Invest Anywhere, From Anywhere Podcast

Episode #09 Charlie Engle: Revolve Around One Simple Idea

March 18, 2019 Appraiser Secrets Season 9 Episode 9
Invest Anywhere, From Anywhere Podcast
Episode #09 Charlie Engle: Revolve Around One Simple Idea
Show Notes Transcript

Charlie an Ultra- Distance Runner & Adventure Sport Specialist shared a story about addiction and recovery, running around the world, including the Sahara desert, overcoming obstacles, surviving anything by using an open-heart and a curious mind.


Today, Charlie is working on a couple of big projects, right now is the launching of his 5.8 global adventure. They will run the first installment, bike and climb from the lowest place in Africa to the top of Kilimanjaro. Later he will go from the Dead Sea to the top of Mount Everest. In conjunction, he will launch a new nonprofit called "We are one village".


Charlie Interview's Talk About:

1. Addiction and what that looks like for you?
2. How did you finally stop?
3. What led you to run across the Sahara desert?
4. Is there a relationship between addiction and running for you?
5. What role does having kids play in your choices about the adventure?
6. What’s the next big project for you?

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Website:
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CONNECT WITH CHARLIE:
Website: http://engle.com
Project Website: https://project.com/


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlieengle...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlieengle/

Leave your thoughts and let us know what other questions you would like MJ to help with.

Speaker 1:

Cause if there were never any problems, you wouldn't have a job. A computer would be doing your job or it would just be a matter of punching it in and that would be the end of it. So problems are the only way we get to differentiate ourselves from the other people that are doing the same thing that we're doing. So I look at the same thing when it comes to running. You know, I want to honestly, when a hundred miler, I don't want it to be 110 degrees or I want it to be raining or snowing and muddy. Like I want the conditions to be as bad as they can possibly be because in my mind I'm going to do better. The harder it is ongoing to do better. So I think, I think the point of all that ramble there is this one simple thing focusing on, yeah, visualize yourself getting to the finish line so to speak. But don't ever forget that all that matters is the next incremental step that you have to take because that step will lead you to the next one. And no matter what problems you're anticipating, like you may know there's a problem with a closing or with an appraisal or whatever there might be, you know there's a problem coming who don't get so fixated on that problem until it's right until the year upon it. Keep doing the steps that you need to do to get there and very often the solution will present itself or you know, or one way or the other. You will find a way through your own experience to get past that

Speaker 2:

you were listening to the appraiser secrets podcast with your host, Mark Jackson. You will get straightforward advice for how to make a profit on every new transaction that you do, compounding your net worth and grown your wealth substantially all through real estate. Get more information@apraisersecrets.com

Speaker 3:

truly excited to offer up another episode of the appraiser secrets podcast. My name is Mark Jackson. You can call me Mj and I have an outstanding guest with us today, Charlie Engle, who is an old for marathon, so much so that he's running from the entire west coast to the east coast of Africa. Really excited about introducing his book, a two hour group. Charlie, thank you for being a man. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule and j is so, so much my pleasure to be with you today. So thanks for having me on. I hope I can, uh, I won't let you down today. I have asked you no doubt to go well for everybody. I'm excited to have started with this, but always remember this is about taking a valuation first approached your boats, say knowing that you're going to make a profit when you buy and all of the guests that we have and even the individual trades that we do, we always meld that into the concept and Charlie has a unique walk in life that will give you a sense of what it is regardless of where your background is, how do we

