How you can empower and grow that will bring impact

 

When did you get to have a shift in your mindset?

In this podcast you will see Kevin Mills interview Andy Audate about his origin story and at what point he started being a business minded person. Andy shares that at a young age he learned that if he produces results and gets work done, he can get paid based on his own efforts. 

He tells us a great lesson his father taught him at a young age about money and relationships. Emphasizing that relationships and foundation of family was more important. Andy shares his story of breaking out of the past and breaking in to the success he is at right now. The transition point and the mindset that he had during these crucial times that defined the life he has right now.

Finally, Andy also tells us in this episode how it is his duty to empower people and give back to society.

You will learn:

  • That small dreams can become big opportunities for success 
  • Other people’s positive belief in you can be the reason your life changes
  • How to spend time like successful people do
  • The impact of sharing empowerment and growth on you and other people

Follow Andy Audate on:

Website: https://andyaudate.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andyaudate/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andyaudate/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyAudate

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyaudate

Transcriptions:

Andy Audate

I want to change lives. I want to show people how to progress and their money. I want to show people how to progress their mindset. I want to show people how to progress in their brand so that way they can take care of their family. Take care of the finances and experience freedom.

Kevin Mills

Andy, welcome to the show. Thanks for coming on today, man. 

Andy Audate

Hey bro, bro. Man, I appreciate you for having me on your show, bro.

Kevin Mills

I love it. I love it. And you've got a lot of exciting things going on right now.I know you've got an upcoming tour that we'll cover and your stories, an absolutely phenomenal one is one that I think a lot of people out there are going to be able to resonate with.but if you would, before we start diving into what, what you really have going on right now, if you would take us back to what I call the origin story.so that's wherever your entrepreneurial journey began for you. that could be as early as, you know, high school or later on, you know, if you would just take us back to that spot.

Andy Audate

That's a good point, man, or this story is going to, it's going to definitely be on time. Man. When my dad, my dad actually went to, went to New York. So I'm originally from the East coast and I'm from an impoverished area where there's drugs, violence, gang members and people, a like, and. On the East coast.When my dad goes to New York, what that meant was he was buying clothes because you can go to New York and you can buy clothes for a dollar for $3. I'm telling you nice stuff. I mean, maybe some, maybe they were knock offs because. Well, for whatever reason, but nice stuff that I liked. And when I went, my dad went, he said, Hey, is there anything that you want? I said that, let me get the Nike air force ones, the ones with the strap. And I said, I go to school with those, even though I'm going to be wearing a uniform because I was in a private school. I tell you, I'm going to be so swagged out by the girls who are going to like me. I'm going to be one of the most handsome men, you know?Cause I thought, because those sneakers made, man, I thought they made me. So my dad goes there for three days, comes back three days later and he didn't have them. I said, that was like, I don't get in any of the bag. I'm looking at all the bags. I don't see any sneakers. And he's like, I didn't, I didn't have enough money to go get those. And I was like that. I literally laid down on my bed, thinking about what life was going to be like with those sneakers that I was consumed with that were not getting, getting into my, I was essentially distraught. So instead of me just sulking for so long, I left my house and I went across the street and I went to the neighbor and I said, Hey, can I show you your yard for you? Can I shovel for you? And the first neighbor said no. And I, and I remember, I was like, instead of me fighting it, I just went onto the next door next door. They said, no, I knocked on the door. And I said, mr. Martin, because I'm not going to connect tonight, shovel your snow, put all in the corner for you. And he said, nah, I ain't got, got a snowblower.Don't worry about it. And I wouldn't be like, damn, like I looked backwards at my house. I said, my house is right there. If I left and I went to my house, man, I will not be a successful entrepreneur today. Today this is 16 years ago. I would not be an entrepreneur today. So I, I want one more door.And that other person that gave, said yes, he gave him 10 bucks. So I showed that person's house. I went to 24 doors later and 16 out of the house, 16 out of 24, ended up giving me the money. So I had $160 for the shoes. And I remember I went back home and I started ironing the money. On my bed because I wanted it to be with fat flats and Chris.

Kevin Mills

Oh yeah. Yeah. 

Andy Audate

And because of that, I didn't go with the sneakers. Why? Because it was my money. I didn't get the sneakers, but I did learn that if I produce results, if I work, I can get paid based on my own efforts. 

Kevin Mills

So, so let me ask you this, Sandy, why do you go to the third door? 

Andy Audate

Well, I was just one door away from, no, I'm not from, yes.So you know, there's so many nos that people can give to the point where someone's going to say, yes, someone's going to listen, look at the snow and say, I'm in my warm house. And I'm outside. We want to do it for 10 bucks. Ain't shit to me. So I'll do it. So I was looking for that one person, recognizing that there's some people that ate, they didn't like me because I was black and that's true.I didn't even realize they were racist in the area. So. Recognizing that there are some people who are racist and that aren't going to do this for me, just because of my skin color. There are people who aren't going to do business with me because of the fact that they have the resources like a snowblower to do it themselves.But then C is the fact that somebody is going to be in their warm house. Get up from the couch, look outside and say advantage, snowing. I don't want to do it. And to have me there. So yes, I'll do it for you. 

