We Play Full Out with Bart and Sunny

How to Bet on Yourself When the Odds Are Against You

• Bart and Sunny Miller • Season 1 • Episode 54

Share episode

What does it mean to truly play full out in life? In this episode, Sunny and Bart dive into the incredible story of Sylvester Stallone—how he went from having just $106 in his bank account to creating Rocky, one of the most iconic films of all time. Discover how Stallone’s resilience, belief in his vision, and willingness to take risks can inspire you to step into your own spotlight.

We’ll unpack the life-changing $360,000 decision Stallone made, the heartbreak of selling his beloved dog to survive, and the relentless pursuit of his dream despite being rejected over 1,500 times. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, dreamer, or just someone looking for a dose of inspiration, this episode will challenge you to crush fear, overcome obstacles, and bet on yourself.

Tune in to learn: 🥊 How Stallone said no to $360K to stay true to his vision.
🎬 What it takes to play full out, even when life knocks you down.
💥 Actionable steps to crush fear and start living your dream today.

Ready to write your own script and become the star of your story? Listen Now!

----

Not getting our weekly We Play Full Out newsletter with Bart and Sunny delivered to your inbox? You can get it right here: https://www.weplayfullout.com

----

Inject Rocket Fuel Into Your Life and Go Further, Faster! Join I Do Epic - the World's #1 Unfair Advantage for High-Achieving Entrepreneurs:

Start Your Free 7-Day Trial Here: https://idoepic.com

----

👉🏻 Follow Bart on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/bartallanmiller_

👉🏻 Follow Bart on TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@businesscoachbart

☀️ Follow Sunny on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sunnylynnmiller

☀️ Follow Sunny on TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@sunnylynnmiller

Speaker 1:

Welcome to. We Play Full Out with Bart and Sunny Miller. Take it away, Sunny.

Speaker 2:

Thanks, bart. Today we're going to talk about a story that some people may know, some people may not, but it is the story of Sylvester Stallone and how he wrote and starred in Rocky, and I just love this story because it inspires me on so many different levels. So I'm going to tell the story, then we're going to talk about it and maybe even see like some parallels in our own lives of things we've done.

Speaker 1:

I like it.

Speaker 2:

Let's do this okay, well, first of all, rocky was born with a birth defect, but I don't know if that's what you'd call it, but there were complications when he was born and so half of his face was paralyzed and that's why he always talks kind of out of the side of his mouth, right. But at a really early age, like his whole life, he knew that he wanted to be in the movies. He loved the fact that people could kind of have an escape there, but then also he wanted to inspire people. So cool. He knew that that's what he always wanted to do. Well, fast forward, he's old enough to go talk to agents. Everybody told him that he just looked too stupid, he was dopey. He said nobody will ever want to watch you in the movies, you just need to go do something else. But he refused to give up because he knew that that's what he wanted to do with his life. So he's going out. He's getting rejected over and over again. He visited 1500 agents in New York and got rejected. Now you may be thinking to yourself are there 1500 agents in New York? No, there are not. Which means he visited them six times, seven times, eight times, nine times.

Speaker 2:

He's one of those guys who are probably, if you saw him coming, you'll be like I will pay you not to come back again. But he just kept knocking doors and he kept trying to make things happen. One day he went to talk to probably an agent and he wouldn't let him in to see him. So Rocky just sat there. He didn't go home all night. He was still there the next morning when the agent came in and so he kind of brought Rocky into his office. And that's the first time Rocky got a job. He was on a movie for 20 seconds as a thug and he was getting beat up and the guy basically said everybody hates your guts. So it's perfect, like that, you're the guy that's going to be beat up. And he took, I think, three more roles that way, but he was just not getting anywhere at all.

Speaker 2:

And at the time he was married and his wife was yelling at him. They were having vicious fights every day. She just wanted him to go get a job. But he didn't want to do that and part of that was because he wanted to be hungry. So he knew that if he went and got a job that he would probably get comfortable in it. He started in the rhythm of that and he just knew that if he was hungry enough that wouldn't happen. Like he had to be hungry to pursue this thing. And he just knew that if he was hungry enough that wouldn't happen. He had to be hungry to pursue this thing. And of course his wife didn't understand that at all. Like they didn't even have heat in their apartment because they couldn't afford heating. So they were cold, they were hungry, they were broke.

