023 – Steve Rodgers – Trading Wealth for a Higher Calling
Alchemy Advisors
Steve Rodgers barely graduated from high school and didn’t go to college – but at the height of his corporate career he was the CEO of one of Warren Buffett’s most profitable real estate companies, turning over annual revenue of $25 billion. He then built his own billion-dollar real estate empire.
Then, he gave it all up to peruse what he describes as his higher calling.
Steve’s is a story of ambition, aggressive corporate ladder climbing, financial largesse, alcoholism and the search for personal clarity.
In this episode of the Team Guru Podcast he will tell you about it all – with incredible honesty, candour and wisdom.
Enjoy!
Lessons Learned
Here’s what I took from the episode:
What Steve Does
Steve describes himself as a ‘smorgasbord of a guy’ – consultant, author, coach and entrepreneur.
He consults for companies who are seeking to increase profits, connect more authentically with their customers or to develop a higher purpose for what they are trying to achieve.
He coaches entrepreneurs to help them with their business pursuits and to help them achieve a balanced life.
He can now say that he’s an author – because he’s just about to publish his first book.
And he’s a series investor in business and start-ups – a serial entrepreneur
Who Steve Is
Steve considers himself, above all else, as a spiritual being having a human experience. And that is how he tries to show up in his work, his writing and his daily practice.
Who Steve Was
- Climber of the corporate ladder
- Aggressive and ambitious
- An alcoholic
- The CEO of a real estate firm that generated $25 billion dollars in annual sales
- The CEO of one of Warren Buffett’s corporations
- Owner of his own $1 billon real estate company –a real estate tycoon
The Big Change
- When the GFC hit in 2005/6, the real estate industry took a massive hit. Steve was fired as CEO the week before Christmas 2008. Now Steve views that event not as the end of a CEO career but as the birthing of an entrepreneur
- He created his own real estate company – even in a tough market – that grew to 10 offices and was doing over $4 billion in sales
- But then, during the height of that business success, his wife became very ill and almost died. It forced Steve to reflect on his life and goals and wonder if he was really working towards his higher purpose
Steve’s Business
- Steve’s business is called Alchemy Advisors
- The name was inspired by the book The Alchemist by Paulo Ceolho
- He loves the concept of turning lead into gold – turning something of value into something of great value
- His company helps people transition, transform and evolve to their highest good in life and business
Steve’s Lessons
- You have to belief in yourself
- Learn how to break through fear quickly
- And realise that on the other side is great empowerment
- Come to the realisation that you are worthy – worthy to be part of that conversation, to perform that role, to meet those people, to do that deal…
When you combine those abilities you exude a sense of confidence that other people want to be around.
The next level, once you have achieved those qualities, is to work out how you can be of service – to design your business, your products, your life so that you are able to help others.
‘That’s what life is all about – being of service’
The Power Behind Steve’s Success
- Insatiable drive – Steve felt completely driven, as if he was always looking to prove himself to other people
- Curiosity – as someone without a college degree he felt a need, an urgency, to learn as much as he could from everyone and everything around him
- Mentors – Steve noticed that successful people like talking about themselves. So he found them, asked them about themselves, what they’d achieved, the lessons they’d learned etc. It’s amazing what people are willing to share when you ask them
Pride
Despite his enormous corporate success, rubbing shoulders Warren Buffett type people, amassing enormous wealth, Steve is most proud of the fact that his dealt with his alcoholism. After finally admitting to himself that he was a ‘functioning alcoholic’ he has not touched a drop in 13 years
Advice
Steve believes that when you understand your higher calling, your mission, you will find a way to make it happen
When you truly set your mind to do something, the universe conspires towards your success
- Plan what you’re your dream looks like and map it out (we often spend more time planning our vacations/holidays than we do planning our actual life!)
- Make a life plan: goals, map it out create timelines – just like you would if you were making a business plan
- Write about what your ideal life is – what does your ideal day, partner, month look like.
- And then start planning how to get there
We all have a vision in our mind of what our life should be like, then we have the reality of what it is. In between those two things is stress, unhappiness. And it’s there, in that space, that we fill the void by eating bad food, drinking too much or using drugs.
‘Have a plan. Map a plan. Work your plan.’
The Steve Rodgers Leadership Model
- Lead by example – be the example of the type of performers you want around you
- Constantly express the vision – people want a view of where we are heading. Something that is exciting, inspiring and cool – but there is a realistic plan attached as to how we’re going to get there
- Help others understand their contribution – how do they contribute, be of most value, helping the higher calling, increasing their independence, and self worth – and how they can be appreciated for it
Steve’s Book
Launched: 18 or 19 May 2016 – on Amazon
Title: Lead to Gold – An Entrepreneur’s Guide Through Transition and Transformation
Promise to Team Guru Listeners: There are a bunch of great free gifts that will be given with the book only on release date. But for Team Guru Podcast listeners, if you email Steve he will honour those bonuses anytime!
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