mental resilience, personal accountability, and building a business that lasts. In this special episode, Jon dives into the highs and lows of his career and shares how his journey from addiction to success shaped his approach to life and work.
Jon discusses the critical role of mindset in today's market, emphasizing the power of discipline and responsibility. "Anything that you don't own, you can't change," he says, explaining why accountability is the first step to personal and professional growth. His story is a testament to the impact of daily habits, relentless focus, and a commitment to growth—even when the odds are stacked against you.
This episode uncovers Jon’s unique perspectives on leadership, his philosophy of “forced suffering” as a tool for mental strength, and the value of community in creating success. For him, success isn't about reaching the finish line but about who you are becoming along the way. “Forget about the outcome,” Jon reflects, “obsess over the person you are becoming every single day.”
Jon also discusses the importance of aligning personal values with business goals, emphasizing how this alignment drives lasting fulfillment and genuine connections with others. He shares how embracing vulnerability and humility has strengthened his relationships and contributed to his success. Building a brand that prioritizes authenticity and integrity, Jon believes success means lifting others up.
Top Takeaways:
(1:39) The role of mental toughness play in personal growth
(4:12) Can losing teach more than winning?
(8:46) How can hitting rock bottom ignite unstoppable growth?
(14:06) How do easy wins make agents unprepared for real challenges?
(17:08) How does owning your past lead to personal transformation?
(18:56) Why is "forced suffering" essential for true progress
(20:58) The role of personal values in breaking free from stagnation
(23:20) Why does "Who am I becoming?" matter more than achievements?
(26:21) How vulnerability makes you a stronger leader
(30:12) How does focusing on daily victories fuel personal growth?
(33:56) The true power of an abundance mindset
(36:02) How does teaching others make you an expert
(40:54) How visualizing others' happiness impacts work relationships
(43:46) The purpose behind creating real community in business
(45:49) How do events open doors for emerging leaders?
(47:35) Why do small style choices matter in building confidence
Join us for this inspiring 150th episode to learn what it takes to build unshakable resilience and celebrate this milestone with Jon’s remarkable story. Discover how to develop the mental toughness needed to transform your path forward.
About Jon Cheplak
Jon Cheplak is the CEO of The Real Recruiter and Founder & Coach at Cheplak Live, bringing over 27 years of hands-on experience in real estate. With a background as a successful agent and former executive of a multi-office company, Jon now focuses on coaching team leaders, brokers, and agents to achieve higher productivity and profitability. He has spent the past decade guiding real estate professionals across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, using a proven system to attract, develop, and retain top-performing agents, adding billions in sales volume to teams worldwide.
Connect with Jon Cheplak Today!
Episode Transcript:
Brian Charlesworth 00:34
Hey everyone, welcome back to the grit Podcast. I'm Brian Charlesworth, the founder of Sisu, and the host of the show, and today is a big one, guys, it's a big one. If you're looking at the picture, you can probably see the face, but you all know who he is. And John Cheplak is on the show today. So John, grateful to have you.
Jon Cheplak 00:51
Brian, it's always good to sit down spend time with you. I was really pleased when y'all reached out to sit down and chat. So this will be fun.
Brian Charlesworth 00:59
You know, usually I do a big intro, but with John, I don't think there's a need for an intro. Everyone knows who you are. But for me, one of the one of the coolest things is, I know you have a story and you had challenges and you had addiction, and I hope you don't mind going back to that, because this podcast is called the grit podcast. And, you know, a lot of people give up on life when they get in certain situations, and we all have challenges. I think so many people watch you, or watch some other people, and they think, oh, man, it's easy for John. Well, it's not right, like they don't see how many hours you put in. So I'd love to just start off by hearing a little bit more of your story, and maybe your background, where you came from, and why you're bringing so much value in the industry today.
Jon Cheplak 01:39
Well, I really appreciate it, because I think that, you know, the first thing, I've always been highly committed to personal development, but I even went in at a higher level over the last 18 months, whether it's coaching or personal development. And you know, one of the things that Ian Graziosi says really clearly to me all the time is, you know, it's, it's emotions, long before strategy and tactic and emotions come down to who we are, you know, our emotional intelligence, our emotional maturity, and how we're developing. And you know this Brian, I mean, we get to interact with a lot of special people throughout North America, and, you know, if we really get the chance to, and you're a numbers guy and I'm a numbers guy, and at the same time, we're a relationship piece, and understand the human being. But when you peel the layers back, a lot of times, it really comes down to something personal, right? So for me, thank you for bringing it up. Because I think also the timing is really critical, because people are discovering over the last year, maybe 18 months, or maybe last six months, depending on where people were at, I think that a lot of people are understanding more so of what mental toughness is, and, or whether or not they have mental toughness, because I don't know that it was tested. We have, we have things come up in life, and, and, but I mean, from a business standpoint, you know that that area for most people's lives, you had to be living under a rock had been just pretty awesome, yeah? And so the timing and looking at it, yeah, you know, I'd built my career. And there's, there's some other things too, that hopefully to share. I'd built my career based on, on getting results and, and, you know, doing the work, selling houses, being a leader, etc. And along the way, as I look back, one of the things in the big mistakes was, was just trying to prove myself instead of who I was becoming. And, and I think when you do that, you know there's going to be some a crossroads of conflict that's going to take place. And so anyways, for me personally, from 21 to 41 it was in and out of rehab. Joints couldn't get sober. And then at 41 I'm 58 now, 4142 I went into rehab, and actually the only one I didn't stay in. I just knew that I just knew that I was absolutely done. And I've been sober since then, but I had gone all the way down at, you know, a grown man where I owned a bicycle and, yeah, owed the IRS $4.3 million I still have the I always love it. People say, Oh yeah, it's exagger Here you go. There's the I kept those tax liens. I still got them, right, yeah?
