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Reinventing rock bottom | Taylor Conroy | TEDxRoyalRoadsU


[Music]

[Music] you

you know those stories you hear about

you know those stories you hear about people to get really successful and they

people to get really successful and they

people to get really successful and they lose it all but they win it all back

lose it all but they win it all back

lose it all but they win it all back again I love those stories they’re

again I love those stories they’re

again I love those stories they’re inspiring but here’s what I don’t like

inspiring but here’s what I don’t like

inspiring but here’s what I don’t like they you only ever hear from these

they you only ever hear from these

they you only ever hear from these people once they’re back on top and

people once they’re back on top and

people once they’re back on top and they’re winning again why don’t we ever

they’re winning again why don’t we ever

they’re winning again why don’t we ever hear from them when they’re down and out

hear from them when they’re down and out

hear from them when they’re down and out bailing when they’re at rock bottom I’ll

bailing when they’re at rock bottom I’ll

bailing when they’re at rock bottom I’ll tell you why because rock bottom is a

tell you why because rock bottom is a

tell you why because rock bottom is a horrible place it’s filled with shame

horrible place it’s filled with shame

horrible place it’s filled with shame guilt and embarrassment I speak from

guilt and embarrassment I speak from

guilt and embarrassment I speak from experience my name’s Taylor I’m 35 and I

experience my name’s Taylor I’m 35 and I

experience my name’s Taylor I’m 35 and I just went bankrupt I want to tell you

just went bankrupt I want to tell you

just went bankrupt I want to tell you how I got here when I was 20 as a

how I got here when I was 20 as a

how I got here when I was 20 as a firefighter things are going great

firefighter things are going great

firefighter things are going great couple years later I started selling

couple years later I started selling

couple years later I started selling real estate and things got even better I

real estate and things got even better I

real estate and things got even better I made a couple million bucks and my

made a couple million bucks and my

made a couple million bucks and my mid-20s then I went on this incredible

mid-20s then I went on this incredible

mid-20s then I went on this incredible life-changing paradigm-shifting trip to

life-changing paradigm-shifting trip to

life-changing paradigm-shifting trip to Kenya and I came back and I started to

Kenya and I came back and I started to

Kenya and I came back and I started to find my true calling I started a company

find my true calling I started a company

find my true calling I started a company called change heroes the fundraising

called change heroes the fundraising

called change heroes the fundraising company re-raise enough money to build

company re-raise enough money to build

company re-raise enough money to build four hundred schools libraries water

four hundred schools libraries water

four hundred schools libraries water projects girls scholarships anti-sex

projects girls scholarships anti-sex

projects girls scholarships anti-sex trafficking work all over the world for

trafficking work all over the world for

trafficking work all over the world for two hundred thousand people I was

two hundred thousand people I was

two hundred thousand people I was speaking at stadiums full of 10,000

speaking at stadiums full of 10,000

speaking at stadiums full of 10,000 people

people

people I was keynoting all the great social

I was keynoting all the great social

I was keynoting all the great social good conferences like we’re on a rocket

good conferences like we’re on a rocket

good conferences like we’re on a rocket ship but making money while doing good

ship but making money while doing good

ship but making money while doing good turned out to be harder than I thought

turned out to be harder than I thought

turned out to be harder than I thought now we started to get close to missing

now we started to get close to missing

now we started to get close to missing pay days that’s when I put my own

pay days that’s when I put my own

pay days that’s when I put my own savings in all of it I started taking

savings in all of it I started taking

savings in all of it I started taking personal loans from the bank to float

personal loans from the bank to float

personal loans from the bank to float the company I racked up my credit cards

the company I racked up my credit cards

the company I racked up my credit cards I even took a $150,000 loan from a close

I even took a $150,000 loan from a close

I even took a $150,000 loan from a close friend eventually

friend eventually

friend eventually this company that I had started to

this company that I had started to

this company that I had started to change the world my baby the thing that

change the world my baby the thing that

change the world my baby the thing that I thought about when I woke up I thought

I thought about when I woke up I thought

I thought about when I woke up I thought about when I went to sleep the thing I’d

