Welcome And Meet Tony Freeman

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey guys, welcome to Proximity. I am Ken Johnson, your host. Super excited, man. I've got this dude's got massive biceps. My friend Tony Freeman. We've been sitting here chopping it up beforehand. Five times or five times. Oops, let me go back and redo that again because I totally bought. I was going to say five times Mr. Olympia, but that would be not but not right. It's Mr.

SPEAKER_02 0:19

Olympia contender.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. Top five finisher. Yes. Yes, gotcha. That's what I was going for. Hey guys, welcome to Proximity. I am Ken Jocelyn. Super excited about today's episode. I've got my good friend Tony Freeman with me today, a Mr. Olympia top five finisher. We've been sitting over here chopping it up for about 10 minutes, just talking about his story, uh, what God's done in his life, and I'm super excited, super excited to introduce him to you guys today. Tony, what's up, my friend?

SPEAKER_02 0:47

Man, it's so amazing to be here. You know, I'm here because I've learned to be obedient. And God told me to come over here. I was invited, and again, we just met. So it's really, I just learned to be obedient and show up and then let him do his thing.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

Obedience is always better than not, because boy, every time I'm not obedient, I'm like, I'm like, God, man, come on, help me out a little bit. Stories about that, boy, that's for sure. Well, dude, we've been sitting here, we've been sitting here topping up a little bit. Mr. Olympia. And you competed how many times in that? Nine. Nine times, finished in the top five one time. Walk us through, like, obviously, bodybuilding. I look, I had a good friend of mine, Michael Assert. I just showed just his Instagram just a while ago. So we had we had Dr. Emerson Negrich and his wife here last weekend with my one-on-one guys, 18 couples, and uh they wrote the book Love and Respect. So they're like the foremost preeminent people on Mary. They're in their 70s. And uh so we had caterer, farm to table, whole nine yards. Mike is like, nah, man, I brought my own chicken and rice. Oh, wow. He's hardcore. No, he brought in farming to table. He brought his own chicken and rice with him because he's like, you don't ever know. Now he did eat some of the stuff with him. Yeah, right, of course. But walk me through that journey for you, dude. What what got you into bodybuilding? What was the thing that attracted you to being able to do that, Tony? You know, it's always a woman.

SPEAKER_02 2:02

I would and I was engaged and I was in a long-distance relationship. Yeah and you know, did a lot of phone time with my then fiance. And uh, and so one day she was like, Oh, I met this guy named Tony. He's a bodybuilder, he reminds me of you. I'm like, oh, all right, whatever. I'm not a jealous dude. Yeah, I didn't think nothing of it. Yeah, yeah. So I drive down there that weekend or soon after

The Photo That Started It

SPEAKER_02 2:25

that, and I'm sitting in the bedroom by myself. She's in the kitchen, and there's a couple of eight by tens on her dresser. And it's some guy that wasn't Arnold Schwarzenegger that was built like I couldn't believe. I think it was a he got like second place into Mr. Georgia. And I I had never seen a regular Joe that looked like that. You know, everything, every muscle or person I've seen was on television or in a magazine or something. So I was like, baby, who is this? And he was like, Oh, that's my friend Tony. And I'm just like, something just clicked, something clicked in my head and was like, man, I'm not a jealous dude, but I'm like looking at this guy, and I'm like, well, how does how does he remind her of me? And she said, Oh, your personality. And then, and then the next day I joined the gym. I was 162 pounds, sheetrock hangar, basketball player. And joined the gym, I've been training ever since. It was just one of those things. Oh, 21. Okay. Yeah, 21 years old. And um, you know, I was a grown man, but I was 160, you know, six foot two, 162 pounds. That's pretty slim. And so my goal was not to be a bodybuilder. I just wanted to be 200 pounds, yeah. Which I thought that was a lofty enough goal. And it took me about two years to do to accomplish that. Yeah. And I actually met Tony and he showed me the ropes. And and then '91, I saw Kevin LaRone turn pro. I was a huge flex wheeler fan. And I was like, you know what? I want to do that. And I just started down that path in my mind first, because physically I wasn't nowhere near there. In my mind, I started visualizing the physique that I would want to have, and that's what I learned about visualization. Yep. And how you gotta you have to see it first. Yeah. And then you come up with a plan or your desire drives you to figure out how to do it. And I just back then we didn't have the internet. So I had to, I bought all the books about training, you know, super high intensity training, super duper high intensity, you know, every every book, Arnold Encyclopedia. And I dove into all of it. And of course, you can't use it all. So I would try everything and then I extract things that felt right to me, yeah, and discard the rest, you know. And um, that's how it started.

SPEAKER_00 4:32

How long in that process? Because you said I just wanted to join the gym at 21 years old and get from 160 to 200. How long did it take you to get you said how long before you got to 200 pounds? Two years? It took me about two years.

SPEAKER_02 4:44

So so I think that was like 88 when I because we got married in 88. Yeah, so that was 88. Yeah. I think I had to. Oh, so you married the girl that had the picture of the other book. Oh, yeah. Oh, I wasn't worried about him as far as that. It was just physically, I was so impressed. Yeah, yeah. You know how you don't know something is possible until you see somebody else do it.

SPEAKER_00 5:04

You know, and like I said, when I met that book right there, 14 Frequencies of Proximity. Yeah. My whole talk is proximity is a cheap coat. I'm getting goosebumps. When you get around the right people, it will unlock things in you.

SPEAKER_02 5:14

That's it. That's exactly what happened. Yeah. And it's funny because when you envision something and you put some emotion behind it, the universe is going to start opening the doors. Whether you recognize it or not, it's up to you. That's right. So the universe just started opening up the doors, and I started meeting these people. And, you know, me and lifting weights was like a fish to water. It's like somebody just, you know, I'm always a team player, but I was so small, and I was very talented, very fast, good hands, all that type of stuff. But I was, you know, 100, I graduated 155.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:47

So even though the coaches love me, I I they really couldn't use me in the way that, you know, they probably could have. And so I just, you know, gravitated to bodybuilding. I didn't blow up or nothing. But like I say, I my body responded very well. And then I wasn't focused on nutrition. I didn't learn about nutrition until like my third year into it. Oh wow. Maybe fourth year into it. So I was just using, I was just making gains on my gift and my and my work ethic. And then I learned about food and nutrition and all that type of stuff. And that's when it really started to happen.

SPEAKER_00 6:17

You said you joined the gym the next day. How how long did it take you to just, this is it? Like I love this.

