It's cringe, but it'll make you money

Summary

The speaker discusses the common challenge of hitting a revenue cap, typically between $30K to $100K per month, and the psychological barriers that come with it. They explore why individuals might feel stuck and the sense of complacency that can set in, leading to a lack of motivation to scale further. The talk emphasizes the importance of balancing one's mindset, managing expectations, and focusing on actionable inputs to maintain progress and overcome these plateaus in personal and financial growth.

Takeaways

• 🚀 The speaker discusses a common challenge faced by individuals earning between 30-100K a month, where they hit an 'invisible wall' that's hard to break through.
• 🤔 The feeling of being stuck is not necessarily due to a lack of skills or resources, but often a psychological barrier where one feels they've reached a comfortable income level and don't feel the need to push further.
• 💭 There's a tension between contentment with current earnings and the desire for more, which can lead to an existential crisis for some high earners in their 20s.
• 🔄 The speaker emphasizes the importance of balancing the need for progress with the appreciation of what one has achieved, suggesting a stoic approach to managing these conflicting emotions.
• 🧘‍♂️ It's crucial to manage one's mindset and inputs, which includes the thoughts and influences that shape one's perspective on their financial and personal growth.
• 💼 The speaker suggests that the key to overcoming these mental blocks is to detach emotions from the process and focus on actionable steps that lead to growth, like outreach, advertising, and hiring.
• 🌱 There's a need to progress one's identity at a pace that matches income growth to avoid feeling out of sync or overwhelmed by the rapid changes in one's financial situation.
• 📈 The speaker acknowledges that rapid financial growth comes with its own set of challenges and that it's normal to experience periods of doubt and self-reflection.
• 🌟 A key takeaway is the encouragement to embrace the journey with all its ups and downs, recognizing that the path to significant financial success is rarely linear and often includes periods of introspection and self-doubt.
• 💡 Lastly, the speaker advises to not panic during these phases of uncertainty and to focus on the fundamentals that drive growth, while maintaining a balanced perspective on one's achievements and aspirations.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the transcript?

The transcript discusses the challenges entrepreneurs face when hitting a revenue plateau between $30,000 to $100,000 per month, especially in their 20s, and the mental and emotional barriers that come with this phase.

What is the 'invisible wall' the speaker refers to?

The 'invisible wall' refers to the revenue plateau entrepreneurs encounter when they hit a certain income level (around $30,000 to $50,000 per month), where it becomes difficult to break past this point, often due to a lack of motivation or clear goals.

Why do some people experience a drop in motivation after reaching consistent revenue?

People in this phase may lose motivation because they feel comfortable with the money they're making and don't feel the need to push for more. Additionally, they may lack clear goals or feel stuck, which causes them to become complacent.

What is one reason the speaker suggests people struggle to break past $50,000 per month?

One reason the speaker suggests is that people might feel they don’t need to earn more money at that stage. They have enough to live comfortably, afford luxuries, and meet their basic needs, so the urgency to push harder diminishes.

How does the speaker describe the feeling of stagnation despite financial success?

The speaker describes it as an uncomfortable feeling, like 'ants crawling under your skin,' where even though financial goals are met, there's a sense of frustration from not progressing or pursuing larger ambitions.

What role does comparing oneself to others play in this phase?

Comparing oneself to others who are more successful financially can exacerbate feelings of dissatisfaction, making people painfully aware of their limitations and causing frustration despite their own success.

What advice does the speaker offer for managing the emotional and mental strain during this phase?

The speaker advises zooming out, detaching from the anxiety of constant progress, and focusing on the core actions that generate income, such as outreach, running ads, or hiring people, while also practicing gratitude for how far one has come.

Why does the speaker mention 'identity' as an important factor in income growth?

The speaker explains that as income grows, identity must evolve as well. One’s mindset, beliefs, and self-perception must keep up with financial growth to avoid feeling unbalanced or overwhelmed by success.

What is the key takeaway regarding the journey of achieving rapid income growth?

The key takeaway is that rapid income growth comes with periods of turbulence and challenges. The speaker emphasizes that these difficult phases are a natural part of trying to achieve something extraordinary, and should be accepted as part of the process.