Kevin Mills

And you were how old at this point, 

Andy Audate

this is 11. 

Kevin Mills

11. So. I mean as an 11 year old though like these explanations you're giving me right now are fantastic and you know, it's great.They're great tactics and tips that you would apply to everyday business right now, you know, and growing a business that you know, not to take a note, keep going and keep going. And I understand. How you're putting into words there, but as an 11 year old, like, take me back to your 11 year old self and why'd you knock on that door?

Andy Audate

I feel you, I figured that's logical to look at it and be like, yo, why would an 11 year old? Why, why would an 11 year old really have such an issue or have a foundational understanding? Well, the way that my parents raised me, I was raised as an adult. I wasn't raised as an 11 year olds. So I was in school, hustling candy.I was in school hustling cell phones really at a young age. So even though I was, even though I was an 11 man, I was like an adult. I was struggling over bills in my own mind. I was like, I'm the, I'm the 11 year old. I'm like at the school bathroom, like, Oh my gosh, I gotta pay the cell phone bill and like the cell phone bill is $40. I'm like, how am I going to? I'm on the toilet and my school bathroom. And you got other 11 year olds talking about, let's go play at recess. And I'm in the bathroom. Like when my head was on the hand, on my head, all right, I got to get the 40 hours for the cell phone bill.Like how many lawns do I have to rake? You know like shit, like man, a substitute, an adult, like here, you know,

Kevin Mills

Yeah. Yeah, I totally get it that I can remember as, I don't know, as an 11 year old, but 14, 15 years old, you know, thinking how am I going to pay that cell phone bill? that kind of thing. But that, that kinda sparks another question for me. And I'm kind of going all over the place here, but I think we're going to be able to tie it back together in a second, but at what age, Did money really changed for you?So what I mean by that question, let me elaborate a little bit, you know, there's a certain age, whereas a kid a hundred bucks was like what a million bucks is today to us. Right.you know, it was always a really big number and then there's a certain transition where a hundred dollars isn't that much.You get what I'm asking. They're like, when did, when did your mindset shift? 

Andy Audate

I think it was around. I started dabbling into the thousands around 16, 15, 16. I purchased my first car. For example, I was 15 years old when I purchased my first car and I had 20. I had, my car was at 3,500. I just paid. And I, and I remember not looking at the money soul because my dad, the way that he taught me about money was that it was not a ton of value money didn't have much value.It was a means to an end. So if you got money as a tool, like I learned money was equivalent to a hammer. Like what, how much, how long, how much do you care for a hammer? Do you go to bed with a hammer? Like, like how much do you care for him? It was a tool. So I don't use money to hammer the nail that you have, you just use a specific tool.So you use money for a specific reason. So my dad taught me that relationships are what was important. That the foundation of family was important. So that's what my dad taught me.  So even when I was spending $3,500 on a car that wasn't, I didn't really didn't look at it as much. Then 16. Then at 19, I saved $7,000 and that's $7,000.And I remember not even looking at it. I was just going, I was just making decisions based on what I had in my bank account. So even when I spent $7,000 to open my first business, within six months, I made a hundred grand and I was 19 within 21, I made a million dollars. And I remember just looking at my decisions based on how much do I have in my bank account and saying, okay, how am I, how am I getting more of it?Because I don't want to go backwards. How am I going to get more? So I don't know if I had a specific age. I just think that I had different levels that I was playing.

Kevin Mills

Right. So growing up, you know, you mentioned at the very beginning here that you grew up in an area that was really predominantly heavy with drugs, gang violence, that kind of thing.It's very easy when you grow up in that environment too. Fall into the same exact things.it's kind of the old adage of, if you look at the people who you spend your most time with, it's a reflection of yourself, right. how did you not do that? How did you kind of break out of that and break into the success that you've done?

Andy Audate

And I was a drug user. I don't, I sold it. I used it and I was heavy into alcohol as well. So I wish I could tell you, like, I didn't use it. I've used it. I used it many times on a daily basis. I use, I use drugs and then my, my drug of choice was marijuana. And so someone would say, it's not a drug and we'll say it is.But I was telling that I put it into bags and I flipped it for $10, $11, $30, 50 bucks, and a hundred bucks. And then I first started off as a runner and then I got my own weight. 

Kevin Mills

And then how did you transition from that? And to something more legitimate? 

Andy Audate

My, my dad's my dad's on the phone with me. Right.He's on the phone. And I remember, I remember, so I'm home alone. Right. And I had pot, I had weed and I didn't know how to smoke at Kevin. I didn't know how to smoke weed. So I thought people who were now I sold them, but I didn't know how to roll it because I would be with other people who knew how to roll it.

