From the desk of Victor Pride
Subj: The arc of success
————-
Have I changed?
Absolutely.
You know what happens when you don’t change?
You stay the same.
You know what people who never change are called?
Stupid. Dumb. Broke. Loser. Take your pick.
Whatever I was hungry for in the past I’m not hungry for anymore.
Maybe you’re hungry for what I used to be hungry for. Great.
But when you say things like…
“Vic, you used to talk about spartan living and work ethic. Now you talk about mansions and pools?”
When you say things like that it makes me think you aren’t very smart.
Why?
Because if you follow what I used to talk about you’ll get what I talk about currently.
See, it is the arc of success. Bold and Determined is the success model and you can read it all from start to finish.
You can see the hunger turn full. You can see a complete circle.
You can see a man who lived in a black world but can now see in color.
You can see a man who had nothing, then had something, then had nothing, then got everything. It’s all here for you.
Can’t you see? Don’t your eyes work? It’s all here in plain view for anyone who wants it.
Can’t you see that I gave all to get all?
Can’t you see? Or won’t you see.
Pictured from left to right: Victor Pride 2011 covered in sweat equity - Victor Pride 2015 King of the world
Sincere.
-Victor Pride
Ok losers,
The thing here is amount of money Victor spends in vietnam per month is maybe less than what he would be spending in the states on a minimalistic lifestyle.if you compare the two of them,who exactly is living the minimalistic lifestyle..
just because he lives in a mansion does not mean that you all have to live in one..
Relative to income I live minimally but don’t get it twisted, it costs me a lot of money to live well. More than I ever paid in the States.
“Relative to income..”
Key words. Too many people in the ‘minimalism’ or ‘frugality’ communities conflate responsible, sustainable living with spending an objectively low amount of money.
A wealthy person buying a $5,000 suit could be more responsible than a broke jackass spending $20 on a new t-shirt, depending on how conscious the decision is and how it relates to income and financial security.
Besides, like you say the whole point is to live like nobody else will so you can live like nobody else can. Just because you are personally now at the second part of the sentence doesn’t change the message, in fact it is proof of it.
EXACTLY… RELATIVE TO INCOME. I USED TO LIVE IN A $300/MONTH OLD HOUSE BUILT ON RAILROAD TIES AND DRIVE A BEAT UP PAID FOR RELIABLE CHEVY CAVALIER, I made $80k/year living this lifestyle, saved, invested well. Now I write a check for a $40k car and it is no big deal. YOU HAVE TO LIVE BELOW YOUR MEANS TO GET THE CAPITAL TO MAKE YOUR STAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS SO COMMON SENSE THAT IT AMAZES ME THAT VICTOR EVEN HAS TO EXPLAIN THIS TO ANYONE AT ALL.!!!!!!!!! You have to live WELL below your means to give yourself the breathing room to have the ability to take the risks to make money and not worry about your house or car being repossessed. You have to live below your means to save the capital to avoid going into debt to run a business. Victor did this things, and wow, big mystery, it allowed him the freedom to start a business that allows him to live a good lifestyle on a small portion of the income he makes. Simplicity is also relevant in the same fashion.
Regardless, he’s still kicking ass
Victor lives how he wants to live and that’s the extraordinary thing about him. He chose to be a minimalist for a while and now he chooses to live like a richman and tomorrow he chooses to live like a rockstar and who knows next. The message is that he CHOOSES….and not WHAT he chooses
Bold & Determined: The Autobiography of Victor Pride
You’d think at Bold & Determined, of all places, people would stand up for success and be cheering you on. Yet there are still those who seem desperate for everyone else to stand still - it makes them feel like they are moving faster I guess.
Congratulations on your earned success, Victor.
“You’d think at Bold & Determined, of all places, people would stand up for success”
Most do. This piece is for the few.
Great points Victor many people don’t see all of the things you had to give up to get to where you are now. Keep growing my friend.
