You Only Get 18 Summers... | George Rivera

You Only Get 18 Summers... | George Rivera

At the peak of George Rivera building his company, he was practically printing money, but was working 90 hours a week and hating life. The business had everything. His family got what was left. He had to stop being the answer to everything inside his company. He built the systems, transferred the ownership, and stepped back. Two years later the business had scaled past $50 million and he was working 30 hours a week. Sometimes zero. In this episode, we covered: → Why founders build a prison for themselves, even when they're financially free → The "18 summers" framework that reframes how little time you actually have → How to start reclaiming time even as a solopreneur with zero team → What it costs your marriage when the business becomes your identity → The difference between scaling freedom and scaling chaos George, thank you for driving three hours to sit across from me and share your story with our audience! *Chapters* 0:00 - Welcome & How George and Dillon Connected 1:17 - George's Origin Story: Starting at 17 With $0 4:00 - First Six-Figure Year in College 5:11 - $400M in Lifetime Sales: The Full Career Arc 9:30 - First Major Business Collapse in 2005 10:25 - Seeking Dad's Approval: The Three-Way Bank Call 12:38 - "Son, You Did It Once. Go Do It Again." 14:21 - The $50M Year That Almost Cost Him His Family 16:39 - "Don't Miss Leo's Games": His Dad's Dying Words 20:44 - Cash Rich, Time Poor: Who George Helps Now 21:38 - Scaling Freedom vs. Scaling Chaos 27:51 - The Books: Buy Back Time Formula & Before They Stop Asking 31:08 - Biggest Business Lessons Learned the Hard Way 35:22 - How to Reconnect With Your Family Starting Today 36:12 - What Founders Get Wrong About Their Marriage 43:21 - Where to Find George & The Free Assessment 44:14 - The 18 Summers Framework *Connect with George* https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-rivera-53b3296/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-rivera-53b3296/] Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dillon-england-show--6370921/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dillon-england-show--6370921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss]. *Connect with Dillon* https://www.instagram.com/thedillonenglandshow/ https://twitter.com/imdillonengland https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillonmengland/ https://www.facebook.com/dillon.england.5 *Sponsor — Broadcast Brew (Low-Acid Coffee)* Order our LOW ACID COFFEE “THE BROADCAST BREW” Thank you to Cool Beans Coffee Brewery for your partnership. https://www.coolbeanscoffeemi.com/product-page/broadcast-brew-low-acid-blend *ABOUT THE DILLON ENGLAND SHOW* Authentic conversations with interesting people across personal growth, entrepreneurship, and lifestyle — direct, faith-forward, Detroit grit. Subscribe for full conversations and weekly clips. Share this with someone on your leadership team. Comment your biggest takeaway.

Why Your Business Should Be on YouTube (Even If Nobody Watches) | Trevor Baker

Trevor Baker built one of the most respected YouTube agencies in the world starting from a roach-infested apartment in New York - editing videos for $20 a pop. A LinkedIn message changed his trajectory: One conversation turned into a coffee meeting, which turned into a business partnership, which turned into even more partnerships. That gave Trevor the proof he needed that he could build something real in the media space.  He went all in on Astra Media, and the company hasn't stopped since. In the episode, we talked about: → Why most businesses are completely wrong about what YouTube is for → The YouTube feature in beta right now that Trevor calls the most exciting update in recent history → How the marketing funnel has shifted, and why organic content matters more than ever → What two core values Trevor hires and fires by → Why a 50 million-follower TikTok account isn't clearing six figures, and what that tells you about platform strategy The real ROI of YouTube isn't what happens in year one… It's looking back in year three and thinking, "We should have started this earlier."  Trevor, thank you for the energy and the honesty you always bring. Love you dude! *Chapters* 0:00 - Introduction and How Trevor and Dillon Met 2:45 - Their Shared Business Journey and the Coffee Meeting That Started It 5:40 - Five Years of "Absolute Hell" in Insurance 8:00 - The Phone Call That Brought Trevor Into Media 11:00 - Learning to Reap What You Sow (Faith and Patience in Business) 15:00 - Astra's Two Core Values: Great Work Consistently and Own It 22:00 - Building an Accountability Chart (Not a Hierarchy Chart) 25:00 - The Difference Between Being Honest and Being Open 32:00 - Fake Grinding vs. Actually Working: The Productivity Trap 37:30 - YouTube 101: Why Every Business Needs to Be There 44:30 - How the Marketing Funnel Has Completely Changed 48:30 - Trevor's Most Surreal Moment: Producing Marshawn Lynch's Show 52:45 - Dynamic Brand Insertion: YouTube's Most Exciting New Feature 59:00 - Live Streaming on YouTube: Worth It or Not? 1:07:00 - Where to Start on YouTube (The Realistic Version) 1:10:00 - Stop Overproducing: Make It for People, Not Production Budgets 1:14:00 - Why YouTube Is Still the Most Monetizable Platform on Earth 1:15:50 - Where to Find Trevor and Astra Media *Connect with Trevor* www.youtube.com/@tegbaker https://www.linkedin.com/in/tegbaker42/ https://www.astramedia.co/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dillon-england-show--6370921/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dillon-england-show--6370921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss]. *Connect with Dillon* https://www.instagram.com/thedillonenglandshow/ https://twitter.com/imdillonengland https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillonmengland/ https://www.facebook.com/dillon.england.5 *Sponsor — Broadcast Brew (Low-Acid Coffee)* Order our LOW ACID COFFEE “THE BROADCAST BREW” Thank you to Cool Beans Coffee Brewery for your partnership. https://www.coolbeanscoffeemi.com/product-page/broadcast-brew-low-acid-blend *ABOUT THE DILLON ENGLAND SHOW* Authentic conversations with interesting people across personal growth, entrepreneurship, and lifestyle — direct, faith-forward, Detroit grit. Subscribe for full conversations and weekly clips. Share this with someone on your leadership team. Comment your biggest takeaway.

