If You Lost It All Tomorrow, What Would You Do Next?

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What would a billionaire actually do if they woke up at zero, without their name, money, or network? We start there and pull the thread through pivots, ego, and the kind of decisions that either compound or cap your growth. It’s a raw, practical conversation from the trenches of construction, creative services, and scaling a business when the scoreboard isn’t moving fast enough.

We unpack the pivot-versus-persist dilemma with clear signals: are others winning in your category right now, or is the market structurally capped? Are your systems tightening, win rates rising, cycle times shrinking, and margins holding? What external shifts—tech, regulation, demand—change the math? Then we get honest about ego. From $40M jobs melting down over $20K claims to “winning” a client argument and losing the account, we show how pride becomes a hidden tax on profits. Process beats posture: set scope boundaries, price change decisions, and keep rooms calm so deals close and relationships last.

We also talk about quitting a steady salary, not with heroics but with truth. Sometimes the fire to build is bigger than the fear of missing a paycheck. Sometimes misery is the push. Either way, the play is the same: most decisions aren’t permanent, speed beats rumination, and you can reverse a call faster than you can recover from months of indecision. To make big choices, we lean on a simple framework: do/don’t and get/don’t-get. Map the consequences now and later, draw the flow, and act. If it’s wrong, you’ll know soon enough and adjust.

Finally, we tie it to daily habits that actually move the needle: early deep-work windows before the world interrupts, a midday training block to reset energy, and pre-deciding clothes and priorities to remove friction. This isn’t hustle theater. It’s an operating system that protects focus, speeds execution, and keeps you playing offense.

If this hits, tap follow, subscribe on YouTube for new drops, and share it with a friend who’s wrestling with a pivot or a high-stakes call. Your review helps more builders and operators find the show—and keeps us shipping the conversations you ask for next.

Episode Transcript

Robby (00:00):
You know, uh George, I keep having this thought.
I was driving into work today.
This morning.
And I was thinking to myself.
I was read uh I was listeningto a book called um JD JD?
JD Rockefeller?
You don't know?
The rich guy.

(00:20):
It's 38 letters to his son.
So he wrote 38 letters to hisson and then become a book.

George (00:28):
Yeah, I like that.

Robby (00:29):
Yeah.

George (00:30):
I like the concept so far.

Robby (00:32):
And someone was saying, uh if you're a if you're a dad
or a son, you should read thisbook.
It's great.
So I started listening to itand uh I was just listening to
I'm trying to understand thelessons he's trying to pass on
to his son.
I'll give you the exact name.

(00:52):
Um you should buy it right now.
You you listening to this.
Not me.
You should buy it too.
Uh it's called The 38 Lettersfrom JD Rockefeller to His Son.
Perspectives, ideology, andwisdom.
Okay.
And it's quite quiteinteresting.
Like some of the stuff he'strying to share with him about

(01:12):
perspective and life andcontrolling your luck.
And um yeah, I thought it wasquite cool.
And I was thinking to myselfthis morning as I was listening
to it, and I was like arguablyone of the richest people to
ever exist.
I think they said if they triedto calculate with inflation,

(01:33):
like he would have been a uhmulti-billionaire in uh 1800 or
something.
Yeah.
When it was like that was likea lot of money.
And I was thinking, okay, cool,like what would this guy do if
he was alive now?
You know what I mean?
Like, what would he do?
He wouldn't be on his way towork to go and reply to some

(01:56):
emails like I'm about to do,first thing.
He's not gonna do that.
He wouldn't, his actions wouldnot be the same as mine.
So I was like, that'sinteresting.
What would he do though?

George (02:07):
Yeah, I was I I had this conversation with I think my
old man actually the other day,or someone.
I mentioned it to him.
Like, do you think that personwould do this if they went broke
tomorrow or if they were herenow?
Would they do the same thingthat I'm doing right now?
What would be their game plan?

Robby (02:22):
Who were he's hanging about?

George (02:23):
I can't remember.
That was just, I think it wasin passing, maybe just like a
generic multi or worth thehundreds of millions of dollars.
What would they do?

unknown (02:33):
Yeah.

George (02:34):
I guarantee you they wouldn't be like, let's go open
up another office in Hawthorneand start selling renovations.
You know?

Robby (02:43):
You don't reckon they'd do that?

George (02:45):
No, no.

Robby (02:46):
So what do you think what do you think they would do?

George (02:48):
Uh I they'd have to leverage their connections that
they've made over the years,that's for sure.
Yeah.
And friendships and all thatsort of stuff.
Either start doing another dealof some sort and going down
that path, I think.
Because they would get a wealthof experience.
Uh fuck if I know.
It depends what industrythey're in, I suppose.
But let's just use building,for example, if they were a
hotshot developer and doing alot of projects and whatnot,

(03:10):
then it'd be a matter of raisingcapital or finding the project,
raising capital and thenexecuting on delivery and going
again.
And putting together deals thatare worth tens of millions,
hundreds of millions of dollars,as opposed to going, all right,
well, let's go build atwo-story office building first
because we just went broke fromyou know $500 million.
That's what I'm saying.

Robby (03:30):
Yeah, someone went broke from $500 million, their first
project would not be threetownhouses.

George (03:34):
No, that's exactly right.
So what would that move be?
But then, you know, that wholetime they've been in that space,
they would have accumulatedsome serious power plays, like a
power base worth of people thatthey could lean on and go,
right, boys, this job fucked up.
I've had to close the books,but I've had this, this, and
this cookie.
Let's go and have a chat.

Robby (03:52):
No, but I say, okay.
I think that you take thatperson and drop them in a place
they don't know anyone.

George (04:00):
Yeah, in another country or another state or something
like that?

Robby (04:02):
Another so Grand Cardone did the Yeah, billion,
undercover billionaire.

George (04:07):
Yeah.

Robby (04:07):
Where they go and they drop you somewhere and you can't
use your name, you can't useyour name, you can't use your
contacts, you can't use yourmoney.
Yeah, and you need to go andbuild a business.
Right?
So what would they do?
Like you can't use your name,contacts, or reputation.
Money.
What are you doing?
What's that person gonna do?
They I get almost guaranteethey're still not doing the same

(04:28):
thing.
If Elon Musk went broke, hewould not start running ads for
people.
He wouldn't.
He would not go and consult.
I might hire him.
I'd hire him.
He wouldn't.
Yeah, he wouldn't go and startbuilding the clients.
Yeah.
Or what do you?

George (04:50):
I can't answer the question.
Neither can I.
I can't.

Robby (04:53):
Um but speaking of answering questions, I've got a
list of questions, George.
Fantastic.

George (04:57):
But maybe if we ever pass if we ever get to meet
them, like maybe that's thequestion to ask.
Oh, call him right now.
I think that's a good questionto ask, though.
You know, if you went back tozero, but I just fucking hate.
If I asked the question, itwould be to someone of the
extent like a one-on-one, not inlike a group forum.
Why?
Because I feel they'd give methe same generic bullshit

(05:18):
answer.
You know, something that Iwould know, whatever it might
be.

Robby (05:22):
What is it?

George (05:23):
Fucking work hard, go do this.
I would speak to this person,I'd speak to this person.
No bloke, no, no, specific.
Who are you going to first?
Like, what are you looking at?
What area?
What time of the day?
Like, tell me, what would youdo?
Or mix it up and say, okay,well, this is us, this is where
we're at.
What would you do if you werein my position, not having, not

(05:43):
being you, not having thecondition, not having the
contacts you have, not havingthe XYZ that you have?
What would you do then?
Right?
This is my situation, this ismy scenario.
How do I because obviously whatI'm doing now isn't going to
make me worth half a billion.
So where's the disconnect thatI'm not seeing or the things
that I'm not doing?
Am I in the wrong space?
Am I doing the wrong thing?

(06:03):
Am I thinking about the wrongproduct?
Do you ever think you're in thewrong space?
Sometimes.
Sometimes in the sense of, youknow, patiently aggressive, not
happening quick enough as muchas I would like it.
Like as I said, we were on theverge, or we still are, on the
verge of winning quite asignificant project, like um

(06:24):
over $12 million on a singleproject.
And like, okay, that's great,next level, but it's still not
50.
It's still not 150 or 500.
And even if I won another threeof those, it's still not in
that stratosphere.
So what do you need?
Like, where's the line whereyou go, cool, now we're doing
this much, this much, this much?

Robby (06:45):
Yeah.

George (06:46):
You know, is enough enough?
Like, what is your enough?
At what point is it, yeah, youcould you're doing this, this,
then this.
I I don't know.
That's the other thing you'vegot to answer.
Because someone will look atthat, go, wow, if I'd made $12
million in my lifetime, I'd behappy.
If I won $12 million worth ofwork in a lifetime of business,
I'd be happy.
Uh, and then other people lookat it and go, it's pocket

(07:10):
change.

Robby (07:10):
Okay, well, that's actually a perfect question or
perfect segue into the question,which was sent in, which was
how do you know when it's timeto pivot versus pushing through
a challenging business phase?
Yeah, really good question.
That's a great question.
How do you know?

