Wk32: My Student Became My Teacher

The Comeback - Week 32 (41,000 Subs):

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Last week I had the pleasure of spending 5 stunning days on a Mediterranean island with a 23-year-old entrepreneur.

Eugenio is his name. And it was one hell of an experience.

Back in Feb this year we were introduced by a mutual friend.

One thing led to another and he’s now brought me on board to consult in the growth of his marketing agency.

Weekly calls over Zoom, solving problems.

You know the drill.

Little did I expect he’d invite me out to his annual retreat to the Balearic island of Mallorca.

Sailing on boats, dining in outdoor restaurants, running up mountains and meeting his family.

It was truly epic! (and I nearly died running 10k in the 100-degree heat - lol).

But for someone so young Eugenio is wise beyond his years.

It was incredibly inspiring to watch a young man at work building a life on his own terms in real-time. 

So inspiring in fact I thought why not share the spoils with the readers of my Newsletter?

It’s true, I am mentoring him. 

But today the student becomes the teacher.

Here are the 5 life lessons in 5 days I learned from a 23-year-old entrepreneur:

Lesson #1 - Taking Risks (Early):

Whilst writing backstories on David to Goliath such as Michael Jordan, Richard Branson and J.K. Rowling it’s now clear all these great people have 1 thing in common.

They took a risk. A bet. On themselves.

And in your early twenties, you have nothing to lose so it’s the best time to roll the dice.

Worse that happens is you fail, and go back to square one BUT with a whole heap of life experience (and no regrets).

In Spain not going down the normal path of formal education and getting a 9-5 is even more unheard of than in the U.S. and UK.

Yet, despite the odds stacked against him Eugenio listened to his intuition and took a bet on himself.

It’s not been easy, especially at the beginning, but now that risk is starting to pay off

Action Item: Accept that to be successful you will have to take uncomfortable risks with 0 guarantee it will work out. The younger you are the better. But there are no rules so don’t let this hold you back.

Lesson #2 - Invest In Yourself (Not Materials):

Considering how young Eugenio was last year he did pretty well financially.

As the calendar ticked over to 2024 he stood there looking at his bank balance trying to resist the lure of temptation.

1) Buy himself the dream car he’s always wanted

2) Pay to be mentored by experienced people to develop himself further

Thankfully he chose the latter and I’m honoured to say one of the mentors he invested in was me (shameless plug).

Man, at 23 I was working a dead-end job, spending my money on alcohol and willingly submitting myself to the jaws of mediocrity.

Eugenio is clearly wiser than me but when I finally did understand this it unlocked a lot of growth. And I mean a lot.

You either gain lessons by paying for those who have walked the path or with your own time.

Sometimes you don’t have a choice but when you do it opens up many doors.

Action Item: If you have some spare cash flow find someone in your industry who’s already done what you want to do. Either pay for an hour of their time or work an arrangement to be mentored by them on an ongoing basis.

And if you’re an agency owner who’s interested in working with me 1-1 to scale faster with clarity, I’m opening some new spots in September.

Here’s a link so you can learn more.

Lesson #3 - Curiosity (Ask Endless Questions):

Remember at school when you desperately wanted to ask a burning question to your teacher?

But you refrained - because of the fear of being vilified in front of your classmates.

This never happened as a child. When you were truly free. Adventuring through the world, guided by your intuition.

Yet, as we grow up we start to push our inner voice further and further down until you can’t even hear it.

Walter Isaacson who wrote biographies on Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Leonardo Da Vinci and Jeff Bezos said there was one main thread that linked their greatness together.

The fact they never lost their child-like curiosity through their adult years.

Over the 4 days in Mallorca with Eugenio, he asked me question after question, relentlessly.

• How do I network with that person?

• How do you organize an event?

• How can I lead this person better?

He didn’t care if it made him look stupid. He just wanted to know the answer.

I have so much respect for that. And it’s another reason he’s growing so fast.

Action Item: Follow your intuition and ask as many questions as you need to understand subjects in their entirety. Do not worry about judgement - that’s their problem, not yours.

Lesson #4 - Staying Humble (Despite Success):

This one surprised me the most.

If you look at social media people in their early twenties making money buy material items such as cars, houses and holidays to get validation.

Eugenio on the other hand is the complete opposite.

He doesn’t tell anyone how much he’s making or what he’s buying.

Why?

He doesn’t want to be judged for that. He wants to be judged by his character, the person he’s becoming and the impact he’s having on the world.

At this point, I felt like the one being mentored!

Action Item: Always remember who is watching and listening. The xtraordinary will not be impressed by the materials you own. They will be impressed by who you are, what you stand for and the impact you have on the world. Think before you speak and control your ego.

Lesson #5 - Epic Experiences (Along The Way):

When it’s all said and done in life the money won’t matter. Nor the fame nor the power.

Apart from setting your family up for success, your last days will be reflecting on a collection of the experiences you’ve had and the people you’ve had them with.

Speaking with Eugenio one thing was clear.

Yes, he does want to be extremely successful, although, he also wants to make time for memories along the way. So he has a life worth remembering.

And trust me, nothing beats getting on a sailing boat in the fresh Mediterranean water (unless you can’t sail that is).

Thankfully for me, Eugenio is a pro.

Action Item: Don’t just grind and deny yourself of fun. Find a way to blend the two together. Plan an experience, such as a weekend away with people on the same path as you. 

In Summary - The 5 Lessons:

1- Risks: Roll the dice because no one will do it for you.

2- Investing: Use money as a tool to buy time from people more experienced than you

3- Curiosity: Ask questions, relentlessly

4- Humility: Let your character be how people judge you, not your possessions

5- Experiences: Make the time to do some epic sh*t with people you love

Yours truly,

-Nigel Thomas

P.S. A lot of things have been changing with the David to Goliath Newsletter so next week I’ll do a full breakdown of behind the scenes. Apologies for the change in the times of our sends!

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#1: Work with me 1-1 to Scale Your Marketing Agency Here

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