Podcast Summary
From Homelessness to Homeownership: Chris Atoki's Journey: Determination and perseverance, even during hardships, can lead to remarkable transformations. Seizing opportunities in business can also contribute to success.
Opportunity and grit can lead to remarkable transformations, no matter the circumstances. Chris Atoki, a guest on this week's podcast, shared his story of being homeless just four years ago and now owning a house. He achieved this by working multiple jobs and attending college full-time. Despite the challenges, Chris's determination and perseverance paid off. In business, opportunities can also be seized, such as Vanta's fast SOC 2 reporting for startups or Republic's profit-sharing security token sale. These resources can help companies and investors succeed. Ultimately, opportunity and grit are essential elements that make America great.
The power of dedication and hard work: Dedication and hard work, even during tough times, can lead to significant improvements in life. Focusing on long-term goals and persevering through setbacks can lead to achieving better jobs, owning a home, and overall success.
Dedication and hard work, even during challenging times, can lead to significant improvements in life. Chris worked long hours at a minimum wage job while attending school during the day, sacrificing leisure activities like watching Netflix. However, he lost his job and had to drop out of college due to financial struggles. Despite these setbacks, his determination to better himself paid off, leading him to become a homeowner and achieve a better job and position. The decision to forgo entertainment in favor of education and work demonstrates the power of focusing on long-term goals and the importance of perseverance.
Recognizing the impact of self-blame during challenging times: During hardships, it's crucial to remember that self-blame can hinder recovery and growth. Instead, focus on the opportunities for learning and growth presented by life's challenges.
During our lowest moments in life, we often blame ourselves and attribute our circumstances to our past mistakes. The speaker shared her experience of feeling exhausted, broke, and defeated, leading her to drop out of school. She felt devastated and believed that her failures were a result of her own imperfections. It's essential to recognize that our internal dialogue during these moments can significantly impact our mindset and recovery process. The speaker took ownership of her situation and did not blame external factors, ultimately shaping her resilience and determination to move forward. While it's natural to feel self-blame during difficult times, it's crucial to remember that life's challenges are not always a reflection of our worth or past mistakes. Instead, they present opportunities for growth and learning.
From rock bottom to new opportunities: When faced with hardships, the decision to keep going and apply oneself can lead to new opportunities.
Hitting rock bottom can be a turning point for personal growth and resilience. Chris Otoki, also known as King of Toki on Twitter, shared his story of reaching the brink of despair, with no job, money, or home, and contemplating suicide. However, a moment of introspection during a visit to a Walmart led him to a pivotal decision - to live for himself until he dies. With no other resources available, he went to the library and applied for every job within a 50-mile radius, regardless of the position or prestige. This determination led him to find employment, highlighting the importance of access to resources like libraries and the internet during difficult times. Ultimately, Otoki's story serves as a reminder that even when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, the decision to keep going and apply oneself can lead to new opportunities.
Staying motivated and open to new experiences: Persistence and adaptability are crucial for overcoming financial struggles. Keep looking for opportunities and never give up.
Persistence and adaptability are key to overcoming financial struggles. The speaker shares his experience of applying for countless jobs and being let go, but he never gave up and continued to look for new opportunities. Eventually, he found success in sales, which taught him valuable skills in understanding customers and closing deals. Despite facing challenges like minimum wage jobs and old cars, he remained determined to improve his situation. His story highlights the importance of staying motivated and open to new experiences in order to achieve financial stability and beyond.
Overcoming rejection and achieving success: Believe in yourself, learn from rejection, treat everyone with respect, continuously improve, and use technology to simplify SOC 2 compliance
Persistence and self-confidence are key to overcoming obstacles and achieving success. The speaker shares his experience of facing rejection in job interviews but learned to use it as motivation to sell himself better. He emphasizes the importance of believing in oneself and treating everyone with respect, regardless of differences. The speaker also mentions how he transformed his career from minimum wage to a well-paying sales job, and the importance of continuous improvement and learning new skills. Additionally, the speaker promotes the use of technology, like Vantis compliance software, to simplify and streamline the process of maintaining SOC 2 compliance for businesses.
From selling mattresses to tech success, adapt and learn: Determination, learning new skills, and being open to opportunities can help us overcome challenges and reach our goals, even if we start from humble beginnings
No matter what obstacles life throws at us, we have the ability to adapt and learn new skills to improve our situation. Chris, also known as King Atoki, went from selling mattresses to finding success in sales and eventually using it as a stepping stone to pursue his dream of being in tech. The secret to selling a mattress, according to Chris, is to start with the highest-priced option and work your way back based on the customer's budget. This approach can lead to unexpected sales and even help those who thought they couldn't afford a higher-priced item. Life may be unfair and hard, but with determination and a willingness to learn, we can overcome challenges and reach our goals. Don't let fear or doubt hold you back, and always be open to new opportunities. And for those looking to try Vanta's services, use the exclusive offer code TWIST for a $1,000 discount.
The Power of Perseverance and Networking: Believe in your dreams, make sacrifices, take risks, and never give up. Small interactions can lead to significant opportunities.
Making sacrifices and taking risks are essential steps towards achieving your goals. Chris shared his personal experience of enduring years of less desirable jobs to eventually pursue his dream in tech. He found Lambda School, an online learning platform that offered financial aid and a web development program. Although the program was full-time, Chris reached out to the CEO, Austin, and shared his situation. Despite being a potential student, Austin took the time to respond, leading Chris to believe that even small interactions could lead to significant opportunities. This story illustrates the importance of perseverance, adaptability, and networking in the pursuit of personal growth and career advancement.
