101: How Being “Selfish” Allows You to be “Self-Less” and Make A Difference with Justin Schenck

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Justin Schenck. Justin is the founder of Growth Now Movement and the wildly successful podcast by the same name. He is ranked one of the Top 8 podcasters to watch in 2018 by INC Magazine and a fellow Icon of Influence at the prestigious New Media Summit.

In addition to running the Growth Now Movement enterprise, Justin is a highly sought-after speaker and founder of Begin Podcasting Now which is a company that helps others launch and grow their own podcasts.

I’ve had the chance to spend a lot of time with Justin and what strikes me most is his willingness to help others and to genuinely help them succeed. I think a lot of this is rooted in his own story of overcoming adversity to create the life he has today. And that is really what I want to focus on with him today – how you can create the life you dream of and grow now!

www.GrowthNowMovement.com

www.BeginPodcastingNow.com

When Justin was 12, his parents got divorced and it went downhill from there. His dad spent some time in jail and his mom had a 20-year pill addiction. He had 1.7 GPA in high school. He was not a path to any significant success.

But, he realized he was very good at learning from other people’s mistakes and choices, so he started to seek out and learn from entrepreneurs and other successful people. When he was 25, he started a company putting together personal growth seminars and did well for a few years. Then, he and his business partner decided to go “all in” on an event together. It failed literally losing them the business.

He then went into corporate life in medical sales but felt like something was missing – helping others in a meaningful way. That led to Growth Now Movement and the building of his podcast production and coaching company.

At the 6 min mark, Justin explains the Growth Now Movement…

• It doesn’t matter where you have come from or where you are today.
• What matters are the choices you are making today to grow into the person you need to be.
• It’s about total self-development and continuous growth throughout your life.

What have you learned about yourself and what it takes to succeed?

• #1 - always be authentic with yourself and the things you’ve been through in your life
• You can be too “self-less.” It is very important to take care of yourself first.
• Ironically, being more selfish and taking care of yourself, your relationships, your business, life, health, etc. allows you to be able to help more people.

Who is the most inspiring person you’ve ever interviewed on Growth Now Movement and why?

• Fabio Viviani is inspiring because of his story in overcoming adversity and because of how much he is willing to give and help others
• William Hollace was once homeless on the street and is now one of top motivation speakers
• Everybody has a story and it takes a lot of courage to step forward and share that story.

Is there a trait, habit, skill that you see consistent across the guests you interview?

Intention. Every day they set their intention and they go and make it happen. Every single person that he interviews lives a life of intention. Intention is direction.

At the 14-min mark, Justin talks about his best advice for creating the life you desire from what he has learned on his journey.

• First, get clear on what you are good at. What are your strengths and what things to do love to do and can do for hours on end.
• Surround yourself with people that have mastered to game in which you want to play. 9 times out of 10, you are not doing something new – you are trying to innovate on what already exists.
• Listen, follow, and level up
• Be authentic in every move you make and do

What has surprised you the most so far?

• In the entrepreneur space, money doesn’t happen as easy as you think
• In podcasting, it is how willing people you admire are to share their stories and give back and be a part of what you are doing.
• If you just ask, many times you will be amazed at how people will be willing to help

At the 19-min mark, Justin talks about how he “asks for what he wants” and the methodology behind it…

• It can work for everybody in different areas of life
• What people want is to know they are making a difference not so much that you will promote them
  • “I would be completely honored if you would take a couple of mins out of your day to inspire my audience.”
  • “Let’s work together because I feel that you are super valuable”

What are some of the best lifehacks and success hacks you take from guests?

• Sean Thomas’s “self-check” of the 7 areas of his life (work, relationships, love-life, etc)
• At the end of the day, what did he give enough to and not enough to and adjust for the next day to keep things in balance
• Almost every person takes time to meditate and set intention for the day

What do people need to make sure to make part of their life to succeed in today’s world?

• Mindfulness – live in right now
• Relationship building is a lot art and needs to be fostered
• Look beyond social media and create real relationships with people
• Take “me time” and relaxation time. You need to recharge.

At the 30 min mark, Justin explains why podcasting should be part of your growth strategy…

Best advice for your entrepreneurs starting out today and where is entrepreneurship going?

• Absorb all the content your possibly can – self-educate
• Try a lot of different things to figure out what really is your thing
• Entrepreneurship will grow even more
• It will be more relevant to be an entrepreneur than an employee

 

Best Quote: “Live selfishly in order to be self-less…”

 

Justin's Misfit 3:

1. Be 100% authentic – don’t be afraid to share your story
2. Wake up every day with intention and know the direction you are going
3. Take care of yourself so you can really help others. Live selfishly in order to be self-less