Grant Cardone review

I started reading The 10x Rule by Grant Cardone when my brother and I were driving to Seaside, Oregon.

“I love my brother too much”, I thought, before purchasing it on the Audible app.

And for the next 8 or 9 hours, Grant Cardone preached. If you’re here to see if you should buy the book, hop over to Amazon and shove it in your cart. Great read, nobody exempt.

Sure, Grant goes off into ‘sales conference mode’ a few times, but I dig the hunger. Dude is pushing 60 but sounds like he’s dropping his first mixtape, something you’d expect from a guy who teaches success as a moral obligation.

I had alotta takeaways from the book…here are my top 3:

Woah.

Let your neurotransmitters hit your thinker with that, cause the difference between those two levels has nothing to do with effort.

Zero.

Both of them will require an abundance of action, no doubt. But effort will be the same.

Only difference? Your mind.

Training your mind to beast out 10x thoughts. Going for those numbers that give normal people anxiety or heart problems.

After this stuck, I looked at my businesses and immediately recalled ways I was using my time to do 1x production. Those activities have now been eliminated or outsourced.

Now, here’s my new mental litmus test before starting any activity:

“Is what I am doing right now thinking on a 10x * current income/mo level?”

If it isn’t, it’s not worth my time.

“Chill, bro”, you’re thinking.

That’s the whole point of the book. Adjust your mind. I’m not sure if Grant purposely wanted everyone to literally make 10x the new target, but why not? If you fall short, at least you weren’t holding yourself back. Manipulate your mind to only serve you 10x thoughts.

So, quick exercise:

1. write down your current monthly goal
2. 10x that goal
3. write the new goal

Might feel kinda weird at first, but you’ll get used to it. Remember, you’re used to seeking vocational validation talking to your peers, teachers, parents, college professors and probably your best friends.

The mean of these salaries? Let’s be honest, $70,000 tops, right?

Of course our minds will gravitate towards that number. It’s the norm. It’s accepted. Just as its the norm to burn through 20 hours of Netflix a week. Doesn’t mean you need to do the same for acceptance, that would be stupid, right? Then why share the same targets with the mainstream? We’ve all been guilty. So, be honest with yourself. Get that 10x goal out there. Put it where you can see it, and start thinking on those levels.

If you’re involved in a business that can’t be scaled, why not?

Remember, whether it’s $1,000/mo or $10,000/mo, or $10,000/mo or $100,000/mo, your targets will require comparable amounts of action.

So, trick 10x your mind.

Reaching subpar targets causes more unhappiness than not reaching 10x targets.

I see what Cardone was doing here.

He wanted to paint the picture that going 10x is a win-win, regardless.

Why? Cause you’ll be happier not reaching your 10x goals than reaching your subpar targets. And it makes perfect sense. Think about it, when was the last time you felt happy for reaching a subpar goal?

Targets are set too low.

Many reasons why people get burnt out in the first place. There’s no excitement in the process. You know these kinds of people. They’re the human version of off-brand soda.

Where’s the legacy? 10x targets don’t allow boredom, there’s too much excitement in the process. Ask yourself, “are my targets really a used Honda Civic with power windows?”

And remember, later in your life you’ll more than likely realize you were capable of doing bigger things.

So make the change now.

Embrace fear, but remove time from fear.

We’ve always been schooled that fear is an emotion that should be avoided.

Grant begs to differ.

“If you’re not fearing something, you’re not getting uncomfortable enough”, he says.

It’s an interesting thought, and you don’t have to agree 100% for it to help your life. We can learn to embrace fear as a positive feeling when we’re living 10x. That’s the only time it can be twisted that way. Otherwise, the fear is unfounded.

The real nugget, IMO, is this:

We can use fear to catapult action, by removing time from fear.

In other words, whenever we fear something, attack it before time allows the fear to grow.

Not qualified for that video appearance on national TV? Say yes, then figure it out later.

Getting nervous before calling a CEO? Call her before you develop self-limiting thoughts.

Remove time from fear.

