Drexwell Seymour: 0:01
I would remind people that everybody, each person, is unique. Too many times we try to imitate others which are unique. There are no two John, there are no two Drexwells, and because you’re unique, you need to find out what it is that you’re called to do and pursue it, and don’t spend your time comparing yourself to other people, but try to be something or be someone that you’re not. I think if you are what you are, then you will have a happy life.

Jon Mayo: 0:55
Well, howdy dowdy everyone and welcome to the Be Relentless podcast. Today marked kind of a cool milestone for us in that we had the opportunity and privilege of exploring conversation with our first international guest. Drexwell Seymour is from the Turks in Caicos Islands, where he is a CPA entrepreneur, business leader, husband of 27 years and father to five children. Additionally, he’s an author of two books Rise Up and Take your Position, don’t Give Up, find your Gift and Cultivate it. And Succeed in your Position Ten essential ingredients for success. The synopsis of our conversation is that he is a waymaker working to equip people to overcome fear and free themselves to create value and forge better lives. As we proceed into the conversation, the quote for today is fear is the precursor to valor, because courage is not the absence of fear but action despite it. If you’d like to support the show, head on over to ulauniverse. com and use “Be Relentless. I check out to save 10% site-wide and support the work that we’re doing. Let’s go, yeah. Looking into your work, I immediately saw some of the alignment right, especially when I saw like read about your background and then Rise Up and Take your Position, don’t Give Up, find your Gift and Cultivate it. Your first book. That was beautiful. So I was kind of curious, just to kind of help open up our conversation flow. Any questions concerns you have for me and also, why did you take that stance in a book?

Drexwell Seymour: 2:57
Okay, I don’t have any questions, but I took that stance because I believe you know a lot of people out there are in a hopeless situation. A lot of people are in a sad state and they feel they can’t get out of this situation, and I know what it’s like to be in that situation. So I took that stance, hoping to you know, provide an opportunity, to provide hope to others and let them know that other people are going through the same thing they’re going through and that is possible for them to overcome any situation in their lives. So that’s why I took that stance really to help others.

Jon Mayo: 3:34
Okay, and with that right like so, that hopelessness, that feeling of trapped or helplessness, right, do you think, like from your experience and perspective and I love as much background as you’re happy to share right, what fueled you to that? But do you think that, with those experiences that led you to see the need and fill it by providing hope to those who may feel hopeless in this context, that there’s even an awareness that there’s the power of choice? Or do you think that it’s more of a helplessness because they don’t feel like, even if they tried, it would matter?

Drexwell Seymour: 4:13
Wow, that’s a good point. I think a lot of people don’t know that about the power of choice a lot of people have. You know, they grew up in an environment where they just don’t know. They didn’t know anything better than what they grew up in, and so they really did lack of awareness, and so they think that’s how life should be for them, and so I think it’s important for us to bring awareness to individuals.

Jon Mayo: 4:43
Yeah, I agree with that sentiment and, given that that’s your perspective, when did you wake up to that realization?

Drexwell Seymour: 4:51
Because I’m sure there’s probably, yeah, probably, about five or six years ago.

Jon Mayo: 4:58
Okay, Do you? Will you share what that looked like for you? I’ll share what it looked like for me because I definitely had a I called a moment of awareness, where I realized I had to change a lot of things and I had the ability to.

Drexwell Seymour: 5:13
Well for me, okay, for most of my life. Obviously I am in my book and on some of my writings I suffer a lot from inferiority complex. And so I thought I became what I think and what people say about me. And then, you know, with encouraging my wife and then, you know, just doing some self reflection, it just hit on me to a point where I realized, wait a minute, I’m not getting any better. This didn’t make no sense. Nobody’s better than you. And then a light bulb just went off my head and I realized I don’t have to be in the state. I mean, and that’s what happened to light bulb that off in my head about five years ago. And then I realized that people don’t have that. I’m not thinking that way. So I need to help others. Even if I help one person, I think it’s better than none.

Jon Mayo: 6:10
So, with the light bulb going off, you want. One of the observations I’ve had I think about often is that people have awarenesses like they’ll have this moment of awareness where the light bulb goes off, and like that’s what I think a lot of like. In the US, there’s this popular term called the midlife crisis. Right yeah, yeah. People kind of have this moment of awareness of, oh my goodness, I’m mortal, I’m going to die, I’m not as young as I was, and they go and try to reclaim control and do something to feel alive. That’s kind of like the colloquial, like broad stroke, what this could look like. But in your instance you’re fighting fear and the inferiority complex, as you stated, and you realize it doesn’t have to be this way. And then you saw the need to help encourage others to take action, because I think that there’s a big distinction between, oh, this isn’t good or I don’t, it doesn’t have to be this way, and then actually making it not that way and with that like, how have you done that dance Right? What does that dance look like for you and where do you see the biggest struggle in helping others to engage in that journey, right From thought to action?

Drexwell Seymour: 7:35
I think one of the biggest struggles to be honest with you, john is that getting people to believe in themselves and getting to believe that they could get out of the situation. The thing is, society has dictated what success looks like and what this looks like, and, because of certain people’s background and where they’re from and who they are, they feel that’s impossible. And I think that’s some of the biggest hurdles to get over trying to move away from what society paints as success To me. That’s what I find.

Jon Mayo: 8:20
And with that, did you have to change your definition of success then, when you’ve rejected societies? Oh, definitely.

Drexwell Seymour: 8:27
Because, to me, when I thought about success, I thought about having a lot of money, I thought about having a college degree, and then I realized that’s not really what success is about. It’s really achieving. Setting your goals and achieving your goals that, to me, that’s what success is about. You don’t have to go to college, you don’t have to have money, and I believe money will eventually come anyway. So I definitely changed my definition in my view of success.

Jon Mayo: 8:54
Yeah, I agree. So from my perspective, I call it pursuing significance. Pursuing significance. Pursuing significance is how I’ve come to grapple with. Is what I’m defining as success at this time appropriately lined? Am I pursuing impact or am I pursuing provision? Because I agree, if I’m pursuing impact, purpose, significance, the provision comes, the joy comes, the peace comes. If I’m trying to pursue joy, peace or provision, despair and brokenness comes. So it’s like the only thing I can do is serve, the only thing I can do is build, and in working on myself and in concentric circles outward into my family, my community, the world I’m gifted, it seems to me, provision, purpose and peace. I mean peace and joy as opposed to pursuing them, right. So that that definition, and like what we’re talking about, also reminds me. There’s a book called the Second Mountain. It’s called the Second Mountain by David Brooks. Have you heard of that one?

Drexwell Seymour: 10:05
No, but I will definitely look into that yeah.

