July 7, 2025 • 22 mins
Cut The Tie Podcast with Mitch Francis
Episode 289
What if one entrepreneur could solve the world’s biggest problems—with a business mindset? In this thought-provoking episode of Cut the Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with Mitch Francis, a serial founder, commercial real estate investor, and now, the author of Badass Solutions. After a personal tragedy sparked a wake-up call, Mitch applied his decades of entrepreneurial problem-solving to societal-scale challenges—like climate change, gun violence, and the U.S. national debt.
Mitch shares how he went from closing billion-dollar deals to writing actionable, humorous, and radically simple solutions to some of the world’s most complex issues—and why now is the time for business minds to get involved beyond their bottom line.
About Mitch Francis:
Mitch Francis is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 40 years of business experience as the founder and CEO of multiple public and private companies. His ventures span AI, commercial real estate, and tourism, having generated over $1 billion in sales. Now, as the author of Badass Solutions, Mitch is channeling his energy into tackling 20 global-scale problems with the same strategic clarity he brought to business—one pragmatic, scalable solution at a time.
In this episode, Thomas and Mitch discuss:
- Turning tragedy into transformation
After losing a family member in a mass shooting, Mitch channeled his grief into research, reflection, and a radical new mission: fixing the broken systems most leaders ignore. - From boardrooms to the big picture
Mitch explains how his business background equipped him to tackle global issues—from climate change to gun reform—using problem-solving methods familiar to any good CEO. - Ideas are easy, execution is everything
The real challenge wasn’t coming up with solutions—it was digging into research, testing viability, and thinking through real-world application, just like a startup. - Why entrepreneurs need to give back
Mitch urges listeners to dedicate just a few hours a week to problems bigger than their business—and explains how real change happens when the people lead and the leaders follow.
Key Takeaways:
- Problems don’t wait for politicians
Sometimes the best solutions come from people outside the system—especially those trained to get results. - Stop waiting for someone else to fix it
If you see a problem and have an idea, act. Leadership starts with ownership. - Tragedy can spark transformation
Personal pain can fuel a powerful mission—if you’re willing to do the work. - Don’t stay at the party too long
In business or life, the key is knowing when it’s time to exit—and move on to the next opportunity. - When the people lead, the leaders will follow
Change doesn’t start at the top. It starts with us.
Connect with Mitch Francis:
💼 LinkedIn: Mitch Francis
🌐 Website: bad-asssolutions.com
Connect with Thomas Helfrich:
🐦 Twitter: @thelfrich
📘 Facebook: Cut the Tie Group
💼 LinkedIn: Thomas Helfrich
🌐 Website: www.cutthetie.com
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀
Serious about LinkedIn Lead Generation? Stop Guessing what to do on LinkedIn and ignite revenue from relevance with Instantly Relevant
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Cut the Tide podcast.
Once again, hi, I'm your host,thomas Helfrich.
If this is your first time here, I hope it's the first of many,
and today we're going to betrying to learn a little bit
about our guests' journey andhow they cut a tie to holding
them back, where it held themback or what they had to go
learn.
We want you to get out there,though, and become the best
version of yourself by cuttingthe tie to something, holding
you back, something you thinkyou need or need to evolve to,
(00:21):
and today we're joined by MitchFrancis.
Mitch, how are you doing, tom?
I'm good.
Good to see you.
You as well.
It's always nice.
I want you to just maybe take amoment introduce yourself and
what you do.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I'm Mitch Francis.
I have a 40 plus year extensivebusiness background where I was
the founder and CEO of severalpublicly traded companies
private companies.
I developed commercial realestate and still own and manage
commercial real estate all overthe country, so I've done a lot.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I mean you've done a lot.
So what's your current business, though?
What's your current like.
You know what's the thingdriving you every day to get up
to go work.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Well, there's a new thing I think we'll get into,
that I've written a book and thebook addresses 20 of the really
what I call the big-assproblems in our country, in the
world, and I actually have verydoable, reasonable solutions for
all of them.
So that's taken a lot of mytime now.
(01:25):
It's really been kind ofconsuming.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
You're in that phase of your life now where you've
done a lot and you're like Ineed to share this and you put
it into the book of like, hey,this is a, I take this one.
There's a lot of experience andlearnings across multiple
businesses in this book, Right?
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Right and it actually evolved to using.
You know, any business personhas to develop really good
problem solving skills.
All of us have roadblocksthrown in our, in our, in our
way of of get reaching our goals, thomas, every damn day.
And if you don't develop skillsyou know for for solving those
(02:04):
problems, no matter what youhave to do, you're just not
going to reach your goals.
And I was able to apply thoseproblem solving skills to the
societal problems as opposed tobusiness problems, and it
actually worked and I came upwith what was really good.
I said doable, but they reallyare.
(02:25):
It's surprising.
We can actually stop the oceanlevels from rising, we can
actually pay off the US debtimmediately and it's using an
approach that you and youraudience a good business person
knows how to do.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Well, I usually ask the question like what makes you
unique?
