Robert Herjavec: “This Mindset Took Me From Poverty To Multimillionaire”

I'm going on tour! Come see The School of Greatness LIVE in person! Get my new book Make Money Easy here! My conversation with Shark Tank's Robert Herjavec left me truly inspired. From his humble beginnings as an immigrant living in poverty to becoming one of the most successful tech entrepreneurs, Robert's story is a masterclass in resilience and reinvention. What struck me most was his emphasis on joy – not just experiencing it, but embodying it as a transformative force in business and life. He opened up about his darkest moments, including thoughts of suicide, and how serving others at a homeless shelter helped him rediscover his purpose. Whether you're an entrepreneur looking to scale your business or someone seeking to find meaning in your journey, Robert's insights on moving from hard work to smart work, and his perspective on wealth versus true fulfillment, will challenge your thinking and inspire action. Robert Herjavec on YouTubeIn this episode you will learn:Why obsession trumps passion in business success, and how to know the differenceThe crucial shift from working harder to working smarter that unlocked Robert's path to wealthHow to create emotional connections with customers, even in technical industriesThe three consistent traits Robert has observed in every billionaire he's metWhy simply working hard isn't enough to create wealth, and what actually drives financial abundanceFor more information go to https://www.lewishowes.com/1729For more Greatness text PODCAST to +1 (614) 350-3960More SOG episodes we think you’ll love:Codie Sanchez – greatness.lnk.to/1656SCDan Martell – greatness.lnk.to/1642SCNoah Kagan – greatness.lnk.to/1572SC Get more from Lewis! Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy! Get The Greatness Mindset audiobook on SpotifyText Lewis AIYouTubeInstagramWebsiteTiktokFacebookX

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Lewis Howes?

  There are two big things happening at one time that I've never done before. I'm going on a book tour for my new book, Make Money Easy, and I'm doing a podcast tour at the same time. It is going to be big and I'm going to seven cities in 10 days. Get your friends, get your family, bring everyone you know to these cities. I'm coming to Austin, Texas, New York, Boston, we're going to Nashville. Then we're going to Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. Make sure to get your tickets right now. Go to LewisHowes.com/tour. Again, bring everyone you know. If you're looking to create more financial freedom and abundance in your life, and you want to see a massive guest live on the School of Greatness

• 0:44Lewis Howes?

  show, get your tickets. I can't wait to see you there.

• 0:49Lewis Howes?

  Welcome back, my friend, to the School of Greatness. If you are like me, and you love business and entrepreneurship, if you love how to turn creative ideas in your mind into a reality, into the physical world, to be of service to other people, then this is going to be the episode for you. And for years, years, I have been watching a show called Shark Tank. And we've interviewed many of the Sharks on this podcast over the years, some of my friends who we've had on here, who have helped invest in small entrepreneurs and business owners for years on Shark Tank, and also just inspired people through educating and informing them how to really grow a business. And today I get to interview Robert Hertzchavec, who I've always been inspired by. He's kind

• 1:34Lewis Howes?

  of like one of the nicest Sharks, it seems like, on Shark Tank. And I've always been inspired by his insight and his generosity. And he is a powerful business leader, entrepreneur, and today we're talking about how to explore the deeper dimensions of building wealth and living a life of purpose. He's going to share intimate details about his journey, including a powerful story on how hitting rock bottom led him to rediscover his faith and joy. There are so many moments where Robert had to pause and think and really reflect about the questions and the conversation we're talking about, because he hadn't been asked some of these questions ever.

• 2:17Lewis Howes?

  So it was fun to have this conversation with him, where a lot of these individuals who are on TV or doing a lot of interviews. Usually get asked the same questions, but as you guys know, I like to go off script a lot and ask things that I'm feeling based on how someone's energy is, how their heart is, and how our connection is before the interview actually starts. And he reveals game changing insights about the difference between hard work and smart work, why real wealth requires more than just passion, and how to maintain joy while pursuing ambitious goals. He's shared some so many cool stories right off the bat that I think you're really gonna love. So make sure to take notes, share this with one friend, just copy and paste the link on

• 3:01Lewis Howes?

  Apple or Spotify and share it with a friend. And if you're looking to really create a path to peace, freedom, and financial abundance, I am going on tour very soon. That's right, I'm doing a book tour and podcast tour merged into one to one epic seven city 10 day tour around America. And if you haven't got your tickets yet, go to lewishouse.com/tour right now. While you're listening to this episode, you can just click the link in the description of this podcast episode while you're listening. Open it up and see what city I am coming to because we are going to have massive names

• 3:43Lewis Howes?

  that I'm going to do a live interview on stage at each city. And you do not want to miss who I'm going to have. Some of them I might announce, some of them are going to be big surprises. So go to lewishouse.com/tour. If you want to have an evening of greatness with a community of like minded individuals who want to continually elevate their minds and their power, in their purpose every single day, if you want to be around that type of a community, go to lewishouse.com/tour and get your tickets, bring your friends, bring the whole family. It's gonna be a party, a celebration. We've got a book tour, we've got a podcast tour all in one. Get ready for an evening of greatness at lewishouse.com/tour.

• 4:28Lewis Howes?

  And again, I am very excited and I appreciate all of you who are supporting on this journey of greatness. And again, big thank you to everyone who is just showing up for yourselves as well during these episodes, taking this information in, diving in deep, sharing with your friends. I appreciate you. I am grateful for you and you deserve great things in your life. Without further ado, let's dive into this episode with Robert Hertzbeck. Welcome back everyone in the school of greatness and very excited about our guest. We have the inspiring Robert Hertzbeck in the house. So good to see you, sir.

• 5:02Robert Herjavec?

  Thank you for having me.

• 5:03Lewis Howes?

  Welcome. I've, I've watched you for I guess 15 years now on Shark Tank or 15 plus years.

• 5:09Robert Herjavec?

  Seventeen.

• 5:10Lewis Howes?

  Seventeen years on Shark Tank.

• 5:14Lewis Howes?

  We have many mutual friends that, that you're buddies with that I've had on the show as well. And you just have an inspiring story and inspiring life and I'm glad we got to connect a little bit before this because you've been inspiring young and old entrepreneurs for many years to learn about how to grow their business, how to launch a product, how to package and position their products. And I mean, your story is pretty fascinating because you, you're an immigrant, you're immigrant family. I think you came to Canada when you were eight.

• 5:47Lewis Howes?

  But you didn't have anything. Your dad didn't have any money. You guys were living in extreme poverty. So how do you learn to go from, I guess, a poverty situation and turn it into an abundance mindset? Like, when does that learn switch for you of like, we're in poverty, whether you knew it or not, but you had a poverty mindset, or maybe you didn't, but you're in experiencing poverty. When does that switch on to abundance of wealth mindset?

• 6:14Robert Herjavec?

  It's a great question and that's a great question. Somebody asked me yesterday because they knew my story. I went for a medical and the nurse was like, oh my God, I read about your story and you came to Canada with nothing. Blah, blah, blah. It must've been so hard. And the truth is, it wasn't. I mean, it was my mom and dad escaping from a country, coming to Canada on a boat with one suitcase. And I'm the only child. Wow. So for them, absolutely horrifically hard. Didn't speak the language, had no money, my dad was in jail, could never go back. The whole nine yards. Wow. Comes to a country, doesn't know anybody, doesn't speak the language.

• 6:56Robert Herjavec?

  Now, I'm eight years old, first time on a boat. It's an adventure. It's an adventure. It's just been. Poverty wasn't my mindset. And I think that's a big difference. I think people that are born into poverty or encompassed in poverty, it's harder to get out of. My mindset was joy. Really? So I grew up on a small village with my grandma. Like, the traditional vision of poverty, we had dirt floors, we didn't have a phone, like it was one of those, like it was a village. There was one phone, if you want to get a hold of my grandmother, you called the guy with the phone. And he came on me, like.

• 7:41Robert Herjavec?

