Marissa Ingram

Full transcript: Marissa Ingram on London Real

1:10 This is London Real, I am Brian Rose. My guest today is Marissa Ingram, recent graduate of our Business Accelerator. Welcome. Thank you. Tell us about you. Where are you from, what do you do? Well, I live in Hawaii, and what I made my business on is helping teenagers understand and let go of their resentment towards their step-parents. Okay.

1:35 I know that I had a lot of resentment towards my step-dad when he came into my life, and it just took away so much of my happiness, and I was just done with it. So I figured out what was going on with me and why I was feeling that way. I understood it and I realised I can help people with it, with their resentment towards their step-parents if they have any, of course.

2:03 Wow, that’s really fascinating, ’cause I had a step-mother and I’m also a step-dad, and so, you know, it’s weird when you’re a kid and all of a sudden you have a new male figure or female figure in your life. And they can explain it to you all they want. Yeah. But you have an emotional reaction to it, right? Yeah. And so that’s kind of your niche, your intellectual property if you will. And why the Business Accelerator? What made you come and see us and choose us?

2:33 So, I did attend the graduation for my mom when she went to, or when she did the Business Accelerator. Right, so she graduated our Business Accelerator and she was here last year? Yes. Right, okay. And so I was like, I was so inspired by everybody’s story. Like, I was here just as my mom’s daughter, and I talked to so many people, and it was just amazing seeing all of their passions being brought to life and being made into a business where they’re making profits.

3:08 They don’t have to be working in a situation that they’re unhappy with, and so I thought it was super inspiring, and yeah. And that’s why you wanted to do it. Absolutely. And, just for the record, how old are you? I’m 14. 14, and so you’re now already thinking ahead and saying, okay, I don’t wanna work in a job I don’t like. I’d love to be able to do my passion for my business. Yeah. Okay. Well, I have a 14-year-old daughter, and so I hope she’s watching and gets inspired by you.

3:39 Alright, so you’ve been here before, and it’s funny because when your mom was here she was with your step-dad and he proposed to her… Oh yeah. While they were at the graduation dinner, which you’ll be at tonight. Yes. That’s a very interesting story, right? I started crying. It was very emotional. I started crying. It was our first London Real marriage. Oh yeah. Officially.

4:00 So you kind of know the ethos of the programme, but you decided to join. What was it like being in it yourself, going through those first two modules and being actually in the community where you’re not watching your mom do it, you’re in it yourself, and look, these people are older than you. We had someone in my group named Bob Hand who’s 85. There’s people in their 30s, and 40s, and 50s, and 20s. What was it like?

4:23 Well, I think it was like, it was incredibly different than I expected it to be. Especially because I feel like when my mom was doing it, the entire class was very joined together and community-like. But this time, it was like everybody was staying in their own teams, and, you know, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it was different, you know.

4:47 I wasn’t quite expecting that, and I realised every time that I join anything where there’s going to be a bunch of people and I make family, like a new family, I underestimate how awesome it’s going to feel. And it felt so awesome, it was so much fun. And I’m guessing your normal peer group are your age? Oh yeah. And what’s it like when you have team members that are different ages? What did they think of you?

5:15 Well, I’m actually not quite sure what they thought of me, but I hope it was good things. It is different having people that are older than me on my team and, like, helping me go through things, and I feel like they might be thinking, oh, you’re too young, you’ll drop out eventually. And I think that really stayed with me. That thought process to push me through it and be like, no, I’m gonna prove you wrong.

5:43 Even though so many people have told me that, like, I’ve inspired them and it’s amazing what I’m doing. So I know they weren’t actually thinking that, but I feel like the back of my head was telling me those negative thoughts, and that was actually pushing me. Probably not the best way to be pushed to success, but it worked, so I’m here now, you know. It takes both energies, you know. It’s like inspiration and desperation. The carrot and the stick.

6:10 So sometimes it means you gotta think, what will that person think if I quit? And then what will that person think if I win? So. Oh yeah. Whatever it takes. What was the biggest struggle of the course? The hardest thing you found to do? So when I was, I’m sorry, let me rephrase this.

6:32 When I was here last time for the Business Accelerator, when my mom was graduating, I was so inspired, and I think after that I was thinking in the back of my head, like, oh, it’d be cool if I joined. Like, you know, but I’m too young for that. Like, I can’t do that, you know. Nobody will take me seriously, like, I won’t sell anything, and so I had this really bad thought process.