Jon Mayo: 10:08
And a fun short clip on. That is like the first mountain is what you just described. It’s like the material success Like you get married, you have a good job, you have a bunch of kids, you have enough money, and like you’ve made it right, and then you’re depressed because what are you going to do with the rest of your life? Yeah, yeah, I’m happy. Yeah, and that’s where the second mountain comes in pursuing that purpose and significance. That’s the whole premise of the argument, but I’d love to open up the aperture for those who don’t know you a bit more, because you have a pretty cool background. First, I’m not certain what part of the world in you are right now as we’re talking. Oh, really, yeah, because looking at your website, it appeared that you may still be in the islands. I’m not sure if you’re here in the States.

Drexwell Seymour: 10:59
Yeah, I’m in Turks and Caicos Islands. It’s right in the Caribbean, right outside, right below Florida. It’s like 500-some miles deep. I mean these cities in Florida and like in Albuay, playing from Florida, right below the Bahamas yeah, florida, bahamas and Turks and Caicos.

Jon Mayo: 11:16
Well, I have a debt of gratitude because you were the first international guest We’ve had the pleasure of hosting and exploring. Really, yes, this is beautiful. Thank you, I feel on it. Yeah, I’m glad you feel honored. I’m truly grateful for this opportunity and especially because the vision that I’m pursuing with the show and with my business, with all the work, is that it’s a universal human principle and concept. It doesn’t need to be bound by a geographic border and in my mind, it’s a blessing that the conversation is beginning to open up rather naturally, beyond borders, in those constraints. So this is a true gift and I’m grateful for it Absolutely. What kind of business do you have? So I have an organization called the Universal Learning Approach, and it can be found at ulauniversecom, and we do quite a few things, but all of them are unified in the pursuit of helping people, equipping people to lead maximized lives by pursuing answers to the question how might we unleash human potential? So, yeah, so we have. We just released a performance energy supplement that is a healthier alternative to what’s on the market, you know, for energy and health benefits. We have my book, this podcast and a lot of community work. What’s your book?

Drexwell Seymour: 12:50
What’s your name, people?

Jon Mayo: 12:52
Yeah, books called Be Relentless If the obstacle is the way, then we must be waymakers. Okay, I’ll check that out. Yeah, so it kind of aligned when I was reading rise up, take your position, don’t give up, find your gift and cultivate it. I felt like a kinship from Be Relentless If the obstacle is the way, we must be waymakers. So that was all.

Drexwell Seymour: 13:14
I’ll check that out. I’ll purchase that book.

Jon Mayo: 13:17
Plus, we both have four sons.

Drexwell Seymour: 13:20
Yeah, wow, yeah. Do you have any daughters?

Jon Mayo: 13:24
My wife is praying that we do receive a daughter, so I know that you have. If I’m correct, you have four boys and a daughter.

Drexwell Seymour: 13:32
Yes, I have daughters.

Jon Mayo: 13:34
So you have my bride’s dream combo, and what did behind? A man who is working to serve others, to defeat fear and cultivate a life that is peace-filled and joy-filled, right which, I would argue, that’s what you’re working to do. Fear is the precursor to valor, because courage isn’t the absence of fear but action despite it. Right, that decision was forged, I imagine, through your experiences, to the point where you said no, this is what I’m doing. And would you mind contextualizing our conversation with your background, your upbringing, a little bit about your career, just so that everyone understands kind of a bit more about the man that they’re listening to, and then we can continue to explore? Are you comfortable with that?

Drexwell Seymour: 14:33
Yeah, I am Okay. Can we tell you about it now? Yeah, please. Okay, so you know I’m a CPA, so I got this scholarship from this guy who was a third of the Turks and Caicos, and so I was able to go to college in Ohio at Eternal, my work on accounting firm, and then I moved over and I worked to a telecommunications company which is a monopoly company the only company in Turks and Caicos providing telecommunication services is a multinational and then I became the first local CEO for the company. So I worked with that company for 14 years and then I took a package and then I opened my accounting firm and then I also decided to do other businesses because, of course, living in Turks and Caicos, so I had to do other businesses and I opened up a property management company and then, of course, my wife and I we also have an office supply store. It’s been 10 years now since I’ve been on my own as a self-employed company. I’ve been able to train a lot of local people and keep positions in the country and they have top accounting positions in the country. Now they came to my firm and that’s basically my business background.

Jon Mayo: 15:59
That’s beautiful. And then, on the home front, you are healthily married with five kiddos, like we were talking about.

Drexwell Seymour: 16:06
Yes, so my wife and I would be married this year. We’ll give us 27 years. We have five children. I met my wife on the job actually, she was a secretary and I was an accountant at an accounting firm and we married and we have five children Our oldest child, she’s going to be 25 this year, and our youngest we have twins. They’re going to be 11 this year. I mean 12, sorry.

Jon Mayo: 16:38
Oh, you have twins also. Okay, yes, so yeah, on our end, we have two standard packaged kids. They just came one at a time and then we were surprised with twins as well. So that was, oh my gosh. Yeah, so it was a as you know. Were you expecting twins, as you guys?

Drexwell Seymour: 16:58
Not at all, not at all. That was the whole pregnancy, because we had three children already. Yes, and so the whole pregnancy was called up God, and they were behind with seven twins. I was even the more surprised. But my wife, mother, had twins. Okay, so twins in the family, but we were not expecting that.

Jon Mayo: 17:15
Yes, Same for us. We didn’t realize that grandparents on both sides were or had twins in their family because they’d never come up, and so when we found out, it was quite the shock. Oh yeah, but it was a blessing all the same. Any gift.

Drexwell Seymour: 17:30
How old are your children, I guess?

Jon Mayo: 17:32
Yes, of course, my oldest is nine, oh, okay. And the youngest, the twins, are seven.

Drexwell Seymour: 17:39
Oh, okay, okay.

Jon Mayo: 17:41
We had four under three for a bit there, so four kids under three years of age, which was wild. So, yeah, yeah that.

Drexwell Seymour: 17:51
They’re blessing.

Jon Mayo: 17:53
So it sounds. So you, you’re having significant impact in your community, then yes, I believe so Based on the feedback I received. Yes, Well, yes, and then just like kind of gleaming and I don’t think it’s that big of a jump between your financial firm excuse me and the other businesses you run, and then, as you said, you have people in positions of authority and critical elements across your community. That’s a pretty cool impact. What is your vision? Because I imagine that you’re looking at something 10, 20 years down the line and have goals. What are you wanting to accomplish?

