Charlie Poznek Joins Us On The Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots Podcast
To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below:
Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes
Click Here to Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes feed)
If you like the show, we would be so grateful if would consider leaving the show a review in iTunes as well as Stitcher Radio. A couple minutes of your time can help the show immensely! Thank YOU!
Introducing Charlie Poznek
Charlie Poznek is today’s guest joining us on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots Podcast.
He is a man who in many ways is on a similar path as myself, he wants to change the world of the baby boomers.
He wants to inspire the world to learn from the struggles and success of others, and take control of their own lives.
Do things that they love and lead a spectacular life.
As he says “I found it difficult to live a spectacular life while working for someone else.
For the better part of 20 years, I worked in the hedge fund industry and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.
I met some great people who remain friends to this day, and I met some really smart people.
The problem was that I was helping build someone else’s dream (as the saying goes, if you’re not building your dream, someone else will happily hire you to help build theirs).”
And that is a huge problem, which for many never occurs but also for many causes them to struggle their way to a future that this 100% theirs. No boss. No time restraints. But their own dream existence.
How The Dots Joined Up For Charlie
In looking at ways to create his spectacular life, he noticed a lot of people (often in their 20’s and 30’s) living the kind of life he wanted to live.
A common factor seemed to be they engaged in some form of online commerce by selling a product, service or information.
So he began investigating ways he could build an online business while continuing to work in the hedge fund industry.
And in a matter of a few years, he transitioned from working for someone else to creating strong online presences for his various business ventures.
He quickly learned what a powerful tool an online business can be in creating a spectacular life.
And now with his top ranked podcast, coaching programmes, webinars and eagerness to help everyone that he comes into contact with, he is well on his way.
But what ws it about his experienced in corporate that he wouldn’t trade for anything?
And where is his dream now, as everything he has been working towards starts coming together to give home the spectacular life?
Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots, the one and only Charlie Poznek
Show Highlights
During the show we discussed such weighty topics such as:
How he never has regrets in his life, so spends little time looking back at the decision that he has made.
Why his belief of having time flexibility is far more important than having the time freedom that so many people claim to want.
Why anyone starting out should look for a coach or mentor who can provide a fast track, by sharing knowledge and successes that have got them to the point that we want to be.
How in many ways creation is harder to perform daily than working for someone. Its your decisions every step of the way, that will result in success or failure.
And lastly…..
Why we should all look to believe that we are the presidents of our own service industry and get paid well for our efforts.
How To Connect With Charlie Poznek
Return To The Top Of Charlie Poznek
If you enjoyed this interview with Charlie Poznek why not check out other inspiring interviews like Brandee Sweesy, Hal Elrod, Wesley Chapman and the amazing Jack Canfield
Or of course you can check out thousands of podcast interviews in our archives here
Audio Transcription Of Charlie Poznek Interview
Intro [0:00]
When we’re young, we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling. Join Up Dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here’s your host live from the back of his garden in the UK, David Ralph.
David Ralph [0:26]
Yes, hello there, everybody and welcome to Episode Two, one of Join Up Dots. Just shifting around me chair, I don’t know what’s happened to me, I’ve suddenly become very uncomfortable. But that’s not going to stop me delivering a powerhouse show. Because I’ve got a chap on the other end of the line who is I would say he’s a friend. Now he is a fellow rocking and rolling podcaster. He’s got a lot of things on his plate at the moment, some things that he is experienced with things that are new to him as well. So we’re going to touch on all of those, but he is a guest, who a man is supposed to many he’s on a similar path as myself as I say he wants to change the world of the baby boomers. He wants to inspire the world to learn from the struggles and successes of others, and take control of their own lives doing things that they love and lead a spectacular life. As he says I found it difficult to live a spectacular life while working for someone else. But a better part of 20 years. I worked in the hedge fund industry and wouldn’t trade the experience. But anything I met some great people who remained friends to this day, and I met some really smart people. The problem was I was helping build someone else’s dream as the same goes if you’re not building your dream, someone else will happily hire you to build bears. And that is a huge problem which for many networkers, but also for many causes them to struggle their way to a future. That is 100% bears no boss, no time restraints, but their own dream existence in looking at ways to create his spectacular life. He noticed a lot of people often in their 20s and 30s. Living the kind of life he wanted to live a common factor so you being engaged in some form of online commerce by selling a product or service or information. So he began investigating ways he could build an online business while continuing to work in the hedge fund industry. And in a matter of few years, he transitioned from working for someone else, to creating a strong online presence for his various business ventures. He quickly learned what a powerful tool and online business can be in creating a spectacular life. And now with these top ranked podcast, coaching programmes, webinars and eagerness to help everyone that he comes into contact with he is well on his way. But what was it about his experience in corporate that he wouldn’t trade but anything? And where is his dream now, as everything he’s been working towards starts coming together to give home to the spectacular life he wants? is as good as he wanted? Well, let’s find out as we bring on to the show to start Join Up Dots. The one and only and my mate, Charlie, pause, Nick, how are you Charlie?
Charlie Poznek [2:55]
David, I’m spectacular. Thank you so much for having me. I think we did a good summation there were probably done for today.
David Ralph [3:01]
That’s it. I’ve been recording all day, Charlie, I’m going to make it three minutes. And we’ll go off down the pub and have a pint, shall we?
Charlie Poznek [3:08]
We shall.
David Ralph [3:09]
Wouldn’t it be good if you could do that virtual virtual drinking with somebody? That’s the one thing about virtual friends, you can actually say? Well, I suppose you could have a pint at one end on the other end. But that’d be a bit bizarre when?
