Keith Callahan Joins Us On The Steve Jobs Inspired Join Up Dots Podcast
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Introducing Keith Callahan
Keith Callahan is our guest today on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots business coaching podcast interview.
He is a man who started his entrepreneurial life with a similar vibe to so many people on the planet today.
He wanted to scream “Show me the money!”
As he says” My dream growing up was to be RICH. It wasn’t about Financial Freedom or having the ability to do what I want or any of that.
I just wanted to be rich. My ego wanted everything that went along with it.
The big house, the fancy cars…all of it. I loved the lure of it all and in my young, immature, egocentric, male mind I mistakenly thought that money was what this life was all about.
For me, in the beginning, money was my GOD.
Right when I was finishing up college (I say “finishing” instead of graduating because I never did) we came into one of the biggest Real Estate Booms this country has ever seen.
I immediately saw the opportunity and began obsessively looking to buy my first piece of real estate.
It came fast, and I bought AND SOLD a house in the same day for a profit of $33,000!! How’s that for a days work?”
How The Dots Joined Up For Keith
Now speed on a few years and the words that he had heard so many times “like “make sure you don’t rush things”, “don’t bite off more than you can chew”, “don’t over leverage yourself”, “make sure you get out early, don’t be caught when the market turns” etc…, etc… started coming back to haunt him.
As he says “All these really smart and seasoned pros were telling me this, but the cocky 20 something year old thought he knew more than these guys did, and I got burnt BIG TIME.”
And that is a great place to start this episode of Join Up Dots.
So how did he go from crashing and burning to where he is today, where he has built-owned 6 Multi- Million Dollar Businesses across various industries, raised 10+ Million in Public Capital and 2+ Million in private capital, and alongside his wife Amy currently are owner-operators of AKC Fitness, a distribution channel for health and wellness products where they have a team of 25,000+ distributors.
And is everything built in a much more stable and consistent way than he had previously achieved in his life?
Well let’s find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Mr Keith Callahan
Show Highlights
During the show we discussed such weighty topics with Keith Callahan such as:
Why it is so important not to be looking for the happiness in the materialistic life. Instead the true happiness is already in us. We just have tap into what we are carrying around with us everyday.
Keith shares a powerful story as to his reasons why he told his wife that he could not marry her only three weeks before his marriage, and why it was the right thing to do for the both of them.
Why niching down in any business is the only way to operate. Don’t think about the potential customers that you might be missing out on. Instead focus on the perfect ones that you will be getting.
and lastly….
Why podcasting is so powerful in todays business world. Giving you the ability to connect with experts, and customers like never before.
How To Connect With Keith Callahan
Return To The Top Of Keith Callahan
If you enjoyed this episode of Join Up Dots then why not listen to some of our favourite podcast episodes such as Dan Martell, Dan Lok, Thor Conklin, or the amazing Noah Kagan
Or if you prefer just pop over to our podcast archive for thousands of amazing episodes to choose from.
Audio Transcription Of Keith Callahan
Intro [0:09]
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 [0:33]
Yeah, I tell you what, I’m having a good day. Today I am having I gotta tell you, I’m having a bloody good day. I’m having these kind of conversations with these kinds of guests. Time and time again, and I’ll tell you why. If you can’t be inspired by I’m going to come down with a wet flannel and and whip you around a bit because I tell you what these guys are rocking and rolling. And today’s guest he is really rocking and rolling. He is doing stuff which is? Well, it’s inspiring to say the least. He is a man who started his entrepreneurial life with a similar vibe. I guess to so many people on the planet today. He wanted the screen, Show me the money. Show me the money. As he says my dream growing up was to be rich. It wasn’t about financial freedom or having the ability to do what I want or any of that I just wanted to be rich. My ego wanted everything that went along with the big house, the fancy cars, all of it, a lot of arrow and in my young, immature, egocentric male mind, I mistakenly thought that money what was what this life is all about. For me in the beginning, money was my God. Right when I was finishing up college, I say finishing instead of graduating because I never did. We came into one of the biggest real estate booms this country has ever seen. I immediately saw the opportunity and began obsessively looking to buy my first piece of real estate. It came fast. And I bought and I sold a house in the same day for a profit of 33 grand now how’s that for a day’s work? It’s not bad. This is good story about this. Now speed on a few years and the words but he heard so many times, like make sure you don’t rush things don’t bite off more than you can chew. Don’t ever leave with yourself. Make sure you get out early, don’t be caught when the market turns, etc, etc. started coming back to haunt him. And as he says all these really smart and seasoned pros were telling me this but the cocky 20 something year old thought I knew more than these guys did. And I got burned big time. And that is a great place to start this episode of join up dots so how did he go from crashing and burning to where he is today where he’s built owned six multi million dollar businesses across various industries raised 10 plus million in public capital, and two plus million in private capital and alongside his wife, Amy, currently a co owners and operators of AK see fitness a distribution channel for health and wellness products. Well, I have a team of 25,000 plus distributors. And he’s everything built in a much more stable and consistent way when he previously achieved in his life. Is he loving this more than anything he’s done before. But let’s find out as we bring them to the show to start joining up dance with the one and only Mr. Keith Callahan. Good morning to Keith, how are you sir?
Keith Callahan [3:04]
I’m doing great, David, how are you, man? But I guess before you answer that question, that was an amazing intro. I think I’m gonna have to, I’m gonna have to take you along for the road show was amazing.
