Leon Logothetis 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 Leon Logothetis
Leon Logothetis is today’s guest joining us on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots business coaching podcast.
And it’s with great delight that we bring onto the show today a man who had a similar background to myself.
He began his career in the City Of London as a broker, and after a period of time knew that his time had come, to go after what lights him up inside.
In fact it was a lot worse than that, as he actually became chronically depressed and knew that he had to do something about the way his life was going.
You see Leon Logothetis early life was very much like so many of his generation, who wandered into jobs without too much of a thought about how it would make them feel.
Leon ended up as you might expect, disconnected and just knowing that he had to make big changes.
And wow didn’t he do just that, as now he is a global adventurer, motivational speaker & philanthropist.
He gave up this image of corporate success for a life on the road, which came about after being inspired by the movie The Motorcycle Diaries.
The days of living and working behind his ‘slab of wood’ were well and truly over.
Which is an amazing position to be in, creating you wealth, your own freedom, and inspiring the world at the same time.
Just the fact that the world is Googling Leon Logothetis net worth, or Leon Logothetis wealth shows you that people are taking notice of the man.
How The Dots Joined Up For Leon Logothetis
His new passion: Finding ways for your inner rebel (that voice that tells you, you are worth so much more than you think) to come out and play.
As he says “The inner rebel tells you that your life is yours.
And anything you dream of is possible. Anything.
And that the fuel for all this delicious potential is simple: Kindness and harnessing the power of human connection.
Doing it all with a smile on your face and a spring in your step!”
Which we have seen so many times on Join Up Dots with other world travellers, from Jake Helibrunn to Ross Menghini to Lauren Juliff and the Never Ending Footsteps
So how did he take that first step when so many people would have thought that he had cracked it already?
And does he look back at his past life, and know that this was just one of his dots that he had to go through to get to where he is today?
Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the inspirational Leon Logothetis.
Show Highlights
During the show we discussed such weighty with Leon Logothetis topics as:
How all his friends and family thought he was crazy just to throw it all up in the air and go after his dream, but he just knew that he had to do it.
How the first journey that he took was travelling across America on just $5.00 dollars a day travelling from New York to Hollywood, connecting with the world.
How he was taught by a homeless guy in Pittsburg that wealth isn’t in your wallet, but what is truly in your heart.
How he nearly died whist driving a car across Romania, and could hear the words of Churchill “Never Give Up, Never Give Up, Never Give Up“
And lastly……..
How he likes nothing more than jumping into a swimming pool, naked (and sometimes with a load of other people too….don’t tell your Mum!)
Products By Leon Logothetis
How To Connect With Leon Logothetis
Be Inspired By Leon’s Passion
Return To The Top Of Leon Logothetis
If you enjoyed this episode with Leon Logothetis why not check out other inspirational chat with Alexis Wolfer, Sue Stockdale, Roz Savage and the amazing Jason Lewis
You can also check our extensive podcast archive by clicking here – enjoy
Audio Transcription Of Leon Logothetis Interview
Promotion [0:00]
Today’s show is brought to you by podcasters mastery.com, the premier online community teaching you to podcast like a pro. Check us out now at podcasters mastery.com.
Intro [0:12]
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 [0:37]
Yes. Hello, everybody. This is David Ralph and this is episode 366, which may not seem a lot to you at the moment. But for me, this is the second start of join up dots. We’ve been going seven days a week for 365 shows. And then if you listen to the bonus episode yesterday that we sent out, we’ve had an overwhelming requirement from all the listeners to go less they said, Oh, we are overflowing us with with content. So we are now going to go three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday a bit like EastEnders if you live in the United Kingdom. But we’re not as many arguments I suppose. And we certainly I started on today’s show with a bit of an argument because it the chap came on the other end of the line and started criticizing my football team in an instant. So I know that he must be an English guy, because that’s the way that we operate over here. So it’s with great delight that we bring on to the show today a man who had a similar background to myself, he began his career in a city of London as a broker, and after a period of time knew that he’s time had come to go after what lights him up inside. In fact, it was a lot worse than that, as he actually became chronically depressed and knew that he had to do something about the way his life was going. And wow, didn’t he do just bad is he’s now a global adventurer, motivational speaker and philanthropist. He gave up the image of corporate success for a life on the road, which came about after being inspired by the movie The Motorcycle Diaries, which I must admit, I’ve heard so much about now I’ve got to find that on Netflix because I’ve never seen that. And he knew that the days of living and working behind the slap of word were well and truly over his new passion, finding ways but your inner rebel that voice it tells you you’re worth so much more than you think to come out and play is now him. It’s his driving force. As he says the inner rebel tells you that your life is yours and anything you dream of is possible. Anything. And that fuel for all of his delicious potential is simple kindness and harnessing the power of human connection and doing it all with a smile on your face and a spring in your step and insulting people’s football teams. I’m going to put that in a little things at the end. So how did he take that first step when so many people would have thought that he’d cracked it already? And does he look back at his past life and know that this was just one of these dots that you had to go through to get where he is today? Well, let’s find out as we bring on to the show to start joining up dots with the promotional Leon lager fetus. How did I do with your name did not do it? Well,
Leon Logothetis [3:05]
you did really well except my first name is Leon
Unknown Speaker [3:08]
not Leo. Now I said Leon, you’re not paying attention.
Leon Logothetis [3:13]
I think I’m still in shock because all the Ipswich fans are just going to be really upset with me now.
David Ralph [3:17]
Yep. I never mentioned the name did I never mentioned the name and nobody else listens to this show. It’s just you Amelie on you on. So on your Skype and I was just talking to you beforehand. You’re in Los Angeles, you’re in glamour, you’re in Hollywood mode. And on your skype it says jump into the pole with your clothes on it’s really fun. Have you done that?
