Ep449: Jacob Roig – You Can’t Neglect Your Way Out of Problems

Andrew Stotz 00:02
Hello fellow risk takers and welcome to my worst investment ever stories of loss to keep you winning in our community we know that to win in investing you must take risk but to win big you've got to reduce it to join our community go to my worst investment ever.com and receive the risk reduction checklist I've created from the lessons I've learned from all my guests and get my weekly email to help you increase your investment return. Also in the community you will receive a super special podcast listener discount on my six week valuation masterclass boot camp. This boot camp is for those who want to learn exactly how to value companies like a pro and advance their career in finance go to my worst investment ever.com to join our community for free. Fellow risk takers. This is your worst podcast host Andrew Stotz from a Stotz Academy, and I'm here with featured guest, Jacob ruegg. Jacob, are you ready to rock,

Jacob Roig 01:01
I'm ready to rock and roll.

Andrew Stotz 01:04
Let's do it. I'm going to tell the audience a bit about you. Jacob specializes in helping coaches and the entrepreneur create the steps and strategies to growing or scaling their business. So they can quickly double their incomes, increase profits and figure out how to grow into their ideal lifestyle with a great team more time off, and a workable plan to get there. And ladies and gentlemen, I know like me, you want that. Jacob is a certified business coach, certified firewalk instructor. And besides coaching leaders runs live events that routinely do the impossible like getting you to walk over broken glass and burning coals. He's mastered overcoming fears and limitations all of his life. Jacob knows how to face life and business challenges. And now teaches and coaches, others along the way, Jacob take a minute and filling further tidbits about your life.

Jacob Roig 02:03
Thank you for having me. And thanks for watching everybody. You know, it started with a little bit of turbulence, I was born three months premature in 1959 in a town of about 7000 people, so I'm a walking miracle. So I have been fighting challenges my whole life. In my childhood was you know, a little bit terrible. And I lost my father at five, I got split up from my brother at six and took a lot of physical abuse and molestation before I was eight years old, I had a few lifetimes under my belt. And through that, though, I established a really strong friendship relationship, which still grows 50 years later. So you know, I won't talk about all terrible because the good that came out of that is the loyalty and the friendships that I still have. But my life from eight years from 10 years, which is when my stepfather came into my life, and he ended up being one of my greatest mentors that taught me how to be a compassionate man. But all of this led up to me being able and willing to take some risk because my life was at risk. You know, I was, I wasn't supposed to be here. And I am. And so I think that it, um, you know, unconsciously, it led me to that. And, and I've always been one that saw a possibility. And without knowing any better, which is probably a good thing. At times, I went for things and in life, we always go through them. But for me, they've worked out in the end. And so I have, you know, there's lots of tragedy in it. But there's also lots of trials.

Andrew Stotz 03:53
And maybe, you know, I mean, I went through my tragedies, addiction at a young age and went to a lot of trouble. I didn't go through physical or sexual or other types of abuse, although I knew plenty of people that have experienced that. And I just wondered for the listeners out there who either have experienced that, or that know someone that's experienced it, and they don't really know how to handle it or how to deal with that. Or, you know, maybe you could just give one, one little piece of advice to help them to think about, you know, what are their next steps?

Jacob Roig 04:28
Yeah, for me, it was everything was closed in, I just kept it out to myself. And it was a series of being able to and willing to find some help. I've done a lot of work. And probably my biggest growth spurt was at 56. So I've been doing the work since I've been in my early 20s. But I think that just go out and if you don't have anybody that you can speak to that can help. Not me ties with you, but help you then find a resource that you connect with. And when you connect, I mean, you feel it here, not think it up here and go for it, it can change your whole life. And that in turn, you can change somebody else's.

Andrew Stotz 05:16
So for the listeners out there, reach out. It's not the thing that you feel comfortable doing sometimes. But it's the thing that can get you out of the dilemma that you're in. And it's not just, you know, the types of, you know, extreme situations. But, you know, in business in life, when you're facing troubles, don't hesitate to reach out. And in fact, I reached out to Jacob to come on his show. So you know, that's just another example. Reach out, you never know, there are people out there that will answer the call, don't worry about that they will come. So now it's time to share your worst investment ever. And since no one ever goes into their worst investment thinking it will be tell us a bit about the circumstances leading up to it and tell us your story.