Speaker 2:

One day he went to the New York Public Library and it wasn't even because he wanted to read, it was just because it was warm there. And he went to the New York Public Library and it wasn't even because he wanted to read, it was just because it was warm there. And he went to sit on a chair and somebody left a book by Edgar Allan Poe like right next to the chair. So he picked it up and he started flipping through it and he became really immersed in the world of Edgar Allan Poe and he was fascinated with his poems, but also his life story and reading about it. I'll look at my notes here. It taught him that he could touch other people and not worry about himself so much, and that's actually what made him decide to start trying to write screenplays. He's like I'm not getting anywhere, you know trying to be an actor, so I'm going to try this route.

Speaker 2:

So he wrote a bunch of screenplays. Nothing worked, nothing worked, nothing worked. He was still really broke. He didn't even have $50. And finally he did sell one screenplay and I think it was called Paradise Alley. He sold it for $ dollars and he was so stoked he's like yes, I'm finally on my way. But it never led to anything. So he kept going and going and going.

Speaker 2:

They were finally so broke that he hawked his wife's jewelry and he said there are a few things you should never do in life and that is one of them. And that was basically the end of their relationship. And they were once again broke. They had no food, no money. He did have a dog that he loved more than anything, because this dog gave him unconditional love, and he was finally to the point where he couldn't afford to feed his dog anymore. So he decided he needed to sell him. So he went outside and he waited in a liquor store in front of the liquor store, just talking to strangers to see who would buy his dog. That's heartbreaking. And a guy came up and he was negotiating with him and he wanted to sell the dog for $50. The guy offered him $25. And so he took that and his dog walked away and he cried and cried. That was the lowest point of his life because he just loved. That was his best friend.

Speaker 2:

And two weeks later he was watching a fight between Muhammad Ali and a guy named Wepner, and I guess Wepner was just getting bludgeoned, he was getting just knocked silly, but he just kept coming back and coming back and hanging in there the best he could, and that just triggered it for him and he's like that's what I'm going to write about. He went home and he wrote for 20 hours straight. He wrote the whole screenplay of Rocky in 20 hours and then he was just like shaking because he was so excited. He's like this is it, this is it, this is it. You know, he just knew that he was just like shaking because he was so excited. He's like this is it, this is it, this is it. You know, you just knew that he was on to something. So then he's like well, I took action, I did the thing. Now I got to go get it out to the world.

Speaker 2:

So he started again knocking doors trying to find people who would buy his script and everybody turned him down. They're like it's too sappy, nobody, it's too sappy, nobody's gonna want to watch this. They had all kinds of things to say about it. Which side note? He wrote them all down and the night of the oscars he read them out loud when he won. I think, uh, something like the best revenge is massive success, right? So, anyway, he kept getting obviously rejected again and again and again guys just already getting beat up, you know and he finally finds some people who loved it and they wanted to buy it and they offered him 125 000 for the script and he didn't take it because his one caveat was I get to star in the movie.

Speaker 2:

I'm rocky, it's me or it's nothing. They're like okay, walk away then. And he did. And then I want to say a couple of weeks later they called him back. He said okay, we'll offer you $250,000. He's like do I get to star in the movie? They're like no, we're not going to like start a no name person who's obviously kind of odd looking and talks weird. Already we need a big star because we're not going to just throw our money away on you. He's like well then, I'm not going to do the deal. So they countered again they offered him $360,000 more than he'd ever seen in his entire life Actually the $125,000 was. And he said, no, I'm not going to do it unless I can star in the movie. And so they kind of finally started to compromise. They said, no, I'm not going to do it unless I can star in the movie. And so they kind of finally started to compromise. They said we'll give you $35,000 and like a limited budget, which was a million dollars, but I guess it was a lot less than most people could do and something about points in the movie they're like if you're going to like, if we're going to risk this on you, you're going to risk it on us as well. Like, if you're going to? Like, if we're going to risk this on you, you're going to risk it on us as well. Right, and so, with that million dollar budget, it went on to gross two hundred million dollars.

Speaker 2:

But going back to thirty five thousand dollars, tony Robbins asked him like what did you do when you got that thirty five thousand? Because, obviously, like, you had to be going crazy with excitement that you got this money. Like you go party. Like did you go party? Like what did you do? He said well, I went back to the liquor store and I stood in front of it. He went back for three days in a row, hoping that the guy who bought his dog would walk by, hoping that he just frequented the liquor store.