Leon Logothetis [3:40]
Oh, I’ve done it many times. And and and it really is fun.
David Ralph [3:45]
And have you done it naked as well? Have we gone that far?
Leon Logothetis [3:49]
We have we have and was there was there were other people involved?
David Ralph [3:58]
Yes. Leon Leon this this is a family show. I’ve got to raise it. I’ve got to raise it as soon as I possibly can. We’re going on the wrong track. So how have you ended up in LA and obviously we’re gonna go back to your time as a broker in the City of London because I was up there for many many years. So I probably what past you. Were you one of those annoying ones with the stripy jackets just before I move on?
Leon Logothetis [4:19]
I was pretty annoying.
David Ralph [4:21]
But did you wear that stripy jacket? I looked like a weird deckchair.
Leon Logothetis [4:25]
No,
David Ralph [4:27]
I refused. Yeah, because they were the ones weren’t me. So how did you end up in LA, sir?
Leon Logothetis [4:34]
Well, as you mentioned, I used to be a broker. And I found myself very disconnected from life from my family from my friends. I felt very depressed. I felt like I had no sense of purpose. I felt like I was living someone else’s dream. And I just I couldn’t take it anymore. You know, sometimes you get to a point where the pain there’s too much on an emotional level. And you have to do something about it. And I I stumbled across the movie The Motorcycle Diaries, which is about Che Guevara, a romanticized version of Che Guevara traveling across South America relying on kindness. And I something happened to me after watching that movie, I had what I like to call an epiphany. And I saw that movie, and I realized, you know, here’s a man who’s able to do something, and live fully, even though it’s a romanticized version as a film, if he can do it, then I can do it. And I just, I decided that I wasn’t going to live behind that slab of wood anymore. And I was going to go out and live as fully and, and as exceptionally as I possibly could.
David Ralph [5:50]
So somehow we’re the crabs in your life, the ones putting you back to your position, because we all have crap surrounding us. And when you said I’m leaving, I’m quitting. I’m going to get on a motorbike and I’m going to pick a tandem Che Guevara, did they go Leon take a few weeks off? Go going for holiday come back? You’ll be all right. How did they try to route you to the spot?
Leon Logothetis [6:12]
Yeah, sure. They all thought I was insane. And, and that there was an element of truth to that sometimes there’s an element of, of having to do something crazy in order to get yourself out of being in a, in a situation that’s so destructive. Um, so yeah, a lot of us sit in our comfort zones, and we can’t find a way out. So yes, they were very much like, you know, what are you doing? Like, why are you doing this, like, okay, go away for a couple of weeks, or take a break or whatever, don’t just give it all up and, you know, give it up. But it was more than that I had reached in down into the pit of my heart. I just, I couldn’t live like that anymore. I just couldn’t do it. I just could not do it.
David Ralph [6:56]
I understand totally, because I’ve had that feeling. That’s why I’ve ended up doing what I’m doing. Now. I was in corporate world for a long time. And I know that certainly up in the City of London, it’s all or nothing, they literally have got you Well, I found it I was there sort of late 80s, early 90s to 2000. And if you got up there at seven o’clock in the morning, and your time actually started at nine, there would be somebody up there earlier than you There was always somebody up there earlier. And it was always somebody later. And if you let it, you know, seven o’clock in the evening, two hours late, people would still be going well, half day today, is it Oh, it’d be nice to have your life and all that kind of stuff. So I found it very, very difficult to separate myself from what they wanted and what I wanted. So I applaud you, sir. But that is a brave decision. But was there any point in that conversation when you actually went? Yeah, you’re right. You’re right. I yeah, I’m just having a moment. And I’ll be okay in a couple of weeks.
Leon Logothetis [7:52]
Absolutely. You know, and yes, of course, and it’s it, you know, your we’re surrounded by people some good meaning some not so good meaning, but we listen to others. And I think that’s part of the problem. And I think that part of the challenge is that so many of us end up living other people’s lives and living other people’s dreams and living other people’s sense of purposes. And we’re all individual, we’re all unique. And we all have our own way of doing things. And our way may not be the same way someone else’s. Like for example, some people love working in the City of London, some people love working behind a desk, and it inspires them. And they, they inspire others. And that’s wonderful. It just wasn’t for me. And and it wasn’t for you. So we’re all unique, and we all have our own unique path that that we need to follow. And it’s sometimes easier said than done. It’s not an easy thing to do. And like I said earlier, pain was the greatest motivator for me.
David Ralph [8:56]
But what was the brilliant thing about what you’ve done, and I say so often with other people is they get fed up with the job they’re doing. So they quit. And they literally go and do the same job somewhere else. They did this sort of ingrained, but you really did go hell for leather, motorcycle labor, basically. And that was good. That’s it’s an early morning, but the Wits still there. And so how did you do that? Did you just go right? Okay, I’m gonna leave, or did you start planning a route? How did it all sort of connect?
Leon Logothetis [9:27]
Well, look, I the motorcycle journey was a journey that, again, it was inspired by Che Guevara. But it wasn’t the first journey that I did. The first journey that I did was I traveled across America on $5 a day. So I relied entirely on the kindness of strangers, I went from Times Square to the Hollywood sign. And part of the reason why I did that was because as I said, I was very disconnected. And I knew that if I took away my money, I would be forced to connect with people. And it was kind of like the total opposite to what I had been doing. I’ve been sitting behind a desk, crunching numbers, and not really connecting with my heart with other people’s hearts. So I created this scenario, where I would be forced to have no money and connect with you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to get from A to B.
David Ralph [10:24]
Did you not think because when you said that, first of all, I thought serial killers, I’m gonna end up in a box under somebody’s bed for about five years. Did you not think that?
