February 17, 2025 • 40 mins
A powerful conversation unfolds around the themes of ambition, entrepreneurship, and the drive to create a meaningful life. Frank Nyantekyi shares his journey from Ghana to the U.S., the impact of family on his career choices, and the importance of cultivating multiple income streams while maintaining a work-life balance.
• Importance of resilience and motivation in entrepreneurship
• Myths versus realities of starting a business
• Consistency over comfort in entrepreneurial ventures
• The financial freedom achieved through side hustles
• The significance of quality relationships in achieving success
• Shifting the mindset from employee to entrepreneur
• Lessons learned from family and personal experiences
• Assessing the quality of associations and relationships
• Emphasizing proactive financial strategies over reactive ones
• Laws of attraction and the importance of forward-thinking associations
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to another episode of Plain Injured.
Thanks for joining and beingpart of our community.
I'm here with a great friend ofmine, a brother from another
mother.
I think we've been in life, inbusiness, doing life, for a
decade almost now, if not more.
Frank Janticci, frank, what isgoing on, man?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
What's going on?
Mason, it's good to be on.
It's good to be able to tapinto the Planned Injury Podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
You bet man.
Well, frank comes from a prettyunique background.
So, frank, drive to want tocreate a good family life, a
(00:50):
good relationships in our life,make an impact, spread the good
of humanity and our faith.
We share a similar faithbackground.
So, frank, why don't you sharea little bit of how you were
raised, where you came from andsome of that, and then we'll
dive into some other topics,Excited to chat with you.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Yeah for sure.
So obviously this is not aWisconsin accent.
I was born and raised in Ghana.
I did high school in Englandand then I moved to the US to do
my undergrad and grad school.
A little bit about my earlyjourney.
So my dad died before I wasborn and the uniqueness of that
(01:30):
was that my mom never allowedthat to stop her.
So I've actually never seen mymom work a normal job like nine
to five.
She's always like run abusiness.
So it was really unique to seethat when I was young and then
when I moved to the US.
It's so weird because normallypeople move here for a better
(01:51):
life but when you start, you getinto the 95, it's easy to feel
like, oh, I can, this is, I'mmaking good money and you feel
sufficient and satisfied.
And I almost fell into that trapuntil I connected with you
Because I had seen what my momhad done in the past, came here,
(02:11):
got comfortable and then justthat drive and connecting with
other people that run businesses.
Really it was kind of like areinvention of myself, to feel
like, oh, this is something Ireally wanted to do earlier on,
what has taken so long to gethere, and it was probably the
season I was in.
I was in grad school then, so,yeah, that's a little bit of my
(02:35):
background.
Today, I work as a projectsmanager in a large insurance
company.
I have two kids married.
Yeah, I've done everything thatnormally is expected right Go
to school, go to grad school,get married, live, make good
income.
I think for me, though,something that I've found to be
(02:57):
very important is the need togrow and to be more and to be
able to make an impact, sothat's a little bit of my
journey.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Yeah, Can I.
Can I ask you another question?
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
It's.
It's valuable for people tohear.
When I met you, you were asingle dude, you know going to
school working.
You know going to schoolworking and you know, so I've
seen you go from single dude todating, to engaged, to married,
(03:33):
to kids.
Like we've known each otherthat long In fact, we were at
your wedding, we were there whenboth your kids were born Like
we've been just involved in alot of those areas and along
that journey you've always had acareer of some kind and you've
definitely grown a lot in yourcareer.
But you've also always hadsomething going on the side in
actually multiple dimensions.
(03:54):
Because not only are yourunning something here in the US
that you've scaled a quartermillion dollar venture in
e-commerce which you'll nevertell people, so I'm going to
tell them and then you also dobusiness to help your mom with
business back in back in ghana.
Yeah, just give us a little bitof.
Where does that come from?
(04:14):
Like what's the drive, what'sthe motivation through all those
seasons of life to stay soconsistent in that and and not
kind of start to kind of rest onthe comfort of, hey, I'm making
good money and what's been thatmotivation?
Because I think a lot of peoplefrom the US who were born here.
(04:35):
They tend to.
I just see this, I observedthis and I could be wrong, but I
just see a lot of people whotravel from a different country
to come here for a better lifetend to be the ones who have
more ambition and they leveragewhat's here and what's available
more than others.
So any thoughts you have on anyof that?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Yeah, I think different seasons have provided
different motivations.
So, coming from Ghana andwatching my mom run businesses,
it just made sense.
It's like, ok, she run abusiness.
I was able to go to privateschool in the UK.
It was as a function of herrunning businesses.
She paid for my undergrad and,I think, most of my grad school
(05:14):
as well.
If I want to be able to providea certain level of lifestyle
for my kids, there is no betterversion to copy.
It's like she did that from athird world country and provided
all of those.
But then also another point ofmotivation I had kids.
(05:35):
Once you have kids and you havechildren and you have a family,
you move from a sense of I towhat do I do to protect my
family.
You move from a sense of I towhat do I do to protect my
family In work.
Can you realize that?
And a huge wake-up call I'vebeen laid off twice in four
years, from 2020 to 2024, I waslaid off twice.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
There is no greater awakening than being laid off.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
having a family with two kids navigating that so true
.
So all of those just it made itclear to me that not having
something on the side is almostirresponsible, that is, I mean,
not everybody has to feel thatway, which is fine.
Some of us, I think.
Most of the times there is afear of what if things don't
work out.
What if things don't work out?
What if I invest a lot andthings don't work out?
(06:32):
I think for me, I always sawthat different, because I saw my
mom start a cleaning businessfrom zero to have over 30
employees to shrink.
I saw my parents run businesseswhere my dad went to a BMW
dealership, bought a 3 Serieswith cash and then 5 to 10 years
later they were bankrupt.
So I've seen all those ups anddowns.
So it's like it's normal thatat times you will have success.
(06:55):
One thing I've done better isreally reimagine that as like
what am I learning through theprocess?
Right?
So I'm always looking to makean impact.
That's really one of the thingsthat have driven me.
I have a question for you whatare some of the?
You've been running a businessfor over 10 years.
(07:17):
You've had success both in theentrepreneurial realm and then
also in your career.
What are some of the biggestmyths about starting a business?
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Yeah, great question.
I think there's a handful ofthings, especially in today's
age, that people are challengedwith.
Number one is interesting andkind of a paradigm shift.
There's too much informationbecause, at the end of the day,
(07:50):
when it comes toentrepreneurship, as you know,
frank, you need to go do morethan you need to just get
educated.
The the ratio of education anddoing has to be pretty lopsided,
meaning you got to take a lotof action and fail a lot, fail
(08:11):
fast, and you need to geteducated along the way.
So that's myth number one.
Number two is, I think, withsocial media, and all that's out
there is that there's a silverbullet waiting for you, there's
a get rich, and I don't actuallyit's kind of.
I recently changed myperspective on this through some
conversations with my mentor,frank, but I think that you
(08:32):
should get rich quick.
I think you should build wealthquickly in your life, because
you and I both know you buy yourlife back.
Then you get it sooner.
You get to spend more time withyour family, your kids, the
things you, the people you love.
So, um, I think, get wealthquick, not maybe get rich quick,
cause I think there's adifference there but, um, but
(08:52):
what I think that this challengeis is that we're looking for
the silver bullet or the quickfix.
And here's what you and I bothknow and that we've experienced
is that anything successfultakes a decade of effort.
So that's number two.
Number three is I think mostpeople, when they hear starting
(09:13):
a business, their brain goes to40, 50, 60, a hundred hour a
week, work weeks, uh, tradingyour life for it.
Uh, giving everything you gotyour, your, you know every penny
of savings.
