welcome everybody to another YouTube
hang out super excited to be here with
you guys talk some entrepreneurship and
I have a special guest with me Dana
Micallef he’s a successful entrepreneur
40 years old based out of Florida it’s
got a company called America American
consumer credit sorry you can check it
out a consumer credit com we’re going to
talk today about his story which is an
inspiring one that I think you guys will
enjoy talk about risk and its role in
being a success as an entrepreneur and
whatever questions you guys want to ask
as well Dina welcome aboard man welcome
nice to be on Evan it’s a great honor
I’m jealous of sunny Florida I’m based
in Toronto Canada and I’m looking at its
snow and freezing thur ouch ouch yeah
it’s a probably about 77 degrees out
there today so you rubbing it in man
you’re running you know I way what can I
say it is beautiful I’ll look it up the
window at the at the intercoastal
waterway here yeah come a long way I
love it well we’ll be down there in
March a good we go to Disney every year
so we’ll be down there soon enough good
too we’ve got a whole bunch of people
already watching in and tuning in but
before get into their questions I want
to just quickly talk about your story
and your path and how you got to being
sober and the one to start your business
and I think it’s an inspiring one that
could you just share a little about it
for the audience yeah you know I have
really where to start i mean i have had
american consumer credits in 2004 i
helped people with all types of
financial problems restructuring debts
things of that nature then you know
through throughout the years dealing
with you know banking the industry and
learning those laws and also growing up
in the the sunny Florida daytona beach
area ormond beach area orlando disney
you know that’s a big the number one
timeshare destination in the in the
world so you know I also worked in that
industry when you know in between jobs
and whatnot so you know coming from with
them but both both those backgrounds in
2011
got sober and kind of you know put to
bed my ways and and changed changed my
life as a drinking and partying and
doing those things and I just had this
overwhelming desire to give back man
like you know I just wanted to just give
back in some way and and and whether it
was right wrongs or whatever the case
was I just had had a desire to do so and
and through a lot of you know thought
and I put together both the backgrounds
I had to solve one major problem in
Florida which was a timeshare resales
I’m sure resales were types of resale
fraud if you want to call it that or
where people call you up on the phone if
you on a time sure tell you that they
can sell it for you well that was the
number one fraud in the state of Florida
at the at the time a matter of fact it
was a the number one by four times as
many complaints as the next four
complaint categories combined it was so
bad and it was just really of lack of
knowledge out there of what a timeshare
wasn’t and and and how how it worked and
the ownership of it and so on so I you
know I had an idea to put to put
together just a really just educating
people and go out there and let people
know what it was they had and that they
can’t sell this for any type of
financial gain I mean people are trying
to unload these things for a dollar but
I uh on you on ebay and things like that
but I I and between my history with
financial things and financial programs
was able to kind of put together a
program where i was able to exit these
people out of these contracts if they’ve
entered into because you know when they
go to on these on these trips you know
based on the contract it’s and it’s
thick two inches thick and they don’t
have time to read it and they really
don’t know what they gotten themselves
into and it’s not until they get home
sit down whether it’s a week or month
later and find out what what they have
and it’s a really hard contract to
actually get rid of and be be taken
yeah exit from so that’s the kind of the
program i put together and I tell you
just uh you know just time after time
just putting everything I had into it
and and just trying to just get it out
there and do something different than
everybody did before because nobody was
doing that that nobody was doing this
nobody was actually telling people the
truth you know that hey listen you got
into something that you know you just it
doesn’t have any value at nine times out
of ten and you really just can’t unload
these things and you have to be released
from it in a structured way you can’t
just walk away you know ask as Americans
we seem to think you know we’re brought
up to either when we buy something we
throw it away or we sell it and that’s
just not the case with the timeshare
it’s uh it’s a little bit different got
it so the session here we’re talking
about there’s no success without risk
tell us about your philosophy why we
need risk what’s your what’s your
approach what advice you have for
entrepreneurs around that well I’ll tell
you I mean where that comes from is just
you know every day it you know it’s it’s
a it’s a it’s a risk everything or or
you know or no it’s risk everything
every day I mean that’s how I’ve always
been you know back through my my days of
drinking and things it was a little bit
more of an unstructured risk that I was
taking every day and I would you know
lose a lot and I was able to rebuild
from nothing and but every day it’s you
know this just just hit take for
instance this past year you know having
the right people in the right places and
and and you know putting those people
and giving them everything you’ve gotten
to to make things happen for your
company I mean just in this past year
we’ve taken our company from you know
earning you know 1.72 to well over
probably six million this year and I
mean that’s something that’s every day
we’re risking everything just to get the
education out there to people that you
know that it’s being truthful it’s at
that transparent marketing just
on everybody just how it is and and just
getting out there in front of them and
letting people know the truth and that’s
just paid dividends for us I’ve lost
sound here so no you’re big on
transparent marketing uh can you talk a
little bit about what you’re doing in
that respect and how it’s helping you
with your company just you know we
probably put out you know we were
discussing this before you know six
thousand the seven thousand words of
content on a monthly basis between our
blogs and just educational information
that we’re getting out there to people
that have this problem you know it’s
been a problem where you know people
have lost hundreds of thousands of
dollars of their their savings due to
these these timeshares just to for the
simple fact that maybe somebody calls
him up on the phone and tells them that
they can sell it or that it’s been sold
it’s been a leading a scam for a very
long time and it’s a matter of just
pushing that content out there to just
let people know that you know it’s not a
paid in here you’re not going to get
rich off this thing don’t don’t listen
to it and just to solve that problem and
to fix that pain it’s just getting that