Leon Logothetis [10:36]
To be honest with you, I didn’t do much thinking before I did this, this journey. Because if I thought too much about it, I wouldn’t do it. You know, that’s one of my little tricks is when I go on adventures, I try not to do too much planning. Because then the mind comes in. And when the mind comes in, it starts telling you, oh, you know, this thing’s this is going to happen, that’s going to happen. Don’t do this. Don’t do that. So I only start thinking about it when it’s too late when I’m actually like in Times Square with $5. And I’m like, Well, you know, either I’m going to go home with my tail between my legs, or I’m going to get to Hollywood. And it was like, Okay, I’m going to go to Hollywood. Do you remember the original Muppet Movie when they went after? I don’t know why it’s connected me. But now you went off to get Hollywood? And it was it was the focal point of starting the Muppets? Was Hollywood. Your point because it seemed glamorous. And it was like a it was a different world from what you were living? Or was there another reason why you went? Well?
Leon Logothetis [11:41]
That’s a good question. I don’t really thought about that. I would say yes. You know, look I grew up with, with all the Hollywood movies, and I’ve never been to Hollywood. And you know, you’ve got you’ve got that big sign on the hill. It’s where dreams come true. You know, it’s also where dreams come to die, they say. But if you keep going, and you never give up, it’s where dreams come true. So maybe that’s why I picked it.
David Ralph [12:06]
It’s very romantic image, isn’t it to travel across to Hollywood, as you say. It is the movie capital. It’s dreams. It’s the silver screen. It’s a story in the making, isn’t it?
Leon Logothetis [12:19]
Absolutely. Absolutely. It’s, and I love storytelling. And I love you know, being inspired by movies, by by books, by art, by creativity. I think there’s, there’s, there’s a lot of us that have this creative spark that we don’t use it for whatever reason, you know, maybe we end up as brokers and we forget about it. And a little kid inside is screaming to be let loose and to go and have some fun and to be creative.
David Ralph [12:51]
But let’s take you back to that little kid that little Leon and what What was he like? Was he somebody that was always looking for adventure and running around and cycling around the the suburbs on these bike and stuff?
Leon Logothetis [13:05]
You know, he was he was an adventurous little kid, I think maybe too adventurous. And the way that he grew up in a in a in a conservative family and his adventure wasn’t looked upon as positively as I look upon it. Let’s put it that way.
David Ralph [13:24]
And did you see a big connection with that little kid? Because we find time and time again on the show literally every single episode, the people that have found their thing? Pretty much say, Yeah, I should have known this. This is what I always like doing even as a little kid, but I lost my way somehow.
Leon Logothetis [13:45]
Absolutely. I tell you that all the things that I’ve done, all the the adventures that I’ve been on, all the wonderful experiences that I’ve had, have all come from that that little kids place from the place, I wonder. And I always say, you know, jumping into the pool with your clothes on as a grown man, I probably shouldn’t be doing that. But my kid wants to jump in the pool, he wants to have some fun. And it if we lose that sense of wonder, we lose a massive part of ourselves. And I had lost that sense of wonder when I was working in the city. And I got it back. And it’s such a powerful thing that each and every one of us if we can should should try our hardest to get reconnected to that, that like that little
David Ralph [14:41]
piece of magic inside ourselves.
Leon Logothetis [14:43]
I think there is a movement in that regards. I had quite a I remember episode three, five, today’s gentleman called Jason, who was playing with these kids one day and was thinking, Why are kids not stressed, but I’m stressed all the time. And he started looking at it and thinking all these things. And I’m doing a little coyote thing with my fingers here. All these things that are adult responsibilities, should they actually bother me, and he calls it adult itis. But we almost play a part of note, we’ve got to grow up, we’ve got to be serious. And all those things are, you know, the fun things that the kids or two weeks on holiday. So he’s creating a movement to try to get people to connect with that inner self of going, Yeah, is something that I’ve got to pay, it is a bill that I’ve got to deal with. But hey, let’s go down the path for the afternoon. Let’s have a bit of fun, make sure that the work life balance is good. And we find that inner inner self. And he’s getting requests left, right and center from corporations to actually get that inner spirit that inner rebel as you’re talking about back into the office, which seems fascinating because I came through the corporate route. And that was the last thing they wanted. I was always called a maverick. Yeah, you always want to do things your own way you are a rebel and all that kind of which way you’re sort of introduction really appealed to me to Ken, can you see that, that there are more and more people out there that are going now enough is enough, I can see that Leon’s doing it, I can see that David’s doing it. Why not? Me?
Leon Logothetis [16:12]
Absolutely. And that’s to be honest with you. The reason why we even sitting here talking is because I was inspired by, by people I was inspired to, to see that anything is possible, I was inspired to see that I can be the best that I can be. And if in some small way, I can inspire someone else to be the best they can be then the chain continues. But I think it’s very, very important to, to, you know, to make the most of our time here. I know it’s a cliche, but it’s what’s the point of being if we’re not going to go out there and make the most of it and inspire others and be inspired and live in the deliciousness of life. I mean, what’s the point truly?
David Ralph [17:02]
Well, there’s no point and I love that word delicious. It was an intro as well, because people don’t use that word like that something is so delicious, that you just got to do it, you’re gonna bite into it, you got to make sure that you you take all the energy from it.
Leon Logothetis [17:17]
Absolutely.
David Ralph [17:19]
Well, well, when you ended up at Hollywood, did you kind of go right? Okay, I’ve done it. What do I do now? I’ve just spent my last $5 do I get a job? how did how did you fund yourself when you were working on that budget?