Speaker 2:

And on the third day the guy walked by and he said sir, do you remember me? Like I'm the. You know, you're the one that got my dog, and it'd only been like a month and a half. And he's like, yeah, I remember him. Like, well, I want to buy my dog back. He's like will you take $100? And like, can I have it back? Guy said no, I love this dog, like I'm not going to sell them back to you. He goes well, how about 500? And the guy's like, no, he's like how about a thousand? He's like, no, no amount of money you can offer me is going to get you this dog back. Well, he just kept changing the price and he walked away with his dog for $15,000. And he promised the guy a part in his movie. So I guess that guy is also so Rocky's dog, butt Kiss and the guy are a part in his movie. So I guess that guy is also Rocky's dog, but Kiss and the guy are in the original Rocky movie. How is that for a story? It's awesome so cool.

Speaker 2:

All right. So I'm going to ask you some questions so you can kind of have a conversation around it. I think it is so, so powerful and what a persevering human to do that, right. So you can kind of have a conversation around. I think it is so, so powerful and what like persevering human to do that, right. So what stood out to you the first time you heard that story?

Speaker 1:

Well, I think the first time when I heard it, when he told it to me, the number one thing that stood out to me was, uh, a man that really knew what his purpose and his why was, and you know why he existed.

Speaker 1:

And I think you know it was very evident that he didn't know exactly what he was going to do, but he knew that that's where he wanted to be and so for me, you know, it's critically important that you know, when he had the opportunity to go get a job, he knew what that job would do to him and not for him.

Speaker 1:

And I think in my career and in my life there's been that so many times and I do get complacent and I find that another thing that really I found, that we found in our career, is that you know when you're making good money, it's easy to get relaxed instead of pushing, and you know really being hungry and wanting to be innovative. In fact, you see it a lot when a lot of companies get a large amount invested into them, they, uh, they don't. They don't do guerrilla marketing, they don't do things that a self-funded entrepreneur does, and a lot of the times, the self-funded entrepreneurs are the ones that turn around and absolutely beat those guys up, because they had to be innovative, scrappy, they had to make quick decisions. They didn't have the ability to take time because they had millions of dollars and go hire 50 other people to work and do all these things. They had to make things happen.

Speaker 2:

It's kind of going back to the being hungry versus not. Yeah, and then also it's like burning the bridges, which we talked about with Tyson last week is when you burn the bridges and you have no plan B, like something's got to give, you're just going to keep going until it does.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's kind of like the analogy. I know I won't get it right here, but everybody's a bunch of talk until you hit the face.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah.

Speaker 1:

That's a good one, you know. And then all of a sudden it all changes, you know. So I think there's a lot to be said for that. I also think that when you burn the bridges, it changes everything. You know. When you're backed in that corner, you know there's a lot of things that happen in your ability to I don't know live or die, I guess.

Speaker 2:

In essence, yeah, and you're correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I remember a long time ago I think it was by robert allen, a book. It was basically like can you make a million dollars? And she was well, I think he was talking to a woman. She was like no, I can't do it. He's like what if your daughter was a hostage and you had to make a million dollars? She's like I could do it. You know, it's just one of those things Like how bad do you want it? How is it live or die? Is it burn the boats or is it? I have a plan B, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think there. I mean, there's a lot that plays in the psyche, a lot that plays in your passion and your drive for what you're doing, it for.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

You know, it's like you said in that example, because you make a million dollars For herself, she couldn't.

Speaker 2:

Right, right, but for her outcome and her why? Yeah, but for her daughter.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, she most definitely could, yeah, and so sometimes it's a lesson to learn that what we can't do for ourselves, we can do for others. So therefore, we need to make that our why and go dig in and do it for them.

Speaker 2:

Well, and we talk about why's a lot, but what it really comes down to usually is if it's bigger than you, that's when it's the most powerful. 100% Right, okay. My next question. I think you kind of already answered a little bit, because you did talk about entrepreneurs, but how do you think Stallone's story mirrors the challenges entrepreneurs face?

Speaker 1:

Well, I think a lot of times entrepreneurs if I you know, in all my career working with being a young entrepreneur and then working with a lot of entrepreneurs out there is is that we, for some reason, we all sell ourselves on one funnel away and it's like that only means a couple of phones and um, we're one, yeah, we're just one away, yeah.

Speaker 1:

And we forget that that isn't always the case. Yes, there are people who win the lottery. Yes, there's things that happen, let's be clear. But for the most of us, we get into this because and if we didn't? It's like I always use the analogy of a woman having a baby you know, ask her if she wants to have another baby after she's had a baby and you'll die. Right, I mean so, like we always. But after time passes, we always sell ourselves on.

