Podcast Intro: Are you ready to change your habits, sculpt your destiny, and light up your path to greatness? Welcome to the epicenter of transformation. This is Mick Unplugged. We’ll help you identify your because so you can create a routine that’s not just productive, but powerful. You’ll embrace the art of evolution, adapt strategies to stay ahead of the game, and take a step toward the extraordinary.

So let’s unleash your potential. Now here’s Mick.

Mick Hunt: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of Mick Unplugged. And I’m gonna say this is the most important episode of Mick Unplugged. Because today, we’re talking to my mentor. We’re talking to who I am gonna say the greatest speaker, the greatest motivator, the greatest influencer that we have ever had in our time. We’re talking about the hardest working man in the motivation business.

We’re talking about the man that I listen to every morning for 15 minutes to start my day and 15 minutes to end. He is the most important figure in my life today. None other than mister Les Brown. Les, welcome to the show, my brother.

Les Brown: Thank you. You know, I know I’m in the presence of greatness, so you got me fired up and hungry. I’ve been listening to you and watching you. I said, I cannot wait for us to do this podcast because I know you coming for me, but I ain’t scared, mister Meek. Unless you

Mick Hunt: know our rule. I already ordered that Uber. Uber is on the way.

Les Brown: Yes. Alright. So I want you to start with your questions. Bring it on.

Mick Hunt: Let’s go. So, Les, you know, you helped me inspire this message on finding your because and fueling your because. And and one of the things that you told me when we were going through this on why because is deeper than why. You said, Mick, because isn’t just an answer. Because is the reason.

And that truly inspired me to to change my message on the power of Because. So my first question for you, mister Les Brown, you know, you’ve masterfully used your life story to inspire 1,000,000, turning challenges into stepping stones. Can you share a moment when you realize that your story had the power to not just change your life, but to empower others? What was that moment for Les Brown?

Les Brown: I’m very glad you asked that question because I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the time that we’re going to spend. And you you talk about make unplug. I I want you to write this down, the make factor. I was thinking about and reflecting on a time when I was around 10 years of age. And I went to work with my mother, and she worked for wealthy families on Miami Beach.

And I’ll never forget a lady name as Harris. She said, Mimi, I want you to go down the hall and find that hat I love to wear when it’s sunny on Miami Beach. And mama said, yes, ma’am. And she went down the hall, and I heard my mother clapping her hands. I was curious.

I’d been directed to clean some spots off the floor in the kitchen. And I asked mama. I said, mama. And she answered, what is it, Leslie? Why are you clapping your hands?

She said, don’t you worry. You just continue to do what you’re doing. And she resumed clapping her hands, and and she came out of the room and said, miss Harris, I I can’t find the hat that you tell me to look for. And so she said, well, go down this other hall here and check that room out. And mama did.

And once again, she started clapping her hands. And and I asked her. I said, mama, why are you clapping your hands? And now she’s aggravated. She said, I told you, do what you’re supposed to do.

Don’t worry about it. Then at that moment, miss Harris came over, and she looked at me. And she looked down on me and I was scrubbing the floor. And she said, I can tell you why your mother’s clapping her hands. And and I looked up at her, and during this time, considering the fact I’m 79, during this time, black people were not allowed to look white people in the eyes.

She said, I can tell you why she’s clapping her hands. And I asked her why, ma’am. And she said, because when I have people working for me that I can’t see and they’re doing something for me, I make them clap their hands to make sure that they are not stealing. And at that moment, I stood up and I looked her in the eyes, and I said, my mother is not a thief. She’s a Christian.

She believes in God. She loves you, and she loves your children. She’ll never steal from you or anyone. And she was shocked, and she just walked away. Something came out of that.

You know, there’s a quote that says, in life, we will always be faced with a series of god ordained opportunities, brilliantly disguised as problems and challenges. And in that moment, I decided that I was gonna do whatever I needed to do so that my mother would never be put in the humiliating situation of clapping her hands, because someone thinks that she is stealing. I remember we’re going across the Venetian Causeway, and I was looking out of the window, and and mama could tell that I was crying. I wasn’t talking much. And she asked me, Leslie, why are you crying?

I said, because I’m angry. I wanna be a man. And she said, you’re 10 years old. You’ll be a man soon enough. I said, I wanna be a man now.