Leon Logothetis [17:33]
Well, I had obviously been working in the city. So I had, I had some zeros at the end of my bank balance. So I was able, in that respect, I was fortunate enough to be able to go out and do what I needed to do. When I arrived in Hollywood, to be honest with you, I thought to myself, Okay, I’m gonna get I’m going to come to Hollywood, um, it’s all going to work itself out, I’m going to become a legend. And it’ll just be like, I’ll be like, the next 18 cast member. But it didn’t quite work out that way. And I actually ended up in some working behind behind a desk again, just for a little bit, not as a broker. But in America industry. Yeah, in the TV industry, I started a production company TV production company.
Leon Logothetis [18:22]
But I found myself again, it was the same thing, even though was being more creative. It was the same thing. I wanted to be on the road. I wanted to travel, I wanted to connect. So I quit that job again. So I had a second epiphany, actually on Hollywood Boulevard of all roads, and I finally quit that job, took my desk and just threw it into the ocean.
David Ralph [18:48]
You literally did.
Leon Logothetis [18:50]
No, I did it. That would have been. That would have been. Me mean, this is a brilliant, symbolic statement. I didn’t throw my desk into the ocean.
David Ralph [19:03]
Because you could have tipped it up number one over there paddled off on it, you could have been really
good that that would have been pretty cool. Actually, that’s not bad idea. I always had an image when I was at school, I don’t know why I used to I used to daydream, that the place got flooded. And everybody would drown except for me, who would turn the table up and then just float out on it. And I don’t know if I wanted people to drown. I don’t believe I did. But I think looking back on it. It was another way of me saying I don’t want to be in this room. I want to be paddling off, I want to be doing something funny. It’s funny when these memories come back to you. And you think, yeah, once again, that was me trying to escape from what? what society was telling me to do.
Leon Logothetis [19:44]
Mm hmm. Yeah, that’s very possible.
David Ralph [19:47]
So we yourself Hollywood Boulevard, I want to play the word now from a chap who spent a lot of his time sitting on Hollywood Boulevard looking up at a sign and focusing on his future, visualizing on a daily basis. And these words that Jim Carrey said,
Jim Carrey [20:05]
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 [20:31]
should have said Leon at the end.
Leon Logothetis [20:35]
That’s a very powerful. That’s very powerful.
David Ralph [20:39]
Do you buy into what he’s saying? Totally. Now you’re doing effectively those words, do you see as a kind of mantra that most people should listen to on a daily basis?
Leon Logothetis [20:50]
Absolutely. I mean, look, let’s be clear, it’s not easy. You know, if you have a job, if you have a family, if you have a mortgage, it’s not easy. It’s not easy to turn around and say, You know what, I’m not going to do this anymore. I’m going to follow my dreams. It is not easy. And but if you spend your life I don’t I say when I die, I say, imagine you’re 95 years old, you look back at your life, and you think, well, I’ve just wasted What did I do? I was living someone else’s life. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to look back at 95 and think to yourself, I lived, I really fully lived. It’s like night and day. But but but sometimes we get stuck, we get stuck in our routines. We get stuck in, in our comfort zones. We get stuck in the way society wants us to be. We get stuck. And it’s a truly and this is not an exaggeration. It is a personal tragedy. If you don’t go out and live your life to the fullest extent by
Leon Logothetis [22:01]
Have you read that book, but 10 regrets of the dying. You know what happened?
David Ralph [22:07]
Look it out. It sounds very depressing. Somebody told me about it. And for about 10 shows I kept on mentioning it all the time, because it was so depressing to me. But this, this nurse or this doctor was working in a haven where cancer victims were dying. And he went down. And he was interviewing them all to find out what their 10 regrets were. And literally every single one said what you said that I realized now that they were living somebody else’s life. They were doing what they thought other people wanted them to do. They were following a path that wasn’t theirs. But it was something their dad had done, or their mom had done, or it was in the family or something. And all of them had that regret. And it’s it really hit home as as your word just now hit home again. And I think to myself, back can’t be right, can it That can’t be right now I never say Leo. But everyone’s got to go and be entrepreneurial. Because I know that we need people, we need employees and companies otherwise it will crumble. But you can’t be happy, can’t you if you’re in a job that isn’t making you happy. But you know that you couldn’t do it on your own, create your own economy, then do something and some of the money but that does make you happy because it makes a hell of a difference.
Leon Logothetis [23:24]
It certainly does. And during my journey with the with the motorbike, I met this guy, this homeless chap, who ended up putting me I grew up sleeping the night on the streets of Pittsburgh with him. And he was just extraordinarily kind. And he taught me that true wealth is not in our wallets, but it is in our hearts. And he had nothing yet he gave me everything he protected me He fed me gave me clothes. And it was like a, it changed my life. Truly, that moment changed my life. Because I had always, certainly whilst I was in the UK, spent my life thinking that it’s all about money. It’s all about money. And don’t get me wrong, money’s important. It’s important to have money, it’s important to be able to look after your kids to look after yourself. But what’s more important is to have those riches inside your soul to really be able to connect with people and to be able to to see the world not just through your eyes, but through your heart.
David Ralph [24:37]
And the guy in Pittsburgh. Was he surprised? But you were somebody that quite simply didn’t have to be sleeping on the street at night? Or did he buy into what you were trying to do? I imagine that you had quite deep conversations.
Leon Logothetis [24:51]
Well, the what I did in Pittsburgh was I took I bought this vintage yellow motorbike. And I drove it around the world relying on kindness. But there was a twist. And the twist was that the unsuspecting good Samaritans didn’t realize that I would be able to offer a life changing gift. So this chapter name was Tony. So I spent the night with him. And he had no idea that the next day, I was gonna make an effort to to change his life in a way. But it’s like, it’s it’s, it’s just the depth of conversation when you’re speaking to your heart, as opposed to speaking through your mind. is is is is really what inspires me to keep traveling to keep meeting people to keep being changed by these people.