  But I didn't know we were poor because everybody around me lived like we lived, so. In joy. Oh, I mean, everyone around you lived the same. The same. So it wasn't you were rich, I was poor. We all lived in a little dirt floor outhouse. It was fine, but as a child, we had animals and it was joy. I didn't realize that we were poor until we came to Canada. And when I went to school, I remember this so clearly. Like, I don't remember the journey, I don't remember any of it. My mom thinks I blocked it all out. But I remember the first day of school and kids picking on me and making fun of me and telling me I'm a poor immigrant.

• 8:27Robert Herjavec?

  Wow, first day of school. First day of school. Cause you know, you don't speak English either at this point, right? And there was no English classes, so they just threw you in and. That must have been kind of terrifying also. Terrifying. I don't know what's his teacher saying, his kid saying, yeah. And I came from an environment where I was really a lot of fun, but my dad was the youngest of 15, tons of cousins. And I go into an environment where I literally don't speak the language and, and kids are making fun of me. I really don't know why they're making fun. So I learned. Poverty and I learned poor as a situation. So I never thought I was poor. I just thought the situation we were in is poor.

• 9:12Robert Herjavec?

  And I know it's a very subtle difference. But I think you learn your mindset. And I think poverty is a learned mindset. And I think abundance is a learned mindset. I didn't learn a wealth mindset until later on. And I always think if I would have learned an abundance mindset sooner, I would be much wealthier today.

• 9:41Lewis Howes?

  Wow, so what is a poverty or poor mindset versus a wealth or abundance mindset? What do they both encompass?

• 9:50Robert Herjavec?

  The beginning for me is a poverty mindset is when you believe you're poor. Or you believe that you are the cause of the situation you're in. Or you believe that external circumstances have made you what you are. I never believed I was poor. I just believed our current situation was poor.

• 10:17Lewis Howes?

  Really?

• 10:18Robert Herjavec?

  So I just, I got to a point where I didn't want to be in that situation anymore. But there was nothing wrong with me. My mom loved me. I was a good human being. I just had to get out of the situation.

• 10:31Lewis Howes?

  So how do you learn then to get out of a situation of, I guess, poverty or not having a lot? How do you learn? Is it a skill? Is it a shift of energy? Is it a shift in thinking that allows you to get out of that situation? Is it a shift of I need to act in a different way? I need to become something different in order to create abundance? What does that shift look like?

• 10:59Robert Herjavec?

  Yeah, that's a great question too.

• 11:00Lewis Howes?

  I think, and how old were you when you were like, okay, I'm not poor personally, but I'm in an environment that isn't thriving?

• 11:09Robert Herjavec?

  Probably around twelve.

• 11:10Lewis Howes?

  Okay.

• 11:10Robert Herjavec?

  Because it was just such a crappy environment and we we had no money. And at that point, I'd been poor in my mind for four years. And we constantly moved schools. So, you know, when you're an immigrant, you make a little bit of money. You live in a crappy apartment. You make a little bit of money. You live in a better apartment and so on. So by twelve, I'd gone to like three different high schools. And my dad worked unbelievable amount of hours, like two shifts and.

• 11:43Lewis Howes?

  Manual labor.

• 11:44Robert Herjavec?

  Yeah.

• 11:45Lewis Howes?

  Contractor.

• 11:45Robert Herjavec?

  Blue collar, factory, swept floors. I mean, eventually he became a millwright, taught it himself, somebody gave him an opportunity. And, you know, they paid off their house, which was, you know, the immigrant dream.

• 11:59Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 12:00Robert Herjavec?

  But I think at twelve, I'd been living like that for four years. And we went to a better high school and every time we went to a better school, the kids around me had more.

• 12:18Lewis Howes?

  They're richer.

• 12:19Robert Herjavec?

  Yeah.

• 12:20Lewis Howes?

  You're like, I've got a little more, but they've got a lot more.

• 12:22Robert Herjavec?

  So I'd be like, I'd be in this high school and we'd make a little bit of money and I was poor. But, you know, the other kids weren't that much better off. And then we moved to a better house and now the kids were way better off. And I was just like, wow, this is, I'm never gonna get out of this cycle. How do you get out of this cycle? And I think.

• 12:44Lewis Howes?

  Do you feel like you've gotten out of that cycle at this season of your life? Because now, as you start to generate wealth, you're around people that have million dollars, then hundred million dollars, then billion, then billions. And you're like, is it, do you find yourselves kind of still in that at some times?

• 13:00Robert Herjavec?

  Very, very true. You know, there's an, what's the saying? You are the net result of five people you hang out with, and I think it's really true. I think that you are.

• 13:12Robert Herjavec?

  It's very, very, very rare and hard to raise yourself up on your own. I think if your environment, your parents, your friends are constantly pulling you back, it's, it's hard to keep going. Like you think, I think back and I think, none of my friends I grew up with ever made it. And it would have been so easy to stay there. But I think as you, as you do more and you get more, your circle influence and your friends becomes wider.

• 13:48Lewis Howes?

  Right. So when was that switch then for you? You're 12, you start to become aware that, okay, we're moving around, but I'm still in this poor environment compared to everyone else around me. Was it an energy shift, a thinking shift, or an action shift that allowed you to say, I'm now creating abundance in my life?

• 14:08Robert Herjavec?

  Yeah, it's a great question. For me, it was an energy shift. Now, I've always been pretty high energy, right? So I've always been like, go, go, go, go. What I didn't realize at the time was I was looking for external things to make me better. It took me a long time to realize I can't, I can't take external things to make me better until I become better. You know, I always say, show me a small business in trouble, and I'll show you an entrepreneur in trouble. There, it's very, very difficult to disassociate

• 14:51Robert Herjavec?

  a lazy, unmotivated entrepreneur with a highly successful business, and vice versa. And that was me at 12. I was just pure energy bouncing off the walls. You know, like we talked about, I want to be a detective. I wanted to join the FBI. I wanted to be an actor. Because immigrants think if you're on TV, you're rich.

• 15:14Lewis Howes?

  You're making money, yeah.

• 15:15Robert Herjavec?

  Like, I just wanted not to be poor. But I didn't know how to be rich.

• 15:22Lewis Howes?

  Interesting.

• 15:23Robert Herjavec?

  And I understand that mindset. And it, as corny as it sounds, it always starts with you. It always starts with discipline. It starts with habit. It starts with learning.

• 15:34Lewis Howes?

  So what did you start learning to support you from going to poor to abundance mindset?

• 15:39Robert Herjavec?

  Uh, sales.

• 15:40Lewis Howes?

  Really?

• 15:41Robert Herjavec?

  Yeah, sales. People always think I'm wealthy because I'm really good at computers and I am. I'm probably one of a handful of the top cyber people in the world.

• 15:55Robert Herjavec?

  But I'm not wealthy because of my knowledge of a task. I'm wealthy because of my knowledge of sales. And how to get, how to sell what I'm doing to other people.

• 16:09Lewis Howes?

  What was the first lesson you learned in sales? Or the first sale you ever made in life?

• 16:17Robert Herjavec?

  You can't force somebody to buy something they fundamentally don't need. I was very lucky that way because if, if I would have been taught the used car salesman-y schlocky way, I mean, I was just hungry for knowledge. Like I would have gone anyway. Like I always think if somebody would have taken me under their wing and they were like a con man, I would have been like, "Con man, right?" I was just very lucky, like you and I talked about. I got to learn from a guy named Harry Rosen, who was a legend in Canada, owned the biggest men's, and he was just a nice human being. So I went there to buy a suit and it was like, this is a long time ago, it was like $1,200.

• 17:02Lewis Howes?

  And you're like, "This is crazy."

• 17:03Robert Herjavec?

  And I'm like, "Oh my God, I can't afford $1,200." Like, "It's more money than I'll make this month, kind of."

• 17:08Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 17:09Robert Herjavec?

  And the salesman said to me, "You know, if you work here, you get to buy one suit every six months at 50% off."

