Life Lessons on Health, Business, and ADHD Advocacy with John A Brink

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Get at peace with who you are.

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There's only one of you on this whole earth, you know, and that's you.

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And so feel special about it.

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Not better than, but special and makes you, you may not like this part of that part of God knows what, but you are special.

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And then be at peace and then decide as who am I and where am I going?

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Welcome to The Wayfinder Show with Luis Hernandez, where guests discuss the why and how of making changes that led them down a more authentic path or allow them to level up in some area of their life.

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Our goal is to dig deep and provide not only knowledge, but actionable advice to help you get from where you are to where you want to be.

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Come join us and find the way to your dream life.

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Welcome back to the Wayfinder Show.

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I'm your host, Louis Hernandez, and today I'm here with John A.

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Brink.

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John was born in 1940 in Nazi occupied Holland.

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He was faced with harsh realities of war from a very young age, including foraging for food during the hunger winter of 1944 and 45.

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After emigrating to Canada in 1965, with just 25.

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47, he realized his dream of owning a sawmill by founding Brink Forest Products in 1975, which became the leading manufacturer of value added wood products in North America.

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Now at 83 years old, he serves as President and CEO of the Brink Group of Companies and is an accomplished author and podcast host.

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He also advocates for ADHD awareness and he's recognized for his contributions to society by having received an honorary doctorate from the University of Northern British Columbia in the order of BC in 2019.

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He's also donated over a million dollars to support workforce development in Northern British Columbia.

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John.

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Welcome to the Wayfinder show.

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Oh, thank you, Louis.

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Fantastic introduction.

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I say, well, who is this guy?

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I want to know him.

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Oh, it's me.

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Okay.

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Yeah, you know, it took a lot of work to actually cut it back.

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You are incredibly well accomplished.

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so it's quite the honor to have you here.

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But, you know, for, those folks who don't know you, can you, you know, try to give a little bit about your background?

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Yeah, as you indicated, I was born in November the 1st, 1940, so in the next two months I will be 84, and obviously I was born in Holland, in the northeastern part of Holland, about 10 or 15 minutes from the German border, my mom and dad fell in love in 1938, very quickly had a boy and a girl.

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my mom was pregnant with me and then the world changed for them, everything that he had dreamed about changed.

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My dad was drafted into the Dutch army.

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And the last time that they saw him is just before the bombing of Rotterdam, where the Germans decided to bomb the whole downtown city of Rotterdam, killing thousands and thousands of people.

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They would not know for five years if he had survived.

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In the meantime, my mom was on her own with three little kids.

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The first thing that I remember is hundreds of bombers in the air, Allied bombers that were bombing the German infrastructure, hundreds of them, three, four, and even today, 80 years later, virtually, I can still hear the bombers.

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We saw far too much that we should not have seen.

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We were liberated by the Canadian army April the 12th, 1945.

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and we saw then far too much 1944 45 is difficult, nothing to eat, no food.

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And, the three kids, myself and my brother and sister, every morning we would go with gunny sacks.

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Into the railroad yards, pick up anything edible and burnable.

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the reason that we did this because they wouldn't shoot us, they'd boot us one and we'll be back the following day.

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So then we were liberated by the Canadian army.

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It made such an impression on me that I always knew I would go to the land of my heroes, Canada.

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And so that's what 17, was drafted into the Dutch air force for two years.

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And then I left when I was 23 and I wanted to start with nothing right from the bottom up couldn't speak the language, didn't know a soul and, had no job.

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so I'm going to go to British Columbia because I'm going to build a sawmill.

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And, uh, you know, so that's where all the trees are.

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And Prince George, for all those people that are watching us, where is Prince George?

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Well, it's about 500 kilometers north of Vancouver, which puts us in the center of British Columbia.

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North, south, east, west.

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It's a big area.

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So it started as clean up man and then all the other kind of things.

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Very quickly, I was a superintendent of one of the biggest sawmills here, and then in the next two years, I already had part interest in a little sawmill, in the Yukon Territory, that is the northern part of British Columbia, next to Alaska.

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It was so cold there in the meantime, as seen at 62 below zero, and it was a real challenge to operate there.

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Then I did that for a while.

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They came back to Penn George and then started my company, but it's called Brink Forest Products company, Forest Products.

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Started at 1975, three employees and with the idea and the concept and, became quite successful.

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And today it's not about me and my success.

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Uh, uh, you know, that's all second day stuff, but today we have, numerous, a number of sawmills, And then obviously, we have three silos.

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The one is lumber, the other silo is warehousing, distribution, logistics, and the other silo is real estate, residential, commercial, and industrial.

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And all the silos are doing well.

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We employ well over 400 people.

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And, even in the tough times today, I still want, and at nearly 84, I want to, double all those companies and size in the next five years.

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And so that's what we're going to do.

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The other part that you should know, that your guests may find interesting is that, I'm also into health.

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I'm, wrote, four books.

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I'm working on two other ones.

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The last one that I did actually is this one living young, dying old.

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And that's me on the front of it.

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That's the one here.

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I'm the oldest competitive bodybuilding in North America.

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Wow.

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And so that's kind of who I am.

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there's so much there.

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I definitely want to ask you about your health and your contributions and all that, but let's back it up a little bit first.

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and I also, we didn't mention you do quite a bit of work, around ADHD awareness and I want to make sure we hit upon as well, but we'll get to that if we can.

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Yeah.

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I want to ask, a sawmill.

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Why you said you wanted to come and start a sawmill.

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What led to that?

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Like why a sawmill of all things?

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Very good question.

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You know, so let me say this, that academically I was not a success story in Holland.

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I failed grade three and I failed grade seven three times.

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So they said, what are we going to do with this guy?

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So should we, and people said, should we send them to the mentally challenged school?

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They said, no.

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So let's teach him a trade.

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My grandfather was a master carpenter and my dad worked in the forest industry.

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So they said, okay, let's get him a job in a furniture factory.

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I loved it.

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And so that's where I got a job at nights I would go to school to become a furniture maker.

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lumber has always played a big part in my life but I never felt good about myself.

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I, failed in school.

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Kids are harder than each other, right?

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So all the friends that I had in grade seven that I failed three times, you know, bond onto college and university and I became a laborer.

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I'm proud of that today, but then I was kind of looked down on.

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So I had to kind of prove something to me, only to me, that I could do it.

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I was just as good, not better than, but just as good as all the other people.

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when I came here with nothing, I had, as you already indicated, when I came off the bus and Prince George, he is 60 years ago was the dream of having a middle.

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I could speak language.

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Didn't know.

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So didn't have a job.

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I counted my money at least three times.

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I had exactly 25 and 47 cents, but I had lots of attitude.

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I always.

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Avoid the negative.

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No matter how tough today is, I'll swear it's a better day tomorrow.

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Passion.

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Whatever I do, I give it 125%.

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Work ethic.

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I still do that today.