David Ralph [25:45]
That does the the travel were you down bow? Is there gonna come a time when you go enough is enough, because I will be literally 10 episodes ago, I spoke to a gentleman called Jason Lewis, who was the first guy to go all the way around the world on his own path. Our so he cycled he walked. And it took him 13 years to go round. And he said when he finished, he literally would almost feel like throwing up if he looked at a map, the fault of just keep on traveling, traveling traveling, really sort of wore him down. Do you feel that? Are you still a kid in a toy shop looking around with the wonders?
Leon Logothetis [26:21]
No. Look certain times, travel can definitely wear you down. And there were times when I get off a plane and I’m like, I’m never getting on a plane again ever. I’m just not going anywhere. I’m staying in my house. And that’s it. And then a couple of weeks go by and I’m like, okay, maybe I’ll get on a plane in a few weeks. And then a couple more weeks go by and I’m like, Okay, let’s look at the Internet and figure out where I’m going next. So but I do understand the issue of being worn out. But it’s all you always get, I always get driven back to it. It’s like, you know how they say the travel bug? It definitely does go away.
David Ralph [27:01]
So how do you make your money? I imagine that’s going to be the question. So many people are listening to this conversation. They’re in their cubicles, they’re traveling to jobs that they don’t want to do, and I think Leon’s life, that’s what I want to do. But how do you actually fund it, and you’re not just surviving on savings.
Leon Logothetis [27:21]
I write books, I do speeches, and I host TV shows. So that’s primarily how I make my money. It wasn’t always like that it was for a long, for a long period of time, it was living off what I had made as in the city. But that’s primarily how I how I do it. And I used to run a television production company as well, that I created in LA, don’t run that anymore. Because my desk is in the ocean.
Leon Logothetis [27:55]
And that’s it really
David Ralph [27:57]
And indeed you look at those things and be Wow, I was a broker and I created a TV company. I was a broker and I’m now a TV presenter, if we took you back, which we are going to do later on, but to that broker time, would that blow your mind if somebody came across and went early on? Guess what you’re gonna be doing in five years? You’re gonna be a TV presenter jumping into swimming pools naked with a load of other people.
Leon Logothetis [28:24]
I’ve ruined my reputation. Comment, by the way.
Leon Logothetis [28:28]
But anyway.
Leon Logothetis [28:30]
Yes, absolutely. I you know, sometimes I, I look at it, and I pinch myself. I’m like, this is really is this really happening? And then sometimes also, I don’t know you English. You know what the English like we’re very.
Leon Logothetis [28:46]
What’s the word? I think the word subsumed but we’re not. We’re not we don’t we kind of don’t take too much credit for what we’ve done.
Leon Logothetis [28:57]
We’ve kind of it’s that’s not necessarily what how in America, but you know, I grew up in England. And I sometimes, you know, people call me send me emails and they say, Oh, my God, you know, you’ve done this, you’ve done that. And I’m like, it doesn’t it sometimes seems like, it’s not really me. I don’t know if that makes any sense. Kind of sometimes seems like, it’s someone else’s life. You know, I
David Ralph [29:21]
know, no, I don’t think that’s weird at all. When I’m doing this job. It’s like I put on a cloak. Somehow it is me. It’s authentically me. But it’s not the me that’s walking down the street or being with the kids or all that kind of stuff. It’s kind of it’s my own me. I come to the recording studio, and I be the person that I want to be. So I understand that totally. And it’s, I think it gives you a chance to recharge, doesn’t it? Because you’re not totally out there being open to the elements over time.
Leon Logothetis [29:52]
Yeah, I mean, I, how that chap traveled around the world for 13 years. I don’t know, I mean, in the most it been away from home was six months. And that was a long time.
David Ralph [30:04]
So you wouldn’t do a long, long, long journey live?
Leon Logothetis [30:08]
Well, not for 13 years. But you never know. I mean, I don’t know. I don’t have kids. So I’m, you know, I’m still pretty open to be able to do what I what I what I need to do. But I’m not sure I’m not sure. 13 years is a long, long time.
David Ralph [30:26]
on your website, and I love this. And I know you’re gonna say this is a wind up, but there was a news breaking news about Leon’s running for president, adventure party targets Obama Democrats. What’s that all about? Sir?
Leon Logothetis [30:42]
That is me being silly. And I think that’s my little kid coming out and saying, you know what, let’s just go have some fun. You know, let’s not take this. So seriously. Let’s have some fun. I’m going to run for president. And let’s have fun. That’s it. That’s really what is what about, that’s what jumping in the pool is about? It’s about being silly. When I think silliness is is a wonderful trait to have. And it’s it’s, it’s silly to say I’m going to run for president of course, I’m not going to run president. I was born in England,
Leon Logothetis [31:14]
I’m going to run for Prime Minister.
David Ralph
And would you do that? Would you go for Prime Minister? Because I’d vote for you? I certainly would.
Leon Logothetis [31:22]
If there were 25 million US then maybe I would
David Ralph [31:27]
that that’s the biggest herd of sheep, isn’t it in the world or flock a flock of sheep.
David Ralph [31:33]
Don’t weave your your website I’m looking at it as we’re going up and down it and that the thing that I that the kindness cap, now that could be a film can nail that, that that should be a film, you go around like naughty, nice little yellow vehicle and leave it nobody knows what naughty is go go until Google it. And you bring kindness that that should be my age. And I can see that.
