The “Chinese Secret” to my success…

A friend asked me the other day…

“Ryan, If you could credit just ONE THING to your success… what would it be???”

I get that question a LOT…

And it makes sense, right?

Because after all…

We’re all looking for “THE Secret” to success…

So the other week, when someone asked me the question for the umpteenth time, I started thinking about the answer…

And just like last week…

When I wrote about collapsing in pain, and crawling away a “winner” on the soccer field…

The question took me back in time…

This time, to the summer between my 2nd and 3rd year at Brown University…

When I voluntarily subjected myself to a summer of “linguistic torture” in what fellow sinophiles affectionately call…

“Chinese Bootcamp”

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So, as some people know…

I speak Mandarin Chinese.

Nearly fluently.

But I wasn’t always good with the language.

In fact, there was a time when I was downright TERRIBLE.

And back when I WASN’T very good with Chinese…

I KNEW if I had any hope of taking my Chinese to the Next Level…

I needed to do something.

And something BIG.

So back when I was still in college, after my sophomore year – I decided to enroll in “Chinese Bootcamp” that summer…

The single most intense Chinese language program on the planet. Period.

It’s an elite program run by Princeton University.

Called Princeton in Beijing.

Tough to get into.

Attracts only the most hardcore people from places like Brown, Harvard, US Diplomatic Service and the CIA…

And when I say “bootcamp” – I’m not exaggerating either.

The bootcamp is held in Beijing, China…

8-weeks of Chinese, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Classes start at 6:30AM.

Office hours end at 10:00PM each night.

Meals are eaten alongside your teachers.

Daily verbal drills.

Crappy living conditions.

Squatter toilets.

Cold showers.

Chinese dormitories from the 1950s.

And in the WORST possible living conditions…

You were expected to learn how to READ and WRITE 200 new words EACH DAY.

(Yeah, it ain’t easy.)

Eat. Sleep. Dream. Chinese.

But the goal?

Is simple.

In 8 weeks, you’re 100% fluent.

And the ground rules are simple too:

Get caught speaking, watching TV, or even THINKING in English or another languageother than Chinese?

And they kick you out.

As in, really.

In fact, they make you sign a written contract.

And if they DO kick you out – you don’t get your money back, either.

Or as we’d say, “游戏结束”

(yo-SHEE jie-SHU)

Translation?  

Game Over.

Now here’s the thing:

Even AFTER they’ve let you into the program…

On the FIRST DAY…

They test you again.

With a written test.

To “gauge” your level.

The test is tough.

And as soon as you finish, they grade you.

Post your score on a bulletin board…

And based on your results…

Assign your “Level” and write it next to your name.

First year, second year, third year, etc.

Fine.

Like everyone else, I take the test.

And at this point, I’d already taken two years of Chinese at Brown…

Which meant that I should’ve placed into THIRD year Chinese at Princeton’s program, without ANY problems…

But after we take the test, and I rush up to the bulletin board to check my score…

Guess what?

My name ain’t up there.

(Wtf?)

Instead, the director walks up to me, and asks me to step into his office…

Me, and 3 other students…

(Out of over 150+ students in the program)

Okay….

What’s this all about?

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When we step inside his office…

There are 3 other teachers in there…

He lines up the 4 students he called in…

It’s me, and three ABC girls.

(American Born Chinese).

Turns out?

For the three girls…

Their verbal Chinese was SO advanced (despite their test score), that he wanted to bump them UP a level…

Move them from 3rd year to 4th year…

Done.

So they leave.

And then, it’s just me.

Director tells me – my test score was bad.

In fact, it was SO bad, they were considering putting me into 2nd year Chinese.

BUT….

Before they did that, they wanted to speak to me… to test my VERBAL Chinese…

And give me ONE LAST CHANCE to get myself into the 3rd year class I’d signed up for…

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Let me pause here for a moment…

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Because there are times in your life where you realize it’s do or die.

Now or f*cking never.

This was one of those times…

Because if the director decided to stick me in 2nd year Chinese?

This would’ve meant I was an epic failure.

That my entire TWO YEARS at Brown studying Chinese was a complete waste.

Because second year Chinese…

For someone who had already studied TWO years of Chinese?

Would’ve been remedial.

A complete embarrassment.

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Somehow, some way…

I convinced them to let me squeak into 3rd year Chinese.

