Drifter vs. the Driven: Breaking the Patterns That Hold You Back - Part 1 | #Success - Ep. 104

Most people don’t fail because they lack talent, opportunity, or intelligence. They fail because they drift. In this special midnight mastermind session recorded live at Mastermind in Paradise, I share a concept I’ve been wrestling with for years: the difference between drifters and the driven. This isn’t a motivational talk. It’s a deep psychological breakdown of why so many capable people stall out—and how a subtle habit of drifting quietly takes control of nearly every area of life. This is Part one of a two-part series, and it’s where I trace this idea back to Napoleon Hill’s Outwitting the Devil. I break down the forces of fear, faith, and hypnotic rhythm, and how they shape your decisions long before you’re even aware of them. If you’ve ever felt busy but not progressing, committed but stuck, this episode will help you see exactly where your momentum breaks—and how to start taking it back. Key Highlights: ◼️What “drifting” really means and why Napoleon Hill believed it controlled 98% of people ◼️How fear works at the subconscious level to sabotage decisions before you consciously make them ◼️The difference between faith-driven action and fear-based hesitation ◼️Why habits—not circumstances—determine whether someone becomes driven or disappears ◼️How hypnotic rhythm locks people into patterns of failure or success ◼️The ten drifter identities and how to recognize the one you default to under pressure This episode lays the foundation for understanding why willpower alone never creates lasting change. I show how drifting is learned, reinforced, and normalized—and how driven individuals interrupt those patterns to reclaim control of their future. Part one is about awareness, identity, and breaking free from unconscious momentum. In Part two, I’ll go deeper into how to reprogram those patterns, replace fear with faith, and deliberately build the rhythms that create real, sustained progress. ◼️If you’ve got a product, offer, service… or idea… I’ll show you how to sell it (the RIGHT way) Register for my next event →⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://sellingonline.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ◼️Still don’t have a funnel? ClickFunnels gives you the exact tools (and templates) to launch TODAY → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://clickfunnels.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part one of this two part series with Dr. Benjamin Hardy here on The Russell Brunson Show reframed how scaling actually works. Part two forces the decisions most people avoid. In this episode, Dr. Hardy challenges the comfort zones that quietly cap growth.  This conversation is about the choices that separate people who stay busy from those who actually scale. It’s about why bigger futures demand cleaner focus, fewer priorities, and the courage to let go of paths that no longer fit. If you have ever felt like you’re doing a lot but still hitting an invisible ceiling, this episode explains why. Key Highlights: ◼️Why impossible goals force clarity by eliminating dead-end paths, complexity, and unfocused effort ◼️How stretch goals shift attention away from old routines and toward entirely new strategies and partnerships ◼️The danger of optimizing for activity instead of results and how systems always produce what they’re designed for ◼️Why scaling requires applying the power law by finding one “super who” instead of doing linear work yourself ◼️How raising your floor means letting go of good opportunities, old identities, and even businesses you love The real danger is not failing. It’s staying successful at a level that no longer matches your potential. This episode will push you to question what you’re holding onto, what you’re tolerating, and what needs to change if you want a different future.  If part one helped you see the problem, part two gives you the pressure to act! Listen closely, because once you hear this, it becomes much harder to keep playing small! ◼️If you’ve got a product, offer, service… or idea… I’ll show you how to sell it (the RIGHT way) Register for my next event →⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://sellingonline.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ◼️Still don’t have a funnel? ClickFunnels gives you the exact tools (and templates) to launch TODAY → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://clickfunnels.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scaling does not start with tactics, systems, or working harder. It starts with how you think about the future. In part one of this two-part series, I share a powerful presentation from Dr. Benjamin Hardy given at Mastermind in Paradise right after the release of his book The Science of Scaling. This session goes deep into the psychology behind growth and why most entrepreneurs stay stuck not because of external limits, but because of the goals they choose and the timelines they attach to them. This episode of The Russell Brunson Show is not about what to scale. It is about how your future goals shape your present behavior, your decisions, and the systems you build. If you feel busy but not moving, ambitious but capped, this conversation will reframe how you think about growth entirely. Key Highlights: ◼️Why the future you commit to shapes your psychology more than your past ever could ◼️How Viktor Frankl’s work on meaning explains why people lose traction without a compelling future goal ◼️The difference between linear growth and true scaling, and why most businesses unknowingly optimize for the wrong path ◼️How raising your goal forces you to simplify your business by stripping out noise, dead ends, and false requirements ◼️How “frame,” “floor,” and “focus” shape your ability to grow, and why raising your floor matters more than most people think In this first session, Ben lays the psychological foundation for everything that follows. He shows how goals are tools, not judgments, and how a bigger future helps you see clearly what no longer belongs in your present. This episode will challenge the way you think about time, ambition, and growth, and it sets the stage for the strategic decisions explored in part two. Stay tuned for Part Two, where the conversation moves deeper into execution, accountability, and building systems that can actually scale. ◼️If you’ve got a product, offer, service… or idea… I’ll show you how to sell it (the RIGHT way) Register for my next event →⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://sellingonline.