Brian Charlesworth 03:59
And I think you don't, you don't forget that number when you owe that amount, right?
Jon Cheplak 04:03
No, you really don't. And, and I guess what I want to point out to people in this right now, because I think it is a time, Brian, you were just around a bunch of people, you know, and it's a time of mental toughness. And I think the mistake that, as I look back at it, grown through and continue to grow, is that, you know, forget about the outcome you're trying to get and just obsess over the person that you are becoming every single day. Because if you focus too much on winning, and you do win a lot of times, it can go, Okay, so now what? But if you lose, what can happen is it can spin people out versus who am I becoming every single day? So I was forced into that because at that point, and I think it's it's giving people a background, and because it's kind of really been the foundation of I had the strategies and tactics many, many years prior to I've been in business for 20 plus years, but I wasn't really going to that real, real next level that I never even expected or imagined could happen for me. I. Was to make principle based decisions when I did get sober, you know, I kind of came clean with my brother 18 months into it, and said, Hey, I'm still a fraud. What do you mean? You're doing great. I said, No, I haven't filed my taxes in 10 years. And he looked at me, and this is a moment, and something, an opportunity, came up for me just a month ago that was similar, but not I said, I'm filing bankruptcy. I'm doing payment plans. I'm bailing from all this. He's no, you're not. He says, you're paying it off. He says, What do you mean? He says, Because you paying it off or not as a matter of life or death for you, because it's a conflict in the principles of who you are. You've walked away from something. Let me ask you this. That's right, if someone owed you $4.3 million would you want them paid back? Well, of course I would. He said, Well, here's what you're going to do. And I said, Well, I'm going to live on top ramen. I'll never get out of this. And he said, well, didn't you have to surrender when you finally decided to get sober? I said, Yes. He says, that's your theme. He said, You're paying it off. And at that point, you know, 18 months sober, I think I still had enough fear of what could happen if I did give back to the drinking thing, literally, was life or death for me. And and I plugged away. And so there's a couple things in this plugging away. And today, I don't know I need to go, you know, put a number out there, but from a life I'm able to live with my family, a net income, I'm able to create and and a net worth is what I thought I'd always hear about other people having and doing and and what I would say in that is, is, if I look at it, I was forced into, I couldn't have a victory. I couldn't buy things. I couldn't buy anything. The IRS had a lien on me. I, you know, I paid rent and I had food and I had water and I had shelter and I had a gym membership. That's all I could afford. I didn't have time to worry about TV and so, so I had to break this thing down. And I think it's just so relevant right now for for many of us in this type of market, I had to break this thing down and say, okay, but you know, all right, let's, let's focus on that end result. That end result was so far away, it wasn't even realistic to me. How can I feel like I'm winning? And it came down to designing. What do you have to do today? Like Groundhog Day? And so I've been able to, it's been 16 years of getting sober. And I think the the neat thing, and spring has has been in the room. And springs an example and a contributor to this too. Because if you take a look at, and I need to tell you about your wife, but I will is you look at how spring lives her life. Spring is a, she wants to live that way. B, she wants to inspire people to be their best version of self, in as a family member, as a spouse, as a in her health and wellness and in business, and the thing that I'm most proud of is I didn't shy away from that. Wasn't bashful about it. And I'm not sitting on my stages saying, everyone gets sober. I wish I knew how to have a drink. But what's happened is we're able to grow businesses today because of certainly strategy and tactic, but people come in our rooms and go, I mean, they just say it up on stage, hey, you know, I'm working out more, I'm eating better, I'm not drinking as much, or I don't drink. And so a couple things in there is everything going on, personally will show up privately, will show up publicly. Number two, the growth of your business is inside your business, and it's inside you as a human being, and and number three is to do big things, you've just got to do the next little right thing, right? So I think finally, the best marketing piece you can have in growing a business and growing a brand is being an example of someone who's overcome something and stuck with it consistently over time.
Brian Charlesworth 08:39
Yeah, I was just going to talk about that, because it seems to me that many people, many, and I view you as one of them, have to hit rock bottom in order to really just take off, right and, and I think part of that is and most people that have hit rock bottom, like Truly hit rock bottom, are the strongest people on the planet, because they're like, I'm never going to get there again, right? I mean, no way I'm going to allow that. I am this person, not this person, and now, every day, you're focused on growing and improving and going to that next level. So why is it that you think the human race is like that, that we have to hit rock bottom.
Jon Cheplak 09:21
You know, it's a really good question. I think that we're programmed to be average and and, you know, that's what, what we're programmed outside of us is, is average? You see someone do good at something, you know, maybe they have a good month in sales, or maybe they'll get good grades or or whatever it may be, and then can they carry it through? No, they don't. But then we've had that taste of the high, if you will. And I think what can happen is a self destruct mode can take over. In a lot of cases. We all are motivated. If we weren't motivated, we wouldn't breathe. I mean, I always take it. Down to its simplest of terms. And I think what what happens is for excellence to take place, though, you know, we're all programmed for average. We just are. It's all around us. But for excellence to take place, you have to have mental toughness like there is no tomorrow. Bottom line, I post about this the other day, a strategy or tactic. We can go find it on the internet, find it on YouTube. I can get on the phone with you, an abundant person like you, anyone. I can find it out, but, but how come people don't do it? The reason people don't do it is because they expect things to go smoothly, and they've done nothing to train themselves to you know, you can't read a book and gain mental toughness. You just can't You can't go to a seminar and gain mental toughness. Yet that is, mental toughness is the missing ingredient. When you take a look at people that go to the next level, and I think that you take a look at those who've persevered, and those have done well, the next level is hard, and the best training is, is your ability to go through hard. So I think that's why you have to now, what's interesting, and I was having a conversation, I never thought of it this way, though, either, right? And there's, I've never been a fan of the the trainings that are out there. There's bunches of them. It breaks you down for three days and builds you back up.