Your friend from America,
Dylan
Victor,
I think I know the article you’re referring to. I read it the other day. I won’t even link to it because I don’t want the guy getting free traffic. He had a list of reasons why he no longer reads B&D and my response was the same you’re explaining here.
In my opinion, B&D is all about evolution. You start at the bottom. You learn. You grow. You take action. You achieve. When I read that guys post, I saw someone who was envying your success instead of congratulating you. Instead of continuing to work on his own goals and eventually join YOU at the top, he dedicated a whole article with the intention of hurting your image. How do you turn your back on someone who has already provided FREE value, advice, and motivation?
All I know is that B&D has and will continue to motivate/help me reach my goals. I have made MASSIVE progress by continuing to refer to this blog and by taking action. I’m starting to see that people who begin something and don’t acquire success in the first couple of months, quit. Next, they go and call successful people liars and frauds.
I agree with Andrew Miles comment above: “…people would stand up for success and be cheering you on”. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
-Alex
http://www.inertiawillhurtya.com
I am not referring to any article. I am referring to guys sitting at home alone and broke and complaining.
Victor,
Congratulations on your success. You have achieved what many (most) of us, men, dream about.
You are true inspiration for me. B&D put me on the right track many times.
When I was lazy, 30 Days of Discipline gave me guidance how to get over that weakness.
When I was confused and tired of complicated diets and training routines, workouts from Body of a Spartan fueled by Steak & Eggs made everything clear and simple.
When my social skills were low and I wasn’t getting enough fun with girls, you have introduced me to Chris (GoodLookingLoser). Now, I’m screening girls and picking those I like (not they other way around).
You have helped me to fulfill many hungers I had. One is left. Hunger for being super rich. I know I will satisfy this one too.
Keep on inspiring Victor. Lead us by example.
Thank you for everything you do for yourself. We benefit from it more than you do.
Adam
Hey Vic, great post. I have to say I’ve noted your progress as well. I’m on a journey as well, a very ling one. It never truly started full throttle until after I met Mike from Danger & Play at a meetup. Meeting Mike jn person sparked something in me. It let me know that it really is possible to be a real man, a man of freedom… A month ago I weighed 248 pounds. Now I weigh 228. I’m still fat and look like shit, but now I’m weightlifting, eating real food, and building two businesses from the ground up (I trade and building an e-commerce store in a huge untapped market).
I’m still broke and not yet free, but one day I will be. Thanks for being one of the guys who gave me the kicks in the ass I needed to make clarity of how to go about going after what I knew I always wanted.
Ash
Dude, 20 pounds lost in a month? Keep that up and you won’t be “looking like shit” for long! Keep the fires burning, man.
Hi Ash!
I remember you from the Chicago meet up. Great to hear you are doing well! :)
I read your old articles and I find motivation all over again. The first time I read them was when I quit my job and I was trying to raise money to open up my business. I needed a little push and your articles fired me up. I read those old articles now, after opening up my business and kicking ass for a year, and I remember those days where I dreamed of being where i am now. It fires me back up because I remember that fire and it gets re lit every time.
Keep kicking ass Vic. The real men that read these articles appreciate your journey. We are on a path to becoming the best. No wanna be loser that takes 0 action will bring us down.
Vic,
To start, I was quite surprised to see that you had another post up just 3 days after your most recent one. After reading the title, I knew this had to be something of a different flavor than what I’m used to reading from B&D.
Short, sweet, and to the point, this letter said all that was necessary to anyone who doesn’t understand the “arc of success.”
Now, I have only one thing to contribute in regards to the quoted statement, “Vic, you used to talk about spartan living and work ethic. Now you talk about mansions and pools?”
Maximalism is the key component that has been overlooked by these naysayers. And, no, not the urban dictionary definition of “maximalism.”
To clarify, “minimalism” is defined philosophically as “less is more.” “Maximalism” is defined as “more is more.” To be clear, I’ve found your philosophical stance on materialism is a fusion of the two.