Jacob Roig 06:05
That Well, my worst investment. I'll get to that point. But I started it by landing my dream corporate job. It was this I was selling Yellow Pages. And at the time, it was the prestige, one of the prestige jobs that you could get, because they treated you like you were royalty almost. And they paid you really well. And not only was it a seven interview process, seven interviews, and each one, they would say if you do well, on this one, you'll advance to the next one. So there was like God is pressure right from the start. But then it was 13 weeks of training. So it was a really intensive thing. So I had this position that I felt was just magical. And as it led forward, sometimes the worst people when they don't know what to do with them, they make them a manager. And I got one of those. And so it eventually led me to the point where after 12 years into it, I got tired of looking at the clock every Sunday night at 8am. And feeling a big letdown because 12 hours from then I have to be back at the place that I dreaded to be a part of. And this was you know, I was making a solid good six figure plus income. And it's proves that it isn't about the money. We start out that way. But it really isn't about the money. It's about really the full circle of fulfillment. And I had always had the bug to be an entrepreneur, but wasn't willing to make that leap or investment. And I had a catalyst, and it was that manager. And in reality, it wasn't it was me. But that was the reason that gave me the onus to really kind of make that tough decision. And I became an entrepreneur. And I had meteoric success, it was fantastic. My first 10 months in business, we did 1.2 million in sales. It was amazing. And along the way I had to learn, I had to learn how to manage projects, I had to learn how to manage other people. And it wasn't easy. I was used to managing myself, that was easy. But it's a whole different story. And that led me to fulfilling my five year goal the first year. And being a creative and being a driven personality. After three years in that business. I was like, Okay, I'm good. I keep doing a million, let's do something different. And that was the investment that I made that I took the leap, I sold the business, and then I was going to invest in the tangible thing that you can always rely on real estate. Right? At least that's what they said. So I believed it. And then I started investing in real estate and somewhere along the line, and this is where I think you come in. So well is keeping people reminded of what we're doing and why we do it. I lost sight. I kept I bought single family homes, and they were working well. And then I was like I went to a seminar and it's like buy apartment buildings. And so I bought apartment buildings and they buy them in the worst areas you make the most money. Well, they forget, I forgot and they forgot to tell me, oh, you have to actually go in those areas and do a bunch of work. And I don't want to go and so what happened was I just like a lot of people. I got into a situation. And I just hope that the problems would go away. Without me doing anything. And I just, I would do what I absolutely had to, but I neglected everything that I could. And it was painful. It was emotionally painful. I didn't feel good about myself. But on the surface, if you ask me, everything's great. You know, it's that, you know, I don't like to use the word, but I was faking it, you know, and I was hoping that if I faked it, like, fake it till you make it, right, that's not the way it works, you know. And so, but I had this underlying thing where I, you know, I write poetry a lot. And I wrote a song and one line says, I tried to be the big enchilada that was on the surface. But inside, I was just a crumb. So inside, I was just going through this emotional turmoil, and I had a family and a wife, I had two step daughters, on lifestyle that I created, that we all got used to, and really appreciate it in light. And it was hanging by a thread, and I wasn't letting anybody know. And I kept it all inside, and it was eating me up. And it was really one of the most emotionally shut off periods of my life. I shut off from my family, I shut out from my friends, I shut off from myself. And what eventually happened was, in 2009 2008, the real estate crash, what happened was, it just revealed everything, it magnified everything that I was doing wrong, and avoiding. And in 2009, I had to file bankruptcy, and I lost everything I had ever worked for over 2 million net worth. And the most painful part wasn't necessarily losing everything that was painful, of course, but it was, I made this unconditional promise to myself, not even to her to my wife that I was going to take care of her. And I let her down. I let my family down. And that was almost unbearable. Yeah, there were thoughts of, maybe I should buy, you know, I make sure I keep my life insurance premium paid up, because this is almost to that point where it felt bad unbearable, where I didn't want to exist anymore. And I remember to buck Chuck, if anybody knows it, it's $1.99 red wine. to buck Chuck and me, hung out for about three months. And I was just trying to be numb, trying to avoid the pain that I really had to face. And it was just it was a, it almost took me out. Yeah, sure. And then I looked in the mirror one day and just realized that I hadn't looked at the person in my mirror for a really long time. And what I saw scared me. And that was the beginning of a little bit of a shift for sure.