David Ralph [3:15]
I’ll tell you why it was it might have been amazing to you. I couldn’t hear anything, my ears suddenly blocked. And I was talking into like a void of silence. I couldn’t hear what I was saying. In podcasting land. It’s nice to hear it back in you is isn’t it when you’re talking? And for some reason, I went into like a coma. So it came out all right. I couldn’t hear what I was saying. But it came out. Alright.
Keith Callahan [3:35]
That sounds great.
David Ralph [3:37]
So you have got one of those stories, but I think is is is what people want. When you grow up. You want to be rich, you want to be famous. Now you look back on it? Is fame better than rich? is rich better than famous? Or does it not matter at all?
Keith Callahan [3:54]
I think in all honesty, neither one of those matter to me now it’s more about freedom. So I think that you know if if you have fame or you have material riches, they both you desire a continual feeding, you know, if you’re if you have fame you need, you need more recognition, you need more. in the public eye, you need that the next goal, the next this the next. Or if you’re chasing wealth or income, it’s again, it’s the same thing, the bigger house the nicer car, and it just doesn’t last. And for me really it’s what it’s all about now is freedom, freedom to be able to do what I want when I want with who I want.
David Ralph [4:36]
Hey, I agree with you totally right, totally. And I always say to people, I would rather have a scaled down if it means that my freedom occurs quicker van scale up to the nicer cars, the bigger house if it means that I’m struggling just to maintain but but you don’t see that very often do you? Or maybe do I’m just looking in the wrong direction. But it seems most people want to have the two holidays, they want to have the five bedrooms, even though they’ve got one kid and three of them rooms. They want to go up and up and up where you go the other way and being freedom gives you choices.
Keith Callahan [5:10]
Yeah, and I think that’s, I think you’re right, I think one of the if I was to say one of the things that I personally believe as a society, we can improve on and it would drastically drastically switch and shift our just overall happiness. And it’s that’s finding happiness from within, as opposed to the external things and all that, you know, you read through that whole intro, and what that all summed up to the previous me before hitting rock bottom, it was I was looking for happiness. I thought, once I make this amount of money, once this happens, once that happens, then I’m going to find that real internal peace and happiness. And then I had that and I wasn’t happy. And yeah, just just really taking it step back. If we make that shift to understanding that we have to work on that internal happiness. And being able to weather the storm being able to whether you’re wealthy in material things or not doesn’t matter to your level of happiness. And, you know, there’s, there’s truth to that, right? There’s those basic studies where once our basic needs are met, it doesn’t matter if you’re a millionaire or you’re making you know, you’re you’re in the middle class, the level of happiness doesn’t increase with money.
David Ralph [6:32]
Did you think that you can be ever happy because we all talk about being happy. And it seems to be too extreme. I think contentment is something that’s, you know, you can maintain you can be contented, but happiness is like when you’re a kid first comes back and says, I love you, Daddy. And you know, it seems to be a peak. Do you think that happiness is something that you can maintain? Or is it contentment, which is the way to go?
Keith Callahan [6:59]
Yeah, that’s a really good question. I think that
I would equate the the word happy I, you know, sort of content, happy, sad. I think that as long as we’re not attached to the emotional state. So if you take something like fear, or you take depression, or you take anxiety, where you’re getting those things is through a lack of acceptance of what’s really going on in your life. And I honestly like the way that you’re wording things, I would take contentment over happiness, because contentment is like we have, we’re emotional beings, our emotions are meant to have highs and lows. And, you know, just like there’s changes in the weather. But yeah, when you when you word it that way, I would take contentment over happiness, because contentment is being able to be at peace. I guess that’s a deeper way to put it really to be at peace with whatever is happening. And when you when you have that, you experience real emotions. So you experience happiness, you experience sadness, you experience grief, loss, excitement, things like that. But you don’t get caught up in mind states for extended period of times, like depression, anxiety, constantly fearful things like that. Does
David Ralph [8:24]
that make sense? It makes total sense. And I think what we’re saying to everybody out there that the happiness really is free, you find the true happiness in the things that emotionally make you feel that way more than actually going in and buying a new car or buying a new house that that isn’t happiness that is sort of maintain. I remember I went to America a few years back 2010. And we had terrible, terrible weather for two weeks. It was just dreadful. It was it was a snow storm after snowstorm after snowstorm. And it got it down every it was freezing cold. Every afternoon, it was freezing cold with fog and snow. And it was just it was just horrible. And then one evening, it was at six o’clock, I was driving through Indiana. And there was like farms on either side. And it was pristine snow, it was beautiful. And this one, maybe 20 minute burst, the sky cleared, blue sky was above us, there was some and you could see the sun going down over the snow. And Hotel California by the Eagles came on. And I remember still feeling so happy. But I could actually feel the warmth of sun through the windscreen that this song came on. But the image around hadn’t been touched by people running around in the field. So the snow was just perfect. It was an image that I think will stay with me that ever in a day. And of course it was totally free. It’s totally free. And that’s what we need to aim for, isn’t it? That’s what we need to aim for. We need to find the ways that we can connect with the happiness of the situation and not the happiness that comes within the product or the merchandise or the platform or the bank account, I suppose.
Keith Callahan [10:08]
Yeah. And the and the irony is, is that when you do that, that’s when everything else follows too.
David Ralph [10:13]
Well, this is what I’m leading up to Yes. You know, your, your professional podcasting genius. Yeah, that’s what what I was thinking. So you went through it money, which you got. And then you got to a point when everything went, as we say in the United Kingdom, pear shaped things went wrong, you got burned big time. But time, obviously you have to go through a period of mourning, you need to lick your wounds, you need to look around and more often not we blame other people. But ultimately it all comes down to us good decisions and bad decisions are all our own. How did you get through that? How did you find the gift in that black period of your life?