So I always saw it in a Brown, like something Brown. I know, I remember seeing it, it was Brown and what it was, it was a Dutch. So it was a Dutch master from that convenience store where people were smoking, smoked tobacco. Now I never see people smoke tobacco out of it, but you can buy it at the convenience store where they have Bacco in it, and then you can unroll it, take the tobacco out, put the marijuana inside.And so I took, like, I essentially took that and. Like I took that understanding and I was home alone one day and there was the  there was marijuana I that I had, I had purchased and I got a Brown piece of paper back. I cut it up, put the marijuana in there. And then I smoked out at my house. And then my dad called me.He was at work. He said he was in the medical medical industry. So he was working an overnight shift and. I put the phone down next to the TV. So I'm like, dad, what's up. What's up, dad? What's up. What's up? What's up? Hold on a second. I put the phone down and it was what was playing was NBC MSNBC lockup.And when MSNBC lockup was playing, that's just like a TV show about people's lifestyle in prison. Well, there was a portion of it that was about a person getting arrested and they were talking about drug use. So it was like, Hey man, I was smoking weed and this, I got in trouble. And then he went to jail.And then my dad overheard that portion of the show while I was doing whatever I was doing. So in the house I have a blunt. No, I didn't do it. Right. Because the house ended up smelling Rican. And then my dad goes, what are you doing? Listening to stuff about content, about TV, about where you ended up the day and going off on me.I'm like, it's just a show. I'm not, that doesn't mean I'm in it. Even though I have some TV show and he's like, what are you doing? And he goes, he goes off on me and he goes, you want to end up there? I was like, yo, I don't want to end up on, I don't want to end up on MSNBC. I don't want to end up on lockup.So I put it out. I remember I stashed it and I had like a basketball's trophy that I stashed it all in there. And I hit it and then I had to take a fan and I turned the fan inside out where it would blow where the side that was blown up too. I, I turned it to the window and it was sucking in all the air from inside the house and outside.And I remember a couple hours later, my mom walks in and she's like, it smells weird, and it's more like a skunk going slow. Awfully weird. And I said, I don't know. I couldn't tell you. And I remember that, like that experience where I was like, yo, I don't want to get in trouble. I don't want to live this lifestyle.I don't, I'm not that person. I'm a good church, boy I wish I could say that, but I was really the bad guy who was influencing everyone to do stuff, but I know deep down inside of me, I was better than that guy who was selling dope. I was better. So I made a decision there to stop that lifestyle.plus the person that was running for it, he got in trouble with a gun and I was like, man, that's where I'd be headed.Like I'll be headed to getting in jail with guns and stuff. So that's not the lifestyle I want to live. I want to be an entrepreneur. I already have this hustle in me, but I don't want to be an entrepreneur.

Kevin Mills

So I've noticed throughout a lot of your story. you keep mentioning your dad or your mom and how they raised you and everything like that.It seems like they had a really integral part into how you turned out today  One question I kind of want to pose you is if your parents had raised you differently, in the sense of everything was provided for you, that not that you needed, but that you wanted.do you think that your outcome had been, would have been different as far as what you're doing now?

Andy Audate

Say that last part again.

Kevin Mills

So if, if your parents in the way that they had raised you, if  they had provided everything that you wanted. So for example, if they had been able to buy those air force Jordans or, you know, your cell phone, you didn't have to cover that you weren't necessarily raised in as an, a, at an adult, as we talked about earlier.Do you think that you would have been in the same position that you are today? 

Andy Audate

And here's why, because those were in Nate DISA, those were innate lessons. So they could have told me like, Hey son, you know, you got to produce results in order to get what you want. So they could have said that, but they taught me that through their decision making skills, to the decisions.Now that might've not been their intention to do that, I could have been based on the current finances at that time, or there. Their situation, my parents' situation. But the lessons that I learned from it is that yo, I gotta produce results. I gotta be. And I'm responsible and I'm solely responsible.I'm solely responsible. So, so after experiencing that, man, I realized that that drove him to be a hustler, not necessarily in a negative light of being like a drug hustler, but a hustler that got whatever I needed by any means, whatever it took. So when, when, when times fell off times for laugh, I mean, in times being hard for a 17 year old or 16 year old or 18 year old could just be like, Hey man, like you're you don't have enough money for food or you don't have, you're like, you're just getting by, or you gotta help mom and dad out with the money, the household money.But when times fried that, I just said, I'll get it. And I had more confidence in myself to figure it out. So back then I was on cell phones. I moved into cell and cell phones in high school. Where I sold cell phones. like I would, I would purchase a, a unused, I mean,I would purchase a use phone and clean it up on security, unlock it.And then in factory reset it, put it into a nice block box, add some accessories that cost me a dollar 50, and I would sell it for, you know, 75 bucks more than I purchased before. And I would do that a couple of times. You do that 10 times in a week. That's $750 that I just made.

Kevin Mills

And was there any story really behind where you realized that you would be able to do that?

You know, cause the average person doesn't think, Hey, let me start a side hustle of flipping cell phones. Like that's just not what it goes to, that average person has to go question, like what happened? 

Andy Audate

I created, I don't know. I mean, my mom was a business woman, so she already owned a business. So like I learned from fifth grade.

Kevin Mills

So you kinda grew up around that environment. 

Andy Audate

My mom invested into a business, so. You know, when my mom invested into a business, that was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me and my family, because I really got fond, like she went through that, but I really got a foundational understanding of business.

