[00:01:32] A.J. Lawrence: Today’s guest, he had this great background in finance and was doing quite well, but realized that there was this opportunity to help regular investors invest in the real estate space without having to jump through all the incredible hoops of accreditation and large amounts.

[00:01:51] So he created DiversyFund and it’s been growing like crazy. Really a great company that really helps the regular investor $500 and to invest in real estate. I think there’s been some really good movement in real estate the last couple years, really, because I haven’t just bought a house and been on the opposite side of that equation. So I would love to hear.

[00:02:15] Now, I think we’re gonna have a great conversation. Also what I found so fascinating that today’s guest in going through his background and everything is, he’s working with some great startups. He helps other companies and some of his other activities. But he’s also a real fitness guru.

[00:02:31] He’s been posting videos during COVID about how to stay in shape, taking some cold bath plunges. I like polar bearing, but usually that’s kind of with a couple shots of vodka and a special occasion. So this will be really, really cool interview I’m looking forward to. So let’s welcome, Craig Cecilio, the founder and CEO of DiversyFund.

[00:02:55] Hey, Craig. It is so cool to talk with you again. I am so happy to get you on the podcast. Especially with you sitting in such a beautiful location in San Diego. Look at that behind you, that’s amazing. Yes, this is a podcast so none of you’re gonna be seeing this. But thank you Craig, for coming on the show.

[00:03:12] Craig Cecilio: Thanks for having me on the show. You caught me on a good day too. It’s been kind of raining the last couple of weeks, but we picked a good day to have the show.

[00:03:18] A.J. Lawrence: San Diego always remind- you know, when I came here, cuz I live in Southern Spain, when I moved here to Southern Spain, it was like, oh my God. It’s like San Diego. It’s at like mostly sunny 300x plus days a year and all that. It rains teeny, teeny bits every once in a while. And that’s it. So, yeah, you’re in a beautiful location right now.

[00:03:38] Craig Cecilio: Yeah, it’s great. I can’t complain about it.

[00:03:40] A.J. Lawrence: As I was talking with the audience a little bit, with Diversyfund and what you’re doing and everything you’re kind of building up. Do you give much thought to where you are as an entrepreneur? Where are you as an entrepreneur these days?

[00:03:56] Craig Cecilio: Sometimes you’re just moving all the time. You don’t kind of stop and look back. And lately I have been. Some of the reason why is, cause I think my kids are growing up and during kind of the pandemic I have a lot of time to myself, more the normal of course, like anything else.

[00:04:13] And I’m an extreme extrovert too. So I think really for me, was kind of really digging into myself a little bit and spending some more time with myself was very fortunate to do that and doing some self discovery and looking back and kinda looking at the bigger picture of things. And the bigger picture is just this one chapter of the book of my life’s good to do it.

[00:04:32] And so I love Diversyfund, I love what we stand for. But for me, I kind of looked to myself, there is something bigger about myself than just this company. Along the way, I’ve done different things. And I think I’m more fascinated by different things. I am an avid reader. I love new stuff all the time. I love challenges.

[00:04:51] And when the company starts getting more process-oriented, I kind of lose interest. And so I was like, okay, why is that? It’s cause now it’s like process-oriented, it’s working. And it’s like maybe that competitiveness and that spirit of the entrepreneurial spirit of just kind of like, it’s not there anymore.

[00:05:08] It’s like, okay, now it’s time to hand it off to someone else. And there’s people out there who like that. There’s people out there who want a more established company, the processes are in place. They’re gonna take up the next level. And that’s when I know it’s kind time for me to move on unto my next challenge. I just get kinda bored with that.

[00:05:23] And so I kind started thinking about that lately, and okay and then what’s my next thing? And what’s my next thing? And what am I passionate about? And so I started just kind of write that down and put that together recently and kinda get me excited again about things.

[00:05:37] A.J. Lawrence: You had shared some of the things you do, like the daily bullet, you get up very early. I was very impressed with this sort of very active people talk about their daily processes, their daily rituals and stuff. And you really do bring in a lot of what people talk about and you combine them, which I found very interesting, and kind of taking it to the next level to a bit there.

[00:06:02] Craig Cecilio: Yeah. I had a fortunate circumstance to meet some great people along the way. And I take a little bit from everybody. Everyone has something good. It’s not a 100% one way I’m copying this one person. There’s always these positives. And I could try it out. I see what works for myself and some things don’t work. And so I move on to the next.

