Welcome to the Join Up Dots business coaching podcast interview with Mr Rick Mulready

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Introducing Rick Mulready

Rick Mulready is today’s guest, joining us on the Join Up Dots business coaching podcast interview.

He is the go to resource if you are in need of strategic information to grow your business using Facebook ads.

Living in San Diego with his lovely wife Amy Clover, he has dominated the industry with a back to basics, no fuss advice.

Known for his extremely pleasant way of operating within this area of social media.

His business is going from strength to strength.

In fact you will be hard placed to find anyone who has a bad word to say about this guy….and believe me I’ve tried.

Moving to LA over nine years ago, without a job, a home to live in, or even many friends to call on Rick Mulready knew that he had the “Hustle Muscle” to make a success of his dream.

And what was that dream?

It certainly wasn’t becoming the king of Facebook ads for sure.

How Did The Dots Join Up For Rick?

He wanted to leave a six figure job in online corporate advertising that had been his life since 2000.

Craving the opportunity to bring the skills that he had developed into the small business world.

He wanted to be the guy that could provide the small guys with the knowledge, skills, and insider secrets.

Helping them take on the huge advertising budgets that corporate America had at their disposal and win.

Win Big and Win Fairly.

So why did Rick take such a risk when others would have played safe and stayed where they were until retirement?

Why did Rick decide that the West Coast was the only place to be/

Ok that’s a stupid question to ask..Sun, Sand and whatever else you want all in one place….duh!!!

And what is it like being friends with the movers and shakers of the internet?

Well let’s bring onto the show to start joining up dots, as we discuss the words of Steve Jobs with the one and only Mr Rick Mulready

Show Highlights

During the show we discussed such weighty topics with Rick Mulready as:

Why ugly men always seem to get the best looking women….and this is a truth across the world!

How he survived seven AOL job cuts before the eighth one got him….and isn’t he glad that they did now!

How he wasn’t living the kind of life in corporate land that was true to his beliefs, and had to take the leap of faith!

Why he believes in calculated spontaneity (yes that does make sense if you listen to the show)!

How so many of us are crabs in a bucket, and being held back from dreams by our friends and family!

And lastly……..

How he wouldn’t slip something into the drink of John Lee Dumas no matter how hard I pushed!

How To Connect With Rick Mulready

Website

Facebook 

Twitter

LinkedIn

Return To The Top Of Rick Mulready

If you enjoyed this episode with Steven Griffith why not check out other inspirational chat with Pia Silva , Dan Martell and the amazing Dan Lok

You can also check our extensive podcast archive by clicking here – enjoy

Audio Transcription Of Rick Mulready Interview

Intro [0:00]
When we’re young, we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling join up dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here’s your host live from the back of his garden in the UK David Ralph

David Ralph [0:26]
Yes, hello there. It’s your lovable host coming once more on The Daily Show, which is join up dots Yes, seven days a week, I will be there helping you, supporting you protecting you like Batman. So send a big.up into the sky, I will see it and I will be there. Now today’s guest is a go to resource if you’re in need of strategic information to grow your business, using Facebook ads. Living in San Diego with his lovely wife, Amy clover is dominated the industry with a back to basics, no fast and extremely pleasant way of operating within this area for social media, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who has a bad word to say about this guy. And believe me, I tried moving to LA over nine years ago without a job a home to live in, or even many friends to call on. He knew that he had the hustle muscle to make a success of his dream. And what was that dream. He wanted to leave a six figure job in online corporate advertising that been his life since 2000. And bring the skills that he developed into the small business world. He wanted to be the guy that could provide the small guys with the knowledge, skill, and insider secrets that could help them take on the huge advertising budgets that corporate America had at their disposal, and win, win big and win fairly. So why did he take such a risk when others would have played safe and stayed where they were until retirement? And why did you decide that the West Coast was the only place to be? Well actually that that’s a stupid question to ask, sand, sand and whatever else you want only one place. And what is it like being friends with the movers and shakers of the internet? Well, let’s find out as we bring onto the show to start joining. So please live the one and only Mr. Rick mo ready? How are you sir?

Rick Mulready [2:05]
What’s up David How are you doing?

David Ralph [2:06]
I am walking in a rolling this afternoon. You are the sixth interview I’ve done back to back. And I’m just I really feel that I’m getting the hang of it.

Rick Mulready [2:15]
Okay, okay, nice. Are you really? Are you really in your backyard? In the garden?

David Ralph [2:19]
Yeah. am I’m right at the back? Yes. Just by the swing, just to give you sort of geographic location. And by the side of the trampoline. Okay. Yes. So that’s where my office is. And I broadcast to the world from the back. Not quite as glamorous as San Diego, where obviously you live? Did you actually win? Because I listened to a lot of podcast, you know, you’ve got a podcast? And do you feel that being in San Diego, you are center of the internet? Because it kind of seems that way. It’s like, if you guys go off on holiday, the internet shuts down until you come back? Do you kind of feel that

Rick Mulready [2:57]
it’s one of those. It’s it’s a mean, it’s a really cool place here. And as you know, and I know that you’re referring to there’s a bunch of us here who have these online businesses and are doing the podcast and so forth here in San Diego. You know, off the top of my head, I can probably name 10 to 15 people who are you know, rather quote unquote well known online. So yes, it’s it is one of those centers of the marketing universe. I like to I like to think it’s a really cool place. And one of the reasons why we moved down here from LA, six months ago, was to I mean, these guys are all our friends. So we like to surround yourself with people who are doing things that you know that they’re doing things that we want to be doing and and surrounding ourselves with our friends. So that’s that’s a big reason why we moved down here, and it’s a great place here in San Diego. Do you

David Ralph [3:45]
ever just let slip something in john Lee Dumas his drink or something just to see if a black hole occurs in the internet?

Rick Mulready [3:53]
I have not done that. I have not done that John’s a good friend. I just saw him on Saturday. But he’s, you know, he hustling just like, like, like everybody else here. So I don’t I’m not gonna be slipping anything in his drinks, though.