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work ethic.

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I get up at 530 in the morning, and, I always make my bed, and I always think I'm late.

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And so, but follows those.

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Attitude, passion, work ethic, but follows their success.

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Yeah, those are great principles.

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So when you got to America, I'm sorry, Canada, what was that like?

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I, I'm always a big fan of the immigrant story as, as a son of immigrants from Columbia, South America.

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Absolutely.

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What was that like?

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You came, you did not know the language.

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how did you pick, you already said you identified Canada is where you wanted to go because they liberated you.

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So you, you felt obviously, Gratitude to the country, right?

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But why british columbia my hero Yeah.

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That's great.

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that makes a lot of sense.

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Why British Columbia?

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Why that part?

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Did you already have a connection?

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And what did it seem like?

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Good question, Louie.

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No, there was no connection.

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I didn't know anybody here, but that's where all the timber is then in British Columbia.

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And so I had to go someplace where all the timber was because I wanted to build to prove to me that I can do it.

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I wanted to start with nothing and then, build my own lumber mill.

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So I had a suitcase, three books, two sets of clothes and obviously 25 by the time and 47 cents by the time I got off the Greyhound bus here in Prince George, starting from the ground up to prove to me that I could do it.

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What were the two books?

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Three books.

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Three books.

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Three books was the, the one was Men as Men by Drucker in Dutch.

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Oh.

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I'm sure you're familiar with, very, master.

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Yeah, Peter Drucker, very, very popular.

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And then the other one in Dutch and the other one's Logical Thinking in Dutch.

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And then the other book was about Canada.

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so you landed here, but what was your perception?

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what was the reality versus your perception when you landed like you Canada was the land of your heroes You're going there You're gonna get into British Columbia because of it's where all the timber is I don't know What you thought in your head it would be like But maybe if you can describe that and say what it was really like once you got here What was it?

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what did I was it overwhelming?

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I landed by plane in Montreal to get in across Canada four days five nights I was in Holland, where you can go from north to south in two and a half hours, north, south, east, west, and so to five days on a plane, on a train.

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And they were going relatively slow compared to the ones in Europe.

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That was my first impression.

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And it's so big.

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And then I landed on the train, went to Vancouver.

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So I went to the, I could speak English.

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So I went to the immigration office.

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Fortunately, there was a German fellow there.

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I could speak some German.

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I told them what I wanted to do.

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I'm going to build a lumber mill.

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And he said, go to Prince George.

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That's a boom town.

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And that's where they're building all the sawmills, all the pulp mills and all the other kinds of things.

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So bought a ticket to Prince George, 12, 13 hours in the bus.

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to Prince George 60 years ago.

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In the distance, I can still see where the bus station used to be, and that's where I got off the bus, and the impression that I had, I had my suitcase, I had my three books, and I had my two sets of clothes, and I was looking for a job.

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and so I went to the immigration office here in Prince George.

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I was amazed by how big it was, and I couldn't speak the language, made it difficult.

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So I went to the immigration office.

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Fortunately, that was in July of 1965.

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And there was a fellow that had a Dutch background.

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So I could, obviously communicate with him a little bit.

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And so I wanted to get a job.

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And he said, when do you want to start?

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Well, obviously it was 25.

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47, no place to stay.

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I want to start now.

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It was the afternoon.

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I have to start that evening.

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You couldn't find a job being in Prince George.

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He found one in Cornell, about 75 kilometers south of us.

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and so he found a job there to pal lumber.

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And so then I thought, I'll take the bus every 20 minutes.

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Like in Holland, there is a bus not here, twice a day.

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And so I walked with my suitcase, with my gray pants, my double breasted jacket, my undershirt, my tie.

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I walked to the, to the highway and I hitchhiked to Cornell.

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And the guys must have thought, who is this guy in his suit hitchhiking?

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So somebody gave me a ride.

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and he said, where do you want to go?

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Well, I didn't understand.

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I said, Greyhound station, Quesnel.

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Greyhound station.

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That's all I knew.

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And so he, he gave me a ride to the Greyhound station.

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Fortunately, there was a fellow there, nearly 60 years ago, Ernie McKettrick, it took me 30 years to see him again, to thank him for helping me.

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So he picked me up from the Greyhound station, found me a place for boarding room.

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That same evening I was piling lumber at a sawmill with my grey pants on, my double breasted jacket, my tie and my white shirt.

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And there were about 300 people that worked in that plant.

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And every single one came down.

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You must see this crazy guy that is piling lumber and he's.

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But I, for me, that didn't matter.

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By the first coffee break, I took my tie off and I was building a sawmill.

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In my mind already, I was already thinking about stationary, this, that, and the other.

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So nothing was going to stop me.

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So I was there for about 30 days.

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And then I went to Prince George, came back to the north, there was an opportunity.

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And within a year, I was a superintendent of one of the largest sawmills in a year and a half.

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I had a little piece of a sawmill in the Yukon.

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And then 10 years later, I started.

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But at this company, now 50 years old, very successful.

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Wow.

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Yeah, clearly.

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That's amazing.

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You know, I'm wondering, a lot of immigrants who come here now, they face a lot of discrimination, right?

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I'm wondering if you faced that, back then, like did you, or were people very welcoming?

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Yeah.

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No, you know, people are not nice a lot of times, it's just the way it is.

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When I was filing lumber, I couldn't speak the language and they call me a DPR, you know, why are you doing it?

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It is DPR, you know, so I found it out, but it was obviously, and so, but.

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That, to me, was not important as far as I had a destination where I was going to go.

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Right.

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There was no one that was going to put me into another direction.

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I had a dream.

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I was going to follow that dream.

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I know, that some people have different perspectives of different people, either because of religion, colors, or wherever they came from.

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I grew up.

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And a family that we respect everybody, and we will support everybody that has the right concept of giving back to communities, being involved in it, and all the other things that we see now is, I say, those people that are being discriminated by, do not focus on it, stay the course, never give up.

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I love that.

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Everyone, everybody is special.

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There's only one of you around this world and be proud of that.

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What, let's forward to like now you building your company, right?

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You went from not having a company, and going on to build this massive company.

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And it's one thing, to just get it going and, to make your first dollar there and get it going.

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But you also have just like catapulted many levels, right?

00:16:13.700 --> 00:16:17.830
you've got managers who manage managers in so much, right?

00:16:18.149 --> 00:16:19.509
So I'm curious.

00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:23.879
When you were thinking, I know you had division already.

00:16:23.879 --> 00:16:27.480
It was, you had already created it well before it was actually realized.

00:16:27.830 --> 00:16:28.190
Right.

00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:33.370
Um, but, but sometimes we don't think about those parts of it, right?

00:16:33.379 --> 00:16:37.720
Like the growth aspects, what you need to learn to get to the next level with it.

00:16:37.730 --> 00:16:42.509
So can you describe some of those steps and what were the catalysts?

