Create Conference with Ken Joslin Grow Stack Drive Review
"You have to come to Atlanta for Create Conference."
"Dude, I'm so busy."
I think about the moments in life when we are presented with the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. I think about how when those moments present themselves, we are faced with decisions to make. I think about how in those moments, we can shape our destiny.
I don't believe in fate. I don't think that our lives are predetermined. I believe that every decision we make either builds or destroys our empire. Have you ever made a difficult choice, and on the backside, it turned out to be the best thing you could have done?
Last week my amazing assistant Amanda and I had to clear over 30 appointments because I made a decision to go to Atlanta. Like Mike Tyson says, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face." For context, which I will get into, I want to clarify that sometimes that punch to the face is just what you need to pull you out of a funk or get you back on track. It's not always the knockout blow that we need to get our shit together. Sometimes it's a solid and well-placed jab that flashes our lights and reminds us who we are.
Heading into 2022, my life felt a bit discombobulated. I had ended a back and forth relationship, a friendship, closed a business, walked on fire, moved to Denver, decided to write my third book, got The Vid, and surgery in the scope of four months. As a person who needs routine in my life, it goes without saying that I felt a little upside down. It's not that I stopped moving forward but instead just the opposite. I hadn't stopped being present, like really present in months, and I felt it.
So I made a decision. Commit first and figure out the rest later - Grant Cardone taught me that is a single sentence has changed my life in ways that I can't even calculate yet. And so, with this piece of life-altering philosophy in mind, and my friend, brother, and mentor Russ Yeager on the phone, I choose to once again make a decision to show up for myself and accept the sign in front of me by investing in myself.
Personal development has played a pivotal role in my life for the better part of a decade. As a coach, speaker, author, and podcast host, I believe that it is my responsibility and duty to put myself in a position to be as successful as possible. I believe that success should be defined by the mouth that dares utter the word. For me, success means showing up when I'm scared, broke, lost, hidden, blocked, down, distraught, and hurting. For me, success means that when things are going well, and I am absolutely crushing life, I don't get caught up in feeling like I can turn my ego up but instead stay focused and continue forward. Success could mean more time, money, influence, or power for you. Simply put, success in my life is choosing me every day.
I've been fortunate enough to have been present for some of the most incredible personal development events globally, including Unleash the Power Within, Personal Power, and Breakthrough with Tony Robbins. Influencer and Growth Day with Brendon Burchard. Funnel Hacker Live with Russel Brunson. And 10x Growth Con and multiple boot camps with Grant Cardone and Brandon Dawson. And while those are all amazing events, I have tickets for many of the same events in the future. But let me say this, I have never experienced such a powerful and community-driven weekend as my time at Ken Joslin's Create entrepreneur conference.
I want to be clear that I am in no way being disparaging to the amazing mentors I have had in my life or their events. You know when you are watching a movie and that one particular scene happens that impacts you so significantly that it transforms the way that you think about life? That's how I felt this weekend. I was bearing witness in real-time to that scene in my life.
When I arrived in Atlanta less than six days after my conversation with Russ, I had this feeling of electricity running through me. The moment I got off the plane, I knew that I was in the right place and had made the right decision. I also think it's necessary to point out that when you have friends in your life that legitimately have nothing but your best interest in mind to pay attention to. And when they tell you to do something that could change your life, you may want to shut up and listen. My greatest skill is knowing when to allow myself to trust others when we are in alignment with our mission, vision, and values.
As I checked into my hotel and walked across the street to the Phase Family Learning Center, I was graced with the warmth of a setting sun and a gorgeous streak of painterly red clouds ambushing my eyes.
I walked in and was greeted by kindness, joy, happiness, and excitement. This is always a good sign. Nothing is worse than going to a conference and feeling like a cow being hurdled into the stockade. No offense to the "big guys," but damn, step your game up.
Thursday night was a special dinner with Coach Hue Jackson of the Hue Jackson Foundation which is committed to helping victims of human trafficking. And John Maxwell. I have turned to many of Maxwell's books for guidance for multiple years in a row. The first time I picked up 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, I knew I had found not only a surrogate father but also a person who could be the marker for the kind of leader that I wanted to be. I sat mesmerized, holding onto every word from Maxwell as I filled the pages of my notebook with line after line of power.
"Success is about you. Significance is about everyone else." A right hook.