7:01 Then my mom asked me if I wanted to join because she was a team leader, and I was like, you know what, yes, I would love to join. I thought it was super awesome what you were doing here, and I was so inspired, and I just really loved it, and I wanted to experience that for myself. And so I took a chance and I did it. As soon as I said yes, all of those thoughts had gone away. Just like that.

7:27 What was it like when it was time for the webinar week and you have to put yourself out there live and do all that stuff? What kind of emotions came up? Well, I was incredibly nervous, but when I finally did it, it was like a breeze. I didn’t feel like I was overwhelmed as much as I thought I was. I did my first webinar, I wasn’t prepared quite as much as I could have been.

7:54 But you know, it’s always a learning process, and you’re growing every day, or every time that you do a webinar. I just had to get it done before we came here. And I was like, okay, I’m gonna do a webinar in an hour. So I sent out the invitations. Two people made it; it was also night here. So, you know, most of the people that were here in London, they couldn’t come see it because they were sleeping. Right.

8:20 And so… ‘Cause you live in Hawaii, so it’s a crazy time zone difference. Exactly, and so two people made it, and I sent my replay to a few other people, and I have a few leads. I’m going to be doing another one soon, so that will definitely boost me up, I think. Right, and you’re speaking about something you’re really passionate about, and you know what it’s like, so.

8:43 I think when people connect with you and your message, they’re gonna be really interested in your perspective. Because no one ever asks the step-kids what’s going on. It’s always older people talking about it from their perspective. I’m really glad you went into this micro-niche, because a lot of people choose things that are less emotional. So I think you have something here for sure.

9:04 Next 12 months, like, what do you want to do with this? Like, where do you want this to grow? So 12 months from now, I definitely want to have had a bunch of sales on my low-cost product. I want to have developed my premium product and maybe more than that. And I want to start another course for parents to understand their teenagers and what they’re going through when they’re in these situations. So I’ll have that launched, definitely. And I’ll be making bank, it’ll be great. Makin’ bank, I love it.

9:41 And I love that course for parents because it’s so hard. Let’s take an example. Like, your step-father, like, I come in to a situation, right. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know how to communicate with a young girl that I’ve never met. I could try, but we have completely two different emotional reactions of what’s happening. It’d be great to know simple things like, don’t do this, even though it seems obvious that’s what you should do. Yeah. So I think this is really good knowledge as far as what’s happening.

10:10 What do your friends say about what you’re doing? So before I started the course I wasn’t really on Facebook at all. But I did follow a lot of my friends on Facebook. So I just, all of a sudden, randomly started posting these videos about business. I had, like, tonnes of people come up to me and they’re like, “So I saw this video of you, like this vlog of you talking about business? But what are you doing?” As if I shouldn’t be doing that.

10:39 So I explained it to them and they’re like, that’s actually so cool. And it was just, like, so heartwarming for me, because at first people, they don’t think that you can actually achieve more of a successful relationship with a business, especially at my age and all of my friends. But once they figure out what I’m doing and they realise I have actually gotten somewhere with it, they’re like, that’s actually so cool.

11:14 And they find out the reasons that I’m doing it for, you know. Like, I just think it was incredibly powerful when my friends reacted at the end point to it, because I wasn’t expecting them to react like that. Right. You know, people talk a lot about the millennials, right? You probably hear it all the time and you’re like, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I mean, I don’t think what’s mostly said is true.

11:38 I mean, like you said, you show people your age that, look, this is my independence. This is my future, this is an alternative that’s different to what my parents did, which was to go to high school and go to college and here and blah, blah, blah. What don’t we understand about your generation? Like, what kind of assumptions are we making that aren’t true?

11:57 So, okay, so most people say teenagers now are, like, always on their phone. And that one’s true. Okay. That one’s definitely true. But I feel like people do over-exaggerate how much we might be on our phones. They are surprised when they hear we’re only on our phones for like an hour a day, or an hour to two hours a day. And, I mean, there are some that are on their phone, like, always.

12:31 But I feel like it’s maybe not other places, but definitely at my school, we like to have experiences and we like to talk to each other. And we will be on our phones sometimes, but it’s not as extreme as people may think. And maybe we as teenagers are thinking that adults always see us as, like, on our phones and on our phones, and so we’re obviously defensive about it. We’re not, I’m not always on my phone. Like, I don’t know what you’re talking about.

13:04 You know, we are on our phones all the time, but probably not as much as some adults might think. Probably the same as the adults that are pointing the finger at you. Like, I’ve seen some adults that are just like the pot callin’ the kettle black when it comes to that. And look, I think we’ve seen a lot of things recently with movements, and the movements about guns and stuff in America, where it’s like the teenagers are the ones that are shocking everyone else.