George (07:27):
Because I feel that that's happened to me a couple
of times in business, not justonce.
What do you mean?
As in the most recent wasCOVID, being that we had
significant losses during thattime and everything that
happened, and I consideredshutting the business down, not
from uh going broke, but justlike, is this worth it?
Like I've just done all that.

Robby (07:47):
So I I think every business owner faces that
question at some stage.

George (07:51):
All the time.

Robby (07:52):
Yeah.

George (07:52):
You know what I mean?

Robby (07:53):
I've thought it twice since we started recording.

George (07:55):
Okay.
Well, I just had I justbrokered a deal on another
project just recently like thisweek.
Um, but when I say brokered adeal, it was to walk away from a
significant amount of money forboth parties and for it not to
go legal and battle.
And I look at that and go,okay, well, that's a significant
chunk of money that I'm notgoing to receive now.
Like, was that venture worthit?
Was the lesson worth it?

(08:17):
Was the me doing this again forthe next five to ten years, is
that going to be worth it ifthis is the shit you're going to
be dealing with once every fouryears?
Do you know what I mean?
And it's like, well, what's thepoint?
I may as well go work forsomeone, have that security of
making half a mil a year anddone and dusted.
So I think the reason you pushthrough that, well, the reason I

(08:39):
push through it is I alwaysfeel that there is a better day
tomorrow.
And I still see that it canhappen.
And I still see that theprocesses, the systems,
everything we've got going on isis there and able to work.
I was speaking with asuperintendent today, who is,
for those of you that don'tknow, he's the per he's a person

(08:59):
that would like oversee aproject for a client.
So he would manage the builder,payments, uh, review of
payments, RFIs, all that sort ofshit.
So consultant.
Consultants to a clientmanaging the building process.
And I was speaking to him andhe goes, he goes, You wouldn't
believe, George, the shit that Igo through sometimes.
He goes, We're talking on a jobworth $30 to $40 million, and

(09:21):
they're at the final day, allright, and the builder and the
client are arguing over $20,000.

Robby (09:28):
Did you say $40 million?

George (09:30):
Yeah, because 20, like $20 to 30 million, you're just
tens of millions of dollars.
And they're arguing over$20,000 on a final claim.
And he goes, I've seen it go toshit.
Like people swearing at eachother, yelling at each other,
fuck you, this is like goingnuts on a four, you know, $30
million project, $20,000.
They're arguing over.

(09:51):
And I'm like, man, that'sfucked.
Like, how that is that'smassive ego in the room.
Massive ego.
Do you know what I mean?
To sit there and go, this,this, this, like, no, you give
me that $20,000, like $20,000?
Depending regardless of who'swrong or who's right.
Okay.
Hey, you know what?
Fuck it.
Bygons be bygones.
We've just delivered a $40million job.

(10:12):
I'm going to sit here and arguewith you over $20,000.
It's just stupid.
As a as a ratio of what thatmoney is, like it's at that
point, it's just principle, likeit's an ego.
They're just trying to go, no,you're going to give me that $20
grand.
We did the work, you've got todo it.
And whilst I may agree withthat, maybe the developer's
thinking, well, hang on, youcost me this, this, this, and
this.
I'm only asking for 20K.

(10:33):
Fuck yeah, I'll go for 50 nowor 100 or whatever it might be.
And he goes, he just sees it.
He's seeing it a lot from thatclient side and builder side
because he's that man in themiddle.
He goes, all the project, hegoes, and this was an
interesting thing.
He goes, honestly, George, outof all the projects that I do,
he reckons 10% of the projects,the client and the div and the

(10:55):
builder actually have a dinnerat the end of the job to
celebrate.
10.
10%.
Of all the jobs he does, hereckons only 10% of the people
actually go out for dinner andgo and celebrate the delivery of
the project.
I thought, 10%.
I'm like, fuck me, that is thatis low.
That is non-existent.
You deliver you're doing allthese projects, and at the very

(11:16):
end, only 10% of your clientsactually come together amicably
and say, hey, let's go fordinner.
What a great achievement.
Or let's do something, whateverit might be.
I don't know.
Whatever they want to do.

Robby (11:26):
Why do you think that is?

George (11:28):
Look, it's probably because it's a stress, a high
stress, high stake space withconstruction, with money.
Like money's flowing in and outall the time, and it never
stops until the end of the job.
Um, they've got, you know,developers will have settlements
potentially if they're buildingapartments or whatever it might
be, or townhouses, so they'vegot to settle.
They don't get money until theyget the occupancy permit.

(11:50):
The builder doesn't get paiduntil all these defects are
done, and it's just thatconstant flow in, flow out of
shit going on on the on the job.
And, you know, not many peopleare built to deal with that.
And I think that's whathappens.
This same person I broke at adeal with, like they were the
previous builder they had, theywent to court.

(12:11):
Do you know what I mean?
And it's like they're justpunching on.
And I'm I'm just again, I letmy ego out of it.
Okay, it's not about that.
It's about this, this, this,and this.
This is what we agreed to, thisis what we're happy with.
You're happy to do it, cool.
And I even said to him, funnyenough, I said, actually, I'm
reopening negotiations.
And he goes, Hell, what's that?
I go, We're going out fordinner.
And he goes, and you're paying.

(12:32):
So I said, We're goingsomewhere nice and it's on you.
And he goes, Absolutely,George, no worries.
You're a gentleman.
So we went out and look, happy,happily to do it.
Like I don't, I've got nogrudges here.

unknown (12:42):
Yeah.

Robby (12:43):
Happy to go out for dinner for them on their cost.

George (12:45):
Hey.
I'd be happy for that too.
Hey, after what they've whatI've given back, it's a fucking
cheap meal, trust me.
Okay.
But what I'm saying is I lookat it from a number of
perspectives.
It's the lesson.
It's the you know, okay.
Because I haven't gone throughguns blazing, what's to say
these guys don't give me anotherjob next year?
Do you want a job though?

(13:06):
I would do it, yeah.
Oh, you would?
Yes.
They they still paid.
And they're still paying.
There's still money thatthey're like, I'm not, I haven't
lost.
When I say I haven't made whatI was in uh forecasted to make,
but I haven't lost.
And we did another project, didvery well out of it.
We're doing this one, didn't doso well.
All right, you take some hitsalong the way, too.
Now, had I gone in there, fuckyou, this is what I accept.

(13:28):
You don't take it, that's fine.
Here's my solicitor, speak tohim.
This is the last conversationwe're having.
You can do that too.
All right, but then it goes onfor another 24 months.
All right, and you're gonnaspend that money that you were
gonna potentially get on fees,and then everyone loses.
So, yeah, now potentially, whoknows?

(13:50):
They'll call me up and say, heyGeorge, we've got this project
here, we'd love you to do it.
Do you want to price it up?
Absolutely, boys, no worries.
Let's have a chat.
Maybe I increase my price alittle bit more because I know
they might be difficult to dealwith, or um, trying to make up a
loss or whatever it might be.
Ultimately, you'd be assessedon you're only as good as your
last project and your lastdealing, but it is what it is.
So I think coming back to thequestion, I think you really got

(14:13):
to look at the future and go,well, what's what's the
probability of growth?
Like, are you the barrier?
Are you bouncing in the samespot?
Do you need to get better?
Is the industry or the spacethat you're in just it's capped?
That's how much money you canmake, that's all you're gonna
move on.
What's the barrier?
What's the entry here?

Robby (14:32):
And so how what would be your thing to know that you need
to look if you're consistentlylosing, is it you or is it the
space?

George (14:41):
I don't know.
Is it no good?
Like you gotta you gottaself-awareness is a very hard
thing to teach.

Robby (14:49):
Yeah, it's a hard question to answer without
context.

George (14:53):
Yeah.
Yeah, I can only go off myprevious experience, but I I see
it as you know, are otherpeople in that space killing it?
Are they crushing it?
And sometimes it's like, okay,when was I another a while ago?
It's like if this if you weremaking $150 million in net

(15:13):
profit, and someone says to you,Oh, there's this is gonna cost
you $50 grand to fix or for thisto go away, uh you'd be like,
like, don't talk to me.
Don't talk to me.
I've just made $150.
You're talking about $50,000?
I just made $150.
I I spent that much money ondinner last night.
And it's like, it's allrelative, but I kind of often

(15:34):
look at it like that and say,okay, well, I'm just not worth
enough from a monetary point ofview yet.
Because if I was, all thoseproblems aren't problems,
they're just like littleexpenses here and there, but you
wouldn't get stress about it.
But when you're not, whenyou're making $80,000 a year and
something costs you $50, it's ahuge thing.
Like people lose their mindover shit like that.

Robby (15:53):
Yeah.

George (15:54):
I agree.
So what about coming?
Well, on that, how would youlook at that?

Robby (16:04):
I think you've got to relay back to what the goal is.
Like what's you know?

George (16:08):
Yeah, that's a great point.
What are you trying to achieve?
And are you closer to it?

