Alex Melia

Full transcript: Alex Melia on London Real

0:00 I’m here with Alex Melia, recent graduate of the Life Accelerator. Tell us about you; where you’re from, what do you do. Yeah, so my name’s Alex and I’m from Greater Manchester up north and I’ve been part of the, kind of the London Real video watching system for probably about 2 years now. And I have a business in Hong Kong, got two full-time staff out there.

0:28 I’ve been in Hong Kong on and off for 6 years, so I started off as an English teacher out there, originally inspired by, well ever since I was a kid it was like, Bruce Lee was my idol. And I always wanted to go out to Hong Kong and be part of that whole culture. You know, the things I’d seen from the films. So I was an English teacher at a primary school and then afterwards, after a few years I became, you know, I get bored quite easily anyway so I need a challenge.

0:51 After about 3 years, I start to see more about online tutoring and things like that, and English tutoring online. I thought, this is a really good, you know, a good mode of education. So I had this idea. One day I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom, all the best ideas come to me when I’m in the bathroom for some reason, and I thought this would be amazing to start up an online tutoring business. But now it’s now morphed into training nurses to pass an English examination, to practise nursing in the UK.

1:24 So, we’ve, you know, we’ve gone from failure, failure, failure, failure, to, you know, having some kind of success now. I think in terms of, you know, the whole process of being in business, it takes a lot out of you. As you know yourself, you start to want to readdress some imbalance that you have in your life. And I think that this Life Accelerator came around at just about the right time for me.

1:48 Okay. What was that challenge you were struggling with in December? When you decided, you know maybe I need some help. Yeah, well, I think just because, from 2013 onwards, I just had consistent struggles and failures in my business, even though I had mentors and things like that. I was doing rookie mistakes, and I think after a while I’d been in Hong Kong for so long that I wanted to come back to the UK.

2:13 I missed friends and family and whatnot, but I was working on my business 7 days a week, 12, 14 hours a day. I was shut off from reality. I wasn’t seeing people, I was losing that human interaction, but I was just so single-minded about getting this business right, that I just forgot a lot of things that were going on in my life.

2:34 Finally we started to get some kind of success when I signed this big order, like September time, and it got to like November/December and I thought, I’ve got to change some things in my life. I’ve completely sacrificed so much, that I’m taking things out of myself. I think, because of the failures I had in my business, I thought, okay, those failures have happened that’s because of me. What’s wrong with me? Why me? Victim kind of mode as well. So I wanted to readdress something.

3:01 I need to start being a normal human being now and have that, you know, have some kind of peace of mind. And re-integrate myself back into society and being around people. Yeah. Why London Real? Why London Real? I’ve always been a big self-improvement, personal development kind of person. You know, I watched a lot of Tai Lopez videos, and so many other people. I’m trying to, Lewis Howes, all those kinds of influences.

3:30 I think the first one might have been, the first one I can remember was John Lee. Which he doesn’t really get often, doesn’t get mentioned so much, you know, but that was a really good interview for me. I think I started watching others, obviously the obvious ones like Dan Peña, people like that. But that long form of media was something that, you know, goes against the grain.

3:51 People say nowadays, particularly with my business, put out 2 to 5 minute videos. And you know, people don’t have the attention spans and whatnot. But, I mean, this long form of entertainment for people who can, you know, have some kind of concentration, is a brilliant format. So, I really like the idea of different, not just business, not just life improvement, but also MMA fighters. There’s boxers, I mean, I’m a huge boxing fan. Chris Eubank, and Nigel Benn, what a joy to watch those kinds of interviews. So it’s just a real eclectic mix of videos I really like.

4:28 Okay. Now December comes, you get the offer, you look through the course. You’ve gotta decide to pull the trigger, and invest, and it’s an investment. What made you do it? Yeah, I think, so it was really random because since Gmail have introduced the separating, segmenting different folders I never check promotions folder, never do it. I mean, I’ve always been that person who checks emails too much.

4:56 When they brought, introduced that I thought I’m so glad I’m not gonna get this crap anymore. For some reason, I don’t know why, fate or whatever you want to call it, clicked on it one day. It said Brian at London Real, and I didn’t, I’d always been, never kept up to date with any of your previous emails. Any of the, to do with the London, I did look into the Academy quite a while ago, but I’d been involved in other kinds of courses.

5:21 It was like a Lewis Howes course I did that was great, and there was a couple of other courses I’ve done. I never thought, I thought I’m out of the UK, I’m in Hong Kong. I’d want to be in London to make the most value out of it, but yeah. For some reason it came around at the perfect time that I was actually looking into something that wasn’t just business orientated course, it was something to do with me as a person and improving me and like I said, putting myself back into society and being around people.