"Overnight Success" Is Usually 15+ Years of Invisible Work | Manager Jon

Manager Jon has worked with TikTok, brokered KSI fights, built podcast studios, and managed some of the biggest creators on the internet. But that's only half of it, the version everyone sees. He’s spent years grinding through YouTube channels through a difficult childhood. After one rough night with his dad, his mom tried to comfort him with, "It's okay, son. We were never made to get out." As he sat on the steps as a young man, Jon decided those words were a lie which he refused to accept. We talked through the full arc: → How a high school video with 3 million views accidentally launched his career → Why the barber shop failure was the moment he finally understood what he was building → The King's Table framework for surrounding yourself with the right advisors → How he found a blue ocean in the construction industry by solving a problem nobody else was addressing → Why pricing too low actually harms your clients So many times, we look at personal and professional wins without knowing the failures and heartache it took to get there. Jon, thank you for coming back on. It’s always awesome getting to talk and work with you! *Chapters* 0:00 - Introduction and Who Manager Jon Is 2:15 - Growing Up in Section 8: Roman Road and Where It All Began 6:20 - Getting Into Content Through a High School YouTube Channel 9:00 - The $7,000 YouTube Check and Learning to Reinvest 11:10 - The Barber Shop: Building Something Real and Losing It 14:40 - The Media Collective and the First Terrible Offer 21:55 - Rock Bottom: The Car, the Kitchen Job, and His Mom's Words 27:40 - Choosing to Go All In From $70 in the Bank 31:20 - Why Resilience Can't Be Taught, Only Earned 33:10 - Dillon's Own Lowest Point: Chronic Illness and a New Business 41:55 - The King's Table: How to Build the Right Circle of Advisors 46:40 - Finding a Blue Ocean in the Construction Industry 52:10 - Offer Clarity, Pricing, and Why Low Ticket Hurts Your Clients 1:04:00 - Paying for Rooms, Relationships, and Why It Works 1:08:15 - The SIA Framework: Signal, Initiate, Affiliate 1:09:30 - Where to Find Manager Jon *Connect with Manager Jon* https://www.instagram.com/managerjon \https://www.instagram.com/creatorsdenofficial https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cater-840185198 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dillon-england-show--6370921/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dillon-england-show--6370921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss]. *Connect with Dillon* https://www.instagram.com/thedillonenglandshow/ https://twitter.com/imdillonengland https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillonmengland/ https://www.facebook.com/dillon.england.5 *Sponsor — Broadcast Brew (Low-Acid Coffee)* Order our LOW ACID COFFEE “THE BROADCAST BREW” Thank you to Cool Beans Coffee Brewery for your partnership. https://www.coolbeanscoffeemi.com/product-page/broadcast-brew-low-acid-blend *ABOUT THE DILLON ENGLAND SHOW* Authentic conversations with interesting people across personal growth, entrepreneurship, and lifestyle — direct, faith-forward, Detroit grit. Subscribe for full conversations and weekly clips. Share this with someone on your leadership team. Comment your biggest takeaway.