[00:06:19] And over the years, I’ve kind of put something together that works for me. And I’m still doing it today. I recently did some kind of supplement company where they go in, take your blood and a stool sample and they customize supplements for you and was great.

[00:06:34] I just started doing it. I’m probably into month two, and it’s been a process. It hasn’t been bad, but I can tell it’s working, but that’s something else I’m just trying out. And if it does, I’m gonna give it 90 days, see how it works. I’ll take my test again at the end of 90 days and see if it works for me.

[00:06:47] If it works, it will stick and I’ll add it to my list. So there, I’m always fascinated. Then along the way when you start doing that, you start attracting that and I don’t wanna get a little esoteric here, you start attracting people in your life who start giving you these new things. And I just got something from a friend of mine, or I became friends with just developed some kind of duffle bag that’s connected to an app that kind of cleans your clothes, takes out the odor of the clothes.

[00:07:10] And so I just got that like last week from him. And so I dunno why I’m attracting all this stuff, but it just gets, cause it comes to me and they’ll go, Hey, would you like to do it? Would you like to kinda help us out? Be an advisor? And all of a sudden here I am, I’m doing that stuff.

[00:07:24] And then yesterday I got asked to be an advisor, twice from two different organizations for two different things. One was a company, a new startup company, and one was this kind of a group where I met you at another group that asked me to help out to be an advisor.

[00:07:37] And this all happened the last week, but this has not just happened outta the blue. This is over 20, 30 years of being an entrepreneur and just kind of constantly moving and keep going and keep meeting people. It starts to accumulate over time.

[00:07:50] A.J. Lawrence: It’s funny when you kind of talk about those things now. In our conversations, and I know a little bit about like what you’ve been doing elsewhere and what you’re looking, I could see you very much being that advisor. Advisories are fun to a certain degree, as long as you don’t do like what I did after I sold my last company. It was too many of them. And then you’re like, oh wait, maybe I should have focused on the ones that were actually good instead of the ones who asked me.

[00:08:16] But what you’re talking, is that something you’re kind of looking to kind of combine? This evolution, cuz you’ve built up the skills, you’ve started this great company, you have this company that’s going off and doing incredibly well. And now you’re looking at more, either bringing on more senior level management to take care of that processes as you were saying. Are you bringing more of that to what you’re looking at for your next step?

[00:08:44] Craig Cecilio: It feels like a natural evolution for me to be more of, I’m always like the spokesperson, media, share information with people. So I feel like that’s more my calling than anything else. In how I dealt with this and the challenges and yeah, the processes and building that out, but there’s more to it than that.

[00:09:02] Hey, how’d that you get that idea? How’d you take that idea and build it all the way out to create a company around that idea? And I’ve done that a few times. And so there’s a lot of experience there and it’s great when people ask you questions. I find that I try to not tell people what to do.

[00:09:20] I listen and I let them ask me the questions and stuff and help them out in little things. And I’m attracting a lot of people who need a lot of advice lately. And it’s just fascinating, fascinating to watch what they’re going through. And you could pick up some of the things that they’re going through that you went through earlier, and you’re holding back.

[00:09:37] Cause you’re like, okay. And you don’t wanna share too much information. Cause if I was starting out and someone gave me a laundry list of a hundred things you’re gonna go through, I’d say, forget that I wouldn’t do that at all. So it’s interesting.

[00:09:49] A.J. Lawrence: Yeah, it really is. I had a conversation with another guest recently. And he was saying, he only likes working with entrepreneurs who’ve already, not early stage because they haven’t made the mistakes yet to know that what they’re trying to do, it’s gonna work, but it’s gonna work in a way that they have no concept of. So they’re gonna be like, no, why should I do this 100 check thing? Cuz it will work. No, no, no, no. I have a different you know. It is that kind of.

[00:10:17] You were talking a little bit about the way that you look at things and you were talking about a lot of your early math experience and kind of how you go about doing it, but then you kind of were referencing even to the point where you look at it differently than your senior management team.

[00:10:34] Can you kind of maybe bring how you bring that thought process? That different way of looking into alignment or get your team in alignment with you? I don’t even know that’s the right term. How do you bridge that with your team?