marketing out there and being
transparent and everything that we do
through Google reviews and mainly Google
I mean that’s the authority these days
and that’s where in facebook obviously
but it’s just being transparent and
everything that we do and the people
that we help yes so growing from one to
six million dollars in a short amount of
time you know congrats is it’s a
tremendous growth for those six thousand
words of marketing that you’re putting
out all the time if you had to pick the
one that you’re feeling you you have the
most traction with that you’ve had the
most success with where would you put
that it’s hard to say the stories you
know getting real consumer based stories
of people that have gone through these
same pains as the other people they can
relate to
picks up a lot of traction it just it’s
real it’s raw it’s it brings back the
memories of what happened to them so
that’s that’s huge and you’re sharing
that on your on your own blog or on
Facebook or YouTube or what where you
put that that I believe that runs all
through google facebook twitter you know
in those channels cool all free those
you watching live you have some
questions that you want me to ask dana
pop it in here and we’ll get to them
some of them already coming in Malik is
asking how do you keep momentum going in
achieving your goal so how have you kept
the momentum going for your goals Dana
uh well I keep the momentum going I try
to keep everything I’m doing fresh I try
to revisit all my processes and try to
try to you know to bring them new to try
to you know fix things whether they’re
broke or not and I also try to have fun
and what I’m doing I believe in really
that we only live once man you got to
get out there and have fun in what
you’re doing and and and with your
family you know I have a newborn baby
and I’ll tell you that’s probably the
most motivation i can i can find cool
around goals do you set specific goals
for yourself for the business revenue or
number of people that you want to help
with their contracts or or is it just i
just want to keep going and grinding do
you set goals for yourself every year I
mean I said you know some some goals for
sure but but the majority of the most
part it’s just getting it out there and
grinding and getting that content out
there because I know in the end it the
more I talk about this with people such
as yourself and you know get that
content out there that the more people
are going to see that and the less
people that will fall victims to these
you know fraudulent type activities that
happen after the purchase of these
things I don’t I next up Dina is it true
there’s no success without risk how much
risk can a person take
I’ve you know hey man since I was young
I’ve risked everything I would I would I
would take my rent money and Gamble that
on making my business just that much
better just for that one week so I could
you know I’ll pay the late fee the rent
you know next week you know that was
always my philosophy and I don’t think
that if you’re willing to risk if you’re
not willing to risk everything at any
time then this isn’t for you okay ah
yeah okay next up mercy is asking asking
about books that you read whether
there’s books that you like and whether
you read one at a time or two to three
at once what do you think oh well books
i can say i’m not a huge reader i did do
a lot of reading a lot of my reading
happened obviously when I was
incarcerated myself back in the day I’ve
never you know haven’t been an angel my
whole life until I changed my ways in
2011 but uh now I pick up motivational
books by other entrepreneurs that
they’ve written about their stories and
try to get and pull from from those but
as far as a reading for fun that I don’t
but we’re reading for work sure you know
with that that’s about where I
motivational that you know is it is
there one light is there a story or an
author that you related really well too
uh well yeah recently I read Ryan stoom
and was a hardcore closer look closer I
think yeah so just like on sales
techniques well just uh just a relate
and just life I guess is that to hear ya
oh ah question around college versus
self-learning the risks of doing it on
your own what do you think I’m so
Fleming have to go with self learning
man you know I was kicked out and
expelled from school in the eighth grade
and I homeschooled myself the rest of
the way and taught myself what I needed
to know and the important stuff was
learned and the non important things
were thrown out and you know between
that and the street smarts and and so I
have to go with self self learning you
know you have to have some structure in
your life for sure but but I think
college isn’t all it’s cracked up to be
but alright just the truth hey
transparency right datacenter / that’s
this day that that’s that’s my number
one motto uh Thomas is asking what would
you do to start a business if you only
had a hundred dollars i had a hundred
dollars i’ve started businesses with
less so I could you know I could start
to any business pretty much for minimal
dollars it doesn’t take much it really
takes you know more of the motivation
and know-how and if you can if you can
sell yourself to people and if you can
make a deal then you can negotiate your
way into the first you know your first
sets of marketing or you can I can’t
tell you how many times I gotta break
somebody off on the just with the
promise of something on the back end and
but you know the one thing is to always
deliver and always to fulfill on your
promises and never to be that guy that
reneik sand goes back and it’s one thing
about me is it you know nobody can say
I’ve ever burned them on anything it’s
all about just following through on your
promises and and you can be successful
if you can make that deal happen I don’t
Emile is asking how to keep your team
motivated and inspired so maybe what is
your team look like now and then how do
you keep them motivated inspired well
now I’ve got a team of roughly 14 to 16
people we have a great office at
environment you’ve got a mess well and
that’s one of my things I mean you have
to you know mess well
the other people in the office on it I
don’t believe that work should be
somewhere where you go and not like it
if you don’t like your job you probably
won’t last at my company you have to
enjoy what you’re doing and enjoy
helping the people that we help and if
that’s not your mindset and if it’s just
about you know coming and banging out
you know those hours and getting out of
there and then that’s not going to it’s
probably not going to pan out for you in
the long run I mark open is there
anything that you do on a regular basis
to connect with the team and oh yeah we
have yeah yeah we have you know
breakfast together we you know we buy
breakfast every part twice a week I mean
if not lunch of once or twice a week and
we all just get down on some food and
just you know you know there’s a lunch
we go across the street there we have a
nice little place we try to get away and
helps half the staff switching so
there’s things that we do we have a
little Christmas party the girls always
get together have little baby showers