Charlie Poznek [3:21]
Well, it’s Yeah, now that you’re thinking about right now that you’re making me think about that we could do that via Skype would be kind of weird. But there are weird things,
David Ralph [3:28]
it’d be particularly good if I sorted it out for my timezone. So you’re actually drinking it like hapa, seven in the morning, that would that would be quite, quite amusing for me.
Charlie Poznek [3:39]
Me as well.
David Ralph [3:40]
So your life, as I say, is something that at the moment is rocking and rolling, you’ve got a lot of things on your plate, a lot of new things that you are creating, and you are somebody that is really sort of taking control of your future in in a way that is hugely positive to me, I see you as a kind of benchmark for what can be achieved. We’re going to talk about that, obviously. But does it kind of surprise you how one thing leads to another and another thing leads to it and you suddenly find yourself, maybe creating things about when you first started on the journey, we’re not even on your radar.
Charlie Poznek [4:16]
It probably doesn’t surprise me just because I’ve experienced so much of that kind of in my life. You know, one of the things I look back on is particularly decisions that I have made that have have cut off one avenue, if you will, and shifted me in another direction. And I know frequently but from time to time, go back and think what if I made that decision? What if somebody? What if I took that job? When I was 25? That someone offered me? Where would I be today that’s different than right now that fascinates me from time to time?
David Ralph [4:53]
Would you like to be able to do that sort of send off another Charlie, like sort of Back to the Future does when he I was off in one direction? And then there’s another version of you running around? Which would you like to do that?
Charlie Poznek [5:06]
Probably not, I’m really comfortable with my decisions, it’s a curious thing. And it’s fun just for me to be thinking about that whole process. But you know, to actually go deeply and kind of live that or, or it could cause some feelings of remorse, if you will, which I don’t want to have. So I’m cool with where I am.
David Ralph [5:27]
Because I have no regrets in my life at all. If I look back on my whole life, I don’t have a regret. And I always think you know, when you see these films, and they go into the Catholic priests, and they say, Oh, it’s been 20 years since I last confessed kind of stuff. I wouldn’t know what to say, I’d always sit in there and just kind of make things up just to say something, are you totally content, you’ve got no regrets. You’ve got no feelings of what hips in any shape or form.
Charlie Poznek [5:56]
You know, that begs the question of the concept of failure. I even interviewed a lot of people, I’m sure you’ve interviewed a lot of people. And oftentimes I bring up the question, you know, can you tell me about? I don’t use the word failure, but a decision that maybe you think was an optimal? And I think a good mindset, which I adopt is, I do try very hard to look back on all my decisions as just that decisions without placing a bad judgement on it. And again, I’m, I’m good with that.
David Ralph [6:26]
And so there’s no decisions you ever look back on? And you go, Wow, I really missed a trick, that that could have been the thing now.
Charlie Poznek [6:35]
I don’t I don’t think so David, I just I really, really focus on looking forward. And as a matter of fact, in preparing for this interview, and you know, from listening to your podcast, and listening to your questioning, it really forced me to sit down and think about my past. And it’s just not something that’s in the forefront of my mind. So if you and I were sitting down as therapists and coaches, might I come across something that I would have regretted or like to do over? Yes, but I again, I try to keep from focusing on that stuff.
David Ralph [7:09]
So So where are you at the moment being give this sort of framework of your life, you get up each morning, you are a podcaster? As I say, you’ve got a coaching programme? And how do you structure your days so that the listeners who aren’t aware of your background know exactly what you’re doing?
Charlie Poznek [7:29]
Well, one of the reasons I do what I do, and that I put forth to other people is this whole concept, being a lifestyle entrepreneur, or however you want to label it, this whole concept of having what I call time, flexibility. I don’t like the word time freedom, because I work a lot of hours. But I get to choose which hours that I’m going to work. So for example, this morning, I got up and I slept in a little bit because I was up till one o’clock in the morning last night doing some work. And I went to work out and then I’m carrying on with my day with this interview at a mastermind meeting earlier, I had a couple of complimentary consultations prior to that, and going to go do some personal stuff after this call. So that’s the what I like about it, the flexibility, there’s no two days are the same Mondays are my interview days, so they’re a little more structured than the rest of the days a week. And typically, on Fridays is when I get my more mechanical stuff done. But other than that, it’s just that you know, the days come as the days come. And I try to really be focused on accomplishing things, setting a goal for a particular day, I want to get this new landing page done today. It’s a discipline that I have yet to master. But, you know, that’s kind of where my focus is the night prior, when I’m looking to plan the next day. Was this a kind of
David Ralph [9:02]
existence that you have created? Because of your corporate experience? Are you very structured because of the work that you did for 20 years? Or is it just naturally you?
Charlie Poznek [9:13]
I think, naturally, I have been a fairly organised person. But the existence I’ve created now is as a result of the corporate experience, and you reference that in the introduction. You know, I, I’m working for someone else, I’m building their dream, and I want to do my own thing I don’t want, I’m happy to work as hard or harder than I worked for someone else. But again, I’d like some flexibility. I don’t want you to be telling me David as my employer, you have to be here at seven o’clock in the morning, or worse. There’s no stated expectation, but there’s this guilt thing, you know, people are coming in at seven o’clock in the morning, where most people come in nine and quote unquote, the day starts at nine, but somebody coming in at seven and you come in at 715. Well, now you have this guilty feeling of being late. That really bothers me a lot. The commute really bothered me a lot as well, I worked in Manhattan and lived in northern New Jersey. So it was probably about a 40 minute commute each way. And you know, you’re subject to train schedules and things like that. And it just really went on in the middle of that and experiencing that. I’m really feeling like I am. It’s kind of harsh to say I’m wasting my life, but I’m wasting a part of my life and more importantly, not moving forward to things that I want to accomplish in my life.