Like a fire, fear grows with time and is resolved through quick action. It forces people to treat fear with a “come at me, bro” mindset so it’s dealt with quickly. And if we’re living 10x, fear is embraced as a sign that we’re staying 10x.

Just keep oxidating your fears into higher opportunities, and continue creating new fears.

Products

Grant’s has a seemingly endless catalog of products. Here are some of his best.

Cardone University

Grant’s flagship Cardone University product isn’t just one course or book. He’s actually got an entire online “university” with around 16 core courses. Each course has several video lessons, and most of them offer a certificate of completion at the end. You can buy each course individually, but signing up for a monthly subscription gives you access to all courses but Selling 101 and Grant Cardone Live Events for much less. Subscribers get a 14-day free trial before paying, and if you complete every course at a reasonable pace, you’ll get a lot more for your money.

Grant’s also brought in top entrepreneurs and sales professionals like Shark Tank’s Daymond John to create “industry expert courses” that can be bought on an individual basis.

The subscription also includes:

• Access to a Connect community
• Exclusive live streams with Grant
• Q&A sessions with Grant
• Live weekly training sessions
• Access to future content
• Membership pricing on events and products

Some courses have a different name in the subscription program than they do when bought separately (as you’ll see below). Cardone University has courses that cover:

• Selling 101 – A simple introduction to selling. 18 lessons total. Not included in the subscription program.
• Selling Basics/Sales Fundamentals – A more in-depth look at the fundamentals of selling than Selling 101. Mindset training is also included. 38 lessons total in the subscription program, some of those being from Selling 101, otherwise it has 28 lessons when bought individually.
• Understanding The Buyer/Understanding Buyer Psychology – Leveraging human psychology in selling. Basic psychology principles and tactics for ethically using them to your advantage are shared. 29 lessons total.
• The Sales Process/The Perfect Sales System – This course walks you through the entire sales process from greeting to close. Training on objections, fact-finding, presentation, and even attitude are included. You work with a training facilitator to design a sales system that works for you/your business too. 73 lessons total.
• Theory of Closing/Mastering the Close – The art and science of closing. You start with the theory behind deal closing to gain a better understanding of how closing works. Then, you learn basic and advanced closing tactics, as well as reasons many closers fail. 42 lessons total.
• Closing Strategies/Advanced Closing and Negotiation Strategies – Every single lesson explores a different type of close. Closes are separated into several sets of Money Closes, Time Closes, Stall Closes, Product Closes, Advanced Closes, and Classic Closes. 106 lessons total.
• Incoming Calls/Incoming Call Mastery – Learn how to close clients over inbound phone calls. Structure and format of phone calls are introduced. Then, you learn how to nail each part of the call to increase appointments/close deals.  22 lessons total.
• Prospecting/Professional Prospecting Strategies – The difficult skill of prospecting is covered in-depth. You start with prospecting basics and tips, then move on to prospect list creation and some lessons on warm calling. 30 lessons total.
• Follow-Up/Advanced Follow-Up Strategies – Teaches you how to successfully follow up with leads to secure more deals. Tons of tips, mistakes to avoid, follow-up methods, strategies, and tools are covered. There’s even a 365-day follow-up schedule included. 106 lessons total.
• Perfecting Customer Retention and Conversion –  23 lessons total. It doesn’t appear available for individual purchases, only in the subscription program.
• 100 Ways To Stay Motivated – A collection of 100 tips for staying motivated as you move towards your goals. Categories include Potential, Personal Development, Self Esteem, Staying Energized, Purpose, Magnetism, Goals, 10x, Follow Through, and Time Management. 101 lessons total.
• Top Traits of Great Salespeople/64 Traits of Great Entrepreneurs – A series of traits the greatest entrepreneurs and salespeople tend to share. Examples of traits include over-promising and over-delivering, networking/relationship-building, never being satisfied, a focus on results rather than effort, and more. 65 lessons total.
• Internet Lead Response/Internet Lead Response Strategies – Introduces tactics, strategies, and other information about online leads. Several mistakes to avoid are also covered. 23 lessons total.
• Personal Finance/Personal Finance and Wealth Creation – Personal finance tips, tricks, wisdom, rules of thumb, etc.  There’s also a section full of “middle class” money mistakes to avoid. 23 lessons total.
• Handling Objections – Massive course covering objections all along the sales process. Many objections have multiple handling methods, and closes are also covered. 322 lessons total. Not included in the subscription program.
• Grant Cardone Live Events – A series of recordings of Grant’s live talks and seminars. 58 lessons total. Not included in the subscription program.
• Cold-Calling/Mastering the Cold Call – Teaches you everything you need to successfully close over cold phone calls. Preparation, the cold call process, call types, objections, scripts, and advanced tips are all covered. 59 lessons total.