SPEAKER_02 6:24

Like I say, that first 200 pounds, that first 40 pounds, you know, that I had to gain, it was, it was a it was a lot in between there. So the the day I went to go join the gym, there was I I was I was covered in sheetrock dust, so I was embarrassed to go inside the gym. So I'm peeping in the window and I see this guy that's really built. And so I said, Well, I'm gonna wait till he comes out and I'm gonna ask him, you know, he work out with me. So I'm chilling outside my car. He comes out and you know, I get out the car and I stop him and I introduce myself, and and he kind of laughs at me because again, I'm covered in sheetrock and I'm skinny. He was like, Well, what are you trying to do? I said, I want to lift, I want to learn how to lift. He's like, Man, he said, What do you do? I said, I'm a construction worker. He said, you know, I play basketball a little bit. He said, he said, don't quit your J job, stick to that, and and got in his car and drove off. No way. I was like, man, that was that was pretty rude. And so, you know, I'm one of those type of people that he told me I was too tall and too skinny to be a bodybuilder. Yeah, right. And so, no, I told you I I I had no uh aspiration to be a desire to be a bodybuilder. So I guess I just wanted to lift. So then I went back the next day and I waited on him. And he came out, he saw me come and he laughed. Again, he said, You are you are you're a little, you know, you're consistent or whatever. She said, I can forgot what he said exactly, but he said, I'll tell you what, come tomorrow and I'll I'll take you to a workout. So the next day I came ready, had my clothes and whatnot. And I was ready to go inside the building. But he was like, No, no, no, we're gonna go somewhere else. So maybe I'm figuring he didn't want me to want nobody to see me with him at his gym. Yeah, yeah. So he took me to this other gym down in the basement, and he took me through a chess workout that was so brutal. I think I was sore for like a month after that. And of course, I didn't bother him again for a long time. And but I had that, I guess, that experience of what it's like. And that kind of just wet my whistle a little bit. And I remember going back to the gym where he was a member, probably a couple, I mean a month later, and I saw him and another guy that was even bigger than him. So I go over there to him and introduce myself to the other guy, and they was like, You can you can work out with us, you know. And they I I think they were trying to get me to quit.

SPEAKER_00 8:33

I imagine you got somebody that's never gonna see if you were gonna quit at least.

SPEAKER_02 8:36

Yeah, you got somebody that's like 230, 240, and he was like 210, and I'm 170, whatever. And so they would put on a weight and they do 10, and I do one. But I but I was I was consistent and resilient and all the all the words, and I showed up every day, and they took a liking to me and took me under their wing and showed me what they knew. And like I say, I bought all the books to learn and got with Antonio and I went back to Savannah. So I remember I was, I said, I told the guys, I'm I'm moving to Savannah, you know, to be with my wife, whatever. And I think I was about, I don't know, 185 maybe. And they was like, Don't you come back here, swole. So I left there about 185 and I came back about 230. Wow. And they they couldn't believe it. And then the rest of his history.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

When you walk in the gym at 2.30, I knew you, I knew you had to be like, oh, I can't wait for these cats to see me.

SPEAKER_02 9:31

Well, it's funny because we were at a totally different gym. As a matter of fact, no, no, it was a different gym. So I remember being downstairs in it we called it the dungeon. We were downstairs in the gym, and I hear Tony Freeman, and I turned around, and they was they was them. It was them two. And they was like, What in the world? And so, you know, it was like almost like the band getting back together, but except for I had my own guitar this time. You know what I'm saying? Small man. And so, you know, that was kind of funny because they stayed on that

Visualization And Learning The Craft

SPEAKER_02 10:05

level, and I just kept graduating to the next level, to the next level. I remember, you know, I had won all the local shows, and I was like, well, what's next? And they was like, well, you gotta do the junior nationals. I said, okay, well, I'm gonna do the junior nationals. And everybody was like, Who do you think you are? You're gonna go to the nationals, you know, because at the time Lee Haney was Mr. When you say everybody said that's the people in your gym. Everybody, like all everybody at the gym, because everybody was stuck on that uh state and regional level.

SPEAKER_00 10:33

Have you ever noticed the people that will try to withhold you from your dreams are the guys that aren't reaching theirs. Of course. Where people that are ahead of you are normally the ones that are encouraging you to come on and telling you you can make it. Yes, until you until you catch up with them.

SPEAKER_02 10:48

And then it starts all over again. But in bodybuilding, that is, that is definitely how it goes. You know, they they they you know, they allowed me to train with them, but they didn't expect, you know, again, yeah, I didn't, you know, I learned about genetics. Yeah I didn't think I had the genetics to be anything more than, I don't know, 200 pounds. That's why I set my goal for that. And then when I got to 230, I was like, whoa. And at the time, you know, I I at 200 pounds, I started, I was an exotic dancer. I was dancing, bodybuilding, and working construction. I don't know if you saw that movie, Magic Mike, but that was pretty much come on, that was my life, basically. And I realized that, you know, I didn't want that stripper world or whatever. And I didn't want to be a construction worker. And I was like, if I can make money at bodybuilding, that'll be the ultimate gig. And so that's why I started down that path when I saw Kevin LaRone and Flex Wheeler turn pro, I was like, there's actually money in this thing. And so that's when I just really got focused on the nutrition. I started hiring coaches and whatnot.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

Getting into proximity. How long in the journey was this for you when this happened?

SPEAKER_02 11:55

So 91 was when I decided. You know, so I had three years under my belt, three and a half.

SPEAKER_00 12:00

When before in that three-year period before you went pro, in that three-year period, when was the moment in you where you went, ooh, I'm good at this, like I can do this?

SPEAKER_02 12:10

So it took me a long time to turn pro. So when I did the junior nationals, I won. Yeah. I I went with no expectations and I won. And then I went to the nationals, which was like four months later, and I got sixth place, which, you know, top five at the nationals is it. If you're if you're in the top five, that means you're one of the next guys. They, you know, you kind of almost like in a line, basically. And getting sixth place your very first time, nobody knows who you are. That was huge. And so that's when I realized, hey, uh, this is I can do this. And then the next year I got fourth, and the year after that I got fourth again. And then in 95, I tore my peck. August 1st, 1995, I tore my peck. I was nine weeks out from the nationals, and I thought my career was over. You know, I kind of was like, well, symmetry and and proportions was my forte. And if my peck is torn, that's gonna throw off my symmetry. So anyway, I I ended up doing the show. I got fifth place. That was a year I probably I probably could have won. I peaked perfectly, yeah. Probably about 45 minutes after the show was over.

SPEAKER_00 13:19

You know what I'm saying? So it was one of those things where So walk me through the walk me through because I I want to give you a little bit. We talked about your faith journey off the air. And I don't want to talk about it because you just talked about being magic mic, and I'm like, okay, this is gonna be a great conversation.

SPEAKER_02 13:30

That's how far God took me. Well, I know.

SPEAKER_00 13:32

Walk me through tearing your peck, like, and then still competing in that in that competition. Like, what what was your mindset when that happened to you? Did you feel like, man, I I'm wasted, I'm done.