So once she did that, I was, I remember being young and I saw my mom hustling it. I was forced and I was dragged to go to the store. But I mean, man, even then, man, like I was like, I was independent. Cause even at fifth grade, you know, you were talking about the 11 year olds, like my 11, who doesn't think about bills, but even in fifth grade man, and that's like 10, 10 years old that I was nine 10.I remember I went to my mom and I said, mom, I want to open up a business and she said, what do you want to do? I said, I want to open up any of these kids' shops. And still to this day, it's at my house, the, the, the inventory's at my house still to this day, I'm at my mom's house. And she gave me a catalog, which was a magazine.And she said, bye, get all the novelties that you want and I'll pay for it. So I ordered like, like ring pop that you could put, like, it was like rings that you can put jewelry in, that kids can hold like hold their earring or whatever necklaces, jump ropes action figures. Like all of that stuff. I ordered that and I ordered a plethora and I remember I went to my mom.I said, mom, can I get a register? Like I want to register, I don't want cash in it. So a kid can come up to me. Okay. Cause what happened was my mom had a store, a uniform store where it would, it was Like a scrubs that doctors, dentists, nurses would wear those scrubs and the P and the kids would come. So I'm stuck and I'm jacked to the store and I'm like, yo, you make them money, shower, make money too.And I'm telling you like, I'm 19 years old at the time. So I said, man, I need pudding. And so she purchased Andy's she purchases novelty stuff. And that opened up these kids' shops. And I was, I was at, I was like in a corner of my mom's store. and I remember like, man, like. Before that I'm like, now we're talking about eight years old at the store.Cause she had it. She had it for a couple of years at the store I would walk to or from school and there was a spot in the back where it was like a desk. And like, like, like I remember cleaning up the desk, it was like a wooden gold desk. And I remember cleaning up desks sitting in the back, cleaning up and I was doing my homework there.And that was when a little office man, I have, I had a little roll of decks on top and I was like, Hey man, this is my little office plate, my office space. I'm going to be a businessman on that. That's how I stayed at two. I'm going to be a businessman. So it started off as, at a young age. So. Me being 25 now and people saying, Oh wow, you've done very well.Like, Hey man, like I've been in this for four, I've been in this for nearly 20 years. Like we really think about it nearly 20 years on, but it started off slow. So what I was doing in fifth grade, my mom was teaching me about gross profit at fifth grade. There's no clients in the stores. My mom was teaching me, Hey, grab this piece of paper.Yeah. This is, you want to know what is a cost for this? It costs me $5. I still live for 10. How much has leftover. 15, no andy  five costs you five you're negative. You add five. That means you're positive. How much? Five that's called gross profit. Oh, so what does that do? That's profit. That's the money I keep.And, or I can use it to buy another one. And so two of them and they make $10. So, that's what you want to do in the, in business. I'm like, yo, I'm like five years. I mean, I'm like eight, nine, 10 years old learning this stuff. So that's why when it got to the point that I was 11 and I'm over here hustling the streets and I'm like, yo, I need to get, I need to pay my bills. Cause my mom told me if I don't, if I don't pay my bills, she won't take care. I took out my phone and the phone that I was using was like a psychic at a time with the team, with the internet and having to pay for the phone bill. I can pay for the internet part of the bill.

Kevin Mills

So the

Andy Audate

I never, I never actually had me in depth with any of this stuff in a podcast. 

Kevin Mills

Yeah. So, the cell phone side hustle though at some point turned out quite a bit bigger, correct? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. If you would, if you would take us, I was actually, while you were, While you were gone through that.I was double checking that, but if you would take us through that transitional point there and what you were able to do as a cell phone hustle. 

Andy Audate

Yeah. So in high school, I'm flipping, I'm flipping these phones. I got blackberries for say, I got whatever you need. I got raises for Motorola razors. I got Blackberry touches, Blackberry storms.