5:50 So, the idea of the health, the fitness, the mindset, the goals was huge as well. I think I’ve taken on a lot of information as an information junkie, but never, as you said, pulled the trigger. So I wanted that to be something that I was really held accountable for. Okay. First impressions of the course. You know, you get module 1, you’re in a Facebook group. First call, what are you thinking?

6:10 Yeah, massive, huge resistance, massive resistance. Just, you know, I remember doing the first couple of videos where I was posting myself online. For myself personally, I’ve not had a Facebook account for like 8/9 years, deactivated it. I don’t wanna, I don’t want people to know my business. You know, what I’m up to, what I’m having for breakfast, I’m not into that. So the idea of posting videos of myself online, baring my soul or whatever, it wasn’t, it wasn’t for me.

6:41 I mean, I’m happy teaching in front of 50/60 people, 100 students, whatever, but putting myself out there as a person, as a human being. I think to a degree I’m a very good actor. So when I’m teaching it’s not Alex the person, it’s Alex the teacher. So, having Alex the person, showing that vulnerability, scared the s*** out of me. So, you know, it was very foreign to me.

7:07 And the calls, and the, I love the energy you put out there in the first video and to see that the kind of like-minded support group of people in there. What 55 people, you know, I could see the energy, I could see the light, you know the spark in people’s eyes. Like wow this is gonna be a big year this 2017. So yeah, I think the first module was great in terms of, but it meant I didn’t need to show too much of myself, module 1.

7:37 Low Media Diet, gratitude, meditation, were great things, it was easy for me. It was the other modules that were a bit more, I showed more resistance to. When did you have your big, kind of aha moment. Where you’re like, okay, I’m stringing some successes here and I feel like I’m having some success. Yeah, well I think it was module 2, and that was the big resistance one for me because I’d had goals and affirmations and things like that in the past and it dwindled off. There was no accountability.

8:04 So, after a few weeks I’d forget I’d even set goals. So, there, one of the big ones was a financial goal and affirmation and it, it’s everyday I would go I’d get out onto the field, take my dogs for a walk, shout my affirmations out loud while the dogs are doing their business, or whatever. And so, saying these affirmations, and the financial one I kept saying every morning, along with the other 4.

8:21 But, very, very randomly, a couple weeks ago, the company, that probably provides 70% of our revenue, gave me a call and said, “Oh, by the way Alex, I’ve got some really good news for you. We’re gonna double the number of students you’ve currently got. So we’re gonna be providing these students for you and it’s gonna be starting beginning of April.” I was like holy cow!

8:42 You know, is this fate rearing its beautiful head, where, you know, these affirmations are starting to come true. I don’t, I mean, I don’t know how to attribute the fact that they just doubled their order, but it’s gotta have some kind of impact, saying those affirmations each and every day. So that was a big win for me.

9:04 That’s big. It’s, see, though, it’s not just you though. It’s like, I saw … last night, and he’s like, “Brian, I just did a big deal.” And he’s like, “You know, when I got into the course I was all fired up. I saw this excitement and I was like, you know what?” I think he was gonna quit his business. And then, now he’s selling his business. It seems like to like a big company. And he’s like, “I started firing these emails in and then bah bah bah bah bah.”

9:22 So you know, there’s, and I haven’t heard anyone, of telling me this story, of like losing their businesses since they’ve been on the programme. So, I don’t know what it is, about those. But I think it just gets you in the position to be able to receive all this energy that’s trying to come your way. So, it doesn’t surprise me when you say that.

9:44 No, I think there’s quite a few people who’ve got businesses on this course as well. So, you get into conversations with different people. Even this weekend about their businesses. And, you know, I mean that’s my one saving grace. Apart from, you know, other, kind of mistakes I’ve made and whatnot in the past. I never give up. Anything I do, I serve it out to the bitter end.

10:05 Even if it, you know makes me sacrifice certain things or, you know, feeling happy about certain things. I never gave up on anything. I think that’s been my one, my one thing that I’ve, you know, has served me really well. What’d you struggle with, in this course? Relationships. Yeah, I mean it’s a common one. I’m sure most people say that. It’s, I mean, being from the north of England, or being from the northwest or whatever.

10:30 You know, I mean let’s just say that any kind of, any men from any kind of, you know. This like whole macho attitude of, you know, to show vulnerability is, you know, is a weakness. And now I’m just, you know, I mean I remember on the first call you said, “You’ve got to, if you want to get some value out of this.” And I’m all about, if you spend, you know, the money we’ve spent on this course. You wanna, I wanna be getting 5/10x on anything I do.