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ◼️Still don’t have a funnel? ClickFunnels gives you the exact tools (and templates) to launch TODAY → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://clickfunnels.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I want you to listen to this episode of The Russell Brunson Show with a different level of awareness. This is not just a breakdown of a video sales letter or a history lesson. It is the story of how persuasion actually works, where it came from, and why almost everything you see in marketing, politics, and media today traces back to a single hidden lineage. This episode walks through the uncomfortable truth behind influence and why understanding it is no longer optional if you want to build, sell, or lead in a world driven by attention. Key Highlights: ◼️How Sigmund Freud uncovered the unconscious drivers of human behavior and why those discoveries terrified him when they were used at scale ◼️How Edward Bernays weaponized Freud’s work, shifted advertising from logic to emotion, and created modern propaganda through desire and identity ◼️Why Bernays believed democracy required manipulation and how his book Propaganda openly explains the engineering of consent ◼️How Dan Kennedy took Bernays’ ideas even deeper, refining persuasion into systems that influence high level decision makers, not just the masses ◼️Why these same psychological frameworks still drive webinars, VSLs, funnels, and buying behavior today, whether people realize it or not The reason this matters is simple. These tools exist. They have shaped the last century of buying, believing, and behaving. You can either stay unaware and be influenced by them, or you can understand how they work and choose how to use them ethically in your own business. This episode is about pulling back the curtain so you can finally see the system behind persuasion and decide what role you want to play inside it. ◼️If you want to watch the full Bernays presentation I reference in this episode, you can find it here: https://secretsofpropaganda.com◼️And if you want access to the event I mention at the end, including the Propaganda book bonus, the link shared in the episode is: https://secretsofpropaganda.com/buy ◼️If you’ve got a product, offer, service… or idea… I’ll show you how to sell it (the RIGHT way) Register for my next event →⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://sellingonline.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ◼️Still don’t have a funnel? ClickFunnels gives you the exact tools (and templates) to launch TODAY → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://clickfunnels.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Russell Brunson Show, I share a raw, unscripted talk from a private mastermind where I break down what it actually takes to level up in business and in life. This is not about tactics, funnels, or hacks. It is about the internal shifts, humility, and skill rebuilding required when the old version of you can no longer take you where you want to go. Through personal stories from wrestling, entrepreneurship, faith, and leadership, I explain why growth feels uncomfortable and why that discomfort is often the signal that you are on the right path. Rather than teaching another framework, I’m walking you through the psychological and emotional realities of moving from one level to the next, and why most people stall out when their ego refuses to let go of past success. Key Highlights: ◼️Why every new level of success requires abandoning the skill sets that previously worked ◼️How the Hero’s Journey explains personal growth, plateaus, and the need to leave the “ordinary world” ◼️Why ego and attachment to past wins are often the biggest blockers to scaling ◼️The difference between technical growth and internal readiness for the next level ◼️How humility, reflection, and learning from others unlock the next phase of progress Real growth does not come from doing more of what already worked, but from being willing to relearn, rebuild, and let go of the identity tied to past achievements. This episode is a reminder that leveling up is less about external strategy and more about who you are willing to become in order to move forward. ◼️If you’ve got a product, offer, service… or idea… I’ll show you how to sell it (the RIGHT way) Register for my next event →⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://sellingonline.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ◼️Still don’t have a funnel? ClickFunnels gives you the exact tools (and templates) to launch TODAY → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://clickfunnels.