Jim Britt Adventures in Life and Business Before Cracking The Rich Code

Pamela Bardhi
Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the underdog. Today I’m very honored to have Jim Britt here with me. Hello, Jim. How are you?

Jim Britt
Hey, I’m good. Good. How are you?

Pamela Bardhi
I’m living the dream. Happy Boston. Happy ugly Boston was. How’s the weather over there?

Jim Britt
Well, here in Northern California, the smoke is cleared today for the first time in a few weeks. And the weather’s supposed to be about 94 today. So which is very nice up here, maybe a little less. I’m in the foothills. So we’re probably about 90, which is perfect weather because we don’t have any humidity at all. So our humidity this morning was 6%. That’s pretty low. That’s almost that’s like dessert, but we got trees.

Pamela Bardhi
That’s wonderful. It gets super humid here in Boston like, you can’t even be like 73. And you can feel the humidity. It’s like, come on. A little bit more, please, thank you. Jim, so excited to have you here today, such an honor to come across you in the first place. And so glad we connected and that you’re here today. So I have a million questions for you. But I guess the way we can sort of start off is, where are you at now and sort of how you got there?. However, you feel that you want to explain your story in a nutshell.

Jim Britt
I grew up in the Midwest and Oklahoma. And I moved west, to Arizona and then California. But I started my working career picking cotton. It was very, very hard work. And all the money went to the family for school, clothes, and food. I dropped out of high school in 10th grade. I was not a good student. I felt honored if I got a D. But I had a couple of good classes. Shop class was good. I excelled in that. And we built a home. So I learned all of the trades on how to build a house. Got married at 18. I worked in a gas station pumping gas for about two years. My dream job was working in the factory on the assembly line and finally landed that job. Work there for about four years and didn’t have much thought about leaving.

I had a lot of ambition and a desire to do more. And late one night, this fella, come by the area where I worked. He said, Hey, Britt!, you’re going to work in this factory for the rest of your life? I don’t know. And he said, Go to this meeting with me tomorrow night, we could make some extra money part-time. I said, well, I could certainly use the extra money; what is it? He said I don’t know. And I said I’m not going; If you don’t know what it is. Oh, man, he said, they told me to bring somebody with me, and I’m going. Well, I’m not your guy. Then he said, If you attend the meeting with me, I’ll buy the beer afterward. I said, What time is that meeting? the meeting for the beer, don’t get that straight. But it opened my eyes.

I sat there for about an hour. I watched a fella talk about the product and stuff. And you know; didn’t interest me that much. Then a fella got up and talked about how much money you could make. And about halfway through his presentation, I’m like, I’m going to do this. And not only am I going to do it. I’m going to get rich doing, I didn’t get rich. And a little bit, I know, by the end of the presentation, it’s going to cost me $4,000 to get involved with them. I went out and applied at 23 banks and loan companies before I finally found one that loaned me the money. So I got started. They said you got to go, talk to people. If you talk a little, you’ll earn a little if you talk a lot, you’ll learn a lot.

I quit my job, which was a mistake. And I went out to talk to 10 people every day. And at the end of that year, I had 3650 people that told me no. So I’ve never sold a thing. And here I sat in my home; this was a turning point for me. In my home: no furniture, it all been repoed. My home had foreclosed. I had a notice on the door from the sheriff. I had a wife and a child. And 15 cents in my pocket and didn’t know where to turn next. I didn’t know where to go. But I wasn’t going to quit. And there was a knock at my door. And that this was probably the most life-changing knock cohort encounter I’ve ever had.

A knock at my door and a fellow from the company showed up. And he said; I understand you’re a hard worker, and you’re not making any money. And he taught me what I was doing wrong and what I needed to be doing. I was a millionaire at 23 years old. So it taught me that if you’ve got something that’s viable, and you continue with it, and you don’t give up, the answers to what you’re looking for will come to you. It’s like the plane took off down the runway. It was never going to get off the ground. And just looked like it was struggling and finally lifts, and it still struggles, and eventually, takes off. But most people stop about the time, that the struggle starts near the end of the runway; they’re just about to lift off. And so, it taught me a lot.