SPEAKER_02 13:46

So before I tore my peck, up to the moment I tore my peck, I felt invincible as far as physically. I felt um, you know, I had I was like 285. Oh, wow. At 4% body fat with three months to go before my contest. You know what I'm saying? Wow. Like most people compete probably at 4% body fat. I was I had almost three months left to go, and that's how crazy I looked. And I was I had gotten to the point where I was able to manipulate my physique at will. I could literally see something in my head, or basically look at myself in the mirror or in a picture and then see what I needed to do, and then go do it. And so that mindset was I think tearing my peck, it was it was a it was a series of unfortunate events that led to me tearing my peck. But I really think that that was God sitting me down for a second because I I I left the sport in '96. I went to I went to do the nationals in '96. Didn't place at all. I didn't even make the cut. And I just quit bodybuilding. Because I was like, man, I if I I can't compete against the guys on stage and the guys that are judging me as well. So I left the sport for four years. And what was that for what was that four years like? It was like, it was hell, bro. I literally was, you know, I felt lost. And and not knowing I know now, you know, looking from perspective now, is that was God just sitting me down, yeah, you know, and letting me go through the the wilderness

Grit In The Dungeon Gym

SPEAKER_02 15:20

a little bit, you know. I was like depressed and, you know, I was playing Madden and smoking bunts all day. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. And um, and I I think in 99 I started personal training. 98 I started personal training at the gym up the road. And you know, I didn't look the part, but as soon as so I said, well, you know what? Let me let me start lifting again so I can look the part. So I started lifting again. This guy came in the gym one day, his name was Preston Bonds, and he said, Hey man, I need a workout partner. You want to be my workout partner? And I tried to poo-poo him off because I told him I had to pec there. He was like, he pulled the shirt down and showed me he had a pec there. He's like, So, any more questions?

SPEAKER_00 15:55

Yeah, some more excuses.

SPEAKER_02 15:56

So, anyway, me and him got together and you know, said we're gonna push each other to turn pro. At the time, Ronnie Coleman was Mr. Olympia. We started our journey on that. Unfortunately, about a year into it, Preston ended up getting killed. And so I dedicated my the rest of my journey to turn pro to him. You know, in 2001, I did the nationals again after getting my peck fixed. So my workout partner was a he's a physical therapist. And he works for a group of doctors, and he said, I met this doctor that can fix your pecks. So he introduced me to him, he fixed my pec. I remember up until that point before I got my surgery, it was over for me. I wake up from surgery, the doctor wakes me up from anesthesia and he's like, Boy, I don't know what you made of. He said, but your tendon was in pristine condition. All I had to do is unravel it, suture it together, and attach it with the. He told me exactly what he did. He said, if you had a cane when you first tore it, I would have put it right back where God made it. Wow. And so that in that moment, I decided, I'm going to get my pro card, want to be pro again. And I did. I got eighth place that year. And I remember being on stage.

SPEAKER_00 17:03

So did you have to place a certain position in order to be pro? Yeah, you have to qualify first.

SPEAKER_02 17:08

Yep. I never forget it. The qualifying show that I did, I had literally just had surgery. So I still had like the bandages on my person. And I took my bandages off, went out on stage, and I ended up getting second place, qualified me, and I died it for 13 weeks, did the nationals. I got eighth place, and I'm standing on stage, and I'm like, wait a minute, I've been going for four and a half years, and I'm only two places lower than three places lower than when I left. And so that just lit a fire, and I said, you know what? Next year I'm winning. And I remember going through the whole process. What was that next year of training like? Well, I got myself into a little trouble, ended up doing a little time in jail. I'm in jail. The guys are trying to get me to do push-ups and work out with them. And, you know, we had magazines in there, and I was just like, you know what? I said, I'm I'm not even gonna do that. I said, I said, this time next year, I'll be in that magazine as the champion. I got out and I just dove right into my training. And that was another thing God sat me down so he can, you know, he isolates you so he can speak to you. And and I notice every time I get isolated, I now, because I've I'm I've been through this a few times, I get quiet. You finally learned is what you're trying to tell us about. And I say, okay, God, I'm paying attention. And he just starts revealing things and showing me things. And it's really cool to, like I said, being a preacher's kid, you know, I was a Bible on the Bible team and all that type of stuff, but never really cultivating my relationship with Christ.

SPEAKER_01 18:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:35

Until, you know, I go out in the world and I do all my own thing. And then I retire and he sits me down and says, okay, I'm gonna purge. You know, when I retire from bodybuilding, I had a few issues. I'm all into health and wellness and fitness and all that type of stuff. Well, I found out I had some parasites. I had to deal with that. And like I say, I had put on 162 pounds of basically muscle. Twice as much as you. So I really doubled my flesh. And so, you know, I'm starting to realize, I'm like, well, you know, if I was 162 pounds when I started this journey, and when I decided that I'm gonna do what I want to do, and all the things that are required, you know, the food, the chemistry, traveling the world, all those things, they become you. You become the it. You you are you are what you are what you eat eats. You see what I'm saying? Yep, yep. And my flesh was the result of me consuming that whole energy, right? And I realized after the fact that if you take, you know, in in high-level professional bodybuilding, there's elements, it's the same elements are in the in the amateur low level, but at the highest level, it's it's it's even more, you know what I'm saying? And and I really believe in, and this is just me talking. I'm not saying bodybuilding is of the devil or nothing like that. But I realized I was performing the highest form of idolatry. You know, second commandment, thou shalt not have no other gods before me. So whatever you put all your energy, effort, time, that's your God. Whatever it, whatever it is.

SPEAKER_00 20:14

I don't know if you're familiar with InvestFest or not, but 33,000 people, I spoke uh Friday and I got to listen to a panel with Tim Timberlake, Philip Anthony Mitchell, and Ture Roberts. And they asked, Michael's wife actually moderated it, and she asked him, she goes, guys, what's the difference between a purpose and a passion? Or no, a passion and a purpose. And it was either Tim, it was either Tim or Philip said, if it's a passion, you'll devote more of your life to it than you will God. But if it's a purpose, you'll devote, you'll devote more of your life to God, and God will give you the purpose.

SPEAKER_02 20:49

You know what? Man, I'm really you know what's really crazy and beautiful when God allows you to develop your passion and then flips it to your purpose. So like I told you when I when I retired from bodybuilding, I had parasites to deal with. And I had to cleanse my temple. So, God, first of all, let me recognize that this is the temple of this is where God dwells. This is the kingdom of God, right here. You know what I'm saying? That's right. And when you realize that for real, not just in church saying it, when you realize it for real, you have to adjust, you have to live a certain way because not only is God omnipresent, he's right there with you. It's not like he's seeing you do stuff from way up there. That's right. He see he's experiencing it with you. You know what I'm saying? Oh, I do, I don't know. And God showed me He's like, He's like, look, player, I want to be with you in everything. Because I thought it was more, again, yeah, you know, when you're when you're raised in the church, any church, I'm not it's like it's until you realize you think God is outside of you.

The Pec Tear And The Wilderness

SPEAKER_02 21:55

So you're you're going to the building, you're praying into the sky. Oh no, I'm not going.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

The church. Yeah, I am the church.

SPEAKER_02 22:02

Exactly. But you don't, that's not how it comes across. I'm not saying they're not teaching it like that, but from a young mind, that's not how it comes across.