Uh, going into debt, taking outa loan and that's just
something I've never done.
That's when we've been guidingyou guys.
That's something we've neverrecommended you do.
In fact, we build everything.
(09:34):
We've never taken out a loan.
You've never taken out a loanfor things.
We've helped you in e-commerceand we just recommend you go low
cost and you use sweat equityand we scaled everything 10, 15,
20 hours a week.
That's about the amount ofeffort we put in, never
sacrificed our day jobs, buildthings in the evenings and
(09:54):
weekends and stayed consistent,and I think the biggest thing is
consistency through all of that.
So that's another factor.
And then the last thing I'd sayis kind of tied into the
information is there's just alot of noise and typically the
more noisy an industry is, themore limelight it gets and the
(10:17):
more people are are selling abag of goods.
So right now it's in e-commerce.
That's a big one.
Um, it might be through, uh,you know, kind of cryptocurrency
.
That's a big noisy space rightnow and typically the more noise
people are kind of justcreating false, false facades of
(10:38):
what success and the reality is.
And, and you know, my wife and Iand, and, and and you know,
would be the first to tell youthat our key to success in our
venture in e-commerce and whatwe've helped you guys kind of
build had nothing to do with, uh, the internet and a program and
like a youtube video.
I had everything to do with therelationships we established in
(11:00):
our life and and executing on aplan and um, and it took time,
it took a lot of time over years, but, um, that's it.
And then I think the principlebehind starting something on the
side and this, and then I'll Iwas.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I was just going to ask you to double click on that,
like the why behind, why it'simportant, the principle behind
it is, yeah, that that you.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
In our opinion, if you're going to build something
outside of your career, youbuild something that's going to
produce a different kind ofmoney than your job would
produce.
So, for example, your mom'scleaning business.
For Frank to go start acleaning business in the US,
just gave himself another job.
Yes, right Now Frank gets thatcleaning business the 30, 40, 50
(11:49):
, 100 employees hey, now itbecomes something where he can
potentially remove himself fromit.
But to get it to scale that wayis pretty difficult.
So when we recommend somebodystart something on the side,
they think what is a system thatI can build?
Or how can I automate this?
I want to start something thatover time, I can remove myself
from and that I'm not the magic.
(12:11):
So are you building a businessthat owns you or are you
building a business that you ownit eventually?
Speaker 2 (12:18):
is the.
Can you speak more to why it'simportant to think this way,
like why?
Why you don't want something toin starting something?
You don't want it to becomejust another job?
I think there is a lot of Iwouldn't say noise, but there's
a lot of discussion aroundentrepreneurship out there and
people get stuck in that.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Yeah, well, because I think the world's teaching, if
I'm understanding your correctly, frank, and please like tell me
to pivot here to a differentidea.
But a lot of people are toldfind something you're passionate
to do, passionate about, andyou'll never work a day in your
life.
And while that may be true forsome, I think most people it's
not.
And what I wanted to create wasI wanted to create something
(13:03):
that when I was, when, as I'mbuilding it, it's giving me more
time in my life.
So here's, here's a simpleexample or a simple kind of math
equation.
If your expenses are, let's say, $5,000 a month and your job
(13:23):
you make, let's say, $8,000 amonth, so your net cash flow is
$3,000 a month.
From that, right, your net cashflow based off of expenses, so
you're cash flowing $3,000 amonth.
So if you lose your job and youhave one month of pay, you can
live without a job for one month.
You're one month financiallyfree.
Or actually it would take youtwo months to become financially
(13:46):
free because you need $6,000 tocover the $5,000 for two months
.
Okay, so that's kind of a job,but that's all you got.
If I build something on theside and let's say it takes me
five, 10 years, but eventuallyit produces $5,000 of cashflow
through my side venture and I'mstill working my full-time job.
(14:07):
That covers my expenses nowfrom my living expenses.
So now I have my job income at$8,000 a month, plus I have my
business income at $5,000 amonth, which covers all my
expenses.
I just became financially freewith a job.
Now what my decision pointbecomes is how much do I, how
(14:27):
much money do I want extra?
Now I get my side venture to$8,000 a month and it's
residualized.
I remove myself from my job.
I'm at this exact same spot andyou can go one from one.
Here's the last thing I'll say.
One of the things that you'reworking on beautifully you and
your wife and your kids isbuilding a money machine and
this is actually a book that waswritten.
(14:48):
But you're building a moneymachine why?
You guys are fully vested in401ks, roth IRAs.
You guys have a business inAfrica you're investing in.
You have a business here ine-commerce you're investing in.
You have your job income.
Okay, so that's right there.
I just named four differentsources of income you guys have.
(15:10):
So, god forbid, somethinghappened to Frank and his
ability to produce at his job.
You can now turn on one of theother machines for your family.
Flip the switch.
So it's not linear.
I say this often, but startinga side venture is not for people
who just want to quit their dayjob.
It's also for people to have aninsurance plan in case a job
(15:35):
quits.
You Say that again Having aside venture not for just for
people who want to quit theirday job, it's also an insurance
plan in case a job quits youwhat have you seen as one of the
setbacks or blockers that stopspeople to imagine themselves or
(15:59):
think about the things this way?
Speaker 2 (16:01):
because I think a lot of times people are like, well,
it's not for me or I'm happywhere I'm at.
Why is having an insuranceimportant, this insurance policy
on the side important?
Speaker 1 (16:15):
to be, to be Frank with Frank.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Uh, such an American term, english term, that doesn't
make sense Uh what have youseen of like the way that more
black people from thinking thisway?
Speaker 1 (16:31):
They think there's security in a job.
They think jobs providesecurity and people rest in
consistency and when somethingis paying you consistently, it's
comfortable.
It's like right now if you getin your car and turn it on and
drive, it's going to work formost people, like they're just,
they're expecting their carsjust going to always run, and
(16:53):
then one day they get in a carand it doesn't turn on and it
doesn't work.
And if they weren't planningfor it, that's they're going in
$30,000 of debt or $20,000 ofdebt because they don't have any
money set aside for it.
So at some point, the realityis the truth is you you
experienced this twice.
You said earlier you're goingto lose your job and you're
replaceable.
(17:14):
Um.
One of the other uh individualsthat my wife and I uh guide
Frank, who you have a greatrelationship with um, is he's.
He's leaving his corporatecareer.
At the end of this year, inNovember 14th, is his retirement
.
His wife was already gone.
They have three little uh, twolittle kids, sorry.
And um he's leaving hiscorporate job.
He's a.
(17:35):
He's a super high level, just acouple layers below a CEO at a
big, a big fortune, fortune 50company.
And um he's one of the highest,like recognized employees there
.
And uh, I was asking him theother day.
I was like so what, what areyou?
How are you feeling aboutleaving?
He's like dude, it's.
It's crazy, he's like.
But the reality is they'regoing to replace me in a matter
(17:56):
of a month, he said even whenI'm gone, I'm replaceable, and
so that's a paradigm that Ithink we just have to come to
terms with.
How many?
And here's a really greatquestion for most of us what was
your raise?
Most of us have just we're inthe raise season.
What was your raise this year?
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Most of us I don't know what it's going to be.
It's going to be like two to 3%.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Yeah, but what was the inflation last year?
Like 7% to 9%.
I think that means if let's say, let's call it 7%, that means
you lost.
If you had a 3% raise, you justlost 4% of your income last
year, gone Without even doinganything.
So how do you offset 4%?
Well, you go build something onthe side.
The only way to to grow, uh,wealth in today's world is you
(18:39):
have to build something foryourself, is my opinion.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
That's just the only way to do it as as a student but
a graduate, as a husband wifecouple that is looking to
transition.
What is the kind of mindsetshift that is required in your
experience?