Speaker 1:

ultimately successful and maybe not in the arena that you originally thought that you were good, you would be. So trolley again, thank you for being here. If you would just take a couple of moments, share a little bit about who you are, where you hail from, and then I've got a few questions I want to ask you just to kind of bring out the full content of our time today. Thanks a, I appreciate that man. Well, first of all, and then North Carolina, I live in Durham, North Carolina, and uh, went to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. And you know, I've got to just say one thing real quick about my tar heels because you know, I'm a sports fan. You and I talked and I was in school with another Mga back when I was in college, you know, so I just have to, I have to point that out that uh, strangely I played JV basketball when I was at Carolina even. So Roy Williams, who's the current Carolina coach was the Jv coach back then. And uh, yeah. And so, uh, I got the chance to actually a hang out and, and, and shoot some hoops with, with, um, other Nj. Right, exactly, exactly. But, uh, my parents were super young, you know, I was growing up in North Carolina and they were students at Chapel Hill and, and, uh, I ultimately ended up going there. And, uh, you and I talked a little bit when we first met about my background, which has, you know, is very, uh, it's very much steeped in a lot of problems with addiction. And, you know, a lot of the issues that I, that I dealt with earlier in my life that have really helped to shape, you know, who I've become today. So I'm, you know, I'm grateful that I've survived those days and, and excited every day. I'll wake up now with something new to do before we get the story and some of the background, we've talked about some fiction, but it's amazing what addiction can produce, what you just give a snippet about origins and how it came to be. Yeah, totally. So, um, you know, and I, I actually can give my addiction credit for all of this because, uh, you know, I can say today I'll happily clean and sober and have been for 26 years now. So my life has changed for the better in a million ways. But one of the side effects of that is, uh, I've taken on some huge projects in my life and I think the, when I first got clean and sober, I assumed that I needed to like kill my addiction. Like I needed to get rid of that guy. And in fact, the addiction and those personality traits, and I'm betting a lot of people can relate to this, you know, those actually turned out to be the most important traits for me. Those, those same addictive qualities make me good at things. So as long as I'm using my, my power and my energy focused on good things, then it's going to work out. So water.org is a great example. So you referenced me doing this run across Africa. So I ran all the way across the Sahara desert almost 5,000 miles, uh, about 10 years ago. And when I did that, uh, Matt Damon was actually my partner in that project. And, uh, Matt and I co created something called h two o Africa and I raised about$6 million. This for a little bit more on Matt Damon. Just somebody who doesn't know who he is. If there's somebody listening to this and doesn't know who Matt Damon is, I'm not sure I can help to be honest with you. But, uh, but, uh, you know, he's a big movie star, but he's a, uh, you know, the all the Bourne movies. I think his first academy award was for goodwill hunting, which is a, that sort of dates me a that I remember that movie really well. But, um, so you know, Matt and I created this nonprofit as part of my run across the Sahara and, uh, with the idea that maybe we'd get a chance to help a few people. And uh, in almost no time, we raised about$6 million, realized that we had already outgrown our ability to manage that. And so we partnered with another really amazing nonprofit. And together we created water.org and today water.org and then we just passed$1 billion in funding last year. And, uh, we are far and away the largest and most I think prolific, clean water nonprofit in the world. So we, we bring clean water infrastructure, not just digging wells but micro loans and a lot of ways that we allow people to take charge of their own lives. Very much like what you tried to do here, you know, giving people the tools that they need so that they can take the next step to be successful. And for some people that success means just being able to send their kids to a school or being able to have sanitation and a clean drink of water. So I'm very, I'm very proud of what we accomplish together there. So I mean it's really neat because this, this concept when you just thought about the run was 10 years ago, well some 13 or so odd years after you came out of addiction. So if you would just kind of talk a little bit about the stops, the moment we're okay. I had to make a transition of what replaced it and then what is it, how do you relate, um, your life in, in, in this running to addiction, if you don't mind? I realize this probably three questions, but yeah, it's, it's a great question though and it's, it's, um, when I look back, you know, I spent my twenties basically being, and people assume an addict looks a certain way. Yeah. I was a very successful guy. Even though I was directionless in many ways. I was the top salesman in the country for Toyota for a couple of years. I sold over 600 cars a year. I, you know, I did. I was, I was doing these high achieving things in order to balance out this other part of my life where I was a really hardcore drug addict and I tried to quit. You know, mark, it was a, it was a terrible life. You know, it wasn't, it wasn't good for me or my family. And I tried to quit a hundred times and it wasn't until the birth of my first son and, and I really made a decision, okay for him, I'm going to stop. And about two months after his birth there, I found myself again on another six day binge. And people were shooting at me and the police were involved and it was just this terrible situation. And it was in that, it was at the end of that crazy six days with no sleep and all the nonsense that goes along with that lifestyle that I realized the clearest idea I've had in my whole life. Nobody is coming to save me. My son can't save me, nobody else can save me. There's only one person on this planet that can save me. And that's me. And I have to first make that decision that I'm worthy of being saved. And then I'll, that I want to change my life. And that night I committed to going to meetings, to recovery meetings. I went to Aa and, and for three years I went to a meeting every single day and I ran every single day I put on my shoes and I ran. And I made a commitment to do that for the first three years without missing a single day of either of those two things. And by making that the, the platform of my life, my life began to change. There you go. So when you think about this relationship between running and addiction, how do you hold those two together? Yeah. And so, you know, look, people ask me in those first three years, cause I ran like I ran 30 marathons in the first three years. And so, so I had people who absolutely said, hey, you know, you think maybe you just switched addiction. And I realized they, it was a valid question and, but pretty quickly I understood that addiction was about hiding. You know, addiction is all about being invisible and not feeling anything and running, especially in long distance. Running is about feeling everything. Like you're fully present all the time. So interestingly, the relationship as an addict is what drove me to to continue to seek answers. And, and here is I think the best line I can draw between the two things. And I guarantee that your viewers will agree with this. The best lessons that we all learn, right? Do they come from the easy things we've faced or from the hard things we faced in our lives? And I don't think there's any question that it's the, it's the hard things, whether it's, whether it's things that we've self inflicted wounds is I call them, or whether it's things that were thrust upon us or some combination. It's those things that shape who we are. So I realized as an addict that I didn't need to get rid of all those qualities. I just had to figure out how to direct them to something good. And for me, running became that thing running, saved my life. And then that actually gave me a life because I decided I was going to take it to the next level.