I got psych kicks. I got the psychic Oh nine. This was back in 2008, 2009. So I got, I got a cyclic Oh nine that just came out. I got the psychic Alex, I got what you need. I got you. And I, and then what happened, bro? Until you Kevin, there was a glitch with T-Mobile back in the day. So with the goods was that if you purchased the SIM card at Walmart for it was a 20 or 40 bucks, if you purchase a SIM card, You put a certain amount of minutes on there after the minutes ran up, the internet kept on working for somehow some way.And this was a time where like, Hey, I want you to matter if you never having to pay your internet, like you don't have phone service, but you had internet. So what would you do? A lot of people will go crazy, man. So the time that time actually back then back then. So what was hot was AOL instant messenger.Oh, that's cool. So I was going to Walmart, buying these SIM cards, man, and flipping them. And I was like, yo, I got the hacks in cards, bro. I have a certain way to do it. I have a certain way to do it. You got to come through me to get it. So I'm flipping these sim cards to everybody at school. I'm telling you I was making bank.I bought a car for a couple of thousand dollars, man. I was making Buku bucks then. 18 years, 19 years, 18 years old. I got a job at Metro PCs. I walked into a Metro PCs high and I applied, I got a job at Metro PCs. Now I transitioned from puzzling phones in school. And that's how I that's one of the ways that I told them I got the job.Like I was like, Hey man, I already sell phones in schools. I know about the technology like, who was given the job and let me do it for you. And then, they gave it to right. So I get this job now. And within a couple of months, man, I become manager. I'm an 18 year old manager, managing people who are 36, 40 years old, much older than me. I'm teaching them how to greet, qualify, present clothes. I'm teaching them how to sell cell phones. Then I get moved to a store. For our way from the whole headquarters. And I'm managing that location by myself. So the first location I'm a manager, but I'm managing was the leader above me. Now I get shipped to a store that's far from the headquarters and I'm completely on my own.Now I got to challenge these people that are managing. They're looking at me like, yo, you're 18, man. You got to have my listen to an 18 year old, but I knew what I was doing. So I asked my, my senior, my leader. I said, what do you want me to do? I'm in the situation. He told me that, 200 phones this month, but I got these people, like they ain't trying to work.And he said, what are you going to do? I said, I don't know. He said clear house. I said, clear house, like fire, anybody he's like fire, buddy, man, you got to produce a result. I don't give a damn how you produce the results. And I said, alright bet. So I cleared the house and completely fired everybody.And that was just me working at the store. And. I put an ad out on my Instagram. Now, mind you, I just graduated in high school. So I missed it at this stage. And so who's following on Instagram people from high school. So I put, I put an ad around different parts of the city. I'm like, Hey, I'm hiring. Then someone from Instagram reaches out to me and says, Hey man, I'm willing to come work with you.So he comes in work. So he came in for the application. The dude who I applied was one of the dudes that bought phones for me in high school. So he's a hug and he will buy phones from me and then he'll resell them. So he's a hustler too. So I said, Hey, man, I don't really know you well, but let's lock him.No, bro. Let's, let's, let's open it. Let's work at this store. So we work at the store and now me and him are working together and I hired a couple more other people. So me and him, that dude in high school working together, we're the same age. So we work out together. We'd go to parties together. We hang out one day, we're going out for we're going, we're at a party.I mean, one day we had the gym working out and we leave the gym. And he looks at me and he says, yo, man, I've been working with you for a couple of months, dude. And I like your leadership. I see that you got like, like you got something in your bro. I think you should open up your own business. And I looked at him and I said, what are you talking about?Opening my own business. He said, I think you should open up your own business. Like I see. You're like, I see where you're at, man. I'm like, I'm in shock and I'll leave the company that I'm working for, which is where you're working at. And I will come work for you. And. Dude, I think you could do it. I looked at him and I was like, I don't think you, you see me like I'm black dude.First of all, I'm black. I'm 19 years old. I'm from the hood. I'm a college dropout. I don't think there's a way that I can be successful, bro. He looked at me and said, dude, I believe in you taking the chance. I believe you need to take the opportunity. I believe in you. And I'll do it with you. Hello. I took his belief and I said, you know what?I'll do it based on what I take. I'll take your beliefs. So sometimes you gotta take someone else's belief. Sometimes you gotta take someone else to believe. 

Kevin Mills

How, how important do you think it was that he pointed it out? If, if he, if, if he had never said anything about you starting a business how much longer do you think it would have taken you to come to that realization? Like how important do you think his role was in your story? 

Andy Audate

I might realize it today. Like I might, I might have realized that at 26 years, I might've realized it's six years later where it's like, Oh, maybe I am powerful. Like it could have taken a long time. So, so for me to realize that, because I started realizing it through other people's understanding of how powerful I was.So based on other people's well being. So other people were saying I was so early on in my confidence building that I w I took other people's belief. If I believe myself.

Kevin Mills

You know, I had another guest on the show, kind of bringing up this similar story where someone else pointed out that, Hey, they should start this business or this company or whatever.

And I thought about this question at the time and I didn't ask it and I regretted it. So I'm going to ask you because it's the same story here and I don't know, I'll apply. Do you think it is integral or important as entrepreneurs to do exactly what that guy did for you and pointing out to others?

You know, their, their proficiency is and things like that. 

Andy Audate

Look, if you have experienced growth from other people, if you've experienced growth because of other people, you have a duty to support other people in their growth. Like I take it as a duty in my life that I empower other people because that was real fear is real.So I take it like when I speak to people, especially on stage or students, I'm like, Kevin, you got to go to the next level. And I believe in you to do that. Why? Because. We have such a small seed in our brain. That's like fighting us. So like, yo bro, like, like you can't do it. That, that one other person believes could be the reason your life changes.So, so many people could come to me where they're like, Andy, you changed my life. And because he told me this five years ago, God tell you, I'll give you an example, man. I used to go clubbing and I don't go clubbing anymore. But when I moved to Canada, I didn't, because that's not where I spend my time. That's not.Man. I like right now, I'm like I have about 540 something hours to the end of this month. You know, like I'm looking at it. I look at the month. So my team looks at it the same way. I recognize that. And, an In one hour and 58 minutes, I'm going to be in a, in a team meeting with my sales team and we're going to have exactly 90 minutes to have a discussion.Like, so we're, we're cutting it and I know that I have a 90 minute workout, and then I know that I have a 30 minute phone call. I know what the, the, like, down to the hour. So going to the club is not being cognizant of my time. Like I know that I probably have 15,000 days to live. You know, maybe, maybe not Colby had 13,700 and something days to live.Before he passed. So like, I want you to look at time and a certain way, but you know, what can I do with the time that I have? So you put 30 miles an hour. Is that cool? We live in 41 years and you multiply it by 40, in 24 hours. You're like, damn like if you waste one hour, like, fuck, like that's one out of that duration of top life.So I don't go to clubs anymore. 