• 17:22Robert Herjavec?

  So I was like, "Great." So I got a part-time job there. And I get a job there and the guy who owns the place called Harry Rosen, now it's a multi-billion dollar company, but Harry used to teach on Saturdays. If you showed up an hour before the store opened, he would teach you how to dress.

• 17:41Lewis Howes?

  That's cool.

• 17:42Robert Herjavec?

  "You'll love this." So, like, the guy's a legend. It was like, even then, it was like the biggest shop in Canada. And he says, "Show up at 7:30 because the store opened at 9:00 and I'll teach you everything you need to know about dressing and how to sell to men."

• 18:02Robert Herjavec?

  And I'm like, like, I'm so excited. I leave, it was like a Wednesday. I show up on Saturday. Nobody there. Nobody there. So it's just him and I.

• 18:15Lewis Howes?

  Wow, no one else shows up.

• 18:17Robert Herjavec?

  No one else shows up. So later in the day, I say to my buddy. Hey.

• 18:26Robert Herjavec?

  How come? Nobody showed up. You know what he says? No one's paying me to show up.

• 18:34Lewis Howes?

  Interesting.

• 18:35Robert Herjavec?

  Isn't that interesting?

• 18:36Lewis Howes?

  Your friend.

• 18:37Robert Herjavec?

  My friend.

• 18:37Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, I guess I'm getting paid, unless I'm gonna, I go show up at nine, because I get paid at nine.

• 18:41Robert Herjavec?

  Yeah, I don't, I don't get paid.

• 18:43Lewis Howes?

  Interesting.

• 18:43Robert Herjavec?

  I don't get paid. What I heard is, I don't get paid. He said, I don't get paid to learn. And I always thought, man, I don't need to get paid to learn. I'll learn for free.

• 18:55Lewis Howes?

  I'll pay to learn.

• 18:57Robert Herjavec?

  Yeah.

• 18:57Lewis Howes?

  From the best.

• 18:58Robert Herjavec?

  Like, I thought, I would have paid him to teach me. It was great. He taught me everything. He taught me everything, how to dress, how to spot someone with money. So I've always been lucky that kind of found, then I worked for Warren Avis, who started Avis Rent A Car.

• 19:13Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 19:14Robert Herjavec?

  And like, I've just been really fortunate to have great role models who are good human beings.

• 19:22Lewis Howes?

  I mean, those two, I guess, mentors and people you worked for. They both have billion dollar brands now, right? Multiple billion dollar brands?

• 19:30Robert Herjavec?

  Yes.

• 19:31Lewis Howes?

  That's kind of rare, that when you're in your teens, early twenties, you randomly, how do you, is it a random thing? Or do you just know, oh, this guy could be something one day? That's pretty impressive.

• 19:43Robert Herjavec?

  I just.

• 19:45Lewis Howes?

  You could have worked anywhere.

• 19:46Robert Herjavec?

  I could have worked anywhere.

• 19:47Lewis Howes?

  Could have worked at a local restaurant, or the barber shop, or that wouldn't have been this, you know, mega billion dollar business, but you worked for these two guys.

• 19:56Robert Herjavec?

  I think, how did I end up there, right? Because I think back and I think, none of my buddies got a job in a men's club. Like, what?

• 20:05Robert Herjavec?

  And so if I think about it, what I've always been good at is not lying to myself. I think I've always been brutally honest with myself. Like I told you, I went on my first sales call and went to see a customer and the customer said to me, you dress like crap. I've never had an ego for success. So if somebody said something to me and there's even an ounce of truth to it, I would take it in. I would leave my ego at the door. So when somebody said to me, you dress like crap, it wasn't like, oh, I'm so offended. What are they talking about? It was like, oh, do I dress like crap? And then you go home and you look in the mirror and you're like, yeah, I dress like crap.

• 20:50Robert Herjavec?

  How do I get better? And then I just looked up the best men's store.

• 20:57Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 20:57Robert Herjavec?

  So I've always had an ability, I think, to be honest with myself. There's a saying that the biggest lies in life we tell are the ones we tell ourselves.

• 21:07Lewis Howes?

  What's been the biggest lie you've been telling yourself lately?

• 21:12Robert Herjavec?

  That I'm... The biggest lie I've been telling myself lately is that I've made it.

• 21:22Robert Herjavec?

  I got to a point where I felt like I've kind of made it. And just in the last few months, I've been thinking, hang on a sec. Cause you, you tend to, you know, like I'm older now, I'm 62 and you think, oh, I'm kind of at the end of the road. Cause I know a lot of older people who are super successful and they're like kind of encoasting. And it begins to affect me and I kind of went a few months where I'm like, yeah. And then one day I'm like, hang on a sec. Like age is a number and there's lots of people that can start something at this age and have more capital than I've ever had. So yeah, I think I can still do it again.

• 22:06Lewis Howes?

  Interesting. So you've, the lie I've been telling yourself is you've made it. But what is making it? You know, when have you made it? If someone looks at you or watches this and they're like, if Robert doesn't think he's made it with all the money he has, all this success from multiple industries, from TV to personal brand to social media, everything you touch has blown up. If he doesn't think he's made it, I have no chance of making it.

• 22:35Robert Herjavec?

  That's such a great question because you think about that. When you're starting out, you always think, oh, if I had

• 22:42Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 22:43Robert Herjavec?

  a bigger house.

• 22:44Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 22:44Robert Herjavec?

  Like, you know, you live here and you drive by Bel Air.

• 22:48Lewis Howes?

  Sure.

• 22:49Robert Herjavec?

  And you think, oh, if I had a house over there, I made it. Or you have a, I don't know, a Corvette and you think, oh, if I had a Ferrari. And you think, oh, if I had a jet. And then you have a jet and then you think, what if I had a bigger jet? Like when I sold my last company, in my mind, I had, what did I have? I had a G4.

• 23:11Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 23:12Robert Herjavec?

  Right. And I used to think, I mean, this is how shallow it was. I used to think, oh, if I had a G6.

• 23:18Lewis Howes?

  Come on.

• 23:20Robert Herjavec?

  Damn.

• 23:21Lewis Howes?

  Then I've made it.

• 23:21Robert Herjavec?

  I've made it. Because my G4, my G5. And so I sold the business and literally within two weeks, I bought a G6. And this is a long time ago. Now I think, I don't think in terms of things of making it. I think in terms of potential. So when I think I haven't made it, I don't think I've reached my potential. So I don't.

• 23:49Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 23:49Robert Herjavec?

  There is no car I want to buy or no jet I need to buy or no home I need to buy to fulfill me. What I need is I need to feel like I've drained every part of my potential. I want to feel like when I'm on my deathbed, that I say, I couldn't have done more.

• 24:14Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 24:14Robert Herjavec?

  And whatever that is, because I think it's different for everybody.

• 24:18Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 24:18Robert Herjavec?

  So for me right now, it's really about getting super fit. It's about starting another business. It's just about taking everything I've learned and applying it.

• 24:29Lewis Howes?

  You have a series on social media that's about the lessons you've learned from billionaires. And you've been around a lot of billionaires. And you've, people can go on your Instagram and TikTok and YouTube and watch all these videos. I think they're really interesting lessons, but if you could share the top three lessons you've learned from billionaires, what would those three lessons be?

• 24:49Robert Herjavec?

  Well, number one knee jerk is absolute obstinate obsession about their skill set. Not about the world in general, but about that one thing. Do you know what I mean? Like it's not, all the billionaires I know wouldn't, would struggle on Jeopardy.

• 25:13Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 25:14Robert Herjavec?

  General knowledge doesn't get rewarded.

• 25:16Lewis Howes?

  Interesting.

• 25:17Robert Herjavec?

  Specific knowledge. And so that's the first thing that comes to mind. Like, I don't know a single billionaire that isn't a world-class expert at a very narrow singular task.

• 25:31Robert Herjavec?