On Friday, as Maxwell opened the day, he dropped more hooks, jabs, crosses, and uppercuts loaded with ideas about value, failure, community, and encouragement.
Then the floor was opened to Q&A. I need to make mention of something fundamental. When have the opportunity to be first… Raise Your Damn Hand! When you have the chance to connect with someone who can speak into your journey…Raise Your Damn Hand! Please, just do it! It kills me when I sit in these rooms, and we are presented with these moments, and so many people sit silent. I remember once writing to myself on a sticky note, "If your life sucks, it's your fault." That little note has and will continue to be a reminder not to blow an opportunity.
In 2021 during a Grant Cardone event with 10,000 people, I pitched my business, Think Unbroken, for investment from Grant. As we headed into the final round, Grant asked who wanted to go first. I threw my hand up so damn fast that I just about dislocated my shoulder. Why? Because if you aren't first, you're last. I won Grant's investing into my business that night. So please, when you have a chance, be first.
During Maxwell's Q&A, I got to ask him the same question that I have asked leaders like Tom Bilyeu, John Lee Dumas, Kelly Gores, and Amber Lambke - "What does it mean to you to be unbroken - the same question I ask any guest of The Think Unbroken Podcast. His answer was poignant and powerful and one that I will share with you in the future.
The further we got into day two, the more I felt connected. It was not just the close proximity to the speakers and the fantastic GSD team that made it feel like home but the conversations of meaning and substance. This was not one of those bring your business card and go home with fifty kinds of events. The discussions were genuine, honest, and deep. One of the more frustrating aspects of events like these is that they can easily be selfish. In years past, I have fallen victim to that. Perhaps it's human nature, or perhaps when you are in a room of like-minded people, it just by nature is a different frequency than we vibe on.
Speaker after speaker moved the room, and as the hundreds of us present and countless watching online consumed jab after cross after hook, I couldn't but feel like I was watching the birth of something that in years to come will be a staple of personal development for entrepreneurs.
Of course, with full transparency, they made an offer to the audience to join a program. OH NO! The dreaded offer. So many people like to defame those who at events attempt to get you into their programs, and it's such nonsense. There are levels to this shit, and to go to the next level, you have to be willing to invest in yourself. On the flip of that, there is also the reality that you can become overwhelmed and overburdened in the next group, community, or program. Being deep in 10X and Impact Theory, I choose to pass. I have already decided that next year I will join because what Ken and his team brought to the table would change any entrepreneur's life if they invested and implemented.
By the end of Friday night, we are all buzzing. It's like the feeling you get at the end of round 2. You know you are in a war, but you are winning, and your corner is cheering you on. You can feel the excitement and the roaring of the crowd. During the applause, I will often implement a secret (not so secret) trick about visualization that Brendon Burchard taught me four years ago. When speakers are being clapped on and off the stage, I close my eyes and visualize that it is me for whom the applause is for. I have seen it happen a million times in my life that what I envision and work towards comes to fruition. I see myself on that stage next year.
It would be insane to try to highlight every single detail of every speaker's talk. Also, let's be honest, the impact of those words can fall deaf in text. Emotion is what carries the power. The context is what solidifies the impact. The heart is what makes it true. That said, I do want to highlight a few earth-shattering uppercuts that have been circling my head nonstop.
The Key Takeaways from Create Conference with Ken Joslin of Grow Stack Drive
(In no particular order)
Gary Brecka "Deal with it"
In passing, most people may have missed this, but for those paying attention, and I include myself in this, I felt like this single line was the cornerstone of the entire event. As entrepreneurs, business owners, and change-makers, we know that our life is full of ups and downs. We understand that the roller coaster is seemingly always in perpetual chaos, and that's why we LOVE it. But sometimes, things are hard in ways that force us to up our game and show up anyway. Deal with it. No excuses.
Jen Gottlieb "This or something better"
We often set ourselves up for failure because of our expectations and find ourselves stuck or feeling like we failed because we didn't get that exact thing that we wanted. The truth is that we should only chase that thing that we feel driven to accomplish while simultaneously understanding that it can be that thing, but it can also be even better. And in that "better" giving ourselves grace and as my mentor, Grant Cardone told me - to take our flowers.