And I met a fellow that was doing training for that company. His name is Jim Rohn. I met Jim, and we became close friends. Then that company went out of business a few years later. I kind of went off into other directions doing different things. And I lost touch with Jim. I was in Phoenix, Arizona, looking at some property to build, and walked into a restaurant one morning and there said, Jim Rohn. So we reconnected and sat for breakfast, and he said, Why don’t you join me in business? So we ended up as a business partner. And that phased into me speaking and step by step over the last 43 years now. I’ve been speaking and training and writing books and that type of thing. So, that’s how I got where I am.

Pamela Bardhi
That’s amazing. So Oh, man, I’m just blown away by your story. Now, when you were the factory worker, and your friend was asking you to go with him to that meeting? Was it only the beer that sort of it?

Jim Britt
Got me to that? I mean, I was interested in making extra money, but he didn’t know what it was. And he said, bring somebody with you. I’m gonna less strange. But the beers really bland wet. And we had beer afterward, too.

Pamela Bardhi
Thank God for beer, right? That’s so funny. And then also this gentleman that you mentioned, that was like a savior. I mean, it’s just crazy. Because he literally came to your door to rescue you. I felt like because he were both sitting on your floor together. And then you never saw him again, it almost feels like an angel appeared, and then just was like see ya.

Jim Britt
What I learned from that is if you’re open, and you’re not focused on what’s wrong in your life, you’re going to create more of the same. And if you’re focused on being broke, you’re going to create more of being broke. So when you learn to let go of that stuff and live your life openly. There are angels everywhere. I mean, there are ideas everywhere. I do an exercise, I tell somebody to think of the biggest problem they have in their life. I said, then I want you to pick up a magazine, any type of magazine, it could be a sport, it could be a cosmopolitan, or whatever it is, open to any page and find the answer to your problem. And I have never failed to have everybody in a class find the answer to their problems.

Pamela Bardhi
No way.

Jim Britt
Yep.

Pamela Bardhi
Any magazine?

Jim Britt
Any magazine.

Pamela Bardhi
Open it up.

Jim Britt
Open. It could be an ad you’re opening to, it could be an article, it could be anything, but you’ll find the answer. If you’re wide open to find it. It’s there. And I’ve had a few people struggle with it. But they find it.

Pamela Bardhi
It finds it. I’m like, where my magazines, I don’t have any.

Jim Britt
You can almost look at anything. You could look at a tree outside and find the answer to your problem. If you really are open to it. Yes, you can look at a tree and you say, well, that tree is sturdy and strong. It’s got big roots, it’s standing tall. The leaves are blowing in the breeze, but the structure is strong. You can look and find things like that you can look at a building. It’s just using your mind and being open to having answers come to you. But they’re there. We just get caught up in the wrong things.

Pamela Bardhi
Now that leads me to a question for you. So when you mentioned that you had gotten home when you saw basically the eviction notice, foreclosure notice on your door, at that point in time, what was it that you were experiencing? Like inside? Were you sort of asking for that clarity? Or were you was it more like, how was it at that time? Because I know oftentimes, we’re at rock bottom, it’s so many emotions start to get involved. And it’s like, how do you see clearly through that point in time?

Jim Britt
You know it was partially inspiration and desperation. I didn’t know what I was gonna do. But I’ll tell you there was a series of miracles that took place. And it was the second part of my business where I earn the rest of that million dollars. So in the business, I was selling cleaning materials, supplies, and soap. I had a customer that had bought some quarts of cleaning product from me. So I thought, I’m gonna see if I can convince him to buy this five-gallon. I picked it up and started walking. And it was hot, but I was desperate. I just kept walking. One time I actually broke down, I got emotional. And finally, I just take a deep breath, grab the bucket, and off I go, because I had no other choice. So I just kept going until I got there.

And I finally get to his office not walk in. I’m soaking wet. And I walk in and set down the bucket of shampoo. And he walks out of his office about the time and he said, Hey, Jim, my brother and I were just talking about you. Do you have a few minutes? I said, yeah and I brought you some carpet shampoo. I figured you’re about out. And he said, yeah, I’ll take it. And he turned to his assistant said, Hey, cut him a check for this and I’m going. I’m glad he wasn’t gonna send the check. I go into his office, and that feeling pretty good.

Went into his office and he said, how’s your business going? I said, Great. He said, Oh, well, my brother and I wanted to talk to you about something. And I said, What? He said, Well, you used to work for me back in high school. You’re very bright about, construction, and you saved me a lot of money in some cases. We’d like to talk to you about being a business partner with us. And I said, Well, my business is going okay, but I don’t really have the money to be a partner. No, no, we don’t want you to invest. He said we want to invest in you.

