then work harder than everyone else to
be good at it because it shouldn’t feel
like work if you really love it you’re
not ever condemned or sentenced to
making the same choice over and over and
over again every day every moment you
have a new opportunity to make a new
choice worry more about what you want to
what’s that believe nation it’s having
my one word is believe and I believe in
you I believe you have an amazing gift
inside you that I want to see explode
out under the world no this is a fairly
new series on my channel called black
excellence I don’t pretend to know what
it’s like growing up as a black man in
America but I do believe that you can
support one community without putting
another community down so the aim of the
series is to shine a light of excellence
on the black community I hope you enjoy
and want to give a quick shout out to
Devon Trish thank you so much man for
your help in organizing and sourcing the
clips that we found to use for this
episode so let’s kick it off with rule
number one aim to outdo yourself with
Kevin Hart and all of my stand-up I’ve
put my life and my life experiences in
them you see me grow from grown little
man to seriously funny to laugh for my
pain – let me explain – now what now
well I’m always trying to outdo myself
so I posed the question for everyone
else
what now with you I know what I’m doing
I know the direction I’m going in but I
love to inspire in to motivate so that
question should be a question that
everybody gets after school after work
after any and everything you do what now
and it’s just big it’s just so simple
but yet so complex I don’t think people
really put a full understanding into the
meaning of the answer to what now it
should just be ongoing so my career is
ongoing just like the question of what
now it’s pretty dope isn’t it it’s deep
yeah rule number two work hard on your
passion with Diamond – you gotta find
out what you love and then work harder
than everyone else to be good at it
because it shouldn’t feel like work if
you really love it right you know what
I’m saying so like time you don’t even
feel time when you’re doing something
you enjoy but when you’re doing
something you hate this it was crazy
slow I’ve never
seen anybody put in 100% and loose I’ve
never seen runner I’ve seen people that
have the potential but I see a lot of
like people that may be untalented but
have the work ethic they went where I
see people that are very talented with
no work ethic ethic they lose and just
be entitled in judgmental so people who
take the leap and they make that first
they take that first passion and build a
business or they start something but
they have other talents or other
disciplines that they want to build
things around how have you managed to
build multiple companies or take that
blueprint and apply it to different
areas and manage that it’s because I
look at all the little companies as
marketing for one company when I make a
movie I got to make the movie right so I
got to do that but also after I make the
movie I got to distribute the movie so
i’ma build the platform like name their
studios or whatever app I’m a
distributed you understand then while
you’re watching the movie like you gotta
wear clothes I wear clothes I like to
make clothes I have the ability to do
what I was in the fashion business still
AM so I make all the clothes it’s a
commercial for the clothes I like music
but not in a traditional sense I don’t
want to monetize and then exploit
artists but I do have a deep catalog of
music that I’ve made while I was just
inspired in the moment I could use the
music in the movie so now you can sell
the music you sell in the fashion people
drink right so why won’t you drink to
look at it I make I make the liquor so
then now you can you know drink the
liquor but I’m just saying so everything
you see I feel like I want to make
because I have the ability to do it you
know what I’m saying so what do it so I
basically leverage the things that
people pay for that’s what I use for
marketing so I’ve always looked at
looking at rock with look at state
property when I have a movie called
state property then you got clothing
called state property you have album
called state property state property did
20-something million and closed that
year just because of the commercial that
the movie presents why would I pay
somebody to do something I could do
myself like well I’m gonna pay a
bodyguard when I can fight rule number
three use what’s in your hands with
likitha Stanfield I keep I understand
you used Google searches to help you
break into acting yeah yeah did I just
got out of high school trying to figure
out what I want to do and why I kind of
knew what I wanted to do I knew I wanted
to act in some capacity so I started
really just googling I
these schools acting stuff anything that
encompassed acting trying to find a sort
of channel in and so I just googled
everything and pages and pages of things
popped up and I just filled everything
out and then eventually you know people
started answering and a lot of those
were scams and things that I would
ultimately end up wasting my time on and