Speaker 1:

It's a good idea to do it again and for some reason, our psyches allow us to do that. Thank goodness, I don't think a lot of us would do a lot of things. So we get into it, not realizing how much time, energy, effort it's going to take, and then we either get discouraged and we give up or we double down, and that's a choice, right. But a lot of times, you know, it's a funny thing. I'll never forget the first time that Sonny and I invested in our first mentor and I'll never forget the fear that I had in doing that.

Speaker 1:

But the lesson I learned and here was the lesson I learned I learned that as soon as I gave that money away, I didn't care if I ever talked to that person. Which is really interesting, it was that I proved to myself that I could do it and I could hire the mentor and that I could charge that much because I did that. I took that action, I actually made that happen in my life and I don't know why that was such a big breakthrough for me, but it was. And as that ramped up to where you know, like an inner circle memberships $50,000, you know, you, uh, you know a lot of people look at that and say that's crazy and in some ways maybe it is, but at the end of the day, it allows you to make through breakthroughs that you normally wouldn't break through, and I think that's the big thing.

Speaker 2:

And I think you know.

Speaker 1:

You know Sylvester did things that I I've done in my life. You know I've sold horses that I I didn't want to sell that meant a lot to me, but it was at a moment in our career where we needed that money.

Speaker 1:

You know, I sold a horse trailer that I coveted I mean literally since I was a little boy to own, and there came a time that we needed money and so I sold that trailer to make that happen, and I swore one day I would get it back. And uh, you know. So there there. There are times that we have to make major sacrifices to make things happen, and so, you know, I could ran out all day. But it's impressive when we, as humans, can keep our word to ourselves and do the things that we know we are called to do.

Speaker 2:

I love that. Okay, playing full out. We talk about, obviously, where we play full out. So I guess do we want to talk about what it means to play full out in our own lives and how? Maybe he did it as well.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. So I'll just hit on a couple things that I really am impressed when I hear the story too that may be of advantage to you to see from a different perspective. Or maybe you caught it too. But when.

Speaker 1:

I think, about playing full out. He went back to these guys six, seven times he was willing to, when he got offered money, to say no. And in most negotiations I tell people all this, I tell this a lot to my high-end clients don't walk into a negotiation that you can't afford to lose, because you will and you need to ponder on that if you didn't catch that. But never walk into a negotiation that you can't afford to lose. Have somebody else go negotiate for you. Um, but he did and he knew what he was willing to do. And I feel like so many times in playing full out and let's just go to couples for a second we are so afraid to be our authentic self and to play full out because if we do, we know inside of ourselves we're going to lose.

Speaker 1:

Now that doesn't mean it's true yeah, doesn't mean it's true, but we have the fear of we could lose because this changes the game that we've been playing with the person that we're with Now. I'll be willing to bet and this is not business, but I'll be willing to bet in most relationships out there and I mean I have talked to a lot of couples in my life. Take my word for this that both people are not being their authentic self. They're saying they're being their authentic self but when it really comes down to it, they're scared to death to be their full authentic self with their significant other.

Speaker 1:

And so yeah, I mean, I think that's a couple things that I see is playing full out. And also, you know, he obviously strained his own relationship yes, he did by playing and being authentic with himself yeah and I think the hardest part with that whole scenario and I don't know this, but how well did he explain what he was doing, yeah, and what that was, to the other person?

Speaker 2:

now I'm not saying they would have bought off on it. Let's be clear that's a that's a big ask for anybody to do.

Speaker 1:

Let's be bottom up, but I'm not either side. I get it. But you know, as tonight we're sitting here and you got Mike Tyson and Jake fighting tonight.

Speaker 2:

Yep.

Speaker 1:

You know, and you look at that and that's you know. It's interesting that you picked this story for this.

Speaker 2:

It is it must have been subconsciously yeah, this night on this podcast, because there's a lot of parallels to a lot of things in that.

Speaker 1:

So anyway, let's keep going on. What?