Leon Logothetis [31:57]
I you know, let’s call Disney and make the maker. But yeah, you know, that’s another example of kind of merging, fun silliness with a message. And the kindness cab was a vintage London taxi that I purchased. And I drove it from Times Square to the Hollywood sign, giving free cab rides to people. So what I try and do all the time is have like fun and some silliness. But also a message. And the kindness cap message was simply to to inspire kindness in as many people as I possibly could and to give back. Even if it’s a small it, even if it’s in a small way, you take someone I remember, we ended up going and buying this old lady at 96 year old lady to my screen. And I only spent one hour with her. But it was a it was one hour that was that was really moving and powerful. And it’s sometimes the simple things. You don’t have to get in there in a yellow motorbike or green taxi or walk across America, in order to change someone’s life. It’s like, you go into a Starbucks and you give them a smile, you talk to them, you be nice to them. And these little things build up.
David Ralph [33:18]
Taking from that 96 year old woman, I’m going to take us and this is a perfect segue to a car but only your granny would be proud of now you did something called the Mongol rally. Now I can’t imagine that you would go in with that 96 year old lady. But the first statement that you have on your site, but truth is, I probably shouldn’t have done the Mongol rally events happened in my first attempt that conspired to nearly robbed me of my life. inches, I tell you inches, things happened bad things. When you look back on it now, is that sort of poetic license? Or do you look back on it now and go? Yeah, actually, that was that was one step too far.
Leon Logothetis [33:59]
It was wasn’t one step too far. When I go one step too far, I will won’t be around. And I say that because I remember in the Mongol rally, basically the first year, I tried to get to Mongolia and crashed in Romania nearly died. And everyone was saying to me, you know, don’t do it again. Don’t do it again. I was like, absolutely not. I am going to do it again. I need to get to Mongolia. I
David Ralph [34:26]
tried it. Why did you say that? Why? Why didn’t you just go? Yeah, fair enough. Fair enough. There’s some things that maybe I shouldn’t do.
Leon Logothetis [34:33]
Because I just felt, you know, sometimes, of course, you know, Winston Churchill, yes. And one of Winston Churchill’s very famous quotes is never, never, never give up. And that is one of my mantras. Never, never, never give up. And I wasn’t gonna allow a Romanian truck driver to destroy my dream of reaching the Mongol the Mongolian. So I had, I had done this charity thing, which was 10,000 miles for 10,000 books. And my aim was to reach that goal. And sometimes, I’m sure you’re, this happens to you as well. One becomes obsessive in the sense of one sets of goal, and one is not going to stop until you reach that goal.
Leon Logothetis [35:23]
And for me, it was about finding my courage, it was about
Leon Logothetis [35:29]
finding my sense of purpose, and not giving up and not giving up on that dirt road in Romania. I just it was not going to happen.
David Ralph [35:40]
And did you forget those words of Churchill when you was a broker, never, never, never give up. Because most of us kind of do in a corporate gig, we get so into a routine, but we forget those passions that you’re talking about now,
Leon Logothetis [35:55]
without a shadow of a doubt. Whilst I was a broker in London, I wasn’t really living. I wasn’t living I wasn’t me. I wasn’t Leon I was the machine I was a machine. Have you seen the movie? The Matrix? Yes,
David Ralph [36:10]
I didn’t understand a moment of it.
Leon Logothetis [36:14]
Well, I didn’t understand it for a long, long time. But basically, the matrix is, is I felt like I was, I was part of this system, this society that had me you know, nine to five and, and my, my true essence, my true being was was wasn’t being wasn’t there wasn’t being present. And then a NEO in the matrix finds his way out of the matrix. And that’s, to a certain degree, what I have done by going out and doing all these adventures by by meeting all these wonderful people by living from my heart instead of my mind. Too many of us live inside this system that that that is is like a conformist system. And you know, when you have crazy people jumping into their pools, or into pools, it kind of like you look at them like whoa, what, what’s wrong with them, but there’s part of you that looks at that and thinks themselves to yourself? Well, you know, I wish I could do that. And that’s kind of what happened to me with Che Guevara the romanticized version of Che Guevara. I’m like, wow, there’s a there’s a part of me that wants to do that. There’s a part of me that’s, that wants that. What’s that passion?
David Ralph [37:32]
I want to do it as well. Leon, I want the passion to be we’ve got a month until the general election, come on, let’s run you in the upper unit. Click up Cameron. Okay. And then we will be will be a passion party. And manifesto will just be burn your pants and run down the street naked or something like that. I like it. And well, it depends on who’s taking the pants off. We’re supposed IVF. Now I’m not even going to say that even for me, I’m not going to go away on a show. So we’re looking at your life. Now. Would you recommend it to people? Would you recommend doing what you do? Or does it tie into as you said at the beginning? It’s so hard, it’s not easy. It really isn’t easy.
Leon Logothetis [38:19]
Look like, there are certain things that inspire certain people. For me, it’s traveling, that’s what inspires me and connecting with people and talking about my experiences that may not inspire someone else but but the part of it that is universal, is living your passion is truly being present for your for yourself, and taking your life and sharing the gifts that you have with other people. That’s a universal, everyone has a gift. Whether or not it’s being a baker, whether or not it’s being able to connect with people, whether or not it’s being excellent broker, we all have gifts, and it’s about taking those gifts and sharing them. I think it’s a it’s another. Again, maybe an exaggeration, but I think it’s another another tragedy if one has these gifts, and one does not share them. That’s That’s it, it seems it seems wrong.
David Ralph [39:21]
And then Did you know you had to give because I’m inspired this conversation is really playing to what I’m all about. And I do feel like running around the garden and just shouting, come on. Everyone go for it. You’re only here once. But were you aware that you had value in you all the time?
Leon Logothetis [39:38]
No, no, you know, when I would walk to work.