Drexwell Seymour: 18:34
Honestly, I want to go around the world. At the end, I just want to go around the world and just impact the lives of people. I want to be like an international speaker and I want to be also in a financial position where I can also help people to develop their businesses as well, because a lot of people, many people they were so poor and who don’t know what to do in many different countries and I believe that rich people can help the poor I think the world would be a better place it’s just not helping people enough. We don’t have to give them the money, but we should have what to do. That’s what I want to do. I just want to make a difference. Okay, yeah.

Jon Mayo: 19:15
So make a difference by equipping people to rise. Yeah, yeah, there’s a. Every morning, I have a meditation I walk through, and a part of it is that I may stand in the gap, doing that which others won’t, so that I may do that which others can’t, so that then I can call them forward and equip them to do the same. I love that. So there’s that. There’s the hope to do precisely what you’re talking about. Right, you’ve struck forth and are creating the ability to do things that others currently can’t, and then you want to call them forth and equip them to do the same. So that’s amazing, yeah.

Drexwell Seymour: 19:55
Why I also write articles. Every week I write two articles because I try to educate the public, because there’s a lot of people who are not aware of what’s happening in the country and stuff like that. So I educate the public from my articles as well. Every week I write two articles.

Jon Mayo: 20:11
And on your articles, I saw that you’re two, if I’m not mistaken. You write a community-based article and then a Christian-based article, a faith-based, one.

Drexwell Seymour: 20:18
Is that correct?

Jon Mayo: 20:19
Yes, I do and how do those? So one of the things that struck me when I saw that I had kind of a cluster of questions right. So first, how do those differ from each other?

Drexwell Seymour: 20:35
Well, the community one could be very, very. It could be very political sometimes because, for example, a lot of people think Christians should get mixed up in politics. I don’t agree with that. But so it’s two diverse articles, because one is more pulling the government accountable, educating the public about issues in the country that a lot of people are not doing too many times rely on politicians or rely on a lot of hearsay and we don’t know what’s going on. So that’s what the community article is involved in bring awareness. And then the inspirational one is basically just provide hope for people.

Jon Mayo: 21:25
And so you call the inspirational one. Instead of titling that inspiration or instead of tiring that hope right, which could be the other category names, you on the website, at least call it Christian. What caused you to make that decision?

Drexwell Seymour: 21:40
I think because I am a Christian and I started off when I started off as mostly about Christian articles and over a period of time I phase it into more inspirational.

Jon Mayo: 21:54
So more of an approach to be, they evolved perhaps to be more winsome, based than explored.

Drexwell Seymour: 22:01
I’m glad you bring that point up, because that’s probably something I need to change on my website. That’s a very good point you brought up too, because I’ve changed it. I’ve evolved, yeah.

Jon Mayo: 22:11
Yeah, evolve, evolve and skid if we’re not growing or dying right. So on that if you don’t mind. Do you mind if I ask you questions? I’d like to explore the eighth element? Not at all. I mean not at all. So, out of all the belief systems in the world, why have you chosen to align your life with Christianity, and what does that mean to you? Because I think that it’s too easy to allow. I think it would be unfair to not allow you to define what that means to you as well. So, Sure.

Drexwell Seymour: 22:42
Well, I mean to be honest with you. I grew up in Turks and Caicos as the only religion we knew. That was growing up. Of course, right when I went to college, I was exposed to other religion, but when I returned home I got deep in my faith with God, and I believe part of the reason I am what I am today and overcoming all the obstacles is because of my growth in my faith in God, and so that’s why I align myself with the Christian faith, because I believe it’s because of God that I am better than what I am before.

Jon Mayo: 23:20
And how do you like experience functionally that playing out?

Drexwell Seymour: 23:26
Well, okay, so I spent a lot of time reading the Bible, I pray a lot and I go to church every week, and so I have this. It’s all about relationship. So I have this relationship with God Every day. I get up and I pray, and not only in the mornings. During the day I’m at work, I just communicate with God. That’s how I tool these children. I always put them first, talking to God about them, because they make decisions, helping them to act. It’s just that I feel comfortable in my peace when I’m talking with God, and so that’s how I live it out.

Jon Mayo: 24:04
There’s a gentleman who said peace is not. We as human beings don’t pursue peace of mind. We pursue peace from mind, and it’s this idea to me that echoes like the stoic thought of being as present as possible, right, and if you’re fully immersed in a situation, you’re not plagued by thoughts and securities, questions concerns what you’re eating for lunch, because you’re present and that is peaceful. Do you think? The reason I’m asking these questions is I’d like to understand if people have been intentional in the thought processes that lead to how they see and interact with the world, or how that dance goes right. So you talked about reading a lot, meditating a lot, right, and then praying, which, as I understand, is very much so a form of meditative, introspective analysis and thought in a communal sense. Do you find that? Does it cause you to think more deeply? Do you think it’s made you a better thinker, or do you think, or do you find that it is a tool for you to justify things that you do not understand?

Drexwell Seymour: 25:21
I think it’s both. Actually, I think it’s both. It’s both a tool and it also allows me to think. I mean even right now, when I think about Texan, geckos and most parts of the many countries in the world. The world has changed so dramatically and I think it’s gone from bad to worse. And when I look at what’s happening in my country, we have all these crimes taking place, we have all this corruption taking place. It’s all. Everything just boils down to people being greedy, people being selfish and looking out for others. They have no fear for God and I believe that we would do fear God and we would love one another, be kind to one another. I think the world would be a better place. The world has gotten really out of hand. Everybody has their own way. Everybody is finding what they’re true to this and what this true this. There’s no standards anymore and the Bible, to me, has a standard and I believe, because we move away from it, we have many issues in the world today. That’s my belief.

Jon Mayo: 26:37
Okay, so you see a call to love and think outside of yourself. And also, what does the fear God element mean to you and how does that? What is that?

Drexwell Seymour: 26:48
Okay. To me that means okay. For example, I’m married and I wouldn’t cheat on my wife because I fear God. I just have this fear that if I do this, something’s gonna happen. I fear God means I’m gonna be honest, I’m not gonna steal my client’s money. Fear God means I’m going to not hate people or disobey. That’s when I say fear God, just living according to the word of God.

Jon Mayo: 27:20
So essentially it sounds like there it’s the accountability element of the. It’s the other side of the coin of pursuing the love that you talked about. Right To learn how to love better, love people and introduce the fears, the I am. Is it fair to say that’s a choice of submitting yourself to something greater that could have repercussions if you don’t align with the ideals you’re pursuing?

Drexwell Seymour: 27:47
That’s exactly what that is.

Jon Mayo: 27:49
Okay, cool, that’s a fun exploration. Earlier you had gotten excited when I shared the fears, the precursor to valor, because courage is not the absence of fear but action despite it. You’re like jumped up and we’re like that’s right. Yeah, what? Why that response?