Keith Callahan [10:55]
I think it was through desperation. Or I shouldn’t say think I know, I feel like, Oh, I believe that. In order to really move as human beings, we we need two things, one of two things we need either to be really inspired to move or we need to be really desperate. And for me, I hit rock bottom, I was humbled I was. And along with that there was financial burdens that came. But there was also emotional burdens. And there was just, you know, feelings that I haven’t felt before. And just a real, real humbling feeling a real just drop to your knees and turning point in my life. And I think that the thing that really made a difference that helped me to come out of that was two different things. It was I searched out and found a spiritual path. And I also went to a really good therapist, I went to a really good therapist that was able to help me to see the thought patterns that I was having, and the results that were coming from those, and to really start to redirect that. And it was really, that was all the work that I do in my life right now I’m sort of become a passionate follower of just like developing the highest self I can develop like, on all levels mental, physical, emotional, spiritual. But that all came from having hit rock bottom. So I honestly look at that as it was the biggest blessing in my life. It wasn’t fun going through it. But I wouldn’t be here and I wouldn’t be having the same type of experiences in life and have the, to use your word, the same type of contentment in life had I not gone through that. But yeah, it really was to answer it with the, you know, bullet pointed it was the spiritual path and getting a therapist and in deeper than that doing those 100%. Like not just doing it. You know, I don’t feel good right now. So I’ll try this like really diving in and becoming what I was being taught.
David Ralph [13:11]
Now, will you married at the time? Were you a single guy? were you running around dating the supermodels of the world? Who was sort of dragged down by your despair at that time? Were you dealing with it on your own? Or did you have upon
Keith Callahan [13:24]
Yeah, I think that made that made a difference. It was just me. It was just me and the. So at that time, I was about to get married and about to have my first child. So I had that, you know, it was just me I didn’t, you know, didn’t have anything to lose, to be honest with you. And I think that made it a little bit easier. I wound up filing a business bankruptcy and a personal bankruptcy. But then coming out of that I was I was with and I think you know, going through all of the financial, the emotional part came first, then the financial crash came second. But going through and getting myself emotionally strong. I think that or I shouldn’t say I think I know that I wasn’t affected as much by all the financial stuff, because I knew I would be able to get out of it, even though it was ugly at that point. So I was both desperate and inspired. I was a new husband and I was about to you know, I was becoming a new husband, I was about to become a new father. And unlike an old school prideful guy, like I want to be there to be able to provide for my wife to be able to provide for my children. So I was both. I was desperate. Like I had to make things happen to come out of this. And I also I was inspired to do it because there was a certain way of life that I wanted to live.
David Ralph [14:48]
Now, it needs reduction. We were saying that you were young, you were immature, you were egocentric. You were now mind he was all those kind of things. And you open enough to find your lady and have a child or I’d be on the process of that. Now, when you come out the other side and you change so dramatically. And you looked at where you wanted to go did your partner and I imagine it was Amy, is it Amy? Who was the partner at the time? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Did she say I liked you as you was? Or did she say well, actually, I thought I liked you like it was but I think you’re brilliant. Now I think this is this is great thing. How did she sort of deal with that? because she’d already sort of fallen in love with you. And now she’s ending up with a totally different person, I imagine.
Keith Callahan [15:34]
Yeah. So check this out. This is actually a crazy story that I’ve never really shared, much in public. So Amy and I were dating. And this is all starting to go down. Right. And while we’re dating, I had already gone through and like while we were dating, I went through and I told you that I went found a really good therapist. And yeah, I did a lot of work with her found a spiritual path. And I really started transforming as a as a man and started to become a lot more empowered started to speak. And when I when I say empowered, just, you know a humbled, disciplined, solid man with all the all the characteristics that you would think going with a solid man. So all of that was starting to be built. Amy and I were about to get married. And a few weeks before the wedding. I was I was praying about you know where, where we’re going to go with this what we’re going to do praying to be the best husband, it was the first time I ever got call it God or intuition or artists call it the muse. But we have this we have this something that we feel and we know sometimes and it’s not coming from the intellect. It’s like a feeling right? You know what I mean?
David Ralph [16:55]
Yeah, it’s like getting into the flow.
Keith Callahan [16:58]
Yeah, so I’m in that and I get this feeling that it’s not, I can’t marry Amy. And literally, I talked to her about this. And it was it was the most devastating thing for her like literally three weeks before our wedding. And we wound up we wound up separating to never get back together. So we wound up separating team never get back together. And about two and a half years later, we actually did get back together. But the point of it David was this was the first time in my life that I acted on faith. Because I didn’t like I couldn’t understand it. It was like I was in that flow I under I like I I was very clear that I can’t marry her right now. But I didn’t understand why because I was absolutely in love with her. And she was in love with me. But the real reality of it was I did all this healing work. So I started working on myself to become a more empowered man to become a good the type of and that could be the best husband, the type of man that could become the best father. But the whole time I was with her. And I it turned out after a couple years, I really understood what it was all about. I had to be alone, I had to and it wasn’t like I had to be alone to go. So my wild oats or something like that, I had to act as a single independent man to be able to get to the point because she you know, I got through, I used to chew a lot of tobacco, I used to drink a lot I used to, you know, smoke marijuana and and I went and I got all those things away. But it was like I was always with her. And she was always the person that was holding it together. So anyways, to make a long story short, we wound up literally after two and a half years later, we came back together and you know, got back together and then got married and had four kids. But I know that if I married her, like I know now that if I married her at that time, I wouldn’t be the husband and father that I am right now. And that was I would say that one piece, that faith piece. That was a turning point for me in my life because I listened. And a lot of times like that’s where that those are the scary points in our lives where we have something that we know we should do. And we have a choice. And it’s not usually what our mind wants to do what we know it’s Right, right. And I would say that, that that like those times that coming up come up in our lives. That’s the stuff that really keeps us content and living a happy, healthy life.