We got this apartment complex, we’re gonna build it’s 52 units. And we’d like for you to run the job. We’d think you to do a great job at it. And I said, well, what does that mean? He said we’ll make you a partner. If you accomplish certain criteria. First of all, we’ll pay you $300 a week, build the rest of it, we’ll furnish you with a vehicle. If you want, you can move into one of our three-bedroom furnished apartments. I didn’t have any furniture or a place to live. So I didn’t have any furniture to move, it was gonna be easy to move. So, man, I latched on to that. He said, let’s go out to the site and take a look. Now I didn’t know what to expect. But what I found was two, three acres of just weeds growing up.

I thought it would be a construction site under construction. But it wasn’t. They had plans for it, all of that. So he presents me with this big set of plans and rolls out on the hood of the car and he said take a look at these and see what you think. I’m looking through this stuff. I had no idea what I was looking at, I’ve never seen this. I said, looks pretty good. He says, Do you think you can handle it? I said yeah. And my gut is like in a knot. I have no idea. This was on a Thursday and he says, well can you start tomorrow? And I said I have a couple of things I need to wrap up. He said I’d like to take you up on a three-bedroom apartment and move in over the weekend, and I’ll start on Monday.

So I got on the phone and started calling contractors and asking them how to build an apartment complex. What would be the first thing you need? The survey, you need plans, you need a permit, you need this, you need that. So I learned how to build it. I didn’t know how but I got the details. Long story short, they said, you have a year to build it 52 unit apartment complex. He said it’s finished when all of the units are carpeted. And we consider it finished when they’re carpeted, and all of the fixtures are in.

And every day that you finish early, you get a $1,000 a day bonus. If you finish on time, you get a $30,000 bonus, and you get 30% ownership and the complex. And every day you go over, you’re going to lose a percentage of your ownership and you’re going to lose $1,000 a day of your bonus. Whatever, you can save us, you get half. And okay, let’s do it. I’ll never forget that first day, I was scared to death. Totally just scared to death. But I pulled it off, and I built it. I built 52 units of apartments in eight months. Eight months, they have never had that happen. And nobody ever challenged me. Like do you know what you’re doing? Nobody did.

Pamela Bardhi
Oh, that’s like me. When I first started in real estate development, I had zero experience, I bought this house and I was like I knew nothing about construction. And I just remember as you’re talking, I’m like, it all came back to me. When I remember being on my first project and being like, I don’t know what the hell.

Jim Britt
I think it was, I forget now maybe eight buildings, something like that. And it’s been so many years. He said you know, here’s a couple of contractors for framing. this one’s the best you might want to use them. I hired eight contractors, I had a different contractor for each building, not for the whole project. And then when he came out about, we’re almost finished, but no carpet was in. And none of the light fixtures were the ones I put in, for aesthetic value, not just what the wiring was in, but not everything else. So one of the brothers is looking at everything. He said it looks like you’re going to be finished maybe in about a month or six weeks or so what he didn’t realize, I had two crews of people coming in putting in fixtures, and I’d hired a carpet company.

And I got them committed to bring all their employees in, work through the weekend, and carpet this whole apartment complex. I said I’ll buy all the beer and pizza that you guys can eat, just come out and start. So they did. I called him up Monday and I said I need an inspection. He said for what? And I said that I’m done. He goes, no way that you’re done. I said, come on out. So he kept walking through and said, How did you do this? We went on to build almost 5000 apartments together over the years. So and that was kind of a side hustle after that. I didn’t continue with that full-time. It was just kind of a side business. So it was pretty cool. But again, you never know where something’s gonna come, that’s gonna save you. So you got to be open.

Pamela Bardhi
Absolutely and it’s also in the moments where all you were thinking about was getting to feed your family, getting some money to do that. And you didn’t think it turned into something long-term. But it’s amazing. And I tell people this all the time, just because you’re stuck in a rut right now does not mean that wherever you’re going to next, isn’t going to be just the stepping stone to where you’re meant to go. You would have never envisioned that carrying that bucket would lead you to a job like that afterward, and then you get to move into a three-bedroom apartment. I’m like, I can’t believe what type of miracle that was. But some people say no to small things that they don’t realize, what if that was meant to be your stepping stone to get to the next level after that.