00:16:42.710 --> 00:16:48.059
Like, how'd you get through and how'd you learn to like, you know, scale a big company, you know?

00:16:48.919 --> 00:17:00.320
Yeah, so, very, very good question, Louis, is that, obviously, leaving grade seven, I didn't go to university and didn't get the MBAs or whatever they do there and teach me as to how to manage and all the other things.

00:17:00.580 --> 00:17:01.740
But I did something else.

00:17:01.740 --> 00:17:07.220
I, I started working with my hands, was very observant about all the things going on around me.

00:17:07.609 --> 00:17:30.329
Already at a young age, I would go out of my way to hear presenters that were successful In business or in other areas and find them and listen to them and trying to figure out what made them click, they had similarities all, all over saying, saying the course thing, having a plan, looking forward, all those things.

00:17:30.329 --> 00:17:45.599
So that by the time I came here, started as a cleanup man, limbo pilot, then grew up in this bigger, and as I got bigger in the company, I became more effective in terms of managing my own company and how I got it off the ground.

00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:51.369
I worked 24 7 as long as I could stay physically awake for the first 25 30 years.

00:17:51.805 --> 00:18:11.535
And then developed a company that has become gradually a very, very successful and obviously I've been very involved in management and if you, I now look back about it, but changed my life other than going to Canada was in January of 1997.

00:18:11.934 --> 00:18:14.355
I was already here for 32 years.

00:18:14.505 --> 00:18:17.275
all the time along, people said to me, you're so successful.

00:18:17.305 --> 00:18:18.315
I didn't feel that way.

00:18:18.315 --> 00:18:18.355
Okay.

00:18:18.954 --> 00:18:30.605
I still felt I had failed in a way, and I was not a very good communicator, and so I picked up a book, Driven to Distraction, and it was a book written by Dr.

00:18:30.605 --> 00:18:35.005
Halliwell, medical doctor, and I opened the book.

00:18:35.394 --> 00:18:36.505
I still have the book.

00:18:36.940 --> 00:18:46.980
January 1997 driven to this action and it was about ADHD and I said, Oh my God, that's me.

00:18:48.029 --> 00:19:00.960
And so, it was implied at that particular point in 1997 that it was a mental disorder or it was a destruction of some description or another.

00:19:01.349 --> 00:19:05.670
And so the stigma attached to it, now I'm building a company.

00:19:06.029 --> 00:19:12.809
And I go to banks and, negotiate loans for all the things that I was doing that hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars.

00:19:13.059 --> 00:19:21.869
And by the time I get the proposal into them, then I have to say, Oh, by the way, I got a mental disorder, ADHD, and they would say, have a nice day.

00:19:22.119 --> 00:19:23.730
so I have to be very, very careful with this.

00:19:23.740 --> 00:19:31.509
So when I read the book and I went through it, the more I saw, the more I believe it's a superpower.

00:19:31.980 --> 00:19:34.109
It is a superpower.

00:19:34.630 --> 00:19:46.650
And so, it took me five years before I would go to our doc that was a personal friend delivered our two daughters and I, and, I was then already 62 years old.

00:19:46.779 --> 00:19:48.309
And he said, Hey John, why are you here?

00:19:48.660 --> 00:19:50.400
I said, I think I've got a DHD.

00:19:50.779 --> 00:19:51.805
And so we looked at, yes, I do.

00:19:53.210 --> 00:20:02.900
That changed my life because now I knew, and then the more I knew about it, the more it gave me an advantage over other.

00:20:04.569 --> 00:20:07.440
People, I was very good at writing.

00:20:07.849 --> 00:20:11.019
I was, I'm also dyslectic.

00:20:11.019 --> 00:20:13.210
So, ADHD, dyslexia.

00:20:13.529 --> 00:20:18.019
And, but I was very good at writing and, and I was very good at numbers.

00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:25.980
And so, you know, the more I found out about it, then I found how little people knew about it really.

00:20:25.980 --> 00:20:32.519
And, and it was considered to be maybe 8 percent of the population may have it, male and female as well.

00:20:33.204 --> 00:20:36.555
The more I found out about it, I thought it's more than 20%.

00:20:36.914 --> 00:20:44.454
And so on my podcast that I do on the brink, podcast number 203 was with Dr.

00:20:44.505 --> 00:20:45.095
Halliwell.

00:20:45.625 --> 00:20:49.494
after all those years, he wrote the book in 1997.

00:20:49.704 --> 00:20:52.914
I bought it in, no, he wrote it in 1993.

00:20:52.914 --> 00:20:54.585
I bought it in 1997.

00:20:54.875 --> 00:20:56.075
I had him on my podcast.

00:20:56.075 --> 00:20:58.234
So and as I, Podcaster is him.

00:20:58.474 --> 00:21:00.934
He, he, he has written about 18 books.

00:21:00.944 --> 00:21:04.154
He is ADHD dyslexic as well.

00:21:04.474 --> 00:21:07.365
five of which are about attention issues.

00:21:07.714 --> 00:21:09.775
And so I had him on my podcast.

00:21:09.775 --> 00:21:15.214
as we were talking about it, I suggest that he's the expert and the medical doctor, and he's the expert, not me.

00:21:15.384 --> 00:21:22.634
I said to him that I believe that around the population is probably 20 percent or more have ADHD.

00:21:22.634 --> 00:21:24.724
He said, no, John, at least 25%.

00:21:25.789 --> 00:21:27.420
And it's my podcast number two or three.

00:21:27.539 --> 00:21:44.829
The other thing I suggested to him is my experience being part of interaction of different boards and organizations that I've been involved in that I believe successful entrepreneurs or CEOs.

00:21:45.170 --> 00:21:48.319
That, in my mind, I suggested to Dr.

00:21:48.650 --> 00:21:53.299
Halliwell that 50 percent of them are likely ADHD.

00:21:53.299 --> 00:21:56.009
He said, no, John, 75%.

00:21:56.009 --> 00:21:57.539
I agree with him.

00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:08.920
So it became, once you understand it and you can work with it, and the more I, became interactive about it, I felt I had an obligation to write about it.

00:22:09.190 --> 00:22:10.470
And I wrote a book about it.

00:22:10.509 --> 00:22:11.259
It's this one.

00:22:11.710 --> 00:22:13.599
ADHD Unlocked.

00:22:13.980 --> 00:22:15.609
Do you have to, did I send you that one?

00:22:15.950 --> 00:22:16.250
You did.

00:22:16.845 --> 00:22:17.335
Yeah.

00:22:17.644 --> 00:22:25.444
So, and, and so, you know, very, very popular and I felt that I had to, from my perspective, write about it.

00:22:25.474 --> 00:22:34.785
going back to the question that you asked initially as to what made me successful, where did I get the knowledge that I'm very, very, very successful.

00:22:35.085 --> 00:22:38.954
Effective and good, not indifferent for other people in ADHD.