David Ralph [10:43]
I used to commute into London every day. And there were certain places I worked, but it was on a really good day, hour and a half each way. Bad Day could be two and a half hours. And whenever I go to London now on a social kind of event, I actually think to myself, my God, this is hard work just going up there because I want to but actually going there every single day. I don’t think I could do this anymore. Do you do ever sort of go into Manhattan and places and things yourself? Even if it is like a social thing? My God? No, a commute is not for me anymore. I just can’t do it, even though it was something that I naturally did the years and years.
Charlie Poznek [11:22]
Absolutely. If I have to take now I live outside of Philadelphia. It’s about 20 minutes train ride into the city and I’m thinking oh my gosh, I have to get on a wait for the train. I gotta get there. 10 minutes early. It’s 20 minutes. He can really get spoiled working out of a home office. I have to say that.
David Ralph [11:39]
Is it kind of ages. Well, Charlie, because we’re of a certain age. I’m not going to say how old you are. But I’m 55 you’re 55 Okay, Ben, I’m 44. And when I was young people would say to me, you know, do you want to come and see Phil Collins and always remember this? And I go Yes. Where was he playing Paris? Come on in Let’s go. And now if it’s not sort of two minutes from my door, I’m not going to go I just I’ve got no energy to do those kinds of things. But I did as a kid and I feel about the same with the community. I see people who are on the train and they get off and they just kind of look great somehow and I think God I would have been that bad because it’s extra energy isn’t it is extra energy that you don’t need where a commute to the home office. Well, what more could you want? You generally go there because you’re building something for yourself. So you almost skip up there. Well, you wouldn’t escape because you’re too manly, but I escaped. And about us kind of saunter.
Unknown Speaker [12:40]
Solitaire, yes. Go bought.
David Ralph [12:42]
Yes. mosey I bet you mosey like a cow. You’ve got that kind of the hell boy look to you.
Charlie Poznek [12:51]
The lucky Brilli now did you understand the reference of that was a cart and the Carly Simon song you’re so vain, where, I guess was thought to be Mick Jagger. She was referring to how he sauntered or, you know, into the room, or that’s the word she used to bought?
David Ralph [13:07]
Because he does the backing vocals on that song Disney.
Charlie Poznek [13:12]
I do not know the answer to that question. Well, I’m telling you, that’s the
David Ralph [13:15]
Mick Jagger Okay, there you go backing vocals, too. I’m so vain are we so cutting edge? We’re providing gold to the audience. And we’re thinking I’ve got no idea what this song is.
Charlie Poznek [13:27]
Solid Gold, David, solid gold.
David Ralph [13:29]
Two old guys talking about 70s music. This, this is going to be an Emmy Award winning show, I promise you Charlie is going to be up there with a top of them. So what is it about your your kind of core function that does make you mosey up with passion? Because it is it’s a funny thing, isn’t it? Once you become entrepreneurial, you almost don’t like to go to bed. Because there’s things to do where for most of us, when you in a corporate gig that you kind of run out of steam off, you can don’t want to get out of bed. What is the exciting point that the unknown you don’t know what you’re going to create, you don’t know where the success is, is or just that you’re doing something for yourself.
Charlie Poznek [14:12]
It’s doing something for myself that I really, really enjoy doing this podcast? Not this particular podcast episode, doing my podcast is arguably the best decision I have made in my business career, bar none. I actually much like you, I’m sure enjoy talking to my guests. I learned from my guests. I am told by listeners that I add adding value through this whole process. It’s just it’s it’s kind of a new game. Businesses a game in my mind in general, but it’s kind of a new game that I’m really enjoying participating in. And that’s what kind of motivates me to get up in the morning and stay up late at night. If the day
David Ralph [14:59]
I was very professional, I almost burst out laughing to your answer when you said I love doing podcast, not this one, but my own.
Charlie Poznek [15:10]
You understand the point I was trying to describe the point
David Ralph [15:13]
I understand the point. Oh my God, my God, he’s sweating. We started as friends. And he’s turning on me little by little, because it is so powerful, isn’t it? I’ve never experienced anything as powerful as planting my boys into somebody is, and it’s so intimate, isn’t it? And he is it’s a powerful thing as well. Because you know, you really, you really aren’t affecting people’s lives. When you get these emails from people and they go, it’s like you’re speaking to me, you think Wow, that is that is true true power? Did you get those kind of emails and do kind of go or slightly freaked out? Or do you embrace them?
Charlie Poznek [15:56]
I do get those emails from time to time, probably not as many times as you get them, I do shake my head and say Really? Are we are we listening to the same podcast, perhaps in somewhat of a self deprecating way. But I still do shake my head some time. But with this whole process, I am focusing as much You know, we’re doing this for our listeners. And let’s talk for a moment about the other side about again, the benefits that I am receiving, I think I want to say I read this on Pat Flynn’s site, but I don’t remember exactly. But it was something to the, to the extent of security comes from relationships. And that just hit me right between the eyes. You know, my best friends with all these people that I’ve interviewed know, with some of them, perhaps not take my email or phone call going forward, maybe. But I have established reasonably good relationships with a reasonable number of people that I’ve interviewed to this to the point where I feel like if things went south and things went bad, I could call one of them up and say hey, can you help me out? Is there something I could do to add value for what you pay me versus the perceived security of a corporate job? That to me, it just it blows me away every time I think about it.