  I think the second one would be curiosity.

• 25:36Robert Herjavec?

  It's, it's hard to be abundant if you're not curious. Right? Like, I love to learn. I love to, you know, how did you start the podcast? How did you like, I'm fascinated. And I think that comes into because people of great wealth tend to be problem solvers. You know, we tend to like problems. And I think the third one would be discipline. Now, discipline is different. Right?

• 26:15Robert Herjavec?

  Like, discipline to me is fit body, fit mind, fit business. But I have billionaire friends who are slops.

• 26:25Lewis Howes?

  Sloppy, right?

• 26:27Robert Herjavec?

  Yeah. You know, they're, they don't, they eat like crap, they're overweight, they don't care.

• 26:34Robert Herjavec?

  But they're extremely disciplined about their business. Like, I think the discipline applies to who you are, and everybody can be different. I think those are the three.

• 26:43Lewis Howes?

  Here's a, here's a question for you that I think a lot of people, because I have a lot of fit people in my audience, a lot of fitness professionals and people in the health and wellness industry, who struggle at making money. They're really good at taking care of their health and they're jacked, or they're fit, or they eat all the right foods. But they haven't unlocked how to create financial abundance. So if someone is healthy, physically, emotionally, spiritually, but financially hasn't cracked that code yet, what is missing from them to create that financial abundance?

• 27:15Robert Herjavec?

  It's a great question. I think it's the same reason why people who are wealthy aren't fit.

• 27:24Lewis Howes?

  What is that reason?

• 27:25Robert Herjavec?

  Um, they look at the superficial, easy ways to do it. So people that have a lot of wealth think that they can get fit by taking a drug. Or

• 27:36Lewis Howes?

  Surgery or

• 27:37Robert Herjavec?

  Or surgery.

• 27:38Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 27:38Robert Herjavec?

  Or they look for placebo type Band-Aids. I think anything hard is discipline and habit. So people that are super fit have discipline and habit, but they're like me when I was a teen, they don't know where to apply it. You know, interesting story for you, uh, years ago, because I've always been a pretty fit guy. So years ago, the Army Rangers reached out to me and asked if I'd like to go to a training camp. And you know, I think I'm pretty fit. And so I was like, yeah, rah.

• 28:18Robert Herjavec?

  Anyway, long, long story, I went, completely kicked my ass, huge amount of respect for people in the military, the discipline. When it was done, I sat down with the guy who ran the training program. And they kind of did an analysis of over the last couple of weeks, what you did well, what you didn't. And I said to him, people in the military must be great at business.

• 28:43Robert Herjavec?

  Because think about it, discipline, habit, like, no one has that more than Army Rangers or most people in the military. He said something very interesting, which was, it's very rare that people in the military do well in business.

• 29:01Lewis Howes?

  Why is that?

• 29:02Robert Herjavec?

  Why do you think?

• 29:03Lewis Howes?

  I think because they're used to be following the rules and taking orders, probably, and saying, what do I need to do to make sure that my boss is happy? And standing in line with the team, that's, that's part of it.

• 29:15Robert Herjavec?

  And that was my answer.

• 29:17Lewis Howes?

  Because you can't break the military mold of how things are done. This is the way it's done. We're not going to change because you have a different opinion about how to run our unit.

• 29:26Robert Herjavec?

  So I said the same thing.

• 29:27Lewis Howes?

  Okay.

• 29:28Robert Herjavec?

  And that's part of it. But he said there's a bigger reason.

• 29:31Lewis Howes?

  Tell me, yeah.

• 29:32Robert Herjavec?

  And the bigger reason is purpose. People join the military because they have a need to do something greater than themselves. Think about that. You're joining the military, you're willing to lay your life down.

• 29:47Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 29:48Robert Herjavec?

  For our country. Like, think about that commitment. Like, that's not a, gee, do I, you know, am I kind of into it or not? Like, that is an all-in, passionate commitment. I am willing to die.

• 30:04Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 30:05Robert Herjavec?

  For my cause. So then they leave the military, they get a job in sales, and their boss says, if you don't make your number, we're not going to make it for the quarter. And they struggle with that. They're void of purpose. When you have that great a purpose, and that leaves you, it's very hard to replace it with a different purpose. You would think they could, but he said that was the reason.

• 30:35Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 30:36Robert Herjavec?

  And so I think it's, it's both.

• 30:38Lewis Howes?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 30:39Robert Herjavec?

  Right? Like, I think people with great wealth don't have a purpose to get fit, and people that are super fit, really, at the core, show me somebody who's done great things, and I'll show you somebody with unbelievable purpose.

• 30:53Lewis Howes?

  Interesting.

• 30:55Lewis Howes?

  Have you ever had a point in your life where you tied your self-worth with your net worth?

• 31:02Robert Herjavec?

  Wow. Yeah, probably my twenties, to admit it. Yeah, I was very I was very superficial because my understanding of wealth was very external. It was everything that I saw other people. So my definition of wealth was how other people spent it. What kind of car they had, what kind of a house I had.

• 31:30Robert Herjavec?

  Because I never really met anybody who had great wealth. You know, I always say there's superficial wealth, which is you live for the way you think you should. You buy a nicer car, you get a bigger lease, you get a bigger mortgage. Because you think those are the things that you need in order to be successful. And I think once you really achieve great success, you begin to realize I don't actually need another car, or I don't need these things to fulfill me. But yeah, I think in my twenties, I was very

• 32:08Lewis Howes?

  How does someone today not tie their self-worth with their net worth? Maybe they're not making a lot of money right now. How do they not let it affect their identity or their core of who they are? And the way they feel about themselves because they're not making a hundred thousand or millions or, you know, these things?

• 32:29Robert Herjavec?

  I think your net worth is not a reflection of your value.

• 32:38Robert Herjavec?

  Poverty and wealth are situational. So, somebody listening to this could be making fifty grand a year, but they're a high-power, high-value individual.

• 32:52Robert Herjavec?

  Everybody's at a different stage of their journey. You've just got to believe that you're learning the skill set in order to get there one day. And you've got to have a greater purpose in order to get there. So I never thought I was gonna end up where I was. You never thought you'd end up where you are now? Well, I never thought I'd end up like I am now. But even when I was poor, I never thought I'd stay there. Got you. I see what you're saying. It's just that the scope of my dreams wasn't big enough. My dream in my twenties was to make a thousand dollars for my age.

• 33:33Robert Herjavec?

  So when I'm 50, to make 50 grand, to buy a house and pay it off in my lifetime. Wow. And to buy a Corvette. That was your dream? That was my dream. That was my, like, that was the, that was my dish and board dream. Like, that was my, like, knock it out of the ballpark dream. Because we didn't know anybody who had done those things. How did you begin to expand your mind to shatter that limit? Again, super curious, super honest with myself.

• 34:12Robert Herjavec?

  So, you know, when I, um, when I bought a used Ferrari and I moved into my house, I was so proud of it. It was a 1986 Ferrari Testera. And it was used, and there weren't that much money at the time. And I brought it over to my garage and I put it in. And this was my superficial stage. I moved into this neighborhood. And I see my neighbor across the street, and his name is Richard, still a friend of mine. So I go over and I'm like, "Hey, um, blah, blah, blah." Oh, by the way, look at my car. You wanna see my Ferrari? So I comes over, I open the garage, and I'm so proud of it. I've never been arrogant, like, like, "Let me show you why I'm better." I was just so happy.

• 34:54Robert Herjavec?

  So I show him my Ferrari, and he's like, "Oh, my gosh, this, that's amazing. I love that year." Says, "Come to my garage." So we go across the street to his garage. He opens up the garage, and he has two Porsches.

• 35:07Robert Herjavec?

  And you know, it's those moments in life that something happened. You're ready to learn it, but you don't know what you need to learn. And then something comes in and those two things fit and it's an aha moment. And I remember it so clearly. He opens the garage, there's two Porsches and I worked my ass off to buy a used Ferrari. It took everything I knew to get that car. And it wasn't like it was one of many. I was, it was that. And I walked across the street and that guy has two. And I couldn't fathom how that could happen. Like, I was like, how could he do that?