Speaker 3:

There you go. Here's the thing. And you shared a little, a little snippet as I'm going to segue away from just a little bit of a conversation, but frame up a question. Um, there's the dynamic that all of us in our lives have some form of addiction is just considered it if it's more normative or not, but he is sure a little bit about how you've seen, you know, other forms of addictions and people, um, that just wouldn't be considered, you know, alcoholism where the case may be and how you steam them be able to, to redirect that effort. Because, you know, it's always him about his addiction. It's the idea is that there's so many different frameworks in so many different kinds, but the focus to success, so just things that you've seen that people have been able to take and use to reframe their lives.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and I, and I think, man, that's such a deep and really important question, what you just said, because you know, what is the definition of the success? Justify behavior is kind of the question. Because even a lot of the very successful people like yourself and others listening to this, if you've been successful, you may not be what you'd call an addict, but there is an obsession that has, that has to be present for you to achieve some level of success. You don't just, nobody sits on the sofa for four hours a day and all of a sudden has a bank account full of money or at least nobody that I know. And, and so, you know, you have to apply yourself and only you if you're paying attention, uh, can decide whether or not your behavior justifies the ends. You know, do the means justify the ends because even as a person, mine were overt, right? It didn't take a genius to see that I was doing a lot of drugs and it was causing a lot of problems. Like that was a really obvious issue. But what about the guy or the woman who works 80 hours a week, um, doesn't spend any time with her family, doesn't like whatever, all the other things that, that like in my view, that's also a form of unhealthy obsession. Because no amount of money is actually going to make you, it's not going to fulfill that hole that you're trying to fill. So I think the point of your question is that everybody has to look for a certain amount of balance in what they do while acknowledging the fact that if you want to be successful in your business and your family or in athletics, there has to be an obsessive quality to it. You know, the other car, the other kinds of addicts that I know or, or you know, food addicts or people who, again, it's, it's difficult to put your finger on, but you know, a person who sits on the Sofa and watches eight hours of television every day and is, you know, super overweight, you know, that's, that's all about addiction right there. It just doesn't fit the mold of what we see in our mind. So, you know, so we've got to use our best qualities to focus on the things that will get us where we want to go.