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people are using AI as a faster tool for writing copy, building funnels, or answering questions. In this episode of The Russell Brunson Show, Rich Schefren shows why that barely scratches the surface. What he shares is not about productivity hacks or clever prompts. It is about building an AI that knows you so deeply it can help you overcome lifelong patterns, blind spots, and self-sabotage in ways no coach, mastermind, or system ever could. Rich walks through how feeding his entire life into AI fundamentally changed his business, health, relationships, and sense of purpose. This conversation goes far beyond marketing or technology. It is about identity, execution, and becoming the highest version of yourself faster than you thought possible. Rich explains how an AI that understands your psychology, habits, fears, and strengths can challenge your thinking, expand your vision, and execute alongside you every day. If you feel stuck despite knowing what to do, this episode will completely change how you think about growth, discipline, and personal evolution. Key Highlights: ◼️Why most people fail with AI because it knows everything except the one thing that matters most: you ◼️How uploading journals, business archives, health data, and conversations creates an AI that understands you better than you understand yourself ◼️The four-phase Zenith Mind OS framework: AI learns you, challenges you, expands your vision, and executes with you ◼️How AI identifies self-sabotage loops, limiting beliefs, and hidden triggers you may have carried for decades ◼️Why this approach can outperform traditional coaching, therapy, and masterminds combined ◼️How Rich used this system to dramatically improve his health, profitability, clarity, and daily execution Rich’s presentation is a glimpse into a future where personal growth and execution are no longer limited by willpower or discipline. Instead of forcing yourself to become someone else, he shows how to design your life and business around who you truly are. This episode is not just about AI. It is about leverage, self-awareness, and unlocking momentum in every area of your life. If you are ready to stop fighting yourself and start working with a system that understands you at a deep level, this conversation will open your eyes to what is now possible. ◼️If you’ve got a product, offer, service… or idea… I’ll show you how to sell it (the RIGHT way) Register for my next event →⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://sellingonline.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ◼️Still don’t have a funnel? ClickFunnels gives you the exact tools (and templates) to launch TODAY → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://clickfunnels.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most entrepreneurs think affiliate marketing is a side hustle or a distraction from building real offers. In this episode of The Russell Brunson Show, Doug Boughton completely reframes that belief. What he shares is not about quick commissions or one-off launches. It is about building an affiliate ecosystem that compounds over time, increases authority, shortens sales cycles, and quietly feeds your own offers without pulling you away from your current business. Doug walks through how affiliate marketing became his most freeing income stream and why it now sits at the center of his long-term business and legacy strategy. If you sell anything online, whether you are just getting started or already have your own offers, this episode will change how you think about traffic, collaborations, and growth. Doug breaks down the exact ways affiliate marketing can amplify everything you are already doing instead of competing with it. Key Highlights: ◼️Why affiliate marketing works best when it enhances your core offers instead of replacing them ◼️How to use other people’s launches and attention waves to grow your audience, authority, and credibility ◼️The three ways affiliate ecosystems work together: other people’s offers selling yours, your offers selling theirs, and customers becoming promoters ◼️How email segmentation and integration marketing turn non-buyers into long-term customers ◼️The strategy and platform behind building an army of affiliates promoting your business ◼️Why longevity, alignment, and recurring value matter more than short-term affiliate payouts Doug’s presentation is a masterclass in leverage, and long-term thinking. Instead of chasing ‘quick’ tactics, he shows how doing the right things consistently builds momentum that pays off for years. He’s showing you how affiliate marketing is all about creating win-win relationships, serving your audience better, and letting your business grow through trust and collaboration. If you want a model that creates freedom while strengthening your core offers, this episode lays out the path clearly. ◼️If you’ve got a product, offer, service… or idea… I’ll show you how to sell it (the RIGHT way) Register for my next event →⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://sellingonline.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ◼️Still don’t have a funnel? ClickFunnels gives you the exact tools (and templates) to launch TODAY → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://clickfunnels.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most entrepreneurs fail at the exact moment they should be making the most money. They teach, they inspire, they deliver value, but when it is time to present the offer, everything falls apart. In this episode of The Russell Brunson Show, I share one of the most powerful Funnel Hacking Live presentations we have ever had. McCall Jones takes the beloved children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and reveals the hidden structure inside it that makes it the perfect framework for building irresistible offers. Once you see how it works, you will never build your offers the same way again. Key Highlights: ◼️Why most entrepreneurs unintentionally sabotage their offers by bundling random products together instead of solving a customer’s sequential problems ◼️The Mouse a Cookie method for creating an offer path that moves someone from their pain to their desired result ◼️How to build an offer even when you cannot personally solve every problem by partnering strategically instead of ignoring what your customers need ◼️The ‘Timeline-ify’ technique for presenting your offer in a way that keeps customers emotionally in motion instead of overwhelmed ◼️The Charisma Hacking framework for communicating pain and authority in the style that matches who you naturally are, so your pitch feels authentic and converts higher McCall’s presentation is a reminder that selling is not about hype or pressure. It is about understanding the real problems someone faces and guiding them from one solved step to the next until they reach their goal.  