I Lost Everything… Then Made $180m in 6 Months

Noah Kagan
31 May 202347:22

Summary

TLDRIn this inspiring interview, Rafael Martinez shares his journey from fleeing El Salvador to becoming a successful energy trader and serial entrepreneur. Despite early struggles and a volatile trading career that saw him lose millions overnight, Martinez's resilience and strategic acumen led to a remarkable recovery and wealth accumulation. His ventures now span various industries, from fitness to car racing, and he emphasizes the importance of hard work, seizing opportunities, and maintaining a balanced life.

Takeaways

  • 😀 Rafael Martinez, a successful energy trader, shared his rags-to-riches story, emphasizing the importance of hard work and seizing opportunities.
  • 💥 Martinez experienced significant financial loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, losing around 16 million dollars in three weeks but managed to make back approximately 180 million dollars.
  • 🌎 Born in El Salvador, Martinez immigrated to the United States at the age of 12, escaping a dangerous environment and building a new life with his family.
  • 🏠 Initially living in a small, one-and-a-half bedroom apartment, Martinez's family faced financial struggles but eventually found stability and success in America.
  • 💼 Martinez's career in energy trading began with an internship, which led to him becoming a head trader and accumulating wealth through his expertise in natural gas trading.
  • 🚀 He attributes his success to a combination of gut instinct, market understanding, and the ability to withstand stress and volatility in the trading environment.
  • 🏁 Martinez is passionate about car racing and has created a community around it, offering a country club-like experience for racing enthusiasts.
  • 💰 He invests in various businesses, including fitness, whiskey, golf clubs, and construction, demonstrating a diversified approach to wealth generation.
  • 🌐 The interview highlights the immigrant experience and the 'Immigrant Advantage,' suggesting that firsthand knowledge of hardship can drive ambition and resilience.
  • 🔄 Martinez discusses the zero-sum nature of trading, where one's gain is another's loss, and the importance of conviction in one's trading strategies.
  • 🎖️ Despite his wealth, Martinez remains grounded, valuing experiences over material possessions, and aims to share his success with loved ones and give back to the community.

Q & A

  • How much money did Rafael Martinez lose during a three-week period due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

    -Rafael Martinez lost approximately 16 million dollars in a matter of three weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • What was the approximate amount of money Rafael Martinez made back after his initial loss during the pandemic?

    -After his initial loss, Rafael Martinez made back around 180 million dollars.

  • What is Rafael Martinez's primary occupation?

    -Rafael Martinez is primarily a natural gas trader, which has allowed him to invest in numerous companies and startups.

  • What challenges did Rafael Martinez face during his early life in El Salvador?

    -Rafael Martinez experienced living in a dangerous environment with bombs and gunshots, hiding under beds, and struggling with poverty in El Salvador.

  • What was the monthly rent of the apartment Rafael Martinez's family lived in when they first moved to America?

    -The monthly rent of the apartment Rafael Martinez's family lived in was around 450 dollars.

  • What was Rafael Martinez's childhood dream and how did his perspective change over time?

    -Rafael Martinez initially wanted to be an engineer, loving cars and planes. As he grew older, his dream evolved into supporting his parents and doing something great, without a specific goal in mind.

  • How did Rafael Martinez's parents' salary compare when they were making ten dollars an hour?

    -When both of Rafael Martinez's parents were making ten dollars an hour, it was considered a significant improvement and a milestone for the family.

  • What is the size of Rafael Martinez's current house compared to his first apartment in the US?

    -Rafael Martinez's current house is about 5,000 square feet, a stark contrast to the 450-dollar one and a half bedroom apartment he lived in when he first moved to the US.

  • What is the concept behind the business Rafael Martinez invested in called Sphere?

    -Sphere is a soccer-inspired fitness business that replicates the locker room feel and the brotherhood found among soccer players, aiming to create a welcoming community for everyone.

  • What is the significance of the racing community Rafael Martinez created, and how does it differ from traditional racing clubs?

    -Rafael Martinez created a racing community that is like a country club equivalent for racing, focusing on family, community, and enjoyment of the sport. It differs by providing a space under one roof for various automotive-related activities and experiences, making it accessible and inclusive.

  • How does Rafael Martinez view the concept of the American Dream?

    -Rafael Martinez views the American Dream as having the freedom to do what you want without stressing about financial stability, being able to support your family, and having the peace of mind that comes with financial freedom.

  • What advice does Rafael Martinez give to someone who wants to become a millionaire?

    -Rafael Martinez advises people to find what they are good at and passionate about, and to focus on that. He emphasizes the importance of working hard and using resources wisely to achieve financial success.

  • What is Rafael Martinez's approach to enjoying his wealth and how does he share it with others?

    -Rafael Martinez enjoys his wealth by investing in life experiences and giving back to his loved ones. He shares his joy by taking his friends and family on trips, like to Monaco, and ensuring they can partake in the experiences without financial stress.

  • How does Rafael Martinez handle the stress and volatility associated with being a successful trader?

    -Rafael Martinez handles stress by maintaining a high tolerance for risk and not getting nervous about losing or making money. He believes in his views and is confident in his ability to make the right decisions in the market.

  • What is the most expensive car in Rafael Martinez's collection and how much is it worth?

    -The most expensive car in Rafael Martinez's collection is the Hennessy Venom F5, which is worth around 2.7 million dollars.

Outlines

00:00

💰 Overcoming Financial Losses and Success in Energy Trading

The speaker recounts a personal experience of losing 16 million dollars within three weeks, only to recover and make 180 million later. He meets Rafa Martinez, a successful trader in natural commodities, who immigrated from El Salvador and has a remarkable journey. Rafa shares his early life in a dangerous environment and the hardships his family faced upon moving to America, living in a small apartment and earning minimum wage. The speaker also discusses the stress and wealth potential of energy trading, a field in which he nearly lost his fortune but eventually thrived.

05:00

🏠 From Humble Beginnings to Financial Freedom

Rafa Martinez reflects on his family's early struggles in America, living in a small apartment and making ends meet with minimum wage jobs. He shares his childhood memories of limited resources and the sacrifices his parents made. As he grew older, Rafa was determined to support his family and do something great, which led him to become a successful natural gas trader and investor. The paragraph highlights the transition from a life of scarcity to one of abundance, with Rafa now living in a 5,000 square feet house and having the financial freedom to enjoy life without worries.

10:01

🌐 The Immigrant Advantage and Its Impact on Success

Rafa discusses the immigrant advantage, drawing from his own experience as an immigrant from El Salvador. He believes that having seen life in a poor country and the opportunities in America has driven him to succeed. He suggests that even non-immigrants can adopt an immigrant mindset by appreciating what they have and striving for better circumstances. Rafa's story illustrates the value of hard work, seizing opportunities, and the importance of surrounding oneself with the right people.

15:01

📈 The Dynamics of Natural Gas Trading and Its Profit Potential

This paragraph delves into the intricacies of natural gas trading, explaining how it involves both physical logistics and financial speculation. Rafa describes his role in trading, which includes buying and selling the physical gas molecule, serving end users and producers, and trading in futures and forward markets. He also talks about the potential earnings of top energy traders, the importance of market understanding, and the political implications of energy trading on a global scale.

20:03

🔄 Navigating Market Volatility: Risk Management in Trading

Rafa shares his experience with the volatility of the energy market, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he lost millions overnight due to a drop in crude oil prices and the subsequent impact on natural gas. He discusses his strategy of reassessing market trends, trusting his gut, and having the confidence to reverse positions, which ultimately led to a significant profit. The paragraph underscores the importance of risk management, market intuition, and the ability to withstand market fluctuations.

25:05

🚀 The Pressure and Performance in High-Stakes Trading

The speaker talks about the high-pressure environment of energy trading, comparing it to the stress faced by professional athletes. He emphasizes that trading is not for everyone due to its competitive nature and the high expectations placed on traders. Rafa shares his unique ability to remain calm under pressure, regardless of market outcomes, which he attributes to his success in the field. The paragraph highlights the mental fortitude required in trading and the importance of managing stress and risk.