10:54 Especially, you know, I think, yeah if I’m paying for something I wanna get some massive value out of it. So, having that as, in the forefront is, you know, has been really important. Okay, so, you went after that relationship module. Yeah, yeah. I think, the purging I’ve done. I’ve done a lot of that previously.

11:13 But, for me to actually assess those relationships, and, I would say, about the vulnerability is, to ring friends up and tell them how much I love them and I was like putting off for 2 or 3 days. The guy who actually came with me yesterday, he was the guy that I spoke to on the phone. I said, “I know.” ‘Cause I could, he lives in London I’m in Manchester.

11:36 I couldn’t say it face to face, I said, “You know, I know right now that you’ve got your left fist clenched in a real like I’m cringing…” right, and he just burst out laughing basically. But you know, he was blown away by it and I felt this kind of huge release because, I think especially with guys you know, when they’re drunk and they, “Oh, I love you,” you know, “mate”. And you know, the best of friends, but would you ever say those kinds of things sober? Maybe not you know.

12:01 So, to actually go into reasons why you, you know you love that friend or you love that family member, you know was really big. I think that the release of telling those things as well gives you that mental peace of, ya know, that mental clarity. That peace of mind. And even some of the things that have happened to me in the past, even like, I think this course for example.

12:21 Literally a week before we started this course, I’d been away from my family for a while, and I sat down with them in the living room, and told them lots of things that they never knew about me. And, I just felt this, now they know these things and I’m not this successful business guy that they look at. I’ve got frailties, I’ve got vulnerabilities. So yeah, it’s been really important for me.

12:37 Even my, you know, another relationship I’ve got. A family member. I felt there was a drift, you know, we were drifting apart. Something you said about your daughter. I’ll say it’s my little brother, he’s 14. We’d been close since he was a child so I feel I’m his father even though I’m just his older brother. I felt like we were drifting apart, that just because he’s going through that development and, you know, he’s all about his friends and whatnot.

13:01 So I had a conversation with him in the car. After I took to, had taken him to his football match. And you know, I was like, saying you know, I’m always here for you. And you know, we should do lots of things together, so give me a list of things you wanna do with me and we’ll do it. So that was really good too.

13:20 Very nice. Very nice. What’s the big, one lesson you’ve taken away from this Accelerator, that maybe someone watching or listening could learn from? And maybe incorporate into their own lives. Pulling the trigger. Pulling the trigger’s huge. Taking action. I mean, the Low Media thing, of you know. When you start to assess how much you’re actually consuming on a daily basis.

13:42 WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, you know, going, I mean YouTube’s clever the way it, you know it, once you’ve watched 1 video that you deliberately wanted to watch. And then it goes onto the next one. You know it is very clever, the system but, the Low Media thing of keeping that to a minimum, and actually doing things where you to take action. You know I think that’s huge. Biggest part of this course is the accountability.

14:05 So, if anyone who’s watching, don’t be that person who watches 100’s of hours of YouTube, the London Real YouTube videos, actually take action and do something about it. You know, because the value that you get, and I always think if you pay for something, what is the value at the end of it, you know. And I think from all these video interviews, every single person on this course, from speaking to them this weekend, has taken huge amounts of value from this.

14:31 So, don’t be that person who looks at the price tag and, you know the price tag and think oh it’s a rip off. Think about what are you gonna be getting from this course. And every time I didn’t want to do some of the modules and stuff I would think. I’ve paid this money, I’ve paid this money. Get this done Alex, you know? And see it out to the end.

14:50 Even if it causes you pain. ‘Cause it has been. There has been some pain on this course. I start to think, oh, I’m being left behind. I’m seeing other people and they, the dreaded accountability doc. You seen red spaces next to your name, and you’re seeing someone else is like green the whole way, and you’re like. S***. Keep on tracking, keep getting it done.

15:12 New Year’s Eve, I think we’re gonna have a call with everybody. And everyone’s talking about who they wanna be on that day. Who is Alex going to be? I think Alex is someone who, based on my affirmations right now, is going, I’m, public speaking is huge for me this year. And I’ve already been doing, I’ve done like 4 this year, and I’ve got a target of 10 to do by the end of March.

15:32 I’m gonna be 30 years old at the end of March, so I want to be someone who is memorable when they’re speaking, people don’t forget my speeches. I stand tall, proud, and confident that. As that forms the basis of my affirmations. Someone who feels he deserves to know the success that I’m getting in my business. I so feel like I don’t deserve it.