What is the speaker’s final piece of advice to those struggling at this revenue plateau?

The speaker’s final advice is to stay calm, focus on the actionable steps that lead to success, and remember that emotional challenges are normal when pursuing ambitious goals. It's important to maintain perspective and balance gratitude with drive.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Overcoming the Plateau: Earning 30-100K a Month

The speaker discusses the challenge of breaking through a revenue cap that many entrepreneurs face when earning between 30-100K a month. They share their personal experience of rapid growth from zero to 200k in two years and the psychological barrier that comes with reaching a certain income level. The speaker suggests that this barrier is often due to a lack of motivation to earn more once basic needs and desires are met, especially for those in their 20s with fewer responsibilities. They also touch on the existential crisis that can occur when comparing oneself to others who are more successful, leading to a feeling of stagnation and the desire for more significant achievements.

05:02

🌀 Balancing Progress and Contentment

The speaker advises on how to manage the anxiety of not progressing fast enough in one's income or career. They emphasize the importance of stepping back and accepting that rapid financial growth is an unusual endeavor that comes with periods of stagnation. The speaker suggests focusing on gratitude for what has been achieved while also acknowledging the desire for more. They stress the need to balance one's identity growth with income growth to avoid feeling overwhelmed or complacent. The speaker also recommends managing mental inputs, such as thoughts and emotions, to maintain productivity and a balanced perspective on success.

10:04

🧘‍♂️ Maintaining Perspective Amidst Growth

The speaker discusses the emotional ups and downs that come with rapid financial growth and the importance of maintaining a balanced outlook. They acknowledge that feeling like an 'idiot' or being overly confident are natural reactions to the pressures of high-growth expectations. The speaker encourages viewers to stay grounded and not panic during these turbulent times, reminding them that these feelings are part of the journey towards success. They suggest focusing on the fundamentals that drive growth, such as outreach, advertising, and hiring, while detaching emotions from these activities to preserve mental bandwidth and productivity.

Keywords

💡Revenue cap

A 'revenue cap' refers to a perceived limit or barrier that businesses or individuals encounter when their income reaches a certain level and seems to plateau. In the video, the speaker discusses the psychological and practical challenges faced when trying to break through this cap, particularly in the range of 30 to 50K a month. The concept is central to understanding the video's theme of overcoming financial stagnation.

💡Service delivery

Service delivery in this context pertains to the ability of a business to consistently provide its services to clients. The speaker's friend suggests that a poor service delivery might be a reason why some people get stuck at a certain revenue level, implying high churn rates due to dissatisfaction. This concept is used to explore potential reasons for the revenue cap.

💡Existential crisis

An existential crisis is a period of intense questioning of one's purpose, values, or the meaning of life. In the video, the speaker describes how reaching a certain financial milestone can lead to an existential crisis, where individuals feel a tension because they are aware of their limitations and the achievements of others, leading to dissatisfaction despite financial success.

💡Bandwidth

In the video, 'bandwidth' is used metaphorically to describe an individual's capacity to handle tasks and challenges. The speaker mentions that certain mindsets and emotions can 'pierce' one's bandwidth, leading to decreased productivity. This term is crucial for understanding the video's message about managing mental load to maintain productivity.

💡Stoicism

Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy that teaches the development of self-control and fortitude to overcome destructive emotions. The speaker encourages adopting a stoic approach to handle the trials and tribulations of financial growth, suggesting that one should accept the challenges as part of the journey to success.

💡Gratitude

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. The video emphasizes the importance of practicing gratitude to maintain a balanced perspective, especially when one feels stuck or overwhelmed by the challenges of scaling income or business growth.

💡Outreach

Outreach, in a business context, refers to initiatives taken to engage with potential customers or partners. The speaker mentions outreach as one of the practical actions that can help break through the revenue cap, suggesting that proactive engagement strategies are part of the solution to stagnation.

💡Scaling

Scaling in business refers to the process of increasing the size, capacity, or scope of an operation. The video discusses the challenges and decisions involved in scaling a business past a certain revenue level, highlighting the need for strategic actions and mindset adjustments.

💡Identity

Identity, in the context of the video, refers to one's self-concept and how it aligns with one's achievements and goals. The speaker talks about the importance of aligning one's identity with their financial progress to avoid feelings of inadequacy or overconfidence, which can disrupt motivation and productivity.