30:07

🏎️ Diversifying Passions: From Trading to Business and Racing

Rafa discusses his ventures beyond trading, which include investments in various businesses such as fitness clubs, whiskey brands, golf clubs, and racing. He describes his involvement in creating a community for racing enthusiasts through his business, RACE, which offers simulators, coaching, and racing experiences. The paragraph showcases Rafa's ability to diversify his interests and investments, turning his passions into successful business endeavors.

35:07

💸 Enjoying the Fruits of Success: Cars, Travel, and Generosity

The speaker shares his approach to enjoying his wealth, which includes spending on clothes, travel, cars, and giving away money. He emphasizes the joy he finds in providing unforgettable experiences for his loved ones, such as taking them on a trip to Monaco. Rafa also talks about his car collection, which is worth millions, and his philosophy of not worrying about material possessions, preferring to share his success with others.

40:08

🏁 The Cost of Racing Passion and Its Rewards

Rafa discusses the expenses associated with his passion for racing, mentioning that it can cost up to $25,000 for a weekend event with minimal time spent driving. He reflects on the potential trajectory of his life had he not moved to the US, speculating that he might have been a professional in El Salvador but acknowledges the life-changing opportunity that coming to America provided him.

45:09

🌈 The American Dream: Financial Freedom and Giving Back

The speaker defines the American dream as the freedom to pursue one's desires without financial stress and the ability to support oneself and others. Rafa talks about his desire to alleviate the financial stress of others by sharing his wealth and providing unforgettable experiences. He emphasizes the importance of not taking things for granted and the value of hard work in achieving success.

🔍 Finding One's Passion and the Path to Millionaire Status

Rafa advises people to discover their passions and skills and to focus on what they are good at. He suggests that anyone can become a millionaire by working hard and utilizing resources effectively. The speaker encourages finding a niche and excelling in it, rather than pursuing a path that doesn't align with one's abilities or interests.

🏁 Balancing Drive and Presence: Life Lessons and Regrets

The speaker reflects on the challenges of balancing his drive for success with being present in the moment. He acknowledges that he might have missed out on some special moments due to his work commitments and expresses a desire to be more present with his family. Rafa also shares the message he wants to leave for his children: not to take things for granted and to understand the value of hard work.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Natural Gas Trading

Natural Gas Trading refers to the buying and selling of natural gas as a commodity in various markets. It is a significant part of the energy industry and involves both physical delivery and financial contracts. In the video, Rafael Martinez mentions trading natural gas as his primary occupation, which has allowed him to generate significant wealth and invest in various businesses.

💡Commodity

A commodity is a basic good used in commerce that is interchangeable with other goods of the same type. In the context of the video, natural gas is a commodity that is traded on the energy market. Martinez's success in trading natural gas highlights the potential for wealth generation in the commodities market.

💡Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur is an individual who creates a new business, bearing most of the risks and enjoying most of the rewards. The video's protagonist, Rafael Martinez, is described as a serial entrepreneur, indicating his involvement in multiple business ventures beyond trading, such as fitness, racing, construction, and tech.

💡Immigrant Advantage

The term 'Immigrant Advantage' in the video refers to the unique perspective and drive that immigrants may possess due to their experiences in a new country. Martinez discusses how his background as an immigrant from El Salvador has given him a strong work ethic and an appreciation for opportunities in America.

💡Wealth Generation

Wealth generation is the process of creating, developing, and increasing one's wealth over time. The video's theme revolves around Martinez's journey from a modest background to generating hundreds of millions of dollars through trading and business investments, exemplifying wealth generation.

💡Risk Management

Risk management is the process of identifying, assessing, and prioritizing risks to minimize or mitigate their impact. In the script, Martinez talks about nearly losing his majority of wealth but making it back, showcasing the importance of risk management in trading and business.

💡Economic Instability

Economic instability refers to a situation where an economy is characterized by fluctuations, unpredictability, and a lack of stability. Martinez's story begins in El Salvador, which was experiencing economic instability and violence, prompting his family to seek a better life in America.

💡American Dream

The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States that suggests that freedom, opportunity, and a better life are possible through hard work. Martinez's journey from an immigrant to a successful entrepreneur reflects the pursuit and realization of the American Dream.

💡Investment

Investment in the video refers to the act of allocating resources, such as time or money, with the expectation of a future financial return. Martinez has invested in various sectors, including fitness, whiskey, golf clubs, construction, and racing, demonstrating diversification in investment.

💡Financial Freedom

Financial freedom means having enough resources to cover one's needs and desires without the stress of financial constraints. The video emphasizes Martinez's achievement of financial freedom, which has allowed him to enjoy life experiences without worrying about money.

💡Community

Community in the video is portrayed through Martinez's involvement in racing, where he has created a community aspect in his racing club. It highlights the importance of camaraderie and shared experiences, which is a significant part of his business ventures.

Highlights

Overcoming a significant financial loss of 16 million dollars in three weeks and subsequently making back 180 million.

Rafa Martinez's journey from El Salvador to the U.S., highlighting the struggles of immigration and the path to becoming a billionaire.

The profound impact of growing up amidst violence and instability in El Salvador and the emotional toll it took on Rafa.

Living in a one and a half bedroom apartment and the financial struggles of Rafa's early life in America.

Rafa's initial career aspirations as an engineer and his drive to support his parents.

The transition from living in a small apartment to owning a 5,000 square feet house and the realization of the American dream.

Rafa's unique approach to trading natural gas, emphasizing the importance of understanding market logistics and trends.

The high-stress nature of energy trading and the necessity for traders to have a high tolerance for risk.

Rafa's philosophy on trading, which is primarily based on gut feelings and market intuition.

The importance of treating people right and being selective about the company one keeps for success in business.

Rafa's experience with a 60 million dollar loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic and his strategic response to recoup and profit.

The concept of the 'Immigrant Advantage' and how living in challenging conditions can foster a strong work ethic and drive.

Rafa's diverse investments across various industries, from fitness to racing and tech, demonstrating a broad business acumen.

The value of life experiences and the freedom that financial success brings, as exemplified by Rafa's trip to Monaco.

Rafa's perspective on the importance of not taking things for granted and the challenges of raising children in a privileged environment.

The message Rafa wants to leave for his children about earning things in life and not growing up overly privileged.

Transcripts

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Park how much you lose them but overcome

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Michigan I lost something like 16

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million dollars in a matter of like

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three weeks but I ended up probably

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making back like 180 million

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recently I met Rafa Martinez he has made

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hundreds of millions of dollars treading

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natural Commodities and is well on his

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way to becoming a billionaire but life

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wasn't always this Rosy he immigrated

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from one of the most dangerous countries

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at the time El Salvador and his story

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was so profound that we decided to sit

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down with him and share his journey with

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you I remember as a kid when I lived in

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El Salvador hearing the bomb people

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running on the roof and I was hiding

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underneath our beds oh sorry

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I always start getting emotion about him

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some of this stuff even though he and

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his family managed to escape to America

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they still lived poorly when you got to

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America living like one bedroom and then

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do you remember like how much they

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actually made a year I remember the

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apartment rent was like 450 bucks one

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and a half bedroom apartment they will

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have been making minimum wage at the

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time 600 bucks an hour or whatever that

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you know as a kid didn't really

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appreciate well my parents in their

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early 20s you know were going through

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but since having established some stuff

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in the USA as a serial entrepreneur and

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Trader we recommend energy trading as a

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way of getting rich it is a great way to

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generate wealth but it's also a great

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way to be stressed out he nearly lost

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the majority of his wealth during covet

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I'll ask something like 16 million

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dollars

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yeah in a matter of like three weeks but

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I ended up probably making back like 180

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million let's find out how we managed to

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pull all of this off can you share in 30

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seconds like can you share your business

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story sure I'm Rafael Martinez I was

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born in Osama they've been in the states

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in Houston specifically for 26 years I

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trade natural gas for a living that's

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primarily what I do uh and with that

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I've been able to invest in numerous