together I mean it’s a really really
close environment that we have because
you know what we’re all you’re dealing
with people that have been through a lot
from from the time they purchase one of
these things if they if they fall victim
to certain you know tactics of others
that have you know approach them but it
can be it can be it can take a toll it
doesn’t like it take a toll and so it’s
a it’s it I tell my staff this isn’t
just a you know or you know its sales or
anything like that mean this is the Cong
counseling position your counseling
these people i mean we’re talking to
people that have lost hundreds of
thousands of dollars to victims i mean
it’s it’s it’s nasty stuff out there so
it’s not always pretty so we have to you
have to keep that type of environment
you have to keep a happy positive
environment negativity does not exist in
more in my office it’s something that is
it can be a cancer in any office and i
highly highly believe that you have to
eradicate that quit with a quickness if
it is in your offices
how do you go about hiring somebody then
so you’ve got a tight-knit culture you
know it’s like a little family now you
got to introduce new people into it as
you grow from now six million to 15 and
beyond and wherever you’re going to next
what systems are process to use to make
sure that the new people coming on will
fit into the culture well I’ll be honest
it’s hard it’s uh it’s hard it’s it
that’s been one of our probably one of
the biggest things that I’ve struggled
with personally is is that the hiring
process and finding the right people
because I really truly believe that you
really have to love what you’re doing
and if you’re not I’m just not going to
be happy with your work and if it’s
really hard to find somebody you know to
it really loves their job you know um so
yeah that’s that’s a hard one i Joseph
is asking hey Dana what’s the biggest
risk you’ve taken and why man oh no I I
take a lot of risks and I’ll tell you
you know on a daily basis you know that
there’s risks that have to be taken and
decisions that have to be made and but I
can tell you the Y the Y is being here
with you I mean you know doing you know
being successful success and and success
you know comes to other many people in
different ways but mine is you know my
family my home you know being able to
spend time with my family and that’s
that that’s that’s my ingame a meal is
asking who do you turn to for advice
when faced with a problem you haven’t
dealt with before I probably to turn to
one of my Cory’s I call them I got it
two of my guys that are 22 my best
friend’s Cory and Cory and I would turn
to one of those guys we all come from
similar type backgrounds and one of them
don’t have the answer then it probably
can’t be answered next one is do you
have any fear when you’re taking a risk
and how do you overcome that nah not
really man i really believe that
everything is gonna happen like it’s
supposed to happen and i just i jump but
you know all in with how i feel about
how it needs to go i’m really i’m
emotional based and if I feel like it’s
going to go one way I’m gonna jump in
all the way and I don’t I don’t fear at
all I don’t think not something I think
it’s in my thought process that’s
interesting very different a lot of
people are too afraid to take the jump
right like they have this idea they want
to do it they see a clear opportunity
but then all the limitations and
restrictions and fears like I can’t do
that or I didn’t go to school for that
right all the money for that listen you
world your excuses man I don’t know
what to tell you I mean you got to get
out there and go and get what’s yours I
mean if you see something you want to do
and you believe in it then you got to go
out there and just take it I like it I
mean I came from nothing bro i mean i’ve
been i’ve been down homeless sleeping on
the beach here i mean i wasn’t this one
hasn’t been a pretty road at all but i
tell you you know when you finally get
your life and your mind in the right
place and and and and you truly have a
desire to help people and do the right
thing and all bets are off as far as I’m
concerned because that’s just you know
game on for me alright next one is for
someone still in college do you think we
can build some skills that can’t be
taught in books yeah I mean you know
still in college yeah I mean there’s
always skills you can be taught I mean
you can go out there an internship or
you know you can get a job somewhere
with someone that you have the same
mindset as you just gotta you gotta
surround yourself i’m a big believer in
you got to surround yourself with the
people
you know that you want to be or that CR
that perform and think on your level
whether that’s in college or at a you
know gathering down the road you know
from you you can find those people and
get around those people and that’s going
to help you you know develop your mind
that’s what this is all about next one
is what is the greatest lesson you’ve
learned being an entrepreneur greatest
lesson I’ve learned you know I had that
answer the greatest lesson I learned is
you can’t take things too seriously you
know it and and you also you got to
surround yourself with the right people
so on yourself like I said with the
right people and the right mindset is is
crucial if you have people in your life
that are bringing you down another
negative about what you’re doing or
about how you’re doing it and you truly
believe what you’re doing and how you’re
doing it is the right thing you know I
truly believe you have to you know you
know eighty-six those people from your
life and that’s that’s unfortunate that
may be that may be a family member that
may be a best friend that’s bringing you
down but if that person is bringing you
down then that’s that’s something that
you’ve got to you gotta get that that’s
something I’ve learned you can’t you
can’t surround yourself with people that
don’t want to be successful if you want
to be successful or that are holding you
back from being successful mm-hmm but
whether they’re your blood or what they
are and that’s a that’s a hard one to
have to deal with so how did you make
that shift coming from the background
that you came from and not having the
greatest environment and not having the
greatest people around you you know not
having you know mentors and role models
say like be like this and they’re
guiding you every day a lot of people
came from where you are are still there
and they can’t escape that environment
and yet you did this thing watches
business and broke free what may
you different like what made that shift
happen for you that other people aren’t
able to do it I don’t know I I started
taking my own self inventory and I
stopped I stopped my excuses man I
honestly really i stopped
excuses that i had of why i can’t be
successful I’m a convicted felon on this
I I have a record you know I have all
these excuses that I had that I hear
from other people in my day-to-day life
still today and it’s it’s a big one it’s
it’s uh yeah I had I had to just change
my thought process I had to change my
thinking and if you can change your
thinking about how you think about your
your place in this in this life then