David Ralph [4:05]
That’s the key word there, isn’t it, hustle? Now, all you guys out there, you are successful. And you have got a profile, you’ve got a profile on the online world. If I said to somebody sort of, you know, walking down the street, have you heard of Pat Flynn? Like they wouldn’t have seen know him? But certainly he’s the name that comes up more often than not on the shows, but away from the talent away from the profile. But you’ve all got it is really a case of hustle, isn’t it?

Rick Mulready [4:33]
Oh, sure, sure. And that’s one of the that’s one of those traits that is very common among, you know, our friends here and the people that live here in San Diego, not just San Diego, but just you know, everybody who’s wherever they are. I mean, you’re, you know, you’re across the pond. So wherever, wherever you are, there’s a common trait among these people who are, you know, successful online, and it is that hustle, it’s that, you know, willing to, I’m reading, rereading a book right now, and it brought something up that is really relevant to what we’re talking about here is, you know, we’re working on things, we’re working really hard working several hours a day, but yet, it doesn’t feel like work. Because we love what we’re doing so much. We’re helping people out, you know, we’re making a difference for people. And you know, and because of that, we’re able to create an income out of that. And you know, that hustle is, yeah, for sure. It’s hard. It’s a lot of long hours. And you know, that sort of the days running together, you’re not really sure whether it’s a Tuesday or Sunday, but that’s, you know, I’m very, you know, personally, I’m very grateful for that. Very grateful for the fact that, you know, I can work 12 1416 hour days and not have it feel like a huge grind that I used to feel in the corporate world. So yeah, hustle is a huge part of it. But at the same time, you know, we really enjoy what we’re doing. And so it makes it that much easier.

David Ralph [5:55]
Our mutual friend and I say mutual, I’m doing like little quote he rabbit is here. Mr. Michael O’Neill, who’s got a soda printer, our Who was your inspiration for me getting on the mic and doing the show. He awesome. He had a quote a little while ago. And when I heard it, because I’ve never been an entrepreneur until the business. And when I quit my corporate job, I really had a naive view of being able to choose my own hours, and sit down the pub because it’s sunny. And actually, I’m doing a lot more work. Now when I was beforehand, the other side of the coin is I love it. I really love it. And he had a quote when he said, an entrepreneur is somebody who will work 100 hours per week, because he won’t work 40 hours per week for someone else. And that’s about it, isn’t it?

Rick Mulready [6:39]
Yeah, exactly. Exactly. It really is. I mean, I love that you just said that you are working more now, but you absolutely love it. And, you know, that’s really the reason why I left the corporate world. And I, we can certainly get into that if you want. But I was not living a lifestyle that that was true to who I am and the type of life that I want to live. And yes, even though I’m working way more now than I was, you know, four years ago, in the corporate world, I’m so much happier. Because I’m able to, you know, create my own lifestyle and, you know, work as many or as little hours as I want. And it’s definitely more on the many side. But I’m able to, you know, right before, for example, right before we started talking, I’d gotten back from the gym, you know, so I was able to go to the gym late in the morning, where most people are in the office, but I’ve created that for myself. But again, I was up at six o’clock this morning. And you know, on the computer at you know, 630 or so. So it’s just a matter of you know, creating that sort of lifestyle that is right for you. hustling, like we were talking about and you know, in the number of hours again, it is a whole lot better when you really enjoy what you’re doing. So yeah, I love that quote from Michael, the hustle muscle.

David Ralph [7:53]
Have you always had it? But if we went back in time to young Rick, who I believe was New Hampshire born? Yes. Very good. Well, you somebody who was always out there mowing lawns, and washing cars and trying to earn a buck? Did you always have that in you? You know,

Rick Mulready [8:09]
I actually did. But I have to? It’s a really good question. Because it wasn’t necessarily because of me. I was friends with this kid, who I’m happy to say I’m friends with still all these all these years later. But growing up I was I was friends with this kid in the neighborhood. And he was my best friend growing up, he was a big influence on we used to, we used to run magic shows for the neighborhood kids, we used to do haunted houses around Halloween time we used to, we used to just kind of sell, you know, sell things, whatever we found. So we had that little entrepreneurial spirit. And then after sort of we, you know, we went to different different grade schools, we kind of went apart a little bit, and then we were at the same high school and in college. So as we get older, obviously, that our lives split, and I didn’t really have that as my and he went on to start businesses and so forth and be very successful in the entrepreneurial corporate world. And, you know, it’s, it’s a really good question, because that did go away for me, but then it came back later in my life. And you know, but with that said, though, for me, it was all there was always that underlying, I didn’t like to be taking, I didn’t like to take orders from people. I didn’t like living what or I didn’t like having to do something just because someone told me to do it. And I’m not positive really where that came from. But that certainly plays a huge part in you know, in my journey as an entrepreneur and coming back to it sort of, if you will, later on in my life. So yeah, I really don’t mean it was there early on, but I don’t I don’t necessarily take credit for it, if you will, if that’s a if you can kind of if that makes sense. I sort of was doing it because of the relationship I had with my with my with my friend at the time. But I guess you know, there was something there all along. And it just sort of showed up later in my life.

David Ralph [10:06]
Because because we’re kindred spirits, actually. Because I have always been told I’ve got an attitude problem to authority. And I always have to say No, I haven’t. It’s only when I don’t respect that authority. That’s what that’s what our problem is. And I used to be in corporate land in in London. And in those days, when I first went there, you could become quite a high ranked manager, just because you’ve been in the job for a long time, it really was a job for life. And you could go in there at 16. And some of the guys when I first went in there, they were like, you know, ready for retirement. And they were rubbish managers. They just been there 40 years. And even as a 16 year old walking in there. I always stuck in my throat. But somebody was telling me to do something, but I they couldn’t do themselves and be I couldn’t see the work in it. But if somebody told me something that I could see the work in it, then my attitude to authority? Well, I would you know, jump through hoops for them. Yeah, it was that kind of issue. Would you be the same on that?