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companies and do some startups of my own

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all the way from Fitness to racing to

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construction and Tech

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um and so yeah I'm primarily in in the

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more more I guess in the investment

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field at this point but I still trade

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natural gas and I still have a big group

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and a book of business that I run and

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you're into Super into car racing and

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I'm super into car racing yeah super

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into card that's how we connected on the

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previous one of the YouTube videos which

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is amazing why did your parents decide

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to move here from El Salvador when

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you're 12. yeah so that was like in 97

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we had a civil war late 80s early 90s

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there was a lot of crime and violence

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kind kind of that it kind of erupted

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from that you know from that I guess

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instability in the economy and just uh I

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think that they were just looking for

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you know to provide us a better a better

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future and we had Fortune to have had

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family that had been you know in the

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states in the 70s and 80s uh that were

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able to support us to come here and

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claim us as dependents

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um through my dad and ultimately you

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know he was able to bring the family

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what were some of the struggles early on

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when you got here with you and with your

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family yeah I remember as a kid when I

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lived in El Salvador

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um hearing the bombs and the

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gunshots and people running on the roof

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and US hiding underneath our beds

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like as a kid didn't click in

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um like us saying like we're hungry and

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they're like hey you know like we need

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to wait because we come outside like

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there's stuff happening outside and our

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uncle like hiding and running to just go

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get bread sorry

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I always start getting the motion about

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him

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some of this stuff but as a kid didn't

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really appreciate well my parents in

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their early 20s you know were going

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through which I looked back and it's

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like you know when all this thing was

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happening my mom was like 22 23 uh which

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is you know it's pretty insane that you

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know

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that they were going through at such a

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young age

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but you know after that you know after

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they kind of overcame the war and we

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started having you know some form of

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means

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um like we never had gifts like for

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Christmas uh I don't remember parents

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ever being able to wrap a gift it was

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always like you know go buy your new

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sorry

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it happens every time I go by like your

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new outfit for a year and so we would

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get a new shirt a pair of pants and

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shoes and like that was our Christmas

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present it was like a new outfit

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uh and then you know over the years they

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started doing better themselves and you

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know and started being able to provide a

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little bit more uh but you know those

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were some of the earliest you know kind

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of memories that I have as a kid and and

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just the struggles and you know

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fortunately we always had a a house we

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always had food but there was actually

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obviously like no luxury items and

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things like that they you know that we

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really enjoyed so

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um yeah I mean it would we'd run around

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the streets with you know shoes and you

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know holes in their shoes and socks that

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were torn from like running on them you

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know but

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yeah damn it it's crazy what was your

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dream as a kid because I'm imagining one

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of the things I was imagining if you see

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your parents struggling and I think as a

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kid you may not realize the sacrifice

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they made to give up like their Heritage

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and their family and their culture to be

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like I'm gonna I want a better life for

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you like did you have a dream like all

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right I'm gonna make it and take care of

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them or what were you thinking as a kid

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yeah I mean I think as a kid uh growing

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up you know I always in my head wanted

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to be like an engineer and you know I

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loved cars and planes and so I thought I

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would be you know designing or flying

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plants at some point

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um and my desire was always to be able

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to support my parents as and as I as I

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grew bigger uh or older so I never

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really had really a dream of anything in

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particular other than I knew that I was

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going to do something great one day or

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that I was going to be able to support

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my parents one day because like I wasn't

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going to stop until I did and I was

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doing all the homework at the time you

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know as a kid your only job is to do

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good in school and so I was doing that I

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was in a straight A student kind of

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stuff and I just knew that I was going

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to stick with whatever it was and and

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hopefully it all paid out and you know

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it's

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it's you know it's over the years news

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continue to do it so when you got to

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America we're living like one bedroom

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and then do you remember like how much

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they actually made a year when we came

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to the states

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um we had family here that we stayed

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with for a short while and then we got a

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apartment uh I remember the apartment

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rent was like 450 bucks a month uh and

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it was my sister uh my brother and now

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my sister I have an older sister and my

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parents uh and it was like a one and a

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half bedroom apartment

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um and yeah I mean they they will have

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been making minimum wage at the time oh

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they're about so six seven bucks an hour

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or whatever that you know it sounds like

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a thousand year combined or something

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yeah yeah something like that yeah 25

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000 combined uh and then they slowly

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progressed from there and you know I

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remember at some point when they both

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were making ten dollars an hour it was

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like a big deal uh because it was like

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we kind of made it in a sense you know

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like we're we have somebody now and I

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mean it was nothing but we were able to

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buy a car and and you know do some

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things with the family and small trips

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and stuff

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um you know it's awesome yeah just a

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quick contrast so you lived in like you

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said 400 square feet or it was like a

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one and a half bedroom well yeah small

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apartment complex yeah and roughly how

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big is your house now uh well my current

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house is about 5 000 square feet uh and

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I'm the only one that's you know it's a

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bit bigger than that so

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you're the only one sorry I'm building

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another house that has under

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construction that's a bit bigger than

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that how does that make you feel

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reflecting on that and it's it's kind of

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crazy you know just looking back and

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obviously like I know the work that I've

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put in

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um to sort of achieve what I have uh but

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it's just happened so quickly over the

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last you know decade in a sense uh but

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it's it is pretty crazy just to think

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you know the fact that you know I've

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I've

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achieved what I have and you know we

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have the financial Freedom today I ever

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have to worry about anything uh you know

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I've kind of set my family for life in a

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sense and

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um yeah it's pretty crazy just to think

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about

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you know where we've come from and you

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know the dreams that I had as a kid of

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like you know I want to be a millionaire

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one day and now you know like

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you know you do that and I was like okay

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I want to be a billionaire one day and

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then like you know you're only well on

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your way to do that and it's just like

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you know hard work just continues to pay

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off and treating people right and and

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you know just kind of being selective

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about the people that you know that you

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surround with uh surround yourself with

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uh you know it's it's pretty important

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so it must be really proud of you yeah

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I'm gonna be really proud and like that

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for them to to see like we took this

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chance we took this risk we suffered we

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struggled and sacrificed them to see you

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and you know be able to succeed it seems

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like you for yourself and then for your

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family I don't think that I ever really

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sit back and truly kind of appreciate

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everything that I've done uh or what I

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do for people uh but yeah I mean you

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know when I sit down and look at it and

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think about just like you know it's just

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how crazy life is now how do you think

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being an immigrant helped you and then

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how do you think if you're not an

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immigrant you can have the Immigrant

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advantage

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um I think being an immigrant helped me

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in the sense that

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um I've seen what it's like to live in

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another country I've seen what it's like

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to live in a poor country and grow up

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you know you know fall into the purpose

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is poor if you will

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um and so having the

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comparison of what it's like to just

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even come here and be poor here or you

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know live modest here is compared to

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other countries

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um like that alone I think until you

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know taught me anyways that like I

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needed to take advantage of the

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opportunity I was given to be here uh

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and so that advantage that I think a lot

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of people grow up here in a suburb and

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they have no idea what like kids their

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age are suffering or going through in a

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country like El Salvador or you know in

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in ghettos or in you know you know I

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think about it just like when I watch

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like you know Ukraine and I watch you

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know what what uh you know some of the

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African countries have gone through in

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the Middle East and all these wars are

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happening that were way worse than what

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I went through El Salvador I'll think

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about like man I can't imagine being a

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parent

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in Ukraine figuring out what to do with

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your five-year-olds and what the five

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years are going through and like what

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life experiences they're going to get

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that if they actually made it to the U.S

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they're going to be like I'm not going

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to give this opportunity up and so I

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think that that value that I learned as

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a kid and experiencing those things you

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know is one of the things that still

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drives me today is you know I just know

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the value of the opportunity

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um and I think people take that for

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granted how do you think someone who's

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not an immigrant could could learn the

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Immigrant Advantage if you travel the

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world and go see how people live like

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you're going to appreciate what we have

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and what you're given here uh and so I

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think that you know you can have that

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mentality of an immigrant and consider

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your surrounding a different country you

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know like I live in this you know torn