Jim Britt
You know, people you mentioned getting stuck in a rut, and they’re familiar with it. It’s like driving down the road, with a road full of nails, and you have a flat tire, and you fix the flat tire. But you keep driving down the same road again because it’s a familiar road to you. So might take another route home. It’s the same way in your life.

We’ve become so familiar with our comfort zone that we’re in, that every time we see that we’re about to get out of that comfort zone, we weigh out the fear or the pain of changing versus the pain of staying where we are. So we see that pain of I gotta do that, that’s gonna be uncomfortable. And that’s going to take more time, or I don’t know how to do it, or whatever comes up, and you end up sinking back into your comfort zone and just stay in there.

If you’re going to change in your life, every income level, every life level requires a different view, the same person who you are now, can’t go to that next level, you can stay where you are, and keep doing what you’re doing. There’s nothing wrong with that if that’s what you want. But if it’s not what you want, everything’s wrong with it. So you got to step out and be able to be bold, and step out of your comfort zone and be willing to experience some pain and discomfort. Do you think it was painful and uncomfortable going and taking on that project? It was the most uncomfortable thing that I’ve ever done other than speaking in public. That was my biggest fear.

Pamela Bardhi
That was what I was going to ask you. Like, how did you transition from the construction piece to getting into speaking and becoming business partners with Jim Rohn? I think it is fascinating.

Jim Britt
When I was in Phoenix, the construction industry started kind of turning upside down. And I was there and bought some property looking to build some warehouses and things. That is where I met Jim. And Jim had done some home construction too. And so when we got together, we had a lot in common, and we were friends too. And he says, you know, I am starting a business. Why don’t we partner up? And I said, what kind of business? he said, my seminars. I loved his seminars. I had never heard anything like that before, you know. So I said, how does that look? How does that work? And he said, well, you sell the tickets, and I will rent a room and come and do the seminar. We will split the money coming in. Well, I love Jim Rohn. So I said, okay.

In my first seminar, I did not know I was supposed to collect the money upfront. So I go out, he rents a room for 400 people. I tell him give me a month; I’ll have 400 people. I had different connections, and I had foreign people committed to come. And the night of the seminar, There’s nobody in there, and he said, where are the people? I said I got 400 people coming. Okay, then, here comes one or two people. Long story short, I ended up with 14 people. One of those people was one of my best friends. And the other one was Tom Hopkins. He’s the number one sales trainer in the world at that time. They both came. And I’ll never forget watching Jim with 14 people in a room scattered all over the room. He did one of the best seminars I’ve ever heard.

And then the final knife in the gut was when Tom Hopkins walked out. He looked at me and say, Jimmy, that was one of the best seminars I’ve ever heard in my life, but you need more people. Oh, I got to the gym afterward. I said give me another chance, and he did. I put 1000 people in the room. Then I moved to California later on, and I was putting 1000 people a week in Orange County. Created a home study course, a leadership event that turned into a couple of million dollars a month business for us for about eight years. So that’s how it all unfolded.

You know, speaking was not my strong point. It was the greatest fear I think I’d ever had the first time I spoke in public. I don’t remember what I said. And the audience, I was so terrified. It was like I was blind. It was terrifying. I thought, either I don’t do it anymore, or I do it often until I get better at it. And I chose the latter. So I’ll never forget when all the fear went away. That was an amazing moment for every event I’d ever done. I always had that gut feeling, that nervous feeling, and that need for approval from my audience. And my first thought was when I saw the audience; I cannot wait to get out there. Like no nervous feeling in the gut, you know? So yeah, it taught me a lot. That’s been a great career.

Pamela Bardhi
So I’m sure that Jim Rohn had something to do with it. To inspire you to go off on your own and start your speaking because you’ve done tremendously. I mean, you started your brand, of course. And then you shifted into writing your books about, and just a bunch of other programs that you launched yourself. So how, what was sort of the push to get you into that realm to start your own?

Jim Britt
Within a few months after Jim Rohn and I regather, we created a series of workshops. And he said, Well, I can’t do the workshops, you got to do. So it was a little different; we had exercises and things. So it wasn’t like speaking for three hours at one time. And then I did have a few little talks around here and there and never really got paid much for it for doing the speaking. Jim’s feedback then was $7500 for a keynote. And so he was booked for a keynote at one point. I think it was in New York for a big convention. And he got stranded in Australia and couldn’t get out; flights got canceled.

