It’s true, we all want the finer things in life, and no doubt, you can find a lot of those luxuries on this site. But it gets to a point when we must all pause and consider some of the bigger questions in life. Questions like: Are we getting to the goals we set for ourselves?; What does success mean to us individually?; How do we fortify our minds for the bumpy road that everyone encounters in finding their destiny?
Those are the questions and bigger themes that Joel Brown constantly addresses on his inspirational, life-coaching website, Addicted 2 Success. As a person who frequents several times a week, I can personally vouch that whenever you’re going through a down time and need an inspirational energy boost, this site will do the trick. It’s a lucrative business too, and he’s living very well from the hard work and love he’s poured into it. Joel is based in Australia, but he is a non-stop traveler. He’s constantly exploring new shores, meeting new visionaries and expanding his mind while living his dreams.
We were able to borrow some precious minutes of his time to ask him several questions about how Addicted 2 Success came about and what it really takes to make it in this crazy world.
“Addicted2Success.com has received over 55 Million Views worldwide over the last 4 years…”
Where are you currently based and can you give us a brief version on how Addicted 2 Success came into being?
I’m a bit of a nomad. I’m usually travelling 9 months out of the year around the world, but right now I’m back in my home town of sunny Perth Western Australia where I birthed the idea of Addicted2Success.com, a self development website that empowers and inspires others to live life to the fullest. 4 years back I couldn’t find any reliable and interesting online sources for self development, motivation or quotes so I decided to fill the space and share the amazing videos, interviews, stories and actionable steps I came across. It just so happened to make me enough money to leave my 9-5 and travel the world. I’m so blessed to live this life of freedom by inspiring others.
Did you grow up in a household that fostered creativity, ambition and nurtured success?
Yes! My mother put me onto Michael Jordan’s Autobiography at 7 years old, where I learned about implementing habits and staying persistent. I then learned about accumulating wealth at 12 years old through another book she shared with me – Robert Kiyosaki’s “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. Even though my parents supported me in everything I did, I was still a borderline “F” throughout High School and shortly realized I wasn’t meant to excel in the public education system as I broke out of High School early in Year 10 to start a number of successful endeavors.
Do you remember one turning point in your life when everything became crystal clear and you knew exactly what you were meant to be doing?
Yes! I was sitting front row in an intimate training workshop with The Wolf of Wallstreet Jordan Belfort. This was the first LIVE session I had been a part of and he asked me to cast my vision and get clear on my goals. That was the first time I was inspired to Think BIG! And to set targets and an action plan to carry into my life. I felt empowered and made the decision that I wanted to share this feeling and this kind of knowledge with others.
What about the normal distractions of a young man – women, clothes, clubs etc – did any of those things ever take away from your focus to succeed?
I was a sneaker fiend in my teens. I spent a little too much money on Air Jordan’s, High Tops and $100 button ups instead of books and self-development until the passion kicked in. As you grow and discover that it’s about fulfilling your need and not just your wants all the time, you notice a huge shift in material purchases.
As far as clubs and girls go, I over indulged a little too much, but I believe that I just needed to get that out of my system. I don’t miss it one bit now. I have a beautiful amazing woman. I’m engaged to be married to and I prefer neat little bars than trashy night clubs.
Tell us a little bit more about your online platform – how much traffic visits it and have you been able to monetize it yet?
Addicted2Success.com has received over 55 Million Views world wide over the last 4 years. I monetize from ads, e-book sales, audio and phone call coaching and it has allowed me to live a multiple six figure life of freedom.
I started monetizing a year in and left my day job 2 years in and haven’t looked back.
How big is your staff? With the amount of content you put out, it has to be more than just you …
It was just me for around 3 and a half years. I now have a few interns and a new paid staff starting this coming month so things are ramping up right now in our camp.
There is a heavy Hip-Hop influence on your site – features on how Jay-Z, Drake, 50-Cent etc are so successful – do you look to Hip-Hop for inspiration in your daily life?