Speaker 2:

your thoughts are on playing full out. Yeah well, my thoughts on playing full out. I think the thing that really impressed me first of all about his story and how he was able to play full out is not allowing anybody else's labels to stick.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Because I think that's one of the biggest fears of playing full out is how people look at us, um, how they judge us, what they think about us, and it shuts us down right. Um, just saying by carl jung and I might get it wrong, but we're all walking around in shoes that are too small, like we've got all this stuff inside of us. But when we allow others to label us, we allow the culture to. He's told he's dopey, that he looks stupid, that he'd never have a place in the movie. He's like what wire in his brain did not get crossed, like in most humans, to where it didn't just shut him down? Yeah, you know his why was so great. But being able to show up authentically and say, no, this is who I am, nobody else gets to tell me I'm going to figure this out. To me that was really painful.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and I'll do a big shout out right here to one of our amazing friends that did this exact same thing in his career, and that was Kent Derricott. If you go back and look at his story and a lot of you have no idea who he is, so I'll tell you here in just a second. But you know, kent was made fun of in school as a little kid because he had pop bottle glasses. They were so thick.

Speaker 1:

And I kind of made his eyes look really big, yeah, and so you know he really his mother was his savior and his mother said one day you know, people will they'll, they'll love this and you're going to be great, you're going to do all these things. You know people will they'll, they'll love this and you're going to be great and you're going to do all these things. And God, thank you for amazing moms that have great intuitions and, you know, really install it. But you know, that's what those glasses are, what made Kent's career literally become what it became? Yeah, and if you don't know Kent, you can, you can Google him. But uh, he was the largest celebrity in all of japan and uh, an american guy, you know. And uh, anyway, I don't want to get onto his story too much, but big shout out to you kent for yeah for doing.

Speaker 1:

That was amazing okay.

Speaker 2:

Have you ever been in a situation where you had to bet on yourself against all odds?

Speaker 1:

lots of situations. Yeah, yeah, and that's egotistical, you know sometimes to think. But the answer is and not only did I bet on myself, I wanted to be the one that was in the arena and I wanted everybody to be betting on me because I knew without a shadow of a doubt I could do it. And you know, I think that takes a lot of I don't know. It takes a lot to be able to say that sometimes.

Speaker 2:

Even right now it feels arrogant to say but at the end of the day most definitely.

Speaker 1:

There's been several times in my life that, yeah, and my back's been against the wall and I'm still like let's go.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Bet on me. I love that and I'll win. I'm honestly trying to think of a time in my life when, against all odds, I bet on myself, and I'm not sure I can come up with one really.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, not even musically, like when you were the one that had to carry or do something, I don't know. The odds were against me, though. You know what I mean.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I guess like, and we'll talk about my financial situation well, I would say the odds are against you with your flute. I mean, you were playing on a beginner's flute against people who were really not, you know. So you had, you had something that was the odds weren't in your favor to be able to accomplish what you did with the quality of an instrument that you had, but because you were able to master it so well, you got tone out of something that, literally, you're pushing it as full capacity to do what it could do.

Speaker 1:

I guess what I'm trying to say.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and I was going to bring this up later on, maybe one of our questions but just like the sacrifices, you know I didn't come from a wealthy family, obviously. You said I was on a beginner flute in college because I couldn't afford anything more but just actually cleaning my flute, teacher's house, cleaning the gymnasiums, doing like whatever I could to take lessons, you know, and I think that there I walked away from that, knowing that I could do things even if I didn't have the money, like it made me kind of think outside the box, um, really like strengthened my character in a lot of ways. So there's some good lessons there, yeah for sure. Okay, how do you stay resilient when you feel like the odds are stacked against you?

Speaker 1:

Um, well, the biggest thing I try to do is is um, honestly, number one thing I do is I reach out to other people and, uh, more than not, I have some really good friends. That if I reach out to other people and more than not, I have some really good friends. That if I reach out to them and I don't even have to, they don't even know I'm in a bad spot, I guess, is what I'm trying to say. But when I'm around them, they're, so they always build me up, and so it's really good to be around that and it helps me stay resilient. Also, I have a tendency to listen to certain songs that, will you know, make me just go, oh gosh. And there's certain movies that I can go back and watch, that I sit and go. Man, that was a true story, and that person did it against all odds, and so I can do it yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. If you read this, story, you know, um, but yeah, I think that's, that's that. And I think the other thing is is that, as I've, in my career, looked at and watched so many amazing professional athletes and different things when they lose, and you know, I think that I've seen them be such champions in the arena, because and Gary Vaynerchuk, I still credit him to this day you know he said never kick a winner when they're down, because they'll always come back and win.

Speaker 1:

And so I always say to myself yeah, I'm down today, but in everything that's been a hardship in my life or in our life, I've always had a brighter day Now. It's not in the moment and I never think it's going to happen, but reality is there's always been a brighter day.

