Law Talk with the Flock

The Underdog Mindset: Go After Your Dreams

June 24, 2020 Jeana Goosmann, Van Deeb Season 1 Episode 18
Law Talk with the Flock
The Underdog Mindset: Go After Your Dreams
Show Notes Transcript

Host Jeana Goosmann and guest Van Deeb, motivational speaker, author, and success coach, from Omaha, Nebraska, talk about the underdog mindset, entrepreneurial hustle, and surrounding yourself with like minded people. Jeana and Van talk about sticking to the fundamentals of your career and always having the drive, desire, and determination to succeed and never take things for granted. In this episode you will learn: 

  1. Having a giving mindset is so powerful 
  2. You do not have to be a part of the pack in life
  3. Underdog's and gratitude go together

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Goosmann Law Firm :

Do complex legal issues hold you back. Let's get energized and bring clarity to your top legal questions. This is Law Talk With The Flock by Goosmann Law Firm.

Jeana Goosmann:

Hi, I'm Jeana Goosmann, your host of Law Talk With The Flock CEO business owner, attorney, and author here to help you navigate your way through life and the law and your life as a leader. And I am so excited to have with me today. One of my mentors, someone that's become a friend of mine and someone I am just really proud to have on my podcast today. Van Deeb. Van, welcome to the podcast.

Van Deeb:

Thank you so much, Jeana. I'm so grateful to be here and I'm honored. I'm honored to be on your podcast. I'm a big fan. I'm a big fan of yours.

Jeana Goosmann:

Well, we're kind of a mutual admiration society in that regard Van. So Van has been one of the number one realtors and salesman through and through, and he has just become a really key leader on the topic of leadership. And I think he gives the best motivational talks and he's just such a good people connector as well as a true gentleman. And so Van with that, I know that you have this platform and what have you been up to in 2020 given everything going on?

Van Deeb:

Oh my gosh. You know, I've been called upon Jeana and now more than ever to help people stay motivated, be inspired. They need, they need to know that they're okay and it's okay to start over. And so I've been doing a lot of motivational zoom calls and then I'm doing a lot of real estate. It's my passion, that's my love. And so I'm doing a considerable amount of real estate also.

Jeana Goosmann:

Well, I'm excited that you're willing to help share some of that passion and enthusiasm and some of your business leadership insights with us. And that's really who our target is and who we speak to. And it really got my attention when I got one of your emails, Van, and you had a bunch of great content talking about the underdog. And so today we're going to focus on what is an underdog and how should you behave and how should you help others that are an underdog.

Van Deeb:

That's a great, great question. I've always personally considered myself an underdog and I try to only write newsletters and give speeches about my experiences. And I've been an underdog, the majority of my life until I hit my twenties and I realized, I have the ability and what it takes to accomplish what my goals were, but I've always had the underdog mindset. And to me, that is to always have the drive, desire, and determination, to succeed and never take things for granted. Even when I built my company and we became nationally known, I still grounded myself with, you know, the underdog mindset and that's not always to prove people wrong."Watch me look what I can do." Some people live on that. Mine was to prove myself right. That in my mind, like Napoleon Hill said in Think and Grow Rich,"If you can conceive it and believe it, you can achieve it." I wanted to prove to myself that what I conceived and what I believed I could achieve. So I love underdogs. I love people that are going up against the big national brands. They just do something to me. It's kind of like, not just in business, Jeana, but in sports. I don't know what year it was, could have been 10 years ago. But you know, I'm a college football guy. I like watching college football,

Jeana Goosmann:

Big college football guy. Love it. Yes. And Appalachian State beat Michigan. The first game of the year, Michigan was supposed to beat them 70 to nothing that was all over the college football world that this big powerhouse. And I want to tell you something I had chills in me when I saw that, because I know what it did to that university. It made them believe in themselves. They no longer felt like they can't accomplish something. Underdogs are the, are the funnest people to watch grow because they appreciate everything. Absolutely. And I think that's probably what resonated with me so much. I remember 11 years ago when I decided to start the Goosmann Law firm, I had these big grandiose ideas and a lot of people had doubt. Right. And just,"Okay, well, that's interesting. We'll see how that turns out." And when you go after something, you go after your dream and when you have the different hurdles, I think that gives you that sense of accomplishment, but then never getting rid of that underdog mentality and never feeling like you've made it. Right? People ask me like, Oh, reflecting back on the Goosmann Law Firm I'm proud of where we've come. But to me we're still just getting started

Van Deeb:

And see your culture and your mindset is what encouraged me to become a client last year. So I'm a big fan of Goosmann Law because of that mindset that even though you reached this huge level of success Jeana, with the company, you still have the underdog mindset that you want to constantly get better and better and better. And when you have that mindset, you make everybody around you better. It's pretty cool to see that I love working with entrepreneurs, they need one person, not 100, one person to say you got what it takes and you're going to make it.