Speaker 3:

No, it's really unique because for everybody that's listening where we talk about this idea of success will or whatever measure of success we have because it comes in forms, whether it's in parenthood and seeing your child successfully get off to college. If it is this dynamic that you're, you know, you've had some success in your spirit walk and you have a strong connection in your faith. I mean that takes a, a definitive exercise on a repeated basis to get to that level of self actualization or whatever the case may be. And overwhelmingly it's a good thing. But at some point when you're 29 years old and you know, your child is two months old or you know, you're 30 years old and your company's been on a strike and you're being forced out to the dock to go work out of your comfortable, the air conditioned office, uh, there's a point where whatever you've done previously on a repetitive basis has gotten you to the point where you're frustrated, sick and tired of being tired, of being sick, tired of being sick and tired. Okay, you, you, you revert or redirect that energy to those things that you, that you identify outside of yourself or even within yourself that you want it to be a change. And the only way to do it is get to whatever that seminal moment moment is for you. So let me ask this question because you've had this wonderful transitional life and move forward, but, um, when you think about your life, what role do you having kids play in your, uh, your choices and your adventures, these thing you, you do have meaning for you now?

Speaker 1:

Man, the, the, you know, kids change everything. And I think most parents would say that, but for me, um, I'm a proponent of maybe something that a lot of people aren't. And that is to make sure that even as a parent, that you are living your own dream and that you're not, you know, turning all that over and putting all that pressure onto your kids. You know, some people will abandon their own life in a way because they genuinely want to provide their children with, uh, an easier life. And I always say, you know, as I said a little while ago, what did we learn from easy? And so I think again, it's one of those things where with me I can say absolutely that, you know, I have continued to chase these, especially physical dreams. Even writing a book was a dream for me. And I got that done and I wanted my kids to not just see me as their dad. I wanted them to see me as a person that was continuing to try to make a difference in the world and not just in their world but in the world. And they're now both in their twenties and I'm happy to say that one is, you know, started a nonprofit. The other one is, you know, clean and sober and on his own path. And it's been fascinating to me to watch them grow as independent people. And, and I gay, I know the, just like my mother gave to me, I gave them the gift of thinking for themselves and of pursuing their own dreams and not looking at me as like I'm their dad and yeah, I'm a provider, but it's not my job to give up everything that I want to do just to make their lives better. It's gotta be a balance.

Speaker 3:

Will you go, so what are the things that you heard me say? Well, we opened up every year we do at, at a praise of secrets powered by investor comps, utilizing real estate valuation training and data in particular to bring forth success, knowing that you're going to make a profit on every transaction you do. I mean, we've had a chance to have a couple of conversations you work in, in a, in a variety of different environments with Spartan as well as the other business leaders should come in touch with. What I would ask is for, for the audience today when they're, when they're thinking about, um, this idea of, and again I just use the phrasing for Dick Addiction or, or, or you know, maybe, um, reframed passion. How would you share with them based on your walk, your experiences in a professional environment? You go in to say, look, you n

:

eed to really listen and take advantage of the information in front of you so that you can be successful in real estate and valuation is the way to a co up accomplish that. We some what are these braces continually way.