Because if I was a man now, we would not have to come and clean other people’s homes. I will have a big beautiful home for you. If I was a man now, we would never have to come over here and and you cook for people, and we wait around to see what’s left over. And we gather that up, take home for my brothers and sisters to eat. If I was a man now, no one will ever make you clap your hands.

And she said, miss Harris told you that. And I said, yes, ma’am. And so I wanna talk to you about not make unplug, but the make factor. Number 1, people that are listening to us now. In order to create the life that you want, find something.

Master something that you love. Right. I used to get in trouble in school all the time because I was talking too much. I can’t believe that now I get paid to talk. Find something that’s you and master that.

Now I want you to write this down. Average is over. The people that are going to make it, the people that are gonna draw attention to themselves in this noisy economy of the people who master what they do. Henry David Thoreau said, do not go where the path may lead. Go where there’s no path and leave a trail.

And so when you begin to think about the things that you want to do, it’s very important in a noisy economy that you stand out. It’s very important that when you are doing the things that you want to do to call attention to yourself, there are 3 things when you are presenting yourself that people are asking. Number 1, who are you? Because people do business with people they know, like, and trust. Number 2, what do you have?

The things that you’ve experienced, the things that you overcome that allowed you to become the person that you are now that motivated and inspired you? And 3, why should I care? Because now you have to create some value for them so that they can see themselves in your story. And 4, which is very important, can I trust you? And trust is not something that’s given.

Trust is something that’s earned. And so when you master something that you love, when you look at what it is you want to do and have this sense of purpose, it inspires you to create a plan. And it’s something that Robert Schulers said. He said, people don’t plan to fail. They failed to plan.

My my very good friend, Mick, he, at 10 years old, decided sitting on the side of a bed, a local distance from his mother, with a vision to extract her out of the environment where she was, he put together a plan of action that will allow him to step away from the life that he was living and his mother was experiencing and create a new reality. Next question, please. Yes.

Mick Hunt: Sure did. And and I should’ve I should’ve warned everyone listening to this podcast. This is why Les is my mentor. So throughout your career, you’ve emphasized the importance of finding someone’s purpose beyond that superficialness. Right?

Like, you always tell people to dig deep. For you personally, what has your because been that’s kept you fueled and focus over adversity or challenge?

Les Brown: One of the most important things that I think that all people must do right now is to invest in yourself. What do you mean by that? To discover who you are. Why am I here? You know, it was Einstein who said when they asked him what was the meaning of life, and he said, man is here for the sake of mankind.

And when you invest in yourself, you begin to look at and contemplate, why am I here? What’s the purpose and the meaning of my life? What is it that I’m supposed to do? It’s been said that life is God’s gift to us, and how we live our lives is our gift to God. And I discovered when I got on this journey, the value of investing in yourself is because of the fact that you don’t get in life what you want.

You get in life what you are. And many people are going to their graves. Many people die at age 25 and don’t get buried until they’re 65 because they never discovered why they were here. It’s been said that life is god’s gift to us, and how we live our lives is our gift to god. So when you invest in yourself, when you listen to the still small voice within, when you begin to decide what is it that you can do to make a mark with your life and and be able to live a life that will outlive you, That investment in yourself, in your talents, in your abilities, and skills are very important.

People are saying, I’m gonna do more in 24. Well, you can’t do more in 24 if you don’t elevate your mindset, elevate your skills, and elevate the relationships that you have that will allow you to move in the direction to accomplish the things that you want to accomplish.

Mick Hunt: That’s right.

Les Brown: So having that sense of why why is the question because because is the answer to activate, to manifest the things that you have and envision for yourself and your family and the people you care about.

Mick Hunt: You know, your journey is a testament to overcoming obstacles and turning them into opportunities. I always say the one thing that I love about Les, he makes no excuses. Everything is a learning situation, and he’s gonna turn that learning situation into an opportunity. What mindset or strategies help you navigate where you’ve come through today?

Les Brown: When I reflect on that, what comes up for me is and I I want everyone to not only invest in time and energy to master something you love and then to invest in yourself, but it’s very important that you commit yourself to greatness. Socrates said the uncommitted life isn’t worth living. When doctor j Julius Irving was playing basketball and someone asked him because he is very dominant. He was the Michael Jordan of his day. Right.