You dive into that a little bitwith the book, like because
that is unique?
There's a lot of business bookstalking about problems to solve
, but you're tying uh, you'retying to like not small problems
, you're talking like giant,like global nature projects, so
so dive into that a bit well,let me back up a little bit
about how it came about, whichis there was actually a family
(03:03):
tragedy.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
About two and a half years ago, you may recall, there
was a mass killing in a suburbof Chicago called Highland Park
during a Fourth of July parade,and there was this crazed young
man with assault rifles who juststarted shooting people and
seven people were killed and alot more were injured, and one
of the people that were waskilled was my brother-in-law's
(03:28):
brother and, as you can imagine,the whole family was just
devastated by this.
This was a terrific guy, youknow.
Everybody loved him, he wasbrilliant, he was fun, he was
loving.
You know, this was a big lossand and I I left this event
pissed, you know, and I took alook around, thomas, and I said,
(03:50):
god, we have so many problemsin our country that are huge
that nobody's doing anythingabout and and you know I've
always been, you know,interested in news and and you
events, and I and I and I kindof took stock of myself and I
said, well, you know, let melook at all these problems and
(04:10):
and I discovered that there werelike 20 really major problems
that I actually had at least thebeginnings of solutions for,
and that's how this book cameabout.
That was two and a half yearsago, and behind me is the cover
of Badass Solutions.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Well, on that journey , maybe it's not a tie you had
to cut, but what did you have todiscover to be successful in
writing that book?
Speaker 2 (04:37):
That's an interesting question.
I think I had to take stock ofmyself and realize that, just
like in business, it's ideas areeasy, you know, it's execution,
it's operations, you know thatmakes the success, you know.
And so here I had thesebeginnings of of ideas and like
I would say, you know, I don't,you know, with news I always go
(04:58):
well, why don't they just dothis?
And you know, and, and you knowthat's a beginning.
But then I had to do a lot ofresearch.
You know I had to do what Iwould do in business.
You know I I actually equateproblem solving to my
methodology of of sales andnegotiations.
You know what's the objective,learn everything I can for about
(05:20):
the other side, what do theywant to accomplish, what's going
to be my way of of achievingtheir goals?
And and then you havesuccessful sales or negotiations
.
And I did that with problemsolving here and just as I did
in business, and found that youknow it's interesting, like,
(05:41):
like I mentioned a littleearlier, you know, um, stopping
the ocean levels from rising.
I mean, what could be fartherfrom my background?
Um, but then I, you know, gotinto this.
I did a lot of research and Ifound, you know that, that I
kept getting more sucked in.
So it's like well, how muchwater are we talking about, you
know, and you're asking thegeneral questions.
(06:02):
And I did all this study andfound that the polar ice caps
are melting at a rate that wouldfill 20 Olympic-sized swimming
pools every second.
So with that information, Ijust kept getting deeper and
deeper and deeper to to findwhat's the problem, what's the
(06:23):
scope of the problem, and thenand then I always play like in
sales and negotiations andproblems Well, what if, what if
we do that?
So what if we do that?
And and find keep going to findthe solution that will work.
And it actually was veryproductive Keep going to find
the solution that will work.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
And it actually was very productive.
I think you mentioned this, butyou know you left the event.
You know there's a tragedythat's happened.
Was that the aha moment, whenyou knew you were going to do
this, or was it?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
after it was kind of together it was.
The aha moment was what ishappening in our country?
I was angry and then realizingthat we have all of these
problems and in this case it wasassault rifles and the US has
20 million assault rifles andwe're not invading Canada.
Trump says badmouths Canadaquite a bit.
(07:16):
We're not invading Canada, youknow Trump.
Trump says you know bad mouthsCanada quite a bit, but we're
not invading.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
So we what if they invade us?
I mean, they got horses, yeah,mounted police, they do.
I guess my point is, if youwant to see how he thinks about
it, read his book.
Don't leave it out there.
The point is you have big asssolutions to big ass problems
that a bunch of fat asses arenot doing anything about.
Who are in charge to go do that?
(07:43):
Is that?
I think that's not in your book.
I may have added the fat asspart, no, but I like it.
I think I should do a rewrite.
Large mouth, bass holes.
I miss you, I like it.
What's been the impact sincewriting your book?
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I've had really good response.
It's interesting I've hadresponse from people who find
that one or two or three ofthese ideas kind of touches
their heart.
You know, the author of ChickenSoup for the Soul is a
wonderful guy named JackCanfield and he read a
pre-published version of my bookand he's been.
He's a number one seller ofnonfiction books of all time and
(08:22):
he's been an environmentalistand he it so happens that this
stopping the ocean levels fromrising he liked my solution so
much that he had never heard ofit that he actually wrote my
forward in the book.
That's so cool.
So that was a lot ofcredibility.
And I've had this kind ofreaction from people who say,
(08:43):
you know, we thought it was theimpossible to pay off the US
debt and we have a reallystraightforward to immediately
pay off the US debt.