David Ralph [17:19]
That is fascinating, because I had that same thought as afternoon. I had, I’ve been recording all day today. And then I had an hour. And I just kind of sat in the chair, looking around sort of getting getting myself ready for the next burst. And I thought, Wow, I’ve had all these conversations with these people really deep, meaningful conversations. And I can contact them. And I thought, what a network, and you don’t get that in corporate environment, do you? You basically know the person that sits opposite you, you know, the HR department, your manager, and that’s kind of about it really, and the fact now, but you’re saying that you can touch base with people globally, who are alive ahead of the curve, or have got their own sort of support issues that you can help with? Is is beyond power.
Charlie Poznek [18:08]
Yeah. And it’s, it’s to say it maybe in a different way. It’s and I’m set trying to speak to say this in a nice way. It’s the quality of the person. So yeah, the the HR person, the person in the cubicle next to me in the office next to me, I’m sure they’re wonderful human beings and smart and intelligent in their own right. And there are corporate employee. Well, you know, contrast that with somebody who’s making seven figures a year doing what I am aspiring to do it, which would you rather have, I prefer the ladder myself.
David Ralph [18:41]
So when did this sort of realisation but you wanted more really start to hit home, Charlie, because you were a corporate guy you did many, many years. And it wasn’t a case, I can imagine that you went straight in there. And literally from day one you fought this isn’t for me. So when did it start to sort of change for you?
Charlie Poznek [18:59]
Well, interestingly enough, from day one, it wasn’t for me, I started, I graduated from university, and I started my own business, who was a printing business. And I ran that for five years, I sold it and went back to graduate school to get my MBA. And why did I do that? Because I’m sitting there thinking, I’m really enjoying what I’m doing. I’m working an awful lot. And whatever I’m making, you know, $50,000 a year, this is in the early 80s, the mid 80s. And I’m reading the Wall Street Journal, and I’m reading about people my age, on Wall Street, making 10 times that I’m making and I’m thinking they’re not 10 times smarter than me. So I pivoted as the word goes. And I went back to graduate school, got my MBA and, you know, went into the investment business, the hedge fund business, as you referenced. What’s the old saying, Why did Al Capone, rob banks, it’s where the money is. So you know, I went there, primarily, if not solely for the money, I was very, very money motivated. And the one saving grace that I had is that I only had a brief stint in a large corporate bureaucracy. The other times I was working for smaller firms in the hedge fund space, which had a little bit of an entrepreneurial bet, while had a big entrepreneurial bent to it for the person who’s running it. But you know, when you’re working in a firm with 20 people, or 30, or 40, people who are all fairly entrepreneurial in nature, it’s not that bad. As opposed to working in, you know, large bureaucracy, but you still have the community, you still have to be there a certain time, you’re still building someone else’s dream. So I actually, you know, didn’t have to have that didn’t go right into corporate have the realisation I had been entrepreneurial, kind of from day one. And then, you know, kind of got to a point back in 2008, where it just said, you know, what, I think it’s time just to make the leap and do my own thing again.
David Ralph [21:05]
And although you were sort of entrepreneurial from the printing, were you entrepreneur as a small child as well? Were you somebody that was constantly hustling in the community?
Charlie Poznek [21:16]
I would say, not really. Did I have a little, you know, garage sale a couple of times? Yes. And with due respect to my wonderful family, I love them all. There’s not a real big entrepreneurial mindset there. So I didn’t have that, you know, experience or background, you know, grew up in a middle class, middle, lower middle class, I don’t know what it was area neighbourhood. So it just wasn’t the mindset, if you will, it wasn’t until I kind of, you know, got older and started reading different books, when I was 15, I read success through a positive mental attitude by W. Clement stone. And that kind of changed my worldview a bit. So from that point on, I started to see the possibilities and started to, you know, take advantage as much as I could at that particular point in time.
David Ralph [22:11]
So well, you kind of fearless I you somebody that looks at the the challenge more than the potential for failure, because that’s really one of the themes that we touched on so many times on this show, that people are unwilling to risk what they’ve got to gain more than what they’ve got. Do you understand that kind of viewpoint? Are you somebody that really once you get that idea in your head of what you want? The risks don’t really come into it?
Charlie Poznek [22:42]
I completely understand the viewpoint. I think most of America lives with that kind of viewpoint. And I am probably pretty much at the opposite end of the spectrum. I just, you know, I mean, from the investment business, I I believe that I understand risk and reward, I understand the risks I’m taking right now. I understood it. When I started, I set myself kind of a budget and when I’m expecting to break even, and there was going to be a burn rate there and things like that. So I guess I understand that. But yeah, I’m probably the other end of the spectrum. I’m definitely not the guy who’s going to say, Oh, my gosh, I have $10,000 in my nest egg, and I really can’t risk that. Or maybe I’ll risk $100 or something, you know, I’m not going to go into debt. But you know, I’ll probably risk $9,990 leave myself some money for a meal if things don’t go right. But that’s kind of where my head’s at.
David Ralph [23:38]
And do you believe that you have got that ability to get that money back? You risk it? It doesn’t work out? Can you hustle and reclaim it?
Charlie Poznek [23:49]
Absolutely beyond the shadow of a doubt. Now, that’s a talent, that that’s
David Ralph [23:53]
a skill, isn’t it? Where has that developed? Because once again, going back to my first statement, and lot of people will go, if I’ve lost it, that’s it, it’s gone. But once you get into the entrepreneurial spirit, that you realise that you can leverage your network, you can hustle, you can create products, you can do a myriad of things, then the money issue isn’t a problem, is it?