[00:10:48] Craig Cecilio: I had a leadership meeting two days ago, so this is very pertinent. And going into it, I had that moment where I was like, okay, I saw an article and I read this article. I’m like, wait, that’s the way I kind of think. And so got me. Right before this meeting, I was like, oh, I have to change my approach a little bit to this meeting. The last time we did the meeting, I had my COO kind of set up the structure and it really didn’t work for me.

[00:11:12] I wasn’t in a flow. I felt like I wasn’t communicating clearly. It was a decent meeting. I understand people now. You know, I take a step back and try to ask the right questions, but still didn’t flow right. So I adjusted the format and I kind of looked at myself and go, Hey, this is the way I think.

[00:11:29] And all of a sudden, I go all the way back to, I think this is high school. I was a junior in high school and I’m taking calculus as a junior in high school. I go to a private school, it was a Jesuit school. And just in the movies, it was just like in the movies that school looked just like priest and everything.

[00:11:46] It’s no lie and I’m in there. And I end up getting the high score on this exam, on this test. And everyone’s like kind of shocked. Like how does Craig? I played sports, it’s kinda more in that. At this time, it’s like the 80s so I’m that kind of jock crowd. And the teacher’s like, well, how’d you do it and looked at my long hand, cause that’s how you solved.

[00:12:05] They taught us. And I really had a shorthand thing and he’s like, well, can you explain to me how you solved it? Like, well, I just see things differently. I just see it and I see it like, okay, I need to solve this problem. And they taught you one way and I was able to kind of unpackage it and do it my way that’s my brain worked.

[00:12:21] And so I remember that, I think last week I was thinking about this after I read that article, I was like, oh. And I had that moment like, I think a little differently. And then I was like, okay, here’s my team in place, which is a high level. This is the best team I’ve had. And I’m like, I don’t wanna lose my team. I think they’re fantastic. How do I communicate better with them?

[00:12:38] So I had to study how do I present material a little differently to them? And I felt that we had a fantastic meeting and we had really positive energy coming out of it. And I was able to get kind of my point across a little bit, but without being aggressive and pushing it down people’s throats. Just understanding how I problem solve things.

[00:12:58] And that’s fascinating. So with that lesson, all my interactions going forward is I just gotta make sure, okay, this is how I think, how do I communicate that to other people? So it’s gonna be a lot of trial and error, like everything else. And until you’ve perfected.

[00:13:14] A.J. Lawrence: So, what was it that you said you had done some research about ways to present it? So what did you find? Because that would be great, cuz I know I’m, a little bit different, I think differently than a lot of people. So what did you find that helped you so much?

[00:13:28] Craig Cecilio: So I, I found a couple articles. Elon Musk is out in the news with those articles. I found it through found a couple other podcasts that had the same thing. I found a couple, a friend of mine who did a podcast on that way of thinking and read more articles. And I don’t know what this is. It just came at me within a week. I got like five or six different sources of the same thing I was thinking about. And so that started with that. And I kind of give a little bit like breadcrumbs is good words.

[00:13:53] Might share an article here and there. Not too much, but once in a while, for people to look at. And then I was able to have people in person, which is a lot better for myself and use a big whiteboard. And for me, the best way to communicate is with a whiteboard. It’s not on a piece of paper.

[00:14:07] So I think that’s where I’ve always struggled with work from home. So I’m a big whiteboard guy and I’ll draw a line. I think more three, four dimensions than anything else. So on a piece of paper just really doesn’t work for me well. So I think that’s really what worked for me in this meeting was that I was able to use a whiteboard, put my ideas on the board and kind of connect them together. I tried to do with some types of programs, softwares, but really hasn’t been working.

[00:14:33] I’m gonna reference a movie, one of the Marvel movies and like Tony stark and how he’s just moving things and saw three dimensions in all his movies. It’s like, if I had that, it would be fine. I could do that, if you could video me. If that becomes a reality, which everything in the movie seems like it’s becoming a reality, let me know. And then that would the tool I would use to communicate.

[00:14:53] A.J. Lawrence: I’ve used Oculus or Meadows or whatever the branding it is now. And I have a couple of ’em. I have the rift, the first Oculus, and then the latest one. And my kids use the older ones, but I’ve tried their desktop, whatever they call their thing. And it just is so frustrating.

[00:15:11] It’s like I wanna have my own 3d projection desks. And instead it’s just like, you know, it is a very slow, non-elegant experience. But compared to what it was just a few years ago, you’ll in a couple years have your popup displays augmented reality. I could see that very much.