💡Inputs

Inputs, as used in the video, refer to the thoughts, information, and experiences that one takes in, which can influence mindset and behavior. The speaker advises manipulating one's inputs to maintain a balanced perspective and emotional state, which is crucial for navigating the challenges of rapid financial growth.

💡Productivity

Productivity is the efficiency of productive activity. In the video, the speaker discusses how certain emotional states and mindsets can negatively impact productivity, particularly when trying to break through a revenue cap. The concept is integral to understanding the video's message about managing internal states to optimize performance.

Highlights

Discussing the challenge of breaking the revenue cap between 30 to 50K a month.

Personal experience of rapid growth from zero to 200k in two years.

The 'invisible wall' feeling when reaching a certain revenue level.

The psychological impact of not needing to make more money at a certain point.

The paradox of satisfaction and stagnation at a comfortable income level.

The existential crisis that can occur when one's motivation plateaus.

The tension between awareness of one's limitations and the desire for progress.

The importance of not underestimating the significance of personal financial achievements.

The need to balance the pursuit of more with an appreciation for what has been achieved.

The concept of 'zooming out' to manage the anxiety of progress.

The reality of the entrepreneurial journey involving periods of intense struggle.

The necessity to accept the ups and downs as part of the growth process.

The advice to not panic and to focus on the inputs that influence mindset and productivity.

The importance of managing one's thoughts and inputs to maintain a balanced outlook.

The challenge of maintaining a consistent identity growth alongside financial growth.

Encouragement to embrace the trials and tribulations as part of the journey to success.

The final message to stay calm, focus on the fundamentals, and not be deterred by temporary setbacks.