about when I went to sleep the thing I’d

about when I went to sleep the thing I’d pour my blood sweat and tears into for

pour my blood sweat and tears into for

pour my blood sweat and tears into for four years collapsed and I went bankrupt

four years collapsed and I went bankrupt

four years collapsed and I went bankrupt the money part was bad but for me the

the money part was bad but for me the

the money part was bad but for me the worst was knowing I had let so many

worst was knowing I had let so many

worst was knowing I had let so many people down looking our employees in the

people down looking our employees in the

people down looking our employees in the eyes people that had worked for us for

eyes people that had worked for us for

eyes people that had worked for us for next to nothing and poured their heart

next to nothing and poured their heart

next to nothing and poured their heart and soul into the company telling them

and soul into the company telling them

and soul into the company telling them it was over calling our nonprofit

it was over calling our nonprofit

it was over calling our nonprofit partners telling them that we couldn’t

partners telling them that we couldn’t

partners telling them that we couldn’t support them anymore and sitting there

support them anymore and sitting there

support them anymore and sitting there one day calling every one of our

one day calling every one of our

one day calling every one of our investors 40 of them people that trusted

investors 40 of them people that trusted

investors 40 of them people that trusted me and telling them that I had just lost

me and telling them that I had just lost

me and telling them that I had just lost all of their hard-earned money here’s

all of their hard-earned money here’s

all of their hard-earned money here’s what some of their responses were I knew

what some of their responses were I knew

what some of their responses were I knew you were just a Salesman I should have

you were just a Salesman I should have

you were just a Salesman I should have trusted my gut

trusted my gut

trusted my gut you better be paying us back Karma’s a

you better be paying us back Karma’s a

you better be paying us back Karma’s a bitch I couldn’t open my email inbox

bitch I couldn’t open my email inbox

bitch I couldn’t open my email inbox without my entire body feeling nauseous

what they said hurt but it was nothing

what they said hurt but it was nothing compared to what I was saying to myself

compared to what I was saying to myself

compared to what I was saying to myself that my previous success in real estate

that my previous success in real estate

that my previous success in real estate must have been a fluke I don’t have what

must have been a fluke I don’t have what

must have been a fluke I don’t have what it takes

it takes

it takes all of these people their lives would

all of these people their lives would

all of these people their lives would have been better if they never would

have been better if they never would

have been better if they never would have met me then in the midst of all of

have met me then in the midst of all of

have met me then in the midst of all of this I woke up one morning I took a deep

this I woke up one morning I took a deep

this I woke up one morning I took a deep breath I thought I’m still alive the

breath I thought I’m still alive the

breath I thought I’m still alive the breeze still feels amazing when it hits

breeze still feels amazing when it hits

breeze still feels amazing when it hits my face I went surfing

my face I went surfing

my face I went surfing I felt the water I felt the waves

I felt the water I felt the waves

I felt the water I felt the waves and I realized that surfing when you’re

and I realized that surfing when you’re

and I realized that surfing when you’re poor is the exact same as stir free when

poor is the exact same as stir free when

poor is the exact same as stir free when you’re rich you just have a terrible

you’re rich you just have a terrible

you’re rich you just have a terrible bored I started making a list of the

bored I started making a list of the

bored I started making a list of the things that I was grateful for right

things that I was grateful for right

things that I was grateful for right here and right now in my life having a

here and right now in my life having a

here and right now in my life having a roof over my head a dry warm place to

roof over my head a dry warm place to

roof over my head a dry warm place to sleep a fridge full of food and I

sleep a fridge full of food and I

sleep a fridge full of food and I started making lists of all of the

started making lists of all of the

started making lists of all of the things that I had learned over the last

things that I had learned over the last

things that I had learned over the last four years I realized I learned way more

four years I realized I learned way more

four years I realized I learned way more in the collapse than I ever did when

in the collapse than I ever did when

in the collapse than I ever did when things were going great but most of all

things were going great but most of all

things were going great but most of all I owned every part of that failure it

I owned every part of that failure it

I owned every part of that failure it was my fault I was the CEO and that’s

was my fault I was the CEO and that’s

was my fault I was the CEO and that’s okay because adversity is a huge

okay because adversity is a huge

okay because adversity is a huge opportunity the reason that failure

opportunity the reason that failure

opportunity the reason that failure feels like we’re walking through mud

feels like we’re walking through mud

feels like we’re walking through mud it’s because it’s so dense with lessons

it’s because it’s so dense with lessons

it’s because it’s so dense with lessons and for me it was the chance to finally

and for me it was the chance to finally

and for me it was the chance to finally open up and be truly vulnerable I called

open up and be truly vulnerable I called

open up and be truly vulnerable I called a friend of mine he’s a videographer I

a friend of mine he’s a videographer I

a friend of mine he’s a videographer I said bring your camera over he came to

said bring your camera over he came to

said bring your camera over he came to my place and we filmed a two-minute