Drexwell Seymour: 28:13
right, Because I think the greatest obstacle in our lives is fear. I think if we could overcome fear, we could achieve anything in this world. Fear is the greatest, greatest obstacle. We are fear. We’re afraid of being, we’re afraid of failure, we’re afraid of what people think about us, we’re afraid to take risks, we’re even afraid of our own gifts, because we’re just afraid and because of that we’re not in our positions that we’re supposed to be in, because we’re afraid.

Jon Mayo: 28:56
But I want to unpack this a bit more. I want to keep exploring the element of fear, because that seems to me to be the the counterpoint that you have determined to stand against as you work to advocate that people become free from what? From fear, right? For myself, I kind of have looked at these things as okay, people go through life unintentionally, as if they’re asleep, right, and so I see kind of like two cycles of behavior there’s the unintentional cycle and then there’s the intentional cycle, and the primary difference between the two is an awareness of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, as opposed to distract, pursuing distractions, right, whatever those distractions may be, whether it be work, relationships, drink, it doesn’t matter, right? But instead of at least being in like, I think that all like all elements of life, there’s a season for it, there’s a time to experience them, but not as a distraction, but as a enhancer to or as a necessary element of what we are intentionally determining to do with our lives. Right, it’s a question of sovereignty and intentional action. So, for myself, it’s the obstacle that’s in the way is yourself, but it’s typically, at least, what I’ve been wrestling with, and this is highly contextualized, so by no means is it universal, but how I’ve entered these conversations is okay. The obstacle is that you are moving so fast and distracting yourself so well that you’re not allowing yourself the discomfort and perhaps fear of seeing what your life will be if you don’t take action to change it. And if you do have a moment of awareness, if you do have that aha, the light bulb goes off. Right. Then you have a choice to make change and begin learning how to live in such a fashion that that doesn’t stay the same, or you repeat the unintentional cycle where you begin to pursue distractions and kind of stuff away those, that response, until you’ve forgotten about that light bulb moment. And that’s why I was asking what caused you, if you know, or if we could even explore it together what caused you when the light bulb went off? Most people, I think, unfortunately and a huge part of my work is to change this as well as it is with yours but most people, when they have that light bulb go off, they get very uncomfortable and because of that discomfort they work to turn the light bulb back off as quickly as possible and soon they forget why didn’t you turn off that light bulb once it turned on, right, metaphorically speaking?

Drexwell Seymour: 32:02
I didn’t turn it off because I, when the light bulb turned on, it became positive for me Because most of my life I everything was about negative views, everything was about failure or, I think, in the worst of myself. So when the light bulb came on, I saw a big picture it’s from. I became almost completely opposite to what I used to be and I liked and I like what I saw and I like what I was feeling. So I didn’t, I didn’t turn the. I didn’t turn it off Because more than 40 years I’ve been suffering and and going, not even going to bed. You know being sleepless, you know having sleepless nights and nobody wants to have sleepless nights. And then I, once I discover who I am and what I can do and and the future is better for me, I like what I heard and like what I see.

Jon Mayo: 32:58
So you, okay. So there’s a gentleman I’ve been working with and I think there’s a lot of people like this. So what when you? There’s different types of personalities, right, and approaches to the world, and one of the things that I love about the podcast and about podcasting and one of the gifts not only are you the first international guest, but this opportunity for us to sit and jump into a deep, explorative conversation together is also the first of hopefully many, where we are, we’re complete strangers until we sit down, which, because every episode up until this and we’re in our sit, we’ve done almost 70 episodes or has been with people that I’ve gotten to know a little bit before we sit down, right. So I was really excited about jumping in with you and they’re like hey, how do you, what do you like, drex? Or Drex Well, I’m John, you know. And then just deep diving, because there’s this like dynamic, like we are dancing in this moment, right, so I’m also grateful for that because it’s fun. But if you’re not prone to action, or perhaps you’re discouraged because when the light bulb goes off, you have no idea how to even take a step, and even if you take the step, you’re so plagued by the, that, that self defeating dialogue, because it’s loud, right, and perhaps you’re still bound up because you said you’re in your 40s when this happened, right? Yeah, so you had been living this way for so long and when you saw the light, you’re breath and fresh air. Forget this. I’m not going back there, I’m going here. Right, and perhaps that’s the desire. But what if the? What if they’re younger? What if they don’t have the buildup of being sick and tired, that they’re tired of being sick and tired? They say enough, but they desire that change. How would you encourage someone with this exact thing to overcome that fear and take steps towards freedom?

Drexwell Seymour: 35:01
Well, I would. I mean, first of all, I believe that people should have some sort of support team, because you could use to go back to where you were before, whether she’s supposed your girlfriend or boyfriend or a close friend. I think you need to rely, trust somebody and talk with somebody when you who’s like maybe you could hold you accountable. I think that will help you a lot, because the many times you’ll be tempted, I believe, to go back because you feel like you’re not getting anywhere. So I think, in order to have somebody to hold you accountable and to remind you of where you came from, that’s what I think people should do.

Jon Mayo: 35:46
And how about if they don’t have that person identified?

Drexwell Seymour: 35:50
That’s a tough one too. I think. If they don’t have that person, then I think, because of all the information that’s out there the public domain I think they should find some something to read, find a podcast like your podcast, find something that they if there’s something out there that I believe everybody could have access to that could bring them some sort of comfort. They need to find someone or something. They may not know someone personally, but they could Google something and use that on a on a regular basis to to remind them.