Brian Charlesworth 11:23
Oh, yeah, been through those many times, yeah? But then, but then I say,
Jon Cheplak 11:27
Wait a minute. You know what they're trying to they're trying to simulate, you know, my rock bottom, if you will. It's, it's almost like this simulation, because we've seen, you know, I don't think it's ever been presented that way. Hey, listen, if you take a look at every highly successful person go, don't ask them how they did it. Ask them what they overcame. So someone back in the early days said, Listen, there's a pattern over here. Let's create the condition in a classroom. So I think number one, mental toughness is the it's the most critical attribute of someone and their ability to build or do something big. And so that's why I think people have to go through it most definitely.
Brian Charlesworth 12:07
So that's thank you for sharing that. Two weeks ago, I was in Arizona for a week with William lamb and yeah, you know William,
Jon Cheplak 12:14
she's told me, so we got on a zoom with him once spring, and I did, and she's just like, raved about him, amazing.
Brian Charlesworth 12:21
So it was amazing, amazing week. The way my life is aligning right now because of that is incredible. But one of the things I wanted to share you talk about breakdown, and I've been through many of those trainings where they break, you know, beat you up, to bring you down, to bring you up, right? And I don't, I agree. I don't know that that's necessary, but what he did is really focus on how you talked about programming early on, while you were going through that. And he talked about just the different things, and he shared true examples of how his parents were programmed by their parents, because his grandpa was in the war, and just a little thing, like his grandpa didn't think you could have a successful business because he was in the war and got anyway and and a solid relationship together. So because of that, his dad didn't, you know, subconsciously, didn't have a successful business because he wanted the family, right? So, so anyway, it's just amazing what we can pick up from our ancestors. But instead of beating people down, he was just pulling out all those beliefs, right?
Jon Cheplak 13:30
Those beliefs don't serve us. It's going underneath.
Brian Charlesworth 13:34
Yeah, yeah. So you've talked about mental toughness many times today, like you brought it up three or four times already. So when I look at mental toughness, we're in an industry right now where, like the last two years, people have to be tough to still be growing. And I see that some people let the market control their business, while others let their actions and what they can control control their business, right? And so I want you to talk about that for a minute, maybe with team owners. And then I think there's a big challenge in this industry right now where so many agents had it so easy for so many years that they just don't know how to work anymore.
Jon Cheplak 14:17
Yeah, good. I think there's some, again, some programming that has taken place that caused it, because the outcome is based on your input to it. We're seeing it. I should have never opened a mortgage company in this time, because rates are bad. Well, we're crushing, right? I mean, we go thing after thing, yeah,
Brian Charlesworth 14:34
likewise, right. We've started a mortgage company simply that part does JVs with teams, and it's adding a nice little pad on those teams pocketbooks, right? If, if they, if they're willing to do that. So you do it, yeah, yeah.
Jon Cheplak 14:48
So it's doing the work here, here's what, here's what it is is. And a lot of people say that, you know, I'm polarizing. No, what I believe is everything has its duality. So number one thing that's showing up today is we're taught. Stop looking in the rear view mirror. There's a reason that the windshield is bigger than the rear view mirror. Well, that's ridiculous. Number one, the only thing that you can truly share with me is what you don't like in something that happened in the past. Nothing else is true because you don't know, because it's beyond you. So that's number one. Number two, your future is in your past. Number three, in your past are parts of you, and this is why, you know it's put it behind you, and don't put some energy in you don't think about it. Why they talk about the windshield well? And the unfortunate programming in that is that is in most people's cases, it's a part of of us. It was for me for many years, until I went through the training the shadow work with Debbie Ford was that that was a part of me that I rejected, was embarrassed about, and I hid, and whether it's something that you know happened to me or something I did, but what happens is, is that most people have been taught to let that go, and they haven't dealt with it, instead of using it as a tool, going back and looking at the toughest of days and toughest of times and, and what was the good that came out of it, and, and it's very interesting. Many people that you'll go and visit that with are all I'll go and visit it with and try and facilitate that movement to them of tell me all the positives of it. You're ridiculous. I'm not willing to go here. And you know, they're going to be stuck forever. So so they don't have that tool to draw upon, yet, it's right there, that ability to to demonstrate mental toughness, they've already done it. So they're they could go back to this borrowed belief, but it requires deep work. There's one thing, right?
Brian Charlesworth 16:43
There isn't that as simple, John as just being accountable for everything that happens in our life.