Charlie Poznek [24:20]
You know, I mean, I’d be lying to you, David, if I didn’t say that, you know, do I think sometimes we’re all human? And do I think sometimes Oh, my gosh, you know, the the money’s running out a little bit, or it’s kind of getting low? What happens? Am I going to, you know, be on the street and the homeless and things like that. I think if you don’t have fleeting thoughts like that, at least fleeting thoughts from time to time, you may want to check your pulse. So I’m not this automaton, this robot, who is, you know, perfectly focused, but I think I’m pretty much more focused than a lot of people in that respect. As far as looking up, looking at where I’m going, looking at what I want to achieve, we’ve been focusing on that. And then from time to time on a monthly basis, or bi monthly basis, every other month, every twice a month, but I pay my bills, you know, it kind of reality comes in a little bit, but I’m generally kind of focused on what I need to accomplish to get what I want.
David Ralph [25:17]
Well, let’s play the first of our motivational speeches isn’t, it’s right for this, this time of the conversation. And this is Jim Carrey, who talks so eloquently about either settling for what you’ve got or taking a risk on something you love. This is Jim Carrey,
Jim Carrey [25:32]
my father could have been a great comedian, but he didn’t believe that that was possible for him. And so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant. And when I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job. And our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want. So you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.
David Ralph [25:59]
Now, that the message that the whole world should take take on board,
Charlie Poznek [26:05]
you can fail what you don’t want. So you might as well do what you do want. Yes, I like that or to flip that around. What I talked to people that I interact with is let’s talk about doing things that you enjoy. So similar concept, I think we should do things, people that people should do things that they enjoy. The thing that really got me about that quote, or that comment from Jim was he said, my dad didn’t believe he could do this. And I think that is the underpinning of a lot of people’s issues. They don’t believe they could be a successful entrepreneur, they don’t believe if they fail, something else is going to come up, they could create something else, God forbid they could go get a job or something like that. And you know, I guess I wish there was a magic one where you can just push a belief button on people. We all have limiting beliefs. And those of us have a good network. I think that helps with any limiting beliefs. But I’m also a big proponent David of the use of coaches. You know, find somebody who is where you want to be, or who has been where you want to be, and engage them for their knowledge, whether it’s one on one coaching a group training a course a book, you know, something like that. If Jim Carrey’s dad found a successful comedian, who he was willing to engage, then I think it would have been a different path for Jim Carrey’s dad.
David Ralph [27:35]
So you what you’re saying? Because you are, you’re closely linked to somebody who is actually doing it, it builds up the personal belief that it’s possible. Is that how you feel about it?
Charlie Poznek [27:52]
I think if you see, if I want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, and I have been talking with someone who has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro at least once, and they’re willing to show me the ropes, so to speak, or the nuances of how to successfully climb Mount Kilimanjaro, yes, that will definitely increase my belief that I am going to successfully climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
David Ralph [28:19]
Because there’s two forms of geniuses isn’t as bad, but geniuses who can create something that’s never been thought of. And so it’s just kind of mind blowing, that they can create a helicopter, if no one on Earth has ever thought that there’s a helicopter to be created. And then there’s the other kind of geniuses that can take upon what somebody else has done, and improve upon it, and find their own way of creating income, creating value, and delivering something to the world. Now, what we’re doing, what you’re doing, and what most of us are doing falls into that second camp, and to my way of thinking, nobody shouldn’t believe I can do that, because it’s already out there. There’s there’s other podcasters other online businesses, there’s other shops, there’s other, whatever, it’s going to be out there. So why do you think that people even though they see that it’s possible, because there is successful individuals doing it won’t try to mirror back and take it forward to where its own storey of success?
Charlie Poznek [29:23]
They don’t focus on the what they focus on the how, and they don’t know how to do it. So it just goes away? Oh, well, that actor Oh, my gosh, you know, he is I could never be a $20 million a year actor like Tom Hanks, you know, he’s special, he’s unique. He’s this, he’s that. They just did they get they get hung up on the how I think a lot of people get hung up on the how I don’t know how to do that. So that is out of my realm of possibility. And before I, you know, got into podcasting. First of all, I’m not an audio guy. So I outsource all my audio for my podcast, I outsource a lot of things for my podcast, I didn’t know spit about how to get started how to do this and microphones and do that stuff. So what did I do? I found a coach, I found a mentor who is where I want to be engaged him for his services. And now I’m here talking to you as a successful podcaster.
David Ralph [30:24]
So the most powerful words in the vocabulary, as opposed in the dictionary is how to if you type how to into Google, you’re going to find an answer to pretty much anything.
Charlie Poznek [30:38]
Um, I’m not sure if I’m going there, David, I think that people get they feel like they need to know how to. So yeah, they’re inclined to go to Google and try to find out how to, and if and when they can’t find out how to the whole dream, the thought the concept goes away. That’s the point that I would like to make.
David Ralph [31:01]
But wouldn’t I look at how to and if I can’t find the answer, then look deeper, or you saying but the the idea, isn’t that passionate in boom, that they’re not willing to do to spadework?
Charlie Poznek [31:16]
Um, could be the passion thing, I just, I think it’s just human nature. If it’s work, and you gotta really, you really have to be a guest to your point, you really have to be motivated and excited about doing this and intent upon doing this. You know, when we use the actor example earlier, you know, you’re sitting there, someone’s sitting there thinking, Oh, my gosh, I’d like to be like Tom Hanks, well, you know what you probably wouldn’t, because you’re probably not going to put in the work to do that which feeds into, all right, I’m kind of interested in that, I may not really be interested in that. So when I go look how to if it doesn’t smack me in the face, then I’m just going to look at something else. And then it begs the other question, okay. If Tom Hanks at a blog post on Google, somebody found on Google that said, here’s exactly how you do this, then it begs the question, how many people are actually going to take the action and do that, which is again, another conversation?
