Wk26 (38.6k subs): How I spoke to a Billionaire when I was Broke

The Comeback - Week 26 (38,600 Subs):

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I couldn’t believe my eyes.

There sitting in my inbox was the response.

From a billionaire…

At the time I was a shadow of the man I am today.

Little business experience, next to no money in the bank and a shy individual who didn’t believe in himself. 

But this one interaction changed everything. 

All it took was 1 hour of research and sending a cold email.

It blew my mind and shattered my entire belief system of what’s possible.

One minute I was lost, devoid of confidence. The next, I was having a 30 minute conversation with one of the biggest real estate moguls in the entire United States.

Everything I had learned about slowly climbing up the ladder was questioned in an instant.

It was at that exact moment I realized winning in life isn’t about being the most intelligent. It’s about taking risks and being bold.

You don’t ask you don’t get.

So today I’m going to challenge you to do what most say is impossible.

Reach out to the titans in your industry today and build a network in months that for most takes decades.

This is the only shortcut to success I’ve found.

So read it, drink it in, and then act.

Today on David to Goliath:

1. Challenges & Breakthroughs: Paralysis by Analysis

2. Main Topic: How I Spoke to a Billionaire When I Was Broke

3. Resource Recommendation: Built to Sell by John Warrillow

Road to 100,000: Behind the scenes

Challenges & Breakthroughs: Paralysis by Analysis

Here I am telling you to get a sense of your direction, start taking action, and figure out the rest along the way.

Whilst constantly umming and arring where I’m going to take the David to Goliath Newsletter. 

Week after week, drowning in the same old doubts and hesitations.

What a hypocrite Nigel!

You’re right.

It’s sapping the soul out of me. 

Staying up day and night trying to figure out the perfect option whilst churning out mediocre content that’s not from the heart. 

But I’ve been here before. 

When I walked away from my job without a safety net, I didn’t know how I’d survive.

When I joined my last agency and vowed to make $100k/mo I didn’t know how.

The key? 

Believing I could figure it out and accepting I didn’t have all the answers.

Daring to leap into the unknown.

Now I have more knowledge and more experience it seems to be working against me. 

I see risks everywhere and it’s making me gun-shy. 

This is where the fearless newbie entrepreneur has the upperhand.

Brimming with audacity and a touch of delusional. I remember those days—I was one of them.

They dive headfirst into risks that others shy away from because they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

With that in mind, I’ve been considering starting another agency. 

It certainly wouldn’t be easy but I’m confident I could figure out how to scale it to $100k/mo since I’ve done it before.

Maybe in 5 years sell it for $5M, invest and live for the rest of my life off the compounding returns.

But then I pause and think: What would my 85-year-old self say about this decision?

He’d tell me “You went for the easy option son”.

“Fortune favours the brave”.

And he’d be right.

Don’t get me wrong, I want resources, just like the rest of us - to support my family.

But I’m not driven by money. I’m driven by purpose and huge challenges.

It might not be the healthiest way to live but it’s who I am. 

Ever since I did that trip to London with 10 entrepreneurs a few weeks back I knew the answer lay in building a community. 

Giving people friendships and experiences they’ll never ever forget.

In an online world that’s becoming more polarizing by the day, that is worth fighting for. 

And maybe that’s all I need right now. 

The rest I can figure out along the way and share the lessons with you. 

After all, David to Goliath is about writing an epic story, one step at a time. Without having all the answers.

If I fail at least I’ll fail whilst daring greatly and never have to rest with those cold timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. 

For now, it’s time to get back to our roots.

Bring back the boldness to these Newsletters. Raw naked personality splashed all over your inbox like a Da Vinci wet dream.

Challenging you to reach outside your comfort zone.

Challenging you to embrace your quirks, your flaws, your uniqueness—because that's what sets you apart.

Challenging you to unleash your unique personality to the world.

Hated, adored, but never ignored.

This is David to Goliath. 

And it feels good to be back. 

Today, we declare war on complacency.  

Our first stop: Cold emailing Billionaires.

Let’s go.

Main Topic: How I spoke to a Billionaire when I was Broke

“Wait for your turn”.

“Climb up the corporate ladder.”

“Only network with people on the same level as you…”

The timid soul cries.

Preaching caution.

Advising us to follow the beaten path to success.

(for more emphasis imagine me shouting this next line at the screen in my thick British accent)

BOLLOCKS to that!

You’re an entrepreneur.

You are not one of the herd. You are the lion. The outlier.

We build our own ladders. Thriving in the chaos of creation. Especially when networking with high individuals.

Risk. Uncertainty. Rejection.

Music to our ears.

Entrepreneurship is not a career path, it’s a way of life.

It’s an internal choice that you won’t settle for the status quo and the average advice that swallows dreams whole.

Instead, you choose to walk your path. Craft your own network of people you truly admire - today, not in years to come.

