Welcome back to another episode of the Bullpen Sessions! We’re going to dive into a very important topic today — we’ll be talking about the ultimate secret to creating a successful business and life!

If you ever wondered what the secret ingredients for a successful life are, you don’t have to wonder anymore! These three secret ingredients aren’t much of a jaw-dropping revelation, but the real magic is in HOW you execute them in your life and work. When you master that, you can launch the business of your dreams and live a wonderful life in the process.

Before we get into the details though, here’s one really important thing you must understand. In order to have a successful life, you have to invest in yourself. 

Ten years ago, I had no clue what investing in yourself actually meant. Quite frankly, I was just looking for the cheap way out of everything. I wanted to climb that success ladder as fast as I could. I surrounded myself with successful people and tried to understand what they did in order to become successful. If I could just get enough information, I would be successful, right? 

Not exactly. You see, there isn’t a fast track to success. At the end of the day, if you truly want to live out your full potential and meet lofty goals in 2021, you have to invest in yourself. In this episode, I share three ways you can invest in yourself and start seeing results in your business and life. Let’s get into it! 

#1: Invest in Yourself Through Time

What goals have you set for yourself in 2021? Are they huge, out-of-this-world goals? Or are they little, inconsequential goals?

Guys, I want you to set HUGE goals for yourself this year. One of the biggest failures you can make in life is setting a goal so low that it’s easy to achieve. I see a lot of insurance and business professionals just setting these really easy goals, and while there’s nothing wrong with celebrating small wins, if you really want to reach your full potential, you have to set big goals. 

To achieve those huge goals, you have to invest time. 

Ask yourself, “What am I even doing with my time? Am I spending time on pursuing my goals? Am I allotting time to hone my craft?” 

For example, maybe you want to become an influencer. In order to be a successful influencer, you need to be proficient at public speaking, right? In fact, public speaking skills are essential in any sort of business that you’re in. So, instead of just hoping that you’ll “get better in front of crowds,” designate time blocks throughout your week to practice public speaking. By investing time in yourself, you’re unlocking your potential, and you’ll achieve greater things than you thought possible! 

You also need to invest time in your business — I know this goes without saying, but you’d be surprised. Some people idly wait for a sale to pop up. When you are doing nothing, do something! Find partnerships, build your network, enhance your social presence, etc! These things take time, but they give your business the upper advantage! 

Lastly, make sure you take time to rest — overworking can lead to burnout and exhaustion. I am all about being productive, but when it starts to wear on you, take a break so that you can fill yourself up. 

#2: Invest in Yourself Through Effort

Friends, do not expect a successful business or a happy life if you’re not even trying.

Back in 2014, my career and life drastically changed. Amy and I decided to move to Colorado and I began my career as a salesman in an insurance agency. At that time, I had no idea how to grow a personal brand. I didn’t know a thing about marketing. 

In this day and age, if you don’t know how to do something, it’s easier than ever to learn how. You just have to put in effort. My favorite way to do this was by reading books, which didn’t require a huge monetary investment on my part! 

Self-education is a great way to invest in yourself and your business. If you don’t know something or want to improve a skill, there’s a book on how you can do just that. By reading books from thought leaders, business executives, and other successful individuals, Amy and I have taken our careers and lives to the next level. 

If you’re not an avid reader, you can try listening to podcasts or audiobooks! The point is, you want to consume information that will increase your knowledge and give you perspective about your career and life. 

It’s great to invest in some books that relate to your job or work, but don’t forget to also read books on spirituality, health, fitness, and lifestyle. If you want to live a truly great life, you have to consume knowledge on different areas of your life — outside of your business. Yes, consuming information requires effort, but it is effort well spent. 

#3: Invest in Yourself Through Money

Let’s be honest — you’ve gotta spend money to make money.  

About two years ago, I was listening to the For the Love of Money podcast by Chris Harder — an amazing human who has been a mentor, coach, and friend of mine. The episode was about money mindset and dismantling limiting beliefs around money. After listening to the episode, I checked out his Fast Foundations Mastermind — a six-month Mastermind dedicated for startup entrepreneurs. 

I’ll never forget when I made that call to Chris. It was a $6,000 investment, and it was scary as hell to invest in something that I wasn’t sure would bring me results. But I ended up laying down the $6,000 and trusted in Chris’ process. 

Ever since that day, I’ve never looked back. I’ve made so many more monetary investments in my own growth, and they’ve all yielded amazing results. After the first Mastermind ended, I quickly enrolled in the second one, excited to keep pursuing my dream as an entrepreneur, and I plan to do so for years to come.

Here’s the lesson here — if you want to be successful, you’ll have to spend money on yourself. I don’t regret a penny that I’ve spent on self-development. In fact, I recently re-enrolled to the Fast Foundations Mastermind, and I invested some money into Kyle Depiesse’s Reach Beyond Experience. In a matter of two days, I invested between $15,000 to $20,000 in my own personal growth. 

Don’t get me wrong — I experienced a fair amount of doubt and anxiety after laying down the money. But the next day, I woke up and made a commitment to myself and the universe. I’ve invested this money to become a better entrepreneur and version of myself, and that’s what’s going to happen. 

And guess what? It did. I’ve made so many valuable connections which have led to more business opportunities, and I’ve learned essential skills that I’m applying to my business coaching program. Back in November, I made the decision to stop working in insurance entirely and become a full-time entrepreneur. And as soon as I made that decision, it was like the flood gates opened wide, bringing in so many coaching opportunities and business. Looking back, I couldn’t be more grateful.

Invest in Yourself Today!

There you have it, folks! The three ways you need to invest in yourself this year — time, effort, and money. 

Where can you start investing in yourself? Do you need to spend some time and effort in listening to podcasts or reading self-development books? Should you make a financial investment in a Mastermind or business coaching program? I know that decision can be a scary one, but I promise you, it’s worth doing.

If you’re looking to invest in the growth of your business and life, I want to tell you a little bit about my new coaching program: The Broker Branding Academy! This Academy is for insurance professionals who are focused on HYPER GROWTH! If you want to blow your 2021 sales out of the water, you MUST have a personal brand. Your prospects are buying you — not the logon on your business card. I’ve designed the Broker Branding Academy to teach you, step-by-step, EXACTLY what I’ve done to build a personal brand my prospects and clients KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST. It took me six years … but we’ll get you there in four months! Ready to enroll? Click here! 

And if you felt inspired by this article, make sure to check out the full podcast episode! Also, if you would subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts and leave me a 5-star rating, I would be incredibly grateful! And don’t forget to share this episode with someone who needs to hear it! Tag me, @andy_neary, on Instagram and let me know about your greatest takeaways!

Until next time — go out there and start investing time, effort, and money in yourself. 

Andy Neary Signature

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