then you can change anything yo there’s
the pool was there a defining moment for
use like this is it I can’t do this
anymore like I should be doing more like
a moment yeah I woke up in a jail cell
for the last time on january 10th orgy
yeah Jerry 10th 2011 and then the first
you know my first day back to this life
today is was a you know junior 11th 2011
which is my sobriety date which is the
first clean day of you know sober day of
my life you know where I changed my
thought process and decided that I
wasn’t going to live that way anymore
and that no matter what happened I was
going to change my life and be
successful and I was going to put all
this other aside behind me nice
manuel is asking Dana I’m 19 and this
month I’m going to start my own company
do you have any advice for me yeah just
do go go with your heart and go with
your gut and you know believe in what
you’re doing and try to just definitely
surround yourself with the right people
they have the right mindset in the right
the same goals and if they’re telling
you can’t do it then you don’t want them
around and tell them just to off
coming excuse my language but I just the
negative the negativity as i said is
something that
you can’t have in your life so one thing
you take from this keep the negative
people away from you I like it Ali is
saying Dana did you have a hard time
with your wife or family members during
your early days of setting up your
business and how did you manage that
moment or situation um no I you know I
mean I family members sure I mean I had
a family member that was always telling
me you know you need to get a real job
you need to you know go and and and get
a job hey just stop what you’re doing
stop the madness stop your your crazy
ways you know you’re never gonna be able
to build this into anything and you know
stop sitting in your bedroom and your
computer trying to make all this happen
and go out there and do something with
your life and I just went listen to him
I just you know said you know I gotta do
something different and that’s what I
did well uh how hard was the first year
after you decided to change your life
the first year was the artist just
because I was having to go back into
working in the timeshare industry and I
was realizing like I couldn’t even sleep
I couldn’t I mean it was so bad I was
like I can’t I see this happening and
now I’m sober and I’m like wow I can’t I
can’t be around this anymore so I
couldn’t work in that industry and being
you know I my back up my history and you
know couldn’t find a good job doing
anything else so is uh there was it was
tough man it was it was tough I was a
you know every month I was three months
behind on my rent it was but I I just
had a vision I was trying to put
something and make something happen you
know based on you know as I said you
know to change this this whole industry
that I saw this pain and i saw this
problem and i just needed to figure it
out and really just you know sit on my
balcony and look at the you know the
ocean ago you know what can I do what
can I do to change this you know I’m
how can i fix this and it just started
coming to me next up hi Dina have you
recruited any other former timeshare
salesman and if so do you think your
positive message has helped them has
helped to do that have you recruited any
other former time sure salesman and if
so do you think your positive message
has helped them to do that yeah I have
had a couple people come work for me
that have been that it worked in the
timeshare industry one thing I’m really
really adding it about is that they’ve
did they know what we’re doing here is
for good and it’s amazing how people
have a hard time leaving the lies behind
like they can’t do it it’s like the most
like they can’t sell unless they lie and
or something you know it’s like wow you
know but so you really have to change
you really have to change your mindset
you’re thinking your thought process and
you have to you have to really truly
have put that type of life behind you
and it’s it’s not for everyone i mean
it’s really hard to do most of the
people that work I wouldn’t say most of
the people nowadays but at the very
beginning the majority of my staff was
recovering addicts that were in recovery
and they had worked in timeshare or
something like that so it’s a that’s a
great question and yeah it’s my
beginning days though yeah it was a lot
of recovering addicts that had been
former temperature so it wasn’t anybody
that really didn’t have that also that
also that that other aspect of that
addiction and timeshare so cut up samee
shall i get uh you get a lot of love in
the chat this guy’s great dina has
interesting life i love this dude people
like your coconut water as well FYI they
want to know when you’re gonna write a
book or do you have a book I do have one
I’m working on still working on I guess
some
in the outlines done i’ll be starting to
put it on to actual paper here real soon
what what’s the theme I just kind of you
know the just life story of just don’t
give up man and just you can Co overcome
anything if I if I can’t overcome the
things that I’ve been through and and
and grow it up where I grew up and and
just just be Who I am and then you know
the deep disease I had of my addiction
was bad and if I can if I can do it and
that pretty much anybody can they just
use got it you gotta change your thought
process in your anything that’s it love
it well you have a ready audience for
when you have your book out people are
already asking for it so it’s cool oh
it’s crazy how quickly time flies we’re
already at the end do you have any kind
of final words of advice wisdom you want
to share with my audience uh you know
just go out there and do it what you
believe in and and what you want to do
and and you can do anything if you just
put your mind to it and put your excuses
to the side because that was one of my
biggest things was I had every excuse in
the book of why I could why I couldn’t
do this why I couldn’t do that well I
can’t do that cuz I don’t have a license
so I can’t do that because I’m a felon I
can’t do that you know because you know
my I only have a one bedroom apartment I
don’t have enough room for a desk over
here and to be you know it’s all excuses
and if you just put that aside you
know you can do anything we’re in the
age with these phones and everything you
have I didn’t have that you know I had
to have a printer and a computer i’ll
set up somewhere and i had to make it
happen i was getting kicked out of every
house I would live somewhere for two or
three months I get kicked out and have
to find another place and hustle my way
in you know and you know I’m carrying
around a big monitor there’s this big
you know probably weighed 100 pounds and
yeah I mean nowadays you guys can you
know we can you can start a business on
your phone and just you know it’s crazy
so just go out there and do it man just
your excuses I love it well thank
you for taking the time today Dana thank
you guys for watching you could check
come out at a consumer credit calm it’s
linked up in the description as well
continue to believe guys and we’ll see
you soon thanks thanks man