David Meltzer "The Empty Mile"
Consistency is everything in life, relationships, business, and growth. We have to show up day in and day out. We hear those words all the time, but the truth is that we don't fully embrace them. We often go for that extra mile, and if you are reading this far, you are an overachiever or driven or want what no one else is willing to take. But, today, more people than ever are ready to go that extra mile. Those who show up with consistency no matter what find themselves at the top running "The Empty Mile" - A shot right to the gut.
Craig Siegel "What are my gifts?"
We are all born with that "thing," but most of us will never find out what it is because we are scared. The fear holds us back. We feel like it's for the other guy and fail to show up. That gift we have only comes out in times of reflection and pushing ourselves to the next level. We must be willing through pain and suffering and trial and error to discover what we process and bring it to the world because otherwise, we are selfish.
"You are only as sick as your secret"
Take about a 1-2 punch that will knock the wind out of you. There is so much truth in the weight of the world burying us. It's a part of our nature to want to hide and keep things buried because that feels safe. Still, the truth is that absolute safety comes in the ability to be in a community and connection with people that are willing to share the burden with you. We are a communal species and are not meant to do this alone. We must heal, grow, and change to go to the next level, and you can't do it alone.
Russ Yeager "Health is the most important thing for business"
When I sat down to determine my priorities for 2022, health was the world that sat at the top. Health is everything, and for years I have been optimizing and getting better at taking care of myself. We often get so caught up in the hustle and bustle that we fail to do the most crucial thing in business or life, and that is to prioritize our health. How can you be successful if you aren't healthy?
Mallisa J. Vogel "Knowledge without execution is treason"
If that doesn't knock you down, I don't know what will. How many times have you gone to an event, got the book, ordered the course, or said you were going to do the thing, and you didn't? Too many. I'm guilty. Hell, we all are. But to create real change in your life, you have to execute. You have to show up. You have to know that it is only through action that your life becomes different, and you have to be willing to show up.
Daniel Gomez "Your new life requires a new you"
I don't think a more valid word was spoken all weekend. Why? Because everything that you want is on the other side of your fear. Everything you seek is right there waiting for you, but it won't be handed to you. You have to earn it, and you have to be willing to shed the old beliefs of who you think you are to step into who you know you are. There is no new you without leaving the old you behind.
Anthony Trucks "Success is a sleeping pill."
This one stung. We ride high when we find success in our lives. The moment we succeed, we tend to lull ourselves to sleep with a lack of action, activity, intensity, and effort. More people become successful than stay successful. Why? Because we take our foot off the gas. This is not to say don't pull over and watch the sunset but instead to remember to get your ass back in the car.
Jesse Itzler "NEVER NEGOTIATE WITH YOUR GOALS"
Knockout. It's over. Down for the count. Call in the stretcher. We have all felt the pain of letting ourselves down. None of us are immune to this. We have all fallen short because of the decisions we have made. We have all said tomorrow when we are staring today in the face. How long are you going to continue to let yourself down? How long are you going to negotiate with yourself? Who you are is built and crafted in your daily choices and decisions, and every time you take it easy and let yourself off the hook, you fail. I always say that the real key to success is no excuses, just results. Stop negotiating with yourself.
I could go on and on, but I wanted to highlight these fantastic speakers and do my best to give you a glimpse into what Create Conference really was and why I think it's one of the best, if not the best, conferences I have been to. And I'll say this, we all need a different voice to be the one that guides us, and we all need a different vision to move towards, but the one thing we have in common is that we need those who are one step in front of us to show us the way.
By the end of Saturday night, I felt like I had been through a knock-down-drag-out fight in the best way. I felt a part of something bigger than me. I felt that I was in the room I was supposed to be in because I was supposed to be. But I wouldn't have had the connections, the conversations, the future plans, or the memories if not for one thing and the most important thing that I want you to take away from this… Make a decision.
You can go to all the conferences, read all the books, and buy all the things, but nothing in your life is going to change unless you make the decision to face your fear and step into the ring. Nothing in your life will change unless you lace up those gloves and become willing to take some black eyes and bloody noses. Nothing in your life will change unless you get knocked down and choose to stand back up.
I'm sitting on the plane heading back to Denver. I keep having this thought that we are all here for a reason and that our pain leads to our triumph and that in our pain, we find the truth of who we are, but we have to be willing to look that pain in the eyes and say let's go!
If you are reading this, then there is still time for you to be the hero of your own story. And if I were you, I would go to Create next year. If I were you.
Be Unbroken,
Michael
P.S.
Listen to the latest episode of The Think Unbroken Podcast