And Michael Jordan was inspired by him, and Shaquille O’Neal saw him when he was going in and out of juvenile detention center and he saw doctor j. He said, I wanna do that because of how people responded. They asked him, how could you become more dominant in this area where you are where you are right now? And he said, I demand more of myself than anyone can ever imagine. Right.

That’s major. The people that are manifesting their greatness. And when you’re pursuing your greatness, you don’t know what your limits are, are demanding more of themselves. They’re stretching beyond their comfort zone, which Brian Tracy calls the danger zone. That that when we are facing adversities and and we are going through challenging experiences, when you commit yourself to greatness, you know that every setback, every adversity is pregnant with new possibilities of your manifesting greatness in every dimension of your life and living a life that matters.

Mick Hunt: That’s it, my man. You spoke to me a lot about the impact of mentors and and how you really need to take mentorship very serious. You’ve spoken a significant amount of of your life and your journey about how mentors have shaped you in your career. Can you discuss a piece of advice or a lesson from a mentor that’s profoundly changed your direction or your perspective?

Les Brown: I used to be a radio personality in Columbus, Ohio. And, fortunately, my mentor, Mike Williams, was my news director. He saw this Les Brown before I saw him. Why is it important to have a mentor? You can’t read the label when you’re in the box.

When you think about Tiger Woods, he became who he became because of his father, his mentor. When you think about Venus and Serena Williams who dominated in tennis, they became who they became because of the mentorship of their father. Muhammad Ali was asked the question, you say that you’re the greatest. When did you know that? He said, I knew it during the time that I was up running 5 o’clock in the morning.

I knew it when I was in boxing sessions with my sparring partners. I knew it when I would get up and I had to restrict my eating habits and I had to exercise when everybody else left the Fifth Avenue Gym. I knew it long before I danced under the light because Angelo Dundee, even though Muhammad Ali said I’m the greatest, Angelo Dundee was his mentor, and he never won a championship without Angelo Dundee. When you think about Kobe and you think about Michael Jordan, they never won a championship without Phil Jackson. So mentorship is very important.

And because you have to have someone in your life that can see what you can’t see, that can take you to a place in yourself that you can’t go by yourself. People that are going to create greatness in their lives must align themselves with people that they can learn from, that they can grow from. Harvard University did an 85 year study, and I want everybody to write this down. Kindred spirits. You want someone that you have a connection with, someone that you trust, someone that inspires you and and hold you to a higher level and and challenge and push you.

This 85 year study that Harvard University did, they they wanted to know what was the common denominator among the people that became successful

Mick Hunt: Mhmm.

Les Brown: That graduated from there. And 87% of those people had a reference group. They had a mentor, and they had a community of collaborative achievement driven supportive relationships with people that’s going in the direction of where they were going. The academy award winner, Sydney Poitier, said that when you go for a walk with someone, something happens without being spoken. Either you adjust to their pace or they adjust to your pace.

And the question becomes, whose pace have you adjusted to? A mentor can see stuff that you can’t see and will push you and challenge you to go to new heights that you can never go to by yourselves. So when you think about mastering something you love, when you begin to reflect on investing in yourself so that you can begin to manifest your potential and execute a plan that will move you in that direction. When you think about the value of a commitment to greatness and knowing that average is over and when you’re pursuing your greatness, you don’t know what your limits are, and you act like you don’t have any. And you have kindred spirits, a mentor who believes in you, a mentor that inspire you and bring the best out of you.

It’s what I call the make factor. It allows you to do things that eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has entered a heart of mankind what god has in store for you. I don’t wanna unplug that. I want to build on the make factor.

Mick Hunt: That’s why I love my mentor, Les Brown, right there. That’s why I love him. That’s why I love him.

Les Brown: Don’t come for me. I didn’t call it Uber.

Mick Hunt: But but I sent it already, and it’s me it’s me driving. It’s me driving.

Les Brown: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Mick Hunt: Last one. I know how important legacy is for you. Yes. Looking forward, what legacy do you wish to leave for this next generation of leaders and motivators? Because we’ve had this conversation.

There’s a lot of people that talk loud, but ain’t saying a doggone thing.