so I ended up going back and forth from
LA to Victorville scrambling up changing
one time it was a school for modeling
and career center or modeling careers
and so they I just get up on the runway
tell us to walk the runway and taught us
all the names of the brands in fin de
prata all these different things that
would be of no use to me really but at
the time I realized every other week
they had agents come in for the people
that wanted to aspire to get into acting
so I wanted to get in front of these
agents and when one of those agents came
through I said I want to go in this is
audition day was like every Thursday or
something like that and they said well
do you have anything prepared I said yes
I didn’t I went in anyway and I just did
the first thing that came to my mind
which is basically just to jump up up up
on the chair be like totally and do some
random stuff and the guy saw something
in me that he liked and he signed me to
his commercial agency from there I began
to do auditions and fail and learn what
it meant to be rejected but be in the
room and sort of build my comfortability
over time so it would prove to be a very
important chapter although at the time I
just thought it was like I was wasting
my time but I proved to be very
important once I got out there really
started auditioning I felt comfortable
because I had been rejected and I’ve
been through all of it already so
there’s nothing left to fear rule number
four know your Worth with LeBron James
for me it was like holy Sh now we’re in
this Roman is real it’s not like I had
that moment we were sitting in that room
at Reebok and Paul fireman was very
smart he said to you you know I know
you’re gonna go see Nike and ideas but
I’m gonna offer you ten million dollars
today if you don’t go see them a shake
he offered he wrote you a ten million
dollar check in that room and you turned
it down I can’t say I would have turned
to die I mean I think in the room I said
yeah let’s take this check and get the
hell out of here but you turned it down
was it see what was that thinking with
you do you remember what I was thinking
of why you did it right I mean I
remember first of all the one of the
longest damp tables ever sitting my
longest stable but longest ballroom
tables ever seen in my life and I had no
idea what he was doing at the other end
of the table I just seen him right yeah
and he was talking at his head down he
was making sure he didn’t get anything
wrong on that on that check and when he
slid it down there and he said listen if
you take this right now you know you
just promise me you won’t go talk to
Nike or adidas you know you can take
this right now and and I was I was lost
for words at the beginning I mean if we
flew in
I flew in from Akron Ohio that spring
hero right in the project on the
projects I mean I written is like 17
dollars a month but now I’m looking at a
10 million dollar check that you can
leave with it yeah and go to high school
and go back to the classroom the next
day I was you were going to homeroom the
next one was come on a whole room the
next morning saw like holy Sh that’s my
first initial thing and then I I for
some odd reason I started thinking like
if this guy which is a he’s a great guy
to still love him to this day he’s an
unbelievable guy but if he’s willing to
give me a 10 million dollar check right
now what does it to say that Nike or
adidas is not willing to give me 20 or
30 you know up front you know or to say
that maybe the upfront money is not even
the biggest thing you know maybe let’s
start thinking about the back again you
know and you know I’ve always you know
and that comes from you know my uncle’s
as well just you know never put all your
eggs in one basket you know and give
give it an opportunity to give people an
opportunity to say what they what they
got to pitch themselves and you know we
all we always say listen we’re gonna
hear all three companies we want to hear
all three companies what they have to
say
you know what’s their plan and
I can’t I still can’t believe I left
that team I can’t rule number five live
in alignment with your purpose with Lisa
Nichols I love the phrase willpower but
willpower isn’t something you conjure up
willpower isn’t something you drink
willpower isn’t something you download
from Google what you’re talking about is
how do I make the choices that are in
alignment with my highest purpose and my
highest vision for myself that’s what
you really want to ask see your life is
a physical manifestation of the choices
that you made up into this moment I’m
gonna say that again because that gets a
little deep and that can go over some
people’s head that can hit you sometimes
right between the eyes and you got to
hear the second time so here goes your
life right now as it exists today your
finances your weight your relationships
your career your self-esteem your
self-image your spiritual awareness all
of that is a result of the choices that
you’ve made up into this moment big and
small and just so you know your life the
way it appears today is not a result of
a few big choices even though that’s the