But the message was clear:

In a class of 50 students..

I was the worst stickin’ one.

And by a long shot.

Because I was the ONLY student “on the fence…”

But, here’s where your TRUE heart comes out…

When your back’s against the wall.

And you’ve got something to prove…

Not to your friends, family, teachers, or anyone else…

But to YOURSELF.

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So in that moment, I made a decision:

To be the BEST damn Chinese student in that class.

Period.

So I started to work.

And I mean WORK.

For eight weeks, I busted f*cking ass.

Non-stop.

Didn’t sleep more than 4 hours a night.

Worked through every weekend.

I was RELENTLESS.

And after eight weeks?

I started to get good.

I mean, REALLY good.

Now, I wasn’t the best in the class.

Probably not even in the Top 5.

But it didn’t matter.

I’d done what MOST people would’ve considered impossible.

But the REAL proof…

Didn’t happen until I got back to Brown that next fall semester…

When the penny REALLy dropped.

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Next year when I got back to Brown…

I had the same teacher I had when I was a struggling second year student that previous spring…

She’d seen me struggle for TWO years at Brown…

How NOTHING about Chinese came natural to me…

How my written Chinese was terrible…

And how my VERBAL Chinese wasn’t much better…

After that summer of bootcamp ended and I was back at Brown…

I was now in 4th year Chinese.

This is the REAL sh*t.

So, our teacher starts out on that first day of class asking each student how their summer was – in Chinese of course…

And she goes around the room…

From student, to student…

Until FINALLY, she arrives at me:

When it’s finally my turn…

I respond to her question.

And her reaction?

Said it all.

Her jaw hit the floor.

I mean, she was freakin’ speechless.

In fact, she just stood there looking at me.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity…

She responded to ME…

And started asking tougher, and tougher questions…

Tested to see what my LIMIT really was…

And we ping-ponged back and forth like that for the next 5 minutes…

And after that?

Nobody else in class even wanted to open up their mouth…

I had my answer:

Mission accomplished. 

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So the question is THIS:

What’s this all got to do with YOU and your BUSINESS?

Well, it’s like this:

You see…

It doesn’t matter where you are today…

What kind of money you’re making…

Or if it FEELS like everyone else around you is AHEAD of you…

F*ck ’em.

YOU GOT THIS.

And it doesn’t take long.

I went from sh*t Chinese student to Savant in 8 weeks…

From NOTHING to $25,000/month in 18 months, in my first real internet business…

And from six to mid-seven figures, in a blink of an eye…

In a very short period of time, with singular focus, determination and a fire under your ass…

You can do anything.

Maybe you’re just starting out online and you keep hitting roadblocks…

Been there, done that.

Keep pushing.

Maybe you’re stuck breaking through the 7-figure level in your operation.  

Been there, done that.

Keep pushing.

Whatever level you’re at, there’s ALWAYS a “Next Level”…

And if you want help getting there…

From someone who KNOWS what it REALLY takes to get there…

Let me know.

For now?

Take this email – read it again, and USE it to light a fire under your ass.

You got this.

And I got your back.

Peace out!

Ryan 😉

P.S.  So, back to that original question…

What IS the ONE thing I’d credit to my success?

Well, it depends what day you ask…

But for today, it’s got to be committed to the BHAG.

(Big Hairy Audacious Goal)

Just like learning a new language is a HUGE goal to accomplish, to be the BEST in the class even if you’re starting at ground zero…

Right now we’ve got a BHAG to explode our Next Level Mastermind to be…

The Best Paid Internet Marketing Facebook Group on the PLANET.

Period.

We’re well on the way.

But now, we’re more concerned and focused on CONTINUING to make the group the one-of-a-kind badass place it is…

Which is why we don’t let just ‘anyone’ in.

So if you want to be a part of our inner circle, rubbing shoulders (and getting real-time, actionable advice so you can implement in your own business FAST)…

AND IF you have a GIVING nature — ready and willing to share YOUR super-powers…

Then come on over this post on Facebook and make a comment saying:

“Ryan! I’m SOOOOOOOO In!

And when I see those words pop on my screen…

I’ll make it top priority to reply with a private access link for YOU to become part of this group – BEFORE we close it off to new members, completely.

Choice is yours.

I know where I’ll be hanging out – and who I’ll be surrounding MYSELF with…

You want to join me?