Speaker 1 (18:59):
firm on the outcome, flexible on the path, and what I
mean by that is tell me more.
Yeah, I was not, and you werethe same way.
You and I both approachede-commerce not because we were
passionate about it.
We loved it, we were going tobe so good at it, we were like
(19:20):
just meant for it.
None of that.
The reason you and I approachedthat space was because we saw
the results it could produce inour life.
We understood the asset itcould create and we wanted.
What we were passionate aboutwas the life it could help us
create and the impact we canmake through it on our family
and on others.
Like that's it.
(19:42):
So, number one, you have to bethat.
You have to be outcome focused.
Number two I believe if you'rea couple, you have to be on the
same page.
Both have to be activeentrepreneurs, building
something.
No, well, frank, you and Lauraare on the same page.
You know where you want to go,you know what your values are.
You know what's most importantfor your family.
She supports you and what youdo.
(20:03):
So there's a level of being onthe same page.
And then I think you got to getreal with yourself and how
unproductive you are.
Let's say you're married andyou have kids.
Once your kids go to bed, we'revery unproductive.
(20:24):
Most families are extremelyunproductive creatures.
It's Netflix time, it's phonescreen time.
At best you're reading hopefullymaybe you're reading a novel
and you're not on your screensbut most of it's screen time,
netflix time and movies time,and so so to me, if your kids go
to bed 7, 30, 8 o'clock mostyoung kids that's when they're
(20:44):
going to bed you have at leasttwo to three hours that night.
If you're going to, typicallypeople are going to bed around
that time for you to go buildsomething for yourself and I
think it's the best way toinvest your time as a couple is
doing something in those eveningtimes.
That's productive, that'sforward focused, because
(21:07):
otherwise we get caught in thepast and we start becoming
victims and we start thinkingabout all the things we don't
have and where we're not,because we're watching all these
things on TV and social media,of all these great things people
are doing in their lives.
We get lost in that.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I like that you said this whole idea of having that
wasted time until the end of theday.
Where do people start, though?
I think there are a lot ofoptions out there.
What would you recommend fromyour experience as a place to
start?
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Well, listen, if you're listening to this podcast
episode because you'reintrigued by the idea of being
able to go build something foryourself, maybe you met Frank,
maybe you met myself, maybe youmet somebody that knew one of us
.
I believe that's where itstarts.
(22:00):
I believe it not with a podcastepisode.
Where it starts is with arelationship with somebody,
because that's where it began,for we sit here across from each
other knowing that was theanswer for us.
Right, it was relationships inour life.
It was people that had donethings.
Relationships in our life, itwas people that had done things.
(22:21):
And what I found aboutsuccessful people who have truly
, genuinely created financialfreedom or financial success, or
on path to do that, and aren'ttrying to just sell you a
program or something to go by,but they actually had created it
successfully.
They're very giving people.
They enjoy that because youthat's the impact we get to
create in our life is is beingable to give back and and frank,
(22:45):
I know you're, you have amassive heart for this but you,
you look at you, look at people.
As man, I see so much potentialin people.
You're extremely optimistic,human being, actually to a fault
, sometimes right, almost toooptimistic.
You look past some of thedetails, which is something we I
mean, that's, if that there's abad trait and if that's your
worst trait, that's a prettyfreaking good trait.
(23:06):
Uh, bad trait or whatever.
Uh, double negative.
But, um, I think just beingable to build relationships is a
phenomenal starting point andthen, um, and then just just
realizing that you're gonna haveto grow a new skill set,
getting outside your comfortzone is the name of the game.
You know, I we started thispodcast.
(23:27):
I don't even know 2019, this,this playing injured podcast.
I never, I didn't even I stillthis is this isn't?
I still, today, have no ideahow to upload a podcast onto any
of the platforms.
I don't know, but Josh does.
My co-host, he figured all thatout.
And you don't have to be greatat everything, frank, you have.
(23:48):
You know, wealth is built inbuilding teams and you've built
organizations in your job andyou've built organizations
through business and you'vebuilt organizations over in
Africa.
I mean from all differentlevels.
I mean there are people thatyou know that are way smarter
than you, that are yourbusinesses right and part of
(24:09):
your team Way more skilled thanyou I don't think you'll be mad
Way more skilled than you are.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Yeah, that's true.
I tell them all the time.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Yeah, but that's leadership, and that's also like
a level of understanding wherewealth comes from.
Wealth doesn't come from youbeing really good at something
and you being the expert orbeing really niche.
Wealth comes from youempowering other people, helping
other people get to where theywant to go.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Yeah, so something I've also seen at times helping
other people get to where theywant to go yeah, so something
I've also seen at times is thatpeople I think it's more of a
shield than anything, the ideaof like, oh, it has to be
perfect, it's a perfect time.
Whatever I do, I have to be allin, like it's either I'm all in
or I'm not, or it's perfect orI'm not doing it.
(25:01):
What have you seen as a way toovercome that and take an action
rather than waiting forperfection?
Because the idea that, well, ifit's not the perfect business,
or it's the perfect businessidea, or it's the perfect time
in my life I've seen it as a Goahead.
Yes.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
I was just going to say can I answer all three of
those questions?
I'm going to answer it.
I've seen those.
So what's the answer?
The answer is do something, andthe answer is do a little bit
every day.
A little bit goes a long way,and especially when you're in
the wealth development game.
See, I think people attachscaling and building wealth or
(25:55):
building ventures on the side,like they do, to their job.
They think I got to go toschool for four years Maybe
subconsciously, but let's bringit to the conscious level.
I got to go to school for fouryears and then I can start
working.
And then, once I start working,I got to work for 40 hours a
week and then, after five years,I'll be really good at my job
(26:16):
and I can get promoted orwhatever.
No-transcript, the work I did10 plus years ago is still
(26:54):
paying me today inentrepreneurship is still paying
me today.
Entrepreneurship in a job.
The work I did five years agoactually five hours ago doesn't
pay me anymore.
It paid me only for that moment.
Wealth development.
Here's what's cool.
You build little blocks andthose blocks continue to produce
um, and you know, one of thebest analogies for that is would
(27:19):
I rather carry buckets of waterto my home and try to build a
business around.
Oh, I'm going to go help carrybuckets of water or build a
pipeline where I can just turnon the water and now I can put
pipelines in everybody's home.
Like, what am I actuallybuilding?
And the difference between theway we think about building
things on the side is build apipeline.
It's gonna take some time, butthat's a little bit of at least
(27:42):
the mindset.
Is there anything else youwanna shed on that?
Shed light on that, because Ifeel like maybe I missed the
mark a little bit on that.
I don't know if there'sanything.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
No, I think you're spot on on the idea of building
a pipeline and doing a little.
I loved when you made thatcomment about doing a little to
start and not waiting for theperfect, because it never will
be.
Something is always going tocome up, there's going to be
some new development, somethingis going to happen.
What I have found is when youtake little steps and I'm a
(28:12):
believer, I believe that everytime that I take little steps
towards success, god gives me alayup Because he realizes I'm
actively working towards apurpose, I'm working towards
something, and at times we allneed that help and people call
it luck.
I call it like activelysomebody noticing I'm taking
steps towards that, so I justget in the helping hand.
(28:33):
When you were speaking, I meanyou've been in, you've run
businesses for over a decade now.
How have you grown as afunction of this?
How have you grown as a man?
How have you grown as a familyman?
How have you grown even in yourcareer?
How has this learningopportunity or running a
business influenced differentareas in your life?
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Yeah, you know it's funny, I can't really say that
any of my growth that I had incorporate America was a function
of what I, what corporateAmerica taught me.
Any programs they had, anyconferences sent me to, none of
(29:21):
it came from there.