I’ve found the Bold & Determined definition of “maximalism” to be this - the BEST is more.
From before B&D was a thriving community to currently enjoying rooftop gatherings, Victor, I’ve always taken note of how you seek to get the most out of every one of your life’s possession.
To relate, I’ve summed it up similarly one my own site’s “Recommended Resources” page,
“Investing in minimal possessions that grant the maximum return with the least expense is the name of the game when it comes to being a conscious consumer.”
Naysayers, does Victor need a house? Yes, and he decided to own the BEST one for his life that grants him the MAXIMUM return with the LEAST expense.
Could he have purchased a cheaper dwelling? Of course he could have, but that wouldn’t be the BEST option since it wouldn’t provide him with the maximum return in comfort, happiness, and life experiences that he can afford in relation to his life’s circumstances.
Anyway, I just wanted to add my two cents to bring more clarity to the situation for anyone and everyone in the B&D community.
Keep getting the most out of life, Vic, it’s an inspiration to witness.
Infinite gratitude,
Markos. J.K.
Warrior-in-chief of http://www.foryourliberation.com
P.S. For anyone who’s looking to the B&D article I referred to on maximalism, here’s the link: http://bit.ly/1bhuLKF
What exactly did they think you were working so hard for?
I get it, Vic, It brings me a lot of joy every time I see good things happening to you.
Only jealous nerds keep an eye out on any little flaw to try to call you out on. Waiting around for you to fall on your face because they still can’t accept the fact that you’re right.
Thanks for keeping it real.
Hi Victor,
I’d like to thank you a lot for being one of the few authors and male role models that through his writing has given me a gift that I am appreciative for. You have given me the mental food to foster desire and hunger for a successful life (in all its spheres).
You walk the walk. You lead by example. And you show that having it all can be done.
There are not many all-round successful older men like you around who are making themselves available as role models and examples. We need that though. At the start of the journey to bettering yourself, you wonder if it’s possible.
Often we see people at the end of their journey when they finally catch the public eye because of what they have accomplished. By that point, they look upon their journey in retrospect and lose the perspective of days past, like you have. As you rightly mention, that is wholly appropriate and even inevitable. But, it makes us harder to learn from their struggle and journey unless we can peer directly into the mind of their former self or unless we have seen the growth over time.
I have been following you for maybe two years now since the start of my last year in high school. Since then, I have grown a lot - in part, due to your direct influence on my thoughts.
I’m 19 years old now, living in an incredible South American city, working like a dog on my business (using Modafinil - that stuff is incredible man, thanks for the tip. Also I buy the brand name stuff over the counter at the pharmacy down the street - totally legal here.) and on my body in the gym using body of a spartan. My life is fantastic and I’m so happy, but I’m also very hungry for more.
Since this is in the comments for all to read, I just want to recommend to anybody who hasn’t bought and read them that Victor’s books: 30 Days of Discipline and Body of a Spartan, are gold. Buy them NOW. Apply them TODAY. And, watch your life visibly improve. They are among the most practicable, logical and high-quality pieces of writing and instruction that I have read in my life.
Since I have read your books, I can now say my life rocks and is getting better very, very quickly.
I sincerely thank you Victor for what you have done for me and many others with your blog and products. Great job on executing your goals and living the life of your dreams.
Have a great day Victor.
Cheers,
Chris
Hey Chris,
What’s the name of the Modafinil (in Spanish) that you’re buying in South America? I’m in Costa Rica and have tried to find it here, with no luck. Granted, I don’t know what it’s called in Spanish, but my searches have been fruitless so far.
In Colombia (and other countries) you can find it in pharmacies sold under the name
VIGIA.
Good luck, bro.
I wish you all the best Vic, because you walk the talk and you are an inspiration for a lot of people. Keep doing what you are doing.
Rash
Congrats
Well done my friend. I’m still earning it.