Jeana Goosmann:

And then once you've had some success to look back and pull those people along with you, right? And that's what you're known for Van is helping out other people. And that at Goosmann, our mission is worth it. And to me, that is the core of what it means when we say worth it. It's how can we help our clients? How can we help other professionals? How can we help the people around us and share our knowledge so that we're able to, you know, help those underdogs and bring people closer to their goals.

Van Deeb:

See, that's one of the reasons why I love doing business with you guys is not everybody thinks like we do. And you know, it's a joy and it feels so good to be with likeminded people. You can be the most successful people on the planet, but still be grateful. And to me, underdogs and gratitude go together. You know, I, I love watching underdogs become successful. And I think people like you and I, and our firms, we have a responsibility more than anybody to encourage other people to have that same mindset and to help them along. And it might just be a five minute conversation, you know?

Jeana Goosmann:

Well, especially right now, when so many people are having really hard times and right before we got going here you started to talk about what some of your advices to those people that are really struggling given the state of affairs here in 2020,

Van Deeb:

You know, Jeana, I say, go back to the fundamentals, ask yourself this. What brought me to the dance? How did I become successful? Well, it's the basics and fundamentals. A coach is going to say, it's blocking and tackling. Matter of fact, if you interview a coach coming off the field at halftime, and they're down by seven points the reporter comes up and says, Hey, coach, you're down by seven points. What are you guys going to do in the second half, nine out of ten times, the coach is going to say, we're going to get back to the fundamentals and the basics. That's what business people need to do when we're struggling. And we're come up with these challenges like the current, you know, society out there today with all that's happened. We have the ability to go right back if it was 11 years ago, or if it was 30 years ago were five years ago and say, what brought me to the dance? Hmm. I made 10 phone calls a day. I stopped to see five people a day. I wrote 15 handwritten notes, all these things. They don't have a shelf life. They're still really popular. Go back to the basics and the fundamentals and watch what happens.

Jeana Goosmann:

It's that hustle. Right? And bringing back that brand new entrepreneurial hustle

Van Deeb:

And don't you want to work with somebody like that? Absolutely. I want to give to somebody that's fired up and, and you know, that isn't afraid or too big for their britches to start over, you know, people that are struggling, even if they've been doing it forever and they're having a low in their business, basics and fundamentals. And I want to tell you something about the word fundamental. It's a fact that when you make your job fun, you're going to do it. Well. Why do you think the first three letters of fundamental spell fun? And I know it sounds silly, but I really, I really believe that if we find a way to make our careers fun, like you're doing with podcasts. I mean, you know, when I come into your office, everybody's smiling. I automatically feel like, Hey man, I'm, I'm fired up to be here. We have the ability just like Goosmann Law does for their clients like me. We have the ability to make people's experiences fun. And that might just be a smile, or it might just be, you know, a warm handshake or something.

Jeana Goosmann:

This passion is contagious. And I truly believe it, I mean, when you surround yourself with other people that are passionate about what they do and that have that hustle, there's no way that you can't have a better, more positive energy. And then that can help carry you through some of those tougher times as well.

Van Deeb:

I think the good Lord for two things, well amongst others, but one is movie theaters and Sylvester Stallone because in 1976, I went to a movie called Rocky and it did something to me. I left that theater on fire and it was because here's a guy that was kind of like me less than average, not a great boxer. Of course I didn't box. I probably looked like I did, but I wasn't. But anyway, he made a decision to work out wicked hard every day, to create a blueprint of, of a work ethic that was off the charts. And he ends up being in the heavyweight championship. I took that movie and it did something to me. It made me want, you know, I was an average athlete in high school. All my best friends were all state. And then there's me. I was all bench warmer and I did nothing in high school. And then that movie kind of catapulted me. I'm going to get bigger and stronger and workout. And before you know it, Jeana I'm in college and none of my friends were playing college. And I'm starting ahead of guys that were all state in high school. So it was a, it was a turn on to me knowing that you create discipline and there's nothing you can't do. And it all started with that. With that movie, it just got me fired up.

Jeana Goosmann:

That's an awesome inspiration story Van. And I think you have to look for different, and then also in that same story is the fact that happiness is created. You have to work on it, right. It doesn't just come to you. It's something that you have to work towards. And a lot of times achieving a goal is what can bring great happiness.