thing that we look back on we go up I
shouldn’t have moved out of the state oh
I shouldn’t I got into that relationship
up I shouldn’t have we look at the big
things well I’m here to disrupt that
mindset a bit your life experience right
now is not so much a result of your big
choices why those impact you it’s really
a result of a bunch of small little
choices made consistently over a long
period of time because those are the
habits and the behaviors that you’ve
gotten into so we can talk about
willpower and how do I build willpower
as if it’s something that you can flex
in the gym or something you can do
crunches or abs or triceps and build but
it’s not the question you should ask
the answer you should be seeking is what
does it take to make my choices become
an alignment with the life that I say I
want to live
now when you say choices it makes it
really sobering because even when you
choose to sit down on yourself it was a
choice so I ask you in this moment what
will it take you to decide to make the
choice today don’t even think about
tomorrow don’t think about next week but
to make the choice today that’s in
alignment with your health goals make a
choice today that’s in alignment with
your financial goals it’s the small
things it’s the extra visit to Starbucks
it’s the extra biscuit it’s the giving
up early it’s 10 more crunches it’s
doing squats every time you go to the
bathroom at least that’s what I do I do
10 I do 10 every time I go to the
restroom I’m already there I’m just
gonna keep on going just because I want
to stand alignment with my goal and my
goal is to have a body that at least
creates a double-take or or triple date
maybe I don’t know I wanted to create a
body that is in alignment with my goal I
want to be able to go paintballing with
my nephews and my son the way I just did
recently I want to be able to go jet
skiing so when I look at my life in my
lifestyle that I want to maintain it
requires me to hike a little longer it
requires me to eat more vegetables and
protein it requires me my choice of how
I want to live requires my alignment and
what I put in my body or how I stay
active in my body so when I date I don’t
I don’t do dinner dates I’m not
interested in doing dinner dates you
want to date me let’s go on a hike let’s
go skating ice skating roller skating is
going to walk I want active dates in my
dating experience because that’s an
alignment with my life’s purpose so what
are you choosing let’s not even look at
willpower
let’s look at choices because choice is
something you can control in every
single moment and the choice you made
yesterday if it wasn’t alignment with
your greatest goal and your highest
purpose
okay yesterday’s yesterday make a new
choice today you’re not ever condemned
or sentenced to making the same choice
over and over and over again every day
every moment you have a new opportunity
to make a new choice rule number six
love what you do with Barack Obama
how can you inspire children who want to
follow a political career path to become
the but the best they possibly can in
the future and stuff like that
are you interested mm-hmm that’s great
I’m proud of you for that Thanks
my most important advice is worry more
about what you want to do rather than
what you want to be this is actually by
the way pretty good advice generally not
just for public service because because
it when I meet when I meet the if you
look at if you look at the most
successful business people they are
people who just love the thing they’re
doing rule number seven be the best
version of yourself with Michael B
seriously
the best version
don’t worry about
and rule number eight the last cut
before a very special bonus clip is be
different with Muhammad Ali it’s really
silly when you think about fighting I
look at other fighters fighting us I
must be a fool here are two men like two
roosters your million fights they
take two roosters and they put them out
and they put knives all over the roses
and fighting each other and they’re not
even mad don’t know each other and just
to please somebody and I hear two men in
the ring fighting each other and they
hitting each other all right Nick bleed
and then fight me
what did man about they’re not mad about
nothing just just a bunch a dirt ate and
blood those two people saying you can
whoop him he can whip him I’m making
Whoopie old man all right y’all get in a
fight assessment and you said not that
dressed up drinking your beer and this
is serious the nose bleeding eyes cut
the teeth is out and the brain they
might have a concussion just to please
you human beings as real savage and I
said I’m not gonna be that kind of fight
I’m gonna dance and be pretty I’m just
gonna win on point and if I hurt my man
I’m gonna let him go I’m not going to
kill him just because somebody’s
watching I did it to Floyd Patterson I
did it to George Chuvalo I did it to
call miltenberger I did to hitting a
Koopa when he start bleeding I pulled
off her deliberately blood just pumping
and gushing and he’s got a family he’s
got children and I just came James Ellis
I can’t see myself put a man on the