And I'm not saying that therearen't companies that do a
really good job of that.
I just didn't have thatexperience.
If I had to attest the reason Igrew in my career, it was
because of what I did on theside.
It was because of the books Iwas reading, it was because of
the association I had, it wasbecause of how much I was
(29:41):
getting outside of my comfortzone every night of the week and
I was growing myself through,developing myself in my own
endeavors.
And so so many people, I think,are very binary in the way they
think they're like, oh I'meither going to be an employee
or I'm going to be anentrepreneur, and I got to go
(30:02):
all in on one of those.
And I just think we live in ageneration where, if you're not
flexible, if financial securityand stability is not about one
source, financial flexibilityand security is about skill,
flexibility and security.
It's about you being flexiblein the way you make money and
(30:22):
having autonomy over that, andthat's been a big piece.
The other thing I think that'sbeen really beautiful is growing
my, my mental and emotionalcapacity tell us yeah, leaning a
little bit in that.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
What does that mean in expanding your emotional and
mental capacity?
Speaker 1 (30:44):
How much I can handle today, how much chaos I can
handle when the kids are cryingand things aren't going well at
home.
I don't know if I would bethere mentally and emotionally
if we hadn't built something onthe side, because there's been
plenty of moments where we'vejust had to lean in and you
don't have an option.
And here's what I find Mostpeople this is just this is what
(31:07):
I've seen Most people when itcomes to their job, they'll show
up emotionally broken, sick,tired, hungover, you know
whatever right, they'll go totheir job.
Still True.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Because they're driven by a fear, because if
they don't show up they getfired, they lose their paycheck.
Okay, then they start somethingon the side.
Or their family or their kidsneed them and they're like oh,
I'm too tired, I'm not feelingwell, and they don't for their
kids, their family, their wifeand their side ventures.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
I love that you said that, because I was listening to
a podcast and they spoke aboutone of the best ways to really
connect with your kids isspending time.
And in relation to what you'resaying, but if you're not
present because you're mentallyyou're not, you don't have the
capacity, you're not going to bepresent when you're with your
kids.
But sorry, I just had to jumpin and share that.
Oh true, yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
So what is it and this is, I think, getting at a
point here is that my value?
What are my values?
What's my value system?
My value system is my family.
My value system is my health.
My value system is the way Itreat people, okay, how I show
up for them.
Well, what's the most importantplace?
I need to have it pinned myfamily, my kids.
(32:25):
So my mentality was and excuseme on this if I'm offending
anyone, but I'll call in sick tomy job, like that why?
Because they pay me to not bethere, they give me sick time so
that I can show up for myfamily, my kids and what we're
building on the side.
Why Because that's thelong-term play.
(32:47):
Wow, that's sticking.
That's the sticky thing.
The thing that's not sticky isthe job.
I can always go get a new joband that job's going to quit me
someday.
That job's going to say youdon't belong here anymore,
you're not needed here anymore.
It might be when I'm in my late60s, it might be tomorrow,
right?
Where do I want to put mymental and emotional energy
(33:09):
really?
So here's the question.
And then maybe we should kindof land the plane here.
If you got anything else, frankbut-.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
I have one last question.
But yeah, and then we can move.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
Yeah, here's the question why does the world
teach us to go, get full-timejobs and then live part-time
marriages, part-time raisingkids, part-time health Wow, why
don't we flip it?
Why don't we figure out ways tomake money that provide for our
(33:38):
family, that are part-time, akaresidual, passive, asset-based,
ongoing whatever you want tocall it there's so many words
for it and then live full-timemarriages, full-time parents,
full-time health journeys,full-time spiritual faith walks
with your church or your faith,or whatever you're into there.
Why don't we flip it?
I think if most people were towork towards flipping the
(34:01):
equation sooner in their life,instead of doing it in their 60s
, doing it in their 20s, 30s and40s, I think there would be
less anxiety, less depression,because now we're living out our
true values and, I believe, theway God designed us speak to
(34:25):
this.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
I feel this sounds like common knowledge, but I
feel like a lot of people wouldhear this and it will be new to
them, and part of it is becauseit's a function of the people
that I have associated with andI loved it.
Earlier on you had spoken aboutassociations and then I had a
question here on that.
I was like how do you know ifyou even have the right
association by you?
How do you find the rightpeople to associate with?
(34:48):
How do you know if you evenneed an association or to
associate with people?
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Yeah, I mean it's a great question.
I'll be pretty quick on it.
Number one is assess, assessthe association, and one of the
one of the greatest, one of thebest assessments that I was made
aware of is what are theytalking about?
And what I mean by that is arethey talking about the past?
Your association that you'rehanging out with and I know
(35:18):
every culture is different, butI know the African culture, I've
gotten to know your culture alittle bit.
Frank likes to hang out andkind of just chill and just hang
out, yep Food and all day right, like nothing wrong with that.
But what are they talking about?
(35:38):
And if they're always talkingabout the past, here's an
indicator they're stuck in thepast.
And if you're the kind of personwho wants to move forward I'm
assuming you're listening tothis because you want to move
forward in life, you want to bebetter, you want to create a
better life for your family yougot to start surrounding
yourself by people that speakfuture, that speak where we're
(35:58):
headed, where we're going, andthat not only if you start
speaking that that will attractthat into your life.
If you start thinking forward,if you start.
I believe in the power ofmanifestation and the fact that,
hey, I think our relationshipswere a divine interaction, a
divine work of God in our lives.
But you and I were both, priorto meeting each other, thinking
(36:19):
forward where we want to go.
What do we create?
Like life can't be this, likeit's got to be more so.
I think that a power ofattraction, um, and then I think
you just really need to definerelationships in your life, and
for my wife and I, relationshipsare not built on quantity time.
(36:42):
Relationships are built onquality time and quality of
conversation.
If the quality is there and ifthe quality conversation and the
quality time is there, that'san opportunity to build a really
strong relationship.
Most of us have relationshipsin our life due to proximity and
environment when we worked,where we live, this, the, the
(37:07):
school we went to right, that isour association, the family we
were born into.
Okay, but are you activelyseeking?
And I'll tell you, it'suncomfortable, frank.
You meeting me and us becomingfriends was uncomfortable.
I'm sure we're totallydifferent, grew up totally
different.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
But the reality is that doesn't matter, because
what?
What is the true line Meaning?
What is the one thing that, nomatter what culture you're from,
no matter what backgroundyou're from, if there's a
commonality in where we're going, in our value system, it
doesn't matter what all theother factors are.
You, you, you, you even theboard across cultures.
(37:50):
The one thing we talk aboutoften is that vision and a dream
will surpass all cultures, andif you go around the world and
you talk about a vision and adream and the life you want to
create, every culture has that.
Wow.
So dude.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Yeah, this has been great.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
Yeah, such a blessing to have you in my life.
You know I'm just going to saythis as we land the plane here,
frank is, you're one of the besthuman beings, one of the most
dependable people, you know I Italk about often, um, we live in
a society that doesn't followthrough, that doesn't is afraid
(38:31):
of commitment and afraid of, of,of, really, you know, showing
up um and and and, being honestand and over the last decade,
that that's, that's you, that'sjust been you in my life.
That's been you and not just mylife dozens and dozens of
people's lives that you've justbeen there.
You've been stable, you've beenconsistent, imperfect.
What it means to be a father, ason, a friend, a business
(39:08):
partner, a spiritual warrior.
Frank Yontuchu, you are the manfor that and it's an honor.
I appreciate you so much thatit's our job to get our kids
around each other so we caninfluence each other's kids,
because of how much value there.
So just respect you a ton,buddy, and thanks for coming on
our show.
Thank you.
(39:29):
Where can people find you, mason?
Oh, that's a good question.