Van Deeb:

Yeah. And it's, it's so much more sweeter when you started from nothing and start watching the goals become knocked down as you grow and you become, you know, all these things that you wanted to accomplish. And then that same joy is when you watch other people doing the same thing. And it's amazing what one little bit of encouragement can do, just, by you Jeana saying to somebody, you have the ability. I know you're going to be successful. That will stay with them forever. That Jeana Goosmann said I'm going to be successful. So I'm going to. It plays a gigantic role

Jeana Goosmann:

And Van, you've got to share at least one more story of some of how, you said you're an underdog and show some of your hustle. So I love your billboard story and how you stood up on it. Can you share that with our listeners?

Van Deeb:

So one of the things that I wanted to do with, as I became a father in 1988, and I was so blessed to have my little girl and it wasn't the easiest of deliveries. And so I started writing handwritten notes to all the doctors at children's hospital. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And then I started thinking, what can I do? Because I'm kind of out there. I'm not afraid to be different metric. I try to be different in my industry, I want to stand out. So I started thinking, what can I do for the children's hospital and benefit my career, which is okay to do that. And so I said, I'm going to start standing on top of a roof and I'm not coming down until I raise so much money for the children's hospital. Well, Jeana that became an every year deal, CNN covered it. Local stations would cover it. I t started out, I raised two grand, then five grand, then 10 grand. And it just became a household deal w here wherever I go,"Hey, that's the real estate guy that raises money for children's hospital." I was okay with that. And so what was cool for me is it helped my business grow, but it also encouraged guys like me that don't look like Johnny fundraiser and it made them want to go out and Hey, my p arent, my mother died o f cancer. I'm going to go raise money for the American cancer society. My kid goes to this elementary, I'm going to, I'm going to help raise money for their art department. It created a lot of these people that came out of the woodwork. I'm most proud for that. But we all have the ability to step outside of the crowd. When I got in real estate, 38 years ago, I made a commitment. I did not want to be part of the pack. I did not want to be, Hey Vans. One of, you know, a million real estate agents in the United States. N o, I want to stand out.

Jeana Goosmann:

Well, stand out. You have. And I think that's an outstanding thing for people to hear is that you don't have to be one of the pack. And also the self promotion and charity can go hand in hand and that's okay.

Van Deeb:

Yeah, it is. I mean, if you're benefiting others, there's no law that says you can't benefit yourself. You know? And I think everybody wants people. I think the more that you do things for others, if it does come back to you, it just encourages you to do, you know, to do more

Jeana Goosmann:

Absolutely having that giving mindset. It's so powerful.

Van Deeb:

Yeah. And you know, you help enough people get what they want. It just comes back to you in some form or fashion. It just does. And you know, we're, we're from the Midwest and we've got, I just love the culture of the, of the Midwestern mindset. Because when people look at you, they say, what can I do for you? They really mean it. It's not just in their job description. They really mean what can I do for you?

Jeana Goosmann:

And if someone is listening and they are a mentor to some other folks, what are some other things that they can do to help bring them along,

Van Deeb:

Be a great listener, make sure the advice you're giving them are advice that you would take yourself and, follow up with them, putting your ticker to check with them every so often, all people need to know. I used to put this on my business card. I did not make this up. I don't take credit, but people don't care how much, you know, until they know how much you care. That meant something to me. It really did. And so I really wanted to make sure that I don't hide the fact that I care about you. And that may be a handwritten note once a month. It may be a phone call. Hey, Jeana, how's the law firm? Going great. Can I be of any help? No, we're doing great. You know, little things like that. It's just, it may last a minute, but it meant the world to them.

Jeana Goosmann:

Absolutely Van that's such an outstanding piece of advice and people need mentors and they need to know that they're not in this alone. And I think people are feeling a lot of loneliness right now as well. And so having people like you in their life and being connected to one another and helping each other out is what true leadership is all about. And I think it resonates when people say we're stronger together and that is impactful in so many different ways.

Van Deeb:

Yeah. And I think later, I think you're dead on leadership is a responsibility. You know, if you have the ability to encourage and empower others, you have the responsibility and we don't always wake up feeling great. It can take one little incident that somebody can say something kind to you or give you a smile, can be a game changer. We all want to feel like we matter or like your, your platform worth it. You know, we want to feel like we're worth it.

Jeana Goosmann:

Well, thank you again for being on the podcast with me today, Van I so appreciate you joining me and bringing your energy to the podcast, which is just outstanding. I really appreciate it. And I want to have all of our listeners make sure they stay healthy, stay strong and go make it worth it.

Van Deeb:

Yeah. Thank you very much.

Goosmann Law Firm :

Thanks for joining us for LawTalk With The Flock by Goosmann Law Firm. We hope you feel energized and ready to soar past your goals. Become a Flock Fan and subscribe to our podcast for weekly episodes. Learn more at goosmannlaw.com.