00:22:39.184 --> 00:22:45.055
Once I have something that I like and I focus on, I'm very, very good at it.

00:22:45.355 --> 00:22:50.065
and the fear of being perceptive, if that is the word.

00:22:51.075 --> 00:22:52.964
Word of what I'm doing the same on podcasting.

00:22:53.654 --> 00:22:54.875
I love to podcast.

00:22:54.944 --> 00:22:57.134
I'm very successful in podcasting.

00:22:57.134 --> 00:23:00.375
Top 1 percent globally and be going to build a platform.

00:23:00.484 --> 00:23:04.194
But the point that I'm simply making is that same as my books.

00:23:04.255 --> 00:23:07.835
Once I focus on it, I'm very, very good at it.

00:23:08.065 --> 00:23:17.335
But my problem in the school system was that there was some things that I liked, like numbers and writing, but anything else I didn't do well.

00:23:17.365 --> 00:23:22.670
And, uh, I may as well not have been there.

00:23:22.680 --> 00:23:28.099
In fact, some people ask me about it, say, does it bother you that you failed grade seven three times?

00:23:28.099 --> 00:23:30.700
I said, it still bothers me today, really, really badly.

00:23:31.029 --> 00:23:37.920
I should have left earlier, you know, so tell me a little bit, but the point that I'm making Louie is that.

00:23:38.569 --> 00:23:43.369
We're starting to recognize that I believe, and I believe so does Dr.

00:23:43.369 --> 00:23:54.663
Hallewell, that probably 30 percent of the population globally, male and female, although females will show it differently than male, have ADHD.

00:23:58.555 --> 00:24:03.464
and it is, it has advantages that other people don't have.

00:24:03.474 --> 00:24:08.855
Once you understand it, accept it, and then learn what makes you function and what makes you effective.

00:24:10.285 --> 00:24:10.515
Yeah.

00:24:10.515 --> 00:24:20.384
As you may recall from when I was on your show, the, my daughter, my youngest daughter is got ADHD and dyslexia and she's absolutely brilliant.

00:24:20.694 --> 00:24:22.454
And we can tell she's just gifted.

00:24:22.515 --> 00:24:25.184
I mean, in a different way than the rest of us are for sure.

00:24:25.505 --> 00:24:40.015
I gotta give kudos to my wife who very early on, recognized it and had her tested and diagnosed because it's been able to help her, have the systems implemented to help her, thrive in the school system.

00:24:40.299 --> 00:24:52.849
That does not accept it, and is not built for it, and you can see the kids who, don't have the systems in place to help them out, how much they struggle, and I wonder, how much that messes with the psyche, right?

00:24:53.140 --> 00:24:57.660
Whereas, fortunately, my daughter can feel confident knowing, it is a superpower.

00:24:57.819 --> 00:25:00.230
and we instilled it in her that way from a very young age.

00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:05.180
nowadays, thank goodness, there's books, children's books written about it as a superpower.

00:25:05.299 --> 00:25:11.339
There's a character, Percy Jackson, I'm sure you've heard of, who's a, you know, has it and is seen as a superpower.

00:25:11.460 --> 00:25:12.279
I love it.

00:25:12.299 --> 00:25:34.640
You put that into perspective and it's so important and I remember you mentioned that on my on my podcast that we did as well, your daughter and so for me, when I left school at 13 and was looked at as dumb, stupid and should Go to a mentally disordered school, all the other things.

00:25:34.849 --> 00:25:41.589
Fortunately, my character was already then strong enough that I lived in a world of my own.

00:25:41.900 --> 00:25:47.710
I then already had attitude, passion, work ethic, to a certain extent, the elements of it.

00:25:47.900 --> 00:25:48.880
I had my world.

00:25:49.079 --> 00:25:50.319
I knew I could do it.

00:25:50.329 --> 00:25:54.369
I'd be as good as all the others, not better than, but as good as all the others.

00:25:54.690 --> 00:25:57.289
But I had to start over again.

00:25:57.755 --> 00:25:59.494
On my own elsewhere.

00:26:01.944 --> 00:26:04.615
And so that's why going to Canada helped me to do that.

00:26:04.884 --> 00:26:14.865
if you put it into perspective, as I said about finding that book, waiting five years, then before I want to go to my doc, I already then was 62 years old.

00:26:15.095 --> 00:26:19.615
That leave school at 13 for nearly 50 years.

00:26:20.019 --> 00:26:26.519
50 years from the age of 13 to 62, I was asking, who am I?

00:26:26.720 --> 00:26:28.420
Why am I different?

00:26:29.329 --> 00:26:35.349
And that could have well turned me into an other direction downward.

00:26:36.529 --> 00:26:47.500
In my case, I didn't, although it affected me immensely in many ways, I knew there was something, but when I got the book.

00:26:47.515 --> 00:26:51.484
That I read in 1997 from Dr.

00:26:51.555 --> 00:26:54.765
Halliwell, that changed everything.

00:26:54.934 --> 00:26:57.384
Now, the other part is I was not a good communicator.

00:26:57.394 --> 00:26:59.234
I was very self conscious.

00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:06.720
And, in 1990, when I was already 50 years old, I was struggling with, I was successful.

00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:09.569
Everybody said, yeah, you're so successful, blah, blah, blah.

00:27:09.950 --> 00:27:11.160
And I didn't feel that way.

00:27:11.170 --> 00:27:17.950
And so somebody dragged me to a place, not dragged me, but, but encouraged me to go to a place that is called Toastmasters.

00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:22.190
And I said, why, what do they, it's about communications.

00:27:22.190 --> 00:27:25.049
And I said, are they going to ask me questions?

00:27:25.309 --> 00:27:25.990
No, no, no, no.

00:27:25.990 --> 00:27:27.549
You just sit there and then you just.

00:27:28.769 --> 00:27:29.349
That's what you're doing.

00:27:29.349 --> 00:27:35.450
And so I went down there and I said down in the middle of the meeting, somebody said, Hey, John, tell us all about, I said, Oh my God, I'll never go back here.

00:27:36.059 --> 00:27:36.809
But I did.

00:27:37.089 --> 00:27:42.349
I stayed there for 10 years and I became a distinguished Toastmaster, which is the highest level.

00:27:42.609 --> 00:27:44.420
And that changed my life.

00:27:44.829 --> 00:27:46.250
It gave me confidence.

00:27:46.625 --> 00:27:52.585
Not better than, but equal to, I have an amazing, even at this age, I have an amazing memory.

00:27:52.795 --> 00:27:56.595
I'm very good with numbers and obviously I'm a very good writer.

00:27:56.875 --> 00:28:02.904
And, and so all those elements, uh, you know, uh, kind of showed that.

00:28:05.410 --> 00:28:19.220
The point is that ADHD is not something that takes away from who you are, it adds to who you are, it gives you qualities that other people, respectfully, may not have in those areas.