Rick Mulready [11:06]
Yeah, I was just gonna say because you said it when there’s worth in it, that totally changes how you look at it. And when you first said that, you know, that sort of, I perked up and said yes, that’s exactly what it is. Because coming from that corporate world, and, you know, having to answer to, you know, my bosses and so on, that it’s when that what they were telling you, it just didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Like, why are we doing this, this makes no sense. There’s no worth and there’s no value in what you’re telling me to do. And that’s when I have the problem. And when we’re able to find that person who actually is telling you to do something that is a value is of worth, then it changes that it changes that my perspective,

David Ralph [11:48]
I used to get into a lot of trouble, Rick, when they would give me a job to do. And I would look at in, they don’t always tell you how long the job was going to take you, which was always a bizarre thing. But here’s the paperwork, that’s going to take you eight hours. So you’re going to have your lunch and you’ll be busy for the rest of the day. And I used to look at it. And I used to think this is a stupid way of doing this. Why don’t I do it this way. And I used to get done really quickly. Ultimately, then I would get into trouble for finding the quick route. Now I bought it was you know, a brainwave. And body. Yeah, it should be applauded. Then, many years later, I was reading Tim Ferriss four hour workweek. And he got into the same issues because he would find the quick route to do something, and then basically take the rest of the day off. And he was saying, you know, why should I justify my hours to do a job when you’re paying me for the job, and you’re not paying me for the hours. And it was a complete mindset. And I think that is when my entrepreneurial head switched on. And before then I’ve never had that hustle muscle. But I suddenly thought to myself, as you were saying, Why the hell can I go to the gym in the afternoon? Because it’s right for me to go to the gym? Or why can I work at three o’clock in the morning, because I’m a night owl. I don’t like getting up and being in the office by eight o’clock in the morning, it seems that the whole corporate world is holding on to something which the people within it are ready to break through. And it’s almost kind of it’s like a bubble that’s being pushed out pushed out pushed out and five years, 10 years down the line or somebody is going to burst. That’s my view anyway.

Rick Mulready [13:20]
Yeah, I totally agree David it’s like, you know, as I look back now, and I think, Okay, well, we used to have, you know, your our hours in the job that I was working was, quote unquote, nine to six. And, you know, that is certainly, you know, there’s hours before hours after. However, if you think about that, it’s like, okay, nine hours, and yeah, there’s going to be an hour, so lunch break there. So let’s just say eight hours. Well, I look back on it now and look at the productivity I have now versus in the corporate world of of knowing that I have to be there a certain amount of time. Now granted, I was in the sales, I was selling online advertising. So I was in and out of the office meeting with client and so on. But, you know, I look back at it now. And I think, all right, there was eight hours in the day, I had to be there, I had to be working for my job. And looking at it now and thinking about productivity. You know, I love learning about productivity. And I’m still working on it after these few years that I’ve been on my own here and had my own business, and still trying to find those sweet spots, if you will, of maximum productivity during the day. I’m definitely a morning person. As soon as I hit the evening, I tend I’m the opposite of you know, we talked about Pat Flynn earlier, Pat’s a night person, he doesn’t get going until about 10 o’clock at night. I’m, you know, my brains edit by that point. And so it’s you know, it’s it’s definitely a journey that’s continuing to find where that productivity is the most. But when I look back and say, okay, those eight hours there, I look back, I think about it, how it is right now. And you know, they say that your most productive for you know, well, I hear different things, but your most productive for like 40 minutes, and then you start to you know, your brain starts to waver so it’s a good time to take a break, and then come back to it. Well, the corporate world doesn’t teach you that, you know, they’re expecting to work, you know, from nine until, you know, let’s just say 12, and then one to five, or six. And that is what you know, and that’s what your schedule is. And that’s what you need to be doing. And if you’re taking a break during that time, or because of productivity is falling fear, But to your point, what you said before David that there, you’re finding a different way to do something a lot quicker, you know, it’s not like it’s not looked upon favorably. So it’s such a interesting paradigm to look at, you know, as far as the hours works now as an entrepreneur and having my own business, as opposed to the corporate world. It’s just, it’s very funny. That’s very funny to me. I think we need to take

David Ralph [15:43]
over the world, Rick, do you know yeah,

Rick Mulready [15:46]
I think we’re you’re doing it right now with this show.

David Ralph [15:48]
Oh, I’m doing my bit from this side of the pond. But But you’ve got the movers and shakers. I mean, you you’ve got them? You’ve got them in your pocket? All of them. You’re first names Aren’t you with with the Flynn’s in the do Mrs. And all that those kind of things? Does it does it go? I don’t want to keep them sort of talking about those guys. Because, you know, it’s not interesting to your story. But did you see on a rock stars you hit it? Online rock stars? Do you? Do you see people now Where you go? car that person’s gonna fly? You I can just see it, I’ve already got whatever you need to succeed in an online world? Or does it take you by surprise when somebody achieves more then maybe even they expected?

Rick Mulready [16:32]
So good question, I can kind of see when I there’s, you know, when you come across a person, let’s just talk about the online world here. And someone who really wants to get away from that corporate world and start maybe they’re doing something on the side, while they have their their day job and wants to move that into full time. You know, you can kind of tell when people who are trying to do that, you can kind of tell it, they’re going to be successful. And you know, that comes back to that word hustle that we talked about before. They’re they’re hustling, you know, they are reaching out to people to make connections and not doing it in a way of how can you help me but they’re doing in a way of how can I help you. And, you know, just genuinely reaching out and trying to help other people making those connections, doing their work for their own projects, whatever they might be working on, trying to help as many people as possible. And they’re seeing they’re being seen whether it’s, you know, whether it’s starting a podcast, or on video, or, you know, they are guest blogging out there or at conferences, you know, they’re out there, and they’re hustling. And you know, it’s those trades that you when you see that they become people to watch, you know, those are the people that are most likely going to be able to say, a little while down the road. You know what? Yeah, heck, yeah, I left my corporate job, I’m doing really well. I’m creating my own lifestyle of, you know, in this business that that is my now and I’m calling my own shots. So yeah, I think you can definitely see that I don’t for me personally answering that question. As far as do people sneak up on you? I don’t think so. Because, you know, like, you see those people who are out there, who are on video, who are who are starting their own podcast, like I said before, who are out there in front of people who are creating their work, and putting themselves out there. And, you know, again, it’s it’s that making those personal connections with people, whether it’s at a conference or reaching out to them and social media and establishing a relationship with them. It’s those people, I think that, that that how those trades, they’re doing those things that are doing it in a genuine way, who can look back, and you know, in a little while and say, You know what, I’m doing the right things, I left my corporate job, and this is what I’m doing now. And I’m super happy living the lifestyle that I want to be living.

