We all know that six basic food groups that we all need to have our minds function as healthy people. For the physical body, every person is different in the amount of caloric intake you need, how much protein, carbs, fats, etc that your body needs at different times in your life and at different times of the day. We all need a certain daily allocation of Vitamin C, D, B, and a certain amount of minerals to keep us healthy. All of us learned this basic topic as children in school and from our parents growing up as they emphasized to us at the dinner table to “Eat your vegetables!” But, one thing that we often do not pay attention to are the food groups of a healthy mind.

Today, I’d like to touch on something similar to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which is a simple 5 Stage Model that goes in the following manner:

For many of us, we can more or less meet our “Basic Needs”. These are needs that keep us alive. But, that does not mean we have reached a point where we consider ourselves to be at peace or fulfilled. In this article, I will not focus on our “basic needs” but, rather, both our psychological and self-fulfillment needs.

First, we have “Belongingness and Love” needs. I can only speak from my experience and personally, I need to be in an environment where I feel accepted and valued or I am not at peace. As people, we have an innate need to belong somewhere, to be affiliated with a tribe, team, group, family, or otherwise. Humans evolved to be social creatures. Have you ever experienced a rejection or better yet, the simple IDEA of rejection, either professional or personal, and felt a certain amount of anxiety? That anxiety is actually an evolutionary trait. Many thousands of years ago, early humans lived in closely knit hunter-gatherer societies. In these societies, being shunned by the group usually meant you would die. Afterall, relative to the rest of the animal kingdom, humans are not very strong, fast, or dangerous. Humans rely on the power of the collective to derive strength. Our need for acceptance is a basic survival trait. Even today, there is a common adage that “your network is your net worth” because the value of your tribe can still be very powerful to this day in a multitude of ways. One such way that we see the value of “acceptance” and “belonging” is that your network will often determine your financial success. Even though we have advanced far beyond the days of hunting and gathering to survive, we have the same basic instincts that were ingrained into our psyche over thousands of years of evolution.

“Esteem needs.” Esteem is a category with two subcategories. The first is esteem for oneself and the second is esteem from others. Esteem for oneself I consider to be internal strength, independence, and fortitude. To have high esteem for oneself, we must have dignity, achievement, mastery, and independence. When we accomplish something, we feel esteem for ourselves. Do you know that feeling when you have completed a difficult task, workout, or achieved subject matter expertise and can speak with authority on a topic? That is esteem you carry for yourself. You feel good about your own accomplishments and have pride in your actions. The second kind of esteem, esteem from others, is probably one of the most addictive drugs for me personally. The acceptance of others, notoriety, and the respect of our contemporaries is a powerful driving force. Seeing yourself as separate from the group in some material way is a powerful way to form a self-identity. As much as we need to be a part of a group, we also need to feel like unique individuals with separate identities, strengths, contributions, abilities, and acclaim within a group.

At the top of Maslow’s Hierarchy lay the elusive “Self Actualization” needs. Self-actualization is the desire to become everything we can be, achieve peak experiences in life, and maximize our potential for personal growth. The reason why self actualization is ever elusive is because it is always just out of reach. Once you reach your peak, there is a new mountain to climb to take you to the next level. Self-actualization becomes a never-ending pursuit of more. Stan Lee, the late, great Marvel comic book author, had a catch-phrase and life motto that people who knew him and his work would hear him say often. Stan Lee’s motto was “Excelsior.” Exelsior is Latin for “Ever Higher”.

Just as we must continuously fuel our bodies with good nutrients. We must feed our minds and spirits with achievements, knowledge, friendships, intimacy, new experiences, and personal growth. The mind, much like the body, needs constant and persistent tending in order to maintain its vibrancy and health. Feed your mind and spirit with the right food groups, which just like there is no universal diet for health that suits each and every person, it is your responsibility to seek out the food groups of the mind that keep you happy, healthy, and seeking more. Excelsior.

We are as much defined by the decisions we do not make as by those we do.

When you say no to the things you do not want, you are saying Yes to the things you do and vice versa

That's important to remember in your decision making. Your time and other resources are limited so, being selective about how you spend them will allow you to lead a more productive life.

For example, when I say no to that donut, I sat yes to a healthy body. When I say no to a career opportunity, I am saying yes to my real estate business. No is the gateway to many opportunities if you make it about you and what YOU want instead of what the world is trying to push onto you. Not every option and opportunity is the best choice for you.