00:28:19.269 --> 00:28:24.859
And so that's why I'm always glad, and I feel I have the obligation to speak about it.

00:28:25.529 --> 00:28:31.609
And I do, and now I'm an in demand keynote speaker all over the place, can you imagine this?

00:28:32.269 --> 00:28:43.269
And Toastmasters, all the people, hundreds of people that I've seen going to Toastmasters because I was involved for 10 years, I've never seen anybody that was as reluctant as me.

00:28:43.390 --> 00:28:47.710
I could have crawled out of there on my hands and knees and never go back.

00:28:48.279 --> 00:28:54.519
Said that's how much so I would shake for lack of confidence and it changed me.

00:28:54.539 --> 00:28:58.519
And, and so then I felt I have an obligation to speak about it.

00:28:58.529 --> 00:29:02.230
So I do that now, not, and I always ended intertwined it.

00:29:02.230 --> 00:29:06.900
So the other day I gave a presentation about 150, 200 people.

00:29:06.900 --> 00:29:18.640
I don't know how many, but in any event, when I talk about entrepreneurship and all the other things, I always include, And so I get a number of people say, yeah, I never talked to anybody I ever do and on and on.

00:29:18.849 --> 00:29:21.309
and so by that time I'm done, I'm a good presenter.

00:29:22.190 --> 00:29:24.940
Then with passion, I give it all that I got.

00:29:25.009 --> 00:29:25.720
That's who I am.

00:29:26.230 --> 00:29:34.509
And then by the time I'm done and talk about it, especially the section of ADHD, numerous people said that, damn, I wish I had it too.

00:29:35.309 --> 00:29:35.930
that's great.

00:29:36.779 --> 00:29:48.855
John, let's get into health a little bit because you are a health fanatic and clearly, you know, people who, Unfortunately, we don't air the video of this too much yet.

00:29:48.954 --> 00:29:51.805
we do have a YouTube channel, but it's only audio right now.

00:29:52.025 --> 00:29:59.625
I am looking for a video producer to start putting them on cause we are recording in video, but you clearly everybody can hear you.

00:30:00.045 --> 00:30:04.085
And, and when we do have the video, they're going to see you and.

00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:11.259
We also started by introducing you as 83 years old, and you don't look or sound anywhere close to that.

00:30:11.630 --> 00:30:14.150
You are absolutely, you look amazing.

00:30:14.250 --> 00:30:23.920
and you sound amazing, and you clearly are amazing, and I'm just wondering how much, you know, what you do that's so special to take care of your health and everything.

00:30:24.664 --> 00:30:34.144
'cause I wanna be like you, so Louis, what does, what does this very good question is that now first and foremost, I have to give, credit to my wife Sharon, who is a vegetarian Okay.

00:30:34.325 --> 00:30:36.994
And try to train me in that direction.

00:30:37.204 --> 00:30:38.734
And it didn't go easy.

00:30:39.005 --> 00:30:43.954
And there is always something I, I, I didn't say I was bad, but it doesn't go easy.

00:30:43.954 --> 00:30:49.776
And, and so as something happens that triggered it all, and that was in 2000 and.

00:30:50.150 --> 00:31:04.950
Eight, when I got a case of diverticulitis, diverticulitis is, as you know, on the right side, if you have pain to say, Oh, that is probably your appendix left side, diverticulitis colon.

00:31:05.269 --> 00:31:11.220
And so, and you see when you go to the doc, complain about it, they said, okay, well, let's change your diet a little bit, clean it up, blah, blah, blah.

00:31:11.480 --> 00:31:14.240
Don't eat too many of, corn and all of that kind of stuff.

00:31:14.609 --> 00:31:16.509
But in my case, it ruptured.

00:31:16.730 --> 00:31:20.029
And so the toxins from there went through my body.

00:31:20.494 --> 00:31:29.154
And then you, and I have a high threshold for pain, which is not helpful, put you down, call the ambulance, and then get attended.

00:31:29.184 --> 00:31:35.674
I stuck with it, for 48 hours, made my way, I don't know still how I did it in the airplane.

00:31:35.674 --> 00:31:39.944
I was hanging on to the side of the gateway to get into the plane.

00:31:40.410 --> 00:31:57.670
And to get to Prince George, went to my doc's office, as soon as he saw me said, get to the hospital right now, so I went down there, the same evening they operated on me, they took 20 centimeters out of my colon, 8 inches, and say, you came this close.

00:31:58.785 --> 00:31:59.075
Wow.

00:31:59.115 --> 00:32:04.904
So I knew then that, I'm going to have to take all of this much more serious.

00:32:04.904 --> 00:32:11.634
So I started listening to my wife, much more serious, obviously, and started to clean up the diet.

00:32:11.664 --> 00:32:14.625
Not that I was abusive, but being more conscientious.

00:32:14.845 --> 00:32:21.325
The other thing that I did is I started going to the gym, but my life is meetings.

00:32:21.664 --> 00:32:24.644
So I had to go and get myself a trainer.

00:32:24.775 --> 00:32:25.944
That's what I did.

00:32:26.184 --> 00:32:36.295
And I started training from 2009 for the next six years Somebody came into the gym and say, this is my trainer and say, Hey, John, you should compete.

00:32:36.904 --> 00:32:37.894
I said, me?

00:32:38.434 --> 00:32:39.384
Yeah, you.

00:32:39.785 --> 00:32:41.884
So I started training even more.

00:32:42.474 --> 00:32:45.424
And then in 2017, I started, competing here.

00:32:45.484 --> 00:32:57.865
Bodybuilding physique in 2017, came in second bodybuilding, third in physique, Northern BC, provincially second, physique, third bodybuilding qualified me for the nationals, Indy Arnolds.

00:32:57.914 --> 00:33:01.484
Then what happened is COVID came and we all got upset.

00:33:01.765 --> 00:33:14.585
So then I started training again two years ago and again, with the idea of qualifying for the Arnold's and this is the way I look today and, I'm still working more.

00:33:14.585 --> 00:33:16.244
So what do I do with the diet?

00:33:16.555 --> 00:33:17.964
I'm now vegan.

00:33:18.450 --> 00:33:26.700
Meaning that, I say 80, 20, probably more like 90, 10, usually mainly vegetables, are oriented like that.

00:33:26.849 --> 00:33:40.730
I don't, if I go to a store, even my wife trusts me to do the shopping, I go to the outside of the store because all the prepared foods, I don't know what is in it, and so it's substantially, vegetable based and, organic.

00:33:40.740 --> 00:33:42.680
And so be very, very careful with that.

00:33:43.204 --> 00:33:50.144
And the other part is that I'm still training right now and, getting ready for the Arnold's in 2025.

00:33:50.884 --> 00:33:51.555
Oh, amazing.

00:33:52.025 --> 00:33:53.694
Well, more on the diet.