David Ralph [18:51]
I think that is a blueprint for success. You really have to hustle, you need to make connections, you need to provide value. And you’ve got get out there that those four things really, if we stop the show now, and just think about how lovely is in San Diego for the next 40 minutes. That there’s there’s golden those hills, Rick, isn’t it that that is those four hills?

Rick Mulready [19:13]
For sure. For sure. And I think a key word there that I mentioned to is doing it in a genuine way. You know, I can’t tell you how many times and I not only for myself, but I hear it from other people as well then when people are reaching out to them to try to establish a relationship with them, but they’re approaching it from the wrong way of, Hey, can you help me do x y, z, rather than saying, Hey, I understand that you’re working on this or, you know, I love what you did with this? Can I add value to that? Can I help you in in some in some way? So yeah, those are I mean, those are sort of four pillars that if you can follow those things and do it in a genuine way, you’re really setting yourself up for for success.

David Ralph [19:53]
Now if we jumped right back in time, because when you was in corporate America, and you decided to leap and have that leap of faith, was it something that was an epiphany and boom, you just went with it? Because I’ve been stalking you for a while Mr. Already. And the thing that I have got a flavor of you is that you’re quite spontaneous when when something it seems right to you. You take almost immediate action. go after it. Yeah, you go after it big time.

Rick Mulready [20:25]
I stopped my way.

David Ralph [20:26]
Well, I’m going to talk about that actually. Yeah. Because she’s a beautiful woman, Amy clover. And yeah, and you’re you’re handsome man as well. And well, thank you. So but to have to have you because I’ve actually got a theory on this. And do you? Is this just in the United Kingdom or in America? But do you find that the best looking ladies normally have the ugliest blokes? Well

Rick Mulready [20:51]
wait, what are you saying about me right now

David Ralph [20:53]
i i said he was a good looking man, you say you’re not you’re not in the equation. It’s funny, but maybe that’s true. And my theory on this, and I’m going to say it now because this will help people create a dream life is this. If you’re not very good looking as a guy, then you pretty much get knocked back by most people that you ask out for a date. Okay, that’s just how its bare. And if you are a top notch, top of the pile beauty woman that the majority of men go Oh, she’s out of my league. She’s never gonna say yes to me. So no one actually asks so out. So that’s why the guy who gets knocked back all the time, and he’s just always expecting and no chances he’s armed because he’s just used to the knows she’s waiting for it and bang the to connect. And so these are an attractive bloke. He is the one who’s really going to succeed because he’s, he’s trained himself to take action on a daily basis

Rick Mulready [21:53]
is nothing to lose.

David Ralph [21:54]
Yeah. Is that the most brilliant theory that you’ve ever heard in your life?

Rick Mulready [21:59]
It’s pretty, pretty mind shattering David I like that. Actually. I like it. I like it. I mean, it really comes down to you know, your mindset and your self confidence in yourself. And and, you know, realizing that nobody is quote, unquote, out of your league. So yeah, it’s it is funny, though, because I’m one of those people. I hate to admit it when. But when I see a couple out there and one, you know, one of them is far more good looking than the other night. I can’t believe I’m admitting that I do this, but I am human, I do it. I often will say now, like, I think about that situation. I think about like, how did they end up together? And I like, you know, what is that person seeing the other person and vice versa? So I start thinking about that. But that is it. That’s a very, very good

theory that you have there.

David Ralph [22:46]
You see, that’s why you came on the show. You say? Yeah, exactly what we should develop him on podcast. Rick’s tricks with chicks. What about?

Rick Mulready [22:56]
I love it. I love it.

David Ralph [22:58]
Anyway, I’m going off a little. So as we were saying back in corporate land, you you were there. Yeah. And you decided to make that leap of faith? Because you you see something and you go for it? Yeah, many people, as I was saying in the introduction would have gone. I’m doing very well for myself here. This is where I am. And I will stay there until retirement. And pretty much life is as good as it was. When you decided to make that jump. Was there people saying to you, Rick, Rick, what the hell are you doing? You’ve got it made me? Or was there, you know, where they begin? You up to go? Rick, Rick, Rick, go for it?

Rick Mulready [23:36]
Yeah, I come from a very traditional background where, you know, both of my parents were in their jobs for, you know, several, several years. And just I come from a very traditional family from that sense. So when I made that decision in my head, so sort of that before I went off on that tangent about stocking Socky my now wife, Amy, before I went off on that tangent, you said something about do you know, did I forget exactly what you said,

David Ralph [24:04]
but was it an epiphany? Or was it just yeah, we’re actually creepy.

Rick Mulready [24:09]
Yeah, exactly. It was sort of more gradual, where I was realizing that I wasn’t super happy in that job. And in the jobs that I was doing in the corporate world. And I say job is just meaning like, I pretty much had the same type of job that but just different companies. So I was realizing that I wasn’t very happy doing what I was doing. And I was making really good money. But when I made when I sort of, I didn’t, I didn’t wake up one day and say, You know what, I’m going to leave my job and start my own thing, I didn’t do that. It was sort of a, it was sort of a process, it was just sort of something I started thinking about for a while. I am spontaneous, but in a sense of, and this might not make sense. But I also think about, once I decide on something that I’m going to do something I tend to, so it might be a spontaneous thing that I decide to do it. But I don’t necessarily jump right away, pretty calculated in planning, whatever I am trying to do. So in this case, for me, it was a gradual thing. And then I finally said, You know what, I am going to leave, I’m going to come up with a plan to leave the corporate world. And when I did that, I didn’t necessarily tell many people I was doing that, that because of I come from that very, you know, traditional background in the front with my family. And, you know, I didn’t feel like it was something that they would really understand. And I wasn’t going to bring it up to them until I was further down the road, where I had things more firmly in place, and a real plan of when I’m going to be leaving, and this is what my plan is, and this is what I’m going to be doing. And I also to, you know, I also my friends at the time, we’re also come from that traditional background, that sense of, you know, they have their day job, and in the evening time there, whatever out having dinner at home watching TV or out at the bar, or whatever it may be. And so it was that traditional background, also, obviously very, very different. I still have, I still have many of those friends, luckily. But I have I’m also as we talked about before, surrounding myself now with people who are living the lifestyle that I do now. So I didn’t necessarily have a time when I made the decision to leave corporate world to tell too many people, because, you know, this was new, this was something that was, you know, out of the, for the life that I for the how I grown up in the world that I created for myself at the time, it wasn’t something that was really normal. So I wanted to kind of keep it to myself until I had more of a firm plan in place to leave. And this is what I was going to do. And when I did tell people, yeah, I did get that, you know, you’re doing what, especially people who knew the type of job that I was in and knew how well it paid. They thought I was absolutely crazy. So those were interesting conversations, and some of those people I’m not friends with anymore, and the end, the friends that I am still connected with, you know, they supported me and still support me in what, in what I’m doing. And my family doesn’t quite understand. I mean, they understand it. But if you were to ask them what I do, they will say so Oh, he does something with Facebook ads, and he has a podcast that’s about it