So people are liking many ofthese solutions that are close
to their own interests and I'mtrying to get people involved.
You know we need, we need tomake these happen and uh, you
(09:05):
know, and actually one of mychapters is all right, well,
what now?
How do we get these to happen?
Speaker 1 (09:11):
You know, my book unpublished.
Uh, you know, 90% of writing abook maybe 95 is procrastination
, but anyway, I'm still workingthrough it.
It's not that I actually got areview for my wife.
She's like hey, I think youshould do this this.
And I'm like oh, she's rightdamn it.
Oh yeah, that's good, that'sgood.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
My wife was my editor .
She was, she's a, she's awriter and actress and really
talented and she was my editorand you know, and added, added a
lot.
The book actually is kind offun and even funny, believe it
or or not.
You know these are not funnytopics, but to make it readable,
if I had to add a readabledirection here and humor right,
Well, exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
So I think one of those moments you are in an
entrepreneur, sometimes thepeople closest to you who really
not sure you want the opinionof those are the ones you
definitely want the opinion of.
Yeah you do.
And like my wife gives mefeedback, my book I'm like, oh
you, oh, you're right, I gottacut that thing in half.
I gotta combine stuff.
This doesn't make sense.
And I read it through her lens.
I'm like oh that.
Yeah, I wouldn't have thought ofthat.
Okay, good boy, yeah, it'simportant.
You're like kind of like god,I'm back to score.
(10:08):
The point of that was one ofthe chapters was ideas are easy,
execution is everything.
I think it's actually titledthat and you're 100 true that
you know, especially my adhdlisteners which entrepreneurs
are, cause they got pushed outof corporate, cause you're ADHD,
you got to focus on one thing.
So, like as best as you can,because otherwise you're not
going to execute anything.
And this is a huge thing thattakes lots of people with a lot
(10:31):
of momentum, and maybe it's yourbook that triggers somebody
else who's enough influence togo do the next thing, that
creates the group that does thatthing and and that's it's got
to start some places.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
And I'm really hopeful, hopeful about that,
thomas, you really hit the nailon the head, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
I think we should come up with another analogy.
What else do we hit besides anail?
We really hit the ball in themiddle of the racket on that one
.
Yeah, it was of the park.
That's an overused analogy too.
Well, that was a great forehanddown the line there.
That was a winner.
I would like to play tennis,but I have a hurt foot Also not
making the cut for him.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Okay, tell me the lesson you have for the listener
you know it's it's a little bitof a departure from, I think,
your your listeners maininterest, which is how to be
more successful as anentrepreneur.
But my hope with the book is toinspire people to get involved
(11:29):
with something beside theircareer, something beside their
career, something beside theirwork.
You know give back.
There's an overriding theme ofthe book that came from Mahatma
Gandhi, who said when the peoplelead, the leaders will follow.
And that's all I can hope for.
I hope that all of you knowfind something beside our own
(11:53):
money-making business objectivesand give a couple hours a week
back to making our world a bitbetter.
I hope that.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
I mean that's that would be the way not to be a
parasite species.
Yeah, we are.
Guys ever listen.
We're our parasites, but wedon't think we are.
We're smart enough to realizewe can trick ourselves with our
own thoughts.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
We can.
We can help.
We can help the overall good.
And listen, I think businessand entrepreneurs help the world
.
I really do but we can also bemore altruistic and charitable.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
I think the matrix that we live in is programmed.
If any one thing gets too outof whack, it either
self-corrects through the earthitself, or an asteroid hits us
and takes care of it.
One of the two will correct us.
We might as well do what we canalong the way to make it a
little nicer.
I think so, mitch, who givesyou inspiration?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
I think, people who achieve.
I love what Gandhi had to sayabout that.
There are people who, I think,achieve, people who are humorous
in their achievements, nottaking themselves too seriously.
I kind of follow that.
I'm actually a nut for quotesand I find great intelligence
and humor in quotes.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
So that's where I get it.
Ghani's a solid choice forinspiration.
You've had a lot of businessesand experience.
I'm curious on this one what'sbeen the best business advice
you've gotten?
Speaker 2 (13:18):
one what's been the best business advice you've
gotten?
It's easy.
When I finished, I was actuallya real estate major at the
university of Colorado and they,you know, back in that day it
just wasn't a major that wasoffered to run like two
universities in the country thathad it.
Anyway, I finished, I moved toLos Angeles and I started
working as a commercial realestate broker.
And I started working as acommercial real estate broker
(13:49):
and I was very it's interesting.
I closed.
I was going to say veryfortunate, but it's it's in
contrast to the, to what I'mabout to tell you.
But back at that time weactually had typists who would
do contracts and agreements thathad to get typed up, and like a
secretarial pool, and one ofthe secretary typists
congratulated me oh, this wasgreat Congratulations.
And I was humble and I said Iwas just in the right place at
(14:11):
the right time, thomas.
She got angry at me.
She said, no, in the rightplace at the right time, thomas.
She got angry at me.
She said, no, that's not it.
Well, what are you talkingabout?