ropes and just to prove how bad I am and
I see I got in his eyes in his head he’s
helpless and I’m just devil day hitting
him I don’t do that what I believe
nation this is Devon Trish it’s like
four nine in the morning I just left the
gym but I wanted to just leave a quick
message and let you guys know that your
one decision away from living the best
life your one decision away from living
the life of your dreams of life that you
imagine and that one decision typically
is you saying yes to your destiny yes to
your purpose yes and in putting yourself
in a pivot yourself permission to live
to dream and to be more than you can
even think of so today
choose yes choose your destiny choose
yourself choose love choose family never
forget to believe
you
now I’ve got a really special bonus clip
I think you’re gonna enjoy with Kevin
Hart on how to keep going in the face of
failure but first I’d love to know what
did you guys learn from this video what
was the most impactful message that
you’re gonna take home and apply to your
life to your business leave it down in
the comments below I’m really curious to
find out please share it and as you
share it as you share the lesson that
meant the most to you now you gotta take
some action don’t just watch another
video write it down
commit to doing something about it and
then go out and take some action leave
it down in the comments below thank you
guys so much for watching I believe in
you I hope you continue to believe in
yourself and whatever your one word is
much love I’ll see you soon and enjoy
people are just afraid man so many
people are afraid of rejection of
failure but without failure you’d have
no success what was the one that stung
the most as far as failure we’re stuck
the most biggest failure I had a TV show
called the big house got picked up by
ABC they told me that we were gonna do
12 episodes flew me down to New York
this is the biggest news ever I’m about
to be rich holy I’m 22 I got a TV
show I’m writing executive producing
starring in the show you know what no
I’m not just gonna go down there by
myself we got to bring the cash they
said no Kevin we only flying you I said
well I’m a pay for the cast to come I
took my own money flew them all down in
New York get to New York put on my suit
people taking pictures of me walking out
this is the best thing ever
holy Sh I’m famous this is what it is I
get to the up front up front to where
they turn out your TV show the slowest
shows there Nelson your time slots I’m
next they’re bothered announce the big
house somebody puts their hand on my
chest and says Kevin wait they talking
to earpiece they said nope I’m standing
with him right now I’m like what’s going
on what they want me to do you know they
want me go on the other side or
something he goes okay I’ll tell him
they cancelled they’re not gonna pick
you up you got to step back and I was
like that don’t sound right literally
that fast they sent me home they’re like
you gotta just go home TV show got
picked up six months later for six
episodes the third episodes aired they
canceled show again I got the show can’t
do twice in a six-month period which has
never been done before I booked about
three more pilots got cancelled there
was a show called John Stamos his show
he was a publicist and they wanted me as
a series regular the show was going
great ratings were good put me on the
it was everything got touched on TV
tarnish I’m now just sitting out here
doing nothing I had no money borrow
money left and right I decided to say
forget I said I’m just gonna do stand-up
comedy and focus on my craft and I
slaved the role for about five years
doing the same circuit over and over
again collecting email addresses and
then once I felt that I did good in the
college circuit I went to comedy clubs
at the comedy clubs then I said all
right
I’m gonna do comedy clubs again I did
another round I did another round and
then I say y’all I’m selling out the
comedy clubs after five six years maybe
I should try theaters gotta theaters
like two years three years by myself
everything was me by myself it’s a point
where I got two arenas and I said I’m
gonna do another round of arenas and
then I start doing multiple shows two or
three shows at arenas and then I say yo
you know what I’m doing Rinas again then
I was doing four and five shows in one
city in arenas so per city I was
averaging 50 to 60 thousand people so I
was doing stadium numbers in every city
which made me go I can do a stadium but
I’m only gonna do one stadium to make it
epic which was Philadelphia
I just summed up 15 or 16 years of my
career raise your standard Apple at the
core its core value is that that people
passion and love one drop of most
self-worth depends on your it’s supposed
to mean I don’t ever give up I’d have to
be dead or absolutely incapacitated hey
believe nation if you want to see my
all-time favorite top ten most a success
I have a very special secret video for
you these are the individual clips that
I have personally learned the most from
and applied to my life and my business
check the link the description for details