David Ralph [19:40]
Do you remember when you had this realization, and I’m gonna have to explain my sort of side of the story here so that I can sort of Yes, make more sense of what I’m going to ask you. But I was in a corporate gig. And I decided I was going to quit my job. And it was something that I’ve been building up for a long time, a long time, a long time. And then I had this one conversation with a guy, I walked six feet to my desk. And literally the energy just went out of me it just totally I knew in those six feet that my life in this company had gone. And I never used to go home ill if I was ill I would get through a day’s work. I would go home, I’d be at my desk the next day. I was you know, I was very proud of doing this. But this one day, my life changed and I had no energy. And I got home I said, I gotta go home and I said What’s the matter with you, you never go home and I went, I just I need to I’ve come to the end. And now I’ve spoken to people and I thought I was going to commit suicide or something, you know, is a stupid way of phrasing it really. I’ve come to the end, I’m leaving and you will never see me again. But I went home and it was about 10 o’clock in the morning. And I went to bed. And I slept all day. Even though I’d slept all night and got up for a few hours. It was just might be and finished me. When I woke up again. I just felt a calmness I felt was assured of the decision was right. Did you have that kind of feeling? Did you feel that? You know, everything had come out of you when you finally made that decision? That it was right you’d moved on to the next stage. It was like a release the tension that you’d been building up even though you probably wasn’t aware of it at suddenly gone as well.
Keith Callahan [21:22]
Yeah, you know, listening to your story David it just like I can see exactly. I can see and feel what you went through there. And I get it. And yeah, I think that it was sort of split 5050 for me, because I was actually still in love with this woman. So there was a there was a release and a empowerment for like listening and doing what I knew that I should do. But there was also a lot of fear around it because it was for the first like, I wanted to marry her and I wanted to stay with her. But I knew deep down inside that it and I kind of knew that I the reason why that I needed to like spend a little time by myself, but I didn’t. And that that was just scary to me. So yeah, I think it was a combination of the two and sounds like with your situation. It was like you, you knew it was the right thing. And you wanted out like it mentally and emotionally or whatever. Like they were kind of aligned is that
David Ralph [22:31]
is that? Yeah, I’ve had too many situations where I had wax lyrical about how people could do anything they wanted in life, they could create their own future, you know, and I this one conversation was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and I walked back to my desk, sat down, and I can’t just keep having this conversation again and again and again and not do it myself. And I was always great. And I’m still great at being able to get people to see their face future, being able to see what they need to do. I it was just like a super talent. But I hadn’t turned it on myself. And this was the first time that I’d actually turned my superpower back on myself. And my body, my body wasn’t used to it somehow. And I almost had to go into closure. And that will close you actually will bleed is quite seamlessly to the next stage of the conversation. So I’m going to play some words. And then I’ll be back with Mr. Keith Callahan. He’s Jim Carrey,
Jim Carrey [23:28]
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 [23:54]
So when you listen to those words, I think we’re talking very similar to what you’ve been through and what I’ve been through. But the truth of everything is you do need to have closure, don’t you need to say goodbye to certain parts of your life, whilst retaining the skills that you are going to take from that part of your life to your future. You need to say goodbye to the mates that you used to go out drinking with who hadn’t changed their mindset, they’re not ready to go to that next stage. But within that life that you’ve built up, you have got the skills, you are ready for that next stage, you’ve just got to find out what works for you. How did you do that? How did you close your previous life? Move forward to the next bit, but take the good bits that you wanted with you.
Keith Callahan [24:41]
Yeah, I was just so every morning before I start my work day, I have to two guys that I work out with. So prior to prior to you and I recording this david i worked out with them and and we, we were I was reminded of a story that really so that so this story is something that I adopted. And then the second thing that I adopted was finding mentors, I think finding mentors and finding. So I found two different mentors, I found a business mentor and I follow a Native American spiritual path, a Lakota spiritual path I, I found a mentor. And there I started working with a Lakota chief. So having those mentors gave me something to strive for it gave me It gave me something to have a clear picture of where I wanted to go in life. So that’s the, that’s the the piece the gold, I had something up there. But in order to get there. I was I was told this story. And it really we were just talking about it this morning. So it’s about and I’m sure you’ve already heard, or you might have already heard this David and some of the listeners, you might have already heard it. But it’s a story of a martial arts student. And the martial arts student was with the master teacher for a few years. And he was he was showing up every day. And he was going through all the motions and he was doing all the work. But he he wasn’t really living up to his full potential. He wasn’t living up to what was really inside of them. So the the teacher brought him out on a cold day, and they went out to the ocean, and they were in the ocean about waist high. And the teacher was an older teacher. So he brought to the other students with them. And the student didn’t know what they were doing. And then all of a sudden, the two other students grabbed him and they shoved his head underwater, and they’re holding his head like violently underwater. And he’s thrashing around, and he’s trying to get up and they’re holding them down there, you know, 10 seconds, 15 seconds. And if you’ve ever been underwater, you know that, you know, you start in your panicking, you get to 15 seconds, it feels like you’ve been under there for hours. So eventually they let this guy up, right? And they asked him what was on your mind when you were down there. And he said, I just wanted to breathe like I was fighting for my breath. And the teacher told him, when you start approaching approaching your martial arts practice, the same way that with the same ferocity, or ferocity with that the same like just I have to get out of here I have to breathe. When you start approaching your martial arts practice with that type of focus, that’s when you’re going to start living up to your full potential. And for me, it was like, Okay, so now I’m making these shifts and making these transitions. And I feel like a lot of people do that, like a lot of people have things they want to do in their life. And they may go about them, but they may go through the motions. But if you’re if you don’t have that deep burning desire, and inside of you and you’re not fighting for it, like that student was fighting for his breath, then you’re just stuck, like you’re stuck. And you’re kind of just going through, you know, even even like Jim Carrey, in that in that sentence, even if his dad did try the comedy, if he doesn’t have that type of fight inside of them, then he’s not going to live up to his full potential. So it makes sense.