And if you still believe you’re nothing special hopefully this story will change your mind.

Because a few years back nor was I. But 1 hour of research and 1 cold email changed all that.

At the time I was in the real estate industry.

I had this grand vision to train sales agents in the Philippines and outsource them to brokerages in the U.S. Same output for a tenth of the price.

Maybe I was delusional, who knows - I never followed through with the plan. Although, that’s not the point.

At the time I needed some feedback so instead of contacting people I already knew I researched the best person I could find.

Out of respect, I’m not going to mention his name but let’s just say he was one of the most successful self-made real estate moguls in North America with a huge net worth.

I never fathomed he would respond, let alone grant me thirty precious minutes of his time.

But respond he did, and that conversation changed everything.

It shattered my beliefs about what was possible.

School does not teach you this.

But as a gesture of goodwill to the David to Goliath community, I’m going to share what I did in 7 simple steps.

Newsflash: It’s so shockingly simple pretty much anyone with a phone/laptop and internet connection can do it.

The tools of connectivity have bridged continents, dismantled barriers, and empowered you to rewrite your life.

Now it’s on you to use them to your full advantage.

• Step 1: Strategically find the top dog in your industry

• Step 2: Read everything you can about their journey and achievements

• Step 3: Find their email using online tools (just Google how!)

• Step 4: Write and send a well-crafted email with a very specific compliment followed by a quick intro and a question about how you plan to bring value to their industry 

• Step 5: Follow up with them twice via email and once on other channels

• Step 6: If they respond try to get them on a quick 15-minute call 

• Step 7: Understand their problems and follow up with value (everyone has problems, even billionaires!)

  Since this initial encounter and networking with many more successful people, I’ve got 1 more bonus step: 

• Step 8: Ask to meet them in person

And before you come at me with “Nigel, they’re not going to respond to me!”.

Yes, you’re right. Most won’t.

But for the one person who does do you not think it will be worth it?

Let me just remind you.

These people have spent decades building their success, networks and respect. 

You can tap into all that if only you’re willing to be rejected by most. 

And I’ll let you in on another little secret: 

Most billionaires are not the villains they're often made out to be. 

They're individuals who dared to dream big, took risks, and delivered immense value to their market.

They are, fundamentally, humans with two arms and two legs, just like you and me. 

When I spoke to this guy in the real estate industry I can’t put into words how down to earth he was.

He asked questions, listened, and gave me very specific, detailed answers. 

Even offering to connect me to other big players in the industry. 

Remember I was just a random stranger with zero credibility who cold-emailed him!

If he’s willing to take 30 minutes out of his schedule what does that tell you?

Why would someone at the pinnacle of success spare time for a newbie?

Because they see a reflection of themselves in you.  

They've been where you are—facing down doubts, navigating uncertainties, taking bold leaps of faith and refusing to accept the life of mediocrity.

They recognize the hunger in your eyes, the fire in your belly.

They want to help the underdog rise to the top and win. Just like they did.

So either wait and hope to climb the ladder of success.  

Or be bold and build one for yourself.

As the old saying goes: If you don’t ask in life, you don’t get. 

But no one said you can’t ask Billionaires too. 

You’ll never know if you don’t try.

The stage is set. The challenge is yours.

Now it’s over to you my friend.

What’s it gonna be?

Resource Rec: Built To Sell by John Warrillow 

I was introduced to this book recently by my friend Timothy Armoo.

Timo built and sold his agency Fanbytes for multiple 8 figures and I’m confident after reading it last Sunday there were a few tips in here that helped him along the way.

Why I love the book is because the author doesn’t just spit facts, processes and statistics at you like most business books.

He captivates your imagination with a fictional story.

It certainly captivated me! I read the whole thing in one sitting (it’s only 100 pages but it’s full of wisdom).

Alex Stapleton, the main character, is on a quest to transform his marketing agency into a sellable asset.

After 8 years of banging his head against a brick wall and running around like a headless chicken, Alex meets with an old family friend, Ted.

Ted has built and sold multiple businesses and agrees to help guide Alex step by step.

Each week Alex meets Ted at his office and tells Alex to work on something new. The author summarizes each lesson in what he calls “Ted’s Tips” throughout the chapters.

The writing is so good you feel like you’re Alex having a personal mentor guiding you.

Alex has a goal to sell his agency for $5M and with Ted’s guidance they attempt to do what Alex thought was impossible.

I won’t spoil the ending. You’ll have to read yourself to find out!

Here’s a link so you can grab a copy.

It’s an Amazon affiliate link so would appreciate the support but just buy the book by whatever means necessary!

If you want to build a service-based business where you’re not the bottleneck and have a moat that investors highly value this book is the one.

I only wish I’d read it sooner!

That’s all for today.

Yours truly,

-Nigel Thomas

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