David Ralph [27:16]
is a weird thing, though, isn’t it? But yeah, the close family who should know you inside out, you know, my parents, they’re in their 70s. Now, they have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. Like they just can’t fathom it. And even if I’ve sat down with the sort of business plan and shown them, they just cannot see, they’ve just kind of got a sort of mild trust, but I’m not going to do anything really mad and the family are going to be living in cable boxes and all that kind right. And right when you, you. So you basically sacked a lot of the anchors to your old life, which is a key part of making the transition to a better world, isn’t it, you’ve got to get rid of the people who aren’t willing to take the action themselves, and will ultimately kind of hold you back by by putting those seeds of doubt into your mind. But oh, no, that’s not going to work. And while you’re doing this, you’ve got bears. And you’ve got that. And it’s a key thing is a key thread that runs through a lot of the conversations I have how people have had to separate themselves from, from the people that they fought at that time were the closest maze, now they look back, and they were actually the ones holding them in place.

Rick Mulready [28:26]
Yeah, I don’t know if you ever heard this sort of analogy David but my good friend Adam Baker, who started Man vs that he told me this analogy one time a few years ago, and it’s kind of stuck with me said, you’re in when you make this leap into, you know, your as an entrepreneur and you start your own thing. And you’re you’re doing your thing, and it’s very different from the sort of traditional, quote unquote, American dream, if you will, of you know, having that corporate world and growing up and getting married and having kids and buying a house and so forth. When you dip when you go on that different path for your life, you’re always going to feel like or often I don’t say always, but you’re oftentimes going to feel like crabs in a bucket. And if you were to watch crabs in a bucket, you see one or two crabs trying to get out of the bucket, but then the other crabs are pulling him back in. And, you know, this is the same sort of thing, because it’s that comfort level. Whereas if people were, I was actually when I was working out today, I was just listening to internet business mastery, the podcast and Jeremy and Jason were talking, we were talking about this, they didn’t mention that the the crabs in the bucket analogy, but they were talking about this sort of topic here. When you decide to go on a, you know, a life path, it’s different for most people, a lot of those people are going to try to bring you back in and try to bring you down and sort of bring you back into their world. And it’s what you have to remember is it’s not you It’s them, you know, they might have the insecurity of Whoo, you know, Rick is doing such a, you know, Rick, or David is doing something that I want to be doing, but I don’t have, you know, I don’t have I’m not able to do that not I mean, I know I want to be doing that, but I don’t know, have a plan to do that. Or I could I could never do that sort of thing, you know. So that’s the whole crabs in the bucket analogy where they, you know, as soon as the one starts to start to crawl out and do something on their own, the rest of them, pull them back in. And you know, that’s a that’s a hard thing. I mean, it’s a, you know, that pressure from people that you feel are close to you, you have to really look at it and say, You know what, it’s my happiness that I need to be most concerned with. And if those friends are your real true friends, friends, they’re going to understand that and support you. And yeah, if they’re not going to well, you might need to, you know, consider finding new friends.

David Ralph [30:48]
I was writing down, we all suffer with crabs, but I don’t think that’s a good thing to actually write down on a badly, Matt No. So I’ll wait. It’s not good to stay on the mic. And so I won’t, I will, I will keep that. Right. Okay. Well, this is part of the show that I we are going to get back to your corporate land because I’m fascinated with the kind of the iconic image of you just driving across America, like Thelma and Louise it almost with your suitcase, with your future in front and your past behind you, and not really knowing where where it’s going to have happen. But I’m going to play the words of Steve Jobs because I was playing around about this time. And I think it’s really the key points to the show. And it’s the bit that really shows the leap of faith, but you made at that moment when you sent off in your car across to LA. So this is the words of Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs [31:37]
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 connecting 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 [32:12]
What do you think of those words, Mr. Already?

Rick Mulready [32:16]
I getting all emotional here listening to that. I love it. I love that. And I’m thinking about it, you know, in regard to my own situation, and you know, you referenced driving cross country, well, I left wash, I’d left I was in Northern Virginia, I was in Washington DC, before I left to come out here to the west coast. And that was a hard thing to do. Because I was at AOL for five years at the time. And I’d been through seven layoffs, this is back in 2000. Starting in 2002, 2005, there were seven layoffs during those years that I was there and the eight one finally got me. And that was my first you know, big shake up in, in the corporate world in the job life didn’t really know what to do at that point. And my friends who I love dearly, and they are some of my very best friends to this day, you know, they have there are working for, you know, in the government back in DC. So those types of jobs, you know, those people, that that sounds terrible, those people, the people in government roles tend to stay in those roles for a long time. And it’s more of that traditional type of nine to five job that we’ve been talking about? Well, I was in that I was, you know, I was seeing that. And I was also seeing that, you know, even though that they weren’t happy in different situations, they weren’t gonna be doing anything about it necessarily. And I am not like that. So we’re talking about before, as far as being spontaneous, and making a decision, that is one thing where I will not, if I’m not happy with something, I’m going to change it, it might take me a little bit, but I’m going to make I will make an immediate decision to change it. And even though if I’m not really sure how to do it. And so I was in that position where, you know, I was looking back and sort of connecting the dots, talking about what Steve Jobs was saying and connecting the dots up to that point of where I’d been in my life. And I knew at that point that there was something better for me, I felt like there was something inside of me saying, you know, you’re being held back right now there’s more to it that you can be doing in your life. Excuse me, not really sure what that is. But I when I came out of college, I worked in the in the hockey world, I worked for an NHL team in Washington, DC, the Washington Capitals, and then I didn’t complete when he went over to work for a well. So those were the two worlds that I knew. And I wasn’t really sure what was ahead of me. So I was only connecting the dots up until that point, but I knew I needed to make a change. And so looking back on it now, but that was that was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. Because you mentioned it in the intro here David where I literally did pack up my car went back to New Hampshire for which is where my family still is. I went back to my my family’s house for a few months before moving out here to LA but it was literally a decision of you know what I’ve never been to I’ve visited la once. I’ve never lived in the West Coast. I’m an East Coast guy. I don’t have a job, I don’t have a place to live. I knew two people out here on the west coast, and I’m gonna I’m gonna go for it. And I did. And that was that. traveling across country. Again, looking back and not being able to connect the dots going forward, because I had no idea what was ahead of me when I came out here.