Leon Logothetis [39:44]
I would not think to myself, I have all these gifts. I would be depressed. Like I said, you know, and sometimes people say to me Oh, don’t don’t don’t share that you’re depressed bull. Why I’m a human being. I mean, I still get depressed from time to time. And I was chronically depressed during the during those that period of my life, because I wasn’t being authentic. I wasn’t being who I really am.
Leon Logothetis [40:11]
And there are so many of us that that live like that.
Leon Logothetis [40:17]
And it’s a decision, it’s a commitment to live, as, as I said earlier, to live to live a delicious life. It’s a commitment, you have to make a commitment. Do I want this. And it’s not easy. There were things that happened along the road that you want to turn around and say you know what, just forget it, I’m just gonna go back to my old ways, I can’t take this anymore. Yeah, if you do that, you’re going to end up being the 95 old who looks back on his life or her life. And you’re not going to be smiling when you look back.
David Ralph [40:49]
Let’s bring in a guy who knows the thing about getting up dusting yourself down and going again, this is Rocky.
Rocky Balboa [40:57]
You me and nobody got a hit as hard as life. But ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit. And keep moving forward, how much you can take it keep moving forward. That’s how when it is done.
David Ralph [41:13]
Now I’m remember watching that film. And it was one of my epiphanies. I was just about to take the leap of faith. And I remember watching rocky six, and it was almost like, there was no one else in the cinema. He was speaking to me. It was like he turned and faced me and said that. And I thought oh my god. Oh my god, I know exactly what he means. Are you surprised at how much you can take when you’re laying on that street in Pittsburgh? And you’re wearing second hand clothes a homeless guy gave you a few years beforehand when you’re wearing a nice suit, and you’re walking across the bridge in London, whatever. That probably was just a vision that you hadn’t comprehended. Are you surprised by what you can actually put up with?
Leon Logothetis [41:57]
I’d say yes. And no, I’d I’d say I’d say I’m not surprised because I’ve been doing this for a long time. And I know that, that we tend to sit in our comfort zones, and we tend to not fully live. I would say yes, I am surprised because it’s no one wants to sleep on the streets. Yeah. But I only did it for one day. This chap was doing it for years. So I it’s I think sometimes yes, sometimes No. But again, I’ve been inspired by all these great people, Winston Churchill, Neil Armstrong, all these people that have lived wonderful lives and have have changed the direction of humanity. And I look at them. And I think if they can do that, then I can do this. So I gain inspiration from other people’s lives.
David Ralph [42:58]
And then do when you hear voices, obviously they’re constructed for film. But is there the same with resonance as I have with them? Can you really grasp what rocky saying?
Leon Logothetis [43:09]
Absolutely, I mean, those words are extraordinarily powerful. If you think about it, how powerful they are, they are extraordinarily powerful. Basically, what he’s saying is, however much you get punched in the face, however much bad things happen to you, it’s the mark of a great man or a great woman, how high you can jump from that point of being at your lowest ebb. And everyone can relate to that. It’s like It’s like, it’s like, its connection. It’s human to human, we all get it.
David Ralph [43:45]
What I love about but join up dots metaphor, which is based around the speech that we’re going to hear in a little while by Steve Jobs, is the fact that yet dark dots Yeah, black dots really are the ones that you almost should look forward to, because they’re the ones that are really difficult at the time, allow you to grow and allow you to move on to bigger and better things. And for many, many years I couldn’t see about I would have kind of dodged that the black dots and try to stay in the sunshine and the good times. But now I’ve been on this journey that I’m on. And I’ve had some serious times when I’ve literally been on my knees thinking I can’t take any more. But I look at it. And I think thank God for that, because I found better ways of doing it, or I’ve got stronger at doing it. And it just moved me on. Did you see that in your own journeys, but dark dots, actually, because you’re far enough away from them now actually become ones that you can reflect on and go Yeah, okay. difficult time. But I’m here because of
Leon Logothetis [44:44]
Absolutely. I you know, some of the darkest times for me, have fueled who I am today. And I like to say that I try and transform pain into gold. Sometimes I don’t succeed, but more often than not I do. It’s It’s so important. Again, Winston Churchill another another quote from the gray man, he said, If you find yourself walking through hell keep walking. And whenever I am in like a bad place, I think about what he said, and I’m like, I am not going to stop, I’m going to keep walking, if it means I’m on my knees, if it means I’m crying my eyes out whatever it means I will keep going. Because at the end of that tunnel, there was a light, and I have to reach that light. And the only way I’m going to get there is to walk light straight through the darkness.
David Ralph [45:43]
And what has been your your lowest time when you when you sort of look at all your journeys.
Leon Logothetis [45:52]
Oh,
Leon Logothetis [45:54]
my lowest point.
David Ralph [45:57]
Maybe it was before
David Ralph [45:58]
you started your journey, maybe a little his point is being a
Leon Logothetis [46:01]
broker? It would, it was definitely It was definitely that was definitely one of my lowest points.
Leon Logothetis [46:08]
Because again, if you’re not living true to yourself, then you’re just a shell, you’re not you’re not really fully present, you’re not you know who you’re meant to be. And that’s a that’s a very difficult place to be. And I’ve been there and I don’t wish it on anyone. And many, many of us are still there.
Leon Logothetis [46:32]
And it’s it’s not a good place to be. And it’s it’s, again, remember 95 years old, you want to look back and you want to think to yourself, yes, I did it. I lived, I lived.