And she said more important thanbeing at the right place at the
right time is knowing you are,and to this day it's still the
most intelligent thing thatanyone's ever said to me and
(14:32):
it's led to a lot of my businessinterests and successes.
Where, you know, I actually sawan opportunity that hundreds of
thousands of people would haveseen, to do a business in Las
Vegas that became the biggestticket broker in Las Vegas where
we sold a billion dollars ofshow tickets, tours, attractions
(14:57):
and dining.
And it was because I saw thisopportunity and knew it was an
opportunity and I always likenit to like we're like standing
in a stream of fishopportunities going by all of us
all the time and you have topick.
You have to say that could bevery successful and you have to
pick.
You have to say that could bevery successful.
(15:17):
And it applies to me, to myskillset, and and I've had that
kind of success my whole life bydoing just what she said.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
That's amazing.
Now, besides your own book,though, what's your must read
book?
Speaker 2 (15:34):
From.
It may not be for your, foryour audience, but for me.
There was a book in thenineties called mega trends and
they they discussed 10 differenttrends that were so big in the
direction that that that theeconomy, the country and the
world was going, and I just Itook it first of all, I thought
(16:01):
it was a fascinating directionand material, but I took that as
a way to live your life what'scoming at us, where are we
headed?
And I think that book wasimportant for me because of that
.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
I love that book was important for me because of that
.
I love that.
I love that.
Listen in audience or not, likeany, any recommendation of
something that changes yourperspective or gives you more
information no one's everrecommended that one, so that's
a first.
Uh, okay, if you've it's, so Ilove it.
But I would say, like bad-asssolutions is probably where I'd
start.
First, guys, please do, yeah,yeah, download the hard copy, or
get the hard copy and downloadevery version that you can, but
(16:38):
pay for all of them, please.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
If you had to start over today it's also the kindle
version and I did just.
I just recorded the audioversion, so there's audio.
So, yeah, you can eat it anyway, you want in making a book.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
I'm like, oh my god, I had the.
I've had the main thing outfirst before I do the main thing
anyway, so's like you got toget one out.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
If you had to start over today at any point in your
timeline, when would that be andwhat would you do differently?
Speaker 2 (17:05):
I think I've had a fault in in my own business life
, which is I tend to get thatwhich we we all, we always hear
all the time Don't get emotional, but but it's caused me to like
what I'm doing and and thinkthat it's going to continue.
So I end up staying at theparty too long.
(17:27):
In other words, I hold on to abusiness or a piece of real
estate or something else that Ihold it longer than after it's
already reached its peak, and Ishould be out With stocks, with
real estate, with businesses.
I think it's that I've learnednot to stay at the party too
(17:49):
long.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Yeah, that's a big.
I mean you'd like to see thepeak, but you're like I'm an
okay man.
Just short of that I've beenfine.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
You never know where the peak is.
I mean, this optimist thinks,well, it's going to keep going,
leave it for the next guy, takeyour money and go do something
else and just keep making money.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Keep taking profit.
It's interesting you say thatbecause it ties back to the
original thing.
The smartest thing I ever heardwas know when you're in the
right place, right, and youshould.
You missed that, right, and I'mlike I'm in the right place
right now.
Let's sell, let's go the moveon.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Because it never is, though.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
I mean, that's really where the wisdom's applied of
oh, I did it in a year early,but I did it at the right time,
cause I would have stayed herefor two more.
Like it's like knowing that youwould have, knowing that that's
it.
Whenever you start feeling thatlike maybe I should exit, it's
probably the right time.
Anyway, I'm one who says I'drather I use it, a company at
seven, 8 million early and go doit again, cause I wouldn't want
(18:43):
to be the guy who takes it to100 million because that does
not interest me at all.
Like, getting it off going andoh cool, it's running.
I'm a SimCity player thatwrecked the city and rebuilt the
city every time.
I never kept it going.
You know what I mean.
That's actually probably a postI should make.
What kind of SimCity playerwere you?
It's probably more profitable.
You should make blog work.
(19:04):
By the way.
Thank you so much for coming ontoday.
If there was one question Ishould ask today and I didn't
what would it have been?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
I think maybe out of the 20 different topics that I
address in my book, what do Ifeel is the most important to
get accomplished, to get done.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
You have to answer it though.
Oh, oh, you have to answer yourown question now.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
I think there are two .
One is and we've touched on itbecause it affects the whole
world the stopping the oceanlevels from rising is critical.
I mean, by the end of thecentury, all coast, coastal
cities and islands are going tobe flooded and nobody's doing
anything about this, thomas.
But we can actually stop it.
There's a really good, viableway to stop the ocean levels
(20:02):
from rising.
As crazy as that sounds, thereis we got to do it entire $36
trillion US debt now and ensurethat it never happens again.
And all of these people theyhave good intentions.
Let's cut out the expenses thatthe federal government has,
(20:25):
let's raise taxes or let's lowertaxes, let's increase trade.
And none of those are going todo this.
Let me just give you a littlequick ditty.