• 35:51Lewis Howes?

  Interesting.

• 35:52Robert Herjavec?

  And so I walked back and I was thinking, there's something I need to be better at. Because the, the road I'm going, I'm never going to get there.

• 36:03Lewis Howes?

  Really? Cause you're like, I've worked as hard as I can work and this is what I got.

• 36:06Robert Herjavec?

  Every piece of knowledge, every bit of hard work, every bit of discipline I had, got me one Ferrari.

• 36:15Lewis Howes?

  Now, here's an interesting thing I think everyone needs to pay attention to and, and be mindful of what you're about to say. Cause I think what you're about to say from this question I ask you is going to break everyone's minds open. Cause a lot of people are thinking, I work 15, 18, 20 hour days already. And for years I've been working hard at a job and I'm not getting the exponential growth I'd like. Barely making incremental growth and I don't see a way. I can't work any harder to create more wealth for myself. What is the thing that you learned then in that moment about hard work versus creating wealth?

• 36:58Lewis Howes?

  Because yes, you need to work hard, but what is the thing that broke you open from saying, I'm going to work a different way that's going to unlock wealth?

• 37:07Robert Herjavec?

  That's such a great question.

• 37:10Robert Herjavec?

  My dad worked in the factory his whole life, two shifts. Paid off his house in his lifetime. Super successful guy in his world. I will never work a day in my life harder than my dad worked. Ever. That man was the hardest working human being I'd ever come across. Just because you'll work hard, though, doesn't mean you'll be rich.

• 37:38Lewis Howes?

  Oh, man.

• 37:40Robert Herjavec?

  What it means is you won't be poor. And there's a fundamental difference between the blue collar poverty mindset and the wealth abundance mindset. And what I learned in that moment is I literally friggin couldn't give more. I was sleeping four hours a day. I was great at my task. I was driving my company as hard as I possibly could. And he gave me one Ferrari.

• 38:14Lewis Howes?

  It's still cool, but yeah.

• 38:16Robert Herjavec?

  Super cool. Nothing wrong with that.

• 38:18Lewis Howes?

  You didn't see how you can get more.

• 38:20Robert Herjavec?

  Yeah, and the first part was, did I want more?

• 38:26Robert Herjavec?

  Did I, was that important to me? And people misunderstand that. They're like, oh, yeah, I'd like more Ferraris. It was never about more Ferraris. It was just about, how do I get more? How do I get more value, more worth? How do I get a better life? And so I said, yes, I definitely want more. Why not? Why not me? And so that was the first part. Big lesson for me, though, is you have to pivot. Hard work is absolutely foundational, but smart work is pivoting, right?

• 39:07Lewis Howes?

  So what did you learn from going to hard work to smart work to create more financial abundance?

• 39:13Robert Herjavec?

  Value. What I learned is markets and people will pay for value, not for time.

• 39:23Robert Herjavec?

  People will pay you for your knowledge, not for how long you've been doing it, or the amount of hours you're gonna spend on it, or those kind of things. And what I realized is, I wasn't creating enough of that. Really? For your customers, your clients? For my customers, for my customers, and for me. I wasn't learning enough. And it's funny, I actually ended up going to a Tony Robbins seminar. Right. Which was really eye-opening, because I'd never experienced that. And I thought I was a pretty motivated, high-functioning guy. And then I went to a... So, interesting story. How old are you then?

• 40:08Robert Herjavec?

  Twenty-six. Okay, I wanna hear this story, because I have a similar story. And so I write about this Tony Robbins, and this is the early Tony Robbins. When he was like, you know, bigger than life. And he was coming to Toronto, and me and four buddies went to buy tickets.

• 40:27Robert Herjavec?

  Only one of us bought a ticket and showed up. Wow. All my buddies were like, "Oh, it's a waste of time." So I go there, and I bought like the super-expensive ticket, right? Like the one that gave you the front row. And Tony walks in, and it's like, boom. And I was like, wow, like, I'm high-energy? That guy is transformational energy. Wow. What I realized was, all my energy was internal.

• 41:06Robert Herjavec?

  I was doing a great job of influencing me, of making me better. I saw Tony, and I realized, I need to make other people better. So I need to make my employees better. I need to make the people I work with, like, I need to make them that. And then, I need to bring transformation to my customers. And what started for me was a outward transformation of my energy.

• 41:43Robert Herjavec?

  Before that, I was highly motivated on my own, but if you met me, you wouldn't have walked away and said, "Oh my God, that guy's like boom." After that, if you met me, you would have said, "That guy's full of joy." And I started changing our sales pitch to our customers away from product focus to a subconscious focus.

• 42:11Lewis Howes?

  Really?

• 42:11Robert Herjavec?

  I started thinking about why people buy and not what they're buying. And so many people watching are so focused on product features. Why is my product better? We said, "Those things are important, but until we engage people, until we open their minds, they're really not going to listen to us." So we started in our sales calls, "Why did they say that? How did they say it? How were they sitting? What did you say?" All those things. And none of our competitors, like keep in mind, we're in a very, very technical

• 42:48Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 42:48Robert Herjavec?

  field, and we're out talking to people about how they feel.

• 42:53Lewis Howes?

  Interesting.

• 42:54Robert Herjavec?

  In order to sell them really technical stuff.

• 42:56Lewis Howes?

  Can you give an example of what that slogan or line of marketing material might look like? Or if someone's speaking about it to a potential customer? You're not selling tech or cyber technology, right? Or cybersecurity software or tech? What are you then selling?

• 43:14Robert Herjavec?

  We're selling comfort and we're selling safety. You know, there's a good salespeople sell features. Great salespeople sell outcomes. And really great salespeople sell feelings. So we, I pivoted our company and I said, "If the only thing you get out of the sales call is that the customer feels better..."

• 43:45Robert Herjavec?

  We've achieved something because that gives you the opportunity for another call. And you know, there's I didn't come up with the same, but the saying is people never remember what you say. They remember how you make them feel. And when I sold my first company to AT&T, interesting story.

• 44:04Robert Herjavec?

  So everything I've learned about business, I learned on my own. I don't have a business degree, I have a degree in classical English literature. So I sold my first company to AT&T for I think thirty two million dollars, more money than I could have imagined. I was a long time ago. How old are you then roughly? Uh, thirty five, thirty four. I mean, thirty two million for a kid that wanted to make fifty grand. It's a lot of money. A lot of money. So AT&T does the due diligence on the business. They hire an external company. Anyway, long story, they bring me in and they say to me, we have a problem. I'm like, what's the problem? They said, well, you know, we we hired this external company. We looked at your systems, we looked at the way you do ticketing, blah, blah, blah, blah.

• 44:50Robert Herjavec?

  And we measured it with all your customer response and it's not great. And so I'm thinking, oh, my God, I'm not going to get the thirty two million dollars. So I'm scrambling and I'm like, hey, did you ask those customers if they would buy from me again? And they're like, yeah, actually we did. So they flipped to the last page and they said ninety seven percent of your customers said they would buy from you again. Despite all of these things. And I said, you ask them why? And they said, yes. And they said, two reasons. One, you made them happy. And two, they believed if they had an issue, you would take care of them. And so you think about how many people are starting a business?

• 45:35Robert Herjavec?

  How many people have a product that doesn't emotionally connect with their customers?

• 45:44Lewis Howes?

  That's beautiful. Yeah, especially like in a whole tech world, like how can you humanize it or making a feeling come from that type of a product or a service? Where it may not seem like it's supposed to make it.

• 45:56Robert Herjavec?