Les Brown: Yes.

Mick Hunt: And I don’t want people to follow that.

Les Brown: What I admire about you, and I I’m not interested in working with everybody. I’m interested in working with a few. My favorite book said the road to life is straight and narrow and few there be that find it. And one of my mentees who made his transition, Miles Monroe, said, Leslie. I said, yes, sir.

He said, there’s no success without successors. And the reason I’m encouraging and excited about you is because you get to see a future that I don’t get to see. But most importantly, you, unlike most of these young speakers today who are speaking to sell, you speak to serve because that’s who you

Mick Hunt: are. Yes, sir.

Les Brown: And I’m excited about that. When you know your reason for being and you are driven because of your desire and hunger to master what you do, a hunger to invest in yourself so that you can make a greater mark and live a life that will outlive you, because you’ve decided that you wanna make a mark. You want to do something that generations yet unborn will have stories about. Most people when they die, after 2 or 3 weeks, the stories about them have evaporated. And so when I think about I just discovered my birth parents, and I’ve heard all kind of stories about my birth mother, Dorothy Bell Rucker, who was a motivational speaker, and Beulah Rucker, who was a motivational speaker and spoke with Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt, but I haven’t heard any stories about my father except here’s where he was buried.

He died, and that was it. End of the story. And so having someone to lead you, I had someone who challenged me. And and when I think about Mike Williams, who’s my mentor, who wrote the book, the road to your best stuff, He said, Brownie, you are more than a disc jockey. And at that time, I was at the top of my game, I thought.

Look out. This is me, l b triple p, Les Brown, your platter playing papa. There were none before me, and there will there’d be none after me. Therefore, that makes me the one and only. Young and Singlin love to mingle.

Certified, bona fide, and doablely qualified to bring you satisfaction and a whole lot of action. Look out, baby. I’m your love, man. Those are my pre saved years. We knew on there.

Yeah. But he saw this Les Brown that mister Washington saw when he realized he asked me to do something. I said, I can’t do it, sir. And he said, why not? I said, I’m not one of your students.

And and the other student saying, he’s Leslie. He he’s got a twin brother, Wesley. Wesley is smart. He’s DT. And mister Washington asked, who’s DT?

They said, he’s the dumb twin. And I said, I am, sir. And he came from behind his desk, and he looked at me like you would. He said, don’t you ever say that again. Someone’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality.

And that was startling because how people live their lives is a result of the story they believe about themselves. When you speak because of your passion and you’re mastering your ability to transform people’s lives, to help them to begin to align themselves, to live a life that’s driven by purpose and meaning, that people will begin to step outside of their history into their imagination. My favorite book says, I’ll give you all your eyes can see, and begin to become, as mother Teresa would say, a pencil in the hand of God and start writing a new chapter in their lives. So that’s why I’m excited about working with you and the work that we’re going to do together to change the planet.

Mick Hunt: Yes, sir. Ladies and gentlemen, the infamous Les Brown. I think he deserves a round of applause. Les, I can’t tell you what you mean to me. You know, we have our talks.

You you are my guy. You’re my mentor. I love you. I thank you. For those listening, for those watching, I have 2 pages of notes.

I hope you at least have 2. Who are you? What do you have? Why should I care? And I trust you.

I don’t care who you are if you’re in a business, if you’re a salesperson, if you’re someone that’s listening looking for inspiration, who are you and why should I care? If you can answer those questions, your life is changing right now. If you can answer those questions, your business is changing right now. You don’t have to wait. And as always, remember, your because is your superpower.

Unleash it.

Les Brown: I wanna also plug something here. I want you to join me in Miami, March 29th, because we will, in person, on stage together, share our message to the planet. And I want you to know, I know you coming for me. I know you driving the Uber, but I ain’t scared. Yes.

We gonna be on Miami Beach. But I feel yeah.

Mick Hunt: Ladies and gentlemen, Les Brown.

Podcast Outro: Thanks for listening to Mick Unplugged. We hope this episode helps you take the next step toward the extraordinary and launches a revolution in your life. Don’t forget to rate and review the podcast and be sure to check us out on YouTube at Mick Unplugged. Remember, stay empowered, stay inspired, and stay unplugged.