Speaker 1:

I don't want for like a recycled teenager with these things on, but I think I, I say go out to open my mouth wider to say all the words I want to say. It makes you articulate better than, so it's good. It's good. Yeah. So if you want to share based on your point of view and how, um, how you relate to them, so really drive forward evaluation first approach to be successful. Man, it's such, again, such a great question. It's, I see it two ways. Number one, you know, I think most of your listeners would agree that, you know, there is no such thing as an easy deal. Like every single deal you get into a problem comes up, right? I mean there's just no, there's this, I mean, and the ones that you think are going to be the easiest very often end up being the hardest for whatever reason. But experience tells you just like it tells me if I'm running a hundred miles, I know going into running a hundred miles that at some point probably at multiple points along that path I'm going to want to quit or I'm going to be faced with a challenge that's going to make me question my sanity, my reason for existing. Like, you know, it's going to be something that's gonna make me want to throw in the towel. But experience tells me that if I just keep moving forward, if I just focus on the next step instead of the last step. And I think that the same holds true for your business and the people that are, are that you, uh, go out to is, you know, you know, problems are going, first of all, you should welcome problems. And I say that with a very straight face because if there were never any problems, you wouldn't have a job, a computer would be doing your job or it would just be a matter of punching it in. And that would be the end of it. So problems are the only way we get to differentiate ourselves from the other people that are doing the same thing that we're doing. So I look at the same thing when it comes to running. You know, I want to, honestly, when a hundred miler, I don't want it to be 110 degrees or I want it to be raining or snowing and muddy. Like I want the conditions to be as bad as they can possibly be because in my mind I'm going to do better. The harder it is I'm going to do better. So I think, I think the point of all that ramble there is this one simple thing focusing on, yeah, visualize yourself getting to the finish line so to speak, but don't ever forget that all that matters is the next incremental step that you have to take because that step will lead you to the next one. And no matter what problems you're anticipating, like you may know there's a problem with a closing or with an appraisal or whatever, there might be, you know, there's a problem coming. We don't get so fixated on that problem until it's on totally year upon it. Keep doing the steps that you need to do to get there. And very often the solution will present itself, you know, are one way or the other. You will find a way through your own experience to get past that.

Speaker 3:

There you go. I love how you put that. Um, just the, the two phrases, one in particular is there's no easy deal and this idea that you should welcome problems. Yeah. I tell everybody that I engage with their real estate is not for the faint of heart sounds obstacles. You have to overcome. And just that idea, if you don't mind, I'm probably going to use that. There's no easy deal. So I'm claiming that already. Thank you. Very odd. But it really does allow folks to city that yes, there's a goal I want to get to, but anticipate that I'm going to have to be prepared for the rain, for the high temperature, for some thing that's going to happen in a transaction. They expect the best, but be prepared that it's not going to always be an easy deal. So we went to easy ones come, you know, we have a party, but we're not caught off guard. We don't stumble and not get back up when challenges do come their way. So not a challenge there. The other things I think that you really frame up in here is that as you're looking at your, your visual and you've got your picture for end up, it's not just about the race that you're doing. It's not just about the deal that you're doing, it's just not about the, uh, the, the teaching lesson that you're about to share. It's the next one that comes after that. There's a vision or what comes next, not just what your president into. Um, because like I say, if there's, if there wasn't a problem, um, like I said on software, there wouldn't be a job for someone to do to program just as one. I'll just use your framing. So, great share. So let me, let me ask this question just in terms of, um, next projects. What's on your horizon that you're already looking forward to?

Speaker 1:

Man? Uh, so it's a big one, mark. It's a big one. I'm a, I'm super excited. I, it's uh, it is a project that I called 5.8 and I'll tell you why in a moment. But I'm basically going to go from, and I think, I think what I'm getting ready to describe to you as a metaphor for everybody's life. We all go through these low places, you know, in our lives and we're always reaching for the high points, you know, and for the most part, I think we all agree, uh, the high points don't last. They neither do the low points. You know you have both of those. Don't ever make big decisions when you're mired in a a terrible place or when you're at the top of the mountain because those, those two things are going to end and you're going to spend most of your time in the middle. So what that has to do with my project is this. I'm going to go from the shore of the Dead Sea, which is the lowest land elevation on the planet, and I'm going to actually swim out into the Dead Sea and do a free dive, which allows me to go a little bit lower than the lowest place because I want to, I want to get to this lowest doubt if I can get to, then I'm going to come back to shore and I'm going to run all the way across the Arabian desert and that's about 2000 miles and I'm going to get into a kayak and I'm going to paddle a thousand miles across the Indian Ocean across actually the roughest, some of the roughest water on the planet, and there's pirates and all kinds of craziness. I'm going to land and moon by India and I'm going to cross India on a mountain bike to the base of Mount Everest. And then I'm going to climb to the top of Everest. And so I'm going to carry a little flask of water from the Dead Sea all the way to the top of Everest. And I'm going to pour it out on top. And the point of that is to like symbolically join, you know, the two ends of the earth. Yeah. And it's this, it's this idea that we all go through this, this never ending cycle of highs and lows. And so this puts a little meat on the bone. So it's called 5.8 because while it's about 4,500 miles from the lowest to the highest, it's actually only about 5.8 vertical miles from the lowest place for the highest point. And you and me, you know, you're in Denver now I'm in North Carolina and everybody watching this, you know, we all live in this tiny little 5.8 miles sliver of space that surrounds the planet. So we're, we're all in this together already. Whatever, you know, whatever your politics or your religion or anything else, you know, we live, we live here together and we've got to continue to find ways to uh, to take on the challenges that we all face together. And so I'm very excited about, I've got an amazing filmmaker involved. Um, as you know, as I told you the first project though, this is a series of expeditions. So coming up the Dead Sea to Everest, there'll be next year, well first project coming up is to actually go the lowest place in Africa to the highest. So that's over on the coast of Africa in Djibouti, all the way across Ethiopia, Kenya and to the top of Kilimanjaro. And on that one I'm taking you with me so I'll know. I'll go find out more about you. Are you are no, in seriousness though, it's, it's a cool, it's a first time ever. I've had 20 years of ego asking me if they could come along on parts of my journey or something like that. And it's just not ever really been realistic. But on this one, we're actually going to take, I have a teammate on this project, Andre, who you met and uh, you know, we're actually going to take about 20 people to the top of Kilimanjaro, so to just be the Kilimanjaro climb part. So those people who, um, you know, if you put my website out there, which is just Charlie engle.com,

Speaker 3:

um, those people can find more information there. Or if there's someone in particular that once information just, you know, reach out to you or reach out to me, but I'd love to see it. Man, I'd love to see you on that Mallon with me. Oh, that's right. I know that. Sorry, I, that'd be amazing, Charlie, I can't thank you enough for taking the time out of your busy schedule to be here. The way that you frame up ideas, obviously engaged as any audience, but I'm so grateful you took time to talk to my folks that appraiser secrets through our podcast, that faithful, we'll use an investor constant build their real estate investing business. This has been phenomenal. Now I lived in catch you on your website. Obviously Facebook, Instagram, stuff like that as well. Yup. Yeah, absolutely. All under just Charlie Angle, so I'm easy to find and you go and Ingo is e. N g. L. E. Charlie Engle, e. N. G. L. E. I panic. Grateful can't thank you enough for being here. Everybody who is huge in towards the separate sewed. Certainly make sure that you click the button, subscribe. Give us a like VSAM comments. This is a topic that you want us to cover at appraiser sucres. Don't hesitate to leave that. We'll read that. Get the information and get out of that may be just for you, Charlie. Again, thank you for being here, continued blessings, enjoy, and we'll be following you along the way. My pleasure, mark. Take care. Alrighty,

Speaker 2:

you've been listening to another episode of the appraiser secrets podcast with Mark Jackson, the place to be to create your freedom lifestyle with more time off, security and peace of mind. Find out more@apleasersecrets.com.