What sacrifices are you willing to make for your dream? Often, the first thing people will sacrifice in life is their dream itself. But guys ― putting in the work and sticking with your goal is worth it!  If you are struggling in your business right now or not seeing the results of your hard work, this episode is for you. I had the great pleasure of speaking with Andy Frisella, one of the greatest young entrepreneurs in America today.  He is a powerhouse in the social media space and consistently delivers powerful, influential personal development and business podcasts. I was impressed not only by his brilliant mind but also by his generous and kind heart. In this interview, you will see another side of Andy, as he shares his journey about how he got to where he is today!  I had an incredible conversation with this legend of an entrepreneur, and I can’t wait for you to hear his story. I know it will INSPIRE you to put in the work and time it takes to #MAXOUT your life and reach your goals!

Who Is Andy Frisella? 

Andy Frisella is an entrepreneur, health and fitness mogul, and founder of Supplement Superstores, Paradise Distribution, and the acclaimed fitness brand 1st Phorm International. Sitting in his man cave, surrounded by four GTs and Lamborghinis, it’s incredibly impressive to see what he has created.  But he is also a man with a story, and his path to success was far from easy. From his humble beginning painting stripes in the hot sun of Missouri parking lots to making less than $700 a month for the first ten years of his business, Andy definitely knows what it is like to STRUGGLE.  From his childhood experiences, he was able to see what it was like to be very poor. He was also able to observe what it took to become wealthy. And he saw what happens when you don’t keep your eye on the prize.  This brother chose to take steps to make his dream happen, no matter how long that took, and the results are so inspiring. He shares that journey with us today, along with incredible ADVICE  that he has learned along the way. 

From Parking Lots to Paradise: Andy’s Journey to Entrepreneurial Greatness 

Of course, Andy wasn’t always a multi-millionaire. As with every great success story, this guy had to start simple and put in the work to get to where he is today. I asked him about what that looked like during his childhood: 

“I grew up a little bit of everything. My parents were divorced when I was about five years old, and they’re both entrepreneurs … I lived with my mom and stepdad on a gravel road in South County here in Missouri ... they ended up becoming very successful, [creating] a nine-figure company. And then they ended up losing it all. So they went from very poor, to very wealthy, to very poor in a really short amount of time, in a span of about 10 years.” - Andy Frisella

Growing up around entrepreneurs gave Andy the ability to see the power of creating a business. Like me, he started selling baseball cards at a very young age. Being able to watch his father build a successful business as an electrical distributor helped him learn that with determination and work ethic, you can SUCCEED.  That determination and work ethic came in handy when he opened his first business with his business partner, Chris.

“Like most of you guys, I wanted to be rich, and I was looking for all these things on how to become wealthy. And so me and Chris were like, ‘Hey, let’s start selling vitamins. We both liked to work out. It seemed like it made sense, you know? We decided we were going to start a business and needed to get the money to open the first store. So we both painted parking lot stripes’” - Andy Frisella 

Everyone has to start somewhere, and if painting parking lot stripes was necessary to begin chasing his dream, Andy didn’t hesitate to do that. After making 12 grand from painting, he and Chris paid their year’s rent upfront because they had no credit.  With nowhere to live, they borrowed a couch from Andy’s dad and a mattress from the Salvation Army and slept in the back of the store. Although some people might complain about the situation, Andy could see it from a different perspective: 

“We thought it was cool. You know, we thought it was fun. We were 19. We had a business, you know, we thought it was freaking awesome ... Everybody's like, ‘Oh man, that must have sucked.’ No, honestly, it was some of the best times.” - Andy Frisella 

Guys, looking back to when I first started, I can relate to that. I loved those hard times. I loved the obsession. I loved the STRUGGLE.  Why? Because the struggle is what makes success so POWERFUL when you get there.  Andy was not an overnight success ― he sold seven dollars on his first day and zero on his second. For three years, he didn’t make a cent and continued his business by bartending at night and working at gyms.  He didn’t start making money out of his business for the first ten years! But he continued to fight for his dream and trust that his hard work and mentality would pay off.  

“There were a number of years where we had employees that made much more money than us. We were paying other people in our company way more than we were paying ourselves. And that’s what you have to do. It’s [a question of] what do you want to invest in? What are you willing to give? … People want to get paid too soon. They want to live ‘the life’ too soon.” - Andy Frisella

I went through a similar experience, struggling with extra jobs to make ends meet. But when we were young, Andy and I both weren’t interested in looking like we were rich when we weren't. We just stacked money away and practiced patience.  It isn’t easy. And it isn’t always about business. Life can throw you curveballs in any direction, and Andy had to face a hurdle that changed his entire perspective. 

How SCARS  Can Lead to SUCCESS 

Difficult events happen to everyone. It’s just a part of life. But the MEANING we attach to those events can change the way we look at them.  Andy told me what is probably my favorite story I’ve ever heard on the show. He was able to take a traumatic event and attach a new meaning to it that ended up serving him. He was able to make something happen for him instead of to him. 