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down neighborhood I got to find my way

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out of it and so like I need to

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immigrate to a nicer neighborhood and

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it's like how do you you know what steps

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do you have to take to achieve the

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ability to live in a nice neighborhood

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um and I think that's that's a way to

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you know be able to relate and kind of

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achieve what some of the immigrants that

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come here with such hunger and drive

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do is because like they know what it's

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like to be back home yeah before we dive

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into how Rafa made his first million

play11:00

dollars I want to help you make your

play11:02

first thousand dollar a month business I

play11:04

started the monthly 1K course and

play11:06

Community a couple of years back to help

play11:07

you go from no business idea to making a

play11:09

thousand dollars a month in 60 days this

play11:12

course used to be over 600 bucks to join

play11:13

but I want to make it accessible so at

play11:15

the time of this video it is ten dollars

play11:16

with no crazy upsells or anything like

play11:18

that for a very limited time head over

play11:20

to monthly1k.com to sign up it'll help

play11:23

you overcome your fear have fun and get

play11:25

your own business going now let's find

play11:26

out how Rafa made his first million so

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how did you make your first million

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um trading natural gas I went and worked

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for a firm that we did natural gas

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trading

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um we did Logistics where we were buying

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and selling the actual molecule serving

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end users producers and kind of

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connecting the dots in in the

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physical grid as well as trading the you

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know the Futures and the forward markets

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and I started there as an intern and at

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the age of 25 I guess I'd been there for

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four four and a half years I became the

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head of the of the region uh of the book

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that I was working for and from there I

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just continued to dive into the market

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and had a good I'd say pulse on the

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market and we were able to be pretty

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successful so I think I made my first

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million when I was 29

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um as a Trader trading natural gas how

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how much do top energy Traders make

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um honestly interested parents I would

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say the average Trader probably makes

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like a million bucks a year uh you have

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guys that and guys and girls that make I

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would say on the low end if you're an

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energy Trader a gas Trader you probably

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have a salary on average of like 200 000

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a year and then you get bonus

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differently some companies do it as a

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pool based on how the company does other

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people do it as a percentage of book I

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work as a percentage of book so whatever

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you make whatever you kill you take home

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a percentage of net of costs and stuff

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like that so

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um but yeah I mean you can make

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200k plus and you can make you know

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those people have made a billion before

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working for themselves as a fun whatever

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but I would say on average a million or

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two is going to be sort of like what

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your average Trader probably makes a

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successful Trader

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um makes working for it for a firm

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you're the second person we've met on

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this channel who got wealthy from

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natural gas what does that actually mean

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you can trade crude oil you hear people

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that trade crude oil to trade natural

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gas and they largely are trading just a

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financial product where you're just

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directionally putting bets on that the

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price is going to go up or the price is

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going to go down but behind that there's

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the actual Logistics that gets the crude

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converted into a gasoline that you pump

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in your car that gets accrued into like

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the plastic that that water bottle is

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made out of right like that's made from

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crude more than likely or could

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potentially be a recycled product or

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something but like all the Plastics all

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the latex the the tires you know it's

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funny that you know you hear about like

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you know Tessa for example you know and

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wanted to be green it's like okay well

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we're gonna get the tires from because

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that's crude oil so if you shut down

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crude operations you don't have tires so

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I don't know where your test is going to

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go but you need the tire on it you know

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and so like there's all these obviously

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like this political things that happen

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with energy that you know that's

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interesting in its own but as far as

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trading is concerned we buy and sell the

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physical molecule from a production

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Point uh and production hubs that we

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then find markets people that consume it

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so power plants burn natural gas to

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generate electricity uh you have

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manufacturing that burst natural gas to

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run processes to run you know to boilers

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to do prostitute you know boil water and

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stuff uh you have obviously home hitting

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so most people when they turn their

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heater on is natural gas that's actually

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lighting up the the the the furnace and

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things like that so natural gas is a

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commodity energy product that's a

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byproduct of mostly crude production but

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it does exist in its own

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um and you know and it's a commodity

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that we use for energy and so as a

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Trader in the physical space I am

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finding opportunities where I can buy

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gas and we say you know you buy it low

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sell High well I can buy gas in a

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location and transport it to another

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location and collect a premium and cover

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my cost of doing so so there's a big

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Network across the U.S of pipelines that

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no one knows exists until something

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blows up until someone drills into it it

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blows up no one knows that those

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pipelines exist but there is a major

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network of you know thousands and

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thousands of miles of pipeline that is

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dug underneath the ground that is how it

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gets to our houses that is how it gets

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distributed and consumed so those

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pipelines

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lease capacity for you to actually

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transport the molecule so I can contract

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with the pipeline to have the right to

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move molecule three for a period of time

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at a set cost and so then I can put

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trading positions on that allow me to

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capture a spread a location spread and

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so you know if you start capturing the

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spreads if you're anticipating the

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market and you're saying this point is

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going to devalue over time I'm at that

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point is going to appreciate over time

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you can lock in a transportation rate

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and over time see that profit increase

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because the price differential gets

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bigger so you can pay 25 cents to move

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something that eventually becomes a

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dollar's worth and then you just Buy

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Here Sell Here and collect a dollar pay

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the pipeline 25 cents and so you can

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make a lot of money in the logistics of

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moving natural gas around the country as

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well as saying I think the price is too

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low I'm going to buy it put it in the

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ground store it wait till it gets higher

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and then sell it and you can also have

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time

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spread as well as locational spreads in

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the physical market and then you can

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also trade financially where you're just

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guessing directionally which way the

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price is going just like a stock and you

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can short it you can buy puts you can do

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all kinds of different products so

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there's it's a pretty complex system uh

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it's pretty regulated but it's fairly

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efficient and transparent in a lot of

play16:47

ways so there's a lot of people doing it

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and you know if I make money more than

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likely someone else lost money that's a

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general it's a zero-sum game right so

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generally someone either lost

play16:57

opportunity to sell it for a higher

play16:59

price or they sold it thinking it was

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going to go down and the price goes up

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and now they have a true loss because

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it's always fluctuating all right that

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that was phenomenal that was like the

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most like actual real Noble explanation

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I feel like sometimes he goes like yeah

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I do this thing I'm like okay how do you

play17:14

do it and that was awesome that was a

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cool way that's really interesting to

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learn a few things on that I was curious

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about

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um what are some of the the best and

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worst stories of some trades that you've

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done like what are some of like the

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biggest successes or maybe yeah

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I went to

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um to Spain to watch Real Madrid play

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Barcelona at the bernabeo and

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we get this news that kova's

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equipment outbreaks happening like you

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know it's been sort of in the news not

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really but then the world is going to

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start shutting down and I am in in in in

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Spain and I'm watching crude collapse

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and it's collapsing by like tens twenty

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dollars and the natural gas that I'm

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short is going to appreciate because now

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there is no byproduct because production

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has stopped and so

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um we saw my book just lose millions of

play18:09

dollars overnight because people started

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panicking that the crew production that

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this gas is associated with was going to

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get shut in and then in fact did get

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shut into a large degree so something

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that I thought was going to go to zero

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then went to like four dollars when he

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was sitting at two dollars and so I lost

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a ton of money and you know we had to

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make a decision like what do we do like

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we need to get out of position and so I

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would say one of the best stories is as

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a Trader is that I saw that the fact

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that if crude is actually shut in

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there's no reason why gas is to be steel

play18:42

this cheap so I then bought myself out

play18:45

of the position and doubled down the

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opposite way and went long the molecule

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and then made all that money times like

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five so everything that I lost I

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multiplied it by a completely reversing

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my view all in a matter of like a month

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and so we ended up making a ton of money

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out of it because I completely reverse

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my view and that my position it all

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happened very quickly ballpark how much

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you lose in ballpark how much she gain

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in that in in that particular time

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period I lost something like 60 million

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dollars

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yeah in a matter of like three weeks

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that's insane dude the volatility I mean

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the amount of you know obviously the

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volume that I that I was exposed to and

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things like that and obviously then we