I’ve read every single post on B&D probably 10 times. When I used to take my “generously provided” mandatory unpaid break at my last job I would be sitting in a windowless basement of a hotel at 2:00am reading nothing but B&D for 30 minutes.
Reading every post from first to last and then starting back at the beginning, I really have a sense of your journey. Sure, your opinions have changed on various matters. But guess what? If you were the exact same person now that you were in back in 2010 I would call you a fool. I have nothing but respect for personal growth.
Just remember, for every hater out there you have thousands of grateful readers.
Keep up the great work Vic!
Man, for a while I’d find any excuse to stop whatever I was doing to read B&D in the same way you did: from older to newer. As many websites as I’ve built and read, no other has been able to match the allure of B&D.
Geez Vic, smile once in a while. You don’t have to be alpha all the time! What’s with the puckered face all the time? You holding in a fart or something?
It is business, brother. Not an amusement park.
Vic, GLL might be able to help you with that male pattern baldness. Earlier the better.
A real man doesn’t give a fuck about baldness, dude you don’t get it…
a real man does what he wants and gives a fuck about what he wants.
Don’t get what? Whatever a ‘real’ man cares about is irrelevant, everyone has their own priorities. GLL is a partner of Vic’s and has good resources on mitigating hair loss:
http://www.gll-getalife.com/tags/tag/hair-loss-prevention-guide
He is not bald. He cuts his hair till really short.
I think.
It’s shaved with a zero guard like it has been off and on for ten years.
“You can see a man who lived in a black world but can now see in color.”
Man… this is poetry.
“You can see a man who had nothing, then had something, then had nothing, then got everything. It’s all here for you.”
When did you have nothing a second time? Did you go through some hard times with B&D?
I’d assume Vic is talking about a period when he had significant success as a Real Estate Agent but chose to give it all away and move to Thailand to work on B&D.
Thanks for writing this, Vic.
Truth be told, I’d rather get tactical inspiration from someone just a fee years ahead of me on their success trajectory, than some 55 year old tech investor sitting on millions.
He can’t even tell me how to replicate what he did,because it was too long ago, and industries change too fast.
Yet, when you lay out timeless principles like habit formation,focus, fitness and cutting out the B.S. from your life -THAT anyone can relate to.
This shit works. As long as YOU do.
On that note, I’m off to the gym and then MY office. Damn it feels good to say that.
Be cautious with those old guys. If you keep your ears and eyes open you will find some of them are solid killers in what they do. I have learned from many of them as well. While cutting out the BS, as you mentioned is an absolute, keeping an open perspective to incoming information from many angles will take you far.
My favorite thing about reading B&D and D&P is seeing the evolution take place. It keeps me in check and reminds me that it takes years to build something great.
The guys on the top right now were small five years ago. That should be something new guys keep in the back of their minds.
Hey Vic,
You are right again. Your blog has shown the process you went through to get where you are at now. That is called progress. A man should constantly be striving and achieving and moving forward never being the same person he was say six months ago or four years ago. Arnold said it best, you must move up achieve and conquer and stay hungry.
It’s called adapatbility.
Low on income and want to be an entreprenuer -> live like a spartan
High on income -> INVEST IN YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE
Like Bruce Lee said Be water my friend.
This.
But never allow yourself to become a slave to the golden handcuffs.
I really don’t get the problem, it’s not that you deleted the old posts. The Spartan posts are still there, for anyone to read and learn. B&D still has them, that’s what matters. Putting out new “spartan” material just for the sake of it would be an insult to the reader’s intelligence. I’d rather see the change, new topics etc. than a “Zen-like” website that tells me the same exact things on every post just by changing a few words or making up a new example.
Plus, it’s your blog; write whatever you want. You are free to write whatever you like to, as I am free to read whatever I like to.
Truth!