So I had to call the meeting organizer of that big event and tell him that he couldn’t make it. And he said, Oh, my God, I’ve been promoting him, you know, forever. He’s got to make it. I said, No, he’s not gonna make it. And they said, Well, do you have anybody else that speaks in your group? Are you any good? I said, Yes, I am. And I wasn’t that confident. He said, so what is your fee? And I didn’t know what to say. Because I’m not as good as Jim Rohn.

So I said, Can you hang on one second? I’ll be right back. Hang on, put him on hold. I’m going, what do I do? What do I charge? And so finally I come back, and I say, you were asking what my fee was? He said, Yes. And I said it’s 5000 for a keynote. And he said, Okay, you got it. $5000 for a keynote for an hour? That was my first paid keynote. And also, I’ve never charged less than that. It’s always been more than that.

Over the years, it was pretty interesting how everything kind of fell together. I never planned to be a speaker and ever plan to be a writer. English was my worst subject. For my first book, I had to hire somebody to help me write it. I talked, and she typed, and then we both edited together. And after that, I thought, heck, I can write a book. So I wrote the next one, 300 pages, in 30 days. So you know, things progress. I’ve never had long-term goals. I just do everything I can do every day. And I know what it takes to accomplish anything you want to in your life. You’ve got it. You’ve got to do certain things. And most people leave out some of those things, and It’s so important.

I interviewed 12 mega-millionaires, all worth over 200 million, started with nothing. One was a billionaire. And as I’m interviewing them, all of them sounded like it’s the same kind of traits that got them where they are. And they’re all in all 12 or more different businesses. And sure enough, by the time I finished, I am looking at myself; why have I become successful? And I look at the same traits and going, Yeah, it’s the same thing, do the same thing for every one of them. So it taught me something that if you want to accomplish a goal, whatever that is, if you want to start a business or make more money, or become a millionaire, or whatever it is, it requires those six things. And if you don’t have them, you probably won’t accomplish what you set out to accomplish.

Pamela Bardhi
It was fascinating what your story gem is. You have stepped into things and not thought about it, right? And I found myself in that so many times, where you don’t even allow yourself a minute to think you’re just like I’m just gonna do it, and then figure it out. As Marie Forleo; biggest quote is everything’s figureoutable, right? So, you can always figure it out. I love your story, when you were saying with the keynote, like, oh, how much do I charge up? Wait, hold on, there’s somebody at the door? Oh, what do I charge you to? And you just kind of went for it. And I think that that is a big attribute to your success is your ability to adapt so well.

Jim Britt
In one of my books I wrote, If you want to accomplish something, say yes, and then figure it out. Then I just saw Richard Branson, I saw him, his quote was, say yes, wasn’t exactly mine. But it meant the same things, you know, commit to it, then figure out how to do it, I think is what it was. That’s always been my philosophy; look at something if you want to build a high-rise building, then say yes, and go figure out how to do it. And I had a license in the state of Arizona to build high-rise buildings. I could build anything but roads and bridges. And trust me with that, I guess.

Pamela Bardhi
I did find it so funny because we basically are both in the construction fields because that’s exactly how I got into real estate. I want to start flipping houses. But that’s like construction, right? And I get my first project. I don’t know what I’m doing. But I’m just gonna go for it and do it. Then it just sort of evolved from there. And it’s the same thing I can build anything, high rises too. I just can’t build roads and bridges. I guess they don’t trust me.

Jim Britt
So when we moved here and bought a property, who’s your general contractor? And I said that would be me. And I don’t have a license. But I’m an owner-builder. And yeah, I can do it. So it’s interesting.

Pamela Bardhi
Very interesting. So out of your 15 books, what would be your favorite that you’ve written thus far?

Jim Britt
Well, I would say the first one. And the reason is that it’s my story. And there’s a lot of what I would consider; a lot of coincidences in that book, like the guy knocking on my door, it seems to happen to me for some reason, and it still happens. And I think the reason is that I’m more focused on being present in the moment, versus looking back at my past. I’m not concerned about the future. I don’t worry about that. And I don’t plan for it. You know, as far as business-wise, I just do what I do. And one day leads to the next. I don’t set goals. I don’t do it in a way people set goals. I don’t write them down because I can remember them. I don’t create storyboards and vision boards and all that kind of stuff.