SPEAKER_00 22:08

It depends on what culture you're in. You know, when we do our conference every year, I've got these two foot by four foot four stickers that are everywhere. And it's quotes from Tom Maxwell to Gary to my quotes to Herbal McMahon. It's all my guys, right? Well, when you walk in the building, the both the doors when you walk in is a quote that I had I created when I was pastoring it. God gave me. And that's God's love for you isn't predicated on your performance. He loves you because you're a son or a daughter.

SPEAKER_01 22:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 22:33

You know how many people I have walk in the building? That's faith-based entrepreneur conference, but still, people walk in the building and go, that's the best description of the gospel. The best definition of the gospel that I've ever heard. God, He He does not love me, isn't pre it's not predicated on my performance. He loves me because He created me as a son or a daughter. And you and when that triggered in your mind, tell me what, tell me what kind of change happened in your life.

SPEAKER_02 23:00

I mean, I remember that feeling coming over me where I realized that God was, this was a spiritual battle for my soul. You know what I mean? Because, like I say, you know, when they talk about the beast and the mark of the beast, the beast is the flesh. You know, in bodybuilding, we have a term called beast mode. Beast mode is a state of being, it's a state of mind. You know what I'm saying? To where the animal in you takes over, and I won't say forces you, but it's required almost to be the best in the world at something, especially something physical, you gotta go outside yourself. It's a different gear. It's a totally different everything mindset. It's like 24-7. I remember, you know, social media is popular, and I had a picture of me, and someone put a comment. She saw, she was like, I can't imagine how much time, effort, energy, dedication, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah that goes into looking like that. I said, all of it. Yeah. Literally every ounce of you is required to achieve no time off, no seconds off, no minutes off, no days. Everything is strategic and calculated and measured. And if you don't do that, the person that is doing it is going to beat you.

SPEAKER_03 24:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:16

Period. So you already got to deal with the best talent in the world, but now you got people with who have who has who it has clicked for. Right. With me, I just was, I was like a kid in a candy store. I just wanted to have the best body in the world. I didn't really even, you know what I'm saying? That's my only focus. I didn't focus on the business side or none of that stuff until my career was almost over. I was always just trying to, I wanted to be six foot two, 305 pounds, with a 32-inch waist. It was, I got it down, it was like 31 and a half. You know what I'm saying? Like I had those kind of visions. That was me. That's what I was trying to do. I wasn't necessarily trying to be a good one.

SPEAKER_00 24:52

So walk me through the journey. You go pro, and you started competing in Mr. Olympia. Now, what was the difference for you competing on the national level versus now I'm in the show? Basically, you're in the show.

SPEAKER_02 25:05

Yep. It took me a couple of years to qualify for the Olympia. And I remember when I first qualified, I was like, okay, now I have a chance. I had one of the. When did you have to win to get to the I won the 2006 Europa Pro. Okay. That was my first win. Yep. I came out as the executioner. What do you make for that? It was like 10 grand. Okay. And then the Olympia was like five weeks later. Yeah. Six weeks later. So I won that show. I came out as the executioner where I had the black hood and the action, all that. And then so that's how I came out for the Olympia. And that's where everybody started calling me the X-Man. And so up until that point, I was Tony Freeman. And then the X-Man personification came along. And that's when I realized that it was, you know, I could be Mr. Olympia. And when I retired, I realized that in that time space is when I started getting extra help. You know what I'm saying? From outside. When you first start lifting or bodybuilding, right, you you get inspired, right? And then you get motivated, right? Then you get dedicated, and that makes you become consistent. Then when you make a little progress, you get a little physique on you, you become obsessed. And so from obsession, you know what's after obsession, is possession.

SPEAKER_01 26:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:24

You know what I'm saying? To where that, and that's where Beast mode kicks in, where it just you you it's embodying you. Every moment, every all the money, all it everything goes into that. And when you start seeing the reflection in the mirror start to happen, you know, now you start to worship that image in the mirror. And that's kind of what happened to me.

SPEAKER_00 26:44

So you so you get GoPro, you win that, you get into Mr. Olympia. Yeah. How long? When was the fifth place finish in that?

SPEAKER_02 26:51

That was 2008. So 2006, I qualified the first time. I got seventh. And then the next year, I I won the first two shows of the year, got third at the Arnold. So now they're saying, Tony's, you know, this is my time. And I ended up getting sick like 24 hours before the show. Just, I mean, just it just messed it all up. And I ended up getting 14th that year.

SPEAKER_01 27:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:14

So now I'm back, I had to go back to the drawing board. So, you know, I'm having that conversation with myself. Do you go forward? And I had to, I had to redeem that. And I said, I'm gonna do every show until I get it right because I screwed up that time. So I did 11 shows that year, and the Olympia that year was the 10th one. And I nailed it. I literally remember being at the bottom of the stairs, getting ready to walk up. I was I was number one. So, in other words, I performed first. Yep. And probably a couple of weeks before the show, my buddy was like, if you could choose what position that you wanted to come out on, what would it be? I said, I want to be first. I said, I want the judges to see me and really be blind after that. And I didn't be able to see the rest of those guys. And that drove me. And that's that's my mindset that I had. And I went out there and I nailed it. I remember like that. The feet when you so when you when you're doing a bodybuilding contest, you want to peek on stage at the show. So now you got the date, you set the date, and then you got the time, right? So now you gotta, from whenever you hear about it to that moment, you have to time, everything has to be measured. So what you're trying to do is you're trying to hitting hit a moving target while you're moving. So you see, you see what I'm saying? Oh yeah. And so at the bottom of the stairs, I peaked. Uh that when you think the the word peak is when you're at the the peak of your conditioning. So, in other words, it's downhill from that moment. And I've nailed it to where as I'm walking up the stairs, that feeling comes over me. And I know this is a PG show, but I I people say, Well, what does that feel like? Right? And the only thing I can think of, it's a little graphic, but it feels like a a total body erection.

SPEAKER_01 28:58

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:58

It's like all the blood in your body is where it's supposed to be, all the water in your body, all the food in your body, everything's where it's supposed to be, and all your muscles just pop. And it's like, it's almost mechanical.

SPEAKER_00 29:10

It's just how that feel walking up on stage. You knew you knew before you. I knew. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:15

And my and my routine, I practiced it for like four months, so I knew. And I I mean, I crushed it, right?

SPEAKER_01 29:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:21

So I didn't win. I got fifth. The crowd booed. Everybody told me I won. They just like, well, you either won, you either got first or fifth.

SPEAKER_01 29:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:28

And that's when I learned about the business of the day. And so, so I'm, you know, I get fifth and I'm excited about that. You know, it's a nice little check. But I was like, well, I don't, that was the best I could be. You know what I'm saying? I'm like, well, if I can't win looking like that, this is probably not something that I can achieve. I didn't think that. The next year I tried, I went even harder. And I ended up looking better, but uh I um busted my burst of sack a couple nights before the show, and that screwed that up. So all those things happen.