my place and we filmed a two-minute

my place and we filmed a two-minute video of me coming out saying that I had

video of me coming out saying that I had

video of me coming out saying that I had gone bankrupt that I’d failed all the

gone bankrupt that I’d failed all the

gone bankrupt that I’d failed all the things that I wanted to hide then with

things that I wanted to hide then with

things that I wanted to hide then with my stomach churning I posted it to

my stomach churning I posted it to

my stomach churning I posted it to Facebook and I sent it to my entire

Facebook and I sent it to my entire

Facebook and I sent it to my entire contact list the responses were

contact list the responses were

contact list the responses were unexpected and incredible a friend of

unexpected and incredible a friend of

unexpected and incredible a friend of mine called said she’d gone bankrupt

mine called said she’d gone bankrupt

mine called said she’d gone bankrupt five years earlier and never told a soul

five years earlier and never told a soul

five years earlier and never told a soul I could hear in her voice she was still

I could hear in her voice she was still

I could hear in her voice she was still carrying the shame other people were

carrying the shame other people were

carrying the shame other people were experiencing their own rock bottom’s

experiencing their own rock bottom’s

experiencing their own rock bottom’s different challenges and struggles they

different challenges and struggles they

different challenges and struggles they said that this openness this

said that this openness this

said that this openness this vulnerability made them feel like they

vulnerability made them feel like they

vulnerability made them feel like they weren’t alone and people told me that

weren’t alone and people told me that

weren’t alone and people told me that was the challenges it was the hard times

was the challenges it was the hard times

was the challenges it was the hard times that shaped their character they made

that shaped their character they made

that shaped their character they made them better human beings here’s the

them better human beings here’s the

them better human beings here’s the thing sometimes we’re up sometimes we’re

thing sometimes we’re up sometimes we’re

thing sometimes we’re up sometimes we’re down and it’s time right now that we

down and it’s time right now that we

down and it’s time right now that we create a new

create a new

create a new vision of what it means to be a rock

vision of what it means to be a rock

vision of what it means to be a rock bottom reinventing failure for me

bottom reinventing failure for me

bottom reinventing failure for me happened in three steps

happened in three steps

happened in three steps number one own it it’s way easier to

number one own it it’s way easier to

number one own it it’s way easier to blame other people for where we’re at

blame other people for where we’re at

blame other people for where we’re at but until we own it we won’t actually

but until we own it we won’t actually

but until we own it we won’t actually move on and we can’t learn from it

move on and we can’t learn from it

move on and we can’t learn from it this rock bottom this hardest time this

this rock bottom this hardest time this

this rock bottom this hardest time this is our greatest teacher becomes a gold

is our greatest teacher becomes a gold

is our greatest teacher becomes a gold mine we can pull so many lessons from it

mine we can pull so many lessons from it

mine we can pull so many lessons from it number two be grateful make a list every

number two be grateful make a list every

number two be grateful make a list every morning and every night of the things

morning and every night of the things

morning and every night of the things that you’re thankful for in your life

that you’re thankful for in your life

that you’re thankful for in your life right here and right now it stops you

right here and right now it stops you

right here and right now it stops you from wallowing in the past or wishing

from wallowing in the past or wishing

from wallowing in the past or wishing you’re somewhere in the future and

you’re somewhere in the future and

you’re somewhere in the future and number three my favorite find the

number three my favorite find the

number three my favorite find the opportunity every failure brings with it

opportunity every failure brings with it

opportunity every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent or greater

the seed of an equivalent or greater

the seed of an equivalent or greater success every failure brings with it the

success every failure brings with it the

success every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent or greater success

seed of an equivalent or greater success

seed of an equivalent or greater success now I’m standing down here I’m in the

now I’m standing down here I’m in the

now I’m standing down here I’m in the hole I’m seven months into a nine-month

hole I’m seven months into a nine-month

hole I’m seven months into a nine-month bankruptcy term I’m where people fear

bankruptcy term I’m where people fear

bankruptcy term I’m where people fear and it’s the most free and the happiest

and it’s the most free and the happiest

and it’s the most free and the happiest I’ve ever been

whatever you’re going through whatever

whatever you’re going through whatever your rock bottom is own it be grateful

your rock bottom is own it be grateful

your rock bottom is own it be grateful find the opportunity because when you do

find the opportunity because when you do

find the opportunity because when you do it will not just for you will free other

it will not just for you will free other

it will not just for you will free other people too

people too

people too so whatever you’re struggling with

so whatever you’re struggling with

so whatever you’re struggling with whatever you’re challenged with whatever

whatever you’re challenged with whatever

whatever you’re challenged with whatever is weighing you down know this you’re

is weighing you down know this you’re

is weighing you down know this you’re not alone and you got this thank you

not alone and you got this thank you

not alone and you got this thank you [Applause]

”

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