Industry Expert courses all give you 1 year of access. Courses include

• Daymond John’s Daymond On Demand – The Shark’s success formula for starting and growing your business. Everything from branding to target market identification to raising capital are covered.
• Victor Antonio’s Sales Mastery Academy – Victor Antonio, a former President of Global Sales and Marketing for a multi-hundred million dollar company gives lessons on all parts of the sales process as well as several selling types.
• David Jensen’s Hiring Academy – Learn how to make hiring decisions. You learn hiring fundamentals, interview prep essentials, interviewing candidates, the post-interview process, a bonus ebook, and a bonus webinar.
• Dr. Tony Alessandra’s Personality Assessment Academy – Learn to read personalities and leverage your own in sales conversations. First, your personality is assessed. You then learn what it means for you, and how to use it to sell more.
• Jamie Shanks’s Social Selling – Learn how to build a pipeline, find leads, and convert them into customers using online platforms. Move your sales process to the digital realm in only 6 weeks.
• Dave Anderson’s Leadership Academy – Contains two, 40-day bootcamps (one for leadership and one for sales), video clips, and Q&A sessions covering almost every important leadership topic.
• Micheal Burt’s Monster Producer Academy – Sales course with a focus on building systems and processes to maximize your returns for minimal time investment. Micheal’s goal is to get your earnings $250,000/year in personal income.
• Hank Norman’s Star Power Academy – Hank shows you his proven process for getting your business into the spotlight to stir up a buzz, sort of like an influencer. By doing so, you’ll have huge exposure and thus more sales.

Playbook Video Program

The Playbook Video Program is a large downloadable ebook that basically outlines the path to success and prosperity in business.

The Playbook Video Program has a lot to it, both in main content and bonuses:

1. Downloadable “Grant Cardone’s Playbook” ebook – The main content. All the strategies you need to go from getting by to prosperity and even wealth, according to Grant. 420+ pages long.
2. Wealth Creation Formula – Grant walks you through the 9 steps he took to go from entry-level salary to owning several companies that pull in hundreds of millions a year. This is also sold as a standalone course. Contains over 2 hours of video lessons.
3. Creating Your Millionaire Mindset – Contains over 2 hours of video lessons, mp3 recordings, and an ebook.
4. Personal Finances and Money Mistakes – Several video lessons on how to manage your money and what not to do to maximize your financial success. A Cardone University course.
5. How To Succeed In Business – More lessons on how to succeed as an entrepreneur. Contains over 3 hours of video lessons, mp3 recordings, and an ebook.
6. Top Sales Secrets – More lessons on how to succeed in sales. Contains over 3 hours of video lessons, mp3 recordings, and an ebook.
7. Secrets To Closing The Sale – A video course that focuses on methods of closing the sale and tactics to improve your closes. Contains over 4 hours of video lessons, mp3 recordings, and an ebook.
8. Follow-Up – The Greatest Business Secrets – Teaches the importance of follow-up and shows you several proven follow-up methods for almost any situation. Contains over 4 hours of video lessons, mp3 recordings, and an ebook.
9. 10x Super Life – A lot of mindset training centered around creating what Grant calls a “10x Super Life”, or in other words, the life you’ve always wanted (at least when it comes to money). Contains over 4 hours of video lessons, mp3 recordings, and an ebook.
10. 100 Ways To Stay Motivated – 100 tips for staying motivated while you move towards your goals. Categories include Potential, Personal Development, Self Esteem, Staying Energized, Purpose, Magnetism, Goals, 10x, Follow Through, and Time Management. A Cardone University course.