Speaker 2:

And so I just tell myself there's going to be a brighter day.

Speaker 1:

And let's be clear, I still have tough days, yeah.

Speaker 2:

I'm going to back up a little bit because you know I think that us still being together, you know odds were stacked against us. Yeah, I mean, we met in October, we were married in February and uh, I was only 18. Yeah, you were only 21.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Not very good odds really for a marriage to last, yeah, and then we both were pretty broke, yeah, and so kind of odds were against us to be where we are today. Like, in a lot of ways we've been really tenacious and have had a lot of perseverance and work things through to where we are.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, there's no doubt. I mean, if you, if you look at the odds of where we're at today and you know we go, we spend hours just on this by itself. But you know, I think it's the biggest thing that came down to is communication. A lot more, lots of things, but one of the big things was being able to communicate. But where we came from excuse me, humble beginnings it allowed us to uh know that we could live through that yeah, if that makes sense, it does.

Speaker 1:

So I think a lot of times, you know, it was like we both like have a good work ethic.

Speaker 2:

I would say so. It's like we just put our heads down and go yeah, yeah, good yeah, well, okay, so we're gonna talk about sacrifices because, uh, sylvester had to sell his dog. We already brought up some of the sacrifices that you had to make, and selling horses and horse trailers was a very big deal.

Speaker 1:

It was for me, for sure I sold every saddle I sold uh everything that meant the world to me at that point in my. You know my existence and my being for sure. Yeah, worldly wise.

Speaker 2:

And now you've got him back, just like Sylvester. Yeah, I do. All right, I have this question too. So do you think that Stallone's refusal to compromise on starring in Rocky was a bold move or a risky gamble?

Speaker 1:

Honestly neither.

Speaker 2:

Neither. What do you think it was?

Speaker 1:

I just think he knew what he wanted. I don't think he was gambling. He knew he was going to start that movie. And you ask if it was a gambler or what Risky move? Or risky move, I think he. I think that there's a point or a bold move, I mean. I mean a bold move, for sure.

Speaker 2:

But that being said, especially where he where he was at financially and everything.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, where he was at financially and everything, yeah, it was bold, no doubt. But what I would say is, if any, if either one of them, it was a bold move. But he just knew. And when you just know, it's neither it's absolute intuition, you're right. It's just, I'm going to do that.

Speaker 2:

You know what I mean. Yeah, it's like there's just no other options. There's no option, that's it this. You know what I mean. Yeah, it's like there's just no other options.

Speaker 1:

There's no option that's it, this is it, and that's what he knew. And that's a hard part and sometimes if you don't just know, then it's one of those two.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

But when you know, you know and you know, it's like when you have that and it's like, hey, you're going to move today and you know there's just it's not a risk or it's just you've got to do what you got to do because you know it.

Speaker 2:

I don't know how to explain that, but that's the way I see it. No, that's perfect.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Okay. So what lessons can entrepreneurs or creatives take away from the way Stallone believed in himself and his vision? I think we kind of talked about that with the why, wouldn't you say? Like he had a vision, he knew the outcome of what he wanted to be and he just went for it, which a lot of times entrepreneurs like we find don't really know why they do what they do right. They don't really have a vision for where they actually want to be.

Speaker 1:

Well, let's back up. I think one thing Stallone did that I wish I would even do more in my career is he? Knew what he wanted and what his. Why was yeah, from the beginning, from the very beginning. He didn't just go I don't know how to explain it he didn't just go start a business, to start a business.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Like he started something because he knew, like Tyson Durfee knew, he wanted to be a professional world champion from the day he was young.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

And therefore he never deviated from that path.

Speaker 2:

Which would you say. A lot of entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs because they want to make money starting out, and then a lot of times, all of a sudden, they come up with a why a little bit farther down the road?

Speaker 1:

They think their, why is their money?

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

But they, they really get into it. So the sustaining power isn't there because it's based on money, not on what they're doing, and it just happens to make money yeah.

Speaker 2:

And I think there's a difference.

Speaker 1:

So I would say you know, as you're looking at your career, like I look at my career, a lot of decisions I made weren't because I was passionate. Yeah, they were because I knew there was money there. I had a skill set, I could do it. I knew I could do it, so I went for it and it paid off, you know. But I wouldn't say that and it's not going to die inside of them and they don't care if they ever make a dime, they'll live with their mom and dad's house. They'll live with their, their friends' houses. They'll do whatever it takes, as long as they can have an instrument in their hands, versus a person that says I'm going to teach or I'm not, I think so bad analogy.