hang out super excited to be here with
you guys talk some entrepreneurship and
I have a special guest with me Dana
Micallef he’s a successful entrepreneur
40 years old based out of Florida it’s
got a company called America American
consumer credit sorry you can check it
out a consumer credit com we’re going to
talk today about his story which is an
inspiring one that I think you guys will
enjoy talk about risk and its role in
being a success as an entrepreneur and
whatever questions you guys want to ask
as well Dina welcome aboard man welcome
nice to be on Evan it’s a great honor
I’m jealous of sunny Florida I’m based
in Toronto Canada and I’m looking at its
snow and freezing thur ouch ouch yeah
it’s a probably about 77 degrees out
there today so you rubbing it in man
you’re running you know I way what can I
say it is beautiful I’ll look it up the
window at the at the intercoastal
waterway here yeah come a long way I
love it well we’ll be down there in
March a good we go to Disney every year
so we’ll be down there soon enough good
too we’ve got a whole bunch of people
already watching in and tuning in but
before get into their questions I want
to just quickly talk about your story
and your path and how you got to being
sober and the one to start your business
and I think it’s an inspiring one that
could you just share a little about it
for the audience yeah you know I have
really where to start i mean i have had
american consumer credits in 2004 i
helped people with all types of
financial problems restructuring debts
things of that nature then you know
through throughout the years dealing
with you know banking the industry and
learning those laws and also growing up
in the the sunny Florida daytona beach
area ormond beach area orlando disney
you know that’s a big the number one
timeshare destination in the in the
world so you know I also worked in that
industry when you know in between jobs
and whatnot so you know coming from with
them but both both those backgrounds in
2011
got sober and kind of you know put to
bed my ways and and changed changed my
life as a drinking and partying and
doing those things and I just had this
overwhelming desire to give back man
like you know I just wanted to just give
back in some way and and and whether it
was right wrongs or whatever the case
was I just had had a desire to do so and
and through a lot of you know thought
and I put together both the backgrounds
I had to solve one major problem in
Florida which was a timeshare resales
I’m sure resales were types of resale
fraud if you want to call it that or
where people call you up on the phone if
you on a time sure tell you that they
can sell it for you well that was the
number one fraud in the state of Florida
at the at the time a matter of fact it
was a the number one by four times as
many complaints as the next four
complaint categories combined it was so
bad and it was just really of lack of
knowledge out there of what a timeshare
wasn’t and and and how how it worked and
the ownership of it and so on so I you
know I had an idea to put to put
together just a really just educating
people and go out there and let people
know what it was they had and that they
can’t sell this for any type of
financial gain I mean people are trying
to unload these things for a dollar but
I uh on you on ebay and things like that
but I I and between my history with
financial things and financial programs
was able to kind of put together a
program where i was able to exit these
people out of these contracts if they’ve
entered into because you know when they
go to on these on these trips you know
based on the contract it’s and it’s
thick two inches thick and they don’t
have time to read it and they really
don’t know what they gotten themselves
into and it’s not until they get home
sit down whether it’s a week or month
later and find out what what they have
and it’s a really hard contract to
actually get rid of and be be taken
yeah exit from so that’s the kind of the
program i put together and I tell you
just uh you know just time after time
just putting everything I had into it
and and just trying to just get it out
there and do something different than
everybody did before because nobody was
doing that that nobody was doing this
nobody was actually telling people the
truth you know that hey listen you got
into something that you know you just it
doesn’t have any value at nine times out
of ten and you really just can’t unload
these things and you have to be released
from it in a structured way you can’t
just walk away you know ask as Americans
we seem to think you know we’re brought
up to either when we buy something we
throw it away or we sell it and that’s
just not the case with the timeshare
it’s uh it’s a little bit different got
it so the session here we’re talking
about there’s no success without risk
tell us about your philosophy why we
need risk what’s your what’s your
approach what advice you have for
entrepreneurs around that well I’ll tell
you I mean where that comes from is just
you know every day it you know it’s it’s
a it’s a it’s a risk everything or or
you know or no it’s risk everything
every day I mean that’s how I’ve always
been you know back through my my days of
drinking and things it was a little bit
more of an unstructured risk that I was
taking every day and I would you know
lose a lot and I was able to rebuild
from nothing and but every day it’s you
know this just just hit take for
instance this past year you know having
the right people in the right places and
and and you know putting those people
and giving them everything you’ve gotten
to to make things happen for your
company I mean just in this past year
we’ve taken our company from you know
earning you know 1.72 to well over
probably six million this year and I
mean that’s something that’s every day
we’re risking everything just to get the
education out there to people that you
know that it’s being truthful it’s at
that transparent marketing just
on everybody just how it is and and just
getting out there in front of them and
letting people know the truth and that’s
just paid dividends for us I’ve lost
sound here so no you’re big on
transparent marketing uh can you talk a
little bit about what you’re doing in
that respect and how it’s helping you
with your company just you know we
probably put out you know we were
discussing this before you know six
thousand the seven thousand words of
content on a monthly basis between our
blogs and just educational information
that we’re getting out there to people
that have this problem you know it’s
been a problem where you know people
have lost hundreds of thousands of
dollars of their their savings due to
these these timeshares just to for the
simple fact that maybe somebody calls
him up on the phone and tells them that
they can sell it or that it’s been sold
it’s been a leading a scam for a very
long time and it’s a matter of just
pushing that content out there to just
let people know that you know it’s not a
paid in here you’re not going to get
rich off this thing don’t don’t listen
to it and just to solve that problem and
to fix that pain it’s just getting that
marketing out there and being