Jon Mayo: 36:30
It’s interesting because, as you said, that I actually just had this epiphany, that so about six, seven years ago, my one of my kiddos he’s three at the time was having nightmares like every night at three in the morning and they were like people murdering our family, dark type of nightmares and, oh yeah, they were like grown adult level nightmares and we don’t let them have that input, right? He’s aware of like my children have been ripped and I think that’s a right. He’s aware of like my children have been ripped, that raised with an awareness of violence and what happens. We have farm animals. They understand what people do. I served in the military, but there’s no reason for him to have dreams like that. And it was happening every single night. And there came a point where I just kind of broke and was like, okay, why is this happening? Right, and I prayed as I go right, god, what is causing this to happen? Because I want to deal like I should be the protector of my home. So if there’s an issue going on, it should come to me, not to my children. And I had this beautiful opportunity in which I learned that it was my fault, I was becoming that which I hate and I had. I was abdicating my responsibilities as a man, as a husband, as a father, and I was not aware of it Because I was numbing myself so heavily away from that realization and, despite being very successful in the different arenas I was dancing in, I was internally dying and that was going to lead to the breaking of the mirage, right, because the foundation was crumbling and I called that a beautiful opportunity simply because, just like with your light bulb moment, when I realized that I’ve resolved that if it killed me, I would not stay how I was and my entire life began to shift. And the reason I share that because of actions taken right, the reason I share that right now specifically, is because engaging in like, well, what do you do if you don’t have someone, I’ve realized part of that adventure for me was we left the industry we’re in, we left the state we’re in, we left a lot of things to allow me the space to rebuild right. But in that rebuilding I lost community. I lost the men I was walking with, you know, the families our family was in community with, and I did not have. I had to go out and seek those relationships. And one of the things that’s beautiful about today, and I think that it was at minimum equally critical to any of the in-person relationships I made is we live in such a time in which we can create our inner circle around us, intellectually, from the best minds of all of human history? And for myself that that translated to, quite literally, thousands of hours of consuming books and podcasts from people who I wanted to emulate, the characteristics that they were demonstrating, or the thought, the ability to think that they were teaching right and questioning, and, over the course of about two years of that and learning the types of people I wanted to keep being community with and who I was supposed to like, who I wanted to ultimately become. Then, all of a sudden, I’d say, in the last two years, I’ve been able to begin building community. That is replicating the desire that I didn’t even know how to articulate when I realized that I needed to change. But there was an arc right, yeah and yeah. So in sharing that like, that was an epiphany of like, oh, even if there’s not another person that we know of and we don’t even know how to find them right, by the gift of technology we can begin to immerse ourselves in thought patterns that are healthier than ours? Yes, absolutely. So thank you for that opportunity. That was a cool epiphany to realize like, oh well, that’s what can be done. You don’t know someone down, invest in audible. See, what were you so afraid of?

Drexwell Seymour: 40:59
John, I was afraid of everything. I was afraid of everything. I was afraid of people say both me because you know, I grew up and I had a book on me, oakley and dark, and I was afraid of just not being the best. I was afraid of failing. I just was afraid. I was afraid of my own self, I just was afraid I was just someone who was afraid of everything. And I was afraid of other people, because I try to live my life pleasing people and pleasing society, and so I was afraid if I didn’t fit up to the society, then I wouldn’t fit in.

Jon Mayo: 41:40
Did you find that the fear? Did it be discussed, or like self-loathing as well? Or is it just fear, Not that justice? Not to undermine it but.

Drexwell Seymour: 41:52
Probably self-loathing. Yeah, I didn’t know it was. I didn’t know it was fear at that time. Only when I look back I say it’s fear.

Jon Mayo: 42:00
Okay. So what did it if we can go back in time? What did it feel like then, before you realized it was fear.

Drexwell Seymour: 42:10
I feel like helpless, I felt. I thought I was shy, I just thought I was incompetent Basically yeah, so battle.

Jon Mayo: 42:24
I imagine you struggle with depression and yes, were you angry?

Drexwell Seymour: 42:30
You know, when I look back, I’m not sure I was angry, I was hurt, but I’m not sure I was angry. But I never should have been hurt, because if you see me I’m always smiling. I always smile. Even I was hurting inside, but I don’t think I was angry.

Jon Mayo: 42:55
It’s interesting because it would be nice if the world was like true or untrue, black or white, right, you know, like. But one of the concepts that, for like the last month now, have really been enjoying is dancing and the tension between two things. That can be true, right. So, for example, you said you’re always smiling so people wouldn’t know that you were hurting, right. On one hand, some of my friends call me Smiley as a nickname, right, oh, really, yeah, I do, I do submission, I do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and so we’ll fight and train a lot and I’m always like, smiling, sometimes a little bit crazily, right, but there’s always a smile going on and the worse it gets, the bigger my smile. And someone asked me once, and the origin story to that was when I was a boy, I was doing cross country and at the time was in California, dead of summer, so it was like 110 degrees out and we were doing like a 12 mile run and I had to go up this huge hill. So I’m running up this huge hill, dying right, just in pain, miserable, and my father pulls over next to me and says, son, you’re hurting, huh. And I was like, yes, he’s like. Well, the entire world, and I can see that. And that does you, nor those you’re leading or serving, any good. So fix your posture and smile, because your body, language, language will lead before your voice can and like dying. I was kind of like a little irritated and he’s like no, I mean like, do it now. So I was like okay, yes, yes, sir, I straightened up, I smile, and he’s like good. And then he left, he just drove off, and so on the one hand there’s this idea of like. Sometimes you need to fake it, to make it, sometimes you need to model the response that is most helpful for the situation. So there’s like that side of the spectrum. But then on the other side of the spectrum you have to tending care for yourself, because if you’re not operating out of a place of strength, then the cup’s going to run dry and you’re not going to be any good anyone.

Drexwell Seymour: 45:16
Yeah.

Jon Mayo: 45:17
So it’s like how like that that tension between self care and pursuing authentic health and and being genuine and having hard conversations and looking in the mirror and understanding that the pain stop when it stops, and choosing to grin and bear it and leading with that type of action could cause unhealthy conflict. And if they’re put into the appropriate balance and the tension is allowed to breathe between them, then there’s opportunity to both rise and become more healthy and also lead, despite how negative or dark the times get. What do you think of?

Drexwell Seymour: 45:58
that I think that’s a great I mean a great revelation. I mean the thing with me. That’s a very good point. You made the thing with me. I was so. I wasn’t concerned about myself, I was more concerned about other people, and I wanted, even now I if someone needs something and I don’t have it, I will probably borrow it to get it for them. I just want to make other people to have what they don’t have, and I don’t want to not have anything, because I know, grandma, we don’t have much. And so my concern wasn’t really, even though I suffered, I was not concerned about me, I was concerned about other people. What can I do to help other people? And so but not that you mentioned it I think we also need to have a balance and we need to also, you know, be sincere and we need to also look out for ourselves as well. But that was not my concern. My concern was, if someone call me right now and say I need some money, I may not have it, I will still find a way to get it to them. That’s, I feel like I have to help people, even though I’m not helping myself.

Jon Mayo: 47:08
That’s a really good distinction, right, because that may not be helping you, but you’re still doing that from a position of having the energy to do it healthily right and either provide it or find or obtain the resource. And it’s interesting because, like you mentioned, in the next 10, 20 years, your goal, as you continue, is to achieve the resources such that your representation of steward them means that you’re able to internationally begin speaking and equipping people to build business which creates value, which creates freedom. Yeah, that comes from you having the resources to do it and being entrusted with using them well to that end. Right, if, financially right, but actually this will be a fun analogy If, because it kind of paints what we’re talking about in concrete terms when it comes to, like, mental health, physical well-being, peace, cultivating those things so that we have the ability to respond well to circumstances. If we looked at it like a bank account, if you gave away everything you had to the point that you could barely feed your family, right, the impact would always be tarnished by not managing those resources well and tending to the appropriate priorities before they’re poured out freely. Right, yeah, but by tending to your home and having that be secure, you’re freed to more aggressively, do far more than you ever could have before that, and I think that, if that’s in agreement financially, the same is true when it comes to, perhaps, strength and as a holistic concept and how one can lead.

Drexwell Seymour: 49:04
It’s the same thing. You’re right. I agree with you on that.

Jon Mayo: 49:08
Cool, that’s fun. Where do you want to go first? What do you mean? So you want to travel internationally and speak? So the two things that makes me wonder is what specifically? Okay, another country invites you to speak and they say you have 30 minutes. What are you going to be speaking about in that 30 minutes?

Drexwell Seymour: 49:34
I’ll definitely be speaking about how I was built my my life, like where I came from and where I am today, to show people that, no matter where you are or who you are, that you can move from the first steps to the step number 10. I think the important thing is to share your story with people and I think if you share your story with people, people can understand it, because sometimes they’ll have to share things based on theory, based on what they read, but if I can share my personal story so others can be inspired and influenced, I think that’s what I want to do.

Jon Mayo: 50:15
Are you opposed to doing an experiment with me?

Drexwell Seymour: 50:18
Sure.

Jon Mayo: 50:20
All right, you want to dance. You have five minutes to open up the speech. So right now you’re walking on the stage. You have five minutes to do exactly what you just described. Go.

Drexwell Seymour: 50:34
Hey, good, good evening everyone. My name is Drexel Well, see more, and I know you might not know me, but I want you to know that there is hope, that anything is possible. I mean, I want to just give you background on my story that I came from a small island. My father was a carpenter and my mom was a worker at the fishing plant. Didn’t have much. We live in a poor place, most people are poor, and I want to be an accountant and see anything possible, how it’s going to happen. But guess what? I got my degree, I got an MBA and I now have my own accounting firm. And it’s possible. It could also happen to you. We just cannot just stay there dreaming about something. It also requires you to act on it. You have to start from somewhere, and sometimes you might be wondering you know, I don’t have this, I don’t have enough money, or I’m waiting on the right moment, I’m waiting on the right person. There’s no right movement, there’s no right person. You can start now and I’m here to help you to start, so that you can move from where you are now to where you want to be.

Jon Mayo: 51:52
You even came in under time, you did that in two minutes? Oh, I did oh okay, no, you’re, that’s fine. I just that was fun because it was like, okay, you have this vision. How would that first come out? And one question I believe in being radically candid. I think it’s more fun when we just go straight to it. So your degrees and your firm and everything you have, and in that dance we just did, you said you got them right. Who gave them to you?

Drexwell Seymour: 52:22
Well, that was a gift. That was a. That was a gift. I well, I got the degree through my hard work, but I was able to get into the college for a gift from a tourist actually, it was a gift to give to Turks and Caicos and and I applied for it and then I became the first recipient. I got the scholarship, I made a degree and then it gave me another scholarship to do my master’s, but you still applied for it. Yeah, I had to apply.

Jon Mayo: 52:56
The reason I asked was and you said you earned the degree by your hard work. You earned the opportunity to receive the gift by applying, yes, and the reason I asked is but by this point in our conversation it’s clear to me that you have worked intentionally, deliberately and hard to be where you are and to go where you’re going Right. That’s good, and one of the things that I consistently wrestle with myself, especially if I’m not doing as much as I want, but also in the in the similar work that I’m doing to seek to equip people to lead maximized lives is the power of action, in that if it’s a gift, then it can be written off in that they were unlucky and not receiving a gift. But if you, you chose to have the courage to apply and put your best foot forward with your application and then you’re incredibly grateful for the gift of having received it. You chose to work diligently and hard and earn your degree. You chose to pursue the next degree and we’re blessed with the opportunity to do that. You chose to work for that company, but then you also chose to work and earn and create the opportunity and walk through the blessing and faith per year, per that world of you right To then start your own firm. It seems to me to enhance the narrative, to enhance the story and the inspiration of hope because, oh, you chose to work hard. I could choose to work hard, right. Do you think that there’s validity in that thought or that juxtaposition?

Drexwell Seymour: 54:43
You mean you’re choosing to work hard?

Jon Mayo: 54:45
Do you think that there’s specifically validity in the power of the difference between the words such as got or like? I chose to work hard and take these actions which then produce these results, whether that be a gift or whether that be the multiple businesses and everything that you’ve done.

Drexwell Seymour: 55:08
I think it’s a combination, because a lot of people are working hard, and they’re not even working smart, but they’re working hard. So I think it’s a combination of stuff. So I work hard and I also have faith that I believe, at the end of this working hard, that I will achieve my goals. So I think it’s a combination.

Jon Mayo: 55:33
Okay. So working hard, working smart, so taking deliberate action and also opening yourself up to things that are outside of your control, working in your favor.

Drexwell Seymour: 55:45
Okay.

Jon Mayo: 55:49
You know it’s interesting because I just heard this critique of I’m not actually sure that’s the right way to frame the entrance here, so bear with me. Like the idea was one of the reasons that dictatorships remove religion first is because it’s they want to rob. They know that if there’s a belief system that gives hope, that they will not be able to have the sub, the control and the complete dominance that they want, because when someone has hope in insurmountable odds, they become indomitable and they also become ungovernable. And that is one of the reasons that so many regimes, historically and today, remove religion of any kind aside from belief in the state and that makes sense. And like one of the reason I was asking the question is, I think, one of the fruits of faith. And first, I believe that everyone believes in something, whether that is agnostic or believing that there is nothing. That’s still a belief, right, because you’re choosing to believe that there’s nothing. So I think that’s true. I would argue that as humans, we can’t not believe. We just simply choose or ignore that we believe something. But when you believe in something that inspires hope and like with a message that you’re you’re spreading, the hope becomes a catalyst for freedom and for potential. That is dictated by the individual’s thoughts, sovereignty and freedom.

Drexwell Seymour: 57:44
I think. So I agree with you, I think it is dictated by that. I mean, and that’s why I believe that we should have some sort of guidelines. Like you say, everybody believe in something. We should have something that we believe in to guide us, because if we don’t become like a wild wild west, we won’t have any beliefs. We believe in anything, basically, and if you believe in anything, you’ll fall for anything, and so I believe it’s important to have a belief system that can guide you along the way.

Jon Mayo: 58:37
With the belief system that can help guide you along the way. Do you see utility in testing that belief system, in questioning it in?