00:33:53.704 --> 00:33:56.464
Is it just that you're on a vegan diet or is there any more to it?

00:33:56.474 --> 00:34:01.795
Like are you big into peptides or vitamin, any, vitamins and minerals or?

00:34:01.835 --> 00:34:02.204
Yes.

00:34:02.234 --> 00:34:08.114
My wife is very good at that and she has me on, on doing all of those kinds of things.

00:34:08.514 --> 00:34:10.304
We are being very proactive.

00:34:10.304 --> 00:34:11.835
I have a naturopathic doctor.

00:34:11.974 --> 00:34:17.304
A medical doctor and other people that help me with help being healthy and fit.

00:34:17.664 --> 00:34:22.675
And especially when I'm nearly 84, all of those things are very, very important.

00:34:22.675 --> 00:34:25.065
So, my wife works with me on that.

00:34:25.074 --> 00:34:29.255
She is very influential and, and checks out all those things.

00:34:29.295 --> 00:34:36.114
Naturopathic doc, the medical doctor know me and my body and that I'm very proactive in it.

00:34:36.275 --> 00:34:40.074
Actually, what I'm doing, Louis, is that I probably mentioned that to you before.

00:34:40.460 --> 00:34:49.260
In the next two, three months, I'm starting a platform, on a global basis that will become very, very successful dealing with all those issues that I do.

00:34:49.460 --> 00:34:53.909
and not only that, but also, ADHD issues and all those kinds of things.

00:34:55.030 --> 00:35:03.389
For wellness, you know, I think we're going through a really big awakening as a planet into wellness in general.

00:35:03.420 --> 00:35:04.000
I agree.

00:35:04.639 --> 00:35:05.619
So I think it's great.

00:35:06.090 --> 00:35:17.070
You know, earlier this year we went as a family to Japan and we were visiting, we visited Tokyo and Kyoto and we were blown away by how healthy the eating is everywhere.

00:35:17.079 --> 00:35:19.690
You could go to 7 Eleven there, right?

00:35:19.739 --> 00:35:21.190
Do they have 7 Eleven in Canada?

00:35:21.889 --> 00:35:22.230
Oh yeah.

00:35:22.320 --> 00:35:22.639
Yeah.

00:35:22.639 --> 00:35:24.559
So, you know, it's, it's all crap, I'm sure.

00:35:24.559 --> 00:35:24.849
Right?

00:35:24.849 --> 00:35:31.579
Like you go in candy bars and chips and, and you can go to a 7 Eleven in Japan and get healthy food.

00:35:31.579 --> 00:35:31.619
Yeah.

00:35:31.619 --> 00:35:31.639
I agree.

00:35:31.969 --> 00:35:37.320
You know, these great rice cakes, just plain with a little bit of vegetables, vegetables and amazing.

00:35:37.619 --> 00:35:42.170
And you wonder why people live there longer than anywhere else in the world.

00:35:42.210 --> 00:35:44.349
It's because healthy eating is a part of their lifestyle.

00:35:44.909 --> 00:35:48.679
And it's not just age, it's quality of life.

00:35:48.679 --> 00:35:58.610
So it, it, it, uh, nearly, uh, Uh, 84, uh, you know, in the next two months, uh, you know, for me, age is just a number for me.

00:35:58.610 --> 00:36:02.880
What is important quality of life right now, but I do, I still run 10 companies.

00:36:02.880 --> 00:36:04.159
I'm still writing books.

00:36:04.420 --> 00:36:08.599
I'm probably one of the most active podcasters in Canada, if not globally.

00:36:08.630 --> 00:36:10.389
And, I love doing it.

00:36:10.389 --> 00:36:12.699
and we will double the sizes of our companies.

00:36:12.699 --> 00:36:14.110
And it's not about money.

00:36:14.320 --> 00:36:18.239
It's about the challenge and feeling doing well.

00:36:18.760 --> 00:36:21.130
The other thing is important for me is community.

00:36:21.130 --> 00:36:23.059
I give back to community.

00:36:23.090 --> 00:36:38.829
I was born that way that we are involved in community and working with others if I give presentations, what I say to young people in particular, do not get preoccupied as to what you look, you don't look good enough, or you're closer.

00:36:39.059 --> 00:36:42.010
I say, you are special.

00:36:43.019 --> 00:36:45.150
Get at peace with who you are.

00:36:45.489 --> 00:36:50.380
There's only one of you on this whole earth, you know, and that's you.

00:36:50.420 --> 00:36:52.440
And so feel special about it.

00:36:52.449 --> 00:36:54.389
Not better than, but special.

00:36:54.815 --> 00:37:02.925
and makes you, you may not like this part of that part of God knows what, but you are special and then be at peace.

00:37:03.710 --> 00:37:08.400
and then decide as who am I and where am I going?

00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:12.900
And this comes to what you were saying earlier, did you have a plan?

00:37:13.130 --> 00:37:13.940
I still do.

00:37:14.239 --> 00:37:16.489
Then that's probably another part of ADHD.

00:37:16.780 --> 00:37:26.570
I bet I'm very effective in, if it makes me different from the other CEOs and entrepreneurs that I know, they usually work in a box.

00:37:27.114 --> 00:37:30.574
That they were taught, that's the box, how you manage companies.

00:37:30.675 --> 00:37:31.724
I'm outside of the box.

00:37:31.724 --> 00:37:34.344
I always look at why not this, how about this, and how about that.

00:37:34.545 --> 00:37:35.304
That's what I do.

00:37:35.704 --> 00:37:43.454
And then the other part is that I'm a visionary that I believe is directly connected to being ADHD.

00:37:43.614 --> 00:37:46.235
I look forward 5, 10, 15, 20 years.

00:37:46.594 --> 00:37:48.945
and some people would say, well, you won't be alive.

00:37:48.965 --> 00:37:51.594
Yes, I will be because I'm going to be 120.

00:37:53.875 --> 00:37:54.355
I love that.

00:37:55.099 --> 00:37:57.269
So what are you going to be doing 20 years from now then?

00:37:58.820 --> 00:37:59.510
Podcasting.

00:37:59.889 --> 00:38:00.480
With you.

00:38:01.340 --> 00:38:02.070
I would love that.

00:38:02.130 --> 00:38:03.480
Oh my god, it'd be an honor.

00:38:03.539 --> 00:38:04.500
Absolute privilege.

00:38:04.969 --> 00:38:07.519
So you'd be, you'd be then only 60.

00:38:08.349 --> 00:38:08.960
That's right.

00:38:09.940 --> 00:38:10.269
Yeah.

00:38:10.440 --> 00:38:11.539
Well, a little older than that.

00:38:11.590 --> 00:38:14.329
I'll be, I'll be 70, 59, 69.

00:38:14.809 --> 00:38:15.610
Yeah, whatever.

00:38:15.780 --> 00:38:16.159
Yeah.

00:38:16.469 --> 00:38:17.789
still a spring chicken though, right?