What does it take to accomplish something? Number one, you have to have a desire to change. And almost everybody has a desire, but they won’t take that desire to the next step. They have a desire to make more money, a desire to live a better lifestyle, a desire to drive a better car, to have a better relationship, have the perfect body, or whatever it is they have a desire to do. But will they really go to the next step?

The next step is you’ve got to make a decision to do it. And if you haven’t made a decision that is so clear that it rules out anything else. Because you can’t have two decisions at the same time. You can’t make a decision to be wealthy and live in mediocrity at the same time, that’s two different decisions. So if you want to be wealthy, you make a decision to do that. And then your goals are incremental steps to getting to that decision, the problem most people make is they set the goal without the decision. So the goal is like a pie in the sky. Make this vision board and look at it every day, and it’s going to come true. Well, it’s not going to come true, unless you’ve backed it up with a decision that’s so strong, that nothing less than that will do.

You got to make that decision, that nothing less than that will do because we live in a black and white world, not a grey world. Once you’ve made a decision, everything you do from that point forward, every action you take based on that decision is going to move you toward it or away from it. That’s simple. if you make a decision to get healthier, and every day at lunch, or eating fast food at some burger place, that’s two different decisions. A decision is so important. And we’ve all done it, you know, we make a decision and we work toward it. But most people, try to figure out how to get there before they make the decision as to what they want to do. So you’re not going to have any answers show up for you until that decision is made.

Pamela Bardhi
You’re absolutely right. Because so many people are like, how can I get to this level? I want to get to this. Like, for me, it’s the startup world that I get all the questions on, because on the entrepreneurial side, well Pam, I want to start a business. Yeah, but just don’t think about it, just do it. And they’re like, What do you mean? I’m like, you just got to put your head down and just say, I’m gonna do it and just find out how you’re going to do it.

Look at how other people in the industry have done it and just keep going. I think what you’re saying is so important like you just have to make a decision to commit and just move forward. No ifs, and buts, you got to find the way. How to find them is scary as it is, but I think it’s that uncertainty that really gets people.

Jim Britt
I hear people all the time; I’m going to start a business. I’m getting ready to get going. As soon as this is done, I can get started. A guy came to me and said, I understand that you’re an expert in small business. Could I run one by you and see what you think about it? I said, Sure. So I asked him a little about himself and what he did, and he was going to start a direct selling business, which I had some good experience in that. I said, why do you want to do it anyway? And he talked about, I want to residual income, I want to make more money, I want unlimited potential with it. And I want to work from home, and he had all of these great things and all that kind of stuff.

So I said, I think it’s great when you’re going to get started. He said, As soon as I get all those things resolved, my divorce, the IRS, and in my job if they’re getting ready to do a cutback and I might end up losing my job. As soon as all is resolved, I’ll get started. And I said, let me ask you a question. Which do you honor the most your problems or your vision for a better life? of course, my vision for a better life. And I said, then I would suggest getting started like right now today. And he said, but you don’t understand what I’m going through. And he named them off again. I said I understand you got problems. If you’re on planet earth and you don’t have problems, you probably don’t have the pulse.

So I said problems are a part of life. Once you get rid of those three problems, you’re going to have three more that take place. Because you’re focused on your problems, and you’re going to create more problems. I said, get started today. And you got to go with what you honor in your life. You honor a vision for a better life or honor where you are. And he chose to wait. I never followed up. I don’t know if he ever did it or not. But yeah, it’s interesting what people do.

Jim Biggest Advice To Anyone and His Cracking The Rich Code Book

Pamela Bardhi
Interesting. You have dropped a lot of really amazing nuggets throughout the interview. What would be your biggest piece of advice to anyone out there? Looking to start something new, or wherever they are in their path if they are looking for a change? Because people I know and have approached me have been like, Pam, how do I get to the next? I want to do this, but.

Jim Britt
You got to keep an open mind for one thing and look at your areas of expertise or what you want to accomplish in your life. And make sure it aligns with your values because your core values can make a lot of your decisions for you. If you have a core value of being honest, and somebody presents you with something a bit dishonest, your decisions; are already made. Because my value is honesty, integrity, or whatever it is. So make sure that whatever you are looking into matches up with your core values.