Speaker 2:

but I'm just going to do something, so I got to make money Right. And I think that's what we all have to decide in our, in ourselves and in our psyches of what that?

Speaker 1:

is and there's not a right or wrong choice. I'm not saying that, but I'm saying I think there's a difference in the two people.

Speaker 2:

Yes, there is. For sure I was going to go deep on psyche stuff, but we're not going to right now. Yeah, um, why do you think Rocky resonates so deeply with people, and what parallels can we draw between the film's underdog theme in our own lives authenticity, yeah 100 authenticity.

Speaker 1:

I mean you, you love Rocky. For a couple, I think few things. Number one is is, you see, the love he has for his wife, which everybody dreams and desires of some sort. You, you know, like somebody that loves you or that loves somebody so deeply that, no matter what pain, no matter what they've been through, they're going to do that.

Speaker 2:

So that's, I think that's a yearning for all humans no matter where we're at or who we are.

Speaker 1:

I think the next thing is is that there, there's nothing that I can tell you that I love more than seeing an underdog win? Yeah, we all love to see an underdog win, especially and this is what I'm going to add to it if we can see their past. Yeah, I don't. If you don't know, it's truly an underdog to be an underdog, but they didn't put the work in, like I I don't know how to say it like if I just saw some.

Speaker 2:

This is a bad thing to say. Sorry, you guys and I hope this isn don't know how to say it Like if I just saw some.

Speaker 1:

this is a bad thing to say, sorry guys, and I hope this isn't the wrong way to say it. It's probably going to come across wrong, but if I saw somebody that literally was just sitting there, they bought a lottery ticket and they won it and made it but, they were an underdog because they had nothing.

Speaker 2:

Let's just say I would look at it and be like not a great story. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

But when I look at somebody who literally is exercised beat, the bag went to the hardest core gym and possible, you know. But the sacrifices, the determination, the all that and then walks in and wins. You're like, that's my guy.

Speaker 2:

It's inspiring, it's so inspiring stirs all the emotions. But they put the work in.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, they put it in like, even if they got their ass kicked, you're like still a hero to me yeah, you know that's the underdog that you're, you're they're still a hero regardless if they win or they don't win, and you still love them because they they went after their dream at such a high level of passion.

Speaker 2:

And we all. I think you're in for that right.

Speaker 1:

We do. I mean for me, that's what I did. You know I and all the things, and you know this about me when I, when I put my head down and go, I work hard, I mean I put the hours in. Yes.

Speaker 2:

I put the sweat in, I put the tears in, yes, and when it's game day like win or lose.

Speaker 1:

I'm proud of myself because there's not a day, Because you played full out. I did, I played full out you know, and I think that's the thing that I could go to sleep with at night.

Speaker 2:

Now, I didn't always get the.

Speaker 1:

W's, you know, but at the end of the day, when I did get the W's, it was like it wasn't like it. Just, you know, there was a lot of people that had more talent. I would say it's pure raw talent that I had.

Speaker 2:

Um, I had to work hard, yeah, so good. Okay, what would it look like for someone listening to this podcast to play?

Speaker 1:

full out in their own life today. I think number one is get real with yourself, be super authentic with yourself, and I think that's the number one thing is, if you have a dream that lives inside of you and you are not doing it, you got to get real with that. If you're afraid, just like with Rocky, that somebody might see you and say you have a blemish Matter of fact, you have multiple blemishes and you're just not going to make it and you're still giving up, I'm going to say don't give up. Um, I think what playing full out for for me is is, if you want to play full out, you have to be able to go to bed at night lay yourself down and say I gave it a hundred percent today, authentically.

Speaker 1:

Now, what I mean by authentically is is, let's say that Sonny and I have a disagreement on something that I'm not just going to back down and say it's okay Now.

Speaker 1:

now that doesn't mean I'm not, I'm going to fight. We have to have a conversation around this, because this is not. I don't want this to come across wrong, but what I'm saying is is that when I play full out and Sonny plays full out, we can still go to bed at night, maybe even pissed off at each other, but still love each other knowing that we're on the same team.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

If that makes sense, yeah, but we're going to have to work through this on the same team to get the outcome or to come to a resolution. But that doesn't mean we have to go to bed thinking we're getting divorced tomorrow. That's playing full out. Playing full out is also knowing that you're not willing to give up on your dreams, your hopes and the things that mean, mean the world to you, and not waiting for your dreams, but playing for your dreams right now and making them happen. And so I could get into a lot of those things, but I I don't know. Can you think of something that really resonates with you?