Jon Cheplak 16:48
It's called personal responsibility. And the exercise I always love is I tell people this so you're sitting at a stop sign and someone earns you. Raise your hand if it's your fault. No hands go up and also see there's the difference. You're going to pick and choose what you own. I'm responsible because I was there, right? Anything that you don't own you can't change. And so own maybe a challenge with a parent or a past relationship, a drama or a trauma, and look at how maybe you participated, how you brought it on, or maybe you didn't. But what did it create for you? You know, part of my upbringing, I would say, was, you know, anyone watching or listening to this would know this was discipline, and I'll just leave it at that, okay, discipline at a high level, and didn't like it. And let me tell you something today, it was the biggest gift on the planet, and that helped me go back to a relationship with a stepfather who did his best at that time and really realized he was doing his best, because I thought back to how he was raised, and not to give someone an out, but then also taking a look at it and saying it was it good or bad? I don't know. But what was the positive in it? I can tell you the positive in it. I mean, I am known for discipline, committed and consistent, so I think that's, that's part of it. Here's the other part. And you know, as I was thinking this before even asked, you know, you look at you in spring, both of you in your life. You're a great example. When you walk in the room. People know that you take care of yourself when you walk in the room. People know that you have self respect and self pride when you walk in the room. People know you're committed and you're consistent Well, when you also walk in the room, people know that you have forced suffering in your life. Whether it's you're jumping up on a mountain bike's great. It's not easy. It's ridiculous. You're burning yourself. You know, doing the climbs that spring, does you going along with her? I mean, exercise that you guys do consistently, that's for suffering.
Brian Charlesworth 18:48
And so there's another reason. I mean, going to New York today for the New York Marathon, yes,
Jon Cheplak 18:54
right. So that's the other thing, though. How come people are struggling like you're going to hit hard times, but you've got a programming part of your regiment, your routine, Brian is, is, Listen, you can't just go to the gym. You can go to the gym and goof off, but you can't look the way that you look if there's not some element of force suffering. Most people don't have that. So I think that's another piece that many people miss. I think ultimately, though, is it's good old programming. When people experience we don't make choices logically. Typically, as humans, I think they say 80% of buyers. Well, a buyer is someone who makes a choice. So let's just say 80% of human beings are and if you look at agents, 80% of real estate agents are expressive personality that are emotional. Well, we also know that human beings, the heart chooses, mind justifies. Well, Brian, you and I are going to sit down. You and I and spring are going to sit down. Have a cup of coffee. We sit down with the Brett Jennings. Have a cup of coffee and say, hey, the market's doing this. There's half as many sales this year. What do we need to do? Okay, double our activity. Okay, we're fine. Bye. I mean, sure we've got to do our. Sales and control the controllable, right? Well, well, but, but also in you, you provide a tool, the most advanced tool, from a reporting standpoint, that shows people here it is, right here on a silver platter. Okay, your sales are here because of a, b, c, d, it's right there. You know, it's displayed. Sisu is displayed in the top teams throughout North America. The logic that is the solution, but heart chooses, mind justifies we're emotional. So there's a there's a human condition there. But I think the ultimate piece. It's been years, years, years of programming. And, you know, not to be political to it didn't matter who was in in office or not, but we all went through a condition of you get something for nothing when they started giving money out to people. Yeah, you know, it conditioned people. So I think that's where it's at right now. I think the only way out for folks that are stuck is you got to really look at what's important to you in your personal life. Because great, you're not going to be logical, then great, let's really trigger that emotion. I think there's people like you. I know how important your family is to you. I know how important is to spring and all of our friends and sure, we're going to want to look at the life we want to create for them, but there's something more important for you and for spring, it's like, who am I every day? You know, my self respect, my pride, my my principles, all those type of things and and I'm not saying you or anyone is better than others, but a lot of people really look at thing as cause and effect, cause and effect, and they're so caught up in the outcome. So yeah, I think the only suggestion I have is, first of all, go to a leader and ask a leader, whether it's a leader, it's a coach. Go to Sisu. Just sit. Because certainly I know that most, if not all, people watching or listening to this or Sisu members, you know what? Go have a spiritual experience with Sisu, and a couple things are going to happen. Number one, you're going to see no activity. Okay? And there's two reasons for that, A, you're not doing or B, you're not even adopting a strong tool that can help you with your business. So now, who can help you? No one can help you. No one can help you when you're doing nothing, and no one can help you when you're not documenting your numbers, right? So sit down and look at in some way, shape or form. What does that need to fix? Well, I need to start doing activity. Okay, start then. Number two, start then number two, I need to track it. Great. Start tracking. But then number three, okay, that was easy. Well, no, you need to go take a look at a a parent that you plan on taking care of or a responsibility take care of a child that you made promises to a significant other where, you know, I'll just tell you you're a grown ass man and you're the man of the house, and I'm sorry, old fashioned ways go. I mean, be the man of the house. And that's not saying that. Listen, my wife is a badass, just like yours. Yeah, I'm the man of this house. But don't get me wrong, my wife is her person, too. But still, I mean, just whatever it is to take and look in the mirror at what your responsibility is on this planet, and that's the best that I can say. Or here's the final one, face, the fact you're not going to change, and maybe a shift type job is for you,
Brian Charlesworth 23:11
and don't complain about it, if that's you. Yeah, so
Jon Cheplak 23:14
and you're not a bad person, a loser. You made a choice, yes.
Brian Charlesworth 23:19
So, something you've talked about several times today is, Who am I becoming every single day, I consider that, like personal growth. The other thing you talked about is, go, go, do something for somebody, right? Whether it's a child a parent, which is contribution, growth and contribution, right? I've learned that decades ago from Tony Robbins, growth and contribution. If we have growth in our life for growing every day, we're happy, right? Growth equals happiness and contribution just takes it to the next level. So you, I know, are focused just by the people you surround yourselves with. I know you are focused on personal growth. Most people say, Oh, John sheplak, like he's up here in this industry, but you're here, but you want to be there, right, right? So how do you keep that growth? And I've found that in my experience at Sisu, if I'm not growing every day, I can't be the leader that I need to be to take my company to the next level. So growth, personal growth, is such an important thing, and part of that for you, I know is fitness as well and health which, which is so important, right? I mean, without health, we have nothing.