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reverted that and ended up you know up

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on a year quite a bit so up you said

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like a few times that so like a few

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hundreds of millions but I ended up

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probably making back like 180 million of

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after being down a ton of money

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yeah

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just completely reverting the position

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and saying like you know if okay if if

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in fact production is not going to be

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there then why is this deal at this

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level and you just have to trust your

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gut and your view and

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will not be shy just because I'm losing

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money that's the one thing that as a

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Trader I think people get shy and

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nervous about is you know if you're

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losing you lose confidence and the one

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thing I've always had is like I'm a

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Believer in my view and I understand

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marketers are going to fluctuate and so

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if I can withstand the fluctuations and

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still stick to my guns then I can see

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positions play out while other people

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sometimes have to get out whether it's a

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risk policy a company policy or their

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own personal intelligence that they

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can't withstand losing money so that end

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up getting out too soon before they

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really see their trade play out but you

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never see a chart of a stock go like

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this over a course of a year like

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there's ups and downs and if you get

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nervous in some of those ups and downs

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then you get out of your trade and then

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you just see in you know three months

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later and you're like oh my health level

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of mid money uh well you know there's

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people like myself that can't withstand

play20:44

the volatility and and make money

play20:46

through the turbulence of markets what

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do you think is you're doing something

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differently right because if everyone

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goes who watches videos and becomes an

play20:53

energy Trader what's your mindset what

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are you telling yourself

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um

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as I'm trading honestly I people trade

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off of charts they trade off of

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spreadsheets they do all kinds of data

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analysis and studies and have all these

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analysts that give them all these like

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reports on what to do I'm majorly trade

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on gut feeling uh and I trust myself in

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I feel the pulse of the market and if I

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think it's trending One Direction I go

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along with it and when I start feeling

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this trending a different direction I

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start reducing my risk and kind of you

play21:26

know even reversing so as I'm Trading

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I'm constantly trying to figure out like

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which direction is the market going and

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kind of thinking to myself like how

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confident am I in a position that I have

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and so every single day that

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confidence calibrates because the market

play21:46

changes and goes for you and you're like

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okay it got to a point where I thought

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it could reach Can it can it keep going

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or is this the point where I start

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reversing and every day you have to

play21:56

recalibrate that you know that Viewpoint

play21:58

of what changed overnight what changed

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today what changed five minutes ago the

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market is constantly moving based on

play22:04

information and so like you're

play22:06

constantly thinking to yourself do you

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believe in the position today you know

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something happened over there I go to a

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lunch I come back the Market's down and

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I got to figure out like why is the

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market so down and then once I process

play22:18

the information what potentially could

play22:19

have the market down because you never

play22:21

really know for sure what's you know

play22:22

there's some big information or big news

play22:24

that come that come out that yeah you

play22:27

know exactly where the market moved

play22:28

because the timing was perfect that news

play22:30

is actually bullish or bearish but

play22:33

you're constantly reviewing and saying

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okay the Market's here now can they go

play22:38

farther down or will they bounce back

play22:40

would you if someone was uh young in

play22:43

their career or even older than occur

play22:44

and they're like yo I want to be a

play22:45

millionaire would you recommend energy

play22:46

trading as a way of getting rich

play22:48

um it's obviously a way it pays really

play22:50

well

play22:51

um it's challenging it's not for

play22:53

everyone

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um you know just there's a lot of

play22:56

professions I can say being a doctor

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like it's not for everyone like I

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couldn't imagine myself cutting someone

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open and doing anything like I'd freak

play23:03

out and like leave that person there

play23:04

it's like it's just not for everyone

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it's very challenging it's very

play23:07

competitive so when you enter a trading

play23:11

um company for example you don't start

play23:14

in trading generally you start as an

play23:15

analyst in something and you quickly

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realize that every person in that

play23:19

company wants to be a Trader and so you

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may have a 100 person shop that has five

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Traders eight Traders and every single

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person wants that job and those Traders

play23:27

aren't necessarily going anywhere so you

play23:29

know it's like

play23:30

it's it's something to Aspire to

play23:33

um and it is a great way to generate

play23:35

wealth but is also a great way to be

play23:38

stressed out and you know like you know

play23:40

lose your mind over just the stresses of

play23:42

the market some people freak out when

play23:44

they're up and they freak out even more

play23:45

when they're down and so

play23:47

it is a high stress high-paced

play23:50

environment expectations are high

play23:52

because if you work for a Trading

play23:53

Company like you're the one person

play23:55

that's making money for the company

play23:56

everybody else is there to support you

play23:58

so it's like if you're the say if you're

play24:01

I don't know the Kevin Durant like they

play24:03

expect you to drop 40 every night

play24:04

because the entire franchise is there to

play24:07

support you or if one driver you know

play24:09

talk about racing when you're the F1

play24:11

driver they have a thousand people who

play24:13

are doing their job every day to put you

play24:15

in that seat on Sunday and it's your job

play24:17

to perform so the amount of pressure

play24:19

that those drivers have is huge and so

play24:21

that's the way trading is it's you know

play24:23

you're the only person for the company

play24:24

in the trading organization that can

play24:26

actually make money and you're you know

play24:29

one percent two percent of probably the

play24:31

entire company

play24:32

um and so you know some companies are

play24:34

more heavy trading and and more true

play24:37

trading houses where maybe it's 10 of

play24:38

the people 20 of people but generally

play24:41

you have a lot of support staff legal

play24:43

staff accounting risk mid office you

play24:45

know marketing obviously you know

play24:47

administrative to allow a handful of the

play24:50

treasures to actually try to make money

play24:52

so it's a really high stress job I

play24:54

fortunately no stress about anything and

play24:56

I'm like the coolest dude in the room it

play24:58

doesn't matter if I'm way up or way down

play24:59

like you couldn't tell the difference

play25:01

um but there's people that you know that

play25:03

freak out at losing ten thousand dollars

play25:05

on how do you do that honestly I don't

play25:07

know that's the way I live life yeah I'm

play25:10

like I lose a dollar I'm like oh it's

play25:12

over I'm on the street exactly and

play25:14

that's how people some people are like

play25:15

that way and like as smart as you may be

play25:17

as much as you may know about trading if

play25:19

you can't stand losing money or making

play25:21

money and you stress about both like

play25:23

it's just not going to be something that

play25:24

you're going to be probably extremely

play25:25

successful at or happy doing uh and so

play25:28

for me fortunately I just don't stress

play25:30

about anything

play25:31

um and I don't know if it's like the

play25:32

things that I've been through of his

play25:34

personality if it's just

play25:36

outright confidence and knowing that I'm

play25:39

going to be right one way or another but

play25:41

I just don't stress out over anything

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um you know things happen things break