Transcripts

this [ __ ] thing

working cool looks good yeah so

basically what I was thinking about the

other day I was talking to a really good

friend of mine and what we were talking

about was the problem that you get stuck

with at 30 to 50K a month or even 30 to

100K a month and for context if you're

watching this and you've never watched

you know any of my stuff before

basically I went from I think zero to

about I don't know we've hit some big

months we've hit like 200k months at

this point in just about 2 years so what

we were talking about was what's what's

really the thing that's going to get in

your way between 30 to 50K a month

because I feel like everyone that I

speak to and this is people that are

below that level people that are way

above that level like people that I know

that have hit million dollar months and

and even more than that as well where

you get in this phase where you've hit

that kind of Revenue cap that you're at

you hit there's like feels like there's

an invisible wall where you just can't

break past something and you don't know

what's going on and you almost don't

even want to go past that level which is

a big part of part of it as well you

almost feel like you hit you know maybe

hitting 50k a month consistently and

you're in this phase where you just

don't feel like anything really needs to

change and I was talking to my friend

like I said and he asked why do people

get stuck in that face you think he was

like it seems weird why would you get

stuck there is it a you know and he he

tried to think that it was a retention

issue where it's like oh you probably

just churn all your clients at that

point because you know you suck at

Service delivery and I was like m

I don't know if it is that it could be a

range of things but probably most

importantly it's that you don't feel

like you need to make more money because

typically what we're talking about in

this context is we're talking about

people that are probably in their 20s

they're probably it's you know they're

probably don't have that many

responsibilities they probably don't

have that much stuff they have to think

about or that they have to answer for or

do or anything like that um and let me

just see if I can get this to work a bit

better before I continue There we go

it's not as if it's not as if they need

to make that much more money than that

it's like you do have enough you do have

all the things you need to you need to

have to live you you can you know start

buying some nice dinners you can start

going to you know better places you can

stay at a better hotel maybe you uh you

know maybe you go to Barley maybe you do

a Euro summer and you you don't have to

pinch pennies as much and it feels

pretty good like when you're in that

phas that's like super super goated

because you don't need anything more

than that but the problem is that when

you're in that phase

eventually it becomes so

excruciating that you haven't progressed

in a little while that it's like you

it's almost like there's ants crawling

under your skin because you're not

pursuing the stuff that you really want

to pursue and a lot of people have

somewhat of like an existential crisis

at this phase they they they almost just

have this this tension because not only

do they are they kind of plateaued in

terms of their motivation but

you also enter this phase where you're

so aware of what you don't know and how

much you suck as well because you've

made your first money you probably have

some friends that do weigh more more

money than you or you probably talk to

people you probably see people on the

internet that that make a lot more money

than you and you're almost painfully

aware it's like oh like this is just

terrible and you almost hate your

situation way more than you did when you

first started which sounds like an

insane thing but you that was exactly

where I was at as well I remember

telling my brother I think I had just

made I think we just hit I just hit my

biggest month ever in take-home Revenue

which

was May it was a little maybe it was a

little bit over 100k was my biggest

month in take-home revenue or profit

that is like actual

take-home and I was like dude I hate my

situation more than I've ever hated it

ever before in my entire life which was

insane cuz I just made the most amount

of money I've ever made uh and I I just

didn't even I just didn't even it didn't

just though it was like it this it just

sucks so bad still because like I said

you're so aware of what's out there but

you also don't know if you want to get

it you don't really have that clear goal

set out

yet and that's just the situation for a

few months and I I remember I was

talking to a lot of people about this

because I was like you know does

everyone just hit this um lapse in

motivation does everyone just kind of

have this you know crisis once they

solve the money problem and it seems

that it kind of does occur and it occurs

at every different level for different

people

but the point of this video is that at

this stage where you're when you're not

sure what you want to do and you're not

sure you know do I need to go make more

money do I need to uh keep scaling do I

need to keep my foot on the gas do I

need to do this do I need to do that I

feel like [ __ ] because I know I could be

doing way more I could be going way

harder I know I've made a bit of money

right now but you know maybe I need to

do more and you kind of have these like

this is this stuff this is the stuff

that actually takes your bandwidth at

this level this is the stuff

that literally prevents you from being

as productive as you can and the key for

me when I was going through this was

just to zoom out and just take not take

the foot off the gas I I I won't say

that but you just have to take your foot

off this pressing anxiety that you

probably have to continually progress

because it just is one of those things

where you have to have a bit of a dose

of reality like at some stage you really

have to just accept the fact that you

are trying to do something that is very

very unheard of if you were trying to

make a lot of money in your 20s like if

you're trying to make a lot of money in

your 20s you're probably trying to

progress your income at a rate of like

10x per year you're trying to 10x your

income every single year sometimes

faster than that

and when you're having these racing

thoughts or these things that destroy

your bandwidth because you're trying to

figure out what you want you're trying

to figure out how to how to get past

this Plateau or

whatever you have to just see those

things and those times as a part of you

you just sign up for that like you sign

up for these massive uh Quantum leaps

and you are also by proxy signing up for

these times when you just get the [ __ ]