00:38:17.844 --> 00:38:17.905
Yeah.

00:38:17.954 --> 00:38:19.579
No, I like it.

00:38:19.579 --> 00:38:20.295
Half of my lifetime.

00:38:20.454 --> 00:38:23.335
it's the same as the guys that compete with me in bodybuilding.

00:38:23.335 --> 00:38:33.465
and by the way, if you know Arnold if he has been on your podcast, the next time you see him, tell him that you talked to John Brink and John Brink told you to tell him I'll be back.

00:38:36.849 --> 00:38:45.739
a couple of other things around the why, why bodybuilding of all of the, you know, you could have chosen, any poison, but you chose bodybuilding.

00:38:46.090 --> 00:38:46.469
Why?

00:38:46.500 --> 00:38:48.469
It was simply going to the gym.

00:38:48.900 --> 00:38:50.420
How did I get to the gym?

00:38:50.449 --> 00:38:51.829
How do I enjoy it?

00:38:52.000 --> 00:38:57.280
And then I don't want to go just tittle tattle and have conversations with this and that.

00:38:57.280 --> 00:38:59.059
When I go there, I go there to work.

00:38:59.260 --> 00:38:59.440
Yeah.

00:38:59.480 --> 00:39:01.000
and I give it all that I got.

00:39:01.010 --> 00:39:03.750
And as a result it started looking pretty good.

00:39:03.980 --> 00:39:06.190
And then people said, have you ever thought about bodybuilding?

00:39:06.230 --> 00:39:07.960
I said, bodybuilding, but is it?

00:39:08.019 --> 00:39:09.750
And so they said, do this, do that.

00:39:09.789 --> 00:39:21.360
And the other thing, and then I started competing after about, six, seven, eight years of training, uh, you know, most of the people in my group of the older, the masters.

00:39:21.789 --> 00:39:27.539
Uh, bodybuilding, you know, we're 55 years and older and I was, 20 years older than them.

00:39:27.889 --> 00:39:36.690
So in my group, it could have been my kids, that's, who I competed with, but I still came in seven bodybuilding and physique, so it gave me a hickle.

00:39:36.804 --> 00:39:47.434
I just want to make sure that the people that are watching us do not get the impression that I say you have to become an Olympian or a bodybuilder or whatever it is, male, female, whatever it is.

00:39:47.795 --> 00:39:50.315
Start moving your body.

00:39:50.594 --> 00:39:53.164
The most important thing is diet.

00:39:53.574 --> 00:39:59.784
Be careful what you eat, get sleep, get sunshine and move your body.

00:40:00.215 --> 00:40:09.394
Because even if you go for walks, start out half an hour a day, maybe every second day, gradually, and you will see the results and it starts feeling good.

00:40:09.965 --> 00:40:28.065
And then, there is nothing more important, so many people that the last decade of their lives, they are sick, they eat hands full of chemicals to deal with issues that the body is very forgiving, but it only will take so much abuse.

00:40:28.570 --> 00:40:34.789
I will do everything possible to keep you fit and healthy and start understanding it.

00:40:34.809 --> 00:40:37.650
And then they say, well, I'm too old now and blah, blah, blah.

00:40:38.469 --> 00:40:44.539
I don't, I really started this virtually in my sixties, but don't tell me you're too old, you know?

00:40:44.539 --> 00:40:49.730
So you weren't, you weren't doing any, did you have an exercise regimen before that?

00:40:49.760 --> 00:40:52.769
Were you always at least somebody who, nothing, you just worked.

00:40:53.605 --> 00:41:00.864
I, I worked hard and I was active physically, but I didn't necessarily, I did the same as everybody else does, you know?

00:41:00.864 --> 00:41:05.954
So at the end of the year, we're going to do this, that, that, and the other thing, and I'm going to buy a membership to the gym.

00:41:07.054 --> 00:41:11.514
And then two weeks later, I can get, I think I had a hundred reasons as why I'm too busy to go to the gym.

00:41:12.440 --> 00:41:23.710
when I got my diverticulitis and, when I was, 2008 and 2009, really, that's when I started going to the gym in earnest.

00:41:24.480 --> 00:41:33.559
So what is, as advice for, we both live in Western societies where, the medical practice is much more reactive than proactive, right?

00:41:33.610 --> 00:41:35.869
And we eat like garbage.

00:41:36.070 --> 00:41:38.269
We don't exercise much, all that.

00:41:38.570 --> 00:41:46.070
we don't have to be John Brink, incredible world class bodybuilders but what would you recommend to do that?

00:41:46.550 --> 00:41:50.869
Is it what is preached to us through, school or the government to, to be healthy?

00:41:51.860 --> 00:41:57.579
The problem to a certain extent is our medical system is not, as you say, uh, proactive.

00:41:59.125 --> 00:42:03.125
reactive and that we have to understand our body.

00:42:03.255 --> 00:42:04.655
Nothing complicated about it.

00:42:04.844 --> 00:42:10.114
But every time I watch TV, there's an advertisement about this chemical, that chemical, and we never know where to go.

00:42:10.284 --> 00:42:11.994
It's not overly complicated.

00:42:12.375 --> 00:42:17.005
Get lots of sleep, seven, eight hours a day, at least nine hours, even better.

00:42:18.949 --> 00:42:26.449
Get sunshine, get exercise, watch for your diet, do not chemicals and all the other things, make it as natural as you can.

00:42:26.769 --> 00:42:30.159
And then from there on and start with that and exercise, start walking.

00:42:30.530 --> 00:42:38.900
and then from there on, then what you will see is before, you know, when you say, Hey Louie, my God, but if you're done, you know, you lost weight.

00:42:38.929 --> 00:42:39.460
Are you good?

00:42:39.460 --> 00:42:40.469
No, I'm exercising.

00:42:41.849 --> 00:42:43.119
Hypothetically speaking.

00:42:43.369 --> 00:42:47.360
And that's what happens is all of a sudden you start feeling better.

00:42:48.005 --> 00:42:52.074
and you get reactions from people, and then you say, this works.

00:42:52.574 --> 00:42:59.974
If you didn't feel you want to go further than that, like I did and like a number of other peoples, uh, you were a runner.

00:42:59.974 --> 00:43:01.235
You did marathons.

00:43:01.324 --> 00:43:01.534
Yes.

00:43:01.894 --> 00:43:07.650
And being very proactive in health and fitness it changed your life, but you went through a difficult time too.

00:43:07.949 --> 00:43:12.389
we all did until hopefully we get to the point where we can still change it.

00:43:12.835 --> 00:43:21.275
What I'm saying is that after my 60th birthday, I'm 55 or 60, you know, that is, it's never too late.

00:43:22.014 --> 00:43:27.795
But if you decide, you meaning hypothetically speaking, it's too late and I'm blah, blah, blah.

00:43:27.905 --> 00:43:28.275
Okay.

