Show me the money! If you’re familiar with this line, chances are you’ve seen the 90’s blockbuster film, Jerry Maguire. The inspiration for the film was David Meltzer’s agency at the time, Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment Agency. David is now the Co-Founder of Sports 1 Marketing, a three-Time international best-selling author, a Top 100 business coach, keynote speaker, executive producer of the #1 digital business show, Elevator Pitch, and the host of the top entrepreneur podcast, The Playbook.
Transcription:
Jim Fitzpatrick:
So, David, thank you so much for joining us on today’s show. I really appreciate it.
David Meltzer:
I appreciate that extraordinary introduction and I’m so excited to be here. Thank you.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
Who doesn’t know the line show me the money, right? I think it’s been used throughout all of business ever since they uttered that line on the film. So you’ve got an incredible story. If you would, can you drill down just a little bit further as to how you got started? Because I know a lot of people look up to you and love what you’ve done and you helped so many. I know it’s your motto out there to help so many and have fun doing it. So tell us a little bit more about your story and how you got started.
David Meltzer:
Yeah, it’s so fun to think about. If I had to connect the dots backwards, one, most people wouldn’t believe me of how I got here. And two, I probably wouldn’t do what I did in order to get here, it’d be too scary and too hard. So I grew up with nothing, a single mom, six kids. She packed my dinner in a paper bag just so we could eat and work two jobs as a 2nd grade teacher, filled up turnstiles of convenience store.
David Meltzer:
And the reason I tell you that is that my journey was really about watching my mom. And because I learned one thing as hard as that sounds, my mom enjoyed the consistent every day, persistent without it quit pursuit of her potential, her truth, what she wanted. And what she wanted was to empower children specifically her own six, but also all of the 2nd graders, she became a principal, a Sunday school teacher, a woman educator empowering her community. And that is what I watched.
David Meltzer:
I didn’t listen to my mom, by the way, but I watched her. And I’m glad I didn’t listen to her because she was the one when I graduated law school that told me as I wanted to be a salesperson in the internet in 1992, she told me, “Nobody will ever do research on the internet. You need books to learn and that the Internet’s a fad.” And I think of that, because I’ve been involved-
Jim Fitzpatrick:
That is great.
David Meltzer:
Right. But people love you, but they give you bad advice. But I watched my mom. Yeah. And I learned about that philosophy of happiness. And I was a millionaire nine months out of law school. I three years later was part of a merger with Thompson Reuters, $3.4 billion merger in ’95. That was a pretty big deal in ’95. We throw around the B word a lot in business now, but in ’95-
Jim Fitzpatrick:
It’s still formidable though.
David Meltzer:
Yeah, I’ll still take it. Let me get one more of those in my of life, I’ll be fine. And anyway, I then became CEO of Samsung’s phone division in 1999. Now why is that important? Because my career has always been about skills, knowledge, and desire. I teach people that your skills and knowledge will only determine your basement. You know as you develop skills and knowledge it’s only so far you can fall. But the desire that I watch my mom have, the desire that I surrounded myself with determined my potential and that’s my ceiling.
David Meltzer:
And so at ’99 I then meet Leigh Steinberg and he has probably 25,000 people that look like me, have a legal background like me played, college sports like me, frustrated. I would say frustrated, small person that wanted to be a professional athlete, now I’m going to be Jerry Maguire. And why does he hire me a CEO of the most notable sports agency? Because of my technological background.
David Meltzer:
I was the only one that had a significant technology background. And so that led me in a different direction where I met Warren Moon, the hall of fame quarterback. We spun off the Global Sports Marketing Company. Then I meet Gary Vee and he tells me that this middle-aged mutant turtle can have a digital platform. I can have my own brand. I don’t have to worry about Steve Young, Troy Aikman or Warren Moon anymore.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
That’s right.
David Meltzer:
I could be one of those guys and I took the opportunity. And over the last five years, I’ve used that brand to do one thing, to empower people to make a lot of money, help a lot of people with that money and be happy, have fun. Those were the things I watched my mom do to others. The only difference is I received the money first, then give it away. My mom gave away everything first and that left her with a lot less than I have.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
Sure, sure. Is your mom with us today? Still with us?
David Meltzer:
She is.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
And very proud of her son I’m sure.
David Meltzer:
Oh, I’m more proud of her, but it’s a very competitive family. When your siblings went to the Ivy Leagues, graduated summa cum laude and one’s a very famous rabbi, which in a Jewish family, oh that’s like your—
Jim Fitzpatrick:
That’s better than any Jerry Maguire’s story, right?
David Meltzer:
Yeah, yeah. I can be the president of the United States, I see my mom sitting in the front row at the inauguration hitting the lady next to her, “My other son’s a rabbi.”