Robby (16:13):
Yeah, and have you gotten closer in this period?
Like what's changed?
Okay, cool.
You're not you know, look atthe last evaluate the last
whatever period it is, 12months, six months, three
months, and say, what's changedin that time that's allowed me
to or has there been somethingstopping me that I've like, what
have I come to learn from this?
You know what I mean?
Is there any new informationthat's come to light?

(16:35):
Uh what's going to allow me toand then there's external
factors too, man.
Like you know, if you're in aprinting business, like if you
print newspapers and then you'relike, should I pivot?
Well, fucking, yeah.

George (16:48):
Now shit, you just figure that out.

Robby (16:50):
Um but yeah, I guess you just gotta there's there's it's
a hard question to answerwithout context, but you gotta
factor in external uh elements.

George (17:03):
Yeah, it has to you have to.

Robby (17:05):
Yeah.
You know what I mean?
We sell solar panels, butthere's no sun where I live.
Yeah.
It's like you're probably inthe wrong business.
You know what I mean?
But if you sell solar panels inPerth, uh I think you're in the
right business.
You know, I was uh justtouching on that ego thing that
you were mentioning as well.
Uh I share a really good I wantto share a really good lesson.

(17:27):
Something that kind of justcame to light for me.
Some time ago, I was uh workingwhat I've learned is in the
design space, and and anyonewho's like an architect or
something like that can probablyreally relate to this.
And you might be able to aswell, in the sense of you work
pretty closely with architects.
But in the uh design space, sowhen something has an element of

(17:49):
creative to it, people are veryhard to please, extremely
difficult to please.
Uh they change their minds alot.
Oh no, you know, I thought itwas gonna look like this, and
blah, blah, blah.
Um they change their mind alot.
And where we see this iscontent, uh, websites, you know,
uh things where it'ssubjective.

(18:10):
Yes, right?
It's like you can you and I canboth see the same thing and you
can like it, and I cannot likeit.
Uh initially in the earlystages of business, whenever we
would do a website, I found outwe were spending way too much
time.
Right?
And then changes were gettingmade and blah, blah.
And it was like, hey man, likewe did not agree to this from

(18:33):
the start, and it was like kindof blown way out of the scope of
works.
So we, you know, over time westarted to tighten our
processes, tighten our scope ofworks.
Um and just got better at it.

George (18:45):
Yeah, lessons you had to learn the hard way, I guess, as
well.

Robby (18:48):
Yeah.
But so then here's this lesson.
So we tightened our scope ofworks, tightened our processes,
and I had a client who we werebuilding a website for.
And we'd already built them awebsite, so we're building the
second website, differentwebsite.
And they came back to us andthey were like, yeah, cool, we

(19:10):
want to build a website for thisnow.
And we're like, okay, cool,yeah, cool.
Like they obviously like thefirst one.
Let's proceed.
And we go through the process,and then about 70% into the
completion, they come back to usand they're like, oh, you know
what?
We want to change this, this,this, this, and that.
Like they want to change a lot.
It's like, imagine, you know,you've started to lay the
foundation and someone wants tochange a floor plan.
And you're like, dude, we'vewe've poured the concrete.

(19:31):
And like, but can we?
You're like, yeah, we can.
We'll rip up the concrete, butyou you're gonna pay for it.
Right?
So I had the exact same thing.
So I was like, yeah, we can dothat, but if like someone's
gonna pay for all this workthat's been done.
Like, I'm not just gonna go anddo all this work again.
Yeah, that's not how thisworks.
And we went back there, andthen they started disagreeing,

(19:52):
whatever.
And then by this point, I tiedin our processes really well.
And I was like, look, this isour process, this is what we do.
I asked you here if you'rehappy with it.
You replied to me an email onthis date, you've replied on the
Zoom call on here, it's allrecorded.
I saw it at 12 13 p.m.
You said this.
And I thought, ha.
Gotcha, gotcha.
Hey, when I say I thoughtgotcha, I thought, man, I am the

(20:16):
man.
Yeah.
Like, look at this, look at me.
Yeah, you know what I mean?
Anyway, so they got defensive.
Um, and I just thought, hey,I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna be
taken for a ride here.
And they got defensive, andthen um they chose to they said,

(20:38):
okay, cool, we're gonnaconsider other options.
I said, like what?
They're like, well, what's itgonna cost us to get a website
built?
Like to start from scratchagain.
I told them, and they said,okay, cool, um, we're gonna
consider other options, and theywent somewhere else.
Yeah, and at the time, I waslike, fuck them.
Whatever, I don't care.
Like, you know what I mean?
I'm not gonna get freakingtaken for a ride.
But looking back now, that wasall ego.

(20:59):
Who won?
I didn't win.
Yeah, I lost money.
They didn't win, but theychanged their mind.
There's nothing I can do aboutthat.

George (21:07):
Yeah, okay.
But in the same token, there'sthis there is a like a level of
accountability too from her fromtheir end.
Yeah, yeah, but it was likeyou'd done all the right things
differently, yeah.
Maybe in the sense of not beingso aggressive because you've
proven in the sense you'veproven them wrong.

Robby (21:23):
Yeah, yes, that was the mistake.
That's what it was, yeah.
And no one would be proven.

George (21:26):
That's right.
Don't ever say no.

Robby (21:28):
Yeah, and it was kind of like, oh, you made us look
stupid, okay, we're goingsomewhere else.
Yeah, that's right.
Um, yeah, but it was like atthe time, I thought I had nailed
it and I thought I won.
But looking back now, from abusiness aspect, I didn't win.
Yeah, I lost revenue.
Lost a job.
Yeah.
Didn't get to deliver, probablylost a future referral.

unknown (21:50):
Yeah.

Robby (21:50):
So it's like, who won really?

George (21:52):
Yeah.
So even then, in that instance,yeah, it's an opportunity to
then look at the process againand see when that does come up,
or or maybe having thatconversation.
I had a client meeting today.
We've just signed up a project,and they asked me a great
question.
They're like, Oh, can we comeon site whenever we want?
And I'm like, Well, thanks forasking that.
That's really great of you toask that.

(22:12):
And the answer is no.
And we went through the processand why and all this sort of
stuff, and they understood andthey were perfectly fine.
But in the past, I never hadthose conversations, and it
resulted in them coming on siteand it goes, hang on, you can't
do this.
I told you this, this, this,and this.
And then it would end up in anargument or disagreement or
embarrassment or whatever itmight be or an issue.
And as a result of having thoseconversations, at least now

(22:35):
there's that understanding andgoing, okay, cool.
We feel better, we're okay withit, we understand the process.
So, yeah, again, in thatinstance, I think it's a matter
of really helping themunderstand everything.
And maybe you can use that asan example the next time you
sign something up.
Say, listen, your opinions aredifferent.
You're, I can only go off whatthe information you tell me of
what you want.
You've given me examples ofwhat you like.

(22:56):
This is what we're gonna do,this is what we're gonna build.
If you change your mind atthese stages, because people
have before, I'm not saying youwill, but people have before, it
it pretty much dismisses allthe work we've done, which I've
I have to pay my people for,right?
And then we're gonna have tostart again.
So there's a fair costassociated when you change your
mind here to scrap everything.

(23:17):
It's not just let's delete thelast couple of things.

Robby (23:20):
Yeah, the thing that happens there.
You'll lose a sale?
No, like there's that element.
Yeah, there's also the elementof uh a lack of decision making.
They're like, wait, hold on.
You told me once I make thisdecision, it's kind of set in
stone, right?
Like, have you ever tried toget someone to like I'm assuming
with what you do, a handoverwould be it's like that.
Well, wait, wait, let me walkthrough again.

George (23:41):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Robby (23:42):
And it's like, come on, man.

George (23:43):
Like that, I've had that process before.
It's like, no, it's one.
Yeah, it's once again.
Come on, yeah, like not 43.
Yeah, because I've had thatbefore.
They're like, oh, come throughand do one thing, and then they
go, Oh, hang on, we've got morehere too, and we've got more
here too.
I'm like, no, no, no, no, it'sone list, it's not 43.
So, yes.
And then they take nine weeksto get back to you, and then
you're like, this now.

Robby (24:04):
Do you get what I'm saying?
Yeah, without a doubt.
Yeah.
Without a doubt.
Um, but yeah, that was a verythat was a lesson that I
recently just in my own way ofprocessing things, I'd come to
kind of yeah.

George (24:16):
I heard it, it was funny, I heard a quote on that
today.
It's like ego, ego will costyou a lot of money in business.
You've got to get rid of ego asas far as practicable uh in
your business decisions becauseit'll just kill it.
It'll honestly kill.
There's no right or wrongbecause it is just the job, it
is the deal.
That's what's important.
You know, I know you follow thefootball really closely and an

(24:38):
adamant Carlton supporter, andyou know everything that happens
at the club all the time.
President.
So, yeah.
So recently the the deal, sothe trade period has just
finished with the AFL, andHawthorne and Essendon were
trying to broker a deal for ZachMerritt, who's the Essendon
captain at the moment.
Yeah.