[00:15:31] And I liked the way that you used kind of the combination of like, okay, this is something that was bugging you. Let me go see what’s out there. Oh, this pulled up, you had it in your head. So then all of a sudden things started popping and you kind of just pulled those in. And Elon Musk is probably always, if you’re thinking of someone who’s trying to be different. You don’t have to be different like him, cuz he is very different from a lot of people just the way he. But it is like, oh yeah, that’s right. There’s a lot of things about how he deals with being different. So yeah, that’s a good touchstone to kind of start off of and then find others.

[00:16:07] Craig Cecilio: I was big in this mean that I, so I made the agenda in a Google doc and I had all these links to Google sheets. We use a lot of that stuff. So my big thing was hey, can you read this before the meeting and not in the meeting? We’re looking at the data. So I’m really big on that cause I wanna have higher level strategic conversations. And then one thing I’m learning a little bit too is my team is like, there’s that high level vision strategy, which is just really, you can’t just run a business by this high level.

[00:16:33] Here’s the vision. Imagine world where everyone has equal opportunity to build wealth. OK, see you. I’m out the door. And then there’s the tactical day to day stuff, which you don’t wanna be involved in, that’s the weeds. And it’s a good time talking about that. You want your people to make those decisions in real time. You don’t wanna be them checking in with you all the time.

[00:16:50] But there’s kind of a middle ground there. And that middle ground is kind of like, well, you know, there’s a middle ground of a strategy that noticed that, okay. That is where we need to get alignment. And I think that is where, who said, it’s almost like the decision tree.

[00:17:04] The four branches the decision tree, it’s like, this is a decision for somebody else. It’s a decision for me, but I’ll notify someone else. It’s a decision on my own, et cetera, cetera. The other ones, a decision, I say a right order that I can make. I need authority to make it. So I think those are the four ones.

[00:17:18] One is this decision for someone else. This is decision that I have, but I have to get someone else to gimme a write off on it. This is when I’m letting them know that I’m making a decision. And the last one is, I’m just making this on my own.I don’t have to tell anyone about it. And so that’s kind of like, how do you create a leadership team that’s in alignment with those branches right there.

[00:17:36] And that’s really, I think, very important to kind of create a successful organization. And so there’s a little bit of how do you do that? Right? Cause there’s no book that says, okay, here’s this person, here you. And how do you kind of create that through a process?

[00:17:51] It’s more of an art form and that’s where the kind of experience comes in of doing it again and again and again. And now this goes back to Malcolm Gladwell. Do you have 10,000 hours of doing that stuff and you and I have been around a little bit. We’re not the youngest people. So we have that experience of kind of trying that out and those repetitions.

[00:18:09] And so it makes it a little bit easier for us to communicate to people and surround yourself with the right people. And that could be a challenge earlier on as an entrepreneur is learning how you are and how to build a team around how your strengths are. And that’s something that one thing that if I had to tell my younger self would be, it’s not about just yourself.

[00:18:29] But it’s just, how do you build a team around your strengths and start really looking at that. That is an essential component to the doing that. Cause you don’t wanna build this organization in the beginning and all of a sudden you find out, oh, I have the wrong parts here. And then you have to take away those parts and kind of start from scratch and lose all that intellectual knowledge. You basically start from scratch again.

[00:18:49] A.J. Lawrence: I’ve seen often in small companies starting up where it’s like, you build up a lot of institutional knowledge just through the people you have and before you even realize you have institutional knowledge. And then one key person kind of goes because that’s kind of the ball game of, you know, wrapping two sticks together and trying to get something started.

[00:19:11] And then all of a sudden it’s like, oh, what do we do? And then X amount of time is going to recover what was lost. And it’s like, yeah, it’s so hard but you have to plan. You have to start thinking of when you need that. And you’re doing it at a much higher level. But I introduce you to an entrepreneur who’s on a fast growth period, but they’re still pretty early.

[00:19:33] What advice do you give to entrepreneurs who are sort of in that first big junction? They’re having some early success, they’re past the survival rate, or they’ve raised their first real bit of money. Not, but precedes can be huge these days. You know, they’re at that point where all of a sudden it’s like, this is an ongoing business, not just something force of will.

[00:19:56] What advice do you give to those entrepreneurs? What do you think would most help them get through that first junction?

