So with all that you do, of course, I'm going
to ask you now to tell me about your vision and
what all that you do encompasses in that vision.
So sometimes I find this is a difficult question
for me to answer because, you know, I have a
I've built a strong leadership business. Yeah.
But maybe it's just the maybe it's the ADHD nature
of myself where, you know, then I then I start
other stuff. I have a new company we started
called Solo Empires, which is to help people
build a one person business. And there's so many
people in the workplace right now that, you know,
they're there. Think about the uncertainty in
the workplace right now as you and I are recording
this. And I so one of my biggest visions, honestly,
now is just to help people find their own freedom.
be able to live life on their terms. So the vehicle
for that, for me, is this new program we're doing
called Solo Empires. Solo Empires. I like the
name. It just sounds really good. With that being
said, how long have you been in business? I first
started speaking on stage for Leadership, my
company, in 2003. What's that, 21 years now?
OK, OK. And I ask that for a really good reason,
because in 2000, I mean, yeah, 23, 2002. Give
me that that year again. 2003. 2003. With that
being said, many time has changed so much, James,
like. I'm talking about there is nothing that's
the same. When you started, give it to me around
2010 to now, what's the biggest difference with
the solo empire that you would like to make the
biggest impact knowing how much has changed?
Well, I'll say this. This may not directly answer
your question, but I definitely will get to it.
Any of us who are running our own businesses,
you just have to know that. like nothing stays
the same. And so whatever you're doing right
now, if it's not working, okay, change and find
something that's working. But whatever you're
doing that's working, at some point it won't
work. And it's just being adaptable. So when
I first left ministry to just be full -time in
my business, it was literally the year before
the economy crashed in 07 and 08, 2008. Nobody
was hiring anybody to come and speak. And so
suddenly I was, I'd started a business and then
there was no work. So I had to adapt. And then
it was like, well, maybe I should do some online
stuff and teach some workshops. And then that's
how I created my first online course. So by the
time COVID came around, you know, another decade
later, you know, again, all my business just
went to zero. But I was I'd been through that
before. So I was like, OK, we'll just pivot a
bit and we'll figure it out. I think. I think
when you ask about change, yeah, so much has
changed. And now with AI coming into our world,
I think people are not ready for the impact of
AI. So what I mean is there's a lot of companies
out there that are saying, of course, we won't
lay off our employees for AI, but most totally
will, right? Most totally will, because at the
end of the day, we live in it. in a capitalist
society and not everyone's going to do that but
a lot of people will a lot of people are going
to lose their jobs and that's why i feel more
passionate now about really helping people take
kind of the ball into their court and just hey
get something started on your own so that's that's
the doom and gloom side of what's changed right
the upside is that with ai evolving so rapidly
i mean it's just it's exponential So when you
hear people say things like, well, yeah, but
AI can't do this, you know, AI can't, you know,
record a video. And I'm like, well, actually,
it can now. And it's not perfect. But did you
see where it was a year ago to where it is now?
Like, and where it will be in a year? Then I
think AI can just have Jovanka do a video that
you're not even in it, right? So the positive
side is it's going to open up so many doors.
It's why you want to stay current and on top
of AI. And maybe in a minor analogy, well, I
would think about the internet back in 2000.
People didn't really understand the power of
it. And it just took time for people to like
actually adopt it. And now it's normal. AI will
be the same. So it's figuring out how do I leverage
AI to make my business grow or be better or what
parts of my business will be irrelevant? Like
I'm already looking at that. There's things that
I do that now the only reason some of the things
I sell that I can sell is because people don't
know how to use AI to replace it. Just pure knowledge
stuff. Because let's talk about leadership training.
If I have some basic training for a bunch of
managers at a company, well, it's not going to
be long before those managers can just have their
phone and say, hey, I've got this problem employee.
This is what they're like. What should I do?
And it's just going to tell them. So, okay, I'm
looking at that going, all right, some of my
business is going to be irrelevant. All right,
that's fine. So how do I evolve? Yeah. It's always
about evolution. I'm sure you've found the same.