Kevin Mills

I think that's a great thing to point out real quick.I think that's a great thing to point out because you'll notice the successful people Typically, you know, art clubs, right? It's just not the, because of that exact reason, what you're spending your time on and so on and so forth.

Andy Audate

I just wanted to point out a correction. Cool, cool. We have like 14,690 something days, but. But that's that's right. Like, but some of them, some of them are some of them, some of them, depending on where you live, like I don't even in LA man, like you find some successful, people are close. Cause they got so much time that, I mean, they got so much money that they got too much time.

Kevin Mills

So different levels of success though, if you're building your business, you don't need to be spending your time at the club.

Andy Audate

And if you're no longer, like some people get to a point where they're comfortable in success to other people, praise them. And that's what they were going for. They were going for that praise.

So they're saying, Hey, I'm good where I'm at? Like I'm comfortable. So, but one night, one day or two years ago, I was in the club. And so that's when I was in the club two years ago, March 2nd of two years ago. And a month later, a year later, sometime in March of last year, I remember I was going through one of those times where I was questioning myself.Look, it happens every year. I least on a quarterly basis, maybe even a monthly basis, I questioned myself and I questioned my direction and I do it anyway. Like I still do, but I questioned, I take a hesitation. I'm like, Oh shit, am I? And I started doubting and questioning and I ground myself and get with God.And I'm like, all right, let's, let's explode. So, but one of those times where I just poured out to social media and I was like, Hey man, if I've ever supported you in your growth and your business in your life, like, please let me know. I'm at a point right now where I'm questioning. Like, if. What I'm doing is actually supporting people.And I realized that some people experience growth, but they don't share with me. And that's important. Like you got to share like, Hey, if you're listening to this podcast, look, I want you to reach out to me. Three, one Oh five, nine, eight, six, six one six. That's my office. Let me know if I supported you on this call.If I've given you value, if you made it to this point, because three, one Oh five, nine eight six six one six. Why? Because man w when I was in that point, man, I was, I was at question like I was questioning, should I quit? So I stopped doing what I'm doing. So I stopped progressing. So I stopped growing my business.So I stopped growing my nails. So I stopped sharing these podcasts, and got on with these messages. Why craft feels like there's a portion of me wasting time, because I don't, I'm like experiencing the feedback that I necessarily thought I should be getting or amount of response that I should. So I asked that person and then this, I asked social media then personally talked to me and said, Hey, Andy, I want you to let you know that on March 2nd, 2018, you came to my life. And I said how, and she said, you saw me at the club and you told me that I should be a. I told you I was a nanny and I'm going to go to college. And he told me that I should go after my dreams. And I remember when you did that, I literally quit my job and went after my dreams. And I said, damn, like, it's been a year where I haven't used Andy.I've been following you ever since that club, I follow your content religiously every single day. But I'm the person that doesn't comment. I don't comment. I don't like to just consume. I was like, damn, like, thank you for being real. So we ended up meeting up and connecting and chatting because she found, I really supported her and her growth in her life.You know what I'm saying? So I said, I think that you should really share with other people how to grow because you will know who you're going to impact and every entrepreneur should do that. That's a great point. 

Kevin Mills

So you're. You and your buddy go out, you start this new cell phone business. 

Andy Audate

Let's bring it back to that.Yeah. So he, he, he says, let's, let's open up the store. I'm like, alright, cool. Let's do it. I'm scared. I'm nervous. I'm doubting myself, but don't go the whole time. He's like you, I believe in you. I'm like, all right, let's do this. So I picked some money that I hadn't Satan's for college, which was about seven grand.Took them. When you opened up the business, I dumped the entire seven grand. And I remember that seven grand. I want to give this to your audits. I remember that seven grand like yesterday, because at the time I had a 1999 Honda accord that was stuttering. Like it was like driving a stutter than it was driving.And I remember it was like messing up and I remember seeing it, I'm going to take the seven grand. I'm going to buy a car, bro. Kevin, I'm going to buy a car.I was excited to teach it. I said, I'm going to buy a car. Now, but here's the thing before I bought the car, I went to ask my mentor, what should I do?I said, I said, your mentor, this guy was my old boss at the cell phone store, still a mentor to me. And I went to him and I said, should I buy the car? He said, don't buy a car. Do you have your current car? Right? Until the wheels fall off. I remember he told me specifically that right until the wheels fall off.And I said, okay, I'm listening to you. Because I did, I took his advice. I opened up the cell phone store within 90 days. I profited it. I profited it. I profited enough to buy a car and still have a business. So I could have taken that seven grand and spent it on a car. I would have had $0 million and it would have taken me.I don't know, man, maybe a year to get seven grand to save up seven grand, maybe a year, maybe two years. But because I took that money and put it into a business that made such a high return. I wasn't a, I wasn't a w two employee. I was a real legitimate business. Jeremy thousands. I made him buy a car inside of an operating business.We opened up the business.our challenges in the business was, I didn't know how to convey the message of the products that we have. So I was used to Metro PCs. Doing the advertising for me, the customers were automatically, and I just sold them when they walked in and I'm like, my job was just to help guide them.That was my job. I, now I was the marketer. I was a CEO. I was the fucking cash collector. I was the, I was the client manager. I was customer service. I was all of that stuff in a box.