(24:58):
And I was in the group chatwith some mates and saying, I
go, Essendon, in my opinion,have fucked up here because they
didn't let go of their ego inthe sense of this is our
captain, he's a contractedplayer, he needs to stay here.
We he's a valued, like heneeds, he's a part of a vital
cog of the machine, like heneeds to be here, blah, blah,

(25:20):
blah.
Zach Merritt had come out thatweek saying, I want to leave
Essendon, I nominate Hawthorne.
His manager came out saying,Zach wants to be at Hawthorne
next year.
That is the instructions I'vegot.
And now it's about us brokeringthe deal to make that happen.
The deal didn't go through.
Very public, very open forum.
Hawthorne put forward a deal.

(25:40):
It got rejected straight away.
Then they put forward anotherdeal, which I think was three
first-round picks and a player.
And that was, in their eyes, avery generous, and in many
people's eyes, a very generousdeal for a 30-year-old
midfielder.
Because they're just, they'retrying to, they're premiership
windows now.
So they want to bring in someexperience rather than youth.

(26:03):
And Essendon's on the other endof the spectrum.
They're at the bottom of theladder.
They've got fuck all.
Like they need to bring youthin and rebuild and get those
wins back on the board.
But I think they let their egoget in the way of making this
deal happen.
And as a result of that,they've now got a player who
doesn't want to be there, who isgoing to be forced to play
there.
Is he going to be captain nextyear?

(26:25):
Probably not.
Is he going to be trying ashard as he wants or a can?
I don't know.
Like it's going to be anawkward conversation when he
goes back there.
Also, they've just shotthemselves in the foot as far as
getting three first-roundpicks.
Now, yes, they were a littlebit later in the period.
I think there was one, 16, and22.
Sorry, 10, 16, and 22 picks,uh, plus a player.

(26:48):
And that whole deal has fallento shit.
All because no, he's ourcaptain and he's a contracted
player and he has to stay here.
And he, we're not, we'restanding strong.
We're a strong company, we're astrong club, we do as we say,
you know, and plus we hateHawthorne.
I seem pretty bothered by this.
I couldn't give it, like, Icouldn't give a shit.
I whether he joined or not.

(27:08):
I'm just looking at it fromthat perspective.
But then you could say as well,because I think I think the
deal was they wanted fourfirst-round players for Zach
Merritt from Hawthorne, plus aplayer or some shit.
And Hawthorne's like, we're notgonna, we're not gonna burn the
ships to get one player.
This is the best deal.
And it was, I think it was apretty fair and reasonable deal.
Like you look at other dealsdone in the past, less got more.

(27:31):
And they were they were quitegenerous, and they just weren't
willing as well.
Like, maybe from theirperspective, they'll that maybe
there was ego there too.
So no, no, he's not worth thatmuch.
This is what we're willing togive you.
It could have been that levelof it too.
So, yeah, in that instance, egogot in the way of a
collaboration and getting a dealdone, which would have

(27:51):
benefited both clubs.
Is that an individual's ego?
You reckon?
Uh yeah, it could have beendriven by that for sure.
For sure.
Like the stance by, say, thepresident or the coach of
Essendon, it could have beenfrom there for sure.
For sure.
We could have said, no, this iswhat we're doing.
These are your instructions.
They've got to give usabsolutely everything they have,

(28:12):
or we're not making a deal.
Who knows?

Robby (28:16):
Who makes those decisions?

George (28:18):
There's list managers, as in people will come in and
say, Well, this is what we haveavailable to us, this is what
we'll give you.
But I'm sure there's influenceby the coach, presidents maybe,
but definitely the coach wouldbe the main one of the main guys
because he's got to work withthe list.
He'll say, Hey, I want amidfielder, I want a backman,
make it happen.
These are the players you got.

(28:38):
So, yeah, in that instance, egogot in the way and the deal
didn't get done.
I think every other deal prettymuch got made during that trade
period, and this was one of themost significant ones that
didn't get made.
And yeah, I think it was amassive failure, particularly on
Essendon's behalf, but alsoeven for Zach Merritt now.
He's come out publicly, said hewants to go to Hawthorne, he

(28:58):
doesn't want to be at Essendon.
He's been there for 12 years,had no success in 12 fucking
years, and he wanted to gofinish his career, hopefully
winning a premiership, at leastplaying finals.
And now he's got to go backwith the tail between his legs.
Am I the captain next year?
I don't know.
So that'll be interesting tosee.
And imagine, imagine ifdefinitely not.
What?

(29:19):
Yeah, you wouldn't think so,but then they don't have really
any other calibre player thatcan step up and be a proper
captain at that club.
Who knows?
Uh the funny thing will be isif Hawthorne win the premiership
next year, which I don't thinkthey will, but if they did, then
how would Zach Merritt feelabout that?
Like he would be absolutelylivid.
I'm sure he is livid now, he'dbe shitty.

(29:39):
And then what?
Essendon win the wooden spoon?
He'd be spewing.
And then next year he's 31.
So what's his value in themarket now?
So say Hawthorne said, yeah,okay, we'll take him now.
Now we're going to give youthree fourth round picks.
And our shittest player, yeah.
And then Essendon, yeah, okay,we'll take it.
Anyway, this is an example arecent example of ego that I saw

(30:05):
get in the way of progress andcollaboration.

Robby (30:07):
Alright, next question.
How did you overcome the fearof leaving a steady salary to
become a business owner?
That's a good question.

George (30:26):
Yeah, really good.
Um Do you want to go first?

Robby (30:28):
Yeah, of course.
Sure.
For me, it was um it wasn't itI didn't overcome the fear.
I was scared doing it.
Well I guess I just did itanyway.
But um the biggest thing for mewas I was miserable.
Yeah, like I hated what I wasdoing anyway.
And I was like, I I you know,like I'm slowly drowning.

(30:49):
Let me just drown fast.
Yeah, yeah, you know what Imean?
Like, fuck it, like this is itwas eating away at me slowly,
like you know what I mean?
I was not happy and I was like,man, let me just fucking roll
the dice and you know, I alwaysum I always think that like

(31:13):
yeah, JD Rockefeller that guy'sdead, dude.
Gone, had did, whatever, likegone, gone and it's like, yes,
okay, he built that generationalwealth that the rest of his
family they're still around, arethey the Rockefellers here?
Um he built the generationalwealth that he's but like he's
dead, you know what I mean?
He had to make decisions andgambles, and there's you know

(31:36):
particular things he talksabout, the acquisition of
businesses, and it's like oneday I'm gonna be dead.
Dead AF, and I'm not gonnamatter to any and it's like even
now, like an Oh okay, cool,you're gonna matter to your
kids, and then uh a little bitto your kids' kids, but your
kids, kids, kids probably won'tknow your name.

George (31:57):
That's right.
Your great great grandparents.

Robby (31:59):
Who's yeah?
Do you know do you know yourgrandfather's father's name?
Um no.
George.
Hey, George.
Was it really?

George (32:07):
Probably Greg's name of your kids, George.

Robby (32:11):
Oh everyone, George?
Or George.
Every boy, top George.
And girl, Georgia.
Georgina.
Yeah, yeah.
Um do you know what I mean?
Like, and that's uh that's whatI always tend to like anytime I
I because it is it is a scarydecision.
Like it's not you know what Imean?
The feeling of knowing, like,oh fuck.

(32:31):
Like if I don't make moneyhere, I'm like there's no
there's no fallback.
That's right.
Um not eating tonight.
Yeah, but you know what?
That also does something toyou.

George (32:45):
Gotta get done.

Robby (32:46):
Yeah.
It's on you.
That also lights a fire underyour bum, and all of a sudden
you're like, hey, let's go.
You know what I mean?
And I feel like that that firethat you get lit under your bum
is worth everything.
Well, even if you don't makethe money, yeah, it's worth the
fucking experience.
Because you will come torealise that you can do way more
than you initially realized youyou had done.

(33:06):
Yeah.
You know what I mean?
Or you will see yourself likeall of a sudden you turn into
the fucking greatest salesman inthe world.
And it's like I think a salaryis it's handcuffs.
It's a it's a cushion, man.
That's what it is.
It's a cushion.

(33:26):
You know what I mean?
And you just gotta decide inlife who do you want to be?
Like, do you want to be theperson that took the that sat on
the cushion and played it safe?

George (33:33):
And yeah, I've seen that.
I've seen it a lot.
All right with friends, withparents, with a lot of people.

Robby (33:39):
Yeah, people that won't.
I was having a conversationwith someone today, and they're
like, they're trying to employ,and they're like, I'm I'm
speaking to other people andthey tell me how much they hate
what they're doing at theircurrent role, and I'll say,
cool, I come here and I'll youknow, we'll offer you more
money, more time, more, and thenthey're like just just because
they're used to working at thisfucking, yeah, it's like it's
too much change.
And it's like if you'rethinking of going from your own

(34:03):
comp oh working for someone nowto your own company, there's
people who won't even changecompanies into another company,
you know what I mean?
Um I don't know about you, butI can safely say like arguably
one of the greatest learningexperiences I've ever been on.