David Ralph [32:14]
So so with Tom Hanks, because it’s funny, because I was talking about Tom Hanks earlier, and he is somebody that just seems at peace with himself, you can hardly dislike Tom Hanks, whether you like all these films or whatever, when you see him interviewed, he just seems to be totally authentic. He plays himself. He’s not trying to be a part. He’s not trying to be a role. He’s just trying to be himself. Is that one of the things that people should look to do as well, Charlie, are you being totally authentic to yourself? Or are you still in that transition when you’re playing a part that is required?
Charlie Poznek [32:52]
That’s a spectacular question. And I’m glad you brought up the concept of authenticity, because it’s been something kind of on the front burner for me, I tried to be as authentic as possible in my you know, about us page on my website, some of which you talked about? I mean, that is from my heart. And I oftentimes do think, am I still a little bit in that conservative kind of mindset, am I really being me, and I’m not convinced I’m really being me, 100% of the time, maybe you can’t, maybe you can’t be 100% of the time, and you can’t be authentic, there’s something holding you back. But I continually work to be more authentic and more myself. Because it just makes things fun, or you don’t have to put it put on these errors. And, you know, I don’t wanna say create lies, but you know, put on these errors that you have to kind of live up to, like, I’m a really conservative guy, or I do this or I do that. I mean, on me, I like doing this, I like doing that. And I want to just enjoy my life, much like you’re referencing Tom Hanks, us.
David Ralph [34:01]
And all the Uber successful people seem to have that nailed down, they seem to know exactly who they are. By, they don’t pay up to it. They are who they are, and screw the world, if you don’t like it, and the people that do love it, love it a lot. And the people that don’t like it, when it it doesn’t even come into their world, really, they just totally content. And if you look at sort of older people, and I always talk about Richard Branson, because when Richard Branson is a amazing businessman, I find it hard to imagine him running a business, I just imagine him just playing a mountain speedboats and doing crazy things and stuff. Because he once again is playing, he’s being himself. He’s doing the things that he wants to do, which ultimately brings the greatest reward to his business. In that case, it’s publicity. And did you see that when the to sort of move into one area and play becomes work on work becomes play.
Charlie Poznek [35:00]
It’s interesting, I would like to have met or interacted with Sir Richard or Tom Hanks or any successful person, when they were getting started to see how authentic they really were see how much they were being themselves. I think it’s kind of human nature to maybe not be able to manifest yourself fully. I think some people can do that. I personally am probably not one of them. I mean, as as I get more successful in what I do, I think I have a tendency to become more authentic and, you know, put on less errors and things like that. But it’d be interesting to see how those folks reacted before they made it. And if they were living their life, devil may care what other people think.
David Ralph [35:45]
I bet you if you sat them in a room, all of them would have said, Yes. What I wanted to be like someone so because that’s how you start, isn’t it? You look, I imagined Tom Hanks would have said I wanted to be like, I don’t know, Cary Grant some actor that he admired. And just like the way he did it, because it’s a way of kind of almost finding your passions when you see somebody doing something that seems so you. And that’s what happened with me with the podcast, I listened to a show and I just thought I can do this. I know I could do this. And I did it. And it just followed on. But in the first maybe 1015 episodes, I think I wasn’t really myself, I was kind of playing a role somehow. And I remember Episode 37 was when it started to really click in and I started to think I know how to do this. And it was me being who I should be. So I reckon that they would they would say the same thing. They would say yes, I want it to be like so and so.
Charlie Poznek [36:44]
Yeah, I would I would concur.
David Ralph [36:46]
Well, that’s good. You say we want to save sheet here. So So where do you want to go with your life in although you’re talking about time flexibility. And I totally agree with that, because you’re not getting away from we’ve effort. Unless you win the lottery, you’ve got to put in an effort to, you know, to earn an income and the more effort you bring in, more income you bring in. So where do you actually want with the whole package that you’re creating?
Charlie Poznek [37:15]
Well, my larger mission or vision, if you will, is to create a materially positive impact in the lives of millions of people on the planet. So this is a part of that it’s you know, this is, this is a part of that whole process, will podcasting or the boomer business owner be everything I’m ever going to do in my career? Probably not, but it is surely taking me in the right direction. And, again, as we referenced earlier, as we kind of go through and see things and find things. Who knows what will come up a year from now, two years from now, five years from now.
David Ralph [37:52]
But but that doesn’t scare you that big picture the millions of people. Does that kind of freak you out? Does that make you kind of think that? How the hell am I going to achieve this?
Charlie Poznek [38:04]
No, absolutely not. And it’s interesting. When you talk about freaking out, I just look at that as exciting. It’s kind of like when I do my podcast episodes, do I do you know, some prep work? Do I know a little bit about the guests? Yes. But it’s almost like Christmas. Every time I do my podcast interviews, it’s just a meeting somebody new. It’s just an exciting thing. When I listened to podcasts, I’m listening to your podcast tomorrow. It’s somebody who I don’t know, I could resonate them with them. I could not resonate with them. But it’s like this new gift or new present. So I like to look at my work in my life. In that capacity. I think it’s much more supportive than being fearful.
David Ralph [38:50]
I started my show, and my very first bought was an image that was too big, it was too big for my brain to comprehend. I couldn’t see how to even begin. So I basically forgot about the big picture and started working on the tiny little small picture. And now I’m starting to get to the point where things are starting to come into focus. And you can see that actually, yeah, I’m starting to get to a point where certain things can start to occur. That’s exciting, isn’t it, but you’re going into the unknown. But a lot of people don’t like that they don’t like the unknown by like the standard lifestyle that everything is in its compartments, everything is safe. I could never go back to that. Now, Charlie, I could never play safe. And I played safe for many, many years. I would I am unemployable now.