I am finally to a point where I can start laying bricks. The last 5 years, everything I did was about digging a foundation. I continued to dig a foundation with my apprenticeship in different fields of sales. I learned how to speak to people, how to negotiate, and how to close a deal. That was the biggest key for me. Being in an environment that allowed me to grow my skills into something that can provide value has meant everything in my current endeavors.

Real Estate is all people skills, sales, and negotiation. Real Estate also needs you to have a nominal handle on numbers to be able to analyze a deal properly but, that’s a minor focus really and not the point of this article. All the former factors serve a distinct purpose in my business and in most every business around the world. After digging a deep foundation, I feel as if I am ready to build one of the biggest legacies in history. I’ve wanted to be mentioned in the same breath as some of the most influential people in history. John Rockefeller, Sam Walton, Jack Kennedy, Julian James. Mention those guys and my name enters the conversation in some format. Each of the greatest in history forms a class all their own. Their mysticism comes from the fact that they transcend previous categorical nomenclature to form their own rank. The great figures in history set the standard for excellence that the world seeks to emulate. That is my target. That is who I want to be.

Many people think I want wealth, power, fame, and while yes, those things are nice, my main driver is legacy...What does my name represent? After all is said and done, what feelings, words, and emotions are formed in the hearts and minds of people when the mention of my name is brought forth?

Impact is everything. Impact. Impact. Impact. I have a life mission, a company mission, I have dreams, goals, passions. I have defined most everything I want. At the end of the day, barring tragedy, more life is ahead of me than behind me. I have so much to give.

Oftentimes, I see what I've accomplished and it is only dwarfed by what I see ahead as possible. There is the feeling that I've barely begun. While most people are slowing down their businesses during this pandemic, I'm picking up speed, creating more revenue, and building new relationships to grow my future.

The main driver for me is that I feel like I haven't done enough. I haven't. I need more to feel fulfilled. I have to put my stamp on this life and leave a life that I can be proud of. A life that is never dull and always filled with excitement.

The reality now is that digging a foundation is dirty , mucky work. It has been a grind digging this. But, now that I have , I am ready to rise from the muck like a Phoenix from the ashes into the clouds. That's the vision.

For the next year, I hope to get a lot of things done.

My business goals are to:

1. Grow Black Tiger Development to the point where we are closings 10 deals/week.
2. Effectively systemize the wholesale aspect of my business so that I can replace myself and can continue to replicate what I do into new people.
3. Get started doing syndications and close $10,000,000 in high quality syndicated apartment investment transactions.
4. Get started the process of building communities utilizing modular building processes.
5. Incentivizing employees by giving them a form of ownership in the work Black Tiger Development does.
6. Look into what starting a fund looks like. Learn about hedge funds vs private REITS and different structures for growing my business.

Those are my main focuses for the next year. I will have to grow tremendously as a person to achieve the goals I have set in front of me because the Julian that exists on April 17, 2020 is not the Julian that is yet ready to have the things I have slated to accomplish by April 17, 2021. Therefore, I’ll have to grow into that man. I’ll have to BECOME the person that deserves to have the things I listed and I’ll have to gain the knowledge and discipline to attain those business goals as well as many other personal “life” goals that weren’t written out in this post.

When I accomplish my tasks, I can say that I've lain the foundation after having dug it out. The next step would be to build into the horizon.

What does digging a foundation look like for you? What kind of building do you want to build? Currently, is the foundation of your business and life sitting on sand or on solid slabs of concrete? What do you need to do to build the legacy you want to leave behind? If you aren’t playing the game of Life for a legacy...one of being a good, successful, and happy person, what are you living for?

What drives you?

Every coach I've ever had told me that you can't coach work ethic. In the scheme of achievement,
the book "Grit" by Angela Duckworth serves as a treatise on how to accomplish significance. Her two main formulas for achievement through grittiness are:

1. Talent x effort = skill.
2. Skill x effort = achievement.

On the formula for Grit, you see that though talent does count, effort is in there twice in order to attain achievent. Effort counts twice. I've always had an intrinsic interest in entrepreneurship, finance, and real estate and that has pushed me forward through that. But, more than an affinity for the mystic art of finance, I am a striver that has had to learn how to master my craft through relentless practice.

In Malcolm Gladwell’s "Outliers" it has become commonplace knowledge that it requires 10,000 hours of focused practice to become an expert in anything. That is the effort piece. Without the 10,000 hours you would be merely proficient or worse.

Effort counts twice. Coach was right. You can’t coach work ethic. Grit is staying with one thing over a long period of time until mastery is attained at 10,000 hours.

Think to yourself, what endeavors have you abandoned? What endeavors have you spent the most time? Where are you closest to expertise and what do you want to continue to develop mastery of? That one niche is where you should focus all your energy.

