The story of Andrew Ferebee…
Once upon a time, my podcast had millions of downloads, I had a huge email list, a growing social media following, and thousands of raving fans.
But I was completely broke…
That night, I had plans to go out and party with some friends.
I tried to take out a measly $20 … and got: Transaction Declined Due to Insufficient Funds!
The message hit me like a ton of bricks…
I was so broke I couldn’t afford the cover charge at the cheapest of bars.
I called my friends, told them an emergency had come up, and then went home and cried into my pillow for the better part of an hour.
What on earth am I going to do?
My savings had run out, I’d quit my cushy corporate job, tax season was right around the corner, and here I was… Completely and utterly broke.
I looked at myself in the mirror, considering giving up on my dream and returning to Corporate.
I had a decision to make…
Was I going to quit and give into the pressure…
Or would I find a way?
I chose #2 and it’s made all the difference.
Here’s how I got myself out of the pit and built a life and business beyond my wildest dreams.
1. Remember: What One Person Can Do Another Can Do
When I hit rock bottom (marked by a letter from the government offering me foodstamps) I knew something had to change.
But I didn’t know what…
So I spent several weeks listening to stories of successful people who had lost everything, overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, and still achieved success.
I read books from James Altucher, Ryan Blair, Grant Cardone, and many other success icons who were once in a deeper pit than I was.
I learned from their stories.
I listened to their advice.
And every single day, I looked at myself in the mirror and reminded myself that:
“What one man can do, another man can do. If it’s been done before, it can be done again.”
Wherever you are right now, no matter how bad it may seem, someone else somewhere has had it worse and overcome even grimmer odds.
Find ways to remind yourself of this truth.
If someone else has overcome the situation that you are in, so can you.
You have the power to achieve success beyond your wildest dreams.
You have the power to get out of rock bottom and climb to the top of the mountain.
But you need to remind yourself of this daily.
2. Find the Smallest Next Step and Take It
When the money dried up and I was only weeks away from filing for food stamps, I knew something had to change.
But I didn’t know what…
There were 1,000,001 things that I needed to do in order to get back on top.
But I knew that if I tried to accomplish everything at once, I would burn out and fail.
So I took the natural next step.
I knew that I had an audience who would be willing to buy products from me… But I didn’t have anything to offer them.
So I pulled out my camera and Google docs, wrote out the script to a dating program, recorded about 4 hours of video content and then sent an email to my list.
I didn’t have time to build a fancy membership site.
I didn’t know how to execute a comprehensive email marketing campaign.
And I had no idea about the power of paid traffic at that time.
So I took the simplest step that I could.
I built a prototype product over the course of a weekend and then offered that product to my list.
Within 10 days, I’d made a little over $1,200.
I was onto something…
Wherever you are right now, there’s a giant chasm between you and where you want to be.
And it’s f******g scary!
If you focus on the gap, you will succumb to fear and eventually fail.
Instead, pick the smallest next step.
Whether it’s picking up the phone and calling a mentor, pitching a client on your services, or applying for a job.
Take the smallest possible step towards achieving your dream life.
Then take the next step, the next step, and the next step.
And before you know it, your life will look completely different from where you are today.
3. Treat Your Health Like Your Full Time Job
When I was floundering in my business, I was abusing my health.
I wasn’t working out regularly.
I wasn’t getting enough sleep.
I wasn’t eating the right diet.
And it showed…
My energy levels, motivation, and enthusiasm were at an all time low.
I knew I had to make a change.
So I did!
I started going to the gym 3 times a week.
I threw out all of my processed foods, and started sleeping 8–9 hours a night.
Within a week, I felt 10X better than I had in years.
Within a month, I was accomplishing more in a day than I used to in an entire month.
By focusing on my health and energy levels, I gave myself the ability to successfully accomplish my goals and pursue my dreams.
If you are feeling down and at rock bottom, then you NEED to take care of your health.
When you have abundant energy levels and vitality, it’s much easier to stay positive, focus on the bigger picture, and achieve your goals and dreams.
Take care of your body and it will take care of you.
4. Read as Many Books as You Can
When you are at rock bottom, it’s easy to believe that there’s no hope.
It’s easy to get so caught up in your own BS stories that you only focus on the problems.
But never the solutions…
If you want to get out of your rut and achieve success as quickly as possible, then you need to read a TON.
I’ve read hundreds of books over the past decade or so.
Everytime I read a new book, I would look for that one golden nugget that I could apply to my life to get the results I wanted.
Maybe it was a new business strategy, a workout, a diet change, or a mindset shift.
Whatever it was I would find that piece of wisdom and apply it to my life immediately.
As a result, I was able to quickly pull myself out of the gutter, build a six(now seven) figure business and live the life of my dreams.
If you are at rock bottom, then you need to read a TON!
Pick one book, find a golden nugget of wisdom, apply it to your life, get the results you are after, rinse and repeat.
5. Take it Easy on Yourself
Oftentimes, when we are at a low point in life, it’s easy to beat ourselves up and convince ourselves that we are the worst person in the world.
But this isn’t reality.
Everyone goes through highs and lows.
Everyone falls on their face and fails.
It’s part of the human experience…
So be kind to yourself.
Realize that this time in your life won’t last forever.
There’s nothing wrong with you and you aren’t broken.
You’re just trying to figure out the right way to do things.
So take it easy.
Be happy, live your life, and learn to enjoy the journey while you build the life of your dreams.
It will only get better from here.
Hope this helps.
Stay Grounded,
–Andrew Ferebee
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