what are just some of the
hot takes based upon all thatresearch and investment you've

(24:53):
done?

Benjamin (24:54):
We're a marketing company, but it's all
psychology.
It's being able to createsomething to be able to give an
emotional response to the peoplethat are looking at it.
And the more you're able to dothat, the more you're able to
move the needle.
And this is our little spiel.
We get somewhere on the phone.
I'm like, where was the lastthree places you ate?
Where was the last two placesyou wipe shopped?

(25:15):
And what was this?
And it's because we've been ableto be a part of those every
single step from the place youordered food from some of the
biggest chains in America towhere people are buying their
ammunition for their weapons, towhere they're going to the
hospital to take care of theiryoung ones.
So all these different placeswhere we've been able to be a
part of and be able to be a partof the story.

(25:36):
There really isn't a hot takefor that, but it's a amazing
feeling of being able toactually be on the ground
because you have a lot ofmarketing companies that are in
Philippines, Brazil, all thesedifferent places.
They don't understand whatveterans they actually is.
Like they use the word metrowhen their people don't know
they use bus.
And there's just certaindisconnects.
And for us to be locally goingto the local events,'cause our

(25:57):
staff members go there.

Russel (25:58):
Well, and you know, it, it seems like going back to, I
think again, how we started theconversation of just all the
noise that exists today, broadstrokes don't work anymore.
And again, some of these highlevel talking points or
initiatives or aspects in thebusiness don't sound complicated
at face value, but.
It takes a significant, again,investment and learning to do

(26:18):
those well, and you know, it'sinteresting, I think sometimes
in the work I do, again, it goesback to this idea that people
are looking for the quick fix ormaybe even sometimes the hot
take, and how important is to gothrough the journey of those
subjects and those aspectsbecause you have to craft your
own solution.
Otherwise, it will always fallshort.

(26:40):
So maybe that just comes backto, again, go full circle with
this, doing hard things andgetting comfortable doing those
hard things.

Benjamin (26:46):
David Goggins baby.

Russel (26:48):
Yeah.

Benjamin (26:49):
If I'm too comfortable, I'm not doing
enough.

Russel (26:52):
I can't say like I'm a huge David Goggin follower, but
I know enough of the crazy stuffhe does to know that that's
insanity.

Benjamin (27:00):
You know, it's kind of funny because I had a couple
trips out of the country to somedifficult places, and that's who
I'm listening to before I gointo the nitty gritty of.
India or wherever it may be,that's just a little bit tougher
for us Americans to kind ofhandle.
So he was a mess fire.
Yeah, he's, he's, he's like mycoat of arbor at times where I'm
walking a bad situation.

(27:20):
I've actually met him, I saw himin the streets running.
I was able to speak with him andeverything else, so it's
amazing.
It's amazing.
Yeah.

Russel (27:27):
Yeah.
Power of living in la but Ithink even maybe at a smaller
scale when I'm sure everyone outthere listening, right?
You've got that agency or thatother business that you know,
maybe, you know, makes you feellike you're not performing well
enough or something like that,but, but just another person too
that maybe a little furtheralong in their journey or just a
little step differently.

(27:47):
So yeah, focus on yourself.
Keep on keeping on.
Well, I'm gonna have to stopopening cans of worms here and,
uh, start to wind this down.
I guess maybe just be curious tohear, how are you looking into
the future of this business?
Whatcha trying to achieve

Benjamin (28:01):
truthfully, make a bunch of money, make things that
help a lot of people and have alot of fun and as simple as that
because when everything comesfull circle, guys, enjoying what
you do and being able to helppeople.
That's what we should all bedoing on a big scale.
And that's it.

(28:22):
I think those are my main thingsand happiness as at the top of
everything else and trying towork on projects that actually
inspire me and inspire my teambecause our company, as this has
been what's been happening, wedon't work on easy projects.
We get contacted for the moredifficult, when 10 companies say
no, this is not possible.
We're like, there's a way andwe're able to kind of facilitate

(28:42):
things and that's what's been atour core and constantly having
projects, we're able to scaleand take on.
Uncomfortable things thatthey're able to make

Russel (28:51):
people's lives better.
I think that this point in theconversation, that's not a
surprise to say and, uh, totallymakes sense, uh, given, given
everything you've sharedalready.
Well, very cool.
Can't wait to see how thatcontinues to shake out for you.
Finding new levels of hardthings to do.
So, one last big question foryou.
Are entrepreneurs born or arethey made.

Benjamin (29:11):
Entrepreneurs are made.
It's in your own hands.
Whatever you do, you live by therope.
And that's what I say.
It's my meetings, my managers,whenever they join me and I can
make a manager, you get a rope,you can use that rope to climb
up the mountain, or you can usethat rope to hang yourself.
It's in your own hands.
But we're very much so in aplace of motivating and pushing
and letting people be whothey're, whatever your dream is,

(29:32):
add five, six more zeros to it.
That's where you'll be able tosee your greatness.
Never think small.
Anything is possible when 10other people hear no.
That no is you have 30% chanceof still doing it.
Keep pushing us.

Russel (29:47):
All right.
One of the more confident madeanswers I hear on the show, so
I'm here for it.
Well, if people wanna know moreabout my one brand and
everything else you're doing,where can they go?

Benjamin (29:57):
Us up guys.
Look up my one brand.com.
Um, we are doing volunteerevents across America.
We do Earth Day Beach cleanup inLos Angeles.
We're working with NYPD, our Poydrive towards Christmas time.
We have different eventshappening in Hawaii.
We are working with differentvendors that we have in Texas to
be able to do an amazing toydrive at all the doors we have

(30:19):
in Texas.
So, being a part of what we'redoing, we're doing something
great.

Russel (30:23):
Well, thank you so much, Ben, for taking the time outta
your schedule today to share somany insights from really
embracing and doing hard thingsand how that can impact for the
power of learning and building aculture around that.
And just another remembrance ofthe idea that there's no easy
money, no cheap investments, andgoes back to doing hard things
to make good things happen.

(30:44):
And your, as you said near theend, in charge of your own rope
and what you use that for.
Really appreciate you taking thetime to share that with us
today.
Amazing.
While we're able to help oneperson, it's all worth itself,
uh, that we will.
Thank you for listening to anagency story podcast where every
story helps you write your own,subscribe, share, and join us

(31:04):
again for more real stories,lessons learned, and
breakthroughs ahead.
What's next?
You'll want to visit an agencystory.com/podcast and follow us
on Instagram at an agency storyfor the latest updates.

Benjamin (31:20):
Because of where we are and because we serve a
certain community, we areintertwined in things that go
trending, things that break theinternet.
So probably the craziest stuffhas to be is the, is the
craziness of the internet oncesomething goes viral and who
comes out of the woodwork?

(31:40):
So for us, the one thing we getto see some of those wild
messages that come in, and Idefinitely have a very different
understanding of what the worldis, what people's inner thoughts
are because of those things.
So I think for our, where we sitand what we have a vantage point
to, we really are able to seethe wildness and the wild, wild
west of what the internet is andwhat people think and what is

(32:01):
possible.
So.
I think without, without havingto beep stuff out.
I think that's the best way Ican kind of share.

Russel (32:09):
It seems like some days you might need the men in black
Mind erase tool mean if, ifyou're going to some of those
places, it sounds like you, youknow, it's,

Benjamin (32:19):
we are the men in black man.
We are the people hitting thebutton and think disappear.
So we are the mag block amillion

Russel (32:25):
times ourselves.
Well, it's probably reallyneeded.
Uh, that's, uh, um, I can't evenimagine.
Yeah.
That's awesome.