Kevin Mills

So, what, at what point did you start getting into public speaking? Where did that really come out? 

Andy Audate

So I opened up the business.I opened up the business. Now the business is open for a year. I remember I said to my, one of my managers, I said, Hey man, like, I wanna, I wanna, I wonder why, like, I'm trying to teach people how to progress.The name of the company was progression wireless. I want to teach people how to progress. Why are people progressing? All right. Hand says to me that my sales manager says to me, Andy people come here for a paycheck. Some of them, some of the people come here for a paycheck. I remember looking at him like, what do you mean?Like a paycheck? Like, what do you mean? He's like, it's a job to them. They're here for the hours. I said, get the fuck outta here, bro. People come in for a job. This is about progression. Like, I want you to know Kevin, like my mind was consumed on just teaching people how to progress. And the reason why was because my hood was so jammed up, that I thought my business was a way that people were going to grow.Like it was a filtration company because it was a filtration system. So now people aren't progressing. I realized that I'm like, yo, what do I do? So, man, one day I decided I got up and I decided to move to California. After an incident where somebody saw me at a gas station and I didn't like his energy, I knew his energy was negative towards my successes and recognizing that people weren't progressing.I just realized that that place wasn't for me, that spot wasn't familiar at the time, that place wasn't for me, I need to leave. And I decided to move to California. One day, I was out for a run. I was running on the street in downtown LA and when I was running on the streets, I switched from listening to rap music, to personal development.I went from listening to rap in my ear to personal development. When I was listening to rap, when I was listening to rap, what I saw, what happened is I'm over here running and I'm running as fast as I can. And while I'm running an old lady looks, my looks, looks to me and she's like, I hope he's okay. And she's walking past me as I'm running, but in my head, bro, I'm going fast.But realistically I was going was 22 minutes a mile. This morning, I went for a run. It was, I walked 16 minutes. So I don't know. I walked six this morning. I went for one, a portion of it was 16 minutes walk. And so, and it was a mile. So I don't know how it was running 22 minutes a mile, but I was extremely overweight and I was very slow, but I was listening to rap music.I suppose the personal development one day and I kept on listening to personal development. I got a coach that was pushing all the time to continue to increase my speed. One day I listened to that personal development and I saw Les Brown in my ear. Like I hear Les Brown motivational speaker, and I see what he's sharing with me.And my run was eight minutes in that one mile. And I was like, man, something changed. And I wonder if it's in my mind. I know, you know, I'm still new to the personal development space. I'm like, man, it's my mind that powerful where I can, I can just run faster. So I said, I want to do that. I want to do that speaking.So I go on tour with Les Brown and I mean, so I, I, that, that would be a big jump, right? So I go home and I hear Les Brown in my ear, which is the number one motivational speaker. I'm a 21 year old dude. And I type in how to become a motivational speaker restaurant. Like, how did he become a motivational speaker? How do you become a motivational speaker? And I see an ad Facebook ad that keeps following me, you know, how this Facebook ad makes you type in food and get away from them. Yeah. You type in loose. Next thing you go on your iPhone, Instagram, who's going to pop up and then, and then you type it, you know, you type another thing.Then the next thing you know, that pops up just keeps following you. 

Kevin Mills

So social media marketers for you

Andy Audate

I type in the details. I typed in the details and they called them, it offered me an opportunity to learn from a nine online video course. Like it was like nine online videos, essentially the nine modules, nine courses that they want to give me. And then it was five grand for nine videos, bro. And it was, it was going to teach me how to be a speaker.And I remember I was like, man, $9,000, I mean $5,000 for nine videos. That's crazy. Like I've never spent anything over five grand besides my car and my first business that's nuts. So I told the guy that, and he was like, well, what level do you want to operate it? I wouldn't fund. I said, I want to operate at the big level.

So you gotta do what the big boys do invest in themselves. I remember him saying that I was just like, Ugh, I ended up investing. And when I invested, I traveled to Miami, I got to the headquarters because I just wanted to meet the people that I was working with. So when I got there, when I get there, next thing, that next thing you know, I'm working, I'm talking to all the salespeople and then this happens to in.Les Brown walks in. And when you walk in, I'm star struck. I'm like, Oh my gosh, like that's the guy himself. He walks up to me, touching my face, literally right here on these cheats. So this is the same sheet, man. So if you ever would have seen any person want to cut it off so he can around and touch, let me know what's wrong with my face.And he says, young man, you look like me. When I was younger, I looked at less and I said, less your voice. It sounds like YouTube. And he looks at me, he says, Oh, come on man. And he kept on moving and I was like, man, he's here. So I stayed in the office instead of leaving, I sat in the office, I overheard a conversation with him talking about him going on tour.So I decided to go into the president's office and I said, give me an opportunity to be part of that tour. And he looked at me, he said, how old are you? I said, I'm 21. He said,and he didn't take you seriously. And I was like, nah, man, he doesn't understand. He didn't know my mom, her hand, her raise was hurting because my mom was a dental hygienist. So she's been in people's moms. She's been working her wrist for the last 20 years. So my mom's wrist was hurting my dad right before I moved to California.He looked at me and he said, young man, like you're the man of the house now because I just got laid off. My brother was in college. Who's going to pay the bill. I said, I have to be successful. I need to be on this tour. It was not until after seven times, man, I got my opportunity after several corporate crests.Literally over the course of a couple of weeks asked multiple times, seven times, man, female chance on the seventh time, he said, yeah, look, I'll give it a chance. You don't stop. So I shared that with you, man, because persistence always wins. Your people always went like, like, you know, people need to know that persistence will always win.If you keep on going.