There is a lot of opportunities out there, everywhere. It is just being open to them and not getting a panic, trying to figure it out. Like somebody says, I am trying to figure out what my purpose is in life. That is easy. I can tell everybody what their purpose is right now. It is whatever you are doing right now. Otherwise, you are doing something different. And as you finished with whatever you are doing now, you will have a new purpose in life. If you are broke, that is your purpose in life. As soon as you figure out how to not be broke, you can go to the next level and have a new purpose in life. So, you are trying to work through the things that you are going through but look at something that inspires you. Not only financially but from a personal standpoint.

If you feel like you want to do something that is helping a lot of people, then look at opportunities like that. There is plenty of opportunities out there. I was on a panel in front of a few 1000 people a few years back, and I was asked, What’s the number one thing that you have learned in business over the years or in life? That’s been the most beneficial over and above everything else. And, I never hesitated, I said, the ability to let go, ability to let go. Because so many people hang on to stuff.

A woman in one of my workshops shared. We were talking about success and financial success. And she said, Well, I could never be successful financially. I said, why not?. Because of my father. And I said, so what about your father? She said, Well, my father put me down constantly. He would tell me, I never amount to anything, never be as successful. He just beat me up verbally all the time. And so that is a reason I can’t be successful. I said, where is your father now? She said, Well, he died 10 years ago. I said, who is abusing you now? She said I don’t understand the question. I said, your father is not here to abuse you. Who is abusing you now? She said, I still don’t understand the question. As we think about it for a while, come back.

I work with some other people and did some other things for about 20 minutes. I came back and said, Did you figure out who is abusing you now? She says no. It is okay. Keep thinking about it. Third time back. She says, you mean I’m abusing me? So what do you think? She said I don’t know. I said, Well, you think about it before it’s time back. She walked up in front, and she said, Oh my God. I am the one abusing me. I am carrying on my father’s mission.

Yeah, I am keeping that alive. I said that is exactly it. And so I worked with her for a while on letting that go. And you could see 10 years come off of her face during that 15 or 20-minute process that I worked with her. That ability to realize that something that happened in your past is not happening to you now is more powerful than it was when it happened in the past because it built momentum and strength. And it’ll keep happening until you quit paying attention to it.

Pamela Bardhi
Right. Because had you let your emotions or your mentality for what you were going through in the beginning.

Jim Britt
Well, letting go, some people think, is difficult. It’s not that we do it all the time. You look back. And you know, in high school, for example, I was in love with this girl, and a ninth grade, I was in love with her. I thought I could never live my life without her. Well, she broke up with me. I didn’t know why she just broke up. And I was devastated; I thought I can’t make it. I don’t know what to do. And then I think back and I’m going, I can’t even remember her name. A couple of weeks later, I’m probably looking at some other girl. So you know, sometimes we hang on to that stuff, it affects us in such a negative way that we can’t see our way out of it.

So the ability to let go and disconnect. I look back at my experience that first year in business, and while I was going through it, I thought it was probably one of the worst years of my life. But looking back on is probably one of the best years of my life. But I don’t hang on to that stuff. I got rejected 3650 times. Somebody asked me a while back, how do you handle rejection? I said I already did that, no need to do it anymore. I did it more than you’ll ever do it. I compress it all into one year, and I’m done with it, but you gotta let go. You move on and cut the tie to it. That’s it.

Pamela Bardhi
Right. Because they hold you back, right? And if you allow it to it.

Jim Britt
See, letting go, once you’ve decided you want something, as I mentioned before, from that point forward, everything you do, every action you take is going to move you toward it or away from it. So letting go is as simple as becoming self-observant, not self-aware, you can be aware that you’re broke or depressed or angry or sad or whatever. But that doesn’t feel good at all. You just go on depressed, well, how are you going to get out of your depression? self-observation is separating you from your depression. It’s separating and looking at yourself in saying, there I am being depressed again. There, I am being angry again; there I am hanging on to that stuff again. As soon as you do that, it cuts the tie to it. You can’t be angry and observe yourself, and I look at it this way.

You’re the CEO of your mind. And so there’s some part of us that can see ourselves doing what we do, like a higher consciousness that we can see ourselves, just like you can be in an airplane traveling at 600 miles an hour. That doesn’t make you an airplane, but you can observe yourself in that airplane. So it’s looking at things more simply. I think instead of complicating and get all caught up in emotions and things from the past.