00:43:28.375 --> 00:43:30.144
If you decide that, that's what it will be.

00:43:30.554 --> 00:43:30.885
That's right.

00:43:31.869 --> 00:43:39.150
If you say it won't be, then it won't be, but it's their decision, male, female, I don't care what.

00:43:39.760 --> 00:43:40.239
Very good.

00:43:41.099 --> 00:43:45.610
Well, John, I could go on forever on this, but I just realized the time and you have to be going soon.

00:43:45.610 --> 00:43:49.900
So we're going to quickly get into our world famous Wayfinder 4, if you don't mind.

00:43:50.309 --> 00:43:51.650
John, give us a hack.

00:43:52.010 --> 00:43:57.260
A hack is just like a kind of something, a shortcut you use to kind of cheat life with.

00:43:57.860 --> 00:43:58.340
To what?

00:43:58.730 --> 00:44:01.760
To cheat life with, to make your life easier, kind of thing.

00:44:02.090 --> 00:44:04.849
A routine, an app, a hobby, you know, something.

00:44:05.559 --> 00:44:12.650
Yeah, I do, and my hobby is, watching, YouTube and other people and podcasting and those kind of things.

00:44:13.244 --> 00:44:15.405
Do you have a favorite channel or something you follow on that?

00:44:16.204 --> 00:44:19.125
well, I watch, YouTube and, all those kinds of things.

00:44:19.125 --> 00:44:23.534
I watched my Dutch newspapers still, and, I stay in touch with, U.

00:44:23.534 --> 00:44:23.735
S.

00:44:23.744 --> 00:44:25.005
policy, politics.

00:44:25.074 --> 00:44:26.054
Oh, okay.

00:44:26.054 --> 00:44:26.755
That's painful.

00:44:27.074 --> 00:44:27.394
Yes.

00:44:29.695 --> 00:44:30.114
Okay.

00:44:31.125 --> 00:44:32.235
What about a favorite?

00:44:32.425 --> 00:44:35.545
This could be a book, a show.

00:44:36.079 --> 00:44:38.940
you mentioned bodybuilding as a hobby, as an activity.

00:44:39.039 --> 00:44:41.050
is there one particular favorite you have out there?

00:44:42.554 --> 00:44:55.505
I watch Business Week very usually and I watch CNN a lot, because we do a lot of business in the United States and I love politics and I love watching North America.

00:44:55.675 --> 00:44:57.054
We're so fortunate here.

00:44:57.255 --> 00:44:58.184
So I watch U.

00:44:58.184 --> 00:44:58.364
S.

00:44:58.364 --> 00:44:59.355
politics as well.

00:44:59.885 --> 00:45:00.364
Interesting.

00:45:00.644 --> 00:45:02.905
What about a piece of advice for your younger self?

00:45:04.434 --> 00:45:06.994
In your case, a younger self might be, Say, okay.

00:45:06.994 --> 00:45:11.454
State of course, attitude, passion, work ethic, but we'll follow his success.

00:45:11.485 --> 00:45:17.574
Never give up, reconcile that you are the only one on this earth.

00:45:18.364 --> 00:45:24.914
Look at yourself as special to you so there's only one of you and never, never, never give up.

00:45:26.099 --> 00:45:26.519
Love that.

00:45:27.159 --> 00:45:30.469
So last one, you choose a big opportunity or a limiting belief.

00:45:32.480 --> 00:45:33.599
Oh my goodness.

00:45:34.389 --> 00:45:40.789
Choose a big opportunity to something that you see out there in the world or a limiting belief.

00:45:41.019 --> 00:45:44.969
I suspect you're a man of opportunity.

00:45:45.380 --> 00:45:57.130
Oh, yeah, most definitely, you know, so the, I look at that and all the things that I do in my personal life and, in my business life, I think we are so very, very fortunate to where we live, North America.

00:45:57.329 --> 00:45:58.179
I fly a lot.

00:45:58.179 --> 00:46:03.030
I just sit by the window and I look outside in the United States or in Canada and look outside.

00:46:03.030 --> 00:46:05.300
It's paradise because I lived.

00:46:05.635 --> 00:46:14.135
Under a dictatorship that changed our lives, still affects my life, changed my family, and pressures this democratic rule.

00:46:14.489 --> 00:46:20.590
and so if I watch the politics, especially in the United States right now, I'm worried about that.

00:46:20.630 --> 00:46:27.110
But the people at the end of the day, when November the 4th comes, will choose what they want to see.

00:46:27.489 --> 00:46:29.440
In Canada, politics is boring.

00:46:29.695 --> 00:46:30.594
But I like that.

00:46:30.594 --> 00:46:33.405
I agree.

00:46:33.405 --> 00:46:35.525
I totally agree.

00:46:35.594 --> 00:46:37.505
I would love to have some boringness here.

00:46:38.045 --> 00:46:43.880
if people want to know more about you, they want to listen to your podcast, get your books, all of that, where can they find you?

00:46:44.429 --> 00:46:44.940
John A.

00:46:44.949 --> 00:46:53.289
Brink, John, J O H N A S N Adam, or Aarons, Brink, B R I N K, dot com.

00:46:54.989 --> 00:46:55.420
Perfect.

00:46:55.800 --> 00:46:58.199
John, what an honor to have you here.

00:46:58.559 --> 00:47:01.820
you represent everything I think we all want to be when we grow up.

00:47:02.085 --> 00:47:11.715
You know, and what's funny is when I hear you, a lot of us, we have this perception, Hey, I'm going to work really hard, for 20 or something years, and then I'm going to take my retirement and all this.

00:47:12.054 --> 00:47:13.704
And I don't hear any of that in you.

00:47:13.914 --> 00:47:15.465
You want to work hard.

00:47:15.815 --> 00:47:20.184
You want to keep going and build a bigger enterprise and all that.

00:47:20.184 --> 00:47:21.784
And you can just feel that passion.

00:47:22.344 --> 00:47:23.905
And that's exactly what I want to do.

00:47:23.905 --> 00:47:24.945
People talk about retiring.

00:47:24.945 --> 00:47:26.105
I'm like, I never want to retire.

00:47:26.534 --> 00:47:30.295
I really admire what you've done and you've set a path for us to follow that.

00:47:30.344 --> 00:47:31.034
I appreciate.

00:47:31.474 --> 00:47:37.994
Stay fit, stay healthy, watch your diet, exercise, sleep in particular.

00:47:39.135 --> 00:47:39.675
Thank you, John.

00:47:40.215 --> 00:47:41.454
Louis, it was a pleasure.

00:47:41.655 --> 00:47:41.974
Take care.

00:47:46.965 --> 00:47:48.724
We hope you've enjoyed The Wayfinder Show.

00:47:48.875 --> 00:47:53.094
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00:47:53.385 --> 00:47:57.635
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00:47:58.295 --> 00:47:59.594
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