transparent and everything that we do
through Google reviews and mainly Google
I mean that’s the authority these days
and that’s where in facebook obviously
but it’s just being transparent and
everything that we do and the people
that we help yes so growing from one to
six million dollars in a short amount of
time you know congrats is it’s a
tremendous growth for those six thousand
words of marketing that you’re putting
out all the time if you had to pick the
one that you’re feeling you you have the
most traction with that you’ve had the
most success with where would you put
that it’s hard to say the stories you
know getting real consumer based stories
of people that have gone through these
same pains as the other people they can
relate to
picks up a lot of traction it just it’s
real it’s raw it’s it brings back the
memories of what happened to them so
that’s that’s huge and you’re sharing
that on your on your own blog or on
Facebook or YouTube or what where you
put that that I believe that runs all
through google facebook twitter you know
in those channels cool all free those
you watching live you have some
questions that you want me to ask dana
pop it in here and we’ll get to them
some of them already coming in Malik is
asking how do you keep momentum going in
achieving your goal so how have you kept
the momentum going for your goals Dana
uh well I keep the momentum going I try
to keep everything I’m doing fresh I try
to revisit all my processes and try to
try to you know to bring them new to try
to you know fix things whether they’re
broke or not and I also try to have fun
and what I’m doing I believe in really
that we only live once man you got to
get out there and have fun in what
you’re doing and and and with your
family you know I have a newborn baby
and I’ll tell you that’s probably the
most motivation i can i can find cool
around goals do you set specific goals
for yourself for the business revenue or
number of people that you want to help
with their contracts or or is it just i
just want to keep going and grinding do
you set goals for yourself every year I
mean I said you know some some goals for
sure but but the majority of the most
part it’s just getting it out there and
grinding and getting that content out
there because I know in the end it the
more I talk about this with people such
as yourself and you know get that
content out there that the more people
are going to see that and the less
people that will fall victims to these
you know fraudulent type activities that
happen after the purchase of these
things I don’t I next up Dina is it true
there’s no success without risk how much
risk can a person take
I’ve you know hey man since I was young
I’ve risked everything I would I would I
would take my rent money and Gamble that
on making my business just that much
better just for that one week so I could
you know I’ll pay the late fee the rent
you know next week you know that was
always my philosophy and I don’t think
that if you’re willing to risk if you’re
not willing to risk everything at any
time then this isn’t for you okay ah
yeah okay next up mercy is asking asking
about books that you read whether
there’s books that you like and whether
you read one at a time or two to three
at once what do you think oh well books
i can say i’m not a huge reader i did do
a lot of reading a lot of my reading
happened obviously when I was
incarcerated myself back in the day I’ve
never you know haven’t been an angel my
whole life until I changed my ways in
2011 but uh now I pick up motivational
books by other entrepreneurs that
they’ve written about their stories and
try to get and pull from from those but
as far as a reading for fun that I don’t
but we’re reading for work sure you know
with that that’s about where I
motivational that you know is it is
there one light is there a story or an
author that you related really well too
uh well yeah recently I read Ryan stoom
and was a hardcore closer look closer I
think yeah so just like on sales
techniques well just uh just a relate
and just life I guess is that to hear ya
oh ah question around college versus
self-learning the risks of doing it on
your own what do you think I’m so
Fleming have to go with self learning
man you know I was kicked out and
expelled from school in the eighth grade
and I homeschooled myself the rest of
the way and taught myself what I needed
to know and the important stuff was
learned and the non important things
were thrown out and you know between
that and the street smarts and and so I
have to go with self self learning you
know you have to have some structure in
your life for sure but but I think
college isn’t all it’s cracked up to be
but alright just the truth hey
transparency right datacenter / that’s
this day that that’s that’s my number
one motto uh Thomas is asking what would
you do to start a business if you only
had a hundred dollars i had a hundred
dollars i’ve started businesses with
less so I could you know I could start
to any business pretty much for minimal
dollars it doesn’t take much it really
takes you know more of the motivation
and know-how and if you can if you can
sell yourself to people and if you can
make a deal then you can negotiate your
way into the first you know your first
sets of marketing or you can I can’t
tell you how many times I gotta break
somebody off on the just with the
promise of something on the back end and
but you know the one thing is to always
deliver and always to fulfill on your
promises and never to be that guy that
reneik sand goes back and it’s one thing
about me is it you know nobody can say
I’ve ever burned them on anything it’s
all about just following through on your
promises and and you can be successful
if you can make that deal happen I don’t
Emile is asking how to keep your team
motivated and inspired so maybe what is
your team look like now and then how do
you keep them motivated inspired well
now I’ve got a team of roughly 14 to 16
people we have a great office at
environment you’ve got a mess well and
that’s one of my things I mean you have
to you know mess well
the other people in the office on it I
don’t believe that work should be
somewhere where you go and not like it
if you don’t like your job you probably
won’t last at my company you have to
enjoy what you’re doing and enjoy
helping the people that we help and if
that’s not your mindset and if it’s just
about you know coming and banging out
you know those hours and getting out of
there and then that’s not going to it’s
probably not going to pan out for you in
the long run I mark open is there
anything that you do on a regular basis
to connect with the team and oh yeah we
have yeah yeah we have you know
breakfast together we you know we buy
breakfast every part twice a week I mean
if not lunch of once or twice a week and
we all just get down on some food and
just you know you know there’s a lunch
we go across the street there we have a
nice little place we try to get away and
helps half the staff switching so
there’s things that we do we have a
little Christmas party the girls always
get together have little baby showers
together I mean it’s a really really