Nobody can really really relateto what 36 trillion is.
36 trillion is seven times morethan the the federal government
(20:48):
brings in taxes annually, whichmeans if the federal government
didn't spend a single penny, itwould take seven years to pay
off the debt, not includinginterest.
That can't happen.
It can't happen with cuttingexpenses.
It couldn't happen with raisingtaxes.
We need something radical tomake this happen and I have it.
(21:12):
Actually, I'm trying to get toTrump and Congress and try to
make this happen.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
I think you will, if you put your mind to it.
I'm sure of it.
I'm trying Step by step, youknow what, and probably the
first step was this podcast.
So thank you so much for comingon.
I hope, so I hope, you're goingto make that happen, thomas.
Thank you, you know what.
Definitely, if you move it upthe ranks.
I know what started here.
That's why I'll give you credittoo.
Mitch, thank you for coming.
Who?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
should get ahold of you, and how do they do that?
The book, wherever books aresold, the easiest is Amazon.
So it's badass solutions, withor without a hyphen, and I have
a website that goes into moredetail and you can actually buy
it through the website, and it'sbad hyphen, ass solutionscom.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Thank you.
Thank you.
I appreciate you coming ontoday.
Thanks for having me.
This was fun.
Anybody who's still out therelistening you rock and if this
is your first time here, I hopeyou come back and I hope
everyone listening goes outthere and cuts a tie to
something, holding them back.
Welcome to the Cut the Tide podcast.
Once again, hi, I'm your host,thomas Helfrich.
If this is your first time here, I hope it's the first of many,
and today we're going to betrying to learn a little bit
about our guests' journey andhow they cut a tie to holding
them back, where it held themback or what they had to go
learn.
We want you to get out there,though, and become the best
version of yourself by cuttingthe tie to something, holding
you back, something you thinkyou need or need to evolve to,
(00:21):
and today we're joined by MitchFrancis.
Mitch, how are you doing, tom?
I'm good.
Good to see you.
You as well.
It's always nice.
I want you to just maybe take amoment introduce yourself and
what you do.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I'm Mitch Francis.
I have a 40 plus year extensivebusiness background where I was
the founder and CEO of severalpublicly traded companies
private companies.
I developed commercial realestate and still own and manage
commercial real estate all overthe country, so I've done a lot.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I mean you've done a lot.
So what's your current business, though?
What's your current like.
You know what's the thingdriving you every day to get up
to go work.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Well, there's a new thing I think we'll get into,
that I've written a book and thebook addresses 20 of the really
what I call the big-assproblems in our country, in the
world, and I actually have verydoable, reasonable solutions for
all of them.
So that's taken a lot of mytime now.
(01:25):
It's really been kind ofconsuming.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
You're in that phase of your life now where you've
done a lot and you're like Ineed to share this and you put
it into the book of like, hey,this is a, I take this one.
There's a lot of experience andlearnings across multiple
businesses in this book, Right?
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Right and it actually evolved to using.
You know, any business personhas to develop really good
problem solving skills.
All of us have roadblocksthrown in our, in our, in our
way of of get reaching our goals, thomas, every damn day.
And if you don't develop skillsyou know for for solving those
(02:04):
problems, no matter what youhave to do, you're just not
going to reach your goals.
And I was able to apply thoseproblem solving skills to the
societal problems as opposed tobusiness problems, and it
actually worked and I came upwith what was really good.
I said doable, but they reallyare.
(02:25):
It's surprising.
We can actually stop the oceanlevels from rising, we can
actually pay off the US debtimmediately and it's using an
approach that you and youraudience a good business person
knows how to do.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Well, I usually ask the question like what makes you
unique?
You dive into that a little bitwith the book, like because
that is unique?
There's a lot of business bookstalking about problems to solve
, but you're tying uh, you'retying to like not small problems
, you're talking like giant,like global nature projects, so
so dive into that a bit well,let me back up a little bit
about how it came about, whichis there was actually a family
(03:03):
tragedy.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
About two and a half years ago, you may recall, there
was a mass killing in a suburbof Chicago called Highland Park
during a Fourth of July parade,and there was this crazed young
man with assault rifles who juststarted shooting people and
seven people were killed and alot more were injured, and one
of the people that were waskilled was my brother-in-law's
(03:28):
brother and, as you can imagine,the whole family was just
devastated by this.
This was a terrific guy, youknow.
Everybody loved him, he wasbrilliant, he was fun, he was
loving.
You know, this was a big lossand and I I left this event
pissed, you know, and I took alook around, thomas, and I said,
(03:50):
god, we have so many problemsin our country that are huge
that nobody's doing anythingabout and and you know I've
always been, you know,interested in news and and you
events, and I and I and I kindof took stock of myself and I
said, well, you know, let melook at all these problems and
(04:10):
and I discovered that there werelike 20 really major problems
that I actually had at least thebeginnings of solutions for,
and that's how this book cameabout.
That was two and a half yearsago, and behind me is the cover
of Badass Solutions.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Well, on that journey , maybe it's not a tie you had
to cut, but what did you have todiscover to be successful in
writing that book?