[00:20:03] Craig Cecilio: That’s a great question. Now, it’s different than when I was younger. I would just kind of tell everyone you gotta do all this stuff. Now, it’s more asking questions, kind of listening and seeing what experiences I have that I could help ’em with today, what they’re facing today, what challenge. So it’s kind of asking the right question and seeing where they’re at with their life cycle and, where I could help ’em with that on their journey.

[00:20:25] And I think this one case, the person you introduced me to, they’re kind of starting their journey out. And I was like, okay, maybe we could talk a little bit about testing your community a little bit. And had it focused on that before you go off and try to sell ’em something. Retest ’em and just kind of get some feedback from them. See how that would work, just stick to one or two things, not too many things.

[00:20:47] There’s probably a thousand things to talk about just kind be focused on. For me, a focus person. Yeah. Become focused. The time’s crazy, but the focus on a couple things that could help them today. What they’re kinda facing, that challenge today. Cause most people, when they’re starting out, they’re just looking at today.

[00:21:02] What do I have to get through today? What is great about it, it’s almost like I almost relate people in the startup community as like my kids and how excited my kids are with everything. I have a two year old, a six year old and a 14 year old that I don’t see. And they’re fascinated about everything. And that’s a startup people are like, they have this energy that just contagious.

[00:21:22] And I like it. It gives me, it pumps me up each day when I’m talking to them. So I don’t wanna take away, it’s like I don’t wanna tell my daughters know on things. I wanna encourage them. And that’s the same thing with the startup community. I wanna encourage them. Yeah, go for your passion. There is a way around that obstacle that you’re facing.

[00:21:39] I think another guy I talked to you two weeks ago, he’s a startup in, I guess he’s at the stage where he’s, doesn’t really like raising capital, but he’s the founder of the company. So the first thing I was like, well, have you considered trying to find a co-founder that was effective at raising capital? Not someone who likes to raise capital, someone who has been done it before, and that you feel like you could partner with them. And so that’s is my bit of advice to him. It was only give one bit of advice for him. Say, hey, I don’t like raising capital, You seem like a very smart guy and great ideas. So hey how do I find a partner or co-founder to help me here?

[00:22:12] A.J. Lawrence: That is kind of bringing it to what would help them the most at that junction. You were talking about some of the things you were doing to help your own entrepreneurial efforts. So now that we’ve talked, what advice you give to others? What do you think has helped you the most in your own entrepreneurial journey?

[00:22:29] Talked about thinking differently, but then how you bring that to things, but what helps you the most in being an entrepreneur?

[00:22:37] Craig Cecilio: What’s helped me a lot is a couple things. I think one is this time blocking my day has really made me effective. Time blocking hyper focus on three things each day I wanna get done instead of like 10 things and schedule time for strategy.

[00:22:51] I schedule at least twice a week where a good 2-4 hour blocks kind of to look at things. Am I working on the right things? Almost like an end of week would mean with myself grading myself. What did I do this week? What did I accomplish? Did I kind of. A very kind of high level strategy times with myself to kind of critique myself, what can I do better?

[00:23:09] So I just kind of developed that in my routine. Now I don’t look at that as, oh man, I have this four hour strategy. It’s more just kind of walking for myself. And it just kind of set that up where I look forward to that, looking forward to that. Cause I know that makes me better the next week or the next day. And then the next thing.

[00:23:25] So I put that as part of my routine. My weekly routine is to kinda look back, make sure I have time for strategy. Again, I don’t know what it is, but last night I read an article that about Bill Gates. He says that we all should take one week off a year and just go somewhere and just strategize.

[00:23:42] And yeah, I completely agree with that. That some of us can’t take a whole week off, but you can do it. And I’ve been saying some my leadership team, I was like, you need to spend at least two hours a week, just high level strategy. I was like, you can make the time. You need to kind of just shut it down, shut off the devices. You can just kind of have two hours for yourself, at least two hours to just kind of, what am I working on and what am I doing and how am I doing?

[00:24:05] And I said, and to do that, and most people say I’m busy and that’s where you go back to the time block. If you really time block well and really be focused on your day what you get done in a week, you can make that time for that. And that’ll just make you better the next week.

[00:24:16] I asked him actually bi-weekly, cause I thought weekly is a little too much. At first I’ll do it bi-weekly.