David Ralph [28:26]
It makes total sense. It really does. But as you were saying that, I feel that I would say 50% of the time 50% of the time, I come up to my office, and I almost feel like an anger in me. Because I know what I’m building. I know what I want to present to the world. I know how valuable it is going to be for everyone. But after a while of thrashing around desperately trying to grieve you, you need a bit of time off, don’t you? And you need to actually go Okay, push me under. But next time give me an aqualung and I just saw a lot Bob around for a while, you need to be able to just just take that load off. Now, how do you do that? How do you do in your business? When we’re saying you know, you’ve got to go to your peak performance, you’ve got to get your potential. But actually, sometimes you’re better off just sitting on the sofa watching Netflix for a couple of afternoons.
Keith Callahan [29:17]
Yeah, so it’s a really good question. And it’s funny because this actually came up. So it’s so funny how like when things things pop up like this. So this came up in our conversation too. After we were working out, we’re talking about that. And that. So and just to give a bigger picture, one of the guys I work out with is the is the chief who I went two years ago and who I still work with. And we were talking about it. And I said to him David the exact same thing that you said, and what his response was, is, you have to have that same type of fight. When you’re in, maybe fight isn’t the right word. But presence when you’re resting. So when you’re working, you work like you’re focused in and you’re working. And when you’re resting, you’re resting. And a good example of this is, here’s what a lot of people will do like a lot of especially if you’re on this podcast, you’re you’re probably have different social medias that you’re on. And you know, we can or you have your email. So a good example of this is if you’re working, you sit down, you check your email, you have discipline, with your email inbox, you don’t just check in a million times during the day and be a slave to it. And then you get your Facebook open, and then you get this open. Like right now I’m working, I’m talking to you David there’s nothing else open on my computer, the phone’s not there, I my focus is completely with you. After this, I’m going to go and rest I always take like 15 minutes. And what I’ll probably do is a meditation. So 15 minutes, I’ll take a meditation again, nothing else. But if you know, if we’re on the couch and resting like you said, and then we’re scrolling through Facebook, we’re checking our emails we’re doing like we’re doing all these other things, then we’re not fully resting because we’re still we’re still engaged in something else. And what he said to me is like, the same intensity that you are going after your goals with, you have to have that same maybe intensity is not the right word. But discipline, if you’re going to rest rest, if you’re going to be with your kids be with your kids, if you’re going to be with your wife be with your wife. And another funny example I in my industry, we do a lot of work on social media, the amount of people that I have to that I have conversations with and they eat dinner with their children, and they have cell phones at the dinner table. And they’re all on social media at the dinner table. Right? So yeah, so what you have, just like you said, you have to have that balance, but are you fully rested.
David Ralph [32:05]
I tell you what, you’re not going to have your phone at my dinner table, my kids, they walk into the toilet, though they’re on the phone, you know, bad dinner time, TV off, phones off, that is a time to communicate. But I had great totally what you’re saying. And I’ll be open with all the listeners out here. And I kind of alluded it to in a couple of the episodes. But last year, I took on too much. I just took on too much. I was trying to create this business and that business and this and that. And it just got to a point where I lost focus, I couldn’t see what I needed to do. And the only thing that I was kind of consistently focused on was join up dots to show every week and episode Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, you know, bang, bang, bang, bang that was always delivered. But away from that, I started to lose my mojo, I wondered whether I needed to do this, whether I was to do it, and all these sports. And I got to a point in end of November and December, when I suddenly realized that behavior was dropping out. Now, I am quite proud of my hair, sir. And I know I’m looking at a picture of you. And it looks like it disappeared A while ago. But you know, I’m quite keen to keep as much hair as what I’ve got. And so I went down to the doctors and the doctor pretty much said to me, right, you need to go to a therapist, and you need to be on antidepressants. I thought now Hang on, I’m not doing this. I’m not gadget therapist, I’m not doing this, I just need to refocus my life. And so that’s what I did. And I closed down a lot of the things that I’d been doing. And I realized that actually, it didn’t make much difference. And I closed down all the social media, but I was bashing out on and doing this and doing that. And to be honest, I found that people are coming to me, instead of going the opposite way. It’s been an absolute win win. But the thing that I’ve now realized is I am feeling stronger, I’m feeling ready to deliver what I hoped to deliver, because I’m doing less of it. And it’s a real mindset switch once you get to that point. And you realize that actually, I’m not going out there and trying to hit home runs every single time. I’m just standing there with me me back up. That’s what I called it in a baseball bat. I was trying to think then. And I’m waiting and I’m waiting, and I’m waiting, and I’m waiting, and I’m paying, I go for it. And it’s been a game changer. It’s been a total game changer. I’ve got more free time, I’ve got better time with my kids, I’ve got better quality of the work that I’m doing all because when I walk up to the recording studio, when I rock up to my office, I know that I’ve got a day of I’ve got to do as much as possible before I leave it behind. And then I’ll leave it behind. And that’s it. And at the moment, cave, I’m pretty much operating on one day a week, I do everything within a day. And then the rest of it is when the Muse hits me. And when that news hits. Yeah, you know, you’re you’re firing on all cylinders on you.