A businesses culture is a reflection of the leader in that business. I burned the boats a long time ago. I have people who are relying on me to get them to a new level of lifestyle. I'm not saving lives. Nothing that serious is in my hands. But, I have been entrusted with helping to develop another person's livelihood.

For me, the responsibility behind others livelihoods carries a lot of weight. I make it my responsibility to maintain a profitable business and be moving forward at the helm with no deviation from the course of least resistance towards a destination with the highest return on investment. Forward is the battlecry.

Th culture I am building is one of accountability, integrity, winning, continuous self improvement, merit based opportunity, helping one another, competition, vision, and consistent attention to detail.

As a leader, I must have myself be a beacon of the qualities that I hope the company will embody. To a certain extent, I have to improve myself to bring out the best in me because I have people around me that need that from me. I am looking to be open to suggestions, hearing opinions, and keeping an open mind. I've worked for people in the past that weren't an example of who I wanted to be and I know first hand how frustrating it can be to have higher expectation of whomever is leading you.

As I take off on this new journey of hiring and growing a company with real people and real profits, I must keep in mind the reality that if I am not diligent, I will lose the opportunity to lead. Moreover, I must be cognizant of how everyone is developing and the needs of everyone in the organization.

If anyone has been in a similar position, reach out, as I am always open to learning more about how to navigate this territory.

Some deals work out , some deals don't. You win some, you lose some and that's just the way the world works.

Money gets left on the table all the time. Recently, I've been getting a lot of deals to work out but, I've been walking away from an equal amount of deals because they do not fit my business model and would distract from my core business. This, can be troublesome.

Keeping focus is my number 1 struggle and top priority. It is so easy to get sucked into new opportunities and lose focus. Deals that would've worked for me just a little while ago, all of a sudden, don't make sense because of changes in my life, not even necessarily changes in the world with COVID-19 running rampant.

When you say "No" to what you don't want, you are saying "Yes" to what you DO want. Say no to jobs you don't want, say no to opportunities you don't want to pursue, even say no to people you don't want in your life. All so you can say "Yes" to yourself and what you want for your life.

Oftentimes, saying "No" can be hard because at least for me, a lot of the time I want to do the things I'm saying "No" to. The reason why I have to say "no" is because I'm not in a position to say "yes" quite yet. For example, today, I wanted to say yes to a deal that would have helped me a lot long term. But, because I had to say no, I had to remind myself that business deals are like busses, there is always another one coming.

Because I am able to remember that there will always be opportunity for those who are willing to seek it out, I know another good deal will come along. Perhaps, the next deal will be even better and when the time is right, I will be able to do it correctly.

Today is an era where we have more options than ever. There are more and more opportunities and ways to spend our time.

In an age where we can do anything, it's imperative that we chose to focus on doing ONE thing. Often, we make the mistake of setting several priorities for our lives. At work we have several tasks, most of them not being the one thing that actually moves the dial forward. For me, my ONE thing is client outreach. I am in sales so my target is to speak to a certain amount of people daily. If I don't get my one thing accomplished, nothing else really matters.

One focus for the day, one thing to do. That’s all you need to be about. The riches are in the niches. Focusing in on a small niche can allow you to grow in business. For me, simplifying my business has helped me immensely. Now, instead of exhausting myself with disparate focus on several areas, I spend my entire day with a singular purpose. That singular purpose has produced more results than I could have thought possible. It’s almost too easy now that I’ve dumbed it down. Our natural tendency is to complicate things but, the reality is that it’s easy. Business and life is simple. Not easy. But, simple if you choose for it to be. Keep it simple and don’t over think it.

“ An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way.”

Business is an art form. Paint your canvas with something that makes a real impact on people’s lives by doing a hard thing in a simple , simple way.

You can't afford to get discouraged. There are setbacks. Accept it. There are times when things don't work out over and over again and you'll think to yourself "what am i doing wrong?".

Keep going.

You are building your foundation. It's about putting together the pieces of the puzzle, pivoting, figuring out what works and what doesn't through trial and error.

Never frame an experience through a negative lense. "La Vie En Rose" means "Life In Pink" or, life through the rose colored glasses. Live "La Vie En Rose" because a positive mindset, is a powerful mindset. A negative mindset cannot achieve anything. Whether or not you think you can, or cannot do something, you will most likely be correct.