Charlie Poznek [39:41]
Well, congratulations, and welcome to the club. You feel that as well. When do I do? I actually do I actually do so? Yeah, it’s I look back and I kind of shake my head in thinking about working for someone else. And you know, kind of he handling things the way they want something done what I engage a firm as an independent contractor, yes. But I do, you know, shake my head and think that the chance of me being able to go back for someone else at work for someone else’s, probably quite slim.
David Ralph [40:15]
So if somebody came up to you and said, Charlie, I’ve heard your show. I’ve heard all about you. I’m in a job. I don’t like, I really don’t like it, Charlie, and I want to do something. I’m not sure I want to go into another job. What would your advice be to them? Would it be online? Would it be to do the job better so that they get happy? Where would you sort of your phrase your answer?
Charlie Poznek [40:41]
Yeah, I’m not the guy to have the conversation about do the job better and be happy, I think if, if you’re not happy with what you’re doing, and you’re committed to stay there for a year or two, while you’re doing something on your own, I would probably counsel them counsel their mindset a little bit, and have them think about why this company hired them, the company didn’t hire them, to give them health insurance, the company didn’t hire them. So they can get a paycheck every week, the company hired them, because they’re going to be creating value for the company. I think that’s kind of a mindset shift for a lot of people about why they’re working for another company, once you realise and take responsibility for the fact that you’re there to create value, that may put a whole new light on things, and it could materially change someone’s attitude about continuing with the job. Having said that, I’m I usually don’t go to that conversation, someone comes to me and says, I’m not happy to some extent, I’m unfulfilled to some extent. And my focus is in the online space. And I do encourage people to do something on a part time basis, I do not encourage the, you know, leave your job and burn all of your boats and put all your eggs in one basket, especially with the online space. David, there’s just so many opportunities, a few hours a day to start building up your business. You know, that’s kind of the approach I take for somebody who comes to me says they’re not really satisfied.
David Ralph [42:12]
So you don’t go for that leap of faith, you go for this slide of faith, as I kind of preach
Charlie Poznek [42:19]
the slide of faith you call it? That’s that’s an interesting way to look at it. Yeah, I would say that’s, that’s what I would. That’s what I would profess.
David Ralph [42:27]
Yeah, I go by that same route, I wouldn’t have been brave enough. And so I can’t be brave enough to tell people to punch their boss in the face and walk out and everything will sort itself out, I just, that would be too big for me to comprehend. So I always say, get your head down, try to find some extra time either before work lunch time, in the evening, whatever, and start looking at ways that you can start to transition, you can start to slide try to build in some smart income, passive streams, all those kind of things. And it’s not going to be easy. But you find that the effort is the study, isn’t it. That’s the knowledge. And when you find the things that are a sham, and you find the things that have got value, you find the people that you can believe in, and you’ve got the people that you would just keep a mile away. And it’s that effort that will ultimately allow you to have your choices, but I just couldn’t say to them just jump
Charlie Poznek [43:22]
now and you you reference it as brave, I would maybe reference it is kind of stupid. I mean, you know, you have responsibilities, you have bills to pay if you’re, you know, grown adult. And, you know, you can’t just abrogate those responsibilities and say, I don’t like doing this anymore. And I’m going to start futzing around with this online stuff. And hopefully I’ll make some money soon. I think that’s silly.
David Ralph [43:47]
Totally, you would say, absolutely. Just take your time, work on it, have a plan. And ultimately, little by little, you’ll get there.
Charlie Poznek [43:57]
Yeah, and you don’t even need to take your time. So the plan, like you said, work on it diligently have some goals and G’s and and you know, a couple months, you could be making some good supplemental income. And once you get a little taste of that, and start to maybe search out purveyors of information that can help you go from Level A to level B, then you’re hooked. And you know, it’s all good stuff from there.
David Ralph [44:22]
It’s hard work, though, isn’t it? It’s the entrepreneurial lifestyle that I am leading now. I think, away from the commute away from the extra time that you needed to have to go to work. It’s hard, but it’s enjoyable, hard, do you feel that?
Charlie Poznek [44:41]
I do. It is materially harder, because in the corporate world, someone’s just telling you what to do, you almost don’t even have to think a lot of times. So you just mindlessly Get up, get in the shower, get dressed, get on the train, do your job and do the reverse staying go to sleep and do it again. Whereas Yeah, we create every day, we have to figure out I try to do it before I go to bed at night. You know what I’m looking to accomplish next day, what I need to do the next day how to prioritise those things, you know, the devil’s kind of in the details there and a lot of people just probably aren’t set up for that
David Ralph [45:20]
is creation harder than anything you’ve ever done been consistently creating, and building and developing.
Charlie Poznek [45:29]
Keeping a positive mindset keeping focused on my goal, and continuing to do the work with a belief that things will work out is the toughest thing that I’ve ever done. It’s just all that stuff between your ears. When you get down to the you know, kind of tired right now want to get out to the pub, have a couple of drinks. Next thing you know, you know, your whole nights gone, which from time to time, that’s probably a great thing to do. But the discipline of continuing to, like you say create, to do the things you need to do that you know, you need to do to build your business, it can be brutally difficult sometimes, which is why I suggest a coach or hopefully you have some good support system around you.
David Ralph [46:15]
I haven’t had a point for a can’t remember the last time and I’ve got no opportunity to to have one. So I become like an alcoholic. I keep driving past pubs thinking, I could just go in there. And my wife said to me, why don’t you do it again, now I’ve got work tonight, I can’t do it, I can’t do it. And it is it’s that ability to just have a breather. But I’m not in at the moment, everything is pushing towards the business. Because I think somebody said, you’re willing to do in five years well, people to get the life that nobody else has got for the rest of your life or something like that. IVF you heard that phrase, you you’re willing to put in the effort for five years so that you’ve got the life that you want for the rest of it.