Keith Callahan [35:01]
Yeah, I really I love everything that you just said David and I think that for a true entrepreneur, the biggest thing that we have to be careful of is we’re never short on ideas. We’re never short on, you know, where, yeah, working on one project, and then we see this, oh, this would work, this would be a great visit. Right that. And I think the hardest thing for an entrepreneur. But the most rewarding thing is exactly what you just said, we we need to discipline ourselves to focus on those high value things and, and put other things to the side. And and I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with the next thing things you’re excited about. But we can we can put those in a journal or put them somewhere. And if they keep coming up week after week, month after month, year after year, then we can take action on them. Right. But it’s Yeah, it’s it’s that’s so important. What you just brought up.
David Ralph [35:56]
Yeah. And the other thing I’ve done as well, Oh, you’ve got me all right. Tm passionate is some of the things that I have created over the last three years, which have done all right, but haven’t done as well as I should, I could now see that I hadn’t, because I kind of moved on to the next stage. I was more excited about the next thing. So I have got rid of everything. And I’ve gone back to these platforms that are, you know, built, and I really good. And I’ve started marketing them in the right way. You know, I’ve gone back and it feels like I allowed these kids to be unfed and grubby, and just sitting around waiting for me to come back to them. And I’m cleaning up everything you know, I’ve got the kids, they looking better. They’re looking smarter, they’re looking more intelligent. And they’re not running around like Mowgli trying to sort of survive on their own. And once again, mentally clearing the decks. So you haven’t got so much floating around yet. Yeah, you see all the time, if you go over to a LinkedIn profile, and I’m very focused on building up a really good LinkedIn profile. People generally the really good ones, they talk about just one tiny little thing. That’s what I do. This is what I do. And if you fall within this criteria, I’m your perfect business partner, I can help you. And that is what I have been focused on for about the last three months, closing down everything that I said that I was doing to become laser targeted with that one thing. And now, my friends, is how you build a business, you don’t market to the world you market to the people that need you most, would you say Keith?
Keith Callahan [37:37]
Yeah, niche down, right, like really niche down and making it. And I think once you niche down to it gives you sort of dovetailing off what you’re saying. If we niche down and we identify who are two things, we identify, really what what’s the product that we want to bring to the market, and then we niche down into who our ideal client or ideal listener, or some people call it an avatar, all those different words. But once we identify those two things, then we’re able to see becomes a lot simpler, were able to anything and everything we put out for content, were able to keep that person in mind. And yeah, it’s really putting in that that work ahead of time makes the job when you’re creating content or tapping into that Muse a lot easier.
David Ralph [38:34]
So how do you find your ideal customer is easy, AK see fitness is that your core business? Now we, Amy, all the other things going on at the same time.
Keith Callahan [38:46]
That’s the main thing right now. It’s actually it’s funny. It’s a network marketing company. And I never in a million years that I ever think that I would be involved in a network marketing company, but didn’t found a company that I fell in, in love with. And I fell in love with the mission of the company and their compensation plan and how Yeah, so how it all worked. But to answer your question directly. I’ve been doing it for seven years. And for the first six years, it was just hustle. It was you know, I found customers and distributors, really by reconnecting with people through Facebook. And then you know, a few different things with Facebook. But now it’s most of people come to me. And they come to me through a podcast. So I have two different podcasts. And one of them is about our business. So one of them is called the business of life. And that’s, that’s put out every single day. Just a short little podcast with me discussing just life philosophies that I have. And the other one’s a standalone podcast. It’s it’s one I literally I recorded twice. So I recorded 10 episodes, they’re like, anywhere from like seven minutes to probably 12 minutes. And then I recorded another 10 episodes like six months later, and it’s just a standalone, it just sits there and it’s an informational type podcast. And people find me through that. So that’s that’s the I’m sort of in a place right now that I’m transitioning into more content creation because I know that I’ve been in I’m sure you you’re familiar with what’s going on with podcasting. Right now David the SEO for podcasting is just insanely easy compared to if you are going to do YouTube or, or a blog or something like that. So yeah, I’m I’m winning with a day’s worth of SEO work.