SPEAKER_00 29:58

That's a lot of setbacks, man.

SPEAKER_02 29:59

It is. All those things happen. So when God got to the point where he wanted to cleanse me and remove all that, he can let me refer back to it. And so I'd understand why. At

Beast Mode Versus Idolatry

SPEAKER_02 30:10

the time I didn't understand why. You know, you think it's woe is me or whatever. Yeah. But if those things don't happen, and then he delivers you from it, you don't you don't get it. You don't get the message, you don't get the lesson.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

So I love Romans 8.28. All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called in called according to purpose. All things, good, bad, tornfect, all the stuff. Start small. Yes. Walk me through. Like, how does that filtering everything, filtering that verse through everything you've experienced? What does that verse mean to you?

SPEAKER_02 30:40

That means when you are chosen, when God chooses you for your assignment, your purpose. And my mentor told me, you know, who's asked, what is your purpose? That thing which comes easy to you that's usually difficult for others. Everybody else. That's your purpose is in there somewhere. And and so when he delivered, because I had to learn how to kill parasites and had to learn how to go from 300 pounds to my goal weight, which is 230, I had to learn how to do that.

SPEAKER_03 31:08

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 31:08

And that's useful and valuable to everyone. All males, I think, will will need come to a point where they have to do something for their health, you know, whether it be parasites or heart, whatever. And so going down that road, I learned how to do that. And so, and I never forget, in in 2018, so this is two years after I retired. Basically, I had eight or nine different ways to make money when I was a pro. And one by one, they all start going away. And I never forget I had one more thing, which was my online coaching. And God had took me, he had delivered me from the parasites. I can I don't even want to go into that story, but it's pretty graphic. And I never forget, I was sitting at my kit my kitchen table, and God said, I want, she said, all the things that I've shown you, you know, it's a lot of things. He said, I want you to do that for others. I want you to help people, I want you to help reintroduce people to their non-toxic self, that version of you before you decided to do whatever it is, before you decided to smoke, drink, eat bad food, all those things, there's a there's a path back to that person, that consciousness. And he said, I want you to do that for people, because I've shown you how to do it, and I want you to give it away. And I was like, Yeah, oh God, I gotta have a check. I was like, I was like, I'm like, God, you know my situation. I said, and I'm I'd never forget, I'm sitting at the table, and I was like, Well, how am I gonna eat? And at the as soon as I said that, a bird landed on the on the deck. And God said, How do the birds eat?

SPEAKER_00 32:46

Yeah, you were done. I was done. Like, okay, yeah, I'll listen. In in that journey with you, like going pro, qualifying, and then eventually finishing fifth, walk me through. How did you how was your faith journey in that? I knew you were learning a ton of stuff.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

So my faith journey through that was I said my prayers, I say my grace, you know, I read my Bible, go to church, whatever it was, but it wasn't what it is. It wasn't even nowhere near what it is now, because like I say, I always do this this demonstration. Where's my glasses? You know what I'm saying? People are looking for God outside, you know what I'm saying? Right, right. And so when you realize, like I say, when you realize you gotta, this is where you start. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Like I said, fix you. Yeah, like you know what I'm saying, surrender, change, repent. Yeah, and so that's what it is. I when I I realize what repentance really means, you know, when God was taking me through that whole journey, I said, Well, I said, Father, you have to remove this from my flesh. I don't want to keep coming back asking forgiveness for this sinner that I am, all these things that I know that are of my flesh, that I'm gonna revert back to. And I never forget, I said, You have to physically remove this from my body. And not, I didn't realize that or think that it was something actual physical in my body that was causing me to be like that. And that's when he started removing the parasites, and I physically saw them leave my body. Wow. And it changed my consciousness. The person you're talking to now showed up, and I was just like, Whoa, where have you been? I've been caught up in the persona.

SPEAKER_00 34:29

It's almost like that that scripture about the prodigal son. It was a good thing. He came to himself.

SPEAKER_02 34:34

100% from a 19-year-old kid, you know, I became Diamond. That was that was my stripper name.

SPEAKER_01 34:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 34:40

And then, you know, I'm a bodybuilder, Tony Freeman. Then I'm the X-Man, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 34:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:44

And God took me through all those phases and let me experience all those crazy things just to say, okay, it's my turn now. You know what I'm saying? And so, you know, ever since, ever since, I guess it was it was like I think January of 2019 is when all those things were revealed. And when I all the, you know, I'm on say, actually, we all have parasites, but the main ones that were that were steering me down that path were removed from my body. And I woke, I never forget, I woke up the next day and I felt like a brand new person. Did you really? Yeah. Did you live spiritually? Yes. Like I haven't, I haven't been that. I for for the the the week or so leading up to that, I felt like I was dying. I went and confessed my sins to my parents and everybody that I love because I didn't feel like I was physically dying, but it's just felt like I needed to purge all of that.

SPEAKER_03 35:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:38

And I did. And so I realized now that purging all that, confessing my sins to my kids, my wife, my parents, I can't return to the person I was. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. I put myself on blast basically. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 35:54

Oh, yeah. And so now Well, you you, it sounds like you had this like this epiphany of, man, God, I just want to be closer to you. Yes. So I'm willing to, whatever I gotta confess, whatever I have to do, I'm willing to do that so I can be closer to you.

SPEAKER_02 36:08

That's it. 100%. And like I say, once you realize that God is riding with you, He's He's not You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, well, one of the things that made it clear for me is, you know, how they say God is omnipresent or how he can see all things because he made eyes. He's seeing the this whole existence through our eyes. That's right. You see what I'm saying? That's right. And like I say, when you realize that, you you might not change instantly because it feels kind of weird, but when you embrace it and then you match it with scripture and all that.

SPEAKER_00 36:39

So when you so you finished fifth at in Mr. Olympia, walk me through You Go Home, like man. You just you ever see the two guys again that you started working out with in the gym?

SPEAKER_02 36:50

Matter of fact, the guy, Antonio is his name, Antonio Underwood. I just had a like a comment back and forth like two days ago. Oh wow. So yeah, I do see those guys. And you know, again, it's just like I say, full circle type situation. And I'm I'm so glad that I got to experience all those things because it makes what I'm experiencing now make sense. You know what I mean? You talked about stewarding earlier, and God did some really miraculous stuff with me, for me, in both directions, like stuff that I considered negative and positive, but I got the lesson both times. And one of the lessons that I needed to learn is about stewardship, about taking the gifts that God gives you and using it for his purpose and not my purpose. That's right. And so a lot of humility is involved. I pray, you know, keep me humble. You know what I'm saying? Whatever, whatever it takes to keep me humble, keep me humble. Keep me, you know.

SPEAKER_00 37:50

Well, you walk through stuff. We know this. We walk through things that are very difficult. Yes. And as we walk through those situations, when we lean on God, He helps us get through the situation. And when you come out on the other side, the majority of people understand I'm not the one that got me through here. Oh, of course. It was God that got me through. Yeah. Tell me what's next for you, man. What's what is this stage of life and this season of life like so? I'm doing a lot of stuff with the Indian tribes.