[00:24:22] A.J. Lawrence: I do like that concept of strategic coach. They have that entrepreneurial time. The time blocking, the focus time, the entrepreneurial time, where you’re just thinking about the big picture and then you’re off time on it.

[00:24:35] I’m the anti-calendar person, because I know too many people who like schedule to the minute, but I like your concept. Just three things, just reducing to that core three. Figuring out what those, not the 10 things that are bouncing everywhere over your head, or sometimes 50,000. What’s your kind of way of bringing it to those three things that you think are gonna bring the most value that day.

[00:25:01] Craig Cecilio: I have a to-do list I’m constantly looking. Every start of every it’s part of my morning routine. It’s just kind of look at my list and just. And I kind of do it at night too. I do it twice, probably too much. So I go to sleep and like, I feel like when you sleep, sometimes your subconscious takes off and then it just becomes very natural, very easy to do for myself.

[00:25:20] So right now I’m in that zone where it’s pretty easy for me to do what are my top three things and it just with practice. At beginning was tough. It was not easy, was not intuitive. Now it’s pre intuitive. What are the top three things I have to focus on? And then with my meetings is my leadership team is talk to them about those top three things. And that’s it. Are we all kind of driving that.

[00:25:40] So they may have three things that are attached to my top three things. And what are those things to talk about? And if I can even narrow down less, that’d be great as well. But I think three is max to talk about. And it’s just through repetition, repetition, just keep kind of doing it and challenging yourself and you gotta kind of push through and you’ll get it.

[00:25:55] Some people might take longer than others. Like everything else, you will figure it out. And that’s where kind of the strategy comes in too. Because if you know where you’re going, it’s easier to do it. If you don’t know where you’re going, it makes it a little bit more difficult. So it’s kinda all tied together.

[00:26:09] A.J. Lawrence: Kind of constantly coming back to that and bringing your strategy. Diversyfund is a success, and it’s growing. You’ve mentioned, you are looking at potentially bigger things down the road. You are out there, things are coming to you and you’re taking on higher level advisor roles out there. Do you give much thought? Cuz you’ve talked about the different things that you’re doing.

[00:26:33] Do you give much thought of what success is going to be for you? How do you define success?

[00:26:39] Craig Cecilio: This is a perfect time to ask a question right out my wife, and I said to her, you know what, if I had to walk away from my business right now this second, I have a story to tell. And to me that’s success.

[00:26:50] So it’s like I feel successful now, no matter what I do, I just feel as it’s part of the journey. And I just feel like I’m successful today. I feel like whatever I do, I’m gonna have success at cause I’m enjoying the journey. I’m enjoying the process. I love reading. I love learning. I love doing. I love challenges.

[00:27:07] And so maybe the word success is in there, but I’m just enjoying life. I’m enjoying what I’m doing. There’s nothing I’m trying to reach. There’s not like some bank account or some award. I’m just, I’m happy doing and just striving all the time. I feel successful right now at this moment. And maybe it was last night where it kinda connected with the conversation.

[00:27:26] You hear it in a lot of sports, enjoy the process. And they always say that in sports more than anything else, maybe we could trickle that down a more in business world, but it’s yeah, it’s enjoy the process. And what is that to you? You know, we’re all different. I think that’s what attracts me to entrepreneur and startup.

[00:27:41] I think those are interchangeable terms. And and I think you’ll find some people in there who are successful at doing multiple companies. They enjoy that process, it’s just in their blood at the end of the day.

[00:27:52] A.J. Lawrence: I think that is kind of one, congratulations that you’re feeling that’s because I think as so many entrepreneurs we spend most of our time, you know, like, oh, okay, well we did something good, but oh my God, all these gazillion things aren’t so, you know, it is always great when you hear an entrepreneur who is kind of recognizing their success and it’s not the outcome you’re talking about, which I think is really kind of cool. It is, like you said, it is this put in this process I’m now doing so much to make it that this is kind of a cool thing. This is good right now. That is really impressive. Congratulations.

[00:28:29] Obviously we would love everyone to go check out Diversyfund. We’ll have a link in the show notes and put it up in our social and everything. How else can people engage with you? Or how should they engage with you if they would like to talk with you more, learn more about you?

