What It's Like Working for a Billionaire - Grant Cardone
I remember very clearly an older gentleman coming up to the front desk. He was calm, collected. Like a Michael Scott walking into his office on a Monday morning - ready to take on the week. After all, this gentleman did own the office. As a matter a fact he owned the building. It wasn’t a New York skyscraper but it was tens of thousands of square feet. Very well-kept, pristine real estate, across the street from Aventura Mall.
Cardone Enterprises rented office space from him. So did several other businesses, insurance companies, and even banks.
The secretary took him into Grant’s office. After only a few minutes they came out. Smiling. Grant raised his voice and through a grin let us know he just purchased the entire building, cash. 🤯
What’s it like working for a billionaire? Everyone stops when he entered the room. Employees pulled out their phones and film his entrance as if not a mere mortal walking on two feet. They stand to get a glimpse of the swagger, Gucci belt on tailored Italian pants with a watch so shinny and expensive I don’t even know what brand it is. but the flashy $20,000 sunglasses allows him to see check the time. The slow-motion walk from the front door to his office was filled with cheer, clapping, and air fist bumps.
We’re just talking about a Tuesday morning. Not even humpday yet!
It’s funny seeing videos of him online when I remember those videos being recorded and I walk by in a few of them! #videobomb
A few years ago I had the privilege to spend some time working for Grant Cardone's ad Agency - 10X Productions. I was one of the first employees there and learned so much. Especially from running and scaling up to $1M in monthly ad spend. Let me tell you what it was like and then a few things I learned while working there.
I saw an ad online for a Facebook lead generation specialist. So I thought it would be cool. The budget was a lot more than the local real estate firm I was freelancing for so I thought hey - win-win. After the interview, they offered me the job on the spot. I accepted and started the next day.
Work hours were 9-5 with a full team meeting. Cardone Enterprises runs like a business with multiple divisions. Everything starts with his social. The social media team puts out content. From there people interact and visit the site, built by the web team. Likely they buy a book, or a course that’s been seductively put together by the content team. The next step is the sales folks, they’re the high-rollers and the parking lot shows it. They will call anyone who buys even a free ebook and sells that person a pair of glasses - even if they’re blind. If the person can see clearly and they discover they have some money - well the investment team gets tapped in. If they discover the person has a business well, there is a business education platform.
Thus Grant has built a machine. A customer has endless ways to enter the sales funnel and then go on to another product, and another product, and well, another product.
At 9:04 on the dot, the meeting starts with everyone in the room clapping. You’ve likely seen this on YouTube. It’s more of a ritual. They then take a moment to read from the holy book. The 10X Rule, after a few lines, more clapping. Three days in and was icing my hands (kidding). If you want to watch.
After a few updates, we’d each go into our own department meetings and talk through daily tasks. Pretty common scrum meeting at this point. After a long period of time, I learned quite a few things. Positives only
🧠 What I learned (in no particular order)
It’s doable 💪🏻
Grant had a very rough background. He started late, but he made it. He was able to build a successful business that in turn provides hundreds of jobs, provides for his family, and will build generational wealth. Anyone can do it.
Bring other along 🙍🏻♂️🙋🏽♀️🙍🏻♂️💁🏼♀️
One thing I always noticed is Grant doesn’t mind his inner circle getting theirs. Several close friends and coworkers of his are very well off. In big part thanks to him. He then shares the spotlight with his wife and even his two daughters.
Stay humble 🚨
I hope and pray if I ever make it to this level - no one claps for me when I walk in.
10❌ It
Have you read The 10X Rule book? If not, it’s a great book. It tells you to take your goal and 10x the actions you think it would take for you to achieve it. So if you want a happy marriage and let’s say it means buying flowers once a month (trust me it takes more). Then 10X it and instead of once every 30 days, do it once every 3 days. It works with any goal. Try it.
Learn sales 💰
The highest earners at Cardone Enterprises were the salespeople. Grant started as a salesperson and he paid them well, knowing they brought in most of the revenue. The sales team was the earliest ones in, came in on weekends, left late into the night. They sent messages all day, left messages, made over 150 calls per day, recorded videos, and sent to clients. I remember clearly one salesman running back and forth and telling the person on Facetime that’s how fast their business would grow if they signed up for Cardone University. Pretty cool commitment. You knew someone was on the sales team because they had dedicated parking spaces with typically $200,000 cars. Learn sales early. No gimmick, clickbait, false advertising sales. Just how to sell anything.
Money isn’t everything 💵
There are far more important things in life. This is a big reason I left. I didn’t enjoy being surrounded by people who did not have the same mindset as I did. I don’t feel comfortable having money that high up on my priority list and I only really clap in church, for one Person.
It was a pretty cool experience. I’m glad I did it.