Jon Cheplak 24:28
So, yeah, it's funny in you can have a whole bunch of problems in your life and business. And people wake up every day with a little issues here and there. You have a health problem. You have one problem. Yeah, you have no other problems in your life, then you have none. So, so that, you know, that really puts a bow on that one. You know, I like the the contribution and personal development in the personal development part of it, I think the most important thing is it was interesting. About two years ago, I told my wife that I had gone on this run where it was just multiple masterminds. And a bunch of stuff. And I'd scaled it back to to one that I was in outside of the industry, and 18 months ago, I went all in with Dean graciosi and Tony Robbins. And the reason I share this with people just like you, I mean, you just went through an intensive last week yourself. You're constantly growing. You are a family that is is business growth oriented as a result of the people that that you all are becoming the one thing that that I know is that every time I got stuck in business, it wasn't a new strategy or tactic, it was something in my emotional intelligence and emotional maturity. And emotional intelligence, emotional maturity, okay, that's sophisticated term it is. Do you do what you say you're going to do when you do it and when you don't you, you know, happily admit it. I think there were early times in my career where I would say, hey, my results mask those type of things. It's okay. It's okay. And and I could get a good number as far as an income is concerned, and I could get a good income, and I could justify little things. And the problem is, though, is is the next level is in filling those gaps and doing what you say you're going to do when you're going to do it, being willing to be held accountable, and constantly allowing other people to be a third party observer of you and give feedback. I think the biggest things that were tough for me was abundance, which I talk about now all the time, because I live it, but also was allowing a third party observer to really, really give me feedback. And so I think it's it is seeking environments where you are, it's overused term where you're very uncomfortable, and there's people that are doing much more than you. I think seeking environments where you're going to get exposed, being exposed allows you that's going to serve as a catalyst to choose growth or not. Because what will happen is, just like you said, like the organization will go as far as you do, and then what happens? So that's when the contribution comes back in, because then you become a vessel. I mean, you got to walk the talk. Of course, you can go out and get the knowledge and stay engaged in the personal development. But now, if you're truly striving to learn it, and are learning it and striving to do it every single day, now you become a vessel that can impact other people's lives. Because the biggest reason people will leave you is not because of money. They will leave you because of lack of growth. They see there is not a runway, whether it's growth in the relationship of what you can bring to me, right? People say, Oh, I got a better split, or I got this. Or they'll talk about money. It's, I'm sorry, it's not are you a growth path to me? So that's where it's super, super important to me. Because the next piece is, I think when you you build a brand, you start getting this business. Now it's like, okay, how can I bring other people forward? First thing is, I want to contribute, but now, how can I bring other people forward? And when you do that, and you transfer your skill set and your knowledge and the development, the personal development, your your experiences, your series of misadventures, you know you can you can practically finish people's sentences. You can be relatable. You can support them. And then what happens is, in that work, you build deeper relationships. Then all of a sudden, guess what happens in your business? You got partnerships in businesses with these people and your business grows. Crazy thing so, but I think it's the three things, humility, vulnerability, transparency, and then the fourth is willingness, those, those are critical to grow.
Brian Charlesworth 28:35
So two things, one, you talked about mental and, you know, I've seen this with myself. I've seen this with spring at times, and it's happens to all of us, right? There's also this mental thing where I think we get comfortable with Okay, right? And so our subconscious is actually stopping us from going to that next level, because we've trained our subconscious that that's comfortable, right, that that's what we truly want. We're okay with that, right? So how do we get beyond that?
Jon Cheplak 29:15
It is letting go of outcomes. Outcomes are a distraction. When I really came to and I say this, I tell people I had an unfair advantage. And it came to consciousness, though many years after I came out the other side of it, right? And I really try and share this a lot with people I had no choice. I mean, like, like, Brian, the most important thing for me was just get through the work I had to do today. I mean, I can't look forward to buying a new car. I can't look forward to buying a house, I can't look forward to going shopping, going on a trip. I could not look forward to any little, tiny rewards, right? And and I think the rewards can be that distraction for people, and a lot of it can be, you know, maybe it's background and stuff, but we've all seen the stories of people that you. Get riches and win a gold medal, or they win a world championship, or they do something, and the next thing you know, their life spun out well, because that was all that mattered to them. Yeah, that was all that mattered to them. And so for me, it is, and I would share with everyone I learned this by default. The only thing that could be a victory from me was, Did I check the box today? Was I the best version of who I could be as a human being as I interacted with people? Did I bring my best forward in the work to impact other people? And how did it do my health, my fitness and my nutrition, my family? That was it. I had to look for victories in the process. And it was many, many years of me doing that, before I could even go out. And I remember I bought a truck in the IRS. You know when they say, Okay, you're going to pay us off. Great. We want access to everything. We were going to watch your earnings. And I went and bought a truck, and they called my because I need a power of attorney with my CPA, because I just, I didn't want the stress of them talking to me, okay, great, I've got it. Yeah? I get a demand letter from them that I've got to go sell it. I mean, like, those were the type of things that were going on. Fortunately, in real estate, he needs it. I mean, I'm in real estate, yeah? So even, even little, when I get a little tiny victory, like, buy a truck. Oh my gosh, I'm buying something. I get a kid again, and I have say, okay, you know what? Though, who was I today?