David Ralph [35:31]
But so many people is madness, isn’t it. So many people are in jobs but they’re going daily, daily, daily, and they don’t like it. And they get to the Friday and they go down the pub and they moan and groan and being sad on Sunday pass and they’re back in it. So for you to do what you’re doing. Many people just can’t comprehend that. It’s It’s such a big decision. Yes, it’s come down well for you. But are you saying event? It would have always come down? Well, because you’re the kind of person that would make it turn out that way?

Rick Mulready [36:06]
Yeah, it’s it’s exactly where I was going with that is that if I were to, you know, if I’m looking back now and looking at that person, when I left scared to death of I remember literally the day leaving leaving New Hampshire and driving cross country i was i was very close to not coming out here. And staying because I’d been home for a few months after leaving Virginia. And I became comfortable again, I was around my family, you know, I was around my friends growing up. So it was very comfortable for me. And I enjoyed that. And and here I was having already decided to move out to the west coast. But thinking Holy cow, what are you doing? Like, what are you doing now, you know, like things are really good things are comfortable. Why are you going to make this big leap of faith into a place that you have no idea what’s going to happen. And if I look back on that now, I, you know, realizing I’ve had a hard time over the years coming to you know, the point where I’m at now, realizing that whenever I have that worry whenever I have that fear of doing something, number one, when you feel that, you know you’re onto something good. So when you do have that fear, when you do have that worry, it’s likely it’s a good thing for you. And number two, when you have that feeling, or when I have that feeling, understanding and realizing almost exactly what you said David is that, you know what I, I know enough, I’ve been successful in my in my life well enough to be able to figure out whatever comes in my path or whatever is presented to me. And you know, I feel like that is something that is still a journey for me, I’m still, I still experienced that on a daily basis, having to remind myself that, but if I were to look back at that person, you know, almost better another month, years, 10 years ago, when I left New Hampshire, you know, it’s that you know what things are going to work out because you are the type of person who are you have what it takes in order to figure things out when you don’t necessarily know what’s coming. And you know, that’s such an important, you know, it is very, very scary. But it’s such an important thing to, you know, for your listeners, if you’re thinking about doing something that scares the crap out of you, number one, realizing that’s probably a good thing that you should be doing. And number two is that it’s it’s that mindset and confidence in yourself that you can, you know, overcome that it might not turn out exactly. Like when I when I left when I came out here things definitely did not turn out exactly what I had envisioned. But you know what, that’s okay. Because I’m super, super happy now. And things have turned out quite well.

David Ralph [38:41]
So when Rick already pulls open his shirt, do we see like a Superman or you just, you know?

And that’s that’s like the question that I want. Because the people who are on the road to starting something, they never benchmark themselves against people who always haven’t started or a just starting, we always look at the rock stars, don’t worry, or the rock stars as we’re talking at the moment.

Rick Mulready [39:07]
And you always look at the you always look at the end event, if you will, and never the process leading up to

David Ralph [39:12]
it. Yeah. Why? Why do you think As humans, we do that, because I’ll tell you a little story, I decided that I was going to do this podcast. And I’ve told the story a couple of times before, but um, I quit my job to become a web developer, I suddenly had this epiphany, I can’t do this anymore. And I I just quit bang. That was it in the end of my corporate life. And I just knew it. And then I thought, well, I’ll be a web developer. And I was a web developer for two days until I thought I’m going to do my head in if I’m doing this for the rest of my life. I just happened to listen to Michael O’Neill on a sort of Pioneer hour. And I listened to it and I just thought I could do this. I’ve been caught up. Yeah, I don’t think I’m going to be very good at the beginning. But I think I’m going to get better at it. You know, and I could do this. And I was terrified. So I sent him a little solo, a pipe thing that will voicemail thing, and played it on the show. So episode eight of the soda new hour is the first time ever but I’ve been on air so to speak, okay, although you’re not on air, or Yes, or on wherever you are in the internet, don’t really understand it. I still say tuning in, and you don’t do that either. And I’ve been prepared, prepared, prepared, prepared, and I got like 40 interviews in the can. And even I got to that point, I was terrified to actually press launch, it was lunacy, I’ve done all the hard work, I’ve done everything to prepare for a successful launch. But still the night before I was thinking, it’s not gonna work, it’s not gonna work, no one’s gonna listen, that he’s going to be rubbish, and what I’m what my thinking. And it’s just human nature, because I wasn’t benchmarking myself on somebody who hasn’t done it before. I was looking at the finished articles. And we all do that. Yeah.