I am never surprised at human reaction to different angles of other people’s successes. It’s true that you could live in a two room home, (more spartan like by definition I suppose), just the same as your current home. That would probably be mentally easier to digest for the no growers. You could also save money and just lift stones in the park for exercise. While both of those are viable options, neither one defines whether or not we live spartan. Neither one of those lifestyle choices defines our character at all. They are just choices. While I would really enjoy living in a small, simple cabin deep in the middle of the woods somewhere beyond the humanoids, my wife disagrees. We compromised and choose to live in a nice big house on a lake with a little over three acres. As much as I love the deep woods, this is fairly painless. I know plenty of people who would like to call me out, but they won’t because they know that is a battle they can’t win. They can’t beat me because I am still me regardless of where I choose to live. For the record, it is all paid for because I have been a focused entrepreneur for 15 years. Regardless of the fact that no growers will always be up your back side, you and I both know that you are clearly making a difference in many young men’s lives, while getting paid for it. Young men now more than ever need strong male leadership. I say well done.
I have been reading B&D since it’s origin, before “Victor Pride” came to be. I am quite comfortable financially and have been for many years. Working for myself was the best thing I ever did for personal freedom. My point is that I’m very comfortable and that comfort has been my biggest crutch for moving farther forward. I keep reading B&D because I enjoy most of it and many of your articles have a way of trying to kick my crutch out from under me. At 42, I am looking to achieve even more freedom. Several months ago I re branded myself and built a new website that would encompass all of me instead of one specific angle. I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, but I was gonna give it a go and burn the crutch. To my surprise you then released your latest e book and it just reassured me where I felt like I was going was correct. Thank you.
Please educate me on what you did to be an entrepreneur, I have always been good at “making money at a job” $80-90k a year, and living on about 1/4-1/3 and picking good investments, but, I have yet to take the leap and be an entrepreneur on my own. Thank you in advance
As long as you own your things, and your things don’t own you, it’s all good. My tastes and standards have changed a lot over time, and they’ll probably continue to do so. Besides, people with money should spend it somewhere, hoarding it doesn’t help the economy or give people lower down the ladder a chance to move up.
Refreshing post. If we’re really being honest with ourselves, I don’t think many men (including myself) WANT to live a life with humble possessions when you have the option not to. There’s a very real grinding stage everyone has to go through, but once you have the ability to taste the fruits of your labor, it feels pretty fucking awesome.
Agreed. Driving a new Corvette is a joy.
Haha love the photo vic!
Exactly !
Change is inevitable. If you don’t change that means you don’t want to grow.We can only choose whether we want to change and become better or change and become useless.
Either way we will change.
Victor, one question.
What is your opinion of Viktor Frankl (“Man’s search for meaning”), and Tony Robbins?
Don’t know Frankl. Robbins, don’t care to have an opinion. Good for him is my opinion.
Thank you for your reply. I strongly suggest that you read “Man’s search for meaning” when you have some time. It’s not a self-help/religious book despite the title. It’s a punch to the stomach, a great life lesson, and one of the most celebrated scientific works.
I’m always referring people to your site if they need help with anything at all. This website is the be all end all of mindset. But lately I’ve noticed that I can’t help all these people. Some people will not change, even if everything was on the table. Change is something they just don’t understand. They run and run from it, and 40 years later, some of them realize their failures, but most of them prefer to deny ever wanting change in the first place. “I could have been rich if I wanted, but I dedicated my life to taking care of my ex slut wife.” You know what? Fuck those people. It’s a full time job just improving one’s self.
Ps. Can’t wait for bad guy bodybuilding.
You are the king of your world, Victor.
And that’s fine, because it doesn’t matter. Nobody can be the king of the world, and it would be an awful life with so much responsabilities and so much work to get done for others.
You are the king of YOUR world.
I’m young, heading for jobs and while I may enjoy them for a while, I sure don’t want to follow the script : get a job, get married, have kids, get divorced and be bitter. This is the one thing I get from your blog : there is another possibility.
That gives me hope.
One day. One day I will be in your shoes. I will make money without a boss yelling at me (I can’t stand authority, people telling me what to do), I will have enough free time to do the things that makes life worth living.