Brian Charlesworth 31:29
And who do you think that IRS challenge? John is part of me. That's a big challenge. Most people, most people would never have the confidence to get out of that, right? Do you think that's part of why you're where you are today? 100%
Jon Cheplak 31:45
Yeah. 100% it was the catalyst. The first thing you know, getting sober, Brian, I had to surrender and and then, then when that came forward, what are you gonna fight with the IRS? Yeah, yeah, right. I mean, okay, great. Go get an attorney, and the attorney will win, and the IRS will win too, and you'll lose more,
Brian Charlesworth 32:03
right? Exactly, exactly. There's no way out of that other than to do what you did, to do what you do.
Jon Cheplak 32:07
And 100% I had an unfair advantage, because A, that was my option. B, I responded to it and just did what I needed to do. And and see, it took me to a place to really, you know, I think people have these things. Someone asked me months ago, outside of an event, what, what's your gratitude list look like? And I said, I don't have one. I said, I'm grateful for one thing. He said, What? I said, my breath. He said, What?
Brian Charlesworth 32:38
As long as you're grateful, that's like the simplest thing to be grateful for, if you if you're grateful for your breath, you're always in gratitude, right?
Jon Cheplak 32:44
I said, y'all make things so complicated. Man, where does that come from? And Who taught you that? I said, No one taught me that I had to discover it. Man, because listen what I had to wake up and face every single day. I mean, there weren't too many exciting things, and it taught me how to love deeper and value family and friends and relationships more when I had really been just this, get results type person and that whole IRS situation. I mean, every single challenge we go through is a catalyst that has been put in front of you period for you to decide if you're going to go through it and go to the next level, and when you're in it, you don't think you're getting out of it. But now I look back right there is, I mean, I draw upon that all the time. Yeah, I mean, I hit everything. It's kind of like today. People say, Why you still do I do about 65 coaching calls? Why do you still do 65 coaching calls? You can this. You can. That's who I am.
Brian Charlesworth 33:40
Okay, love it. So I respect you in so many ways. I mean for health, for your mental toughness, for eating rocks.
Jon Cheplak 33:48
Let's not forget that that's my lifeline.
Brian Charlesworth 33:52
But one of the things I respect you most for, John, is abundance. I think there are very few people that I see that have the abundance mentality that you have, and I've watched that firsthand, because you coach spring, right, and you coach her to help her build a coaching program right now, to compete directly with your coaching program. So, like, that's true abundance, right? Because, you know, there's plenty to go around. So I just like to think, I mean, so many people like, just turn on their enemies and or it's not even an enemy, it's maybe someone who does a little competition, or they may not even be competition, and you're still, like, upset about it. How did you get that mentality?
Jon Cheplak 34:33
It was a mentor that had said to me, anything that you resist will persist. And we've heard that quote in cliche, but he took it deeper. He said, Wherever you are stopping the outflow of something you have, there's a blockage of inflow that'll be allowed to come into you, because you can only have so much. He said, So that's going. To create. Know, you've been to Lake Tahoe? Yeah, I love Lake Tahoe. It's clearest Lake. There's lakes in the world. He said, Sure, because there's inflow, outflow, it's one of the most beautiful places on the planet. He said, But have you ever stepped in a pond? Yeah, it's murky, it's dirty. There's no inflow, no outflow, and and so he had said to me that if you want more, said two things, if you want more to come into you, he said, more has to flow out of you, and you'll be amazed at what shows up. Three things, I'm sorry. Second thing that he said to me is, this is the minute that you will not give away something you are doing. And you know this. I mean, I hear, here's my funnel, here's this. Hey, run this same program I just run, I think you'll do better with your audience, etc. He said, the minute that you are unwilling to share something that you are doing right with someone else, you're no longer betting on yourself. You have stopped betting on yourself. It's just purely that simple. And the third thing that he said is, everything that you've worked so hard for, the only way you can keep it is if you give it away constantly. The moment that you stop giving it away, it's not going to show up in the way that it has for a couple of reasons. That's just a principle in life, he said, but what happens is, you've learned it once and done it once, he says. But when you give it to someone and you teach it to them, the teacher learns it twice, and you'll get even better at it. And that was simply what it came down to. And another place where I questioned it, but it came back to surrender, and I surrendered to that principle. And here we are. I mean, it's just like, for example, just like you, we launched mortgage, and it's doing really well. And and I coach two other loan officers. I coach the number one loan officer in the in the world seven years, I think, standing, Sean banazi, and he did over, personally, did over 100 and some million last month. I've coached him five years. I coach Shayla, who does 60, 70 million. And we get on the coaching calls and anything that I'm doing right in our and listen, these guys are experts in the mortgage piece. They're the rest of the world. But hey, listen, what's so cool about these people doing so well is, you know, I was talking to Sheila about, hey, here's how we're doing this. Here's how we're doing that and and what happens to I think ultimately that way, that's where you get really true, long term relationships with depth that will contribute to you at the highest level. Yes, I could show people result after result after result. I mean, I'm in a two masterminds with Dean gracios. He wants a 25 k1 and you know, one thing I said, I do want to pass this on to people, is one thing I said to myself when I went in there, is, okay, I'm paying 25k 18 months ago. What am I going to get out of it? It's kind of like agents that say or or a customer would say to you, okay, I'm going to pay this much. What am I get out of it. And you know what? You know why things don't work out. The product you use, the teacher, the course, the coach you go to is you do it backwards. I paid the 25k and I said, everything I'm going to get out of this is 100% up to me. I'm going to contribute at the highest level, not be this pain in the butt, but any way I can help people. Well, all of a sudden they have me speak there. Then all of a sudden, I get a phone call from Dean random. Hey, you know, don't want to ask you, but you want to jump on my jet with pace morby and John Langbein and and the founder of Grimaldi, and go to a mastermind at Glen Stern's house. You know, it's like, I It wasn't on my vision board to jump on Dean's jet. What I love to Yeah, no, it wasn't there it it shows up because of contribution, period.