Rick Mulready [40:52]
It’s so interesting. And it’s so we were I was just having this conversation with my wife, Amy of it the other day about, you know, comparing yourself to others with their situation. And it’s so important to remember that you need to be comparing yourself to Well, number one, it’s not good to compare yourself to others anyway. And I have a hard time doing that. But if you are going to you have to compare yourself to someone in the same point of where the you know, the other person needs to be at the same point of where you are. And so we were talking about the other the other successful people here in San Diego, well, these a lot of them, you know, my very good friend Amy Porterfield, for example, we are both in the Facebook marketing space. And she’s been doing it for a few years more than me. And she had like, she has an amazing business, you know, and so I have to stop and think, okay, you know, what, we are at different levels in our business. But yet, I have to look at Okay, where I am right now and where she was at this, you know, we have to look at the same yet this look at this almost the same point in time, if you will. And that’s it’s a hard thing to do. And like I said before, it’s not good you can it’s not really good to be comparing yourself to other other people, but you really have to look at, you know, what led up to that person, it’s like looking at somebody who, you know, will use that we use the UK reference over there in England David we’re looking at Well, you know, look at a soccer player. Are you guys call it football? Huh? Well, you know, what, a football, football, you know, you, you, you don’t necessarily see all the hard work and the hours in the gym and on the on the on the on the pitch and so forth. You only see them on, you know, in the bright lights in the game day, you know what I mean? And you don’t look at the process leading up to that. Well, you know, for me, personally, people don’t necessarily see, you know, being $75,000 in debt, and seeing, you know, me sitting in the car, you know, figuring, like gripping on that steering wheel, well, almost not leaving, you know, the driveway in New Hampshire to come out here to this adventure that is has been, you know, the West Coast for me.

Or, you know, having the,

these big job offers come along my way, after I left the corporate world and be very tempted to go over that, but yet stick to my plan to, you know, really create the lifestyle that I want. People don’t see those types of things, you know, they just see sort of that, you know, where’s the person now, and it’s really important to look at, hey, what went through, you know, what did that person go through, and oftentimes, you’d be really surprised they’re going through this, or they went through the same things, or still going through the same things that you have gone through, or you are going through, and you know, very often they’re married, they’re very, very much just like you,

David Ralph [43:47]
I think the key thing to always is, you’re not interested, are you on the process, you know, you aim for something higher. And so you do look up higher, and you see the people that are already doing it, like, you know, watching us now in the garden, if you look at the snail, it doesn’t move at all, you walk away for 20 minutes, and it’s moved along the line, you know, yeah. And it’s that such that slow, slow, slow progress, which isn’t the enjoyable thing, we like meteoric rises. And even if it is an overnight success, we really don’t care. But it took six years of playing clubs and pubs and working it or up before they suddenly get their first record. And then number one, and everything, you know, we’re we’re aware of them. It’s just human nature. And it’s such a limiting belief. That’s why I’m emphasizing it on this show. Now, it’s something that people have got to stop, and they just got to consider themselves as a snail. And if you make movement make movement like movement, Ben, you’re going to improve, you’ve got to because it’s just natural practice, and you make enough movement you get somewhere.

Rick Mulready [44:55]
Yeah, there’s that book, the compound effect. Yeah, this talks about, you know, doing the little things that lead up, or an add up to, you know, a big result. And it’s exactly what you’re saying David is taking those small steps, whether it’s, you know, if you’re in the corporate world and realizing that you do want to start your own thing, and so maybe you get up an hour earlier, in the evening, or in the morning, or, or spending an hour or two in the evening, rather than watching TV, where you’re working on, you know, your side hustle in order to get that, get that going and moving that forward. And it might not seem like oh, I only spent 30 minutes on today. Well, if you continuously do that, that stuff adds up. And then you you know, and then before you know it, you look back at this big body of work that you’ve created and say, Oh, you know what, I’m able to I’ve just because I was able to spend that time and you know, the little bits of time here and there, it all adds up. And then all of a sudden, boom, you’re able to, you know, really then create the lifestyle that you really want. And if it means leaving the corporate world, you can do that. But it is you’re right David it’s starting with those little things, and that those little things that build up into a bigger result.

David Ralph [45:57]
Do you think you are lucky, Rick, because you’ve got the beautiful me clover, and I’m not sure why I heard a surname is not the same as yours, Bob, hey, you could change it into like a Brangelina kind of thing. Can you? Milo, Milo, that’d be brilliant problems to us, and we will go over them. How good is that?

Rick Mulready [46:19]
I’m all ready to do that. Yes.

David Ralph [46:21]
Um, anyway, um, do you think that it’s actually easier for you? Because you have got somebody who’s also got an entrepreneurial bent in your in your corner?

Rick Mulready [46:32]
Yeah, it’s a good question. And it’s easier in a sense of, she understands, for me personally, she understands, you know, the long hours and because she’s doing it as well, and she understands that the type of work that I’m doing, whereas, you know, like I mentioned before, if I am with my family, and I’m, and I’m on the laptop, they don’t necessarily understand what I’m doing. Whereas, because they, you might look at it and say, Oh, god, he’s working so much. But again, going back to the whole conversation we had earlier is that doesn’t seem like work to me. So you know, it’s okay. Now, with that said, we both work from home, we both have our own, you know, online businesses. So that can be challenging at times, she does left, right, before we get we started talking here today, and went to a coffee shop, and I’ll actually go meet up with her later this afternoon. But, you know, it is it is a challenge. And it’s also a blessing, because she does understand the type of quote unquote world that I’m in, because she’s in that world as well. But at the same time, you know, we have a one bedroom apartment here in San Diego, and you know, we’re both, you know, we’re not going to an office, so we’re both doing our own thing here. And it’s not a huge apartment. So we’re have, we have to, you know, we really have to communicate like, okay, you know, we have, you know, this call at this time or this meeting at this time, or, you know, whatever that may be, and just make sure that we’re not continuously stepping over each other trying to do our own work. And also be respectful of, you know, each other’s each other’s time, because one of us is not going to the office during the day. So there’s, you know, there’s pros and cons to it. But we definitely, definitely make it work. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

David Ralph [48:13]
If we just take you back in time, because we’re coming to the end of the show very shortly. One of the key points to the show is obviously joining the dots. What What would you say was your big dot that you really could go Yes, that’s where my life started rocking and rolling. Because so many people generally was tell me a time when they were very unhappy, or things weren’t going their way or something forced them in the direction that they are now. And they look back and they go, actually, although I thought that was a pretty crappy time, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Yeah. Did you have a time like that? That really, you look back on and you go, Well, it was awful. But thank God for that. Or have you been a blessed person, and you’ve just pretty much you know, gone like a twig on the mighty stream of life.