kicked out of you for a few months in a

row because that's just the reality of

the situation it's just it's just how it

works simply put and when you get into

these and when you are kind of falling

victim to these sorts of mindsets where

you don't feel like you're as productive

as you could be like I said you just

have to zoom out because you were trying

to do something that is not heard of

it's not normal you're trying to do

something that's you know somewhat

remarkable and you should feel like it

is remarkable and you really have to

find that balance between when do I need

to be grateful for what I've done and

how far I've come and how far I'm going

to go compared to when do I need to feel

absolutely poor and like I'm not doing

enough because that pendulum will

absolutely um make you or break you cuz

like I said sometimes you're like oh my

God I'm the worst I you know I'm a

complete idiot I don't know anything and

then sometimes you probably get a bit

too big for your britches at times as

well because you know on some level you

kind of have earned that in in some ways

if you're making that much money and you

are in your 20s so the key of this video

is that you have to very carefully um

manipulate your inputs and manipulate

what goes into your brain and the exact

sorts of thoughts that you're having at

each stage that you're at because really

what you have to do is progress your

identity at a very similar Pace at uh to

the rate that you progress your income

because when you start making 10K a

month or start making 50k a month it's

probably because your identity got there

first and there's this constant like

your Revenue grows your identity grows

your Revenue grows your identity grows

or your profit grows or whatever and the

game that you're actually in is the game

of trying to keep those things on par

with each other without [ __ ] it up

which is actually very very

difficult so like I said this is what

you're signing up for so when you're

having these thoughts it's not it's not

irregular it's not different it's not

crazy you just have to accept that these

things are going to occur and it's kind

of a bit stoic it's a little bit stoic

pilled and I would encourage you to get

into that if you are going through a

situation like this where you kind of

are figuring out what you want and what

what's going to get you to the next

level you kind of do have to just be

like oh well holy [ __ ] I'm doing

something that no one in my family's

ever done no one that I personally know

has ever

done and and that if I told my myself I

was going to do it 2 years ago that I

would be in this position I'd probably

say [ __ ] you you're bullshitting that's

not

true so when you look at these things

it's like okay I'm in a position now

that I never thought I was going to be

in and it's kind of it's kind of lit but

at the same time I I kind of feel like

[ __ ] at the same time you have to just

think

okay let's just go back completely to

the Bare Bones of what is going to make

me more money or what is going to get me

towards my goal okay well it's probably

doing Outreach it's probably running ads

it's probably hiring people it's

probably doing X Y and Z and you have to

just completely detach all the emotion

from it because the reason that these

things pierce your bandwidth and I use

the word Pierce because it is like a

little fracture almost it's like it's

like you get a little um a little tiny

fracture in your bandwidth but it

actually destroys your productivity and

if you're going through this you'll know

what I mean because it it actually it

it's a disproportionate thing in terms

of the size of the problem versus how

much it kills your bandwidth so you're

going through this thing and you really

need to just

try your best to detach from these sorts

of emotions and really really focus down

on the inputs and that's in terms of

what you're actually focusing on uh your

health your sleep uh doing things like

gratitude and like I said manipulating

the thoughts you have and the inputs you

have uh based on whether you need to gas

yourself up more and get a bit more

confident or whether you need to be a

bit more grateful for your situation

because you're too Doom AED and you've

been comparing yourself to too many

people online and it's not a fix all

solution because sometimes like I said

you'll have those times where you feel

like an idiot and sometimes you'll have

those time periods where you feel like

you're a little bit better than you

actually are and you need to just kind

of try and keep these things on par with

each other and just kind of try and keep

a little bit close to uh having a

balanced Outlook at all times and this

is a little bit hippie dippy but it is

it's one of those specific problems

where you you inevitably hit you

inevitably hit this at some point

there's not a single person that I know

that hasn't hit this at some Revenue

level 500k 50k whatever like I feel like

everyone that I've spoken to can

resonate with

this so the only thing you don't want to

do is kind of panic because you are

going to go through these sorts of like

I don't know what the [ __ ] going on

type

moments and that's what I mean when I

say like what did you sign up for like

you're trying to progress at 10x per

year if you told a corporate worker that

they were going to progress their income

10x per year they would probably have a

heart attack because they'd be thinking

[ __ ] I get like a 2% raise perom and

that's not to be disrespectful to that

that type of worker but that's just the

reality if you are in that situation

like number one you need to be very

grateful and not get scoped by these

[ __ ] online that are going to tell

you that if you're not making 500k a

minute you're you're an

idiot and the second part of that is

that you have to accept that if you are

going to go outside of the norm there

are going to be you know there's going

to be a bit of ulence on that Journey

like it's not it's not going to be a

straight line and I do think it's

underrepresented in in what people make

content about which is why I'm making

this video but at the same time you also

have to realize that people aren't going

to like people aren't just going to talk

about their struggles all the time

because if they did you wouldn't give a

[ __ ] about them like when people when

people whine and weep too much it's like

shut up I don't

care make me some money like give me

some value you know what I'm saying so

you don't really care like it the reason

it's under under represented and people

don't talk about it is because there's

no point there's no actual benefit to

doing it but the reason for this video

is just to say you shouldn't Panic you

should just be thinking this is going to

make me better and this is going to be a

part of my journey and it's just a it's

just a trial and tribulation just a

little bit of turbulence so the lesson

in there is to just chill the [ __ ] out

and focus on the inputs a little bit

more and I'm going to post this video

just because I know there there's at

least going to be one person that's

going to be like yeah that was true yeah

that's true and they'll just admit that

ah [ __ ] you got me it's true so let me

know if this was helpful and uh yeah

I'll see you in the next one I guess