close environment that we have because
you know what we’re all you’re dealing
with people that have been through a lot
from from the time they purchase one of
these things if they if they fall victim
to certain you know tactics of others
that have you know approach them but it
can be it can be it can take a toll it
doesn’t like it take a toll and so it’s
a it’s it I tell my staff this isn’t
just a you know or you know its sales or
anything like that mean this is the Cong
counseling position your counseling
these people i mean we’re talking to
people that have lost hundreds of
thousands of dollars to victims i mean
it’s it’s it’s nasty stuff out there so
it’s not always pretty so we have to you
have to keep that type of environment
you have to keep a happy positive
environment negativity does not exist in
more in my office it’s something that is
it can be a cancer in any office and i
highly highly believe that you have to
eradicate that quit with a quickness if
it is in your offices
how do you go about hiring somebody then
so you’ve got a tight-knit culture you
know it’s like a little family now you
got to introduce new people into it as
you grow from now six million to 15 and
beyond and wherever you’re going to next
what systems are process to use to make
sure that the new people coming on will
fit into the culture well I’ll be honest
it’s hard it’s uh it’s hard it’s it
that’s been one of our probably one of
the biggest things that I’ve struggled
with personally is is that the hiring
process and finding the right people
because I really truly believe that you
really have to love what you’re doing
and if you’re not I’m just not going to
be happy with your work and if it’s
really hard to find somebody you know to
it really loves their job you know um so
yeah that’s that’s a hard one i Joseph
is asking hey Dana what’s the biggest
risk you’ve taken and why man oh no I I
take a lot of risks and I’ll tell you
you know on a daily basis you know that
there’s risks that have to be taken and
decisions that have to be made and but I
can tell you the Y the Y is being here
with you I mean you know doing you know
being successful success and and success
you know comes to other many people in
different ways but mine is you know my
family my home you know being able to
spend time with my family and that’s
that that’s that’s my ingame a meal is
asking who do you turn to for advice
when faced with a problem you haven’t
dealt with before I probably to turn to
one of my Cory’s I call them I got it
two of my guys that are 22 my best
friend’s Cory and Cory and I would turn
to one of those guys we all come from
similar type backgrounds and one of them
don’t have the answer then it probably
can’t be answered next one is do you
have any fear when you’re taking a risk
and how do you overcome that nah not
really man i really believe that
everything is gonna happen like it’s
supposed to happen and i just i jump but
you know all in with how i feel about
how it needs to go i’m really i’m
emotional based and if I feel like it’s
going to go one way I’m gonna jump in
all the way and I don’t I don’t fear at
all I don’t think not something I think
it’s in my thought process that’s
interesting very different a lot of
people are too afraid to take the jump
right like they have this idea they want
to do it they see a clear opportunity
but then all the limitations and
restrictions and fears like I can’t do
that or I didn’t go to school for that
right all the money for that listen you
world your excuses man I don’t know
what to tell you I mean you got to get
out there and go and get what’s yours I
mean if you see something you want to do
and you believe in it then you got to go
out there and just take it I like it I
mean I came from nothing bro i mean i’ve
been i’ve been down homeless sleeping on
the beach here i mean i wasn’t this one
hasn’t been a pretty road at all but i
tell you you know when you finally get
your life and your mind in the right
place and and and and you truly have a
desire to help people and do the right
thing and all bets are off as far as I’m
concerned because that’s just you know
game on for me alright next one is for
someone still in college do you think we
can build some skills that can’t be
taught in books yeah I mean you know
still in college yeah I mean there’s
always skills you can be taught I mean
you can go out there an internship or
you know you can get a job somewhere
with someone that you have the same
mindset as you just gotta you gotta
surround yourself i’m a big believer in
you got to surround yourself with the
people
you know that you want to be or that CR
that perform and think on your level
whether that’s in college or at a you
know gathering down the road you know
from you you can find those people and
get around those people and that’s going
to help you you know develop your mind
that’s what this is all about next one
is what is the greatest lesson you’ve
learned being an entrepreneur greatest
lesson I’ve learned you know I had that
answer the greatest lesson I learned is
you can’t take things too seriously you
know it and and you also you got to
surround yourself with the right people
so on yourself like I said with the
right people and the right mindset is is
crucial if you have people in your life
that are bringing you down another
negative about what you’re doing or
about how you’re doing it and you truly
believe what you’re doing and how you’re
doing it is the right thing you know I
truly believe you have to you know you
know eighty-six those people from your
life and that’s that’s unfortunate that
may be that may be a family member that
may be a best friend that’s bringing you
down but if that person is bringing you
down then that’s that’s something that
you’ve got to you gotta get that that’s
something I’ve learned you can’t you
can’t surround yourself with people that
don’t want to be successful if you want
to be successful or that are holding you
back from being successful mm-hmm but
whether they’re your blood or what they
are and that’s a that’s a hard one to
have to deal with so how did you make
that shift coming from the background
that you came from and not having the
greatest environment and not having the
greatest people around you you know not
having you know mentors and role models
say like be like this and they’re
guiding you every day a lot of people
came from where you are are still there
and they can’t escape that environment
and yet you did this thing watches
business and broke free what may
you different like what made that shift
happen for you that other people aren’t
able to do it I don’t know I I started
taking my own self inventory and I
stopped I stopped my excuses man I
honestly really i stopped
excuses that i had of why i can’t be
successful I’m a convicted felon on this
I I have a record you know I have all
these excuses that I had that I hear
from other people in my day-to-day life
still today and it’s it’s a big one it’s
it’s uh yeah I had I had to just change
my thought process I had to change my
thinking and if you can change your
thinking about how you think about your
your place in this in this life then
then you can change anything yo there’s