Rick Mulready [49:00]
Hello, I had a complete visual, as you’re saying. It’s hilarious. No, no, I, I think of two things. As you were saying that David there are two things. And the first one is definitely when I decided to come out here to the west coast. And you know, that was a big decision. And that was a life changing decision. Because you know, a lot of people actually don’t actually, I don’t think I’ve ever talked about this on any show that I’ve been on. But the, you know, one of the first things that happened to me shortly after I came out here to come out to the west coast when I was in LA was what I met a girl and I was engaged her. And that was shortly after. And that was not me. It was not my current way. So I was previously engaged. And I felt at the time like, oh, okay, this makes sense. Now, I came out here to, you know, to meet the girl that I’m going to marry. And I was also still in the corporate world, I’ve been up in LA. And you know, so at the time, I thought, Okay, this is why I came out here. And thankfully, that didn’t, that didn’t work out. And there’s a variety of a variety of reasons for that. But I’m so grateful that it didn’t. But that was a big thing. So that was one thing that I look back on that was definitely life changing that you know, making that decision the other the other one, and it wasn’t necessarily a good time, because I was, again, I was out here in a place where I’d never really, I’d never spent any time I didn’t know anybody had very little savings when I came out here. And I was also, you know, trying to make things work for myself. So it was a very scary time. But I look back on it. And also say, it’s, you know, one of the one of the very best things that I’ve ever done in my life. The other point that I that I think about when you asked that question David is when I was at a Funny or Die, which is when a Will Ferrell Will Ferrell, excuse me online company, I spent the year there. And that was sort of when I decided that was the final process of leaving the corporate world started at that point. And that’s when I started to say, okay, you know, what, what kind of plan Do I need to put in place in order for me to do that? And I wasn’t very happy at in the corporate world at that time. But at the same time, part of my mind was saying was trying to figure out, Okay, what is this plan look like? It was very important to me to be out of debt, when I left the corporate world. So again, as I mentioned before, I was about $75,000 in debt. So that’s a lot of money that I wanted to, you know, I want to get out of debt before that. So, or before leaving the corporate world. So I wanted to, you know, make that decision. And when I did that, that was another turning point for me, where I hired a side to hire a coach and Adam Baker, who I mentioned before, was my first business online business coach. And that was a, you know, complete game changer. For me, when I had that mindset shift. I said, Okay, I’m gonna hire a coach, I gotta figure out what the heck, this whole online thing is. put a plan in place for leaving the corporate world at some point within the next couple of years, and also be sort of miserable during the day when I was doing, you know, the corporate world. So that was, you know, two big points that I can point to.

David Ralph [52:15]
I must admit, if I worked in a will fail company, I would leave as well. I hate these films with a passion. Really? Yeah. Oh, he’s one of the nicest guys though. He might well be but I have to sit through elf every Christmas. And honestly, is the only time I really pray but I might spontaneously combust halfway through the show.

Rick Mulready [52:36]
I don’t know if we can talk anymore David This is a great movie. I try to watch it every year.

David Ralph [52:41]
Mr. Rick mo ready? I think we’ve pulled it out. I thought I think it was going so well. It’s going so well. We

Rick Mulready [52:46]
are done with this interview.

David Ralph [52:48]
Well, let’s put you on just before you do go, let’s send you back in time, like another film traveler, Marty McFly, and they send you back into time. So you can have a one on one with your younger self. And if he did go back in time, and you you spotted a young Rick, what would you say to him? would you would you ignore him? Or would you put a fire over the arm round and give him some advice. So I’m going to play the music. And when it fades out, you’re on the mic. This is the Sermon on the mic.

Unknown Speaker [53:20]
We go with the best the show.

Rick Mulready [53:38]
Well David The first thing I would do is I would pull up, pull up a chair with young Rick and I would have a coffee in hand. And I would point to this coffee and city young Rick and say young Rick, you’re going to like this stuff later in your life, but you hate it now. But you are going to really, really enjoy this later in life, it’s going to be working those things that when you are creating the lifestyle that you want, you really look forward to in the morning. But in order for you to get there, in order for you to get to that lifestyle, in order for you to create the lifestyle that you want to, you’re gonna have to remember a couple things. Number one is you’re going to have to remember that it’s all about mindset. Creating the mindset or creating a mindset of abundance and success and love, in your mindset in every it from an everyday perspective, is something that’s going to be very, very important for you to do. And number two, in addition to that mindset, you’re going to have to remember that you are able to do whatever you put your mind to, that confidence in yourself is going to be an utmost characteristics characteristic that you’re gonna need to carry with you throughout your life. And when you focus on those two things, focus on that mindset from and that confidence in yourself. And also the third thing of, of surround yourself with people who are going to support you who are going to be doing the things that who are are doing the things that you want to be doing. When you surround yourself with those people, that is when success for you will start to go to another level and take off. So remember those three things, mindset, confidence in yourself, and surrounding yourself with people who are supportive of you and doing things that you want to be doing.

David Ralph [55:36]
Wise words indeed, and I hope the young Rick and can I just say something to the young Rick actually, of course please when you see Elf on the telly at Christmas kick the TV in people will be unhappy but they will thank you for the rest of their lives. Your trouble but but just go with it young Rick love it. How can people connect with you Mr. Already?

Rick Mulready [56:00]
my email list is the best way Rick mall ready, calm. Just hop on the email list there and that is the best way to stay up to date with what’s going on here at Rick already headquarters and you also mentioned the podcast to inside social media. And that’s on iTunes and Stitcher and wherever you can find podcasts that to their

David Ralph [56:19]
well with all those on the show notes. And I have to say thank you so much for spending time with us today join up dots of your life. You have been you have been one of the nicest people we’ve had. You know it’s true at the beginning no one can find anything bad to say about you. And I’ve tried to get that artist edited in also make it make it sound like anything. Please come back again when you have more dots to join up because I really do believe that the only way to build our futures is by connecting our past Mr. Whitmore ready Thank you so much.

Rick Mulready [56:48]
Thanks David appreciate it

Outro [56:51]
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 HPC advice that every successful entrepreneur practices, including the two that changed his life. Head over to join up dots.com to download this amazing guide for free and we’ll see you tomorrow on join up dots.