Charlie Poznek [46:58]
I have definitely heard that. And something that’s very related is entrepreneurs are willing to work on weekends until they don’t have to
David Ralph [47:06]
even ever want to Yeah, entrepreneurs are willing to work 100 hours a week because they fed themselves because they won’t work 40 hours a week for someone else. Now you’re putting the pressure on me to top you on that one day. But that was a pretty good one, we could we could finish with that one, often we will finish with that one. But um, so bring us closer to the end of the show, I’m going to play the words of the late Steve Jobs, and it is the theme of the show. And some people have strong resonance to it, other people don’t believe it at all. So I’m going to play the words now. And then we’re just gonna have a little chat. This is Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs [47:40]
Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later. Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leaves you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference.
David Ralph [48:15]
So do those words mean anything to you is a resonance to you?
Charlie Poznek [48:21]
Quite frankly, David, not a lot. I again, I listened to your podcast, I’ve heard that a lot. And you know, I don’t walk away saying oh my gosh, that was really impactful, like the Jim Carrey comment. So, you know, do you have to trust that what you’re doing if you if you have a good goal in mind a good vision of where you want to be, you have to trust that what’s happening to you, what you’re doing is going to get you there. Absolutely. And that is the core of his message I totally agree with that.
David Ralph [48:57]
Is Is it about trust and faith, a takeaway anything of talent, persistence? is faith, a key thing to success?
Charlie Poznek [49:11]
Faith in and of itself, maybe not. I think the persistence of the talent, obviously. But the persistence is really key from my experience, just you know, pushing through, but not pushing through for the sake of pushing through just again, knowing where you want to be. and believing that this roadblock that you need to get past or something you need to persist with is the right thing to do having that kind of inner belief that to me is really, really important. The persistence thing is just key. I think that’s where a lot of people kind of fall short. And in times in my life, when I’ve fallen short, like it probably attributed to lack of persistence.
David Ralph [49:54]
Can Can you persist on things that really, when you look back, you kind of think I should have just given up on it all of his persistence, really the key that will take a failure and take it over the hill to the land of success?
Charlie Poznek [50:10]
That is a really great question. And in my mind, it’s, you know, kind of a bit of a paradox, but how do you determine whether or not what you’re doing, you know, some roadblock comes up, I want to be an actor, and I developed laryngitis. So does that mean, I’m not supposed to be an actor? Or should I persist and going to a doctor and you know, get that taken care of? And then, you know, continuing the role of the actor? I’m not sure that I have an answer to that, other than to say, from my perspective, now, I know. And it’s just that, no, I’m going to emphasise that to knowing in my body, I know, I am on the right track, I know that I am doing what I need to be doing at this point in my life. I just know that David, I wish I could quantify that for the listeners. But I just know that and as a result of knowing that I will be persisting against or persisting with things that come up that try to move me off track of what I’m doing.
David Ralph [51:18]
I believe you as well, I can hear it in your voice, you’ve got a steely determination. And that only comes from knowing but in your heart of hearts, it’s right.
Charlie Poznek [51:29]
I agree.
David Ralph [51:31]
There we go, we finished on an agreement as well. That’s that’s the way to finish on a positive. So this is the end of the show. And this is the part that I call the Sermon on the mic. And this is when I send you back in time to have a one on one with your younger self. And if you could go back in time and speak to young Charlie, what age would you choose? And what advice would you give? Well, we’re going to find out because I’m going to play the theme. And when it fades, you’re up. This is the Sermon on the mic.
Unknown Speaker [52:02]
We go with the best bit of the show.
Charlie Poznek [52:19]
To a little Charlie the good looking a little dude, probably teenager, I would say, Be clear, get as clear as you can on what you want to do what you enjoy who you want to be in your life. I personally get hung up on the word passion. I think it’s very limiting. I think just instead of the one thing trying to ascertain the one thing you’re meant to do, just pick something you really like and move forward in that direction. You can always pivot later, I would definitely suggest on focusing on the what and not how believing that one has cost me dearly. take some action, get some help from someone who is where you want to be, or has been where you want to be. You just no need to do it alone. There’s no medals for bravery and trying to prove you could do it by yourself. I think it was Brian Tracy, where I first heard this comment, but you are the president, you need to think of yourself as the president of your own personal Services Corporation. So if you’re working for another company, you have decided to sell your services to that company for a fee. And if you’re cool with that, that’s fine. Just know that you could possibly manifest those services in some sort of an entrepreneurial fashion if you will. And lastly, I hope you enjoy your journey as much as Almond Joy in mind right now.
David Ralph [54:03]
How can our audience connect with you Charlie?
Charlie Poznek [54:06]
Home Base is the boomer business owner calm the boomer business owner calm Anything you’d ever want is there my phone numbers there, my email addresses their social media handles or their podcast, blog, etc. The Boomer business owner.com
David Ralph [54:25]
thank you so much for spending time with us today. joining up those dots, Charlie and please come back again when you have more dots to join up. Because I do believe that by joining up the dots and connecting our past is the best way to build our futures. Charlie, thank you so much, David, thank you.
Outro [54:41]
David doesn’t want you to become a faded version of the brilliant self you are wants to become. So he’s put together an amazing guide for you called the eight pieces of advice that every successful entrepreneur practices, including the two that changed his life. Head over to Join Up Dots.com to download this amazing guide for free. We’ll see you tomorrow on Join Up Dots.