George (34:22):
Oh, massive, dude.
You know what I mean?
Huge, huge.
One of us will teach you a lotabout yourself, man.
Oh, dude.
So much about yourself, somuch.
Uh and I especially I think ifyou get punched in the face a
bit too, and see how you reallyhandle pressure.
You know what I mean?
I think that's a really greatlesson.
The uh I can tell my part now.

Robby (34:48):
Yeah, go for it.

George (34:49):
I think for myself it wasn't a matter of fear.
I think the I think theexcitement of success was
greater than my fear.
If that makes sense.

Robby (35:00):
So you had no fear.

George (35:04):
I can't say no fear, but it wasn't on my like I don't
recall thinking, oh shit, wheream I gonna make hundred grand
from this year or this orwhatever?
I don't remember thinking that.
I just went in and had the jobsand kept working and kept
trying hard and refining theprocess.
And I I kind of just alwaysbacked myself.
And look, here's I love thissaying about confidence.

(35:26):
Confidence isn't the lack ofself-doubt.
Confidence is being willing totry even though you doubt
yourself.
And I felt that that was verymuch me.
I was confident, like notbecause I was I doubted, like I
had no doubt whatsoever thatthis was gonna work.
It's just like, no, no, I'mstill willing to try, I'm still
willing to give it a crack.
And yeah, even today, like Iyou take a hit and like, cool,

(35:49):
it's just money, man.
Like, we'll make a lot more ofit.
Let's just go out and focus onthe positives, not the
negatives.
Now we're gonna focus on wherewe're making money, where we're
gonna bring it in, how we'regonna go about it, the deals
we're gonna make, and just keepmoving from strength to strength
and just making difficultcalls.
Like, you know, I've had tomake a few difficult calls in my
business recent times, and asbad as you think it is in your

(36:10):
head at the time, when you makeit and when you do it, it's
like, all right, cool, that wasthe right move.
Let's move on.
What's the next thing thatwe're gonna do?
And I I think um yeah, I Ireally feel that for myself.
I didn't have that fear, I justhad that that real self-belief
that it was gonna work.

(36:30):
But also if it didn't, Isuppose you always have the
fallback, don't you?
If you had to, if marketingbecame obsolete and the only
paid job in the world was to bea mechanic, like you've got
that.
You could do it.
You are a qualified mechanic.
I was never gonna be amechanic.
Ah, you do it.
It's the only job, you can't doanything else.

(36:51):
All other jobs arenon-existent.
Like we're going overseas,we're not overseas, we're going
into space, we have to leave theplanet, and the only available
jobs are mechanics.
You'd be like, all right, wedon't need marketing, we're not
selling shit.
I just need someone to fix myface shit.

Robby (37:06):
Let's say uh in that example, like marketing becomes
obsolete, let's say AI takes itover.

George (37:10):
Yeah.

Robby (37:11):
Right.
Um, I would just go get a job.

George (37:14):
Yeah, that's what I mean.
There's a fallback.
It may not be a mechanic, yes.
Yes, there is a fallback.
And I always I kind of feltthat I knew I could always step
back into commercialconstruction and make a good
wicket and do what I needed todo within the business um to
make a living, to make money.
So I did have that level ofplan B, if that makes sense, but

(37:36):
I never really considered it.
Yeah, neither did I.
Like even today, I don't haveto it's so far behind.
But yeah, me either.
I don't this this is working.
And if it doesn't work, I'llfind something else and I'll do
something else.
Like for me, I don't I don'tsee myself ever working for
someone ever again.

Robby (37:52):
Why?

George (37:54):
I've uh become a custom I'm good at what I do and I've
become accustomed to this way oflife now.
I don't want to go and someonetell me, hey, do this.
Oh, hey, you're good at whatyou do.
Yeah.

Robby (38:04):
What's that gonna be with it?
So it's someone who works forsomeone not good at what they
do?

George (38:08):
No, well, I'm good at business in that regard.
Yeah, so someone's quicklybusiness.
So anyone who works for anyoneis not good at business?
No, they're duds.
I've checked them all.
I've checked them all, everysingle one of them.
No, um, I like I enjoy it too.
I kind of enjoy the thrill ofthe chase, of the win.
Like I love winning.

Robby (38:27):
Um people who are working with someone else are not
winning?
Then don't, they're not winningin my no, my employees win.

George (38:34):
My employees win.
I want to make them, I wanteveryone to win.
I said that the other day.
You know, we had a team meetingand I said, look, my role, I
want you guys to win.
That's what I'm gonna befocusing on.
Because if you guys win, thecompany wins.
I win, everyone wins.
Like, so let's make thathappen.
I've seen a good positivechange in a few people too.
Um, most of the team, actually.
Just from having theseconversations and this mindset
shift and change and gettingeveryone on the same page, you

(38:56):
know.
I think that'll be reallypowerful shit.
Um, but yeah, I just don't Idon't have an urge.
I don't feel like I would wouldwould want to go back and do
that for anyone.

Robby (39:08):
Yeah, I don't think anyone sits there.
Like I feel like getting a job.
Yeah, I can't wait to go back.
I can't wait.
I'm on to um nine to five.
I can't wait to apply forannual leave again.
Um so that's your answer,that's your your final answer.
Lock it in.

George (39:21):
Lock it in, Eddie.

Robby (39:22):
Lock it in.
You don't want to call afriend?

George (39:24):
No, don't have friends.

Robby (39:25):
Um do you have a framework for making high stakes
business decisions?
Like a process?
Yeah, like a how do you so ifyou have to make a big decision,
what are the things you factorin?
I I'm this is what I I'mparaphrasing now, but this is

(39:48):
what I how I understand it.
Like what's your you gotta makea big decision right now.
What are the things you takeinto account?
Like what's okay, here's abetter what's the last really
big decision you made withoutgiving away too much?
Or what's already been a reallybig decision you had to make in
your business?

George (40:08):
I can't say without giving anything away.
You can.
Structure changes to thebusiness.
Structural changes to thebusiness.

Robby (40:19):
Yeah, like in the in the internal Yeah, internal.
Internal structure changes tothe business.
So the way the business isstructured.

George (40:25):
Yep.
Um how you do how you'll beoperating moving forward.

Robby (40:30):
Yeah.

George (40:30):
So you have to make a big decision.
Yes.
Okay, and that's recent, likewithin two weeks.

Robby (40:34):
Yeah, of course.
And so what were the things youfactored in to making this
decision?

George (40:38):
Like what were the the first thing would be the
immediate consequence of thedecision.
Yep.
Because it's a big decision.
So it's generally when you makethat call, okay, this is what
we're doing, there is aconsequence, good or bad.
So there was the immediateconsequence of it.
And then also forecasting.

Robby (40:55):
Can consequences be positive?

George (40:56):
I'm pretty sure it can, yes.
There are good consequences.
Like a consequence, it's it'slike a thing that happens after
an action.
In sequence.

Robby (41:04):
Yeah.

George (41:05):
Does that make sense?

Robby (41:06):
Yeah.
Sequence, because there's theword sequence.
Con sequence means row.
Yeah.
And con is Greek for forward.
Yep.
No, it's not.
It is.
Everything's forward.
Everything's Greek.
Yeah, Greek.
I believe you.
Yeah.
I believed you.
You were very confident,confident in the way you said
that.
Well, confidence is not uhself-doubt.

George (41:23):
Confidence is the lack of being willing to try, even
though you doubt yourself.
Um sounds like you listen tomillion dollar days, which
people could subscribe to byclicking a link.
Hey, side topic.
Just let's go side sideways.
Yeah.
Um, we had a target.
We have a target.
Well, you have a target tryingto kill a fly.

Robby (41:42):
I got it.

George (41:42):
Good.
Better know who's boss.
At a target of a thousandfollowers, uh thousand
followers, subscribers onYouTube.
Do you remember what we had?
Where we were at?
Yeah, of course.
And where we're at now?

Robby (41:53):
Are you checking?
Uh I did check it just before.

George (41:56):
Oh, did you?
Excellent.

Robby (41:57):
So we haven't grown by the amount required.
No, but we're gonna have apretty massive last week.
Uh we did, we'd had a good,decent boost.
So we went from, I think it was452 the last episode.
We're now on 469.

George (42:10):
Nice.
Yeah, so thanks for joining us.
Appreciate it.
Very, very great.
So, back to what we weretalking about.
Yeah.
I think there's an immediateconsequence to big decisions,
whether it's going to be good orbad.
So I think about that.
And then I think also about thefuture.
Well, where's this going tolead to in the next month, three
months, next quarter, the nextsix months, the next year?

(42:31):
And backing myself.
Like the decision has to bemade.
You have to make the decision.
Back it.
Like, what's the worst that canhappen?
You fuck up, all right, cool,go back, change it.
I think indecisions are reallybad thing in business and in
life.
Make a fucking call.
When you pre every time I'veever procrastinated on
something, it hasn't worked outin a positive way, most of the

(42:53):
time.