  It's not even just tech though, it's like, like you look at retail today, I just did a interview with Forbes or somebody about this, they, and the reporter said to me, they think retail is dead. And I don't think it is. I think we're going to see a resurgence in retail. But not, I don't think people are going to go to the mall to look around. You know, like, oh, I'm here, what shops are here? I think people that depend on location to survive are going to be in trouble. But I think brands have an emotional connection. Like, I will drive to a mall to buy Lululemon. I will drive to a mall to buy canned goose. Cause those brands speak to me.

• 46:40Robert Herjavec?

  So I think it's in everything. I think it's in tech, I think it's in fashion. We see it on Shark Tank.

• 46:46Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. There's a few que, this has been fascinating, Robert, I'm so glad you're opening up. I've got a handful of questions left for you. There's so many things I would like to talk about, but there's a few things I want to make sure we get to. One is faith. How much has faith in God or in religion or in the universe played in your life from childhood to now? And how much do you put awareness around your faith? And also into what you're going to create for the future of your life?

• 47:29Robert Herjavec?

  Yeah, great question. So I've really struggled with my faith in my lifetime. Started out very religious altar boy for many years. Became very cynical about it. Became a superficial Christian. Meaning I believed in my God and my faith when it was convenient for me.

• 47:59Robert Herjavec?

  And then went through a horrific time.

• 48:07Robert Herjavec?

  And found my faith again.

• 48:10Lewis Howes?

  So kind of left.

• 48:11Robert Herjavec?

  Left, cynical.

• 48:15Robert Herjavec?

  Believed that I didn't need God or faith or anything else in my life. Believed I was in control of my own destiny. And we are. But there's a greater plan.

• 48:30Lewis Howes?

  Mm hmm. What was this season of time where you were feeling that was a rough season for you?

• 48:36Robert Herjavec?

  Uh, two thousand and fourteen. I've, I was going through a really, really difficult time. And like, I mean, like to the point, I didn't think the sun would rise again. And, uh.

• 48:51Lewis Howes?

  Like suicidal thinking?

• 48:53Robert Herjavec?

  Yeah, yeah, like, uh. Contemplated suicide. Uh, came close, like it was. And, you know, I mean, you know me a little bit now. I've always been a happy guy and I've always believed like I was Superman.

• 49:12Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 49:14Robert Herjavec?

  And I lost it all, like I realized I had kryptonite and, uh. I was just like downward, downward, downward. And, uh, a good friend of mine, John, saw me spiraling. Like, like I was a shell of what I was.

• 49:34Lewis Howes?

  Is this emotionally, is this like alcohol or drugs or is this just like, you know, panic attacks? Is this anxiety, depression?

• 49:41Robert Herjavec?

  Just emotional. I was going through a horrible divorce and, uh. Just family stuff and like, just horrible. And, uh, John, thank God, uh, he's a priest. He said to me, um, I need you to go somewhere. And you have to have faith in me to trust me to go here. And so I did. I flew to Seattle on my super fancy plane.

• 50:18Robert Herjavec?

  And got off the plane and I met one of his friends who was a pastor in Seattle. And he took me to a homeless mission. And I spent the next month or so there. Spent the first couple of weeks at the mission, then I got a hotel. And it was absolutely transformational. Wow. Yeah. Being in service for a month to the homeless in that city. Well, I think the first thing, as horrible as this is gonna sound. I felt so sorry for myself. That seeing people who were worse off than me was just a bit of a wake up call.

• 51:04Robert Herjavec?

  Sure. Like, just like. Perspective. Like I'm going there on my jet. Yeah. Have thought about suicide. Contemplated suicide, didn't think I had any value left to give in the world. Flying on my jet. Sure, sure. Meeting a guy who literally has nothing. Not nothing because he doesn't know if his life has meaning, like literally has nothing. And Union Gospel Mission is a Christian, like you have to go there for a year. It's for homeless, addicts and so on. So I think that was the first thing is like, I just like, wow, these like. What am I complaining about kind of thing?

• 51:50Robert Herjavec?

  Then the second part of it was just getting back to purpose.

• 51:59Robert Herjavec?

  If you don't love yourself and you feel like you have nothing to give. You can't give to anyone else. Interesting. And I was void of me.

• 52:12Robert Herjavec?

  Going there was a wake up call and getting back to my faith, getting back to seeing value in me. Like I went there broken and I left there like, woo! And people have a funny,

• 52:29Robert Herjavec?

  because I meet a lot of people with faith who believe in God and other things and they always think, how can you be so motivated? And have so much faith? And people just don't understand that faith doesn't mean that you give up control of your life to someone else. Like I hate when people say that, "Oh, my life is in God's hands." And I'm like, "Yeah, but you gotta do something." Like, like I think we were given this opportunity in life and we've got to make the most of it. And I think that was the greatest thing I got out of that month is just the feeling of back to joy.

• 53:14Lewis Howes?

  How does someone learn to know they are valuable? Like you got to a place where you were broken, right? You were broken, but you had, I don't know, hundreds of millions of dollars, private jet, you had success, you had, you're on TV, you're, you're doing these things that people would dream of having. How does someone learn to know that they are valuable, whether they have lots of money or don't have lots of money?

• 53:37Robert Herjavec?

  Such a great question because I always think about that. Like I think about how

• 53:45Robert Herjavec?

  arrogant was I to have all this stuff? And feel so sorry for myself? Like, why couldn't I, on my own, figure that out? Like, why couldn't I have used some of my wealth? To do good? Like, how shallow was I to focus on my own misery?

• 54:14Robert Herjavec?

  It took the misery of others for me to realize that. And I always think, how arrogant and shallow is that? But I think, I think it's hard. I think it's really hard to ask for help when you feel you're in control of your own destiny. Right? Like, I think, I think powerful people and strong people have a hard time asking for help. And I just needed help. I mean, it could have been anything.

• 54:48Lewis Howes?

  What do you ask God for today?

• 54:52Robert Herjavec?

  Peace.

• 54:54Robert Herjavec?

  I mean, I, I pray for peace. I pray for joy. I just want my family to feel fulfilled. Right? And I think about, I also think, I was just talking to somebody about this. They said, do you worry about your legacy? And I think, no, because once I'm gone, I'm gone. But what do I want my kids to remember about me? And I want them to remember the joy and the love.

• 55:32Lewis Howes?

  That's beautiful.

• 55:32Robert Herjavec?

  I mean, I think that's what every human being wants, love, joy, peace. And I would also add financial success. Because I think those aren't separate. I think if you live in North America, you have to make a certain amount of money to take care of your family. I mean, that's just reality. And that's one of the things I, I worry about in America in the last few years. It's become, becoming wealthy almost became like a dirty word. It's one of the things I love about Shark Tank is you have six of us, self-made, relatively nice people.

• 56:13Lewis Howes?

  Right.

• 56:14Robert Herjavec?

  And we show people every week that anybody can do it.

• 56:17Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. Why do you think so many people tie wealthy people with stingy, mean people? And why do they, you know, a lot of people will say, you know, they want wealth, but they also afraid of wealth. Because they've seen how some people who are super wealthy, maybe treat people poorly, or are angry, or whatever it might be, or stingy. Not generous with their wealth.

• 56:42Robert Herjavec?

  Yeah, it's a great question. It's like, sales, if you ask most people about sales, they would say to you, oh, I don't want to be a sales rep. Because they think used car salesman. But I'm sure with your explains, the greatest salespeople you've met are probably super nice and super helpful. Right? Sales is the ability to help someone not to get them to buy something they don't need. And it's the same thing with wealth. Wealth is not the creation or the subjugation. What's the quote I read a long time ago? Power is not the subjugation of the weak. Power is the ability to get the powerful to see your vision.

• 57:27Robert Herjavec?

  And I think it's true. I think most people that don't have wealth want an easy answer as to why they're not doing.

• 57:36Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. If you could go back

• 57:40Lewis Howes?

  a year before 2014, ten, a decade back, a year before you're about to go through your darkness. The sadness, the depression, the divorce, the horrible feelings you're feeling. And if you're who you are now, and you could speak to that younger version of you 11 years earlier, and only give him three pieces of advice with everything you know he was about to go through. What three things would you say to that version of you right before you went through your darkest times?