There will be constant pushback in your pursuit of something greater. Sometimes you get pushed back and other times you push forward. Money, success, good times, and bad will come and go like the seasons of the year or the phases of the moon. Even so, your mindset must remain fixed in pragmatic optimism. Optimistic people are better leaders because people feel good when they are in the presence of someone who can uplift their mood. That is why having and maintaining a positive attitude is the best thing you can do for your life and career.

Be the light in the darkness.

Proverbs 17:22

"A cheerful heart is good medicine,
 but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

I was raised to be much too nice. In business especially, I've come to learn the hard way how to be an asshole.

I once read Machiavelli's "The Prince" but, I'm rereading the book now and it's as if I've read it truly for the first time. The book is a timeless masterpiece and has knowledge that is so practical from a business perspective.

In business, the name of the game is money, power, and respect. Those three factors are the only three that matter. To dominate the landscape, you need all three. The purse, the crown, and the people.

"He who is highly esteemed is not easily conspired against;"

The methods and instruments of war and politics have changed since the time of Machiavelli. But, their implementors have not evolved. We are wealthier, we endeavor to live longer, but our conspiracies remain guided by the same mechanisms as was true many hundreds of years ago. That is why Machiavelli is so relevant today.

Nowadays, I wonder often who is my friend, and who is my enemy. A person cannot survive in this world without friends but you should only ever trust yourself. As was said in the classic movie, "The Godfather," "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer". You have to remain vigilant at all times. They say business isn't personal but, that's a lie. I take everything personally and that's why accidents don't happen to me.

The book is filled with double edged dichotomies. Questions with no simple answers. What it comes down to, is balance.

1. Should you be loved, or feared?
2. A true friend, or a true enemy?
3. To be virtuous, or nefarious?
4. A cancer is difficult to detect, until it has grown too big to remedy.
5. Allowing people to tell you the truth makes people respect you less but, let men understand that the truth will not offend you.

There is a balance in all this. That is what being a leader is about. Balance.

I've found over time that "nice guys finish last" isn't just about women. It's about business. It's about life. I rather be mean. I much rather be mean and successful than nice and poor. Because being nice means being disrespected and stepped over. I will not prostrate myself before the world and allow myself to be beaten down.

One thing I want to work on is to know when to be mean and yell at people for messing up or snap back at people for wasting my time or trying to take advantage. I've had to learn slowly and through experience how to take what belongs to me but, nonetheless, I am learning. I didn't have someone in my life to teach me how to handle business so I had to learn on my own.

For the next decade or so, I’m building my foundation on respect. The purse, the crown, and the people. Money, power (which comes from relationships), and the respect. I advise you do the same if you rather be a chessmaster than a chess piece. You cannot sit out from the game. Either you play the game, or the game plays you...The choice is yours.

I left a sales job about a year ago to pursue real estate.

Just yesterday, I received a call from my former employer and she asked me where to send my W-2 because it came back to her in the mail since I moved. I gave her my new address and she said "What have you been up to?". I told her I'm doing real estate still. Astonished, she said "Wow, you're still doing that?!". I said, "Of course". She then began to backtrack saying "Oh, I just know real estate is a hard business..." before trailing off. I remained silent and told her "Thanks for the call!"

I worked for this woman yet, here she was, banking on my failure. When I left her company, she felt I was being foolish, that I would fail. Well, she was wrong. I am glad I left that company now because deep down, she didn't want for me to succeed. She wanted me to remain her peon forever and I know it.

People you think have your best interest at heart are often duplicitous. They don't see you as someone who has the ability to become successful. To her, I was made to be a poor man and she thinks I will always be poor and beneath her. Thankfully, she was wrong.

I am happier now than I have ever been, doing EXACTLY what I have always wanted to do.

She isn't the only one. Many people have said negative things about me behind my back and my only regret is that I was naive enough to not recognize their behavior. For people who are supposed to be in my corner to actively undermine my progress is very sad to me. I am glad I learned a lesson. I won't accept being the "lil bro" or anything like that from now on. I'm the big homie. Flat. I demand respect. You don't get what you ask for. You don't get what you earn. You get what you demand. I will no longer tolerate people who do not respect who I am and what I stand for.

Now that I've been building the future that I want for myself, it's astonishing to me that I didn't see it before. That all the people I thought supported me, didn't want me to succeed afterall. That's just fuel to the fire. Now I want to do more than they ever dreamed possible. Just remember that you thought I wouldn't amount to anything and pretended to be my friend while secretly praying for my demise. People use you for their own ends, most could care less about you. That doesn't bother me, what bothers me is the pretend "buddy buddy" as if we're best friends when we're not and when you'd rather watch me fail.

Like DJ Khaled says, "They don't want you to win...So we are going to win MORE".