Robby (42:55):
So you've never had the feeling of fuck, like I didn't
decide too quickly.

George (43:00):
No, I I don't have buyer's remorse.
I never like I'll go do shit.
I'm like, yeah, let's do it.
I don't I'd try's remorse.
Yeah, like as in if you buy afucking boat and then you're
like, oh shit, why did I dothat?
You know, I'll just be like,no, it's buy the boat.
Uh why do you think it'll fucksort it out?
You're gonna buy a boat?
Uh I'll I'll want to one day.
Yeah.

Robby (43:20):
I saw you had the jet ski at the front floor.
Yeah, I just got it serviced.
So to I had it there so I couldsound funny.
I was sitting with someone atthe cafe, yeah, and I was like,
how ironic the jet ski on a hotday.
I'm not saying I was likeironic.
It's like maybe he's getting aservice.
And I was like, on the firsthot day, what are the odds?
Like, come on.

George (43:37):
Well, they had it for a couple days.
Uh, it normally takes them aday, but they're just late with
it, so I went and picked it upthis morning.

Robby (43:43):
Fair enough.

George (43:43):
Yeah, so uh yeah, I don't I don't get buyers
remorse, but in the same token,I make a decision, back it.
It is what it is, and then if Ihave to change it, I'll change
it.
I just don't feel that anythingis just nothing's ever really
completely definite.
Yeah, that's uh you know what Imean.
So I don't stress about it.
Like you go broke, it's notdefinite.
I'm not broke for the rest ofmy life.

(44:04):
Very few decisions you make arepermanent.
Yeah, that's the thing.
I think you've actually I thinkthat's an original an OG quote
by you.

Robby (44:10):
No, it's not, it's it's no by me.
You said it on the podcast.
Yeah, there you go.
Easy.
I heard that from you, but whata life.
Um, yeah, no permanent, no veryfew decisions you make in life
are permanent.
Cutting your arm off ispermanent.
Yes, um, it's like rowing back.

George (44:24):
All right, but yeah, if I had to cut it off to save my
body, well that'd be cool.
Well, it is what it is.
Let's go.
Give me a trade sour.

Robby (44:31):
Yeah, most things you do are not permanent, you can
always reverse it.
Like someone was asking meabout buying a house and they're
like, I don't know, man, isthis the right area?
Blah, blah, blah.
Are we gonna pay too much?
I'm like, dude, like,seriously, like that difference
that you I'll I'll pay you thatto stop talking to me right now.
Like exactly.
Like just the indecision iskilling you more than go ahead.
Yeah, like who cares?

(44:51):
I don't know.
What if we don't want to livehere in a few years?
I'm like, sell the fuckinghouse.
Yeah, like you know what Imean.
Or rent it out.
Who cares?
What if I make a loss?
Go make more money.
Yeah, like who cares?
You know, exactly.
You're gonna die.
Gonna die.

George (45:03):
It is, it's full on.
It's gonna die.
I I think as I said, a lot ofthese lessons I learned even
just through the consequence ofbeing in business.
I've learned these lessonssometimes, you know, and it
helps me in my personal lifetoo.
If I have to make a decisionthat outside of work, like I've
got to be friends with thisperson or not, I'll fucking make
it.
Are you gonna stop seeing himmore often or less often or

(45:24):
whatever it might be?
What's the what do you need todo?
Just make a call, man.
Like sorry, man, I made amistake.
Like if you have to put yourtail between your like ego.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's the ego thing.
Hey, dude, sorry.
I made a mistake.
I thought your shit wasaffecting me in a negative way.
I haven't been the best for thebest of friends, but I made a
mistake.
Hope you can forgive me.
I can never forgive you.

(45:44):
Okay, I understand.
I appreciate your point ofview.
I did the wrong thing.
If you feel that way, that'sfine.
But if you ever want to comeback and talk to me, my door's
open.
I employ friends.
I employ family.
I will fire all of themtomorrow.
All of them.
Tomorrow.
And before this episode is.
Before the episode.
But I'll do that not because Ihate you.

(46:06):
I'll do that because if Ibelieve it's the best thing for
the business and it's thedirection I need to go in, or
you're not performing like youused to, or you're whatever, not
fulfilling your role to theobligate to the company, then
that's what I'll do.
And I don't do that out ofmath.
Like, I I know some peoplemight see me and think, oh,
you're so you know, portrayed tobe a hard ass and you're, you

(46:28):
know, ruthless in business orwhatever it might be.
I'm actually quite anempathetic person.
Like I don't like doing thatstuff.
There is no joy from me going,hey Robbie, we've had to fire
this bloke.
How good?
Do you want to watch?
Get your camera out.

Robby (46:41):
Sure.
Watch this.
Start recording.

George (46:43):
Like, I don't do that, it's not about that for me.
It's no, no, well, this personhas a family, they've got a
life, they've got this, they'vegot this.
But aside from all that, isthis the best decision I need to
make for the business?
Yes, it is.
Okay, then it needs to be made.
And they're the sorts of thingsthat I get from they're the
sort of lessons I've learnedsince being in business, that's
for sure.

Robby (47:02):
Um, yeah, I think I think the the fact that you know most
decisions are not permanent isa big, big yeah, thing that
helps you make well that I usethat helps me make bigger
decisions.
Another thing is like I'm I'mbig on just weighing everything
up.
Like, let me digest it, let meweigh it up.
What's gonna happen if I do sohave you heard the here's a good
framework.

(47:23):
This is actually a really goodframework.
Uh the what's gonna happen if Ido it, what's gonna happen if I
don't do it, what's not gonnahappen if I do it, and what's
not gonna happen if I don't doit.

George (47:34):
Yeah, right.

Robby (47:35):
So it's like do do, not not.

George (47:37):
Not not, yeah.

Robby (47:38):
Do don't don't do.
Yeah, yeah.
What then yeah, so what's gonnaI'll repeat that for everyone
listening.
Uh so if I was to do thisthing, like you're weighing up a
decision, it's what's gonnahappen if I do it?
Like what are the outcomesgonna be?
So if I do the thing, what'sgoing to happen?
Yeah, if I don't do the thing,what's going to happen?

(47:58):
If I what's the upset of it?
If I do not do the thing.
Wait, hold on.

George (48:05):
I just said sorry, bro.
Why don't you give an example?
It's eight.
I think I think that'll helpyou with a description.
So give an example of making adecision.
What's the decision you want tomake?
Hiring someone.
Okay.
So you're about to put on a GM.
That's your decision.
We were speaking about that theother day.
Real senior person.

(48:25):
Let's use that as an example.
What's the concept?
What's what happens when youput them on?

Robby (48:34):
Hold on.
I am so I've lost my frameworkcompletely here.
It's I know I can draw it out.

George (48:40):
Yeah.

Robby (48:40):
I feel like I explained it perfectly the first time.

George (48:42):
First time I've lost it now.
Yeah, can we rewatch?

Robby (48:44):
Can you yeah, can you just guys hit rewind real quick?
Just let it go.
You don't have to lose yourtrain of thought with me.
Let's progress.
It's yeah, it's basicallyeffectively what are the
outcomes of each one of those?
Four different outcomes.
Yeah, there's four differentoutcomes, and it's like, what do
I get if I do it?
What do I get if I don't do it?
Yeah, what do I don't get if Ido it, and what do I not get if
I don't do it?
That's right.
Um, and laying that out andthen just you know, breaking

(49:07):
each one down and diving into itand then working out okay,
cool.
Like these are the pooroutcomes.
You know what I really love,dude?
I love flow charts.

George (49:13):
Yeah.
I like that whole aspect.
I I'm a I'm I'm a visualperson, but I'm also a logical
person.
So that to me is a reallylogical process to break down
the decision.

Robby (49:22):
You just think about every option, and it's like
that's really and then youusually find there's like one of
two options, you know what Imean, or like maybe two options
that you can decide.
And like, all right, cool, likelike that's that's what's gonna
happen here.
What's gonna happen?
Which one's more important tome?
Oh, I'm gonna do that.

George (49:36):
Yeah.

Robby (49:37):
And I'll just go with it and whatever.
Worst case scenario, we'll saythat this was a bad decision,
and I'll tell the story on apodcast.
That's it.

George (49:44):
Make like own it.
It's you, dude.
Like it's you.
People are afraid of what otherpeople might think.
They're afraid of you knowlooking bad or looking stupid or
whatever it might be.
You need to just, again, it'sall ego.
You gotta get that shit out ofyour head, out of your mind, and
and fuck what anyone elsethinks, says, does.
It's irrelevant.
The decision that matters isthe decision you make at the

(50:04):
time.
That's it.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Make that decision.
And then when things change inthe future, make another
decision.
And when things change in thefuture, make another decision.
Stop going back and forth andsweating all the small stuff,
all big stuff, but just movewhen it happens.
And I honestly think thatthat's been a key contributor to

(50:25):
my success over the years is myability to do things, like to
commit to it and do it.
Because other people aresitting there thinking about it,
I'm going out and doing it.
That's what I feel.

Robby (50:40):
Moving quickly.