David Ralph [46:48]
I think I have wasted not wasted because that’s the beauty of everything you get to a certain point because of the experience you’ve built up. And I can certainly join up my dots and go Yes, I can see how I went from that point to that point to that point to what I’m doing now, which I absolutely adore. But I do look at it sometimes and being I started always round about my 40s. God, what would it have happened if I could have done it when I was 20 or 31. Why didn’t allow that to happen. But I it happened and I sort of move on from it. But I also think on the other side, Leon and I think you will sort of go with this as well. A lot of the things that you’re doing now creating your own TV company, being a TV presenter, all that kind of stuff, you couldn’t have done that sort of that 1520 years ago, you would have needed a major production company. But now you can literally get a little handheld camera, little microphone go out onto the streets and you’re you’re doing it, you’re becoming a TV presenter, it’s amazing how technology has moved on and helped us all to be able to see a future, which may be 20 years ago, we couldn’t have had even if we wanted it.
Leon Logothetis [47:49]
Yeah, it’s true. And, you know, sometimes I say to people that, for example, if you’re if you’re a mother, and you’re single mom, and you’ve got a couple of kids, and you got your job, and you’ve got a mortgage and and you want to be a chef, but you can’t you can’t just quit your job, you can’t quit your job and become a chef. How can you you can’t I understand that. But what you can do is go to the library and get a book on how to become a chef, what a book. And every Saturday, you cook for your kids. And in the next month, you go get another book. And you cook for your kids on Saturday and Sunday. And slowly, slowly, slowly you take baby steps. And who knows where you’ll be in six months, in a year, in two years and three years, maybe you will be a chef. So everything is possible. Sometimes it’s more difficult than other times, but everything is possible. And to say that it’s not is a cop out.
David Ralph [48:47]
I believe that totally, absolutely believe that totally. And I can see the progress I’ve made since doing this show. But it’s only the star, it’s leading me into places that I’m not quite ready for. But I can see what is possible. But you’ve got to do that you’ve got to do that step by step by step, and is exactly as Steve Jobs said, and we’re going to hear from him now. That it’s, it’s almost the time is going to happen anyway. So you might as well start. And unless you get hit by a bus, you’re going to be here for a few years. And so you could become a chef. By giving up five years of your life, you can do anything. And the best thing you can do, and the only thing you can do is start. This is Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs [49:32]
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 follow your heart, even when it leaves you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference.
David Ralph [50:07]
So where was your big dots, when you started to truly believe that what you were doing wasn’t just a holiday, it was something that was going to become your life.
Leon Logothetis [50:19]
I would say that it was
Leon Logothetis [50:22]
the latest journey that I did, which was the journey around the world on the yellow motorbike. I got a I got a book deal with a with an A one publisher got a TV show out of it. And I started to realize and I also I just I quit my job again. And I realized that that I could make a difference in a positive way. And I could make a difference. Whilst I’m having fun. Whilst I’m living my life whilst I’m being fully present in it in my purpose. I would say it was that journey, that journey for sure.
David Ralph [51:06]
And do you think that you could have only got to that.by doing the life that you’d lead? Getting there?
Leon Logothetis [51:16]
Look, I think I think maybe there could have been other dots. I mean, who knows. But I do certainly think that everything that I had done beforehand, enabled me to get to this place. Specifically with like, for example, I written my first book, and the publisher made the decision to give me the second book based on my first book. So I wouldn’t have been able to do what I’m doing now had I not written that first book.
David Ralph [51:45]
Does that make sense? makes total sense. Yeah, it’s the step by step process, isn’t it?
Leon Logothetis [51:50]
Yeah.
David Ralph [51:51]
And And where’s it going to go? Just before we send you back at the end of the show on the Sermon on the mic and send you back in time? Let’s go forward. where’s where’s it gonna go? What’s on your mind at the moment? what’s possible.
Leon Logothetis [52:05]
You know, what’s on my mind is, is to continue traveling. To continue my adventures. I have this this little this little theory. And my theory is that it’s very important to find your passion. That’s not sometimes an easy thing to do. But I found my passion. The next thing is to Live Your Passion. And the third and most important thing is to share your passion. Because there was no point in going out and living and having this wonderful experience if you’re not sharing it with other people. And I am where I am today. Because people have shared their passions in books, in movies, in one on one conversations, they shared their passions with me. And and I took their passion. And I thought to myself, if they can do it, I can do it. And that’s why we’re here talking.
David Ralph [52:59]
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. This is the end of the show. And this is the part that we call the Sermon on the mic, we’re not going to send you on a very short journey, but a very profound journey. And we’re going to send you back in time to speak to your younger self. And if you could go back and speak to the younger Liam, what age would you choose? And what advice would you give? Well, I’m going to play the tune. And when it fires you up this is the Sermon on the mic.
Leon Logothetis [53:45]
little Leon, how are you? I want you to know that I love you very much. And that all the people that are saying and doing mean things to you don’t listen to them. The most important person is is you, I love you. And I want you to remember that you’re not crazy. And that all your dreams and all your desires are real. And I believe in you. That’s the most important thing. I believe in you. Whatever anyone else says to you. Don’t worry about it. Because I believe in you.
David Ralph [54:33]
Leon How can our audience connect with you sir?
Leon Logothetis [54:38]
They can go on to my websites, which is leonlogothetis.com. They can also Facebook me, tweet me, Instagram me. Email me. But yeah, my name leon logothetits com
David Ralph [55:01]
We’re have all the links on the show notes. Leon, thank you so much for spending time with us today joining those dots. 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 Leon, thank you so much.
Leon Logothetis [55:18]
Thank you so much for having me.
Promotion [55:21]
Thanks for listening to today’s episode of join up dots brought to you exclusively by podcasters mastery.com. The only resource that shows you how to create a show, build an income and still have time for the life that you love. Check out podcasters mastery.com. Now
Outro [55:40]
David doesn’t want you to become a faded version of the brilliant self you or 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.com to download this amazing guide for free and we’ll see you tomorrow. join up dots
