I am coming to you live today from Fort Worth, Texas at Podcast Movement 2015. I was lucky enough to win a fifteen minute interview with the man, Pat Flynn, of Smart Passive Income.
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Pat, tell me a little bit about being the opening keynote speaker at this year’s Podcast Movement.
“It was an amazing experience. The crowd was super engaging and responsive which helped because I get super nervous before I speak, like I was literally about to throw up. Some people who have followed me for a while and seen my speaking career grow said it was one of my best and people have been coming up to me telling me how much they enjoyed it, so it was great.
Getting on stage is a great way to deliver a message, but as I said in the keynote, podcasting is the best way to deliver a message and make change. So, it’s cool that I get to be on your show now.”
Pat, one of the things that you did a great job of is that you’re very authentic. This show, Whole Life Matters, is about living an authentic life in every area. How do you cultivate that in your life?
“This whole work life balance is a constant push and pull. I think there’s a misconception that there’s a perfect balance. I think the idea is not going too far in one direction. Instead of creating balance, it’s more like semi-balance.
I think talking to people really helps me stay as balanced as possible.”
Do you have a group that helps you with that?
“Yeah, I am a part of three mastermind groups which is a phrase coined by Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich. If you look back at history you’ll see great examples of this. From the Knights of the Round Table to Andrew Carnegie, many great people have contributed their success to being a part of these types of groups.
In my groups, we have people in all different professions, from all different walks of life. But these people help me in so many ways. For example, there’s one guy in my group who is a sword swallower and he has helped me tremendously with stage presence.
I think honesty is the most important thing.
It’s hard because you have to be vulnerable, but connecting with the right people is important because you need to be honest with yourself and other people.”
How do you know how to differentiate between great feedback and noise.
“Well, with my mastermind group, I trust everything they say. But in terms of my audience, I don’t do everything right. I often get criticized, but there’s an extreme. I don’t give attention to haters. If they’re disrespectful, I don’t pay attention at all. If it’s constructive, I try to listen without reacting immediately. In those times, I try to investigate and use those as starting points.
I think it’s wise to understand your core values over everything else.”
Three characteristics—Gratitude, Generosity, and Humility—are at the core of living a whole life. Tell me more about what you did in Ghana and the generosity you’ve shown.
“I’m thankful because I connected with Adam Braun and his for-purpose/non-profit, Pencils of Promise.
When he was in India, he met a little boy. He asked the boy, “If you can have anything you want, what would it be?” Instead of shoes or a bike, this little kid said, “I want a pencil.”
So with Pencils of Promise, you can build a school for $25,000.
For my 32nd birthday, I reached out to my community and said if we raised $25,000 that I would match it and we would build two schools. So, we did it.
In June, I went to Ghana to see the school. It was amazing.
When I came back home, I felt bad for taking so many things for granted.”
I think a lot of people feel like they can’t do anything if they can’t do a lot. But what people need to understand is their ability to do something right where they are. Would you agree?
“A number of people have emailed me and said that they didn’t have the money, but that they have volunteered at the soup kitchen. Seeing that ripple of generosity has been really cool.
Something else I forgot to mention was how excited my son was when we raised the money. Bringing him into the process has been so great because I get to cultivate these qualities and ideas in him.”
Pat, I couldn’t help but notice, you wear awesome socks. I’m a proponent of #BowTieFriday. You’ve got to tell me more about the socks.
“I love awesome socks. Me and a few other guys, Greg Hickman and John Lee Dumas, compete for the best socks. But more than that, it makes me realize to focus on the details. It might sound ridiculous, but that’s what it does for me. In a way, it’s a reminder that everything matters.”
Nice interview Matt. Sorry to miss you at PM…baby #2 is about fully baked though.