George (50:40):
Yeah.
Speed matters, man.
Speed, that's another thingI've learnt in business.
Speed is really important onhow you how you progress with
things.

unknown (50:50):
All right.

Robby (50:51):
Do you want to do one more?

George (50:52):
I think we need to.

Robby (50:53):
We need to, it's a must.

George (50:54):
It's a must.

Robby (50:55):
Um liking this conversation.

George (50:58):
And thanks for sending in your questions, by the way,
guys.
Really good question so far.
Hopefully the last one's a goodquestion because if it's not,
I'm fucking walking out.
Walking out of this, you canfinish it yourself.
Pressure's on for this person.

Robby (51:09):
What daily habits have had the biggest impact on your
success?

George (51:14):
Uh, can I do recently, not overall?
Sure.
I I think not I think I'venoticed a really good positive
impact on my business.
Was that business or justsuccess in general?
I don't know.
Would it regardless?
I'm gonna apply it to both.
I'm gonna apply it to both.
Honestly, is getting up early,just getting up and working out

(51:38):
on a regular basis.
I think that to me over thelast 12 months has had a
profound impact.

Robby (51:41):
Have you started working out again?

George (51:43):
Yeah, yeah.
Oh, you've gone back to thegym?
Yeah, I've been back once sincewe last spoke, but yes, and I
might funny enough, my PTJordan, got to give you a buzz,
messaged me like two nights agouh to join back up again, um, to
start training again, which Ireally want to do.
Uh, long story short, I thinkthat's been over the last 12
months really impactful becauseI've looked better and I've felt

(52:03):
better.
Uh, even that time when we wentduring the day to the gym, like
at two o'clock, like I feltgreat when I got back.
And it's funny.
Yeah, it's funny because I'vethere's been times when I've I
go to work, I go to the gymduring work hours, yet I've been
more productive as a result ofme going to the gym during work
hours.
You're thinking, fuck, I can'tafford to spend an hour now

(52:26):
stopping what I'm doing.
But then I'd come back to workand I'd just be just lit, just
bang, let's go.
Really motivated.
And and the the consequence ofjust feeling, I I love that I
felt stronger than I had felt ina really long time.
And again, starting to lookbetter, clothes fitting better,
a whole range of things.
And I still want to take thatagain to that next level and and
just be in the best shape of mylife, not just stronger or

(52:49):
feeling a bit better.
I want to be no best shape ofmy life.
If we're going to be preachingthat we're high performers and
we're all this and that in ourbusiness, well, I want to be
that in real life too.
So I reckon that's been one ofthe recent habits uh to success
is just starting to look, andyou know, I'm over the hill now,
I'm 40.

(53:09):
41, fuck.
So I've got to be mindful ofthat too.
You know, I'm not 25 anymore.
I'm not as as fit and agile asI was back then, but I want to
be.
Why not be stronger?
Why not be fitter?
I can be, it's just a number.
So physical training weights.
Yeah, physical trainingweights.
I didn't do too much cardio,although about three, four weeks

(53:31):
ago I went for a run for thefirst time in years just with my
son.
That was cool.
I've never loved running, neverbeen a huge fan of being
softwood airports.
Yeah, so there's some freaksout there that love it.
They don't love it.
You don't reckon?
No, they think they love it.
I think they like people.
Well, Goggins says he hatesrunning like with a passion.
He goes, but I do it at 5 a.m.
because it's the first becauseI fucking hate it.
So he goes, I'd do it firstthing in the morning.

(53:52):
I'll go for like 10k run.

Robby (53:55):
I I can run, I hate it.

George (53:57):
Yeah, uh, absolutely hate it.

Robby (53:59):
And um, yeah, it's like uh it's like chalk mint.

George (54:06):
Come on, no one likes chock mint.
Come on, man.
When I go to the movies, and Iknow you love going to the
movies.
When I go to the movies, mygo-to choc top is chalk mint.
That's disgusting.
Come on, man.
I'm gonna end this episode.
Um hang on, you've got to askthe question first.
No, yeah, you gotta answer,sorry, not ask.

Robby (54:23):
Um yeah, I don't think anyone really likes chock mint.
I don't think anyone reallylikes running.
I don't think anyone reallylikes Marcha.
Okay, I think it's all fake.
What's Marcha?
You know, see?
See?
Most people do that.
Isn't that that green shit?

George (54:38):
Yeah.
How funny you've said that.
Right.
Because I was out yesterday, Iwent, I took Sim, or Sim took me
to lunch, whatever.
Went out for lunch with him.
Yeah.
And he goes, Oh, have you everhad Marcha?
And I'm like, what, the coffeeand chocolate?
He goes, No dickhead, notmocker.
It's like matcha, that greenthing.
I said, Bro, I've never evenfucking heard of that.
What is it?

(54:58):
And he goes, Oh, he goes, Ican't.
He goes, You're so uh you liveunder a fucking rock, George.

Robby (55:02):
How the hell do you not know what matcha is?
Right.

George (55:04):
I don't even know what it is.
Like and Google it.
Wait, hold on, hold on.
What is it?
It's a drink.

Robby (55:08):
Are you never you never tried it?
No.
Alright, we're gonna go get oneafter this.

George (55:11):
Okay.
What, just the cafe?

Robby (55:13):
Yeah.
Yeah, right.

George (55:13):
Let's do it.

Robby (55:14):
Um if it's what what do I don't like it?
Well, we're gonna find it.
There's a consequence.
There is consequence.
It's a consequence with it.
Well, nice.
Make your decision.

George (55:20):
Matcha drink?

Robby (55:24):
Anyway, while you do that, I'll answer the question.
What was the question?
Organic habits.
Organic tea.
Um you can give me organic teanow.

George (55:30):
Yeah.
Why did you ask that question?
Oh, no one likes it.
Yeah.
And we're gonna go get it now,you and me.

Robby (55:36):
I personally think it's a horrible drink.
Um, you know, and people arelike, this is so much better
than coffee.
It's like, no, it's not.
Jesus.
Stop it.

George (55:44):
Um I'm upset.
Daily habits.
Yeah.
What habits you do you want totalk about your recent daily
habits?

Robby (55:53):
Yeah, I so I've been getting into the office like
super early.
What time?
Um uh it varies.
Like I think average.

George (56:02):
Um, five.
Yeah.
That's early, man.
If you to be here five, you'reup at four at least, I would
have thought.
Yeah, four four twenty, fourthirty.
Yeah.
Do you have showers and stuffin the morning before you come
to work?

Robby (56:13):
Only if like today I did because I wasn't going to the
gym today because I had a fullday.
Yeah.
Um, but yesterday I didn't.
Do you know what I mean?
So it's just depends on whatI've got on today.
Usually I've got my bag packedand I can get up, brush my
teeth, wash my face, grab my bagand go.

George (56:27):
Yeah, it's like a five-minute process.
Yeah.

Robby (56:29):
Do you know what I mean?
Jump straight in the car andI'm half and I'll usually make a
coffee at home as well.
Do you get your clothes readythe night before?
Yeah.

George (56:35):
Yeah, me too.

Robby (56:36):
If I'm gonna if I'm gonna get up and go, like, why would
I lose half an hour in themorning?

George (56:40):
Yeah, just deciding what to wear.
Yeah.
People say, and I heard someonesaying that, like a real high
performance coach was saying hegoes, he goes, all the high
performers I know have theirstuff ready.
It's just one less decisionthey have to make throughout the
day.
Let me grab my stuff and go.
Yeah.
I'll do it every morning.
Like before I go, before I goto bed or before I put the kids
to bed, I grab my clothes thatI'm gonna wear tomorrow.
So I make the decision then,okay, I'm gonna wear a shirt,
I'm gonna wear a suit.
I wear the same thing everyday.
Rebock pumps, like what am Idoing?

Robby (57:01):
I've got like these shorts, uh shirts.
Um you ever have rebock pumpsback in the day?
No, I know the ones be on, spiron.
That was before time to bealive.
I was born.
Yeah, I'm 41.
Um, yeah, I think that's beenthat's been a big one.

George (57:19):
Yeah.
Getting up super early.
Uh, and then training in themiddle of the day.
But it's not just the superearly.
Can you walk people through theprocess?
Why do you do why do you cometo work at the time?

Robby (57:29):
Because then I I can just come in.
Like you, every time you comein, my door's closed.

George (57:32):
My door's closed.
Yeah, still never working.
I'll knock in on the door andsay, Oh, you can never work and
do that.

Robby (57:36):
But I feel like uninterrupted if I interrupt.
Uninterrupted doing like stuffthat there's there's certain
elements of what we do whereit's like, hey, like don't no
one talk to me for three hours.
Like, I'm gonna be so deep inthis that if you take my train
of thought elsewhere, I'm gonnacome back and I'm gonna forget
where I was, yeah, becausethere's like 37 moving parts and
I'm trying to work this pieceof code to get it to do this

(57:58):
thing and transfer this bit ofdata.

Speaker 1 (57:59):
Yeah.

Robby (58:00):
And yeah, I mean still not.