• 58:16Robert Herjavec?

  The sun always rises tomorrow. I think, I think the reason I went there is

• 58:25Robert Herjavec?

  You know, and then not just personally, but in business, I tended to have these horrific like, "Oh, my gosh, if we get this one deal, the world will change, good or bad." So I think that's the first thing I would say is, uh, the sun always rises. Like, don't make mistakes that'll kill you. Don't bet at all on one thing, kind of thing.

• 58:49Robert Herjavec?

  I think the second thing I would say is, um, the world is your oyster. Like, it really, like, you think about, like, somebody owns this building.

• 59:02Lewis Howes?

  Hmm.

• 59:03Robert Herjavec?

  And sure, they may have inherited it, but let's go back to the first, like, somebody bought this land, built this building, somebody created it.

• 59:16Robert Herjavec?

  The world is incredible, like, the things we can do. And I think the third thing is, you are all-powerful.

• 59:25Lewis Howes?

  Hmm.

• 59:26Robert Herjavec?

  You are all-powerful. There is nothing we cannot achieve if we believe and we're willing to work.

• 59:33Lewis Howes?

  Wow, hard enough. That's beautiful. Again, there's a lot of things I'd love to ask you, but I want to be respectful of our time, Robert. Um, I have two final questions for you. Before I ask them, I want people to follow you on all of our social media and your YouTube, because you, in the last few months, have been starting to share these stories that I don't feel like people have been able to see unless they watch Shark Tank.

• 59:54Robert Herjavec?

  Right.

• 59:54Lewis Howes?

  And they edit that stuff down into 30-second, you know, moments, and there's six of you, and so they don't get all of you. But the wisdom you're sharing here, I feel like it's just scratching the surface about what you've been sharing online. So I want people to follow you on YouTube, want people to follow you on Instagram. It's your name. Um, we'll have it all linked up. But how else can we be of service or support to you today?

• 1:00:17Robert Herjavec?

  No, I think this was great. I mean, I'm a big fan. You've had some amazing guests on here. I appreciate you having me in that, uh, same company. I think this is great.

• 1:00:26Lewis Howes?

  Cool. Um, this question I ask everyone, there's two final questions. Uh, this one is called the three truths.

• 1:00:34Robert Herjavec?

  Okay.

• 1:00:34Lewis Howes?

  Imagine you get to live as long as you want to live in this world, but it's your last day eventually in the future. And you get to create and accomplish all of your dreams from this moment until that last day. But on this last day, for whatever reason hypothetically, you've got to take all of your content with you. So all of your social media content, this interview, your books that you've written, it's all gone. So no one has access to your information anymore. But on the last day, you get to leave behind three truths, three things you know to be true, kind of the three lessons you leave behind for everyone. And that's all we would have to remember your content by. What would those three truths be for you?

• 1:01:16Robert Herjavec?

  Uh, number one, my family, because they are, especially my kids, they are the embodiment of, I hope they're the embodiment of what I am.

• 1:01:29Robert Herjavec?

  Number two is joy.

• 1:01:30Lewis Howes?

  Yes.

• 1:01:32Robert Herjavec?

  Uh, without joy, there is no life. Like, there, there is no misery in, you know, there is no wealth in misery. How many successful people are miserable, right? And I think you can spike to success, but if you don't have joy, it fades.

• 1:01:52Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 1:01:53Robert Herjavec?

  And how many successful people commit suicide and drugs and alcohol? Joy is everlasting.

• 1:02:00Lewis Howes?

  Mm hmm.

• 1:02:01Robert Herjavec?

  And I think the third one is empowerment. I think if, if you would hope that when you leave, that you've empowered somebody in their life, uh, to do something better.

• 1:02:24Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 1:02:24Robert Herjavec?

  It's one of the great things about Shark Tank. Where was I just the other, uh, day? And, uh, somebody gave me a card and thanked me for being on the show and how much it affected them and their family. And I think, how great is that?

• 1:02:40Lewis Howes?

  No.

• 1:02:40Robert Herjavec?

  To be on a show that inspires so many people for 21 years.

• 1:02:44Lewis Howes?

  Millions of people, millions of people. Uh, before I ask the final question, Robert, I want to acknowledge you for the joy you brought today.

• 1:02:50Robert Herjavec?

  Thank you.

• 1:02:52Lewis Howes?

  I think there's

• 1:02:54Lewis Howes?

  You know, I think a lot of people can learn from you, not from the lessons you share, but the energy you bring. And I've heard the word joy and written it down and highlighted it multiple times from this conversation. And for me, that's what I feel like that what you embody is joy. And I believe it's probably one of the main reasons you've been successful in your TV career and your business career is because you've brought the joy consistently.

• 1:03:21Robert Herjavec?

  Maybe it needs to be more miserable because Mark is pretty miserable and he's worth more money than I am.

• 1:03:27Lewis Howes?

  No, I'm joking. But is he living a fulfilled life as you are?

• 1:03:30Robert Herjavec?

  Probably.

• 1:03:31Lewis Howes?

  You're like, dang it. And he can wear whatever he wants. But I want to acknowledge you for, for, you know, overcoming the pain and creating great perspective. And I feel like you're living a life of extreme purpose by sharing your knowledge now in a bigger way. I know we talked off camera about how, you know, it's even worth doing this social media stuff. And it's like, I can't really quantify, like, is there money here? You know, is there opportunities for business? But you never know how much of an impact you can make on someone when you share a story. And you are incredible at sharing stories, whether it be on TV, here, but also in your social media. And the people will remember the feeling of the stories you share for a long time.

• 1:04:13Lewis Howes?

  And so I acknowledge you for diving into this chapter, whether you do it for years or a few more months of social media. But sharing your knowledge for free is an incredible gift that you're giving to the world, and I acknowledge you for that. And I acknowledge you for bringing the joy when you share.

• 1:04:29Robert Herjavec?

  Thank you.

• 1:04:30Lewis Howes?

  Of course. My final question, Robert, what's your definition of greatness?

• 1:04:35Robert Herjavec?

  Wow. Geez, that's such a great question because my dad was a great man and my mom was a great person. And my, my definition of greatness would be fulfillment of potential. So.

• 1:05:08Robert Herjavec?

  My dad never made any real money. But I think considering the pain and life he had, that man wrung every moment of his life. So,

• 1:05:26Robert Herjavec?

  if I did nothing but what my dad did, that wouldn't have been greatness. Because I was given more. Those that are given more need to do more. Those that have

• 1:05:41Robert Herjavec?

  been given more need to find greater purpose. So I never think that,

• 1:05:49Robert Herjavec?

  it just wasn't enough, right? Like, like I couldn't have achieved any level of greatness if I just simply did what my parents did. And I think a lot of people listening, it's the same thing, is you've got to find your own purpose.

• 1:06:03Lewis Howes?

  Yeah.

• 1:06:03Robert Herjavec?

  Right?

• 1:06:04Lewis Howes?

  That's beautiful.

• 1:06:05Robert Herjavec?

  What's your definition of greatness?

• 1:06:12Lewis Howes?

  I'm trying to see if it's different than what I had a couple of years ago. For me, it is to

• 1:06:20Lewis Howes?

  discover your unique talents and gifts that you've been given and pursue those gifts to live your dreams. And in the pursuit of those dreams, make the maximum impact on the people around you.

• 1:06:38Robert Herjavec?

  Wow.

• 1:06:39Lewis Howes?

  Yeah. Because we've all been given different talents and gifts that we need to learn to cultivate. And then we are, I think we're given cues, feelings of what dreams we might have. There's a curiosity, there's a something that pulls us into an idea for a potential dream, something. Whether it's God, or an intuition, or a feeling that's pulling us, or making us think about something. I'd like to create that, I'd like to build that, I'd like to overcome that, I'd like to help this thing, I'd like to make this thing. Something that pulls us. And then we are, we need to cultivate the talents and gifts within us to pursue that dream. And in that pursuit, I think it's, doesn't have to be changing the world, but it needs to be changing the world around you.