the pool was there a defining moment for
use like this is it I can’t do this
anymore like I should be doing more like
a moment yeah I woke up in a jail cell
for the last time on january 10th orgy
yeah Jerry 10th 2011 and then the first
you know my first day back to this life
today is was a you know junior 11th 2011
which is my sobriety date which is the
first clean day of you know sober day of
my life you know where I changed my
thought process and decided that I
wasn’t going to live that way anymore
and that no matter what happened I was
going to change my life and be
successful and I was going to put all
this other aside behind me nice
manuel is asking Dana I’m 19 and this
month I’m going to start my own company
do you have any advice for me yeah just
do go go with your heart and go with
your gut and you know believe in what
you’re doing and try to just definitely
surround yourself with the right people
they have the right mindset in the right
the same goals and if they’re telling
you can’t do it then you don’t want them
around and tell them just to off
coming excuse my language but I just the
negative the negativity as i said is
something that
you can’t have in your life so one thing
you take from this keep the negative
people away from you I like it Ali is
saying Dana did you have a hard time
with your wife or family members during
your early days of setting up your
business and how did you manage that
moment or situation um no I you know I
mean I family members sure I mean I had
a family member that was always telling
me you know you need to get a real job
you need to you know go and and and get
a job hey just stop what you’re doing
stop the madness stop your your crazy
ways you know you’re never gonna be able
to build this into anything and you know
stop sitting in your bedroom and your
computer trying to make all this happen
and go out there and do something with
your life and I just went listen to him
I just you know said you know I gotta do
something different and that’s what I
did well uh how hard was the first year
after you decided to change your life
the first year was the artist just
because I was having to go back into
working in the timeshare industry and I
was realizing like I couldn’t even sleep
I couldn’t I mean it was so bad I was
like I can’t I see this happening and
now I’m sober and I’m like wow I can’t I
can’t be around this anymore so I
couldn’t work in that industry and being
you know I my back up my history and you
know couldn’t find a good job doing
anything else so is uh there was it was
tough man it was it was tough I was a
you know every month I was three months
behind on my rent it was but I I just
had a vision I was trying to put
something and make something happen you
know based on you know as I said you
know to change this this whole industry
that I saw this pain and i saw this
problem and i just needed to figure it
out and really just you know sit on my
balcony and look at the you know the
ocean ago you know what can I do what
can I do to change this you know I’m
how can i fix this and it just started
coming to me next up hi Dina have you
recruited any other former timeshare
salesman and if so do you think your
positive message has helped them has
helped to do that have you recruited any
other former time sure salesman and if
so do you think your positive message
has helped them to do that yeah I have
had a couple people come work for me
that have been that it worked in the
timeshare industry one thing I’m really
really adding it about is that they’ve
did they know what we’re doing here is
for good and it’s amazing how people
have a hard time leaving the lies behind
like they can’t do it it’s like the most
like they can’t sell unless they lie and
or something you know it’s like wow you
know but so you really have to change
you really have to change your mindset
you’re thinking your thought process and
you have to you have to really truly
have put that type of life behind you
and it’s it’s not for everyone i mean
it’s really hard to do most of the
people that work I wouldn’t say most of
the people nowadays but at the very
beginning the majority of my staff was
recovering addicts that were in recovery
and they had worked in timeshare or
something like that so it’s a that’s a
great question and yeah it’s my
beginning days though yeah it was a lot
of recovering addicts that had been
former temperature so it wasn’t anybody
that really didn’t have that also that
also that that other aspect of that
addiction and timeshare so cut up samee
shall i get uh you get a lot of love in
the chat this guy’s great dina has
interesting life i love this dude people
like your coconut water as well FYI they
want to know when you’re gonna write a
book or do you have a book I do have one
I’m working on still working on I guess
some
in the outlines done i’ll be starting to
put it on to actual paper here real soon
what what’s the theme I just kind of you
know the just life story of just don’t
give up man and just you can Co overcome
anything if I if I can’t overcome the
things that I’ve been through and and
and grow it up where I grew up and and
just just be Who I am and then you know
the deep disease I had of my addiction
was bad and if I can if I can do it and
that pretty much anybody can they just
use got it you gotta change your thought
process in your anything that’s it love
it well you have a ready audience for
when you have your book out people are
already asking for it so it’s cool oh
it’s crazy how quickly time flies we’re
already at the end do you have any kind
of final words of advice wisdom you want
to share with my audience uh you know
just go out there and do it what you
believe in and and what you want to do
and and you can do anything if you just
put your mind to it and put your excuses
to the side because that was one of my
biggest things was I had every excuse in
the book of why I could why I couldn’t
do this why I couldn’t do that well I
can’t do that cuz I don’t have a license
so I can’t do that because I’m a felon I
can’t do that you know because you know
my I only have a one bedroom apartment I
don’t have enough room for a desk over
here and to be you know it’s all excuses
and if you just put that aside you
know you can do anything we’re in the
age with these phones and everything you
have I didn’t have that you know I had
to have a printer and a computer i’ll
set up somewhere and i had to make it
happen i was getting kicked out of every
house I would live somewhere for two or
three months I get kicked out and have
to find another place and hustle my way
in you know and you know I’m carrying
around a big monitor there’s this big
you know probably weighed 100 pounds and
yeah I mean nowadays you guys can you
know we can you can start a business on
your phone and just you know it’s crazy
so just go out there and do it man just
your excuses I love it well thank
you for taking the time today Dana thank
you guys for watching you could check
come out at a consumer credit calm it’s
linked up in the description as well
continue to believe guys and we’ll see
you soon thanks thanks man
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