- The Bryant Ferate Newsletter.
- Posts
- Ferate's 5: Will You or Can You? What's The Difference? (018)
Ferate's 5: Will You or Can You? What's The Difference? (018)
Lessons learned from Jesse Itzler on My First Million Podcast.
Bryant Ferate
October 12, 2023
Let’s Go!!! Pumped You Are Here!
First, it’s Ferate like karate with an F or kinda like, Ferrari.
Subscribe below if interested in joining 257 other readers interested in cultivating their curiosity & answering the question, “Who I am becoming?”
What’s up everyone? I am going to be honest, straight up with you, I have been on a HUGE Jesse Itzler kick recently. Binge listening to all his old podcasts and most recently wrote a newsletter about the attributes that I admire.
Are you ready? Here is some serendipity!
The same day I dropped my newsletter last Thursday, he was the most recent guest on one of my favorite podcasts, My First Million. Over 70,000 people checked out my tweet highlighting the episode so I am sure you will love these lessons from Jesse Itzler’s life playbook that I can’t stop thinking about.
Will You or Can You?
A producer offered young Jesse Itzler $10,000 for 10% of everything he ever made. At the time, Jesse thought this was a huge offer. He ended up learning an incredible life lesson from Lewis Katz, a businessman and a partial owner of the New York Yankees at the time.
Lewis asked him “Will you get this done?”
“Yes, I am on to something, I know I can make it work.” Jesse explains.
Then Lewis EXPLODED, “I didn’t ask you that, I didn’t ask if you can, I asked if will you! There is a big difference between can and will. Tell them to take the $10,000 and shove it up their ass.”
This has become an overarching theme for Jesse Itzler’s life. Understanding the difference is an important step in betting on yourself. A simple and actionable lesson that you can apply to your life once you are done reading this newsletter in 2 more minutes.
People buy into stories, momentum, & people over products.
Through all of Jesse’s business Professional Team Jingles, Marquis Jets, Zico Coconut Water, into public speaking, All Day Running Co., 29029 Everest, and more. There is a theme across them all.
People buy into stories, momentum, and people over products.
Getting thrown out of the Marquis Jets’ pitch after a 12-minute. He learned most people don’t get 12 minutes. Next meeting he ditched the PowerPoint and brought in 8 different people who one by one, said they would pay for this type of private jet service, including Run DMC.
Loved this gem that Shaan pointed out, Jesse walked the market into the room and they said I would pay for this.
The decision-maker said I see enthusiasm, two people who will make this work, and at the end of the day I see a version of me in you.
Doesn’t mean you can have a bad product. What it means is the story, momentum, and people are the greatest tipping point. People can deeply connect with those three.
More Isn’t Better, Better Is Better.
Jesse said “As I have got older more isn’t better, better is better” He is proud of the life he has built. He has a great family, is a great son to his parents, and has great friends.
At this point in his life, he is investing in low aggravation for high reward not high aggravation for high reward.
Asking the question of what gives him energy? What is he enthusiastic about? Not needing more and more but understanding what is filling his cup and making his life better.
This lesson challenged me to reflect on a few questions.
Is more money better? Or is an environment with freedom better?
When would MORE be better than better?
Am I searching for more or for quality?
Simplicity is KING. High quality is better than more more more…
Invest 3 minutes In The 3 Cs: Complimenting, Congratulating, & Consoling.
Take 3 minutes every day to invest in your friends, close relationships, and your networks. MAJOR KEY: Genuinely and authentically.
Intentionally connect with your friends through a text, call, or writing them a letter. Complimenting them on something they are doing at a high level. Congratulating them on an achievement. Consoling them after something difficult has happened.
Simple not easy.
3 minutes to do 3 messages a day of the 3 Cs. The unique part that I loved about this is Jesse explained how those connection points are now permission slips for you to speak up and connect with them when you see them. For example, he texted Coach K a thank you text for Coach K Fantasy Camp for entrepreneurs over 35 years old at Duke. Later he ran into Coach K and said “Hey Coach K I sent you that text thanking you for the Coach K camp, how is it going?”
Permission slip to BE FIRST and connect in person.
I love the 3 Cs because it just adds to the framework of how my brain works. The more and more I hear about things like this it makes me realize that people don’t do this. I am not the best in the world at this, but to my core, this is a part of who I am. Connecting fills my soul, and consistently hitting up people to hear how they doing, what they are excited about, curious about, and who they are becoming!
Just a touch point of a text of something I thought they would find cool or a voice memo under 60 seconds saying what’s up!
It takes effort. It takes energy.
In return it gives you energy, you stay connected, and people know you care about them.
CHALLENGE: Apply one of these lessons from Jesse Itzler’s awesome conversation and implement it into your life right now! Just for one day!
Will You or Can You?
Stories, Momentum, and People Over Products.
More Isn’t Better, Better Is Better.
3 Minutes, 3 People, 3 Cs, & Creating Permission Slips.
Reply to this with which lesson you are implementing into your life right now! Would love to hear which one you specifically connect with the most.
Thank you for reading and supporting the newsletter. Every subscriber, share on social media, and email reply has me yelling “LET’S GO!!!”, walking around with an extra pep in my step, a HUGE smile on my face, and fist-bumping everyone I see!
Wishing you all love & consistency. Continue to stack those daily deposits and make every day the best day of the year, until tomorrow…
Ferate
Reply