Kevin Mills

Absolutely. 

Andy Audate

So that's how I got on tour. That's how I became a speaker. I got on tour with less to learn how to speak because being in the proximity of successful seminars now I host my own seminars. It's been three years since I had that experience. I just actually saw a video on Facebook where it was a reminder like Lee knew with the memories.And I saw a video of three years ago today when I was on tour. So like to the day, three years ago I was doing some sales training,back then when I was on tour. So you can actually go there. People can go to my Instagram to find that video, but that's where it started. Kevin, 

Kevin Mills

And what’s your Instagram

Andy Audate

At Andy audate andy a u d a t e.

Kevin Mills

Perfect. So I, from what I understand, you've got a tour coming up though, as well. Right if you would tell us about, yeah. 

Andy Audate

The progression conference tour, man. So we're going from city to city. Multiple cities we'll have about 2000 people in the cities throughout the tour. And man, I'm so super pumped and I'm super excited for this, for this tour, man, because.We're going to, we're going to hit the South East. So we're going to hit atlanto and we'll be in New York. We'll be in Dallas. We'll be in Arizona, Las Vegas. We'll be in Los Angeles. So I'm super excited about this tour, man, really, because of the impact that it'll have on the audience, as well as giving opportunity like I did for 21 speakers.So I'm looking for 21 speakers to go on tour with me, where I actually train them and go on stage. And go on tour. The same way that I did when I was with Les Brown and the reason why, because I realized that the people want to be speakers, that they get an opportunity like I did when they get to see what a live event actually looks like and the feel of being part of a successful tour that will support them in the growth of their business, much faster in their speaking business.So for the people that want to be a part of that, all they have to do is go to andyaudate.com forward slash tour. Just sign up and y'all did.com forward slash tour TOUR. 

Kevin Mills

Andy, your story's awesome. I feel like we could spend two or three hours sitting there breaking down so much stuff, but obviously I want to be respectful of your time.We want to be respectful of our audience's time. Before we wrap this up. I want to take you through something. I call the lightning segment, basically. We're just looking at a few quick questions. The Silicon for some quick short answers. 

Andy Audate

Let's do it.

Kevin Mills

If you could tell your 18 year old self one thing, what would it be?

Andy Audate

it would definitely be, man, whenever you have an opportunity to take action faster, whenever you have an opportunity to take action faster and not be scared, man, also to record. So it'll be, but it'll be one thing, but with a bunch of dashes. So this is like one big sentence. Would a bunch of baskets, one word with a bunch of dashes.It would also, it would also be recognizing that where you come from does not actually limit you. Okay.

Kevin Mills

How Important is a morning routine to you. 

Andy Audate

Ah, right now it's very important and it sounds very cliche, but if you have your morning set up in a certain way, like my morning routine is the same, wake up at three o'clock in the morning.

pray,mindset, listen to rap music, get my day, start with some energy and hit the gym by four o'clock. And so if you have a certain routine, you know how you're going to be feeling by that morning. So it's about getting a feeling and the feeling is to have energy and be positive. 

Kevin Mills

How do you consume content most often?

Andy Audate

A podcast and really is going to be podcasts and videos, audio videos, audio what's one podcast. Since you would have recommended audience to listen to the progression show, 

Kevin Mills

what's one thing that you believe that most would disagree with? 

Andy Audate

One thing that I'm, I believe that most people disagree with is actually before knowledge.

So I'm focused on taking action before knowledge. Other people want to take technology for action. So they want to go to college, go to college, do an internship, and then do a study for six years and then start a business. I'm like, I'll do this. I'll start the business. I fuck up a bunch of times. Learn, have a successful business.By the time you start yours. 

Kevin Mills

I love it. Who's your biggest mentor past or present? 

Andy Audate

My biggest mentor would be James and my Kickstarter mentor would be James. So James would be my biggest mentor. Okay. Right. He's the one, he's the one who owns cell phone stores. Okay. 

Kevin Mills

What's the biggest misconception about working for yourself?

Andy Audate

That you're like that you don't have a boss, like your clients becoming the boss. Now,

what a bunch of time you have a bunch of time as well. 

Kevin Mills

And then lastly, where's one place online where we'll be able to see and interact with you the most. 

Andy Audate

is going to be Andyaudate.com and definitely online.com. Yup. And that's all my Instagram andyaudate

Kevin Mills

And that's a u d a t e. Correct? 

Andy Audate

That's a u d a t e  Andy. Thank you so much, Kevin. Perfect. 

Kevin Mills

Thanks Andy. We'll catch you next time. Yeah, brother.

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