Good luck.
No, I think LinkedIn isprobably my most kind of active
platform that I use.
And what about you, frank, Isthat kind of LinkedIn that I use
?
And what about you, frank, isthat?
Speaker 2 (39:44):
kind of LinkedIn is all.
I'm only on LinkedIn, actually,no thanks.
Thanks for the opportunity,mason, you bet.
Welcome to another episode of Plain Injured.
Thanks for joining and beingpart of our community.
I'm here with a great friend ofmine, a brother from another
mother.
I think we've been in life, inbusiness, doing life, for a
decade almost now, if not more.
Frank Janticci, frank, what isgoing on, man?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
What's going on?
Mason, it's good to be on.
It's good to be able to tapinto the Planned Injury Podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
You bet man.
Well, frank comes from a prettyunique background.
So, frank, drive to want tocreate a good family life, a
(00:50):
good relationships in our life,make an impact, spread the good
of humanity and our faith.
We share a similar faithbackground.
So, frank, why don't you sharea little bit of how you were
raised, where you came from andsome of that, and then we'll
dive into some other topics,Excited to chat with you.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Yeah for sure.
So obviously this is not aWisconsin accent.
I was born and raised in Ghana.
I did high school in Englandand then I moved to the US to do
my undergrad and grad school.
A little bit about my earlyjourney.
So my dad died before I wasborn and the uniqueness of that
(01:30):
was that my mom never allowedthat to stop her.
So I've actually never seen mymom work a normal job like nine
to five.
She's always like run abusiness.
So it was really unique to seethat when I was young and then
when I moved to the US.
It's so weird because normallypeople move here for a better
(01:51):
life but when you start, you getinto the 95, it's easy to feel
like, oh, I can, this is, I'mmaking good money and you feel
sufficient and satisfied.
And I almost fell into that trapuntil I connected with you
Because I had seen what my momhad done in the past, came here,
(02:11):
got comfortable and then justthat drive and connecting with
other people that run businesses.
Really it was kind of like areinvention of myself, to feel
like, oh, this is something Ireally wanted to do earlier on,
what has taken so long to gethere, and it was probably the
season I was in.
I was in grad school then, so,yeah, that's a little bit of my
(02:35):
background.
Today, I work as a projectsmanager in a large insurance
company.
I have two kids married.
Yeah, I've done everything thatnormally is expected right Go
to school, go to grad school,get married, live, make good
income.
I think for me, though,something that I've found to be
(02:57):
very important is the need togrow and to be more and to be
able to make an impact, sothat's a little bit of my
journey.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Yeah, Can I.
Can I ask you another question?
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
It's.
It's valuable for people tohear.
When I met you, you were asingle dude, you know going to
school working.
You know going to schoolworking and you know, so I've
seen you go from single dude todating, to engaged, to married,
(03:33):
to kids.
Like we've known each otherthat long In fact, we were at
your wedding, we were there whenboth your kids were born Like
we've been just involved in alot of those areas and along
that journey you've always had acareer of some kind and you've
definitely grown a lot in yourcareer.
But you've also always hadsomething going on the side in
actually multiple dimensions.
(03:54):
Because not only are yourunning something here in the US
that you've scaled a quartermillion dollar venture in
e-commerce which you'll nevertell people, so I'm going to
tell them and then you also dobusiness to help your mom with
business back in back in ghana.
Yeah, just give us a little bitof.
Where does that come from?
(04:14):
Like what's the drive, what'sthe motivation through all those
seasons of life to stay soconsistent in that and and not
kind of start to kind of rest onthe comfort of, hey, I'm making
good money and what's been thatmotivation?
Because I think a lot of peoplefrom the US who were born here.
(04:35):
They tend to.
I just see this, I observedthis and I could be wrong, but I
just see a lot of people whotravel from a different country
to come here for a better lifetend to be the ones who have
more ambition and they leveragewhat's here and what's available
more than others.
So any thoughts you have on anyof that?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Yeah, I think different seasons have provided
different motivations.
So, coming from Ghana andwatching my mom run businesses,
it just made sense.
It's like, ok, she run abusiness.
I was able to go to privateschool in the UK.
It was as a function of herrunning businesses.
She paid for my undergrad and,I think, most of my grad school
(05:14):
as well.
If I want to be able to providea certain level of lifestyle
for my kids, there is no betterversion to copy.
It's like she did that from athird world country and provided
all of those.
But then also another point ofmotivation I had kids.
(05:35):
Once you have kids and you havechildren and you have a family,
you move from a sense of I towhat do I do to protect my
family.
You move from a sense of I towhat do I do to protect my
family In work.
Can you realize that?
And a huge wake-up call I'vebeen laid off twice in four
years, from 2020 to 2024, I waslaid off twice.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
There is no greater awakening than being laid off.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
having a family with two kids navigating that so true
.
So all of those just it made itclear to me that not having
something on the side is almostirresponsible, that is, I mean,
not everybody has to feel thatway, which is fine.
Some of us, I think.
Most of the times there is afear of what if things don't
work out.
What if things don't work out?
What if I invest a lot andthings don't work out?
(06:32):
I think for me, I always sawthat different, because I saw my
mom start a cleaning businessfrom zero to have over 30
employees to shrink.
I saw my parents run businesseswhere my dad went to a BMW
dealership, bought a 3 Serieswith cash and then 5 to 10 years
later they were bankrupt.
So I've seen all those ups anddowns.
So it's like it's normal thatat times you will have success.
(06:55):
One thing I've done better isreally reimagine that as like
what am I learning through theprocess?
Right?
So I'm always looking to makean impact.
That's really one of the thingsthat have driven me.
I have a question for you whatare some of the?
You've been running a businessfor over 10 years.
(07:17):
You've had success both in theentrepreneurial realm and then
also in your career.
What are some of the biggestmyths about starting a business?
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Yeah, great question.
I think there's a handful ofthings, especially in today's
age, that people are challengedwith.
Number one is interesting andkind of a paradigm shift.
There's too much informationbecause, at the end of the day,
(07:50):
when it comes toentrepreneurship, as you know,
frank, you need to go do morethan you need to just get
educated.
The the ratio of education anddoing has to be pretty lopsided,
meaning you got to take a lotof action and fail a lot, fail
(08:11):
fast, and you need to geteducated along the way.
So that's myth number one.
Number two is, I think, withsocial media, and all that's out
there is that there's a silverbullet waiting for you, there's
a get rich, and I don't actuallyit's kind of.
I recently changed myperspective on this through some
conversations with my mentor,frank, but I think that you
(08:32):
should get rich quick.
I think you should build wealthquickly in your life, because
you and I both know you buy yourlife back.
Then you get it sooner.
You get to spend more time withyour family, your kids, the
things you, the people you love.
So, um, I think, get wealthquick, not maybe get rich quick,
cause I think there's adifference there but, um, but
(08:52):
what I think that this challengeis is that we're looking for
the silver bullet or the quickfix.
And here's what you and I bothknow and that we've experienced
is that anything successfultakes a decade of effort.
So that's number two.
Number three is I think mostpeople, when they hear starting
(09:13):
a business, their brain goes to40, 50, 60, a hundred hour a
week, work weeks, uh, tradingyour life for it.
Uh, giving everything you gotyour, your, you know every penny
of savings.
Uh, going into debt, taking outa loan and that's just
something I've never done.
That's when we've been guidingyou guys.
That's something we've neverrecommended you do.
In fact, we build everything.
(09:34):
We've never taken out a loan.
You've never taken out a loanfor things.
We've helped you in e-commerceand we just recommend you go low
cost and you use sweat equityand we scaled everything 10, 15,
20 hours a week.
That's about the amount ofeffort we put in, never
sacrificed our day jobs, buildthings in the evenings and
(09:54):
weekends and stayed consistent,and I think the biggest thing is
consistency through all of that.
So that's another factor.
And then the last thing I'd sayis kind of tied into the
information is there's just alot of noise and typically the
more noisy an industry is, themore limelight it gets and the
(10:17):
more people are are selling abag of goods.
So right now it's in e-commerce.
That's a big one.
Um, it might be through, uh,you know, kind of cryptocurrency
.
That's a big noisy space rightnow and typically the more noise
people are kind of justcreating false, false facades of
(10:38):
what success and the reality is.
And, and you know, my wife and Iand, and, and and you know,
would be the first to tell youthat our key to success in our
venture in e-commerce and whatwe've helped you guys kind of
build had nothing to do with, uh, the internet and a program and
like a youtube video.
I had everything to do with therelationships we established in
(11:00):
our life and and executing on aplan and um, and it took time,
it took a lot of time over years, but, um, that's it.
And then I think the principlebehind starting something on the
side and this, and then I'll Iwas.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I was just going to ask you to double click on that,
like the why behind, why it'simportant, the principle behind
it is, yeah, that that you.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
In our opinion, if you're going to build something
outside of your career, youbuild something that's going to
produce a different kind ofmoney than your job would
produce.
So, for example, your mom'scleaning business.
For Frank to go start acleaning business in the US,
just gave himself another job.
Yes, right Now Frank gets thatcleaning business the 30, 40, 50
(11:49):
, 100 employees hey, now itbecomes something where he can
potentially remove himself fromit.
But to get it to scale that wayis pretty difficult.
So when we recommend somebodystart something on the side,
they think what is a system thatI can build?
Or how can I automate this?
I want to start something thatover time, I can remove myself
from and that I'm not the magic.
(12:11):
So are you building a businessthat owns you or are you
building a business that you ownit eventually?
Speaker 2 (12:18):
is the.
Can you speak more to why it'simportant to think this way,
like why?
Why you don't want something toin starting something?
You don't want it to becomejust another job?
I think there is a lot of Iwouldn't say noise, but there's
a lot of discussion aroundentrepreneurship out there and
people get stuck in that.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Yeah, well, because I think the world's teaching, if
I'm understanding your correctly, frank, and please like tell me
to pivot here to a differentidea.
But a lot of people are toldfind something you're passionate
to do, passionate about, andyou'll never work a day in your
life.
And while that may be true forsome, I think most people it's
not.
And what I wanted to create wasI wanted to create something
(13:03):
that when I was, when, as I'mbuilding it, it's giving me more
time in my life.
So here's, here's a simpleexample or a simple kind of math
equation.
If your expenses are, let's say, $5,000 a month and your job
(13:23):
you make, let's say, $8,000 amonth, so your net cash flow is
$3,000 a month.
From that, right, your net cashflow based off of expenses, so
you're cash flowing $3,000 amonth.
So if you lose your job and youhave one month of pay, you can
live without a job for one month.
You're one month financiallyfree.
Or actually it would take youtwo months to become financially
(13:46):
free because you need $6,000 tocover the $5,000 for two months
.
Okay, so that's kind of a job,but that's all you got.
If I build something on theside and let's say it takes me
five, 10 years, but eventuallyit produces $5,000 of cashflow
through my side venture and I'mstill working my full-time job.
(14:07):
That covers my expenses nowfrom my living expenses.
So now I have my job income at$8,000 a month, plus I have my
business income at $5,000 amonth, which covers all my
expenses.
I just became financially freewith a job.
Now what my decision pointbecomes is how much do I, how
(14:27):
much money do I want extra?
Now I get my side venture to$8,000 a month and it's
residualized.
I remove myself from my job.
I'm at this exact same spot andyou can go one from one.
Here's the last thing I'll say.
One of the things that you'reworking on beautifully you and
your wife and your kids isbuilding a money machine and
this is actually a book that waswritten.
(14:48):
But you're building a moneymachine why?
You guys are fully vested in401ks, roth IRAs.
You guys have a business inAfrica you're investing in.
You have a business here ine-commerce you're investing in.
You have your job income.
Okay, so that's right there.
I just named four differentsources of income you guys have.
(15:10):
So, god forbid, somethinghappened to Frank and his
ability to produce at his job.
You can now turn on one of theother machines for your family.
Flip the switch.
So it's not linear.
I say this often, but startinga side venture is not for people
who just want to quit their dayjob.
It's also for people to have aninsurance plan in case a job
(15:35):
quits.
You Say that again Having aside venture not for just for
people who want to quit theirday job, it's also an insurance
plan in case a job quits youwhat have you seen as one of the
setbacks or blockers that stopspeople to imagine themselves or
(15:59):
think about the things this way?
Speaker 2 (16:01):
because I think a lot of times people are like, well,
it's not for me or I'm happywhere I'm at.
Why is having an insuranceimportant, this insurance policy
on the side important?
Speaker 1 (16:15):
to be, to be Frank with Frank.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Uh, such an American term, english term, that doesn't
make sense Uh what have youseen of like the way that more
black people from thinking thisway?
Speaker 1 (16:31):
They think there's security in a job.
They think jobs providesecurity and people rest in
consistency and when somethingis paying you consistently, it's
comfortable.
It's like right now if you getin your car and turn it on and
drive, it's going to work formost people, like they're just,
they're expecting their carsjust going to always run, and
(16:53):
then one day they get in a carand it doesn't turn on and it
doesn't work.
And if they weren't planningfor it, that's they're going in
$30,000 of debt or $20,000 ofdebt because they don't have any
money set aside for it.
So at some point, the realityis the truth is you you
experienced this twice.
You said earlier you're goingto lose your job and you're
replaceable.
(17:14):
Um.
One of the other uh individualsthat my wife and I uh guide
Frank, who you have a greatrelationship with um, is he's.
He's leaving his corporatecareer.
At the end of this year, inNovember 14th, is his retirement
.
His wife was already gone.
They have three little uh, twolittle kids, sorry.
And um he's leaving hiscorporate job.
He's a.
(17:35):
He's a super high level, just acouple layers below a CEO at a
big, a big fortune, fortune 50company.
And um he's one of the highest,like recognized employees there
.
And uh, I was asking him theother day.
I was like so what, what areyou?
How are you feeling aboutleaving?
He's like dude, it's.
It's crazy, he's like.
But the reality is they'regoing to replace me in a matter
(17:56):
of a month, he said even whenI'm gone, I'm replaceable, and
so that's a paradigm that Ithink we just have to come to
terms with.
How many?
And here's a really greatquestion for most of us what was
your raise?
Most of us have just we're inthe raise season.
What was your raise this year?
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Most of us I don't know what it's going to be.
It's going to be like two to 3%.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Yeah, but what was the inflation last year?
Like 7% to 9%.
I think that means if let's say, let's call it 7%, that means
you lost.
If you had a 3% raise, you justlost 4% of your income last
year, gone Without even doinganything.
So how do you offset 4%?
Well, you go build something onthe side.
The only way to to grow, uh,wealth in today's world is you
(18:39):
have to build something foryourself, is my opinion.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
That's just the only way to do it as as a student but
a graduate, as a husband wifecouple that is looking to
transition.
What is the kind of mindsetshift that is required in your
experience?
Speaker 1 (18:59):
firm on the outcome, flexible on the path, and what I
mean by that is tell me more.
Yeah, I was not, and you werethe same way.
You and I both approachede-commerce not because we were
passionate about it.
We loved it, we were going tobe so good at it, we were like
(19:20):
just meant for it.
None of that.
The reason you and I approachedthat space was because we saw
the results it could produce inour life.
We understood the asset itcould create and we wanted.