When you use the Mouse a Cookie method, timeline your offer the right way, and communicate with the charisma style that fits you, your offer becomes the clear path to transformation instead of a collection of items. This is why her students win, and it is why this framework has become one of the most important updates to how I teach offers today! ◼️If you’ve got a product, offer, service… or idea… I’ll show you how to sell it (the RIGHT way) Register for my next event →⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://sellingonline.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ◼️Still don’t have a funnel? ClickFunnels gives you the exact tools (and templates) to launch TODAY → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://clickfunnels.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Russell Brunson Show I sat down with David Royce because his story is completely different from the typical online marketing path. He did not build funnels first or chase trends. He built real businesses in the real world, scaled them with systems, sold them, and then did it again… And again… And again. What fascinated me most was not just the money or the exits, but how intentional he was about learning, focus, culture, and fulfillment along the way. David started knocking doors with zero sales and turned himself into a top performer by obsessively studying sales. That obsession carried him from managing college sales teams to building and selling multiple pest control companies across thousands of cities. In this conversation, we dig into what actually made that possible, the unsexy work most entrepreneurs avoid, and why success without systems eventually collapses. Key Highlights: ◼️How David went from early rejection to elite performance by studying sales daily and treating selling like a craft you train for ◼️Why systems are the real secret to scaling and the simple test he uses to know if a business can grow without the owner ◼️The mindset shift from manager to operator and how he prioritizes tasks so the important work does not get buried under urgent noise ◼️How he built culture intentionally, protected core values while scaling fast, and used outside influences to shape how he led teams ◼️Why his greatest advantage is focus and obsession, how he trains it, and the books he credits for sharpening his thinking across sales, systems, and leadership David also opens up about happiness, obsession, and why the goalpost always moves if fulfillment is tied only to money. We talk about work seasons, choosing the right partner, and why knowing when to step away can be just as important as knowing how to scale. This is a conversation about building something real, learning deeply, and designing a life you actually want to live. ◼️You can find David on LinkedIn if you want to follow what he does next. ◼️If you’ve got a product, offer, service… or idea… I’ll show you how to sell it (the RIGHT way) Register for my next event →⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://sellingonline.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ◼️Still don’t have a funnel? ClickFunnels gives you the exact tools (and templates) to launch TODAY → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://clickfunnels.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people think speaking belongs to the naturally gifted. But the truth is every great speaker starts scared, awkward, and unsure. In this episode of The Russell Brunson Show, I share the behind the scenes story of discovering Richmond Dinh’s Next Top Speaker competition, why I fell in love with it immediately, and how a simple idea has grown into a movement that is transforming brand new speakers into confident leaders. You will hear the presentation I gave inside the challenge and the deeper message behind it. If you have a calling to speak but doubt your abilities, this episode shows you what is waiting for you on the other side of that fear. Key Highlights: ◼️How discovering the Next Top Speaker competition reignited my belief in the power of helping new speakers develop their voice. ◼️Why my earliest speaking attempts were awkward, painful, and embarrassing, and why that struggle became the foundation for everything that came later. ◼️The moment I realized speaking was the only way to truly move people and create life changing impact at scale. ◼️How finding your authentic voice matters more than being polished, perfect, or traditionally talented. ◼️Why the greatest fulfillment comes not from your own wins but from watching someone you helped raise their hand in victory. Becoming a powerful speaker is not a gift. It is a calling you grow into through practice, courage, and service. If you feel that pull, lean into it. Your voice has a purpose, and there are people waiting to hear it. If you want to step into the next challenge and experience this transformation for yourself, go to https://nexttopspeaker.com and register for the upcoming competition. ◼️If you’ve got a product, offer, service… or idea… I’ll show you how to sell it (the RIGHT way) Register for my next event →⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://sellingonline.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ◼️Still don’t have a funnel? ClickFunnels gives you the exact tools (and templates) to launch TODAY → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://clickfunnels.com/podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices