Neil Patel

Heart resuscitators, Boeing airplanes. And the company I was working with provided the power supplies to a lot of these corporations. And through digital marketing or SEO, I was able to drive them around $20 to $25 million worth of additional revenue. And it wasn't all me because you had the sales team who had to close the revenue, product had to fulfill.

But they were just paying me $5,000 a month. We were barely spending money on ads. It was mainly SEO. And they were just like, we're really happy with you. The owner of the company, his son owned an ad agency called Tonic LA at that time. I don't think they exist anymore. And he introduced me to Blue Cross Blue Shield, Countrywide, and ING Direct.

But they were just paying me $5,000 a month. We were barely spending money on ads. It was mainly SEO. And they were just like, we're really happy with you. The owner of the company, his son owned an ad agency called Tonic LA at that time. I don't think they exist anymore. And he introduced me to Blue Cross Blue Shield, Countrywide, and ING Direct.

And what he was doing is closing the clients on his end and just being like, hey, my dad pays you five grand a month, so we'll just give you five grand per month for a client, right? And I was like, sure. So being 16, making 20 grand, not having tons of overhead, I was happy. And that's how I really got started.

And what he was doing is closing the clients on his end and just being like, hey, my dad pays you five grand a month, so we'll just give you five grand per month for a client, right? And I was like, sure. So being 16, making 20 grand, not having tons of overhead, I was happy. And that's how I really got started.

My parents told me if I don't get a college degree, no good Indian girl is ever going to marry me. So I went to college because they wanted me to. I didn't want to myself. And my parents weren't making much. And I'm not saying I was making a lot of money or anything either. I'm not saying I'm well off. But at that time, I was making more money than they were on a monthly basis combined.

My parents told me if I don't get a college degree, no good Indian girl is ever going to marry me. So I went to college because they wanted me to. I didn't want to myself. And my parents weren't making much. And I'm not saying I was making a lot of money or anything either. I'm not saying I'm well off. But at that time, I was making more money than they were on a monthly basis combined.

So I didn't want to go to college. I went to the local college called Cal State Fullerton because I just didn't care to do anything. I didn't even take my SAT 2s, which were required for a lot of colleges. And I was like, I don't care. I don't want to go to school. So I was making it hard to get into any college that was somewhat decent. Got into Cal State Fullerton. Of course, it wasn't hard.

So I didn't want to go to college. I went to the local college called Cal State Fullerton because I just didn't care to do anything. I didn't even take my SAT 2s, which were required for a lot of colleges. And I was like, I don't care. I don't want to go to school. So I was making it hard to get into any college that was somewhat decent. Got into Cal State Fullerton. Of course, it wasn't hard.

I had good grades until I started making money. Good SAT scores. And what ended up happening was I didn't want to finish graduating. My sister did a lot of my online classes because my parents wanted me to get a degree. And going into school, I took enough AP and IB classes where I should have been able to graduate in two and a half years. But it took me five and a half years, if I'm not mistaken.

I had good grades until I started making money. Good SAT scores. And what ended up happening was I didn't want to finish graduating. My sister did a lot of my online classes because my parents wanted me to get a degree. And going into school, I took enough AP and IB classes where I should have been able to graduate in two and a half years. But it took me five and a half years, if I'm not mistaken.

And my sister did quite a bit of my classes. I know I shouldn't be saying that, but it's just the reality. Fast forward to the future, didn't get married to an Indian girl. The college degree didn't help with marriage because over time people didn't care. And my parents eventually were like, we don't care who you get married to, just get married.

And my sister did quite a bit of my classes. I know I shouldn't be saying that, but it's just the reality. Fast forward to the future, didn't get married to an Indian girl. The college degree didn't help with marriage because over time people didn't care. And my parents eventually were like, we don't care who you get married to, just get married.

And eventually I did get married and had kids and my parents were happy.

And eventually I did get married and had kids and my parents were happy.

Doing something long enough really helps. I'm not saying college is bad or good, but sometimes doing certain things helps kick people in the butt. You mentioned you were in the Air Force. I don't know if that was here or overseas. Being in the Air Force, gives you regimen. You're going to have to wake up. You're going to have to do certain things at certain times. You have no choice.

Doing something long enough really helps. I'm not saying college is bad or good, but sometimes doing certain things helps kick people in the butt. You mentioned you were in the Air Force. I don't know if that was here or overseas. Being in the Air Force, gives you regimen. You're going to have to wake up. You're going to have to do certain things at certain times. You have no choice.

It makes people understand how hard life can be and how you have to do things, whether you like them or not. So I think that's really good for people. But spending 10,000 hours on something, I think, is a little excessive, especially at the beginning, because most people don't know what they want to do in life. And what I recommend to people is just go try a lot of things.

It makes people understand how hard life can be and how you have to do things, whether you like them or not. So I think that's really good for people. But spending 10,000 hours on something, I think, is a little excessive, especially at the beginning, because most people don't know what they want to do in life. And what I recommend to people is just go try a lot of things.

Spend an hour, spend five hours. What you'll find is a lot of the stuff you suck at, you won't like. A lot of the stuff you're naturally decent at or good at, you'll like and you'll be willing to spend more time on. And you'll naturally spend a thousand hours and get better and 5,000 and 10,000 over many, many years.