Jim Fitzpatrick:
And the other woman’s very impressed with the other son. What about me, right? I’m flying around on corporate jets and talking to major corporations. “Yeah, but your brother the rabbi,” but that’s funny. Well, that story is very inspiring to so many people because it really I think really accentuates the fact that you don’t have to come from money. You don’t have to come from this huge background.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
And a successful people, obviously your mom is a working person out there trying to keep the family together and keep it all together. As so many of the people that you’re talking to today are doing, trying to keep it all together, especially in the these times that we find ourselves in, very, very challenging. So the story is incredibly inspirational.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
Share with us if you would maybe three to five keys that you suggest to people that as they try to make it through these very trying times, there’s a lot of people out there that are being hugely successful after COVID and even during COVID. But then there’s others that they’re still struggling. And now all of a sudden we see a war that’s broken out, we see gas prices, shooting up, interest rates going up. And it’s got a lot of people very nervous about things.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
A lot of business owners, a lot of sales people and such and they’re trying to get up every day and have that enthusiasm to go out and attack the day and to become successful like you. What would be some of the tips you’d share with them?
David Meltzer:
Well, I did leave out one part of my story that applies to this is that I lost everything in 2008. I lost over $100 million and went bankrupt. So not only did I grow up with nothing, make over $100 million, I lost it all and made it back. And so I understand change. I understand the topsy-turvy world. I understand uncertainty. And I want everyone to realize that if anyone out there is certain what’s going to happen tomorrow, call me. I know how to make billions of dollars.
David Meltzer:
If you’re sure what’s going to happen to tomorrow, you can keep yours. I’ll give mine to charity. Once we know that the constant is change and the only variable that changes change is time. And so what’s happening today because of technology, because of the war, because of the economy, the pandemic obviously, we’ve accelerated change. And so what do we do when change accelerates is the question, three things. One know that you have control of your mindset. I can give you a list of 20 books that will throughout history, my mom made me study history for one reason, you can learn human nature and human nature never changes.
David Meltzer:
Why does human nature never change is because your mindset you have control of and your mindset determine is your trajectory. So know that you have control of your mindset. Two, you have control of your heartset, the way you feel. And this is a big thing. People just think that they can outdo or out-logic their emotions. How many times have you or I said, “Don’t worry. Let it go.” All these logical things, but guess what? We can’t go to bed at night or we wake up exhausted because we’re so worried or anxious, depressed, or angry.
David Meltzer:
Even though we’ve told ourself, “Don’t worry. Let it go.” It’s not logic. It’s we have to take action in order to change the way we feel. But you have control the way you feel. Yeah. And so utilize practices like meditation and other things to control how we feel. The third piece of advice is to control the handset. There’s a law out there that a lot of people ignore. It’s called the law of GOYA. And this is the law my mom lived by. You got to get off your ass. G-O-Y-A.
David Meltzer:
And so what you do in these times of accelerated change is apply your skills, your knowledge, and desire to three things. What’s doing well today, what’s stable today and what you think will be doing well in the future. And if you don’t know where to go, besides email me, which I’m happy to help everyone, I just use the stock market. I look at the stocks that are killing it right now and look at what industry, career or jobs are available and see how my skills, knowledge, and desires apply. I look at what stocks haven’t moved in the last six years. And now I know stable industries, careers, and jobs and I apply once again my skills, knowledge, and desire to that.
David Meltzer:
And then I look at very volatile things that are going on, NFTS and crypto and eSports and I say to myself, “How do my skills, knowledge and desire apply for a lottery ticket for something I think is going to do well?” And then I percentage each of those with my skills, knowledge and desire by my timing and risk tolerance. And if I do that, it doesn’t matter what happens in the world. It doesn’t matter how fast change occurs because I have control of my mindset, my heartset, and my handset. And I’m applying my skills, my knowledge and my desire to what’s doing well, what’s stable and what I think is going to do well in percentages according to my timing and risk tolerance.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
Sure, sure. You make that sound so incredibly easy. And it really is. I mean, if you think about what you just said, it’s just putting your mind to those different keys and saying these are the keys to success. Don’t overthink it, right?
David Meltzer:
Yeah. And you got to do it daily. The hardest part is doing things daily. The human body and mind hates to do things daily. I can tell you just to say thank you every day it’ll change your life. Most people by tonight won’t say thank you, by tomorrow morning won’t say thank you. Within three days, none of us will say thank you.