Speaker 2:

Well, I was kind of trying to think while you were talking. I think one of the things is just not being afraid to challenge beliefs, yeah, for sure, and that would include self limiting beliefs and overarching beliefs, cultural, environmental. You know all the things that, I guess, challenge the stories that are in your head about yourself and about the world that we're in right now.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know, yeah, and I think that's a different type of playing full up too, and I think we're. We're talking about both, but I you know, like in us, playing full out for both of us means that we are willing to challenge beliefs. Now, that doesn't mean that we can't challenge the belief and still want to live, even though it's that way.

Speaker 2:

But, but reality is, is we don't, we're willing to play flat and say let's question this at a level that is extreme to question on both sides and then make a decision on what that is, yeah, and then I just, I guess for a side note for me, because you're talking about not letting your dreams die inside of you, and you know, I've been just listening to a lot of I guess you call them psychological books, and it's funny that when you hit kind of midlife or whatever, uh, your perspectives do start to change and you start to question what you've been doing for the first half of your life and start to realize there's lots parts of you that want to be fulfilled that haven't been.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and so really honestly, like Bart said, taking a look at that and asking what your soul wants to express through you, and listening to that, and I think that's just like so, so important to lead a fulfilling life and to play full out and to bring what you came here to bring out to the world.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, and I think another part of we Play Full Out, too, is that helping others to accomplish their dreams, because you accomplish yours. You know that's another part of we Play Full Out is helping others play full out, and that's been a mission of mine is when I see that somebody has something in them and they're not accomplishing that it drives me crazy.

Speaker 2:

I can attest that it drives me crazy Because.

Speaker 1:

I know what their capacity and what their capability is doing. What?

Speaker 2:

they have the capability to do in their life and therefore I want them to play full out for themselves so badly and it will drive me crazy, yeah and I think that there's an aspect of believing in yourself if you play full out, so um many people probably don't like it's up to you, just like sly, like he believed in himself and therefore he was able to play full out yeah if you don't have that belief, you won't be able to.

Speaker 1:

Yeah and sometimes, when you don't have that belief, you gotta have somebody else's. You know what I mean. Like you do, you gotta have somebody behind you that's willing to say, no, I got you and I believe in you and I know what you're capable of doing and they're going to help you push at the level that you deserve to be pushed Awesome.

Speaker 2:

I think that's that's good for today.

Speaker 1:

Awesome. Well, thanks you guys for watching and hopefully this story will inspire you. You can go look it up and study more about these type of things. You know, as we do these podcasts and we play full out, you know we always try to tie them into business, personal life, things like that, because there's not one above the other. But the biggest thing you can do for yourself to play out, play full out, is be real, be authentic with you. Right and right or wrong, it's your life. It's your life. You chose this life and it's happening for you, not to you. And when you, when you get that and you really realize that now there's there's not right or wrong choices, but there's right or wrong for you in what you want. And if you let yourself down, it's okay, Cause you've got today. So just start today, play full out from today forward, get out there and do that. Uh, would be amazing for us. So, uh, with that, I think.

Speaker 1:

Family updates really quick. We've got. I've been playing some serious pickleball, I've been roping really heavily, been having a lot of fun. Kobe has moved to Thailand and Sunny's been able to babysit the little Lila a couple different times now, which has been amazing, and we're shipping a lot of candles out right now, which is awesome, so that's been fun yeah.

Speaker 1:

Anything else.

Speaker 2:

Sander had his first Rigby High School band concert.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And he pulled out three improv solos Really, really fun and the concert was amazing.

Speaker 1:

It was really well put together. He got to play his baritone sax and his alto sax too, which is really cool.

Speaker 2:

And he was sporting Bart's Louis Vuitton sunglasses, which is his signature billion dollar cowboy brand. So I'm thinking Xander needs billion dollar jazz cat. It's a work in progress, but I think it's getting there.

Speaker 1:

Good, all right, and if there's any other topics you want us to talk about or ideas, we would love that. And with that, uh, this segment sponsored by I do epic.

People on this episode

Head Shot

Bart Miller

Host
Head Shot

Sunny Miller

Host