Brian Charlesworth 38:45
Yes. So I love this just happened to me yesterday, so the day before yesterday, oh, with Glenn. I was talking to Glenn, and Glenn said, hey, you know, and it just, it's just a line, because, you know a lot of it. I actually believe if I hadn't been in my training with William, this would not have happened. But, you know, he said, Hey, I'm stopping in Salt Lake on my way home to refuel. You want to jump on the jet with me, you know? So, same thing, right? So, hey, I've wondered this about you, because you're always, you're always sharing the message of, you know, every day, do what you have to do, make every day a success. But I don't hear you talk a lot about visualization, and I'm sure you do a lot of visualization, you know? I mean, I look at the best of the best tennis players, basketball players, they all envision themselves winning the championship, right? They've all experienced it in their minds, in their subconscious before it actually happens. I'd just like to know, like, how does that show up in your life? Because you've gone from, in the last five years, I've seen you go from a lot of people not knowing who you are. Like, everybody knows who you are, right? So, so, like, let's talk about that. Is that something you visualized or or is that. Not, not been a role in that, in your life.
Jon Cheplak 40:02
You know, I'd be lying if I said it doesn't here's what I'd visualize. And I felt an emotion come over me too when my wife had sent me the video. One thing I do visualize genuinely is the people that I either get to work with or that are family members, people that I love and friends having a good experience and having happiness as a result of something that maybe I had a hand in. My wife. Her childhood was horses, and she's out there. She sends me a video, and I'm out on the road. She's mucking the stalls and and I could just hear her voice and her happiness. Look at this. This is so great. This is wonderful. I visualize the happiness in all the people that are in my life. That's a big thing to me. The best way that I do it, that's for others, which, when you do that, you know you get tenfold. As far as my I print out my calendar every night, the night before, and I go through every single person and visualizing what their challenge, their frustration, where they're at and where I'm at in the relationship and knowing. So I visualize their happiness and their fulfillment. So that's in the workspace, is all I visualize interesting. I don't visualize an income number. I don't do a business plan. But Brian, we could pop up my P and L's from all my businesses, and I know real time on the Google doc from where you know what I mean, yeah, yeah. But from life perspective, visualization interesting. I was telling Dan bear this. I said, Dan, did you know that I had my favorite toy was this plastic red barn and and a little white fence and chickens and cows and horses and stuff. So here I am out at my farm that I do, I do visualize experiences. And sometimes you get there Brian and you learn about yourself, which is great. I remember I had an income level that a number I said, is the only time I really put something out there was, I'm gonna buy myself a ghost rolls. Royce, when I hit X in income, and I hit that number, I go, Well, that's really stupid. And not picking on anyone. I mean, I know you're a car lover, but for me, right?
Brian Charlesworth 42:09
Like, it's like, not a rolls. Royce guy, though, you know, the reason I buy cars is because I like to drive canyons.
Jon Cheplak 42:13
You like drive fast. It's like, Gelman, okay, Mark, Gelman. Gelman's Like, bought something that you have to go out to and work on what are you doing? That's ridiculous. I'd never do it. I'd pay people to do it, you know. So we all have those differences, but I think, think for me, everything is experiential that I visualize, and so it's seeing experiences that the people I love and care for clients. I mean, you know, when you work with people as I'm fortunate too, and you too. I mean, you build these deep relationships. So I think the number one thing I visualize are, are experiences for the people in my life, people in business, then ultimately myself. I don't have any vision boards or anything up or anything like that.
Brian Charlesworth 42:56
So okay, so we only have a few minutes left, so there's one other question that I want to ask you, and then there's a couple personal couple personal questions. Last thing on business I was going to have you talk about, you know, what team owners should do today and what agents should do today? I don't know if we have time for that, so I did want to dive into though, like, I want to talk about your events, because I hear a lot of people, like so many people go to your events. And I know a lot of our top teams go to your events all the time, and they actually come to me and they say, Yeah, I talked about this on John stage. You know, when I do a podcast with them, they talk about being on your stage. So it means a lot, but it also this week, when I was at exp con, I had probably a dozen people come up and tell me they had seen spring on your stage. So anyway, I know you're having an impact on the industry with your events, so just want to talk about those. Why do you do them?