What we were passionate aboutwas the life it could help us
create and the impact we canmake through it on our family
and on others.
Like that's it.
(19:42):
So, number one, you have to bethat.
You have to be outcome focused.
Number two I believe if you'rea couple, you have to be on the
same page.
Both have to be activeentrepreneurs, building
something.
No, well, frank, you and Lauraare on the same page.
You know where you want to go,you know what your values are.
You know what's most importantfor your family.
She supports you and what youdo.
(20:03):
So there's a level of being onthe same page.
And then I think you got to getreal with yourself and how
unproductive you are.
Let's say you're married andyou have kids.
Once your kids go to bed, we'revery unproductive.
(20:24):
Most families are extremelyunproductive creatures.
It's Netflix time, it's phonescreen time.
At best you're reading hopefullymaybe you're reading a novel
and you're not on your screensbut most of it's screen time,
netflix time and movies time,and so so to me, if your kids go
to bed 7, 30, 8 o'clock mostyoung kids that's when they're
(20:44):
going to bed you have at leasttwo to three hours that night.
If you're going to, typicallypeople are going to bed around
that time for you to go buildsomething for yourself and I
think it's the best way toinvest your time as a couple is
doing something in those eveningtimes.
That's productive, that'sforward focused, because
(21:07):
otherwise we get caught in thepast and we start becoming
victims and we start thinkingabout all the things we don't
have and where we're not,because we're watching all these
things on TV and social media,of all these great things people
are doing in their lives.
We get lost in that.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I like that you said this whole idea of having that
wasted time until the end of theday.
Where do people start, though?
I think there are a lot ofoptions out there.
What would you recommend fromyour experience as a place to
start?
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Well, listen, if you're listening to this podcast
episode because you'reintrigued by the idea of being
able to go build something foryourself, maybe you met Frank,
maybe you met myself, maybe youmet somebody that knew one of us
.
I believe that's where itstarts.
(22:00):
I believe it not with a podcastepisode.
Where it starts is with arelationship with somebody,
because that's where it began,for we sit here across from each
other knowing that was theanswer for us.
Right, it was relationships inour life.
It was people that had donethings.
Relationships in our life, itwas people that had done things.
(22:21):
And what I found aboutsuccessful people who have truly
, genuinely created financialfreedom or financial success, or
on path to do that, and aren'ttrying to just sell you a
program or something to go by,but they actually had created it
successfully.
They're very giving people.
They enjoy that because youthat's the impact we get to
create in our life is is beingable to give back and and frank,
(22:45):
I know you're, you have amassive heart for this but you,
you look at you, look at people.
As man, I see so much potentialin people.
You're extremely optimistic,human being, actually to a fault
, sometimes right, almost toooptimistic.
You look past some of thedetails, which is something we I
mean, that's, if that there's abad trait and if that's your
worst trait, that's a prettyfreaking good trait.
(23:06):
Uh, bad trait or whatever.
Uh, double negative.
But, um, I think just beingable to build relationships is a
phenomenal starting point andthen, um, and then just just
realizing that you're gonna haveto grow a new skill set,
getting outside your comfortzone is the name of the game.
You know, I we started thispodcast.
(23:27):
I don't even know 2019, this,this playing injured podcast.
I never, I didn't even I stillthis is this isn't?
I still, today, have no ideahow to upload a podcast onto any
of the platforms.
I don't know, but Josh does.
My co-host, he figured all thatout.
And you don't have to be greatat everything, frank, you have.
(23:48):
You know, wealth is built inbuilding teams and you've built
organizations in your job andyou've built organizations
through business and you'vebuilt organizations over in
Africa.
I mean from all differentlevels.
I mean there are people thatyou know that are way smarter
than you, that are yourbusinesses right and part of
(24:09):
your team Way more skilled thanyou I don't think you'll be mad
Way more skilled than you are.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Yeah, that's true.
I tell them all the time.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Yeah, but that's leadership, and that's also like
a level of understanding wherewealth comes from.
Wealth doesn't come from youbeing really good at something
and you being the expert orbeing really niche.
Wealth comes from youempowering other people, helping
other people get to where theywant to go.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Yeah, so something I've also seen at times helping
other people get to where theywant to go yeah, so something
I've also seen at times is thatpeople I think it's more of a
shield than anything, the ideaof like, oh, it has to be
perfect, it's a perfect time.
Whatever I do, I have to be allin, like it's either I'm all in
or I'm not, or it's perfect orI'm not doing it.
(25:01):
What have you seen as a way toovercome that and take an action
rather than waiting forperfection?
Because the idea that, well, ifit's not the perfect business,
or it's the perfect businessidea, or it's the perfect time
in my life I've seen it as a Goahead.
Yes.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
I was just going to say can I answer all three of
those questions?
I'm going to answer it.
I've seen those.
So what's the answer?
The answer is do something, andthe answer is do a little bit
every day.
A little bit goes a long way,and especially when you're in
the wealth development game.
See, I think people attachscaling and building wealth or
(25:55):
building ventures on the side,like they do, to their job.
They think I got to go toschool for four years Maybe
subconsciously, but let's bringit to the conscious level.
I got to go to school for fouryears and then I can start
working.
And then, once I start working,I got to work for 40 hours a
week and then, after five years,I'll be really good at my job
(26:16):
and I can get promoted orwhatever.
No-transcript, the work I did10 plus years ago is still
(26:54):
paying me today inentrepreneurship is still paying
me today.
Entrepreneurship in a job.
The work I did five years agoactually five hours ago doesn't
pay me anymore.
It paid me only for that moment.
Wealth development.
Here's what's cool.
You build little blocks andthose blocks continue to produce
um, and you know, one of thebest analogies for that is would
(27:19):
I rather carry buckets of waterto my home and try to build a
business around.
Oh, I'm going to go help carrybuckets of water or build a
pipeline where I can just turnon the water and now I can put
pipelines in everybody's home.
Like, what am I actuallybuilding?
And the difference between theway we think about building
things on the side is build apipeline.
It's gonna take some time, butthat's a little bit of at least
(27:42):
the mindset.
Is there anything else youwanna shed on that?
Shed light on that, because Ifeel like maybe I missed the
mark a little bit on that.
I don't know if there'sanything.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
No, I think you're spot on on the idea of building
a pipeline and doing a little.
I loved when you made thatcomment about doing a little to
start and not waiting for theperfect, because it never will
be.
Something is always going tocome up, there's going to be
some new development, somethingis going to happen.
What I have found is when youtake little steps and I'm a
(28:12):
believer, I believe that everytime that I take little steps
towards success, god gives me alayup Because he realizes I'm
actively working towards apurpose, I'm working towards
something, and at times we allneed that help and people call
it luck.
I call it like activelysomebody noticing I'm taking
steps towards that, so I justget in the helping hand.
(28:33):
When you were speaking, I meanyou've been in, you've run
businesses for over a decade now.
How have you grown as afunction of this?
How have you grown as a man?
How have you grown as a familyman?
How have you grown even in yourcareer?
How has this learningopportunity or running a
business influenced differentareas in your life?
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Yeah, you know it's funny, I can't really say that
any of my growth that I had incorporate America was a function
of what I, what corporateAmerica taught me.
Any programs they had, anyconferences sent me to, none of
(29:21):
it came from there.
And I'm not saying that therearen't companies that do a
really good job of that.
I just didn't have thatexperience.
If I had to attest the reason Igrew in my career, it was
because of what I did on theside.
It was because of the books Iwas reading, it was because of
the association I had, it wasbecause of how much I was
(29:41):
getting outside of my comfortzone every night of the week and
I was growing myself through,developing myself in my own
endeavors.