George (58:03):
Yeah, I hate it when that happens too.
Like when you're in a like deepwork and then, hey, can you
highlight this piece of paperfor me?
I'm like, fuck, don't talk tome.
Yeah, yes.
And I think I personally I'mthe same.
I love the morning session whenI I'm normally in between 6 and
6.30 most of the time,thereabouts, and I find that you
know, that hour and a half ofno one calling me, I get a lot

(58:24):
of work done.
So I quite like it because myphone doesn't blow up, people
aren't emailing me, it's just medoing what I need to do or what
I want to do, and then the restof the day begins.

Robby (58:34):
Yeah, dude, like literally this morning I got in
and I was I got in and I carriedout a few tasks and then I
scripted content.
Yeah, and then I was recordingat like seven.

George (58:42):
Oh, yeah, yeah.

Robby (58:42):
So it's yeah, and I was like, cool, let me bang this out
before everyone starts comingin and like you know, got in,
boom, it's like the YouTube'sdone for the week.
Yeah, that's sorted.
Um, yeah, I I think that's beenblocking time.
I I guess you could call itit's almost like time blocking,
but I'm just blocking out a timein my day where no one disturbs

(59:02):
me.
And I've even started doing iton weekends now.
Not I don't get up, yeah.
Like, not in the sense of, butit's like I'll get up and work
from five to ten.

George (59:09):
Do you find now that because you've been getting up
so early, your body clock issort of adjusting to that a bit
too?
No.

Robby (59:13):
Or do you still I've never ever in my whole life had
my body clock adjust.

George (59:17):
Yeah, right.
Yeah, ever, ever.
So you could you could tomorrowif you wanted to, you could
sleep till six, till ten.
Or ten.
Fuck, I was gonna say one pm orsomething.
Hey, do you love that shit?
Sleeping till like one orsomething.

Robby (59:27):
Uh that's one, I've been awake for eight hours.

George (59:30):
What?

Robby (59:31):
At one, I've been awake for eight hours.

George (59:32):
Yeah, that now I'm just saying, could you go just sleep
till 12, like till lunchtime?
Just stay in bed tilllunchtime.

Robby (59:37):
Yeah, like so.
For example, on Saturday, theone that just passed Saturday
night, yeah.
I was quite tired.
I went to bed at like 11, and Iwoke up at 10 the next morning.
It's like significant sleep.
Yeah, I was great sleep, gotlike a 95% recovery.
I was pumped.
Um, but yeah, I can do that, Ican still.

George (01:00:00):
Are you tired now when you go home at nighttime?
Me.
Having getting having gotten upat 4 a.m.
I I went to bed pretty earlyyesterday.
Yeah, but I mean, do you feelthat that's the case?
Because I do.
Because I wake up early.
Like my I'm my body, I willwake up between 5 and 5.30
without the alarm.

Robby (01:00:15):
Yeah, never, ever, ever had that happen to me.

George (01:00:17):
It's only ever since because I go to bed early
though, I find.
If I get if I go to bed atnine, like without I don't even
need my alarm to go off.
I'll be up.
Dude, I was in bed at nine,yes.
And I'm small and I sleep likealmost immediately.
I don't know if it's a mentalthing too, like you're mentally
tired as well as I don't, it'snot physical, unless it you know
had a really hard workout orsomething.

(01:00:39):
But it's I find the mentalaspect of it, it makes me tired.
So yeah, aside from the yougetting up, coming in, pumping
out some work in the morning,some core uninterrupted work,
you've then also, as a result ofthat, made time to go to the
gym too.

Robby (01:00:55):
Yeah, well, I still work in the afternoon.
Yeah, that's okay.
You still work you end uppumping out.
You're like, you're doingsomeone, I think someone
messaged me on Slack and they'relike, and it was like 7 p.m.
and I replied, and they'relike, dude, don't you start
early?
And I'm like, yeah, but I alsohave a window in the middle of
the day that I kind of disappearfor.
Yeah.
Like a 90-minute window.

(01:01:16):
Um, but I feel like that helpsme work till later.
Yeah, yeah, like I just feelbetter.
I feel better, yeah.
Yeah, I feel better.
Um I can work for longer, and Ithe energy doesn't kind of
crash.

George (01:01:30):
I think it's a great thing, like especially as a um
as a what's it called, springchicken, because you're young,
right?
Young spring chicken, full ofenergy and testosterone, unlike
me.
Uh, but although what I'mgetting to, what I'm getting at,
is like even the fact that youdon't have obligations outside
of what you're doing right now,like a you don't have kids or a

(01:01:50):
partner right now, I think it'ssuch a great thing to have that
ability to go, I'm gonna worktill 9 pm tonight, and just be
able to do that.
I think that's a huge um a hugeadvantage over competition or
someone that has that at themoment.
Um, but not do it any doing itbecause you want to, not because
you have to.

Robby (01:02:09):
You know, I'll tell you, I'll tell you what I found.
Yeah, I mean you'll live in it.
I would um not be productive,be that productive.
Yeah, like for example, like II like I try and now, I try and
not stay here past seven.

George (01:02:24):
Yeah.
But even that's a lot though.
Four to seven or five to seven,sorry, five a.m.
to seven p.m.
like it's a big day.
Yeah, with a two-hour yeah, yougot your couple of hours on
whatever you want to see.

Robby (01:02:35):
Yeah, so it's like a 12-hour day, it's not
significant, I guess.

George (01:02:38):
Yeah, it's still the same sort of thing.

Robby (01:02:40):
Yeah, it's like it's just structured differently.

George (01:02:42):
Yeah, I agree with that too, though, because you do get
to a point where you hit a brickwall.

Robby (01:02:46):
Yeah, it's like sitting here that isn't working.

George (01:02:49):
Yeah.

Robby (01:02:49):
We're not there's no output, no productive output
anyway.
Like my output's droppedridiculously, and it's like, you
know what?
Probably better after goinghome and go to bed or go and do
something else that I like.

George (01:02:58):
You playing video games still?

Robby (01:03:00):
Do I?
I bought a Nintendo Switchrecently.

George (01:03:03):
Oh, the new one?
Yeah, yeah.
Bought that too for my son.
Did you?
I haven't played it yet though.
But I started playing the firstNintendo or the previous
Switch, because he's got he hadthat too, and I put that
downstairs.
I just started playing it for alittle while.
It was cool.
Like I didn't, it was funny.
I played it on a couple ofweekends, but before you know
it, man, like two, three hoursgoes.
Yeah, like fuck all I've donetoday is just think about what

(01:03:26):
it does to your brain.
Yeah, but no, not that.
It's I just hate the lazinessaspect of it.
Like, I go, fuck, I haven'tactually although I enjoyed it,
it's like I haven't doneanything product.
I don't feel like I've doneanything productive with my day
with my life or anything.
So um, but you know, if youenjoy it, that's not a bad thing
either.
Maybe just sometimes you needthat to unwind.

Robby (01:03:46):
Yeah, also maybe you don't do it for nine hours
again, you know, like do it foran hour, yeah, and then go do
something else.

George (01:03:54):
Yeah, go mow the lawn.
Fantastic.
Well, great episode.
Great episode.
As always, um, thanks forjoining us.
We really love having you hereand having the conversation.
Hey, hey, thanks for everyonethat sent through a question.
I think there were a lot moreas well, but they were sort of
the four favorites that we gotthrough over the last few weeks.
So thanks for sending themthrough.
We are trying to build ourYouTube subscription base, so we

(01:04:19):
would love it.
If you're watching this onYouTube, definitely click the
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And if you're not listening tothis on YouTube and you're on
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Apple Podcasts.
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Bing Podcasts, Bing, and uhChatGPT Podcasts.

(01:04:41):
If you're on those platforms,also subscribe.
Uh, we would love it because wecan bring you more content each
and every week.
And we had a goal of reaching athousand subscribers by
Christmas.
So we're a little while off.
We did get some good groundthere for those 10 or so plus
people that signed up.
Thank you very much.
17, yeah.
17.

(01:05:01):
Wow.
More than I thought.
Let's go again.
Let's get another 17.
Thank you so much.
Also, this podcast is broughtto you by our sponsor.
Thank you to our sponsor, beingthe 2025 Builders Summit,
coming to you live and in personin Melbourne and Perth.
So if you haven't registeredfor the Builders Summit yet, you

(01:05:22):
can do so by going to reallyany of our social media pages,
website, builderelite.com.au,and registering for a free or
paid ticket.
Going to be talking about howwe're going to scale your
business and some core systemsyou can incorporate to really
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My good friend, Mr.
Robert, will be there too,talking all things AI and

(01:05:45):
marketing, taking your businessto the next level.
We'd love to see you there.
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Oh, thank you.
There you go.
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For nothing.
You just got to give us some ofyour time.

(01:06:07):
And we'll blow your mind.
Be worth your time.
It will.
Absolutely.
Every penny of it.
Thank you so much for joiningus, guys.
Pleasure as always.
And we will see you next week.
Thanks, everyone.

Robby (01:06:18):
See ya.