[#052] My First Billion: a billionaire's definition of success
I spent last week celebrating my 42nd birthday with Vanessa and our pastors aka our bro and sis in Aruba.
We had an incredible time and definitely plan on going back…
But one of the biggest highlights of my birthday wasn't in Aruba…
It was what happened when I got home.
We got back Friday and Saturday night, Vanessa had orchestrated a birthday dinner with ALL of our kids.
From our youngest at 6 years old, all the way up to 25 and 26.
My son-in-law, my G-son, and even a young man who grew up around us in the neighborhood who's like family.
Everybody came together to celebrate me.
And as I sat there looking around the table…
I couldn't help but think…
I'm a WEALTHY man!
And it had nothing to do with money.
It reminded me of something Paul Orfalea, the billionaire founder of Kinko's, once said…
"Success is when your children want to be with you when they're adults."
He went on to talk about how some people have all the BS in the world, but their kids don't even come home for the holidays.
That hit different, because here's the thing…
When your kids become adults, they get to CHOOSE whether or not they want to spend time with you.
And looking around that table, surrounded by people who genuinely love me and wanted to be there…
I was reminded of just how blessed I am.
Don't get me wrong…
I still have some goals I’m working on…
But what good is building a business that everybody admires if the people closest to you don't want to be around you?
That's not my definition of success.
Oh, and here's something else…
I normally don't ask for anything for my birthday.
Vanessa and the kids usually get me some clothes, shoes, or something like that. Lol.
But this year, I told them…
"If y'all wanna get me something, get me a basketball goal. The kind that goes in the ground.”
Basketball was my first love. I actually had NBA dreams growing up, but the streets got me.
I'd been planning to get a goal anyway.
So Vanessa and the kids got it for me.
And this week, I've been outside hooping with MJ, RoRo, and Ryan.
Getting some extra cardio in while spending time with my boys.
That's a WIN-WIN in my book. Lol
Not so much for them, because they’ve been losing.
Well, not my youngest, Ry-Pie, because he’s been on my team.
And speaking of wins…
I was gone an entire week and didn't open my laptop ONCE.
I took it with me, but never touched it.
When I got back, I had to go through two-factor authentication just to get into Facebook and put my password back into my laptop. Lol.
And I didn't come back to any fires to put out.
Clients were still getting served.
The team was still executing.
Calls kept getting booked.
I'm incredibly grateful for the team and systems we've built that allow me to step away without anything falling apart.
Because that's the kind of business I've always wanted to build.
One that allows me to be present for the moments that matter most…
And that I'm excited to get back to after vacation.
Not just one that makes a lot of m.oney.
So yeah…
Aruba was amazing.
But sitting around that table with my family might've been my favorite part of turning 42.
And it's another reminder that sometimes, the greatest blessings in our lives aren't the things we're working toward…
They're the people sitting right in front of us.
Tell those you love that you love them.
Marquel
P.S. One more BIG family win this week!
My 11-year-old son, Ro-Ro, has been talking about wanting to become an actor.
A brother of mine told me about a film his brother-in-law is working on. He asked Ro to submit a monologue for a role.
He submitted it, and last night, he got the call that he was selected!
Proud dad moment getting to watch him see his dreams come true! :-)
P.P.S. Whenever you're ready, here are 2 ways we can help you grow your coaching or consulting business:
1. Binge my best trainings... for free on YouTube.
2. We'll help you install a paid ads system that consistently generates qualified leads. Go here.
Start from the beginning → Issue 001