David Ralph [40:43]
Well, it’s not only SEO debate, once again, here we go. I’m on full passion again. It The thing that I love about podcasting, more than anything out there that I can see is the way that because you are talking about a subject, you then become an expert on that subject very quickly. But because you can then connect with people who are Uber experts, it kind of rocket powers, your status is unbelievable. You know, I recorded the first episode of join up dots and a guy came through to me and said, you know, I’d like you to coach and I went I don’t know anything about entrepreneurship. I all I’m doing is having a conversation with it, you know, but he saw me in that way. Now. Yeah, absolutely. Now you can come through to me and sort of do anything because not only ever I had, you know, 700 conversations 700 mentors, crazy
Keith Callahan [41:33]
700
David Ralph [41:34]
Yeah, we’re gonna be on 700. And then I’ve got another podcast as well, which is dream starters Academy. So when it comes to podcasting, I know me thing. And when we lead back to, you know, we’ve had 4 million downloads of join up dots so that’s really going well. But it’s it’s the building the business behind the scenes. Now, yeah, I can I stand up and say, yeah, I’m an expert on the subject. But it was really interesting that at the beginning, how myself status increase just because somebody was listening to my words, and I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what I was talking about. I was just making it up as I went along. Because you do, don’t you you’ve got to start somewhere. But now I can I can discuss entrepreneurship with the best of them. And that’s hopefully what I do on join up dots
Keith Callahan [42:20]
and I think that like what you’re mentioning to the people also, first of all, they’re not buying usually they’re not buying your product, they’re buying you How much do they How much do they like you? And do they trust you? And that’s what I love about podcasting, I love the two things that I really love about podcasting from a listener ship is, the first part is I can multitask when I’m doing it. So if I’m listening to a podcast, it’s different than watching a YouTube video, right? Like I can do something else I can mow the lawn, I can wash the dishes, I can I can even put one year but in and do something with my kids. And I love that. And then I also love that if I listen to someone’s podcast, I know who that person is. And for your listeners, they they know who you are, right?
David Ralph [43:09]
Yeah, he’s like I’ve sort of 700 part webinar, basically, you know, we we do these webinars that are a way of selling your products, because it’s very engaging and interactive, and people understand who you are. But they are nowhere near as powerful as producing content like this. And when it comes to the SEO, the network, but you build up the expertise, the presentations that you get asked the virtual summits, all these things that come out of it, you really are cooking and gas. Now it’s a skill you’ve got to build up. You know, there is not just talking on a subject, you got to talk on the subject, and actually be, I think entertaining as well, I think it has to be, as I say, inspiration, inspirational education, people don’t want to have somebody who’s the most knowledgeable person in the world, but sends you to sleep, there’s got to be something behind it. And that’s where I think a lot of podcasters failed. I noticed subject but I hadn’t quite grasp the entertaining. The other side is the people that are very entertaining. And at the end of it, you think well, what was the point in that? That was fun, but I don’t really know why I was listening to it. That is where podcasting is going to find its feet and the people that have done that very well will reap the rewards in a business sense, not necessarily in podcasting sense, but in a business sense because it bridges that gap between you the customer and the product David
Keith Callahan [44:33]
Can I flip the table for one second? Because it’s you
David Ralph [44:36]
know, you go for it, sir, you are podcasting professionals. So you you, you play your music, and we’re we’re do a hybrid of your own show.
Keith Callahan [44:45]
So check this out. What is you’ve interviewed 700 people, if you could name both for me and for the listeners? Like what are the top three episodes that you would recommend listening to?
David Ralph [44:59]
You know, that quite difficult. It’s about two episodes. I don’t like you know, I don’t I don’t mean to be cocky. But I think all of them have got something to listen to do I think I’m gonna have to think about that. They
Keith Callahan [45:16]
want me to niche down the question a little bit more. No,
David Ralph [45:18]
no, I tell you who I think there’s a guy episode hundred and 58 called Leo prints. And he was a listener of the show in the early days. And he started to really hustle. And I liked that episode, because it’s not like a guy who’s been doing it for 30 years, he was like one step ahead of everyone else. You know, he was the guy that was in a cubicle on a Monday, and then started to try to do it on a Tuesday. And we got him on the show. So I like that 1158. I also like Episode 200, which was a gentleman called Sean Warner. And he is the one the eight most inspirational people on earth. He has climbed every single mountain on Earth, I think now and he’s only got one last. He was in a coma for a whole year. And he he had two forms of weird cancer, which basically means the deal is like you get a lottery ticket, and you win. And then the next week with the same numbers, you win again, and then week after you win again with the same numbers, that’s that’s the odds is almost impossible. Now, Sean Warner that was very inspirational. And then I do actually lie episode, I think it was 357, which is me. And I actually got interviewed on my own show, we had a guest host who took over. And I thought that was quite a good one, because it really showed you the first year journey of join up dots where you can see that there was a progression that had gone through. So they have their free but sort of jumped out. But yeah, I’ll be honest, there was there’s two but I don’t like I won’t say their names. But if you listen to them, and you start to want to take your own life halfway through, and you’ll realize that it that they’re the ones I’m talking about the the guy was not very interesting to say the least. And I’ll be honest with you, I shouldn’t call this because people are listening, I did wonder whether I should actually just pull the plug and say I had a power cut. But I decided that I was going to record it and release it anyway, because I wanted the listeners to hear the progression of everything. You know, I hate these things when it is just really polished. And people come along to anything they can’t do I can’t do that, you know, is their first article. I like the fact that these shows were rubbish, really poor, but I still stuck them out and the people go to them. And funnily enough, sometimes I get emails from people and they go, Oh, I love that show. And I think really, it really, it didn’t really hit home to me when I was doing it. I mean other shows I really like you don’t get any comments at all. So it’s all valuable stuff, you put it out to the world, and people will connect with it. Some people will like it, some people won’t. Very much like these words, I’m going to play now, which I think the whole world like except for one guy for memory Episode 68, who said I’d like to punch steve jobs in the face. But every else buys into a bless him good Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs [48:02]
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 [48:38]
So you look back over your life cave, and you was on the show me the money route. And now you’re looking for happiness, contentment, spirituality, and driving a Casey fitness forward with your wife as well. When you look back on it, those words really reflect your life. Can you join up your dots?