play25:47

you know people hit your car you know

play25:49

like you know you lose stuff things

play25:52

break you lose money uh you know you

play25:54

lose valuables you know

play25:56

people pass away and I I just don't

play25:59

stress

play26:00

um about anything I think that that

play26:02

helps me a lot in my profession that's

play26:04

why I've been so successful at it is

play26:06

that I think I can withstand a much more

play26:08

higher tolerance of stress and risk than

play26:11

most people can and so you know someone

play26:14

can put the exact same chat as I did but

play26:17

the volume that they did it for is a

play26:19

fraction of what I did or they got out

play26:21

way sooner before they truly saw the

play26:23

trade play out so something that they

play26:25

made ten thousand on maybe I made a

play26:27

million on and it was the exact same for

play26:29

you the exact same timing and it's just

play26:31

a matter of like size in the position

play26:33

and the fact that I was able to hold it

play26:36

for a few more days because you once you

play26:38

made ten thousand you were happy and

play26:39

you're like I can't I can't lose it ten

play26:40

thousand and you get out of the trade

play26:41

well I'm like well I want to make a

play26:43

million so I'm not going to get out at

play26:45

ten thousand I'm not going to get out at

play26:46

100 because my view is that it's going

play26:47

to make a million and so then you know

play26:49

if I start losing some I have to

play26:50

recalibrate is something changing in the

play26:53

market but people do trade at different

play26:55

skills and different tolerances and so

play26:58

for me fortunately just I'm able to

play27:00

manage quite a bit of risk without any

play27:03

stress

play27:04

you can't teach that you know I was

play27:07

hoping you could yeah it's like it's a

play27:11

strategy but you know I I can't teach

play27:13

you know like how to be relaxed and how

play27:16

it like you can tell people like breathe

play27:18

do this do that but like until you're

play27:22

put in a position where you know where

play27:24

where you have to make a decision you're

play27:26

losing money I can't teach you how to

play27:29

feel when you're losing money I can't

play27:31

teach you how to feel when you're making

play27:31

money you have to be in that situation

play27:33

and all you can teach people is like how

play27:35

to manage stress you can't teach them

play27:37

like not to feel stress uh and I

play27:40

literally feel no stress

play27:42

oh so

play27:45

which is probably why I picked up racing

play27:47

and driving pretty quickly because I

play27:48

didn't think about it I just went and

play27:49

did it so the training that was super

play27:52

fascinating to hear

play27:54

um

play27:55

you have so you've done trading and then

play27:57

you kind of like invest that money in

play27:58

all these other business can you just

play27:59

walk through all the different

play28:00

businesses I think that's also a good

play28:01

lesson for a lot of people out there

play28:02

about sure so many different things

play28:03

whiskey golf clubs construction racing

play28:06

yeah so I've been here actually yeah

play28:08

yeah I invest in a company called sphere

play28:11

concept is a soccer Spar Fitness uh

play28:13

business so my buddy who I became good

play28:15

friends with was the founder of Michael

play28:17

chavala who's a two-time MLS Champion

play28:20

10-year uh career in the MLS he missed

play28:24

the locker room field and the the

play28:26

Brotherhood that he filled with you know

play28:28

with the players and decided to start a

play28:30

concept that kind of replicates that

play28:31

locker room feel so everything about the

play28:34

class and and and the locker room is

play28:37

sort of replicating what you would feel

play28:38

in a club it's soccer inspired um you

play28:41

don't have to play soccer or anything

play28:42

like that which is welcoming to a lot of

play28:44

people

play28:45

um another company that I've invested in

play28:47

is uh nine Band-Aid whiskey here in town

play28:50

um I don't know yeah I love nine

play28:51

abandoned you get presented as an

play28:53

opportunity like four or five years ago

play28:54

and I've been interested now in a few

play28:56

rounds with them I'm not heavily

play28:58

involved with them but you know from

play29:00

time to time we do touch base get

play29:01

updates and and it's a brand that I

play29:03

actually love the whiskey for so I

play29:05

decided to invest in it

play29:06

I invested in a company called random

play29:11

Golf Club Eric Lang the founder I

play29:13

invested in that company recently and

play29:15

that's all about creating communities in

play29:17

in the golf community space and kind of

play29:20

connecting people and going to different

play29:22

experiences and all over the world

play29:23

really to get a runner golfing I have

play29:26

rough racing yeah so yeah so raffle

play29:29

racing we came up with the acronym race

play29:31

as family always and so what I wanted to

play29:34

get out of that was when I first went to

play29:35

the track a couple years ago and fell in

play29:38

love with the actual driving not the

play29:40

sport but the actual driving of it I've

play29:42

never done that I've never been on the

play29:43

track never grew up with a racing

play29:44

background I craved the community aspect

play29:47

of it when I wasn't at the track so like

play29:48

on a Tuesday at four in the afternoon I

play29:50

was like I feel like doing something car

play29:51

related or Automotive or like racing and

play29:54

there was nothing in town so I decided

play29:56

to

play29:57

start up a country club equivalent of

play30:01

golf or a racquet club with racing so we

play30:04

have a facility in Houston 40 000 square

play30:06

feet that's going to have professional

play30:07

simulators in town with coaching

play30:10

training we're going to run Leagues with

play30:12

eye racing or some of the gaming we're

play30:14

going to do training and actual travel

play30:16

to the different tracks and coaching to

play30:19

you know get people developed into

play30:21

Semi-Pro amateur so I'm racing now

play30:23

myself as a as an am I have a program

play30:26

I'll be racing in Europe this year and

play30:28

it's really just showing people that

play30:30

they can enjoy this sport you know a lot

play30:32

of people don't know that they can I

play30:34

didn't know I could I never knew I could

play30:35

get on Coda you know here Circle

play30:36

America's in town until two years ago I

play30:38

went out stepped foot on it and realized

play30:41

and I was like you know there's got to

play30:43

be so many people and we've come across

play30:45

a ton of people who didn't know they

play30:47

could do it and now are part of the club

play30:48

and and helping us you know kind of move

play30:51

forward and you know we're in Houston

play30:53

now expanding to Austin probably in 2024

play30:56

and it's really just about Community

play30:59

Family enjoying the sport doing a lot of

play31:02

a lot of stuff like going to F1 events

play31:04

going to races traveling as a group

play31:05

people identify us very quickly at the

play31:08

track because when we come we have

play31:10

12 15 drivers and like 30 people there

play31:13

just to support us it's just a big

play31:15

family but we're there and obviously I

play31:16

think that's when we met and you saw us

play31:18

like just a big community and you go

play31:19

through every other garage and there's

play31:20

like four Dudes two girls a dude here

play31:23

and there but like when you got to ours

play31:24

is like 40 people

play31:26

um and so I think that that Community

play31:27

aspect of it people have really fallen

play31:29

in love with and and is really you know

play31:31

getting a lot of traction and something

play31:32

doesn't exist we haven't found anywhere

play31:34

that's been able to kind of take proof

play31:37

of Concepts and put them all into one

play31:39

roof so people have racing as a concept

play31:41

you have Carson coffee is a concept you

play31:43

have you know Sim racing like simulator

play31:45

racing and you have all these different

play31:48

rallies and all these different things

play31:49

that you can do in a car Community but

play31:51

no one has it under one roof and we've

play31:52

been able to find a way to like you know

play31:55

Bond it all together and people like are

play31:57

really you know from all kinds of angles

play31:59

want to be part of it racing is

play32:01

expensive it is right so and you how do

play32:03

you like to enjoy your money so you made

play32:05

all this money like how do you like to

play32:06

enjoy it I I you know I spend money on

play32:08

clothes travel and Main only cars at

play32:11

this point so I um I enjoyed giving my

play32:14

money away actually like I love helping

play32:16

people and and taking care of people and

play32:18

you know I don't expect anything back

play32:20

but I I enjoy the ability to you know

play32:25

help someone have a life-changing

play32:27

experience

play32:28

um so like last year I took all my best

play32:31

friends and and my sister and my brother

play32:33

and their significant others to Monaco

play32:35

and we were on a yacht and I just told

play32:37

all like Hey we're going to Monaco in

play32:39

may make sure you book it and it was

play32:41

like all expenses paid I took everybody

play32:42

with me because like I was I always

play32:45

wanted to go to Monaco watched it on TV

play32:46

and I was like I'm not going to go and

play32:48

experience that with my wife by

play32:49

ourselves like how boring is that like I

play32:51

want all my loved ones to have like a

play32:54

once in a lifetime type of experience so

play32:55

like I enjoyed and loved the fact that I

play32:57

was able to do that for them right and

play32:59

it didn't change my life unfortunately

play33:00

like I am at the position now that I can

play33:02

have those experiences and I have to

play33:03

think about it and have to worry about

play33:04

you know how I'm going to pay the bills

play33:06

if I make this expense uh you know it's

play33:09

really just you know investing in life

play33:11

experiences and Unforgettable things you

play33:13

know and that's the one thing that money

play33:15

has allowed me to do is really have

play33:18

Unforgettable life experiences and the

play33:20

freedom to never worry about you know

play33:22

paying my bills kind of thing and you

play33:25

know things like that freedom and that

play33:27

stress is what probably is the most

play33:29

challenging thing that people deal with

play33:30

is it's money

play33:33

um you know people say money doesn't

play33:34

make happiness but not having it it's

play33:36

really challenging a few few questions

play33:38

on that how much is this a Hublot Hublot

play33:42

yeah how much is this much this was like

play33:44

I don't know forty thousand Thirty forty

play33:46

thousand dollars a thing it's also like

play33:47

scratched up it's like you wear like a

play33:49

regular normal person no I'd bang it up

play33:51

I wear it every day to work out to do

play33:53

anything uh I drive with it people have

play33:56

told me that shouldn't drive with it

play33:57

because it messes up the timing I

play33:58

haven't seen it um happening yet but

play34:00

yeah I mean I I wear it everywhere

play34:02

and then how how would you how much

play34:04

would you value your car collection

play34:06

right now and and some of these cars

play34:07

that are in it and maybe the most

play34:08