• 1:07:23Lewis Howes?

  Impacting the world in a positive way around you. And if that's five people, your family, that's beautiful. Something that's what your mom and dad did, they impacted you and the people in their community, because that was their reach. And you've been given different gifts and talents that you're you've cultivated and maximized to this level. And you feel like you've got to maximize more to the next level. And in that pursuit of the new dream. How will you impact people around you? The people closest to you. But also the platform you've been building, how will you impact those individuals as well?

• 1:07:59Robert Herjavec?

  So well said, because I think, you know, it goes back to God and faith. I think that.

• 1:08:05Robert Herjavec?

  There is no one external that's going to do it for you. But the signs are there.

• 1:08:11Lewis Howes?

  Yes.

• 1:08:12Robert Herjavec?

  And you never know how the dots connect. Until you look back.

• 1:08:18Lewis Howes?

  It's true.

• 1:08:19Robert Herjavec?

  When.

• 1:08:22Robert Herjavec?

  When I first, when Kevin and I first got on Shark Tank, we started in Canada, we started a show called Dragon's Den. And the very first day, they put me in a room. You know, just see how you'd react on TV like this.

• 1:08:34Lewis Howes?

  Sure, sure.

• 1:08:35Robert Herjavec?

  And they threw these fire questions like, tell me what EBITDA is. But they were random questions. And one of the questions was, why do you want to be famous?

• 1:08:44Lewis Howes?

  Hmm. What were you saying?

• 1:08:46Robert Herjavec?

  Just to see what you'd say. What I said is, so I can get on Dancing with the Stars.

• 1:08:51Lewis Howes?

  Shut up. You did not say that.

• 1:08:53Robert Herjavec?

  Everybody laughed. I did a hundred percent. Everybody laughed and they thought that was funny. What people didn't see was. Ten years before that. My mom's favorite show was Dancing with the Stars. So imagine little Eastern European immigrant woman. Horrible life. Watching this beautiful show with these beautiful dancers. Like if you called my house on a Monday when the show was on, my mom would like answer the phone and go like, why you call? You know, I watch show.

• 1:09:28Robert Herjavec?

  My mom ended up getting ovarian cancer. And she went to the hospital. And she was there for a year and every Monday. I would go to the hospital. With the other women who had ovarian cancer and we'd all watch Dancing with the Stars. And one day. My mom says to me.

• 1:09:50Robert Herjavec?

  Robbie. You're so beautiful. Why not you be on show?

• 1:09:57Robert Herjavec?

  And I say, without thinking about it, if they ever ask me, I'll do it for you.

• 1:10:01Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 1:10:03Robert Herjavec?

  And my mom passes away. Ten years before I even had an inkling of being on TV. Fast forward ten years later, I'm sitting in a room, they throw that question at me. First thing that comes to my mind. Fast forward another ten years. I'm going through this horrible time. I come out of it, fix myself, finally begin to think I have value in life again. Three days later, the producers of Dancing with the Stars ask me to be on the show.

• 1:10:41Lewis Howes?

  Oh my gosh.

• 1:10:42Robert Herjavec?

  Like, before they're finished asking me, I say, yes.

• 1:10:47Lewis Howes?

  Oh my gosh.

• 1:10:49Robert Herjavec?

  I walk in.

• 1:10:49Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 1:10:50Robert Herjavec?

  Meet the woman I'm gonna marry.

• 1:10:52Lewis Howes?

  Oh my gosh.

• 1:10:52Robert Herjavec?

  And today, I have this unbelievable life.

• 1:10:58Robert Herjavec?

  I didn't create those dots. I believe life, or a greater force, or God, whatever your faith is, created those things. But it was up to me to connect the dots. And I think for anybody watching or listening, you have the power to connect those dots.

• 1:11:22Lewis Howes?

  Wow.

• 1:11:22Robert Herjavec?

  You have to have enough faith to believe it all connects. But you still gotta get up every day, work your ass off, and make it happen.

• 1:11:34Lewis Howes?

  We have a lot, we are, I mean, we have some similarities in life. I mean, obviously, you're much more successful than me, but when I was sleeping on my sister's couch, I would watch that show.

• 1:11:44Robert Herjavec?

  Dancing with the Stars.

• 1:11:45Lewis Howes?

  And I was like, and I was living in Columbus, Ohio. And I was like broke, and I was like, but I loved to salsa dance.

• 1:11:53Robert Herjavec?

  You're kidding me.

• 1:11:54Lewis Howes?

  I started learning how to salsa dance one after our, you know, when I was on my sister's couch. This is one of the things I was talking about beforehand, I learned public speaking and salsa dancing. Because there were big fears of mine.

• 1:12:05Robert Herjavec?

  Same.

• 1:12:06Lewis Howes?

  And so I'd watch this show, and I traveled the world eventually salsa dancing in clubs. Like, social salsa dancing, not ballroom. Not joking you. For like eighteen years, I've been traveling the world.

• 1:12:17Robert Herjavec?

  You must be the biggest salsa dancer.

• 1:12:19Lewis Howes?

  Biggest gringo salsa dancer ever, right? And I remember thinking, gosh.

• 1:12:25Lewis Howes?

  Wouldn't it be amazing to be on the show one day? I wasn't famous, you know, I had no money. But I was like, you need to become famous in order to get on this show. And that was like, since I've been in LA for 12 years, I've always wanted to be on that show. It's a great show. I've always wanted to be on the show, so maybe one day I'll fulfill that as well. I'll introduce you to their producers. Do the cats, right? Yeah, exactly. I'm better, I've tried to pitch myself beyond there. Many, many years I've tried. I mean, obviously Grace's experience I've ever had. I'm sure. And the hardest experience. I can imagine. Right, people don't realize how hard. Eight hours a day of training and the whole thing and yeah. Yeah. A lot of the, I know a lot of the dancers as well and yeah, they're friends of mine. I love the show, it's a great experience. But one day, maybe I'll be, if it's still on air, maybe I'll make it one day. Well, it's good to have a dream.

• 1:13:10Lewis Howes?

  Exactly, exactly. Robert, this has been powerful, I appreciate you so much for coming on. Appreciate you, thank you. Thank you. Amazing. Thank you so much for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed this and if you found value, make sure to share this with one friend. Just copy and paste the link and text a friend where you feel would be truly inspired by this episode as well. And also make sure to click the follow button on Apple or Spotify, wherever you're listening to this episode, because we have a massive episode coming up next that I do not want you to miss. So make sure to follow this and be on the lookout for the next episode coming with some massive content and guests. Also, I have a brand new book called Make Money Easy.

• 1:13:55Lewis Howes?

  And if you're looking to create more financial freedom in your life, you want abundance in your life, and you want to stop making money hard in your life, but you want to make it easier, you want to make it flow, you want to feel abundant, then make sure to go to makemoneymeasbook.com right now and get yourself a copy. I really think this is going to help you transform your relationship with money this moment, moving forward. We have some big guests and content coming up. Make sure you're following and stay tuned to the next episode on The School of Greatness.

• 1:14:32Lewis Howes?

  I hope you enjoyed today's episode and it inspired you on your journey towards greatness. Make sure to check out the show notes in the description for a full rundown of today's episode with all the important links. And if you want weekly exclusive bonus episodes with me personally, as well as ad free listening, then make sure to subscribe to our Greatness Plus channel exclusively on Apple Podcasts. Share this with a friend on social media and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts as well. Let me know what you enjoyed about this episode in that review. I really love hearing feedback from you and it helps us figure out how we can support and serve you moving forward. And I want to remind you, if no one has told you lately, that you are loved, you are worthy, and you matter.

• 1:15:16Lewis Howes?

  And now it's time to go out there and do something great.