From humble beginnings to meeting influential people: Work hard, be persistent, and seize opportunities to unlock success and learn from every interaction
Even the most successful people, like the CEO of a company, can be reached and may surprise you. Jason Calacanis shared his experience of starting from the bottom, working long hours in a humbling job, but persevering and eventually meeting and connecting with influential people. He emphasized that in life and business, it's essential to put in the work, be persistent, and seize opportunities when they arise. This mindset, as he described it, is what unlocks success and progress towards becoming a "king" in your field. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of treating every interaction as an opportunity to learn and grow, no matter the circumstances or job requirements.
Learning to Code for Free and Overcoming Challenges: Through free platforms like Code.org, FreeCodeCamp.org, Khan Academy, and YouTube, one can learn coding. But gaining practical experience and landing a job in tech requires hard work and resilience. Republic's Note product offers a chance for investors to participate in funding companies on the platform and potentially share in their success.
There are various ways to learn coding for free, such as through platforms like Code.org, FreeCodeCamp.org, Khan Academy, and YouTube. However, gaining practical experience and landing a job in the tech industry requires hard work, resilience, and sometimes overcoming challenges like racism and discrimination. Meanwhile, Republic's new product, Note, offers a unique opportunity for both accredited and non-accredited investors to participate in the funding of companies raising money on the Republic platform, potentially sharing in their upside through profit-sharing security tokens. Despite the challenges and unfairness in society, having grit and hustle can lead to success.
Using determination and hustle to overcome challenges: Determination and hustle can help individuals achieve their goals, even when faced with challenging circumstances. Chris, who attended a coding bootcamp while working full-time, used his phone as a hotspot and learned to code during breaks. Despite obstacles, he graduated, secured a job, and earned a $65K salary.
Determination and hustle can help individuals overcome obstacles and achieve their goals, even when faced with challenging circumstances. Chris, the speaker in this conversation, shares his experience of attending Lambda School, a coding bootcamp, while working full-time at a mattress company. He describes how he used his phone as a hotspot and learned to code during his breaks at work. Despite the restrictions and challenges, Chris's persistence paid off, and he was able to graduate and secure a job in tech, despite being in debt from his ISA and having no prior experience in the industry. After graduation, Chris applied for numerous jobs and eventually landed his first one at a bookkeeping company in Philly, earning a salary of $65K. This story illustrates the importance of resilience, adaptability, and the willingness to go the extra mile in order to achieve one's goals.
From struggling financially to receiving a life-changing paycheck: Receiving a substantial paycheck can provide financial security, open up opportunities, and motivate one to continue striving for more.
Receiving that first substantial paycheck can be a transformative experience. It's not just about the money, but the position and opportunities it opens up. For someone who has struggled financially, this moment can provide a new perspective and motivation to continue striving for more. The speaker shares his personal experience of going from living on 86 cents a year to receiving a two-week paycheck for $2500. This financial boost allowed him to pay all his bills, save for the future, and aspire for higher positions and salaries within his company. The speaker encourages setting new goals and moving the goalposts once they are reached, as a means to keep progressing and growing.
Finding growth after hitting rock bottom: Despite challenges and setbacks, focus on growth after hitting rock bottom, don't blame external factors or others, and remember there's always a silver lining
Perspective plays a crucial role in our journey through life. When we hit rock bottom, it might seem like there's no way out, but the only direction to go is up. The speaker shares his experience of reaching absolute zero and then building his way back up, despite facing challenges and setbacks. It's essential not to blame external factors or others for our circumstances, as doing so only keeps us stuck. Instead, we should focus on the fact that after our lowest point, there's only growth to be had. The speaker encourages those struggling to remember that even during the darkest moments, there's a silver lining and that they are capable of overcoming adversity.
Overcoming obstacles with focus and determination: Despite facing challenges, we can make a difference by showing support, staying positive, and helping others succeed
No matter the obstacles or disadvantages we face, we have the power to overcome them and make a difference. Chris's story serves as a powerful reminder of this. He faced specific blockers like lack of Wi-Fi access and a decent computer, but his focus and determination led him to success. As a society, we can learn from his experience and make a positive impact by treating everyone as an extension of ourselves, showing enthusiasm for others' dreams instead of cynicism, and paying it forward by helping those coming up behind us. By implementing these actions, we can create a more supportive and inclusive environment for all.
From Challenges to Opportunities: Maintain a positive attitude, keep working towards goals, and never stop learning to overcome challenges and achieve success
No matter how difficult the situation may seem, it's possible to overcome it and achieve success. The conversation celebrated the story of Chris, who turned his challenging circumstances into an opportunity to learn and grow. While there may not be enough ladders for everyone, there are various paths to excellence. It's essential to maintain a positive attitude and keep working towards your goals. The hardest part is getting started, but once you do, the momentum will carry you forward. Keep adding skills and never stop learning. Your perspective will change, and the view from the top will be worth the climb.
Moments of shift bring new opportunities and growth: Embracing new experiences and opportunities can lead to significant shifts in perspective and mindset, bringing a sense of accomplishment and excitement, and contributing to personal and professional growth.
Certain experiences or achievements can lead to a significant shift in perspective and mindset. For the speaker, it was moving from Brooklyn to Manhattan. For others, it might be achieving a long-term goal like buying a home. These moments can bring a sense of accomplishment and excitement, making us feel like we've entered a new phase or level in our lives. The speaker's enthusiasm was evident in a tweet that read, "Now we're dangerous. Now we're in the room where it happens." The speaker wished Chris continued success and looked forward to meeting him in person. He also encouraged listeners to follow him on Twitter, @ATOKI. Overall, the discussion highlighted the importance of embracing new opportunities and the impact they can have on our personal and professional growth.