expensive one uh the most expensive one

play34:11

actually I just took delivery of it's a

play34:13

Hennessy Venom F5

play34:15

um that's probably a 2.7 million dollar

play34:17

car

play34:18

um I have a P1 that's delivered miles

play34:20

and it's probably in that range 2.5 2.7

play34:22

million uh my car collection is probably

play34:26

18 20 15 15 18 million probably maybe

play34:30

more thereabouts

play34:33

I have

play34:34

a good size coat a lot of toys and I

play34:36

drive them all like I love driving my

play34:38

car so I I drive them all the time I'm

play34:40

glad it gives you Joy yeah I mean

play34:42

sometimes we think that like I buy some

play34:44

of the nicer watches to commemorate I

play34:45

almost never really gives me actual Joy

play34:47

yeah I think it's just like having a

play34:48

nice meal or some of these things we

play34:49

talk about like we went to Monaco I was

play34:51

like this is pretty cool

play34:52

I was definitely just it's like some of

play34:54

these things what actually gives you Joy

play34:55

it could be cars it's not like there's a

play34:56

wrong one it's just oh no yeah I mean

play34:57

some people love boating and they have

play34:59

like to me having a boat I know wouldn't

play35:01

bring me joy so like I don't have a boat

play35:03

you know but I have 25 cars and I enjoy

play35:07

driving all of them and I rotate every

play35:09

day some days dude that's bad every

play35:11

other day I'm in a different car and I

play35:12

go to the hand so like oh I gotta go to

play35:14

the garage and Shop cars and I'm gonna

play35:16

move them around but I actually drive

play35:17

them and enjoy them and I bring them to

play35:18

the track I like that your problem is

play35:20

like your million dollar car like I have

play35:21

to go get it out of the garage like this

play35:23

is the worst yeah like and to me like

play35:25

it's materialistic thing so something

play35:26

happens to them like I don't get so

play35:29

worried so people are like you know how

play35:30

can you like give all day your kids I'm

play35:32

like because I don't care if they bang

play35:33

it I just get it fixed and it is what it

play35:35

is but like I don't want to have to go

play35:36

park my car if I'm gonna pull up in a

play35:38

ballet in a sense right like they're

play35:40

there for a reason to provide a service

play35:41

uh you know we go to the track and I'll

play35:44

take five six of my cars and I just

play35:45

hadn't friends and family keys and they

play35:47

go drive them and they're like are you

play35:49

sure I'm like yeah they don't worry

play35:50

about it like drive it like you normally

play35:51

would don't worry about like it's better

play35:53

because I don't care if something

play35:54

happens to the car like I'm not going to

play35:55

be sitting here crying and stressing

play35:57

over like we'll fix it and we'll move on

play35:59

like you know I I want to make sure that

play36:02

the things that I've been able to

play36:03

achieve and get to enjoy like people

play36:06

close to me get to enjoy them as well

play36:08

because like there's no sense in me just

play36:10

being the one that enjoys it and

play36:11

everybody's just sitting there watching

play36:12

me do it so like you know I bring

play36:14

everybody in and get them to enjoy it as

play36:16

well and I can vouch for that when I got

play36:18

to meet you at the track you have like a

play36:20

million dollar car like yeah that's it

play36:21

yeah I was like you don't mind anything

play36:23

you know he's like and you were you were

play36:25

really generous and I really appreciate

play36:26

it yeah I mean that's why I give people

play36:27

rides I let people drive them I mean I I

play36:30

I don't have you know again like because

play36:33

it's not my only car because it's not

play36:35

you know like the materialistic aspect

play36:38

of it isn't what gives me joy is the

play36:40

actual driving of it that gives me joy

play36:41

and so

play36:43

to me if something happens to it that's

play36:45

a dollar amount to fix like you know it

play36:48

is what it is it's not about the

play36:51

materialistic part of it it's actually

play36:52

like the experience of driving that car

play36:54

so you're here in Austin for this

play36:55

weekend doing racing like how much do

play36:56

you think it costs you just to race and

play36:58

there's no prizes or anything yeah

play37:00

there's no price is really just an

play37:01

enthusiastic event it's like almost

play37:03

bragging rights yeah um but you know

play37:05

it's probably a 20 25 000 weekend to

play37:08

come in

play37:09

drive the car for a few minutes

play37:12

it's literally a few minutes yeah

play37:14

literally a few minutes

play37:16

like I think we were not going to drive

play37:18

the car in more than 30 minutes this

play37:19

weekend where do you think you would be

play37:20

today if you didn't move to the US

play37:23

oh man that's that's a hard question

play37:24

because I have no idea how we all ended

play37:26

up in El Salvador maybe cool basically

play37:27

ended up dead you know they were

play37:28

kidnapping people for 100 bucks and it's

play37:31

just crazy

play37:32

um I think we will have found a way to

play37:34

become a professional of some form so if

play37:36

I didn't come to the US I'd probably be

play37:38

a professional Salvador living a

play37:39

mother's life you know I don't there

play37:42

isn't really a way to get rich in El

play37:43

Salvador

play37:45

um unless you come from money uh which

play37:47

we didn't so I probably just had a

play37:49

professional job as an engineer or

play37:51

something probably making decent money

play37:53

for the status quo you know kind of your

play37:55

typical for the standard of living that

play37:57

you know most people have

play37:59

um I imagine that's probably what I

play38:01

would have been but I yeah coming here

play38:03

obviously has been completely

play38:04

life-changing and then what is what is

play38:06

the American dream to what does it mean

play38:08

uh honestly the American dream is to

play38:11

like have to freedom to do whatever you

play38:13

want without you know without really you

play38:15

know

play38:16

uh stressing and you know being in in a

play38:19

position that you feel that you can't

play38:22

afford to do something that you can't

play38:24

afford to like give back to support your

play38:26

family uh to worry about retirement you

play38:29

know the fact that I know for a fact I

play38:32

will never be poor like it's a big

play38:34

stress reliever the fact that I know I

play38:36

can be 75 years old and not be figuring

play38:39

out like what home and what bed am I

play38:40

staying at who's going to help me who's

play38:41

going to feed me

play38:43

um like that I think is part of the

play38:45

reason that you know in my head I always

play38:47

knew I'm going to be rich enough to like

play38:50

never have to worry about money like I'm

play38:51

always going to work until you know

play38:53

until I die in a sense to make sure that

play38:55

I never had the stress of money because

play38:59

I know that that has been such a big

play39:01

stress in my family it's a big stress in

play39:03

friends and family that I still have

play39:05

um and so you know people always

play39:08

see what I do and then you know almost

play39:10

want to compare themselves in a sense

play39:12

it's like you can't do it so I always

play39:13

have to like you know keep a lot of

play39:15

people just you know

play39:17

aware that okay like you know what I

play39:19

have is doesn't mean anything uh you

play39:21

know like you're you know you don't have

play39:23

to tell me you can't afford to go on

play39:24

vacation with us like I'll buy your

play39:26

flights like no don't bother no do like

play39:27

you're coming with us and I don't want

play39:30

the stress if you're coming to celebrate

play39:32

my birthday

play39:32

in Vegas to put a stress in your life

play39:35

but like you'd be in there is not going

play39:37

to be the same like you're not being

play39:38

exactly the same for me so like you're

play39:40

coming with us and I don't want you to

play39:42

stress about it don't don't say you owe

play39:43

me anything because like I want to live

play39:45

that experience with you there I don't

play39:47

want to like you know put the stress in

play39:50

your life because I happen to have a

play39:52

different you know wealth level that

play39:55

doesn't stress me right so instead of

play39:57

going down to a bar and having two beers

play39:59

I want you to fly to Vegas and Like have

play40:01

a bottle with me at the club and don't

play40:03

want you to feel that you have to like

play40:04

contribute and so you know things like

play40:07

that are things that I think um

play40:10

to me you know having achieved I feel

play40:13

you know obviously the American dream of

play40:15

of knowing that I can support and not be

play40:18

stressed out and you know that I can

play40:21

lose money make money and my life

play40:23

doesn't really change like that I think

play40:25

is what this world of opportunity

play40:28

provides is the ability to create that

play40:31

freedom of you know Financial Freedom

play40:33

and obviously the fact that you know

play40:36

here you can be who you want to be uh

play40:39

the fact that you know you don't have to

play40:42

you know align with a certain

play40:45

political or religious view that you're

play40:48

not prosecuted for thinking and and

play40:50

looking a certain way uh like the way

play40:52

that you are in other countries or in

play40:54

other cultures obviously it's still

play40:57

really politically

play40:59

polarized here and you know racism and

play41:02

uh Prejudice and all that stuff still

play41:05

exists but it's you know much better

play41:07

place to live than anywhere in the world

play41:09

because all these things still exist

play41:11

everywhere else and like if you're going

play41:13

to exist in something like this you want

play41:15

to do it here because the whole world is

play41:16

jacked up if someone here

play41:19

um wanted to make a million dollars that

play41:21

was their dream in life what would you

play41:22

recommend to them well most people fail

play41:24

to do in life is find what they're good

play41:26

at what they're passionate about

play41:28

whatever that is

play41:29

um and so if you are so fortunate to

play41:32

explore different things and find what

play41:34

you're good at what you're fortunate you

play41:36

know to be like you know some people are

play41:38

terrible at math and you know they

play41:40

insist to try to pursue like some form

play41:43

of math career or something with numbers

play41:44

like well if you're a creative then like

play41:47

go find what in that creative world

play41:49

you're good at are you good at music are

play41:51

you good at writing are you good at

play41:52

designing clothes are you designing you

play41:54

know I I painting or different things I

play41:57

think that people

play41:58

sometimes grow up with the mindset of

play42:00

like this is what my parents said oh

play42:02

this is what Society wants me to do and

play42:05

don't ever truly explore what they're

play42:06

good at and if you just found what your

play42:09

every human can be

play42:11

can make incredible things if you just

play42:14

focus on what you're good at like I can

play42:17

tell you that no matter how much I paint

play42:18

it's always going to look bad like no

play42:20

matter how much I draw it's going to be

play42:22

terrible I can't make myself be a you

play42:25