How To Create Multiple Streams Of Income

How To Create Multiple Streams Of Income is a webinar recording where Grant shows you how to 10x your income by building multiple income streams. You start by assessing your financial situation and learning why you don’t have the income you need, then he walks you through a plan towards creating more income using various tools and tactics.

Exercises accompany the lessons and tips throughout the course for you to practice.

Marketing And Branding With Grant Cardone And Frank Kern

This one’s a recorded webinar hosted by Grant Cardone and internet marketer Frank Kern that teaches entrepreneurs how to build a large, global brand using social media.

Frank starts the webinar by interviewing Grant for about an hour. Grant shares his sales and closing wisdom. Frank then takes over a bit more by talking about intent-based branding, which is basically building your brand while at the same time selling stuff.

Grant and Frank threw in a few bonuses:

1. Client Acquisition System

This bonus teaches you how to set up a reliable client acquisition system based on your income and lifestyle goals. Using those goals, you reverse engineer your ideal number of clients and the rates you’ll charge them.

2. Info Business Blueprint

How to build an info product business. You learn how to choose a product based on your market, validate that product, outline its content, then publish it fast so your info product starts making your money asap.

3. Mass Conversion

A lead magnet guide that demonstrates how to pick the ideal type of lead magnet based on your market and then how to create your lead magnet fast. Mass Conversion also covers marketing automation, upselling, and cross-selling.

Introduction To Buying Apartments

Introduction To Buying Apartments is Grant’s real estate course. It introduces you to the real estate business and all types of real estate, but then gets into apartment investing and how you can break into this lucrative real estate niche fast. The course shares three ways to invest in apartments, mistakes to avoid, and more.

Experienced investors will find some value in this course too because Grant elaborates on his methods for boost returns and increase cash flow.

Grant uses this course to pitch his real estate multifamily investment firm called Cardone Capital too. Grant’s known by many for his real estate investing, and if you’ve heard of Cardone Capital, you’d know it’s huge. Might be worth checking out if you’re a Cardone fan.

Be Obsessed Or Be Average

Be Obsessed Or Be Average is a video series of Grant reading his book of the same name. While he reads the book, he shares his thoughts on his book and its content.

It opens with how obsession took Grant from being a drug addict to rising out of addiction and achieving massive business success. Pretty inspiring.

The rest of the book tackles why you need obsession to succeed, outlining all the ways obsession will help you along the way.

This video series is motivating and kind of cool to watch since he’s reading his own self-help book.

How To Create Wealth Investing In Real Estate

How To Create Wealth Investing In Real Estate is a guide for getting started in real estate.

Like I said earlier, Grant’s into multifamily real estate (like duplexes, triplexes, and even apartments) and that’s the kind he focuses on in this book. All the basics are covered:

• Maintaining positive cash flow in any economic condition
• Finding the best deals
• How to evaluate a property and fair pricing
• The perfect first deal for beginners
• Deals to avoid
• How to properly use debt and become buddies with your bank
• Exit strategies

Grant’s included some real-world deals he’s looking at today, or at least when the book came out.

To be clear, this book isn’t about house flipping or anything. It’s about investing long-term to build your own real estate empire just like Grant did.

The book is short enough to read cover to cover in one sitting, yet it still has tons of good stuff in it.

With so many products, there’s gonna be some overlap between Grant’s books and courses, and this book is no different. But that means you could buy one of his books for much less than a course and get most of the same benefits.

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That’s it for Grant Cardone and The 10x Rule.

Salute to Grant, the book shifted my targets, so I’m thankful.

His products are pretty good too. If you can’t afford the courses, his other books are cheap yet packed full of good stuff just like The 10x Rule.

Need 10x training? Our 10x-friendly coaching teaches people how to crush their day job through simple websites.