“I was walking home from one of my jobs with a girl that I was good friends with … she was Mexican, and this guy was calling her some racial slurs. I’m a young testosterone-filled dude. You know, I’m not gonna deal with that. It’s not my personality to deal with that kinda shit … We got into an argument, and I turned my back. And when I turned my back, he stabbed me … I had 160 stitches in my face and still have no feeling on this side of my face at all … my face was very swollen. It was very deformed.” -Andy Frisella

According to Andy, the stabbing was the easy part. What happened afterward was the real struggle. Since he worked retail, he saw people daily who would draw attention to his face, either by overcompensating and looking away or by asking what happened. This eventually wore him down:

“I went through a very bad depression. My face was messed up. I was a young man, you know, I thought my life was over. I thought my business wasn't succeeding, and I started thinking about, you know, 'no woman's going to ever want to date me … my life is over type' of stuff.” - Andy Frisella 

It’s incredible how much a different perspective can change. Andy’s depression escalated dramatically until one day, a single 10-minute encounter shifted everything. As he was walking through the grocery store, he bumped into a woman with horrible burns covering her face, rendering her almost unrecognizable. What happened next changed his life:

“She looked at me, and she looked right at my face. She goes, ‘Man, what the fuck happened to your face?’ We started dying laughing because she knows what I had been through. And I know what she’s been through … It changed my perspective immediately. I went from feeling bad and being depressed … to saying, ‘you know what? This is not bad. This is a good thing.’ And so I chose to start seeing it as something that would eventually teach me something.” - Andy Frisella 

That single MINDSET SHIFT changed Andy’s life. Instead of looking at what happened to him as a horrible event, he was able to see the good that came from it, including profits in his business. His scars actually made him more naturally memorable to his clients and ended up serving his entrepreneurship goals:

“I can definitively say that conversation was the most impactful conversation, and it was a random, chance encounter. And it was the most powerful conversation that I’ve ever had in my life because it made me understand that things could be way worse … no matter how bad things are, there’s always good that can come out of that.” - Andy Frisella 

What an incredible mindset shift. Not only did that one interaction change the way Andy looked at his scars, but it also taught him to appreciate where he was instead of continually projecting into the future. 

Be Present in the NOW

When discussing the MINDSET shift that helped him face his depression, Andy made a point that I resonated with, and I think you will too.  He noticed that there was a danger in focusing on the future too much. Have you ever gotten so caught up in chasing something that you forgot to focus on the PRESENT?  I definitely have. I’m so ambitious and driven, that I often forget to live in the moment. Guys, it’s a great thing to be ambitious — it's a critical part of accomplishing our goals! But it’s also imperative to be in the NOW. 

“We’re always wanting more … We always want to accomplish more, to do more. And for that reason … you start neglecting the ‘now’ for ‘this and that’ later on … being able to be ambitious and also be present is extremely important - Andy Frisella 

It’s so easy to get caught up in thinking, "Once I get there, it’ll be different,” That used to be my constant mentality. I would think, "Once I get there, then I'll relax. Once I get there, then I'll have fun. Once I get it, I'll be happy."   But guys, there was never this “place” where everything is perfect. That’s the difference between being successful and being fulfilled. You CAN have success and also be fulfilled. But if you can be present, you can be fulfilled NOW.  If you can be happy where you are now, you're going to be even happier once you reach your goals. But if you're not happy now, success is just going to accelerate your problems. Andy said it perfectly: 

“[If you are not where you want to be right now], you’ll think, ‘Oh, I want to be a millionaire in my life. I’ll make this much money. I’ll be this.’ [But] that’s not what’s going to define you. What’s going to define you are the relationships that you’re having now and appreciating those.” - Andy Frisella 

That's the key — be present in the RELATIONSHIPS you are making right now and find fulfillment in them, while still maintaining that ambition and drive to make your dreams happen. Then, when you have the success you desire, it will come with the JOY you have already acquired. 

#MAXOUT with Andy Frisella 

Guys — I absolutely loved this interview with Andy Frisella, and I know you will too. He has such a unique capacity to say important, profound things in simple ways that don’t draw attention to himself. He’s a brilliant entrepreneurial guru but can teach people REAL content and help others without the complicated jargon that is often used in the field of entrepreneurship.  This guy has my highest stamp of approval, and you can learn so much from him! He produces amazing content that can serve you, and I highly suggest you get in his community!  He has a top-ranked podcast called the MF CEO Project that is designed to help you build a REAL business and elevate your levels of excellence! You can find it on Spotify, Itunes, Soundcloud, Sticher, and iHeartRadio! In his podcast, Andy shares the keys to success, primarily focusing on the mentality that is necessary to achieve your goals:

“The biggest thing I think that we resonate with is that we talk about the mental mindset that is needed to create success ... I feel like anybody can go out and create a product or start a business. The reason most people don't succeed is because they're not prepared mentally.” -Andy Frisella

He is also on Instagram and Facebook, and you can check out his website here for more quality content!  As always, don't forget to use the #MAXOUT hashtag and tell me your biggest takeaways in the comments below! I read them every week and select winners who get all sorts of prizes, gear, and even coaching calls with me! I love hearing from all of you, and please share the interview with anyone you think needs to hear it too!  Guys, SUCCESS  doesn’t come overnight. It usually takes a complication of hard work, dedication, and PASSION. It’s so INSPIRING to look at all that Andy has put in to get the results of his huge success today. Do you have the DRIVE to make it happen so you can #MAXOUT your life?