SPEAKER_02 38:15

So the the six six tribe sixth tribe confederation, the Hadasani, but um I'm in the Tuscarora tribe, particularly. And they adopted me to spearhead their wellness, health and wellness. You know, American Indians have a lot of health issues. We all have a lot of health issues, but they adopted me to basically help them work through a lot of that, and and that's what we're doing. So most of my focus is that, like building everything around that. And we're just doing a lot of stuff with health, wellness, longevity. We use a lot of frequencies. We're doing peptides, we're doing supplements, nutrition, coaching, training, everything. And what I my specialty is making it real. So I sit somebody down, talk about what you're trying to accomplish, and then we try to help you come up with a plan that you can actually execute because consistency is how you get the results. But if your plan is not something that you can't do, then it's just it's just words on the paper. So my specialty is like getting to the person's real why, you know, create a why, and then a path that makes sense that they can actually execute, and you end up getting there.

SPEAKER_00 39:27

So, how much fulfillment does that bring you being able to help guys do that?

SPEAKER_02 39:31

Oh, total fulfillment because you know, all that information that I've learned about physique enhancement and and and cleansing your temple and you know, lowering your toxic load and topping off your nutrition, all those things that I've learned, everyone everyone needs that. Yeah, in some one of those categories, if not all. So it's just very fulfilling to uh show you a picture real quick, see if you recognize that guy.

unknown 39:55

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 39:56

See, you made up your mind, right?

SPEAKER_00 39:57

Well, yeah. So if people because you you just said it, that's what triggered me to go. Oh, because you hadn't seen that before, have you? No. That's 105 pounds ago. That's crazy.

Becoming The X-Man At Olympia

SPEAKER_00 40:05

Oh, yeah, yeah. And I'm down another probably, I don't know, 15, 20 pounds ago.

SPEAKER_02 40:08

You can I I got pictures similar to that where you could see the inflammation, you could see the toxic load, yeah, you could see the the negative energy. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_00 40:18

Like 100%. Dude, listen, I just turned 58 Friday. This was uh 1999. I was umpired in college baseball, and I wanted to I wanted a D1 job. And I was actually at the SEC, HCC umpire camp. And I went down, had a great camp. Buddy of mine's in the SEC and HCC now. He's a former minor league, a minor league and major league guy. Bunch of the guys are his partners in AA and AAA as they were going through the minor leagues, and had a great camp. One of the guys pulls me aside and goes, dude, you had a great camp. Dude, you have great rapport. Your instincts are amazing, but you got to lose weight. We were shocked you could move that well. Well, I came home, I never forget. I was like, I'm doing this. I just it was one of those I came to myself. Yeah. I literally got home, walked in the bathroom, stripped down to nothing, exhaled to get all the air out like air wears a lot of, like it weighs a lot, right? Got up on that scale and it was almost 300. It was ticking back and forth between 309 and 310. And I said, I'm gonna lose 66 pounds. Where'd you come up with that number? Well, actually, it was 308 on a digital scale. I was 306. You wanted to be 250. I wanted to get, I wanted to get, yeah, I wanted to get down to about 240, a 66 pounds, 240, and I said I'm gonna lose 66 pounds. When I got to 60, I moved it to 86. Right. When I got to 86, I moved it to 106. And so I'm down about 100. I I vary between 95 to 105 pounds of body fat.

SPEAKER_02 41:37

That's what I tell people to do. You know, when when someone wants to do that, that's right, right? Most people, and you said a number that was fairly realistic. Oh, it's a big number. I very big number.

SPEAKER_00 41:48

You know what I did? I took a picture, I put it on social media, I said I'm gonna lose 66 pounds.

SPEAKER_02 41:52

Most people, and they focus on the 66 instead of focusing on what's going on right now.

SPEAKER_00 42:00

You see that quote on my wall right there? That's my definition I created. Incremental, not monumental. Small, daily, disciplined decisions over time, always equal monumental results. Success cannot escape you when you do the right things every single day. God gave me that about two months into this journey. That's beautiful. In December of 2019.

SPEAKER_02 42:18

What I try to do, what I try to be or try to show people is like kind of like GPS. Yep. Your goal is here, but the most important thing about the equation is your current location. Yeah, it's so good. You know what I'm saying? So let's address what's going on mentally, physically, you know, what's your lifestyle, toxin load, all that. If you address those things in the beginning, not focusing on the end result. Address those things in the beginning and create your why so you can actually do it. In other words, your why can't be I want to lose 66 pounds, because that was just I want the job. I wanted vision one job. That's exactly what I want to do. Exactly. And you knew that started. That's exactly right. I knew that.

SPEAKER_00 42:59

If I lose 66 pounds, I'm gonna be in there 60 weeks.

SPEAKER_02 43:02

I knew it. So your why was to be healthy and to lose that weight. Yeah. And guess what? 66 pounds was a number that you could see and you could visualize. And so now, incrementally, you did the well first thing I gotta do. Let me see, what am I, what am I, what are the things that I know is causing the problem? Okay, I gotta quit eating all this processed food. I gotta exercise, I gotta move. And so now you you put those things in in order, then you put them in order priority, and then you just get consistent. Like right now, what I'm doing right now, because I don't, I don't wanna be crazy body, you know what I'm saying? I'm not doing that. I just want to be fit. I want to be able to do things. I got grandkids now, I want to be able to participate. So I said, let me find something that's non negotiable that that I can do no matter what. In other words, I can't even make an excuse for it. Right. You feel me? And so what I started doing, and I'm and I'm telling everybody that I know because it's something that everyone can do.

SPEAKER_00 43:55

Look right there at that camera and tell them, tell them.

SPEAKER_02 43:57

So I start my day, you know, with prayer. Water, all that type of stuff. But I go do I got a Tesla. So I charge my Tesla and there's a trail not too far from where I'm charging. So I get out of the car and I go to the trail. And there's a park bench about every quarter mile on this trail. So every every park bench I do 50, 50 reps, body squats, and 25 push-ups. And so by the time I walk to the next one, I'm recovered. I do it again. So I'm hitting between 200 and 200, 200 and 300 reps in the morning. And so now my what I do at the gym is minimal. I'm just, you know what I'm saying? I I go to I go do chest and back one day. I do arms, shoulders and arms one day.

SPEAKER_00 44:37

I want to ask you. So like I know you can't see it here, but I did arms. I've never had a bicep in my life.

SPEAKER_02 44:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 44:42

I'm just now starting to see veins in my arms. And I've been I've been hitting the gym gym hard for probably two years. And I've just now, so like my quads, I see the definition of my quad. This this bicep's tour. That's why I said something to you just a minute ago. But like a dude, I'm doing things I've never done before. But it's taken me it was probably a good year to a year and a half. So back and buys, chest and tries, legs, and then shoulders. Those are my four. Good? Yes.