Speaker 2 (04:37):
That's an interesting question.
I think I had to take stock ofmyself and realize that, just
like in business, it's ideas areeasy, you know, it's execution,
it's operations, you know thatmakes the success, you know.
And so here I had thesebeginnings of of ideas and like
I would say, you know, I don't,you know, with news I always go
(04:58):
well, why don't they just dothis?
And you know, and, and you knowthat's a beginning.
But then I had to do a lot ofresearch.
You know I had to do what Iwould do in business.
You know I I actually equateproblem solving to my
methodology of of sales andnegotiations.
You know what's the objective,learn everything I can for about
(05:20):
the other side, what do theywant to accomplish, what's going
to be my way of of achievingtheir goals?
And and then you havesuccessful sales or negotiations
.
And I did that with problemsolving here and just as I did
in business, and found that youknow it's interesting, like,
(05:41):
like I mentioned a littleearlier, you know, um, stopping
the ocean levels from rising.
I mean, what could be fartherfrom my background?
Um, but then I, you know, gotinto this.
I did a lot of research and Ifound, you know that, that I
kept getting more sucked in.
So it's like well, how muchwater are we talking about, you
know, and you're asking thegeneral questions.
(06:02):
And I did all this study andfound that the polar ice caps
are melting at a rate that wouldfill 20 Olympic-sized swimming
pools every second.
So with that information, Ijust kept getting deeper and
deeper and deeper to to findwhat's the problem, what's the
(06:23):
scope of the problem, and thenand then I always play like in
sales and negotiations andproblems Well, what if, what if
we do that?
So what if we do that?
And and find keep going to findthe solution that will work.
And it actually was veryproductive Keep going to find
the solution that will work.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
And it actually was very productive.
I think you mentioned this, butyou know you left the event.
You know there's a tragedythat's happened.
Was that the aha moment, whenyou knew you were going to do
this, or was it?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
after it was kind of together it was.
The aha moment was what ishappening in our country?
I was angry and then realizingthat we have all of these
problems and in this case it wasassault rifles and the US has
20 million assault rifles andwe're not invading Canada.
Trump says badmouths Canadaquite a bit.
(07:16):
We're not invading Canada, youknow Trump.
Trump says you know bad mouthsCanada quite a bit, but we're
not invading.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
So we what if they invade us?
I mean, they got horses, yeah,mounted police, they do.
I guess my point is, if youwant to see how he thinks about
it, read his book.
Don't leave it out there.
The point is you have big asssolutions to big ass problems
that a bunch of fat asses arenot doing anything about.
Who are in charge to go do that?
(07:43):
Is that?
I think that's not in your book.
I may have added the fat asspart, no, but I like it.
I think I should do a rewrite.
Large mouth, bass holes.
I miss you, I like it.
What's been the impact sincewriting your book?
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I've had really good response.
It's interesting I've hadresponse from people who find
that one or two or three ofthese ideas kind of touches
their heart.
You know, the author of ChickenSoup for the Soul is a
wonderful guy named JackCanfield and he read a
pre-published version of my bookand he's been.
He's a number one seller ofnonfiction books of all time and
(08:22):
he's been an environmentalistand he it so happens that this
stopping the ocean levels fromrising he liked my solution so
much that he had never heard ofit that he actually wrote my
forward in the book.
That's so cool.
So that was a lot ofcredibility.
And I've had this kind ofreaction from people who say,
(08:43):
you know, we thought it was theimpossible to pay off the US
debt and we have a reallystraightforward to immediately
pay off the US debt.
So people are liking many ofthese solutions that are close
to their own interests and I'mtrying to get people involved.
You know we need, we need tomake these happen and uh, you
(09:05):
know, and actually one of mychapters is all right, well,
what now?
How do we get these to happen?
Speaker 1 (09:11):
You know, my book unpublished.
Uh, you know, 90% of writing abook maybe 95 is procrastination
, but anyway, I'm still workingthrough it.
It's not that I actually got areview for my wife.
She's like hey, I think youshould do this this.
And I'm like oh, she's rightdamn it.
Oh yeah, that's good, that'sgood.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
My wife was my editor .
She was, she's a, she's awriter and actress and really
talented and she was my editorand you know, and added, added a
lot.
The book actually is kind offun and even funny, believe it
or or not.
You know these are not funnytopics, but to make it readable,
if I had to add a readabledirection here and humor right,
Well, exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
So I think one of those moments you are in an
entrepreneur, sometimes thepeople closest to you who really
not sure you want the opinionof those are the ones you
definitely want the opinion of.
Yeah you do.
And like my wife gives mefeedback, my book I'm like, oh
you, oh, you're right, I gottacut that thing in half.
I gotta combine stuff.
This doesn't make sense.
And I read it through her lens.
I'm like oh that.
Yeah, I wouldn't have thought ofthat.
Okay, good boy, yeah, it'simportant.
You're like kind of like god,I'm back to score.