David Meltzer:
But yet, every thought leader in the world, every billionaire in the world, every great athlete in the world will tell you that gratitude is the key. Finding the light, the love and the lessons. But we are so resistant to doing things daily so I created five daily practices. Once again, anybody can email me, Google me. I’ll send them to you.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
We’re going to show all the information on the screen here. Take him up on that. I’m telling you guys, this is an individual that you want to follow and stay in touch with. If he’s not your mentor in 24 hours, something’s wrong.
David Meltzer:
So follow these daily practices, know your what, your who, your how, your now and apply your why. You know what the key to indicate that you’re doing the things daily is if you can prioritize things. Prioritization is the antidote to feeling overwhelmed, antidote to procrastination. People that know how to prioritize have done the work daily to know what they want, who they can help, who can help them, how to get it done and they know how to prioritize.
David Meltzer:
When you prioritize, now you’re not searching for a why. You’re applying your desire and your why, which gives you great enthusiasm because enthusiasm is what en theos connected to the great spirit, the omniscient, all-powerful, all-knowing spirit that loves you more than your mom.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
That’s right. And your mom is very proud of you. Let me ask you this. So many people look up to you and you’ve got such an incredible following on social media and you speak all over the world. And I know so many people, just people that I’ve spoken to that said, “Wow, I’m going to be interviewing David Meltzer. Like, oh my God, I follow him and he’s great.” Who’s your mentor? I mean, at your point in life right now, you must have those that you look up to go, “Hey, this guy I’m following or he’s doing it right.”
David Meltzer:
Rule of law, people ask me, “How do you lose $100 million dollars? You think you know everything.” In other words, you’re not having mentorship. The fastest way to get to where you want to be is to ask directions from someone that’s already there. So first of all, the key mentors I have are in the four necessities of life. I have a nutrition and a hydration mentor, two necessities of life, food and drink.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
Yeah, that’s right.
David Meltzer:
I have a breathing mentor. If you don’t breathe, you die. So I have a meditation breathing mentor. And then I have most importantly the longest mentor that I’ve had for 16 years is a sleep mentor. My biggest frustration in life is that the majority of people on earth go to bed at night and wake up more tired than they went to bed.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
That’s right.
David Meltzer:
It doesn’t makes sense.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
I think I’m one of them and I know.
David Meltzer:
You got to call my sleep mentor. So I wake up at a plateau and grow from there. And I have an unwinding routine that puts my mind, body and soul in a place of recovery and access. So when I wake up in the morning, those not morning people that you would hate me. Thank God my wife can deal with a 4:00 AM, somebody that wakes up going, “Thank you, Lord.” I’m a mess. People that aren’t morning people. My kids hate me. But more importantly, you utilize this mentorship then other mentors that are known. Sadhguru is a mentor of mine. I’m blessed to have him.
David Meltzer:
For me, Blaine Bartlett on the World Business Consulting. He wrote a book with me called Compassionate Capitalism. He’s one of my close business mentors because he sits in a situation and can apply traditional business to these new things that I deal with like NFTs and crypto and eSports. But I need someone in his ’70s that have seen these cycles and he teaches me things that I never was aware of. So mentorship is key. I mentor, I do free trainings for over 22 years. Every Friday free trainings for over 22 years. 64,000 people registered last Friday for that. So I’ve grown from the two people I started with training.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
That is fantastic. And you’re living right up to your commitment of helping so many people having fun doing it, which is just incredible that you do that. And I think it’s the law of attraction. You put good out, you get good back. And you’re living that every single day. You’re the real deal. I mean, you’ll hear a lot of people talk about this on a stage, but with what you just talked about and I happen to know that it’s true because I follow you all the time and you do. You put it out there. It’s like, how can I help you?
Jim Fitzpatrick:
I think part of that is you being on our show today. I mean, this isn’t a paid gig. You came out and said, “Look, you’ve got two audiences that are important and can use some advice.” And so we want to thank you so much for doing us that, I mean, it’s incredible work that you’re doing. As I said, for people that are watching David and I have this discussion right now, now that we’re beyond the interview, because I don’t want to you to miss it, but follow him on social and take up his offer to let him help you.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
And for companies out there that are looking for an incredible speaker, you want to turn on the audience. And obviously we’re talking to a number of major companies right now in this discussion, here’s your guy. I mean, I’ve seen him speak and he knocks the cover off the ball and your audience is going to thank you for bringing him in. So David Meltzer, thank you so much. It was such a pleasure. Hopefully, we kept it within time because I know you’re probably shooting off to the next gig so thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
David Meltzer:
Thank you. Remember everyone, be kind to your future self and do good deeds. I certainly appreciate this opportunity and the great kind words of yours. Please, thank you for following me and helping me help others.
Jim Fitzpatrick:
Absolutely. I love to do it. Take care.