15:56 Even though I’ve put in the graft, you know, the fear of success. I wanna be that person by, I’m going to be that person by December. Who appreciates everything he’s got. I feel a steep sense of gratitude for everything. But, I feel like I deserve everything I’ve got. And give back, I’m gonna be giving back to people more and more.

16:14 On the side of this as well, I’m going to be starting to mentor young entrepreneurs. I even met a guy last night, you remember the 19 year old who’d quit his university course literally yesterday. Those kinds of people I wanna help to the next level. Because if university’s not for you, then get out of it. And if you wanna start a business, those are the kinds of people I wanna be helping.

16:41 So, by December, I wanna have, I wanna be mentoring at least 5 people on that journey. And make sure they don’t follow the same mistakes I made. Good. Good. If we walked out on the street, and bumped into the Alex that didn’t take this course, what’s that guy like? When we’re talking to him, when we meet him. What’s he like?

17:03 Not sure of himself. Has anxiety. He’s cooped away in his business. He’s not seeing people as much as he should do. He’s low on confidence. He’s procrastinating on things, he’s not getting things done. There’s quite a long list there. It is, it is. It’s quite a transformation.

17:24 To someone watching this right now, who’s kind of on the fence. They’re like, I don’t know, you know. But it’s a big investment. I don’t know if this course is for me. What do you tell them? I say to them, to don’t be that person who, a few years later, is like, damn, I should have done that. Especially when you’re seeing these kinds of videos.

17:45 Like, so for example the course came up in January 2017 and you’re like yeah I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna do it. I’m seeing those emails, I’ve been on those webinars, yeah I’m gonna do it. And then, the worst thing is, a year later you go on YouTube and you see ABC person is done a testimonial from the course you should have done. That’s probably the worst thing. Is that, that person, you could have been that person but you seen someone else live it. And you thought, well, that wasn’t me.

18:13 Yeah, they say what hell is, meeting the person you could have been. I had this guy on the … stop in like a year ago and he was like, “Oh, Business Accelerator!” And I was like yeah, we’ve got a class coming up. And he’s like, “Oh yeah, I don’t think I can afford it, but I’m working on my business.” And I see him now, like a year later. And it’s just like, how’s that business?

18:31 He’s like, “Oh, it never went anywhere.” And I’m just like, all right, it’s cool man. It may not be for you but, again like you said. When you invest in something, you make sure you get it done. And so that’s why we love people in this course, because when you invest, I know you’re gonna give me, you’re gonna meet me halfway. And that’s a big, big, reason.

18:47 I think it’s, so people, when they’re looking at something, you think about time and you think about money. And too many people are watching these kinds of things and these “high investment” kinds of courses, and they’re all about the money. Oh, I don’t want to waste this money. This is a scam, that’s a scam. You know, they might read 1 bad review about a course and think, oh, I’m not gonna do this.

19:09 But, one of my idols, Richard Ashcroft, he’s a musician from the Verve. He says time is everything. Time is everything. You do not get that back. And I don’t want to, you know, think. Get to 40 years old and think, well I had all this, you know, I’ve got all this money in the bank, we’re all great. I actually notice, from this business, from my starting a business to now. I’m not necessarily any happier.

19:29 I’m not like, done this from this transformation of where, you know, a really sad person said, wow I’m immensely happy. And I’m still on the process and it’d be fool for someone to watch this and think, at the end of 6 weeks you’re gonna be this 100%. There’s a couple people maybe, but, I’m not 100%, you know, the person I want to be right now.

19:49 It’s still a journey. That’s why, as part of the course you say December 2017 is the time when you can see a big transformation. In 6 weeks you can see a big change. I have experienced a big change, but, not 100% where I wanna be. So yeah, time is everything. You don’t get that back. You can lose money along the way, but you can make money back. So that’s what would be my message to people. Time, you don’t get that back.

20:14 Yeah, I like Richard Ashcroft, that’s good man. Alex, thanks so much for being on this course. Your energy’s enthusiastic, you were great last night, to be there. And I look forward to seeing everything you accomplish this year, and New Year’s is gonna be awesome. And thank you very much to you and your team as well. You know, I would and the last thing I would say is.

20:31 You know, it’s not a case of you’re taking the money from people and then right, see ya later. You’re constantly adding value, you and your team, constantly adding value. Anytime I had a question, sent you an email, you immediately reply. So it’s definitely, you know your hand is held throughout the whole thing and I’ve been on courses before, where they take your money, see ya later. Buh-bye. But, it’s not really like this with this course. Thank you man. All right man. I appreciate it. Good luck.