Drexwell Seymour: 58:50
battling with it. Oh, definitely, I mean, you know, always be tested. You can always have some doubts in your mind Because sometimes, when you have these, when you believe in these systems, sometimes you think everything’s going to be perfect and everything is not going to be perfect. There’s no, there’s no perfect world, there’s no perfect place, no perfect person, and sometimes we end up becoming disappointed, we’re going to become discouraged, because we thought that we had believed this, this would have happened to us. But if things happen and that’s why people, because of people’s freedom of choice and people’s free will, they make decisions and they impact you and it happens. It’s just like you know, someone walking down the road, someone accidentally shot you. You didn’t do anything, you just happened to be in that place and unfortunately, those things happen. Those things happen, it will be tested all the time, and that’s how you measure your feet, that’s how you measure your performance, that’s how you measure success, on whether you passed that test successfully or not.

Jon Mayo: 1:00:04
Yeah, one of the things that I focus on a lot like in this, in this topic area, is it’s a matter of thinking because, like with the analogy of a forge, like a forge that makes precious metals or tools, it burns out the impurities as part of that process, right, right, well, if you’re making jewelry, you burn out the impurities, but the gold remains right. In the same way, I think that everything I’m a firm, performant, I question, test and will continue to do so every single thing I think or believe to be true. And it’s interesting because, like it kind of creates this feedback loop that the more I test it, the more I find incongruency sometimes that I thought were refined and survived testing for years, but then they get. I find their weakness right and I evolved because of it. Or that which continues to hold itself as true or valuable continues to come back no matter how aggressively or viciously I attack it with testing. Yeah, yeah, the test.

Drexwell Seymour: 1:01:13
yeah, it was important. But the testing is very important because it could confirm whether or not it is true. Of course, sometimes you fail, but that doesn’t mean you fail. Yeah, Just try to, you know, just keep trying. But the testing is very important, it’s very important.

Jon Mayo: 1:01:33
Yeah, because I think one of the things that is fearful, like one of the things that’s fear inspiring, is the idea that what if I test it and it’s not true? And that can be scary, right, because, like insert any faith, right, I believe X. If I test that belief and it comes back untrue, what does that mean for me? That uncertainty, I think, can definitely be fear inspiring.

Drexwell Seymour: 1:02:04
Yeah, and then also, sometimes it depends on I think to me everything is timing. It may not be true at that time or you might not believe it down. You may realize that’s what it is. Of course, at that time you may think that you didn’t pass the test, but then you realize I did, if you understand what I’m trying to say. I mean because not everything depends on who’s measuring it and how we’re measuring it. And even if you don’t pass I believe is the reason I didn’t pass it is because maybe there’s something better down the road.

Jon Mayo: 1:02:49
There’s an old country song here in the States that it’s like thank God for the the nose right, or like someone prays for something to get a no and they’re like it’s horrible, but then a year later they’re like I’m so glad that was a no, yeah, that’s it, that’s it, yeah. So I’m actually walking through a really, really cool opportunity right now, and part of it, though, is I saw this quote the other day. It said not all storms come to disrupt your life, but that is to some come to clear the path.

Drexwell Seymour: 1:03:22
Yeah.

Jon Mayo: 1:03:23
And as I’ve been reflecting on it, I think that I’m realizing that some of the things that I made choice, I took deliberate action based off of intentional thought and decisions put me into position, transported me into positions that I was not fully anticipating. And when I’ve wrestled with that or struggled with that and the fear that that’s produced for a little, for a while, like the initial portion of that, I was like what it like in those darker moments is like what is happening here, right, why. And now, as I’m continuing to, as time continues to pass and I continue to wrestle and kind of evolve through that wrestling, that quote really was this catalyst of saying like, ok, yes, it was a storm, there were 100 mile an hour winds, things were getting torn up, but what I can clearly see, and I had faith, like I believed that I would need to walk through that storm, right, that it was necessary. But now what I’m seeing is not just the destruction but the opportunity. And now I’m seeing like that the path is open and before it wasn’t. So there’s like those elements of freedom that come even from the unknowns, that can be fearful but embraced head on, right, they become the path yeah, absolutely. What are you thinking right now?

Drexwell Seymour: 1:04:53
I’m thinking this is a very good conversation we’re having. It’s an eye opener for some points, for me as well. You know some things I never thought about. But yeah, that’s what I’m thinking right now. Very good conversation.

Jon Mayo: 1:05:04
Well, I’m so grateful you’re not thinking about what the next thing is, because that would be that mean that we need to lay in the plane. No, no, no, no. This is fun For the last few minutes. In the back of my mind, what keeps buzzing back? Have you talked about the timing of, like, when you realize something? Right, you’ve been married 27 years, which congratulations, by the way, that’s phenomenal. Thanks, I think, like for myself, especially earlier on. There’s these iconic and funny moments, right, like these like stand out, funny moments where, like, my wife has shared something with me, like hey, have you considered this? And then three, four, five months later, maybe I’ll come home with it being my idea. Like, hey, I’m going to do this. And she’s like, yeah, I was just talking with David and now I’m going to do this. And she’s like, oh, yeah, you’re going to do that now. I said that six months ago. Have you experienced that in the 27 years of marriage in your home?

Drexwell Seymour: 1:06:03
I experienced it all the time. I can’t remember examples, but I know I experienced it often every year.

Jon Mayo: 1:06:10
It was just like a fun analogy to capture what we’re talking about.

Drexwell Seymour: 1:06:14
Yeah, Absolutely right. I experienced that.

Jon Mayo: 1:06:18
And it’s interesting because it’s timing, it’s the source of where the information comes in, it’s where you are emotionally and physically that day, right yeah?

Drexwell Seymour: 1:06:29
That causes me to know who’s coming from. I mean, where is the right time to do it and all of that. All those are different factors.

Jon Mayo: 1:06:38
So kind of a rapid gear shift, because I think there’s two fun questions that we could play with for a second. You studied in Ohio, correct? I did Okay. So what caused the greatest culture shock for you?

Drexwell Seymour: 1:06:55
Honestly I have to tell you this I didn’t have any culture shock in Ohio. I think when I first went to Ohio I wasn’t because growing up in Turks and Caicos I was surprised at that time. The divorce rate was growing up. In Turks and Caicos People got divorced, but it’s very rarely and I was very surprised when I went to Ohio. But now it’s not a surprise anymore because the divorce rate in Turks and Caicos is just as high. That was a culture shock to me and I understand too, because in Turks and Caicos people probably should have gotten divorced but they didn’t. They just stayed in the marriage to police their children in their society. In America you got divorced for different reasons, but a lot of people in Turks and Caicos is unfaithful to their spouse and their lives still stay with them. I never understood that, but they did, and so that was a shock to me. But now it’s not a long-lost shock because it’s happening and I can understand it. But other than that I was not surprised at anything. That was the best time in my life in Ohio, actually. And what made that the case? Because I’ve never. That was my first time going to America. I was young, I think I was 16. I didn’t know anybody when I went there. I get to meet so many different people. I appreciate different cultures, different races. It was an eye-opener for me and it was more an appreciation for me. It was a life-changing moment for me, meeting different from Africa, malaysia, americans, all over the world and just recognizing that you know all the same.