And so so many people, I think,are very binary in the way they
think they're like, oh I'meither going to be an employee
or I'm going to be anentrepreneur, and I got to go
(30:02):
all in on one of those.
And I just think we live in ageneration where, if you're not
flexible, if financial securityand stability is not about one
source, financial flexibilityand security is about skill,
flexibility and security.
It's about you being flexiblein the way you make money and
(30:22):
having autonomy over that, andthat's been a big piece.
The other thing I think that'sbeen really beautiful is growing
my, my mental and emotionalcapacity tell us yeah, leaning a
little bit in that.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
What does that mean in expanding your emotional and
mental capacity?
Speaker 1 (30:44):
How much I can handle today, how much chaos I can
handle when the kids are cryingand things aren't going well at
home.
I don't know if I would bethere mentally and emotionally
if we hadn't built something onthe side, because there's been
plenty of moments where we'vejust had to lean in and you
don't have an option.
And here's what I find Mostpeople this is just this is what
(31:07):
I've seen Most people when itcomes to their job, they'll show
up emotionally broken, sick,tired, hungover, you know
whatever right, they'll go totheir job.
Still True.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Because they're driven by a fear, because if
they don't show up they getfired, they lose their paycheck.
Okay, then they start somethingon the side.
Or their family or their kidsneed them and they're like oh,
I'm too tired, I'm not feelingwell, and they don't for their
kids, their family, their wifeand their side ventures.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
I love that you said that, because I was listening to
a podcast and they spoke aboutone of the best ways to really
connect with your kids isspending time.
And in relation to what you'resaying, but if you're not
present because you're mentallyyou're not, you don't have the
capacity, you're not going to bepresent when you're with your
kids.
But sorry, I just had to jumpin and share that.
Oh true, yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:02):
So what is it and this is, I think, getting at a
point here is that my value?
What are my values?
What's my value system?
My value system is my family.
My value system is my health.
My value system is the way Itreat people, okay, how I show
up for them.
Well, what's the most importantplace?
I need to have it pinned myfamily, my kids.
(32:25):
So my mentality was and excuseme on this if I'm offending
anyone, but I'll call in sick tomy job, like that why?
Because they pay me to not bethere, they give me sick time so
that I can show up for myfamily, my kids and what we're
building on the side.
Why Because that's thelong-term play.
(32:47):
Wow, that's sticking.
That's the sticky thing.
The thing that's not sticky isthe job.
I can always go get a new joband that job's going to quit me
someday.
That job's going to say youdon't belong here anymore,
you're not needed here anymore.
It might be when I'm in my late60s, it might be tomorrow,
right?
Where do I want to put mymental and emotional energy
(33:09):
really?
So here's the question.
And then maybe we should kindof land the plane here.
If you got anything else, frankbut-.
Speaker 2 (33:15):
I have one last question.
But yeah, and then we can move.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
Yeah, here's the question why does the world
teach us to go, get full-timejobs and then live part-time
marriages, part-time raisingkids, part-time health Wow, why
don't we flip it?
Why don't we figure out ways tomake money that provide for our
(33:38):
family, that are part-time, akaresidual, passive, asset-based,
ongoing whatever you want tocall it there's so many words
for it and then live full-timemarriages, full-time parents,
full-time health journeys,full-time spiritual faith walks
with your church or your faith,or whatever you're into there.
Why don't we flip it?
I think if most people were towork towards flipping the
(34:01):
equation sooner in their life,instead of doing it in their 60s
, doing it in their 20s, 30s and40s, I think there would be
less anxiety, less depression,because now we're living out our
true values and, I believe, theway God designed us speak to
(34:25):
this.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
I feel this sounds like common knowledge, but I
feel like a lot of people wouldhear this and it will be new to
them, and part of it is becauseit's a function of the people
that I have associated with andI loved it.
Earlier on you had spoken aboutassociations and then I had a
question here on that.
I was like how do you know ifyou even have the right
association by you?
How do you find the rightpeople to associate with?
(34:48):
How do you know if you evenneed an association or to
associate with people?
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Yeah, I mean it's a great question.
I'll be pretty quick on it.
Number one is assess, assessthe association, and one of the
one of the greatest, one of thebest assessments that I was made
aware of is what are theytalking about?
And what I mean by that is arethey talking about the past?
Your association that you'rehanging out with and I know
(35:18):
every culture is different, butI know the African culture, I've
gotten to know your culture alittle bit.
Frank likes to hang out andkind of just chill and just hang
out, yep Food and all day right, like nothing wrong with that.
But what are they talking about?
(35:38):
And if they're always talkingabout the past, here's an
indicator they're stuck in thepast.
And if you're the kind of personwho wants to move forward I'm
assuming you're listening tothis because you want to move
forward in life, you want to bebetter, you want to create a
better life for your family yougot to start surrounding
yourself by people that speakfuture, that speak where we're
(35:58):
headed, where we're going, andthat not only if you start
speaking that that will attractthat into your life.
If you start thinking forward,if you start.
I believe in the power ofmanifestation and the fact that,
hey, I think our relationshipswere a divine interaction, a
divine work of God in our lives.
But you and I were both, priorto meeting each other, thinking
(36:19):
forward where we want to go.
What do we create?
Like life can't be this, likeit's got to be more so.
I think that a power ofattraction, um, and then I think
you just really need to definerelationships in your life, and
for my wife and I, relationshipsare not built on quantity time.
(36:42):
Relationships are built onquality time and quality of
conversation.
If the quality is there and ifthe quality conversation and the
quality time is there, that'san opportunity to build a really
strong relationship.
Most of us have relationshipsin our life due to proximity and
environment when we worked,where we live, this, the, the
(37:07):
school we went to right, that isour association, the family we
were born into.
Okay, but are you activelyseeking?
And I'll tell you, it'suncomfortable, frank.
You meeting me and us becomingfriends was uncomfortable.
I'm sure we're totallydifferent, grew up totally
different.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
Yeah, you're right.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
But the reality is that doesn't matter, because
what?
What is the true line Meaning?
What is the one thing that, nomatter what culture you're from,
no matter what backgroundyou're from, if there's a
commonality in where we're going, in our value system, it
doesn't matter what all theother factors are.
You, you, you, you even theboard across cultures.
(37:50):
The one thing we talk aboutoften is that vision and a dream
will surpass all cultures, andif you go around the world and
you talk about a vision and adream and the life you want to
create, every culture has that.
Wow.
So dude.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Yeah, this has been great.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
Yeah, such a blessing to have you in my life.
You know I'm just going to saythis as we land the plane here,
frank is, you're one of the besthuman beings, one of the most
dependable people, you know I Italk about often, um, we live in
a society that doesn't followthrough, that doesn't is afraid
(38:31):
of commitment and afraid of, of,of, really, you know, showing
up um and and and, being honestand and over the last decade,
that that's, that's you, that'sjust been you in my life.
That's been you and not just mylife dozens and dozens of
people's lives that you've justbeen there.
You've been stable, you've beenconsistent, imperfect.
What it means to be a father, ason, a friend, a business
(39:08):
partner, a spiritual warrior.
Frank Yontuchu, you are the manfor that and it's an honor.
I appreciate you so much thatit's our job to get our kids
around each other so we caninfluence each other's kids,
because of how much value there.
So just respect you a ton,buddy, and thanks for coming on
our show.
Thank you.
(39:29):
Where can people find you, mason?
Oh, that's a good question.
Good luck.
No, I think LinkedIn isprobably my most kind of active
platform that I use.
And what about you, frank, Isthat kind of LinkedIn that I use
?
And what about you, frank, isthat?
Speaker 2 (39:44):
kind of LinkedIn is all.
I'm only on LinkedIn, actually,no thanks.
Thanks for the opportunity,mason, you bet.
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