13:29 They’re taking action, they have intelligent viewpoints. I mean, you’re a great example. You’re, like, pulling the trigger on something that, you know, I just had someone in here who’s 60 years old and he’s finally learning these business techniques and they’re changing his life. Yeah. I mean, you’re investing in yourself at 14, you know? I wouldn’t have done that, so that’s powerful. Thank you. That’s very powerful.

13:48 Talk to me about you and your own, like, personal development in these eight weeks. If we walked on the street and found the Marissa that didn’t take this course, like, how is she different than you? So, I think definitely, when I was taking… Or before I was taking this course, I always had this mentality that, like, oh, I’m not good enough to do my schoolwork, which is something that I struggle with a lot. I’m like, okay, so I have homework, but I don’t wanna do it because I deserve bad grades.

14:22 And I don’t really know where that was coming from. But ever since I started doing London Real, it was more I was struggling, but I’ve been getting the best grades that I’ve gotten all year, which is really confusing, but I think it definitely has something to do with the fact that me, sitting here, in this chair was my goal at the beginning of this Accelerator, and I made it.

14:50 And I know now, and I’ve known for, like, the last few weeks, that I am successful and I can be successful and I’m not, not good enough. And so I think that definitely impacted everything that I was feeling about myself. I started being more confident, definitely. I go around school and people, like, know, oh yeah, that’s the 14-year-old that owns a business.

15:18 You know, “It’s not gonna be successful, but, like, she does,” but, you know, I feel like, even though I know kids my age would say something like that, because they totally would. I know that I find my experience creating this business as something extraordinary. And so if I were to meet myself, how many years from now did you say?

15:46 Oh, so this was the one that didn’t take this course, and I was just wondering, yeah, you kind of described what she was like. It’s just interesting how you say that before, you’re like saying, “I’m not good enough to get those grades.” But adults do that all the time too. I’m not good enough to start a business and I’m not good enough to do that.

16:04 So it’s not unique to you at all, and these other girls and boys at school, they’re calling you the business woman. That’s pretty cool, right? Yeah. ‘Cause they’re seein’ it in you, and I’ll honestly say, you seem different than in November when you came with your mom. Oh yeah, I definitely am. You’re more talkative, more confident. You’re makin’ eye contact, and you’re the business woman and takin’ care of business as well, so look, it’s amazing what you’ve done here.

16:29 Thank you. You graduated and you’re in the chair. You know, not many people can get in the chair. You’re the youngest person I’ve ever had in the chair, except for my son Caden, and he didn’t say much. He just sat there and we took a picture. So congratulations on that. Thank you. And look, I think all this stuff builds self-esteem.

16:47 This is an empowering moment for you, and I love the fact that it’s affecting your grades, and it should be everything else in your life. I mean, you’ve just done things in eight weeks that most people can’t do that are 54, 64, 74, let alone 14, so you’ve got some amazing tools here. But it’s not done, so for 12 months we’re gonna be watchin’ you. You’ve got the calls, more webinars please. More sales. Absolutely.

17:12 You’ve got a great product here. Thank you. And you literally are living your brand. You were at the Master Class last night and you pretty much embody this. Really lookin’ forward to what you’re gonna do. Thank you. If there’s any 14-year-olds listening out there that are thinking about starting a business, what would you say to them? Whether they want to do it or wait, or what’s your advice?

17:34 Bug your parents to pay for this course if you can’t on your own, because it is gold. It is absolutely wonderful. It didn’t just impact me having a business, it also impacted my outside life, like I was saying, my grades and everything. It’s an incredible experience. I really love what you do here, and it empowered me so much, and everybody.

17:59 Being able to fulfil their passions in a businesslike manner is wonderful, and I just, I really love it. So join this course if you can, do it. It’s been awesome having you here. Thank you. Welcome to the family, but I should say, welcome the family to the family, because your mom Mary Alexandra is a team leader now in the course. Yeah. Your step-father has been in the chair as well.

18:25 So it’s a weird family, because all of you have been on London Real. Oh yeah, this chair runs in our family now. That’s a pretty cool family. I know you guys sell coffee and your mom brought me some coffee, so look. It’s great having you guys, the energy, and everything this weekend. Thank you so much for going all in and for doing the work. Thank you.

18:41 You know, you really did it, and so I’m gonna be watching you and seeing what this does to human beings, ’cause we’ve never had anyone your age. So as we say, it’s about the journey. Let’s do some big things in 12 months, okay? Okay. Alright, thank you. Thank you.