SPEAKER_02 45:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 45:09

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 45:10

The reason why I'm doing three is because if I do four or five, then things that I'm not really after starts happening. Right, right. Like me now, I eat two meals, three meals some days. But if I go to four and five, then I'm 260 again. Yeah. I don't, you know what I'm saying? I don't want to do that. So that's what I'm saying. You have to find what works for you, your your boundaries, your happy mediums, or whatever. And you're on the path.

SPEAKER_00 45:33

Dude, I used to I used to hate the gym. I get hangry if I don't go to the gym now. I'm like, dude, I gotta go work out.

SPEAKER_02 45:38

It's a place to release stress. It's a place to that you're in control of the equations for that hour or whatever. That's right. So I'm gonna show you something for biceps right quick. So when you curl, what's your thought process?

SPEAKER_00 45:50

Well, this one's torn. I understand. So I just pack is torn. I literally just do hammer curls. That's what I do right now. And you may have something else for the case.

SPEAKER_02 45:56

So but when you're curling, is there anything particular?

SPEAKER_00 46:00

Somebody taught me to look at my muscle until it is growing.

SPEAKER_02 46:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 46:03

So I literally, I literally will, I don't look at this much because it's I will literally look at it.

SPEAKER_02 46:08

So so so looking like this, but in the mirror, you usually can see.

SPEAKER_01 46:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:12

So I'm gonna show you how to feel it. So when I do, you know, um seminars or whatever, I always ask, you know, in order for you to develop something or grow something or whatever, you need to know the function. Like when it comes to muscles. If I want to make my legs bigger, I need to know what do my quads do, what do my hands do? So what's what's the what's the what's your biceps job? Bring my arm up. Bring your hand to your face.

SPEAKER_01 46:38

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:39

Right. So when you got your arm down to your side and you do this, what you feel your bicep contract. Yeah. Right? So when you're curling, when you grab the dumbbell, right, forget about the dumbbell. So whatever the resistance is, and I always tell people start with a really light weight. So you have to you have to think, feel it. You know what I mean? And then you just hold on to that dumbbell and bring your hand towards your face, and you'll feel your bicep contract. Now you're engaging your biceps. So from here on out, when you go touch, when you go grab those biceps, you're gonna have a different experience because now you know you put that connection together.

SPEAKER_00 47:10

Dude, I I'm just now the last two weeks starting to see a vein on my arm. I've never had one of my I'm 58 years old, bro. I've never had one in my life.

SPEAKER_02 47:18

Wait till you wait till you grab that dumbbell. Yeah, I would tell you to start with like a 12. Yeah. Start with like a 12 and just hold hold it down to your side. Yeah. And just bring your pink. I would tell people, lead with the pinky, bring it towards your face and watch what happens to your bicep. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. I try to get big arms, you know, my arms are. Please do.

SPEAKER_00 47:36

Dude, I'd have we'd have a blast.

SPEAKER_02 47:37

Yeah, we'd have a blast. Um there's a there's a clinic that I'm getting ready to start working at. It's called Sotera. It's over in East Cobb. I'll send you the information. You can put it in the in the whatever show notes. So I'll be there. I'm also at Bodyplex in Hamilton Mill for people that live up north. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:52

And you're in Beautiful, right?

SPEAKER_02 47:54

Yes. Okay. So I I I personal train and coach really for my sanity. I'm not really doing it for a living. So how how fulfilling is that for you though, then? It's very fulfilling.

SPEAKER_00 48:02

You're watching. Yeah. Tell me how fulfilling that is compared to you walking up on that stage at at uh Mr. Olympia, and you know you're about to knock it out of people.

SPEAKER_02 48:14

Yeah. So when I was bodybuilding, I loved my fans and all that type, but I did that for me. Yeah. That was that was an internal thing.

SPEAKER_01 48:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 48:21

When I'm do coaching other people, especially the ones that lock in and love it. Yeah, yeah. You know, some people, you know, they I call them assholes. They want the information, but they really don't want to do nothing. You know what I'm saying? They don't want to put in the work. Right. When you see someone with a great physique, just know no matter what you think, they're busting their buttons. That's right. No one's you no one's looking like that in Pampers. You know what I'm saying? Like that's earned.

SPEAKER_01 48:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 48:45

You know what I mean? Yeah. And so you have to, there's a level of respect. I realize that I've been like I'm in this room, but I've been in so many rooms, and and I know why I was there,

Cleansing The Temple For Purpose

SPEAKER_02 48:55

but I know that that reason is what got me there. You know what I'm saying? Like, in other words, I'm here for because of either somebody was impressed with my physical, you know, a lot of people from, you know, when I was when I was the X-Men or whatever, they didn't know who I was from, they knew who I was from a distance. But then when they got to meet me and they they get to see what kind of personality I got. They was like, wow, bro, you're you're nothing like I thought you were. And I'm just like, well, dang, though, what do you what'd you think I was? You know what I'm saying? That's right. And so I had to, I always work on, you know, my perception of, you know, people's perception. I don't care what you think about me, but I care about how I present myself. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_00 49:33

So in that journey of doing Mr. Olympia and finishing fifth, that's mad. I mean, that's like like you're the fifth baddest dude on the planet. Yeah. Like that's like fifth baddest dude on a planet. That's pretty, that's pretty, that's pretty impressive. Yeah. Who's like the coolest person you got to spend time with? And no, you had to be bodybuilding. Like, who's the person? Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_02 49:50

I mean, I'm gonna tell you who's cool that people don't, maybe they do know Arnold. Yeah. Arnold is super cool. So I met Arnold the first time in person in '93. So I met him at at his show in Ape in March, right? And then that June, I won the junior nationals and I went to LA. So I'm in LA and I'm at Gold's Gym or World, I think it was World's Gym, that's where he trains. So I'm about to walk in and I see this Hummer pulling up, and it's him. Right? So he I go in the gym and our Arnold comes in the gym. You didn't wait outside and wait on him to get out of the gym. No, no, no. I go on in the gym and I'm working out, and he comes in. Yeah, and I see him, right? And we see each other, and I walk towards him, I introduce myself, and he remembered me from seeing me earlier that year. I had to feel good. It felt really good because when he saw me in in March, I was only like 240. Yeah. And now I'm like almost 280. So he's really tripping. Wow. And we shook hands and he I had a magazine, he signed it for me.

SPEAKER_01 50:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:51

And then a bunch of people ran up and started trying to get him to sign stuff. And he was like, no, no, later, after the pump. Yeah. So he shoot him off. And so that was our first encounter together. And then I started doing his show after that. And so every time he sees me, you know, I've I've had other times where I was walking into a hotel, really swanky hotel in LA one time, and he pulls up in his Bugatti or Bentley or something.

SPEAKER_01 51:13

X-Man, get out the way.

SPEAKER_02 51:14

Did he really? It was hilarious. So he's just a really, really cool dude. But but I've got to hang out with Lee Haney, Ronnie Coleman, just all of those guys, man. I know those guys personally. And, you know, being a fan, I remember working backstage in '95 at the Olympia and Dorian, Nasser, Sean, Flex, all those, you know what I'm saying? Like, I was like, I was like a kid in the candy store, dreaming about it.