know a Grammy a singer or actor like

play42:27

whatever like I I can't sing so no

play42:29

matter how many lessons I take singing

play42:31

I'm never going to be a professional

play42:33

singer but if I would desire to be a

play42:35

singer and I waste my time forever doing

play42:37

it I'm always going to be living out of

play42:39

my car if I have if I have a car I'll be

play42:41

looking at someone's couch and there's

play42:42

so many people that continue to do it

play42:44

and it's like dude like you can sing by

play42:45

like not professionally you're probably

play42:48

better at like writing lyrics so if you

play42:50

just focus on simply writing lyrics and

play42:52

you were a great lyrical person and then

play42:54

you stole those you could be one of the

play42:56

greatest lyrical artists or you know

play42:57

lyrical you know writers in the world

play42:59

but you're so focused about wanting to

play43:01

be the singer not being the writer and

play43:03

it's like I think that there's so many

play43:04

things like that in life that if people

play43:07

just found what they're good at and

play43:08

focused on it and just worked hard at it

play43:10

you know anyone can really become a

play43:12

millionaire because like the world is so

play43:14

big and the markets are so massive that

play43:16

you know all you got to do is get a

play43:19

dollar from a million people out of like

play43:20

8 billion I mean like if if you start

play43:23

narrowing it down to that like if you

play43:25

just walk around every single day

play43:27

asking for a dollar and you saved it not

play43:30

wasted it like you can get to a million

play43:31

dollars pretty easily and it's hard to

play43:33

believe that but like you can actually

play43:34

do it in a matter of couple of years so

play43:36

like imagine if you actually worked it

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actually worked hard and actually you

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know put it and invested it and used the

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resources like it's it's actually you

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know not that difficult uh I think the

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hardest part is figuring out

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like what is it that you have about your

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personality your skill set that can

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actually get you there because you can

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waste your time in a lot of ways that

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you know that don't get you anywhere

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with all the time you're racing and

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working and all these things do you have

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any regrets or what regrets have you had

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uh I think that some of the things that

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I wish I had more time to do would say

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like you know spend more time with

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family

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um and family is everything but at the

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same time I have this desires and these

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things I want to like achieve in life

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and I've always been super busy I've

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always been super driven and I've always

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been you know like excited to wake up

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and go to work every day just as I am

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excited to come home and sometimes you

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know the work day overextends more than

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you should and so trying to find a

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balance or a better balance is probably

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one of the things that I'd say like you

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know I kind of wish it was easier on me

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um and what I struggle with is that I

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know that if I give up my drive to work

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and Achieve things and all that I'd

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probably be equally or you know more

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unhappy about like not having been

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productive and that could bring stress

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and so like

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you know that's being able to find a

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balance when you're as busy for

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everything I think it's it's a challenge

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but you know I think I try to do as good

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of a job and I'm conscious about it so I

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try to be as present as I can but you

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know sometimes I can be at a birthday

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party for like my daughter and I'm on

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the phone texting for work stuff and

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like I'm present there and I am and in

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my head I am people also see me on the

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phone and so like you know I think that

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being able to be more present uh is one

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of the things that I think I'm I'm

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trying to be more conscious about and

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maybe having not been present in certain

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special moments or instances in the past

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might be one of the things that I would

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say like I probably regret you know I

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probably could have been more present

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you know it's it's a challenge and I

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think it's something that I that I've

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always struggled with is like I

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literally would work 24 7 if I could

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your children were born here it sounds

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like a lot of you know a lot of hard

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work and privilege that you've been able

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to create yourself like what's the

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message you want to leave for them

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for one second I just don't take things

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for granted

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um and it's really just you know learn

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the value of of things in life

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um just because you know you've been

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provided something doesn't mean that

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it's not worth something that you know

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that you have to work for so in the way

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that you know we're doing our best to

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raise them is you know Finding ways that

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they feel they have to earn things earn

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their iPad time earn their ice cream

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like hey you don't get ice cream unless

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you eat dessert and they'll go to bed

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crying because they didn't eat their

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food I'm sorry the dinner yeah like you

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don't get dessert if you don't get into

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eat your dinner and like there's many

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days when they go to bed crying because

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they didn't get to deserves like well

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you didn't eat your dinner and so like

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I'll say that there's a lot of things

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that you know that I'm trying to do to

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ensure that they don't grow up

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privileged or over privileged and it's

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kind of hard to like prevent it from

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being privileged like every day I show

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up with a different car my son's like

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hey like you know like the other day he

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told me like hey Dad you know when you

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die I'm Gonna Keep your cars I'm like

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all right sir I appreciate that thank

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you you probably will because like

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that's what the will is gonna say but

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I'm just saying you know like finding

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ways to like help them not take life for

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granted and thanks for granted you know

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is that challenge and I think that we at

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least do our best to try to ensure that

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they understand that you have to earn

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things in life or that things are just

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not given to you if you'd like this

play47:10

conversation and you want to watch

play47:11

another interview I did with the

play47:13

billionaire founder of Kinkos check out

play47:15

this video right up here and if you

play47:17

haven't already make sure to like And

play47:18

subscribe Uncle Noah loves you and I'll

play47:20

see you out there you

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