When Mark Cuban told Patrick Bet-David that "the best skill is knowing how to learn," it hit me like a freight train. Most people want success, but very few know how to learn the right way to get there. I didn’t either—at least not in the beginning.

My First Step: YouTube University

I didn’t grow up around CEOs or business owners. My first mentor? YouTube. I taught myself how to launch a detailing business, build systems, set up LLCs, and manage basic finances—all from watching videos. I didn’t even know what an LLC was.
But I stayed curious. I hustled. I tried, failed, and tried again.
The biggest danger for a self-taught learner? Thinking you've already got it all figured out.

The Audiobook Illusion: Listening Isn’t Always Learning

Eventually, I moved to audiobooks. I was consuming 2–3 a week while grinding it out at a mining company—unloading trucks, moving packages, you name it. I listened to books on leadership, sales, accounting, and productivity.
But here’s the truth: Just because you hear something doesn’t mean you learned it.
Real learning requires pause, reflection, application—and ideally, talking with someone who’s hungry to grow too. Passive learning creates the illusion of progress. Real growth is active.

The Wake-Up Call: Beware Who You Learn From

I hit a wall when I realized I was asking advice from the wrong people. Friends. Family. Managers. Even other business owners who looked successful but weren’t actually thriving.

Here’s the truth: I was trying to level up by taking directions from people who were stuck. Or worse, people who thought they knew everything and had stopped learning years ago.

The one person who left a real impact? My high school philosophy teacher. People said he was a genius—but he’d always say, "I don’t know anything compared to these great thinkers," and then drop a list of books he studied.

Lesson: Be selective with who you listen to. Don’t let bad advice become your mindset.

Books Changed Everything

Today? I carve out time every day to read real business books—sometimes just five minutes between deliveries, before bed, or while my baby naps.

Some of the books that shaped me:

• Atomic Habits by James Clear GRAB HERE

• Your Next Five Moves by Patrick Bet-David GRAB HERE

• The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber GRAB HERE

• The Lean Startup by Eric Ries GRAB HERE

• The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel GRAB HERE

These books didn't just give me tactics. They rewired my mindset. I stopped reacting to problems and started planning to avoid them. I set goals instead of winging it. I think in systems and strategy now.

From Hustler to Strategist: AI as My Business Partner

The latest evolution of my learning? AI.
I treat ChatGPT like a full-time assistant:

• "Give me a list of Gas stations in a 50 Mile Radius”

• "What’s the psychology behind price anchoring?"

• "Summarize this book chapter I just read."

• "Draft a business pitch I can build on."

I no longer have to waste time figuring it all out alone. I built a system around me to accelerate learning, filter information, and make smarter decisions fast.

Why Philosophy Still Leads the Way

It’s not all about tactics. Real growth starts with how you think. That high school philosophy class taught me how to view the world through different lenses—how people feel, react, and decide. That lesson transformed my sales approach, how I lead my team, and how I parent.

Books like:

• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius GRAB HERE

• The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz GRAB HERE

• Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl GRAB HERE

• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis GRAB HERE

...showed me the power of perspective. Thinking beyond yourself is a business superpower.

The Final Boss: Industry Mastery

If you want to dominate your lane, you need to study your exact industry.

Mine? Wholesale distribution to:

• Gas stations

• Convenience stores

• Smoke shops

I use AI and Google to dig deep into:

• How store owners place orders

• How distributors operate

• Inventory flow and reordering patterns

• High-risk product trends and compliance

People think it’s a waste of time to study this stuff. I think it’s how you win.

Final Words: If You’re Not Learning, You’re Losing

I went from detailing cars out of the trunk to running a multi-million-dollar distribution business.
Not because I was the smartest—but because I was obsessed with learning.

You don’t need a degree. You need discipline, curiosity, and consistent action. And yes—school helps some people. But school without the hunger to grow? That’s wasted time and tuition.

If you're unsure where to begin:

• Ask smarter questions

• Read deeper books

• Use tools like ChatGPT—not just Google

• Avoid advice from people with no results

• Master your industry like your future depends on it—because it does

 

 

IF YOU LIKED THIS, CHECK OUT MY POST ON WHY EVERYONE NEEDS A TO-DO LIST TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE ON ANOTHER LEVEL!