Marcus Carter is an award winning author and public speaker. You may have heard of him as “The Goal Mentor.”
He has written – “Heart, Hustle, & Muscle” to show people:
1. What a success language is and
2. What the components of any success language are, while
3. Defining each component: Heart, Hustle, and Muscle.
1. Please tell us something about yourself.
It has always been my goal to share how you can ENGINEER success and do it on your terms. My journey has not been pretty but it serves as proof. An alcoholic, a felon, a poor father, a black man, no money, and bad credit is not enough to stop the creation of success. It has now been proven and I want to prove success is possible for you too. I invest in real estate and help others invest in real estate. I am a licensed broker and consultant, committed to teaching my community how to leverage real estate.
2. How did you get into entrepreneurship? Please tell us more about your journey as an entrepreneur?
Really didn’t have a choice if I wanted to explore success. While I may have made some decisions that could have helped things work out like joining the military and being honorably discharged, getting a college degree, and manifesting that into upper level management positions; it didn’t prevent me from the typical pitfalls men of color in this country face like poor decision making, social injustice, and lack of positive examples in the community. This manifested into problems with alcohol, no financial literacy, and run-ins with the legal system. So with the mind, and even resume, of a leader, the options were pretty clear. By societies measure, I needed to be grateful to scrape by due to my actions. By my own hand, I didn’t want success to be eternally elusive. So I could either conform or put life into my own hands, which manifests professionally as entrepreneurship. Theoretically, it was a natural progression, but I didn’t have a choice.
3. Who are your role models?
I watch a lot of sports. I grew up in Chicago in the 90’s so you can do the math on that. Michael Jordan was the prototype for just about every young man of my generation when talking success. As I expanded my horizons, similar figures in different industries emerged. With a degree in theater in tow though, the complex hero is who I seem to gravitate towards. Huge fan and study of men like Steve Jobs, Jay-Z, and Eric Thomas.
4. Did you read any books that inspired or motivated you in your journey?
I read a lot, even while writing 3 books of my own. Books that struck a nerve though would have been categorized as self help. The Secret, Think and Grow Rich, and The Purpose Driven Life were no brainers. The content is always appetizing but I do like the setup. So Malcom Gladwell is a favorite. The first book of his I read, Outliers, is one of my favorites.
5. Please tell us about your company
I run Carter Property Solutions among other businesses. It is byproduct of all my endeavors. We are committed to educating people of color on the concept of wealth creation. We tackle the wealth gap and financial literacy tactfully, as the ingredients to success are heavy on emotion and mindset but not exclusive. We focus on proven strategies, specifically real estate, and how it can be leveraged by people of all walks of life to create wealth.
6. What’s your most memorable experience as an entrepreneur?
In 2014 my dad died on a Friday in April. I was in the middle of a speaking tour in Chicago. That night is when I finally understood entrepreneurship is not a financial labor but one of passion. I didn’t know what to make of my dad passing. People tried to gauge and provide comfort. I didn’t know what to do. I took a deep breath and let my heart guide me. It led me to writing and practicing my speech for a speaking engagement the following day. This to me was my way of coping. But when I shared that timeline with my audience the next day, I received a standing ovation. They were amazed at how I was able to focus on a speech at a moment of loss like that. I couldn’t explain the why but there reaction is what let me know that my work is one of passion. It helps me as and if I follow my impulses, it seems to have a positive impact on others. There was no turning back from there.
7. Are you using any online marketing strategies for your company? How are you using different social media channels to market your company?
While I completely understand the power of digital marketing, I’m very particular about how I deploy marketing strategies. The internet is like an ATM, people allow you to take money out. Blows my mind how powerful and profitable online marketing can be to an entrepreneur. I currently employ the sales funnel approach utilizing industry stalwarts like ClickFunnels. I primarily utilize to Facebook and Instagram to engage with my audience.
8. What’s your greatest fear as an entrepreneur?
Not getting a chance to share what I have learned with my audience. For people of color, the light on life can be dim. I need to make sure they know they can overcome their circumstances. My story proves, with emphasis on “proves,” that there is absolutely no barrier to wealth, ownership, freedom, etc… People of color need this example to confirm that what they are doing, if approached with heart, hustle, and muscle, is unstoppable. If I’m not able to articulate this to the masses, I have failed.
9. Looking back, what’s one thing you wish you understood about entrepreneurship before you ever got started?
That entrepreneurship is a labor of love. You must embark on a marriage of servitude to your audience. It’s not about my products, services, experience, etc… It’s about my ability to communicate with my audience how I serve their problems. Making sure they know I exist and can help them. Initially, I focused on me. Now I focus on them, how I can help them, and how efficient can I become at letting them know I’m here. Which could translate into wishing I had a better understanding of the power of marketing and branding and how much of my effort should have went into that in the beginning.
10. Would you like to share any success secrets that helped you in your journey?
I wouldn’t call it a success secret but the way the concept goes unadopted, I guess it is. The majority of the population are consumers. Entrepreneurs represent an enthusiasm towards becoming a producer, which is a bridge to creating wealth. The secret to properly making this transition is understanding the purpose of money. Consumers view money as an answer. Producers view money as a tool. Grasping that simple concept changes everything for everyone.
11. What do you enjoy most about what you do?
I get a chance to be what I always wanted to be, help people, make money, be recognized, look cool to my kids, and serve God at the same damn time! Heaven to me, considering I could be on a hamster wheel for the rest of my life. Now I get to lead a life, not without struggle, but with purpose. I enjoy waking up. I enjoy knowing I have no idea about where I’ll be a year from now. But because of my habits that thought doesn’t produce fear, it actually produces optimism. Let’s get it. For real. Not the wish on a star way, but the heart, hustle, and muscle way.
12. What keeps you going when things get tough?
You have to bleed just to know you’re alive. If it was easy, everybody would do it. A person’s value is in direct relation to the magnitude of issues him/her can handle. I am the man I am because of what I do when times are tough. Whenever times are tough, its actually just an opportunity to prove why I am who I am. Long story short, mindset is intact and focused.
13. How can people connect with you?
Great question, I’m actually looking to connect with them. I want to be a part of their journey to be who they really are. Heart, Hustle, & Muscle: The Language Of Success makes how they get there REAL. Success isn’t one size fits all. We all need a path that works for the masses. Success in reality is a language. Something we communicate with everyday. I want to share how I figured out how a person can articulate their OWN SUCCESS LANGUAGE. I’m so convinced by my clients results that I want to give away the recipe. If people take the time to connect with me, I’ll give them that recipe FOR FREE. Connect with me at www.carterpropertysolutions.net/squeeze-page to get your free copy and some other goodies I have to get them going.
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