Yeah. Yeah, I love this conversation. I think
that's why I was so silent and intrigued because
you're right. So many things have changed with
computers and everything, but I really feel,
so I will be 46 this year. So I tell everybody,
I say that to say, I know, but AI grew real fast.
Like that just, I don't know. One minute I heard
it and then the next minute I'm like. wait a
minute, you know what I mean? I asked it to make
me a picture and it just designs me a picture.
And it seems like, James, whenever someone says
AI can't, somebody says AI will, or it's done.
It's like, so let everybody just stop saying
what it can do if you're trying to keep your
jobs for a couple more years. But I'm telling
you, the growth of that is... It's crazy. But
I also believe, as you were talking about going
in from ministry to the freedom life, I think
that this allows solopreneurs that don't really
have the staff to be able to free up, per se,
some of their time and allow AI to actually help
them and assist them, for example, marketing.
I think that's an overtime job. So with that
being said, I like how you had that discussion
about AI. If I'm not mistaking, I was on your
website. Don't you have something coming up about
AI? I just had something this week. It was a
workshop for leaders on how to use AI to coach
their employees. So I've experimented with a
couple of things. So this is an example of evolution,
right? So I have a course already on. how to
coach your employees. And then I thought, well,
I'm going to show them how to use AI to make
that faster. So those are just small tweaks that
I'm making when it comes to solo empires. And
did you say 46? Is that what you said? 46? Oh,
you look fantastic. You're meeting your 30s.
Solo empires is actually directed for Gen Xers.
That's really the people we're trying to help
the most because Those of us in Gen X, if I can
just, you know, cry for our entire generation
for a moment, you know, we're called the forgotten
generation. And there's many reasons to that.
But but and because the baby boomers won't let
go. Right. And the problem is for a lot of us
Gen Xers, as we were getting into those ages
where it gets really risky if you get laid off
and. you know, ageism is real and we're typically
the more expensive people to replace. And if
AI can replace half of your job, then, you know,
then AI is going to replace half your job. So
that's one of those reasons why I think if you
are a Gen Xer, you really have to be thinking,
hey, let me be at the front of the tip of the
spear on AI or let me begin to start something
on my own. And to your point, yeah. AI makes
the process so much easier. Like if I had AI
20 years ago, like when I think of some of like
how much work I had put into like creating courses
and all of these things. And man, now just a
few good prompts and you can create some pretty
great stuff. I tell you, James, I shake my head
because I remember. It's so funny. I remember
writing out my resume and not having the right
words to say and then going to read the dictionary.
It's like, oh, I could put that in here. Some
people might not know anything about it, but
don't laugh at me. But I mean, the world is completely
different. I will say this, that I do feel like
they have the current individuals, which are
the younger generation. They have a tool. that
can make things so much easier. And I like how
you're scaling your business. And I want to first,
well, secondly, after I've said everything I've
said, I want to applaud you on 21 years. Like
to be able to do that, you know, from 03 all
the way to now, that has taken, I'm sure you've
had some ups and downs and like you said, some
ins and outs and that doesn't. That's that's
not heard of now. You know, what do they say?
There's a percentage rate where people start
a business and don't last for, you know, any
more than five years because they don't know,
you know, what to do and how to go about it.
And as I mentioned before, I don't want to take
up too much of your time, but I have one one
random question as a leader, as a solopreneur.
What would be one rule that you say they should
break? What a great question. As a leader or
solopreneur, what's the one rule they should
break? The one rule they should break is the
actual rule that's in your subconscious that's
telling you to live your life and run your business
in a way so that everybody likes you and everybody
loves you. That's the rule that almost all of
us have lived our life by. But it's the rules
of the ego. You want to break that for the rules
of the soul. The soul doesn't seek. approval
of the herd the soul seeks expansion expression
growth there's something in you that needs to
come out don't be apologetic for it there's the
that's the rule that holds all of us in place
that's the rule that we need to break thank you
for being here today i'm really happy that you
tuned in to vision pros live i'm looking forward
to seeing your reactions as these episodes continue
to move forward this is going to get more and
more fun we'll have more and more engagement
as well we'll invite people to participate in
the show and thank you for giving us your time
and attention have an excellent time building
out your vision and becoming a vision pro yourself