I love Hip-Hop, I used to be in the music industry and worked with a number of amazing recording artist that were mostly Hip Hop artists. I listen to 50 Cent, Young Jeezy, Big Sean, Jay-Z, Drake & Lupe while I’m working out. Sometimes you have to zone out and listen to something that has a little hustle and ambition behind it. I find that in Hip Hop music. It’s competitive and raw. Just like the business world.
Do you ever get burnt out? If you do, what are the methods you employ to relax and replenish yourself for the battles ahead?
I overwork myself sometimes. I am getting better at saying “No” more often, as I used to say “Yes” to everything and had a superman complex when it came to my business, thinking I could handle every aspect of it myself. At some point you do burn out so the best thing to do is remove as many distractions as possible i.e.. committing to less valuable events and partnerships, disable notifications, cut back on social media and take time out to meditate.
I started practicing TM (Transcendental Meditation) a couple years ago and I have made it a habit to stick to it every day. It’s a complete game changer. The benefits from TM is better energy, sleep, focus and lower stress.
How do you define failure?
Failure is when you have decided that giving up is more important than living out your dreams. That is failure. Setbacks aren’t failures. Giving up is!
Let’s talk about fashion and style for a minute – do you spend money on designer clothes/shoes? What are some of your favorite fashion brands right now?
I used to spend money on designer clothes, Armani, Hugo Boss etc… But now, not so much. The reason being is because I get more of a thrill from investing in my business and seeing that grow. I bought a pretty stylin’ Blazer in Capri, Italy, last year at Hugo Boss that I’ve only worn once. I may need to wear that again soon, this interview question just reminded me I had it. I also just splurged on a beautiful Blue fashionable suit from Tony Barlows in Western Australia for my wedding in Positano in 2 months. A nice fitting suit and a pair of Italian shoes now and then does the trick for me now.
Where do you envision yourself and your platform 5 years from now?
We would have 10x’d our growth traffic wise through Addicted2Success. I would have launched my book, trained 100’s of 1000’s from stage and launched a plethora of successful projects that branch off the Addicted2Success brand.
I would have also given back in the Millions to charities and causes in need of support. That is a huge part of Success, contribution.
Lastly, when it comes to getting people focused and motivated, different stimuli work for different people. Can you give us 3 rules/tips that will get our readers in the right mind state for success and attaining their dreams?
There are 3 main areas I believe we need to focus on and work within to become truly successful. I’ve interviewed 100’s of millionaires, high achievers, celebrities and superstars over the years and I have narrowed down the patterns of their credits to success to these 3 key cornerstones elements:
BELIEFS: Having the mindset, feeling it in your body that you are worthy of success in the area you desire.
HABITS: The Discipline, Practice of Will Power and Persistence (Day in and Day out) of actions needed to succeed.
SKILLS: The know-how, experience, memory and practice of the art you wish to master and dominate in.
BELIEF – It all starts within. Your thoughts lead to choice, choice leads to behavior, behavior leads to experience, experience leads to emotions and emotions lead to transformation. The problem is, depending on your thoughts, the results may not always be good. So why not start from the core of it all.
First start with your thoughts; practice self-awareness, be more conscious of what you are thinking. Start removing the negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones that serve you.
Stay away from negative people and negative environments and find what lights you up. Make the decision to act on it and start getting the wheels in motion. Every small achievement you make in that area will strengthen your belief that you are worthy of becoming Great at it. As your achievements grow, so does your belief.
HABITS – I wrote an article recently on the 7 Million Dollar Habits for Entrepreneur.com that spread like wildfire. The most important habits for a successful life are there so make sure you check it out here: 7 Million Dollar Habits of The Super-Successful
SKILLS – Tony Robbins recently shared with me, during our conversation, “The biggest advantage you have in business is TRUTH”. To have truth you can only gain this through experience.
It’s all good cognitively understanding things, but you need to get out there and live it also. Put it into practice. Put yourself on the line to see the results. There are so many YouTube videos, training academies, online courses and books out there, so there’s really no reason why you can’t learn how to master any skill you desire.
If you can live with focus in all 3 of these areas, and make a commitment to stick to the development of your Beliefs, Habits and Skills, then you will live the life you’ve always dreamed of living. But not until you have given it all you’ve got!
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