Leveling Up and Leaving the Old Version of Yourself Behind | #Success - Ep. 100
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this unscripted presentation from a private mastermind, Russell Brunson explores the psychological and internal barriers that prevent entrepreneurs from reaching their next level of success. Drawing from personal experiences in wrestling and business, he explains why the skills that brought you to your current level often become the very things holding you back from greater achievement. (04:04) Rather than focusing on tactics and frameworks, Brunson addresses the emotional realities of growth, emphasizing how ego attachment to past wins creates resistance to necessary skill rebuilding. Using the Hero's Journey framework, he demonstrates how every new level requires leaving your "ordinary world" of comfort and competence to acquire entirely new capabilities.
- Main Theme: The internal psychological shifts required to scale from one level of success to the next, focusing on why humility and skill rebuilding matter more than tactics alone.
Speakers
Russell Brunson
Russell Brunson is the co-founder of ClickFunnels and a successful entrepreneur who has built multiple companies generating hundreds of millions in revenue. He's a former state wrestling champion who took second place nationally in high school, later competing at BYU on scholarship. Brunson is known for his expertise in sales funnels, online marketing, and helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses through various coaching programs including Inner Circle and Atlas groups.
Key Takeaways
Your Past Success Becomes Your Future Limitation
The skills that got you to your current level often become obstacles to reaching the next level. (12:26) Brunson discovered this pattern repeatedly - from high school to college wrestling, and from making his first million to scaling to $10 million. What works at one tier rarely translates to the next, requiring complete skill rebuilding rather than incremental improvement. This creates a psychological challenge because entrepreneurs become emotionally attached to the methods that brought them initial success, making it difficult to abandon proven strategies for unproven ones.
Ego Attachment Prevents Growth
The biggest barrier to scaling isn't lack of knowledge but ego attachment to past achievements. (16:37) Brunson realized his own ego was keeping him from his next adventure, as he was too attached to what he had already accomplished. When you achieve something you've dreamed about, your ego becomes invested in that identity and methodology. Moving to the next level requires the humility to become a beginner again, which feels like a step backward even though it's necessary for breakthrough growth.
Every New Level Requires Leaving Your Ordinary World
Using the Hero's Journey framework, Brunson explains how growth requires leaving your comfort zone of current competence. (13:36) Your previous ceiling becomes your new floor, creating a new "ordinary world" that you must be willing to leave behind. Most people get stuck because they're comfortable in their achieved level and resist the discomfort of starting over. The journey to the next level always begins with accepting that you're not qualified for where you want to go next.
Network with People One Level Above and Below You
Strategic networking accelerates growth by learning from those ahead of you while teaching those behind you. (21:59) Brunson recommends finding someone one tier below you to share your current knowledge with, and someone two tiers above you to learn from. This creates a rising tide effect where entire communities grow together, as he witnessed in his Inner Circle program where seeing one person achieve a million-dollar month motivated everyone else to reach that same milestone.
Do the 20% That Others Won't
Success requires going beyond what everyone else is doing and embracing uncomfortable actions. (27:49) Despite being introverted and afraid of phone calls, Brunson forced himself to network at industry events, famously drinking milk at bars while others drank alcohol. This extra effort - the 20% that champions do while others don't - created opportunities and relationships that became foundational to his success. The willingness to be uncomfortable and do what others avoid creates competitive advantages.
Statistics & Facts
- Russell Brunson took second place in the country in high school wrestling, losing to only one person nationally. (07:38)
- ClickFunnels launched about a decade ago (from the time of this presentation), initially offering only two programs: Ignite for $10,000 and Inner Circle for $25,000. (23:20)
- In the original Inner Circle program, within two or three meetings, everyone was doing at least $100,000 per month, with some reaching half a million dollars monthly. (26:03)