[00:28:44] Craig Cecilio: My social channels. I have my own website, craigcecilio.com. I’m on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn are the major ones. I’m starting to get involved with YouTube. You’ll find me there pretty soon. Give me a couple more months, I’ll get the YouTube channel going. But CXC is my initials. So sometimes it’s under CXC, Craig Cecilio, there’s not a lot of Craig Cecilios out there. I’m pretty easy to find as well. Let me know, easy to contact, love to talk to everybody.

[00:29:08] A.J. Lawrence: Craig, and especially if I would love to have you back on the show, sounds like you’re gonna be making in transition sometime. I have another step forward on your journey. So I would love just to have you back on cuz as the way you think differently.

[00:29:24] I like that because I also think of the world differently. Greg, thank you so much for being here today. Really enjoyed this. Talk with you soon.

[00:29:33] Yeah, everyone. I hope you enjoyed that conversation with Craig, because I think if you’ve listened to some of my interviews, I really, really enjoy talking with entrepreneurs who are thinking on how to build big picture. How to really use their entrepreneurial journey for greater things.

[00:29:53] Craig’s already built an amazing company in Diversyfund. It is and then some of those other efforts in the past, but Diversyfund is a really cool company, especially as someone who is really interested in real estate, but not to the point where I really want other than my own home, do I want to be owning and figuring it out.

[00:30:11] So that’s something I’m checking out, but just the way he’s using it to kind of evaluate what more he can do, given that he thinks there’s so much more to do. I like how he thinks of it as just a chapter. As I talk about us going on these journeys, he has this concept of Diversyfund is a chapter in his efforts as an entrepreneur, and how he uses it to evaluate. Been caught up in COVID, everything’s happening, but now he’s sort of evaluating what is possible and how to go further.

[00:30:47] And I think it’s something we as entrepreneurs need to do more effort, to think about. Because you know, being deliberate about improving as entrepreneur really lends itself to understanding where we want to go. It doesn’t always have to be the same mission we start off with, but like there’s our businesses and then there’s our destination that we want for ourselves.

[00:31:14] Listening to Craig and learning from him is really a cool concept of like, okay, maybe I re-evaluate this? Maybe I kind of play around with like how much of this do I have from my business? And how much of this do I need? To go from outside or sell or, you know, bring it into our own feedback loops.

[00:31:36] So evaluating where we want to go on a consistent basis helps us be more deliberate. And the other thing I think everyone should kind of take away from Craig is, as he talks about working with his team, he talks about partners and he talks about when he works with more up and coming entrepreneurs, how he has transitioned from early on.

[00:31:58] As a super smart guy from saying, oh, you should do X or Hey, you know, this and that to more of a concept, practicing the type of questions he asks of people to get a deeper response. I’ve seen this from my own experience, that the right type of questions can lead better, long term results. But I like how Craig was talking about practicing, how to ask those questions, and sort of letting it evolve over.

[00:32:29] So, yeah, definitely as we try and figure out how to get better results from our team, how to do more from those involved with us. But I like that concept, let’s practice the type of questions that lead people to kind of figure out what they need to do to achieve the things that we’re trying to guide them to. Kind of fun.

[00:32:51] All right. Craig was a great guest and I’m really excited to see what he does beyond, not just as he continues growing Diversyfund, but where else he’s going. And I think he has some really cool stuff on his plate, and I think we’re gonna see a lot more of him. So please go check out Diversyfund.

[00:33:10] If you’re interested in the real estate, we’ll have Craig’s URL, his Twitter’s blowing up. He has some great stuff on there. So we’ll have all that in the show notes and our socials and the email. So just enjoy Craig and there’s so much to learn from him.

[00:33:24] If you enjoy today’s episode, please leave us a review. We would love to hear from you. Love to know what we can do to make this show even better for you. And just that you enjoy it. So, thank you so much for listening today. Go check out our website beyond8figures.com, sign up for our newsletter so that way next time we have an episode, you’ll be the first to know. Get our email and all the nice articles that the team is writing about going deeper as a deliberate entrepreneur so we can really enjoy this journey we’re taking all that much more. Thank you for listening today. Can’t wait to talk to you again. Bye bye.

[00:34:08] This episode of Beyond 8 Figures is over, but your journey as an entrepreneur continues. So, if we can help you with anything, please just let us know. And if you liked this episode, please share it with someone who might learn from it. Until next time, keep growing and find the joy in your journey. This is A.J., and I’ll be talking to you soon. Bye bye.