Why Price Doesn't Matter (And What Actually Does) | Daniel Russell

Daniel Russell is VP of National Sales at Trion Solutions, one of the fastest-growing PEO companies in the country. He’s been in sales for over 26 years and he helps businesses manage payroll and HR for over 1.2 million employees worldwide. And he has a 98.7% client retention rate. In this episode of The Dillon England Show, we covered: → Why the question "How much does it cost?" is never really about price → The heart surgeon mindset that redefined how Daniel approaches every client → What elite athletes transitioning out of professional sports taught him about identity → How Daniel built a marriage and a family of six kids with the same intentionality he brings to business → Why your accountability partner should never be someone who makes you feel good about yourself Daniel, thank you for making the drive to the studio. I'm grateful you shared your story here, in the new studio! Appreciate you man! *Chapters* 0:00 - Introduction & The Pro Athlete Community 4:20 - Daniel's Upbringing and the Seeds of Excellence 6:55 - Michigan State and Learning to Connect with Everyone 8:00 - The Guy in the Suit: How Daniel Found His Direction 10:00 - The $795 Moment That Changed His Career 12:00 - Why He Never Wanted to Be a Salesperson 13:30 - The Heart Surgeon Mindset for Business 17:50 - Being Intentionally Present: Family and Business 21:20 - What Real Success Actually Looks Like 27:40 - Why Price Is Never Really the Issue 34:00 - Knowing If Your Product Is Actually the Best 37:15 - Stop Dating Your Clients: The Right Sales Conversation 44:30 - Educating the Customer Changes Everything 47:40 - The Best Advice He Never Got Early Enough 51:10 - Accountability Partners and Finding Better Rooms 57:00 - The Kobe Mentality: What Greatness Demands 59:00 - Trion Solutions and Where to Find Daniel *Connect with Daniel* https://trionworks.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-russell-sr-b6373627/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dillon-england-show--6370921/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dillon-england-show--6370921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss]. *Connect with Dillon* https://www.instagram.com/thedillonenglandshow/ https://twitter.com/imdillonengland https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillonmengland/ https://www.facebook.com/dillon.england.5 *Sponsor — Broadcast Brew (Low-Acid Coffee)* Order our LOW ACID COFFEE “THE BROADCAST BREW” Thank you to Cool Beans Coffee Brewery for your partnership. https://www.coolbeanscoffeemi.com/product-page/broadcast-brew-low-acid-blend *ABOUT THE DILLON ENGLAND SHOW* Authentic conversations with interesting people across personal growth, entrepreneurship, and lifestyle — direct, faith-forward, Detroit grit. Subscribe for full conversations and weekly clips. Share this with someone on your leadership team. Comment your biggest takeaway.

He Did 1,200 Guest Appearances, Then He Turned It Into a Business | Mike C-Roc

At 40, Mike “C-Roc” Ciorrocco had everything most people chase. He went on a self-discovery journey, started surrounding himself with mentors who had what he wanted, and made one commitment: getting on podcasts to build relationships, and eventually- see where it leads. What it led to was over 2,000 podcast appearances, a top-tier booking agency called That1 Agency, a WhatsApp community of 600+ operators and founders, and a philosophy around performance, proximity, and getting out of your own way. We covered: → Why 95-99% of your time in early business should go toward generating revenue → How to "buy time" from people instead of trying to manage more of your own → The outcome question that tripled their clients in a single month → Why confronting problems fast is the most underrated business skill Mike said he wakes up every morning pretending nobody's ever heard of him, after building one of the top podcast booking firms in North America… what a mindset!! Thank you Mike for hopping on and sharing your story, the dark years, the refunds, the doubt, and the version of yourself that had to shed to get here. Talking with you was a blast! Chapters 0:00 - Intro 1:03 - Meet Mike C-Roc: The Man Behind That1 Agency 1:48 - How 200 Podcast Appearances Became a Business 3:23 - 20 Years in Mortgage and Walking Away at 40 5:29 - The Lesson About Confronting Problems Fast 6:30 - What Actually Made That1 Agency Grow So Fast 8:17 - The 15-Minute Call: Where It Came From and Why It Works 11:25 - How to Buy Time Instead of Manage It 14:39 - Revenue First: Why Founders Get This Backwards 16:00 - Finding Your Offer and Raising Your Prices 18:08 - Asking Outcome Questions to Close More Clients 23:53 - Community, Confidence, and Not Scaling Too Early 29:40 - Building Stage Confidence and Manufacturing Celebrity 37:00 - The Most Life-Changing Advice for Young Entrepreneurs 39:08 - Why Podcasting Works (And Why Authenticity Wins) 42:51 - What's Next for Crock and How to Connect Connect with Mike Web: https://that1agency.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-ciorrocco/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-ciorrocco/] Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dillon-england-show--6370921/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dillon-england-show--6370921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss]. *Connect with Dillon* https://www.instagram.com/thedillonenglandshow/ https://twitter.com/imdillonengland https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillonmengland/ https://www.facebook.com/dillon.england.5 *Sponsor — Broadcast Brew (Low-Acid Coffee)* Order our LOW ACID COFFEE “THE BROADCAST BREW” Thank you to Cool Beans Coffee Brewery for your partnership. https://www.coolbeanscoffeemi.com/product-page/broadcast-brew-low-acid-blend *ABOUT THE DILLON ENGLAND SHOW* Authentic conversations with interesting people across personal growth, entrepreneurship, and lifestyle — direct, faith-forward, Detroit grit. Subscribe for full conversations and weekly clips. Share this with someone on your leadership team. Comment your biggest takeaway.