(10:08):
The point of that was one ofthe chapters was ideas are easy,
execution is everything.
I think it's actually titledthat and you're 100 true that
you know, especially my adhdlisteners which entrepreneurs
are, cause they got pushed outof corporate, cause you're ADHD,
you got to focus on one thing.
So, like as best as you can,because otherwise you're not
going to execute anything.
And this is a huge thing thattakes lots of people with a lot
(10:31):
of momentum, and maybe it's yourbook that triggers somebody
else who's enough influence togo do the next thing, that
creates the group that does thatthing and and that's it's got
to start some places.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
And I'm really hopeful, hopeful about that,
thomas, you really hit the nailon the head, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
I think we should come up with another analogy.
What else do we hit besides anail?
We really hit the ball in themiddle of the racket on that one
.
Yeah, it was of the park.
That's an overused analogy too.
Well, that was a great forehanddown the line there.
That was a winner.
I would like to play tennis,but I have a hurt foot Also not
making the cut for him.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Okay, tell me the lesson you have for the listener
you know it's it's a little bitof a departure from, I think,
your your listeners maininterest, which is how to be
more successful as anentrepreneur.
But my hope with the book is toinspire people to get involved
(11:29):
with something beside theircareer, something beside their
career, something beside theirwork.
You know give back.
There's an overriding theme ofthe book that came from Mahatma
Gandhi, who said when the peoplelead, the leaders will follow.
And that's all I can hope for.
I hope that all of you knowfind something beside our own
(11:53):
money-making business objectivesand give a couple hours a week
back to making our world a bitbetter.
I hope that.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
I mean that's that would be the way not to be a
parasite species.
Yeah, we are.
Guys ever listen.
We're our parasites, but wedon't think we are.
We're smart enough to realizewe can trick ourselves with our
own thoughts.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
We can.
We can help.
We can help the overall good.
And listen, I think businessand entrepreneurs help the world
.
I really do but we can also bemore altruistic and charitable.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
I think the matrix that we live in is programmed.
If any one thing gets too outof whack, it either
self-corrects through the earthitself, or an asteroid hits us
and takes care of it.
One of the two will correct us.
We might as well do what we canalong the way to make it a
little nicer.
I think so, mitch, who givesyou inspiration?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
I think, people who achieve.
I love what Gandhi had to sayabout that.
There are people who, I think,achieve, people who are humorous
in their achievements, nottaking themselves too seriously.
I kind of follow that.
I'm actually a nut for quotesand I find great intelligence
and humor in quotes.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
So that's where I get it.
Ghani's a solid choice forinspiration.
You've had a lot of businessesand experience.
I'm curious on this one what'sbeen the best business advice
you've gotten?
Speaker 2 (13:18):
one what's been the best business advice you've
gotten?
It's easy.
When I finished, I was actuallya real estate major at the
university of Colorado and they,you know, back in that day it
just wasn't a major that wasoffered to run like two
universities in the country thathad it.
Anyway, I finished, I moved toLos Angeles and I started
working as a commercial realestate broker.
And I started working as acommercial real estate broker
(13:49):
and I was very it's interesting.
I closed.
I was going to say veryfortunate, but it's it's in
contrast to the, to what I'mabout to tell you.
But back at that time weactually had typists who would
do contracts and agreements thathad to get typed up, and like a
secretarial pool, and one ofthe secretary typists
congratulated me oh, this wasgreat Congratulations.
And I was humble and I said Iwas just in the right place at
(14:11):
the right time, thomas.
She got angry at me.
She said, no, in the rightplace at the right time, thomas.
She got angry at me.
She said, no, that's not it.
Well, what are you talkingabout?
And she said more important thanbeing at the right place at the
right time is knowing you are,and to this day it's still the
most intelligent thing thatanyone's ever said to me and
(14:32):
it's led to a lot of my businessinterests and successes.
Where, you know, I actually sawan opportunity that hundreds of
thousands of people would haveseen, to do a business in Las
Vegas that became the biggestticket broker in Las Vegas where
we sold a billion dollars ofshow tickets, tours, attractions
(14:57):
and dining.
And it was because I saw thisopportunity and knew it was an
opportunity and I always likenit to like we're like standing
in a stream of fishopportunities going by all of us
all the time and you have topick.
You have to say that could bevery successful and you have to
pick.
You have to say that could bevery successful.
(15:17):
And it applies to me, to myskillset, and and I've had that
kind of success my whole life bydoing just what she said.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
That's amazing.
Now, besides your own book,though, what's your must read
book?
Speaker 2 (15:34):
From.
It may not be for your, foryour audience, but for me.
There was a book in thenineties called mega trends and
they they discussed 10 differenttrends that were so big in the
direction that that that theeconomy, the country and the
world was going, and I just Itook it first of all, I thought
(16:01):
it was a fascinating directionand material, but I took that as
a way to live your life what'scoming at us, where are we
headed?
And I think that book wasimportant for me because of that
.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
I love that book was important for me because of that
.
I love that.
I love that.
Listen in audience or not, likeany, any recommendation of
something that changes yourperspective or gives you more
information no one's everrecommended that one, so that's
a first.
Uh, okay, if you've it's, so Ilove it.
But I would say, like bad-asssolutions is probably where I'd
start.
First, guys, please do, yeah,yeah, download the hard copy, or
get the hard copy and downloadevery version that you can, but
(16:38):
pay for all of them, please.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
If you had to start over today it's also the kindle
version and I did just.
I just recorded the audioversion, so there's audio.
So, yeah, you can eat it anyway, you want in making a book.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
I'm like, oh my god, I had the.
I've had the main thing outfirst before I do the main thing
anyway, so's like you got toget one out.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
If you had to start over today at any point in your
timeline, when would that be andwhat would you do differently?
Speaker 2 (17:05):
I think I've had a fault in in my own business life
, which is I tend to get thatwhich we we all, we always hear
all the time Don't get emotional, but but it's caused me to like
what I'm doing and and thinkthat it's going to continue.
So I end up staying at theparty too long.
(17:27):
In other words, I hold on to abusiness or a piece of real
estate or something else that Ihold it longer than after it's
already reached its peak, and Ishould be out With stocks, with
real estate, with businesses.
I think it's that I've learnednot to stay at the party too
(17:49):
long.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Yeah, that's a big.
I mean you'd like to see thepeak, but you're like I'm an
okay man.
Just short of that I've beenfine.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
You never know where the peak is.
I mean, this optimist thinks,well, it's going to keep going,
leave it for the next guy, takeyour money and go do something
else and just keep making money.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Keep taking profit.
It's interesting you say thatbecause it ties back to the
original thing.
The smartest thing I ever heardwas know when you're in the
right place, right, and youshould.
You missed that, right, and I'mlike I'm in the right place
right now.
Let's sell, let's go the moveon.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Because it never is, though.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
I mean, that's really where the wisdom's applied of
oh, I did it in a year early,but I did it at the right time,
cause I would have stayed herefor two more.
Like it's like knowing that youwould have, knowing that that's
it.
Whenever you start feeling thatlike maybe I should exit, it's
probably the right time.
Anyway, I'm one who says I'drather I use it, a company at
seven, 8 million early and go doit again, cause I wouldn't want
(18:43):
to be the guy who takes it to100 million because that does
not interest me at all.
Like, getting it off going andoh cool, it's running.
I'm a SimCity player thatwrecked the city and rebuilt the
city every time.
I never kept it going.
You know what I mean.
That's actually probably a postI should make.
What kind of SimCity playerwere you?
It's probably more profitable.
You should make blog work.
(19:04):
By the way.
Thank you so much for coming ontoday.
If there was one question Ishould ask today and I didn't
what would it have been?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
I think maybe out of the 20 different topics that I
address in my book, what do Ifeel is the most important to
get accomplished, to get done.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
You have to answer it though.
Oh, oh, you have to answer yourown question now.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
I think there are two .
One is and we've touched on itbecause it affects the whole
world the stopping the oceanlevels from rising is critical.
I mean, by the end of thecentury, all coast, coastal
cities and islands are going tobe flooded and nobody's doing
anything about this, thomas.
But we can actually stop it.
There's a really good, viableway to stop the ocean levels
(20:02):
from rising.
As crazy as that sounds, thereis we got to do it entire $36
trillion US debt now and ensurethat it never happens again.
And all of these people theyhave good intentions.
Let's cut out the expenses thatthe federal government has,
(20:25):
let's raise taxes or let's lowertaxes, let's increase trade.
And none of those are going todo this.
Let me just give you a littlequick ditty.
Nobody can really really relateto what 36 trillion is.
36 trillion is seven times morethan the the federal government
(20:48):
brings in taxes annually, whichmeans if the federal government
didn't spend a single penny, itwould take seven years to pay
off the debt, not includinginterest.
That can't happen.
It can't happen with cuttingexpenses.
It couldn't happen with raisingtaxes.
We need something radical tomake this happen and I have it.
(21:12):
Actually, I'm trying to get toTrump and Congress and try to
make this happen.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
I think you will, if you put your mind to it.
I'm sure of it.
I'm trying Step by step, youknow what, and probably the
first step was this podcast.
So thank you so much for comingon.
I hope, so I hope, you're goingto make that happen, thomas.
Thank you, you know what.
Definitely, if you move it upthe ranks.
I know what started here.
That's why I'll give you credittoo.
Mitch, thank you for coming.
Who?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
should get ahold of you, and how do they do that?
The book, wherever books aresold, the easiest is Amazon.
So it's badass solutions, withor without a hyphen, and I have
a website that goes into moredetail and you can actually buy
it through the website, and it'sbad hyphen, ass solutionscom.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Thank you.
Thank you.
I appreciate you coming ontoday.
Thanks for having me.
This was fun.
Anybody who's still out therelistening you rock and if this
is your first time here, I hopeyou come back and I hope
everyone listening goes outthere and cuts a tie to
something, holding them back.
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