Keith Callahan [49:02]
Yeah, I think that, like if I look back over, you know, probably the last
I would say 15 or 20 years, I look back and I go through the different things that I had to go through in my life, a lot of it. For me, it’s like the veering off the path seems like hard times, like the hard times that I went through. But each hard time that I’ve ever gone through, we have like, we have a choice, like when we get to that hard time do we actually walk through it? Or do we kind of avoid it and turn the other way and, and walking through it’s usually fearful, it’s usually uncomfortable, it’s something that we don’t want to do. And we get that like flight feeling, right? We get that sickness in our stomach, we get those sweaty palms and the nervousness or you know, however, however you react to something that you you are nervous to do. But on the other side of that is that’s where we grow as a person. And that’s where our own personal power comes in. And then that contentment in that happiness. So yeah, each each moment that in each thing that I’ve gone through, and we’ve kind of shared a lot of stories like going through today and shared a lot of different stories that were my specific dots in my life David that led to this point. So yeah, looking back, I really believe that just having that faith, having that faith in knowing you’re going in the right direction, and it’s also a muscle that’s going to be built. So faith is built in trust in your whether you call it the muse, the intuition, you know, whatever your word is God Buddha, Allah, when we trust in that, when we when we act faithfully, we start to believe, but that’s the same as a muscle. So if you’re, if you’re trying to make a bigger bicep, it’s not going to happen overnight, but you keep doing the work and it gets a little bigger, it gets a little bigger, right? Faith is the same way. So your ability to sit in that presence to sit when you’re going through something uncomfortable to stay with what you set out to do. Once you start having faith and you walk through it, and you get a little more faith and a little more faith and a little more faith. So yeah, that’s really summing that up. It’s the having faith that all those dots are joining up. And it’s it’s creating that beautiful life for you.
David Ralph [51:45]
Absolutely. And as George Michael said, You’ve got to have faith, and he’s no longer with us. But he’s he’s, he’s music. And those words, stay with us. And this is music that’s never going to disappear. And I’m going to play it again, because this is what we’ve been building up to. And this is the oldest sermon on the mic when we 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 the young Keith, what age would you choose? And what advice would you give? Well, we’re going to find out, because we’re going to play the theme. And when it fades, you’re up, this is the Sermon on the mic.
Keith Callahan [52:41]
So this is going back to my 18 year old self, like 1718 year old self. And here’s what I would say, I would say, Keith, you’re going to go through life. And you’re going to that there’s there’s really something that I want you to know and I want you you to know that this is going to make all the difference in your life. And the first thing is that you’re safe and that you’re loved and that you’re supported. So I want you to know that and I want you to as you continue to go through life, just continue to receive in that love in that safety and that support. Because what it’s going to do is it’s going to it’s going to help you to feel that but it’s also going to help you as you start to move through things in your life. And the second thing sort of piggybacking on that, here’s the number one thing, Keith, that people are going that everybody in life, this is what goes through their head whenever they’re starting something new or they’re moving into something new, or they’re moving up to the next rung, whether it be that you’re going to become a father, whether it be that you’re going to take on a new job, whether it be you’re going to take on a leadership role or a management role. And you know, you’re going to keep going up and life and you’re going to keep going up the stairs. And here’s the number one thing that goes through everybody’s mind, am I good enough. And I want you to know that it’s okay, that that goes through your mind and just know that you are good enough. And you don’t have to be perfect with what you’re doing. Just continue to, you know, act in a loving kind way, a compassionate way, a humble way. And know that every opportunity that comes to you, you are good enough, you do have the skills you will be supported through it. And I guess the last thing I would say is that I love you.
David Ralph [54:36]
Keith, what’s the number one best way that our audience can connect with you, sir?
Keith Callahan [54:42]
The best way is right on the website, Keith Callahan. com. So it’s ke i th ca Ll h ey n.com.
David Ralph [54:51]
Perfect staff. That’s thank you so much for spending time with us today. And joining up those dots. Please come back again, when you have more dots to join up. Because I do believe that joining up the dots and connecting our past is the best way to build our futures Keith Callahan. Thank you so much. Thank you David Well, that was a show that I really liked. He is somebody that has gone for the path but wasn’t right for him. And he’s come back and he’s found the path that was you know, really right for him this on the spiritual one, the emotional one, because there’s no point in going for something if at the end of the day, all you end up in is a big house on your own or with loads of debts or, or whatever. It’s got to feel right for you. And once you tap into that a calmness comes across you and you just know that you’re on the right path. And that’s what join up dots has always been about. It’s about getting you guys to realize that you’ve got the skills already you’ve got the skills, you just need maybe support you need a network to help you pull it all together. But you’ve already got what you need. You just need to be quiet you need to become and you need to make it happen. Thank you so much. You’re listening to join up dots We will be back very, very shortly with another episode and until then, cheers. Appreciate you. Oh, see ya.
Outro [56:08]
Bye bye. Are you tired of the same routine that nine to five the mundane? Or perhaps have lost touch with the dreams and passions that led to a life that’s a wow and simply don’t know where to start? Then join up dots has the answer. Dream starter Academy is the number one group mastermind online today showing our members how to create their own business lifestyle or dream job teaching you how to find your thing teaching you how to build income around your passions and giving you a life where you leave out of bed with a set of up. We surround you 24 seven with the greatest entrepreneurs, business owners and dreamers online today who are ready to help you get going. They followed the simple steps laid out for them and saw their lives changed forever and you you can do the same. So are you ready to change your life explode your income and create the dream life that you’ve always dreamt up? Enjoying with us today by heading over to join up dots.com and look for dream starter Academy. We look forward to working with you see you on the inside 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 guy for free and we’ll see you tomorrow on join up dots.