Jon Mayo: 1:08:54
It sure seems like there’s a lot of forces at work to make us forget that.

Drexwell Seymour: 1:08:58
That we’re the same.

Jon Mayo: 1:09:01
And one of the things that was encouraging to me jumping into this conversation is I got the sense that we’re both advocating that as part of the message Universally as humans, we can have hope, we can take action, we can be courageous and we can proceed forward to create life, unity, love and value, and we can stand against the lies and darkness. Right, yeah, we are on the same path. Definitely, that’s excellent. We’ll need to, after the show, talk about ULA allies. So, brandon, if you could help us remember that, but that would be something that we should definitely do. Drexwell, sure, with your speaking, if you could choose anywhere you wanted to go right, the resources there, everything’s done when would you start and why?

Drexwell Seymour: 1:09:55
I probably will start well between I’m just talking between two places, probably between Haiti and India. Okay, there’s a lot of uprising and crisis going on in Haiti. Some people are leaving the country and I believe that, despite the uprising in Haiti, I believe that they should leave. I believe that Haiti has a lot of potential. It’s a big country, a lot of resources and I think they should stay, because I think the battle of being home and risking their lives coming in these loops and boats to other countries that’s what I’d like to go. And then India, because, of course, I’ve never been to India, but a lot of times what’s being portrayed is there’s so many people. I believe India is a mix. You have people who are doing well and who are not doing well, but there are a lot of people who are suffering. Poverty is a big thing there and I believe people are also being taken advantage. There’s children being taken away from their parents and there’s human trafficking and those things that did to me that I believe that I would like to speak to them. I mean, of course, speaking alone is not enough for people. People want to see action. I think speaking is a start. It all starts with what you speak, and what you say and what you think.

Jon Mayo: 1:11:41
On the Haiti element of that, you want to advocate that they stay and build and fight back and secure stability.

Drexwell Seymour: 1:11:53
Yes.

Jon Mayo: 1:11:59
Instead of taking the easy question as why, a better question or a little bit more context to it would be did you have to make that same decision for yourself in your life, and is that what is driving that? And if yes or if not, why would that be the stance that you take in encouraging them? And if someone asked OK, fine, we’ll stay, but how does that work Right? How do you work with them to produce the changes that are necessary, should they choose to stay instead of flee, because it takes a lot of fear to risk your life on the ocean?

Drexwell Seymour: 1:12:37
Yeah. So, I’ve never experienced that. I mean, I’ve always been patriotic texts and cacos, so I’ve never experienced what they experienced, but what I did, of course, I work in Canada. I went to Canada just for international experience, but I interviewed this couple who were living in Texas for years and they decided to go to Haiti. They said, you know, they went back to Haiti and they’re doing really well. They have multiple businesses, they have the countryside, they have a farm, they have all sorts of businesses and I feel that if they could do it, then other people could do the same thing. Guys, a lot would just focus on, I think, kid Haiti or poor friends, I believe. But Haiti is such a big country with over 9 million people, I think, and the market is huge for businesses and they just need to start somewhere. And that couple I interviewed they start and they’re doing well and we could get that message out to people that they could do the same thing. They could fill up. Haiti. I mean, they don’t need to bring people in, they could do themselves. They just need guidance and some marketing for the businesses and I think they will do well.

Jon Mayo: 1:14:04
So that’s the equipping piece and essentially you want to offer a counter narrative to the fear yes, that’s causing the flee response instead of the fight response and then show that, despite the obstacles, there could be the way, because you at least have the anecdotal experience of the couple that you interviewed. Who’s doing it?

Drexwell Seymour: 1:14:26
Yes.

Jon Mayo: 1:14:26
And if they’re doing it, then it should be able to be replicated. So how?

Drexwell Seymour: 1:14:34
I believe it can be. And even that couple who’s went back to Haiti. Well, unfortunately, the wife just died, but the husband, who’s still alive, he’s a positive, he could show them and he’s willing to guide them. He’s willing to help others. In fact, I think he brought another couple back to Haiti who’s also now in the path of establishing themselves. So it just takes one person, each one. Teach one and it will make a difference. It will make a difference.

Jon Mayo: 1:15:07
Each one teach one. I love that, but that type of resolve so that the waymaker concept right. If the obstacles the way, then we must be waymakers. A fundamental element of that. There’s kind of the tenacity that we’re talking about, right, or it’s like, okay, can we help people see the way so that they have hope and that it’s possible, and then can we equip ourselves and them to accomplish it right. One of the concepts that has heavily flavored a lot of what I do is the concept of Sisu, which is Finnish. Have you heard of it? No, no, so the word Sisu S-I-S-U and I have S-I-S-U, Okay. So Sisu, and it’s a Finnish concept and it means Sisu begins where grit ends. Sisu represents dauntless determination, courage and grit in the face of extreme adversity. It is an action-based personal ownership mindset which enables individuals to reach beyond their present limitations, take action against all odds and transform barriers into frontiers of opportunity. Sisu is an integral element of the Finnish culture in a universal capacity we all share, and that’s actually a slightly modified definition that we wrote for my business, based off of some other definitions. We saw that we think hold true to it, but I thought that that would be a cool exploration given our topic.

Drexwell Seymour: 1:16:54
Yeah, I liked it. I can do some more research on that, yeah.

Jon Mayo: 1:16:59
Well, and I have quite a few things we can connect you with. Also, that fuels a lot of what we’re talking about At this point. If you could share one piece of wisdom, right, or one encouragement that you wanted, that you would hope people would remember as we walk away from this conversation, what would it?

Drexwell Seymour: 1:17:27
be. I would remind people that everybody, each person, is unique. Too many times we try to imitate others, which are unique. There are no two John, there are no two Drexwells, and because you’re unique, you need to find out what it is that you’re called to do and pursue it, and don’t spend your time comparing yourself to other people or trying to be someone that you’re not. I think if you are what you are, then you will have a happy life.

Jon Mayo: 1:18:18
All right, and that is the show. Thank you so much for listening. If you found value in today’s episode, please pay it forward. You can do that by liking and following the show, liking and following us on social media or sharing this episode with someone you care about. All of these things help more than I can put into words, and each action taken to help us spread the word is greatly appreciated. So, once again, from all of us here at the ULA and Be Relentless podcast, thank you for joining us in the journey as we seek to lead maximized lives.