Jon Cheplak 43:52
The first thing was is, you know, selfishly, for me is, hey, I needed to get out here when I first started doing them. I need to get out here and build my brand and give people value and help them grow their business. You know, partly business and partly in purpose. But what's really evolved, and I think the events you're talking about today that's gone on now for thematically, for about four years, this theme of every single one of my events is the reason I do events today is so that people can get the absolute real time from the trenches, proven and tested activities that are working instead of something that's just general and theory based. So that's that is number one. Number two, it is for the purpose of community, our mutual friend who I've just had the privilege to get to know. Ironically, we'd never met person really, I mean passing once, you know, I've had the privilege to get to know Ben any over the last four months, and just a special guy. When I asked him, I said, Okay, let's stop for a minute. Tell me about all your different business. And says, Okay, you've got, you've got tech, but you know, you've got offices, and then you've got the devices. Tell me the number one offer that really hooks people in all four of them. Let's talk on this one. He says, no, no, no, no. He said, it's, it's one thing in all of them. I said, what he said, community, community. Community is why people come in and buy our products, stay with us. So I do it for community purposes. Third purpose is quietly, to bring other people forward and get them to have the same opportunity that I had to build their brand, build their brand to have, I mean, nothing makes me feel better than to hear people saw spring or I think you didn't. Matt just sat down with you too,
Brian Charlesworth 45:37
didn't you? Matt Smith, yeah, yeah. Just he was my last podcast. Yeah, so he's an amazing guy, amazing guys
Jon Cheplak 45:44
to see a guy like that who'd never on the stage a Brandon Burningham. Okay, I was first person to put Brandon Burningham on stage five years ago, and now he's just sweeping the country. So I guess it's my selfish reason again, because my ultimate vision is seeing people in their best version of self and in their happiness. So it's certainly to bring people value, to impact their business, is to build community, but really to give people an opportunity. Because I didn't know people, no one gave me an opportunity. Yeah, I went out and did free events and hustled for it. And so the third thing is bringing these people forward and allowing them to build their brand.
Brian Charlesworth 46:22
I think you and Ben and I all share this community thing that's why we do quarterly events at Sisu, is just to bring them in and have the community. And also, there's nothing that feels better than when somebody comes to an event like that and they're maybe losing 20 grand a month or something, and they show up 90 days later and they're making 100 grand a month net, right? Like nothing makes you feel better than that, right? Yeah.
Brian Charlesworth 46:51
Okay, last thing I want to ask you, John, thank you for being here. I love spending time with you. Whenever I see you. I wish I get to spend the amount of time with you that my wife gets to spend with you. But I have a couple of personal questions. One, every time I see a post from you, I'm always asking myself two things, what shoes is he going to have on, and what sunglasses? Okay, so those, those are things you like. You may not buy cars, but you buy those. So let's, let's talk about that for a minute.
Jon Cheplak 47:18
Sure, I always shoes that's interesting. It just hit me, I never answer it this way. Shoes, I remember being poor and being made fun of for the shoes that that I had versus what everyone else had, all right?
Brian Charlesworth 47:29
Well, I love the shoes you wear, so you you made up for that.
Jon Cheplak 47:35
Sunglasses are a lot of people. It's cool thing. It's the way I actually as much as I'm out there publicly. It's a comfort zone for me. I mean, if I'm going to wear them and people say, wait a minute, hide. Yeah, it's, it's a comfort zone. It keeps me in my space. I'm a massive introvert. It's like, you know, and fortunately, my wife too. I mean, she's, she's the same in that we come out to this farm and we go people like, you don't go to social stuff. So, yeah, the sunglasses and then the tennis shoes, they weren't, they weren't part of an initial get up or brand. But now it's, it's, it's part of what's shaped the brand, of what it is. I mean, it's, yeah, comfort zones and discomfort zones. Shoes were discomfort zone as a child, you know, picked on the clothes I wore and the shoes I wore, and so
Brian Charlesworth 48:20
thank you for being vulnerable in that and sharing that. I mean, that's truth. I can feel that's truth. So thank you for sharing spring and I are both introverts as well. And you know, it's, it's great to get out. And we're, we're all in front of the public a lot, right? And then we just like to go do our thing. So which what my last question is really the ranch and the horses, because it's just seeing those horses, like, those are some of the coolest pictures I've ever seen. Is you guys out on the ranch? I was going to ask you, like, what got you into this? But now I know it's all from your wife.
Jon Cheplak 48:51
It is. Yeah, I am. We had five acres when I was raised. I did do a funny thing. Oh, this. You get a funny story out of this before we wrap. So as I was 12 years old. I think it was sixth or seventh grade. I would walk to the doctor twice from school, twice a week for my allergy shot. And so you gotta sit in the in the in the waiting room. And there was a Better Homes and Gardens magazine the back of it, they had ordered chickens from a hatchery. So my mom called me up. We had five acres. My mom called me up. What's going on? I'm at the post office, and this box addressed to you is chirping. I ordered 50 chickens in the mail at 12. So I just, I had this fascination, and I played with farm animal, plastic farm animals a barn. So there was that for me and and then we had a little, little goat, but the true farmer, though. So that was my extent. I raised chickens, etc. But my wife was a barrel racer, and so she's coming back to her childhood. And so there's, there's the real deal there with the farm and and I love the outdoors and space, and I love seeing my wife happy.
Brian Charlesworth 49:56
Yeah, awesome. Well, John, again, thank you. It's. Just, I just want to continue to see your success. Just blow up one of your biggest fans. I know, I don't let you know that all the time, but it's, it's fun to see have a tremendous amount of respect for you. So thank you for jumping on the show. And you know, to you listeners out there, you know, let people know and let John know. Like, if you guys have anything you need to reach out to John for, let him know. John, what's the best way for people to reach out to you?
Jon Cheplak 50:22
Just go to my personal Facebook page. John Chet, black, okay, go to my personal Facebook page by me. There.
Brian Charlesworth 50:27
All right, everyone, thanks for joining another episode of the grit podcast. We'll catch you next week. Thanks, bud.