SPEAKER_00 51:34

You saw your heroes and your albums, man.

SPEAKER_02 51:35

That's that was your bullseye. And then, you know, 10 years later, they're in the audience cheering me on. And then 10 years later, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_00 51:42

It's like, it's like really crazy. So what would you say? You know, we have a massive faith-based entrepreneur. They may not be bodybuilders, but they're entrepreneurs. It's the same. You said something earlier about resilience.

SPEAKER_01 51:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 51:52

And I was playing cards with a buddy of mine in Indianapolis. He is the CEO of a massive company. And Bang Capital asked him to be on their board. And he was telling me about that. It was a two-day assessment that they put. Bang Capital is one of the largest private equity firms on the planet. And he goes, Ken, after two days of assessments, I'm talking about hours. He said, Do you know the number one characteristics they were looking for? He said, grit, resilience. They just want to know you won't quit. And I was like, wow. Like, what would you say to somebody that's watching this today? Hey, Tony, and they're like, they're tired. They're like, they've got, you know, I would say, as you did, you had a torn peck. They've got something in their life that they think is keeping them full from fulfilling the purpose that God has on their life.

SPEAKER_02 52:36

You got to give it up to God, bro. You know, I found that I remember having conversations with God. And it's like, you know, I'm like, God, I don't want to drive no more. I take my hands off the steering wheel. And like I say, realize that, you know, like I say, seek ye first. If you're struggling with something, more nine times out of ten, especially, you know, we're a child of God. Like now, there are NPCs. Everybody's not a child of God.

SPEAKER_00 52:59

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 53:00

But if you're a child of God and he sits you, makes you stop or makes you pause or or isolates you, then try to recognize that and listen. And then, you know, I I pray to God almost like I'm talking to you. And I'm like, show me. I said, you know, remove the things that are in my way and bring so I can see the things you want me to see. Yeah. And and he does.

SPEAKER_01 53:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 53:21

You know what I'm saying? It could be a relationship. It could be somebody in your life that, you know, you don't know what their real intent is. But if you pray and tell God to remove stuff like that, they'll be gone. And you'll be like, what happened? Where'd it go? You know what I'm saying? And so I can't get upset when God answers my prayers the way that I pray it. So, but I would just tell people to realize, like, whose kingdom are you trying to build? Right? You know what I'm saying? So if you're trying to do something, be successful, because I, you know, be raising the church, they didn't teach us about being rich. They all they kind of told us that that wasn't the way to be. But, you know, God is about abundance. That's right. You know, I had to, I'm just now really, you know, I've learned it over the years, but it's just not really sinking, kicking, kicking into where I want to be wealthy now. Yeah. Because now I know what I'll do with it. Before, you know, if you told me just 20 years ago, you know, I'm whatever, I'm gonna do like everybody else. But now it's like I'm really focused on building the kingdom one brick at a time, one person at a time. Yep. And and it's not like religion, it's like that walk, that, you know what I'm saying? Like realizing that again, the kingdom is God within God's looking at what you're looking at. How about that? That's right. You know what I'm saying? Yes, he is. And I mean, I got a story, a real real simple story. So, you know, we a lot of times we expect big things, you know, or God to be involved. I so he's over the years, he's showed me lessons. The last, the one that really made it kick and click for me. I haven't had a speeding ticket since 1991. Right? I got a I got a ticket a few years ago for expired tag when my wife was going through cancer and she didn't do the tag, whatever. But speeding ticket, I hadn't had one since 91. And so I'm at a bodybuilding show a few months ago in Columbus, Georgia. Now, on the way down, I was a little late, so I'm driving like 8590 all the way down. And I

Simple Daily Training That Works

SPEAKER_02 55:15

made it, no problem. On the way back, I had pulled over to this little river and I was reflecting, you know, watching the people throw rocks and fish and whatever. And so I go to get in the car to go home. And I hear just as clear as day, put on ways. There's probably gonna be some cops.

SPEAKER_00 55:33

I was about to say, bro, ways. That's it. I was about to tell you. I hear this.

SPEAKER_02 55:36

I'm in the car by myself, and I hear, put on ways. There's probably gonna be some cops. And I said out loud, no, I got it. I'm chilling tonight. Right? Like, even just repeating it right now, I'm really tripping because it was like my wife was sitting there, but it was nobody there, and I know that was God telling me. I get on the road and I'm driving, and I'm driving the speed limit the whole time. Yeah, like right, yeah. And so I'm driving down the road in this camper in front of me, and it has these. You ever see the little thing where the car lots and the thing? It had something, it had something like that on the back. Yeah, yeah. It was like distracting me. So I said, I'm gonna go around this van. So I got a Tesla. I punched it, I punched it, so I go from 65 to 80 something, just like that. And as I go around and go to get in front of them, state trooper right there. Wow. And of course I didn't have on ways. I would have known he was up there. You know what I'm saying? And and so you ever see that meme where Jesus is looking, looking over his shoulder, looking. That's all I could all I said, I said, as soon as I saw the state trooper, I pulled over immediately and I said, I okay, God, okay, okay. I got y'all listening. Um he said, for from from here on out, whenever you speak, because I because I've learned to distinguish me talking to myself and God talking to him. Yeah, that's good. Usually God's not wasting conversations when he's telling me something, it's I need you to do this now. That's right. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. And and that right there just taught me to just obey instantly, and then he'll reveal to you whatever it is you want him to see. And that's honestly, I tell this story, but it's for real. Like it's like really, really for real.

SPEAKER_00 57:12

So good, dude. So what's the best way for people to find you? How can they get in contact with you? What have you got coming up?

SPEAKER_02 57:18

So I have my own, we have our own podcast. It's called The Alpha Hour Podcast. You could we're on YouTube and we're on all of them. And but you can get in touch with me because I got a lot of cool stuff. Like I told them working with the tribe, and it's not all the way there yet. So TFX Man305 on Instagram is probably the best way to get me because I check my DMs or whatever. And um, so I'm on all the platforms though. Just T-O-N-E-Y Freeman, X-Man Freeman. So yeah. I love it, man. Dude, thank you for coming by today. Man, this was awesome. And like I say, you know, we just met. Yeah, and um, I I really love just listening to God talk to me, tell me, go do this, go have this conversation. And I didn't know anything about you until I started watching your podcast and this whole frequencies and proximity. That's how I got here. That's how God used frequency to talk to me and and and get me to where I'm at right now. And I really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 58:06

Well, I got your book before you get out of here, David. I gotta have it.

SPEAKER_02 58:09

Like I said, I was earlier, I was sneaking in, reading somebody's back there, and I was like, man, I gotta get this. Very good. Thank you for being here, my brother. Likewise, man. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 58:16

Hey guys, thank you for joining us on another episode of Proximity. I will see you next week, right back here with another amazing guest.