But now, first step : get a job for a few years and save at much money as possible to fund my projects.
It’s not about pools and mansions. The thing is that you used to write art, but lately everything you post sounds only like marketing copy. I know it is your life, and it is your blog, and it is free content: we shouldn’t complain. But that feeling of excitement I had every time there was a new post by you, it is almost gone now.
“BTW people, I’m filthy rich and money does buy happiness. And don’t forget to buy 30 Days Of Discipline and Body Of A Spartan, they will change your life. Oh, and people still read, so you will need your own blog, we can set it up for you, use BADNET.”
If you like the old stuff you can buy the books, which you didn’t do.
I understand to a fair degree the process and transition. I used to be a wage slave working for corporate America. I made a decent income ($80-90k/year) and lived well below my means. I lived in an old house built on railroad ties, a mile from work, drove old beat up paid for cars, and lived on about 1/3 of what I made. I did pick and time good investments (precious metals at the bottom and top). Now at the age of 36, I am freer than most financially, but the one thing I have not done is find my entrepreneurial destiny. I will have to try my own blog at badnet. One thing that I can say from experience, is even when you have money, simplicity is still nice. The basics of the good things never change. Be fit, eat well, know how to fight, live below your means, don’t waste your precious time, be productive, kick the losers, and…have some fun.
I first came to your site through your post about women, and finding a wife. Someone else in a marketing forum I belong to shared the post. I clicked the link and I then followed your site for about 3 years (I think, maybe 2.5) up until this day. Every week I would absolutely LOOK FORWARD to new posts. Every post was pure GOLD, like that post on women. You blog was different than all the other guru blogs out there.
I think as men we need mentors in our lives, voice of reasoning, someone to give us things to think about. Maybe we are stuck and just need a 500 word perspective to get us going and get us motivated. Your posts did that, the posts were gold.
We still get some of it today. Your last post on why to be a BIG GUY was more in vain of your earlier posts. Thank you for that.
I get you are now crushing it, and you will continue to crush it. I am happy for your success. I am happy you have “made it.” More power to you.
You will probably continue to grow the site and your revenue regardless. You’ve struck oil.
I hit 6 figs a month in revenue when I was 20. I did it consecutively for multiple years. I am a developer and internet marketer. I have no need to start a blog. Maybe these other guys do.
Anyways, this is the last I will post on this subject since you have addressed it on your site. I will still be a fan and check out the blog. But as you have changed, I guess this blog has changed for me.
- Thanks
Btw, quick question.
Since discovering your blog, I began working out. What else can I do to not be a pussy anymore?
You know, to not be so affraid of getting beaten that I don’t assert myself.
I’m sick of letting other step on me. I would like to command more respect. Any idea of what I could do beside working out like a beast to get stronger?
Stand up straight, chest out, shoulders back.
Maybe get into mma if you’ve never been punched in the face. You can’t walk around scared, everyone can see it. Read Jack donovan’s ” the way of men” to put some hair on your chest. Hope that helps.
Do some Martial Arts. If you don’t feel comfortable with MMA, do something more traditional. As long as you do some combat art, you’ll improve.
Haters gonna hate. Thanks for putting your life out for us to read and see so we can become better men.
What good B&D has done for me
- Stopped eating processed garbage and started eating good food
- Waking up early everyday to work on my side project (not a success YET)
- Exercise everyday no matter how I feel
- Working towards my vision, not just wondering around and aimlessly existing like normal people
- Motivated me to become a better writer. I write everyday now.
- Understand that big changes come from small adjustments to daily habits
- Understand that a large part of male happiness means getting shit done
Thank you Victor Pride.
To all the guys saying what happened to the Spartan shit, when you’re ball’n you can still look for good deals…you can get a nice used lambo for $100 g’s instead of paying a half mill. It’s all relative. Plus when you have money and you buy high quality shit it usually appreciates with value, so you get paid for having nice shit. Win Win