Pamela Bardhi
That’s fascinating, Jim. I just, love your perspective, because it’s so different from what I’ve heard in the past. After all, you hear everyone say, write down your goals and vision boards. And it’s like you’ve come in with this simplistic sort of flow. I think it’s beautiful. It’s fascinating hearing the different perspectives and sort of how you got to where you’re at. I just find it amazing that you went from being 21 at the time, right? When you had that job and 3650 rejections, you had a child, you’re losing your home, and then not even two years later how you accelerated your life and you just let go of all that negativity in the past and you just plugged forward. I think that’s remarkable and speaks to where you are today and why you’ve been able to change others and influence and inspire throughout.

Jim Britt
In a simple, with a simple life. I had loving parents, nobody was alcoholic or drug user or anything like that. We were poor. We didn’t even have electricity or running water until I was 12. We lived in the backwoods of Oklahoma. We were so far out that we hadn’t run power lines out there yet. We had kerosene lanterns and lamps and an outhouse, and well. I lived a simple life, and it was a loving family and just simplicity. And dropping out of school in 10th grade and not listening to any teachers of past eighth grade at all. Say I have an eighth-grade education.

Well, that makes me kind of simple too, because I don’t know any big words. I got to keep it down to that 10th-grade level. Otherwise, I don’t understand it. I just read one this morning; somebody sent me their chapter for the upcoming book. And I got stuck on a word I’m going. What is that I kept looking, I couldn’t even pronounce the word. And so they asked me for feedback. And I said I would change that word to something else because nobody’s gonna know what it is. I’ve never even heard it before. I tell you what it is; I don’t know how to pronounce it. Anyway, I like to keep things simple, because life is simple. Unless you make it complex.

Pamela Bardhi
I completely agree with you on that. And if you follow the life principles that they teach you in kindergarten or first grade, like, don’t cheat, don’t lie, it’s real life is that simple. Right? And I tell people that all the time, too. So I agree with you. And also Jim Britt, on the horizon, what’s coming next for you?, like the next years, I know COVID has kind of ruffled the feathers of live speaking for the time being, but sort of what do you see a sort of coming next?

Jim Britt
Well, I’ve got two new books coming out. I just finished both of them. One of them’s being laid out right now and the other ones are coming out pretty quick here. So just finished those. Those are two books I wrote since the whole COVID lockdown. So get inspired to do that. I’ve been thinking about writing for a while. So promoting those got a new online course that I created called cracking the rich code. A four-month course. It is designed to help people develop a new relationship toward money and reprogram their subconscious. Because when you look at it, almost everybody spends 80% of their waking hours focused on making money.

And there’s nothing wrong with that if that’s what they like. But we’re all focused on money, and most people don’t have enough of it. And the reason they don’t is because of their relationship with money. So the whole program is designed to help people reprogram that subconscious, into where money is more natural, you can see opportunities, it’s coming to you. And a lot of it’s just changing your thinking process and your programming. You know, we’ve all been programmed to mean by well-meaning people most of the time, but in society and we just get programmed. So I’m going to deprogram and reprogram. That’s a four-month program that’s up and running now, crackingtherichcode.com. So I’m doing that. And I’m doing some online events. And I’m getting ready to buy a boat.

Pamela Bardhi
There you go, that’s awesome.

Jim Britt
I think I might buy a pontoon party boat too. To be able to go out and get away and because it can’t go anywhere right now. So now get a pontoon boat. Go out and put that on the lake and go out there every weekend and hang out. That’s all.

Pamela Bardhi
That’s amazing. That sounds amazing. So where can all these wonderful followers find you besides crackingtherichcode.com?

Jim Britt
jimbritt.com, So everything’s on, they’re just starting and need a boost, but they’re all very talented. And there’s got some cool people and in the community now.

Pamela Bardhi
Absolutely. I’m so excited to be part of that. And I can’t wait for them. I know for sure we’re gonna have a part two of this because there’s going to be more we do together for that, without question. But I want to thank you so much for today, Jim Britt, It is such an honor to hear your story and just your genuine words behind everything that you said. I love all your guidance and your little nuggets of advice. And I hope that the audience enjoyed it as well. So thank you so so much.

Jim Britt
I appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks for having me.