Andrew Stotz 12:58
And what was that year then was that 2009 then you were

Jacob Roig 13:03
it was the end of 2009. It was December, because we were Christmas was coming up. And and you know, I was literally living on about 15 to $20 extra a month. My confidence was shot. I was working at places, but I was so numb emotionally that I was just checked out. Now, you know, and even to this date, I don't even know, I do know why. But I don't understand why my wife stayed. I was just the shell I wasn't it, there was nothing. You know, it was that blank stare. It was scary. Yeah.

Andrew Stotz 13:41
You know, one of the things I love about this show is that, you know, here we are a decade later. And, you know, number one, we can honestly look back and see the struggle that we went to. But we can also, you know, see the value that we can bring to other people's lives by sharing those stories. And, you know, you've shared a lot today. And I have some thoughts on what you've shared. But before I do that, I'd like for you just to review kind of what you would say are the main lessons what you learn from this experience.

Jacob Roig 14:12
One really big lesson and this happened the night of my bankruptcy. I forgot to mention bankruptcy was on my 50th birthday. That specific day,

Andrew Stotz 14:24
happy birthday.

Jacob Roig 14:26
Right. And so I tried to mask it by saying Oh, it's just a new beginning. It's the halfway point. And you know, I was thinking man, this is the end. But the biggest lesson that was one of the biggest lessons was how wealthy I really was. They took away my material things. They took away the money. They didn't take it. I looked around there. They were celebrating my birthday giving me condolences, you know, like people cared about me I had I was wealthy in friendships. My family was here as wealthy and family I was wealthy in love, I'm healthy, I was wealthy and health, the only thing they took away was my material things, they didn't take away my ability, I just had to go and see where I left confidence in what closet. So that was one of the big lessons was how wealthy I really am, and was at that point, and what was really lost. And the other big lesson was, they can take away our stuff, but they can't take away our knowledge, and they can't take away your ability if you're willing to get up. And one of the things that I read in a book, which kind of started to shift was Victor Frankel's book, Man's Search for Meaning. And he talks about being worthy of your suffering. And that's how we survived through four years of being in concentration camps. And I realized, I am not worthy of my suffering. I'm not showing up. And that was a shift. I didn't know how it was going to happen. I didn't know when. But I declared it. And I started feeling it. And people would say, what's going on? I go, I don't know. But there's a shift going on. And it's going to be really good. And some people would go, okay, and other people go, that's fantastic. And I had no clue. But I really remembered, you don't have to know how to do it. You don't have to know what exactly to do. You just have to get clear in what you're going to do. And then take one step. And so I just started to take one step that was it. There's no magic pill. It was, it wasn't hard work. Absolutely. But there was a energetic shift in my thinking, from doom and gloom. And what did I do to I'm not gonna let this Take me out? No, that was a shift.

Andrew Stotz 16:46
Yeah, well, maybe I'll summarize a few things I take away from this. One of the things is kind of interesting is, you know, if you look back at what you've shared about your youth, and you've talked about kind of how you kept things in, and I think that that's, that's probably a behavior pattern of every anybody that's been abused, you know, you're either going to lash out, as some people do, or, for many people, it's private, it's, you know, kept in. And then to do that, to solve the situation at the time, it becomes a tool that you later apply in your life, to try to solve the situation of, you know, it's an internal struggle, you don't share it with the world, you don't share it with other people. And you know, that pattern, and you use the word neglect. And, you know, I wrote that word down, because it made me think, you know, like, for the listeners out there, you can't neglect your way out of the problem, you know, it doesn't go away. And so what you've also talked about is that, once you sort of discovered that you had the wealth of your family and friends and that stuff, then you know, you started to started to learn. And I think the second thing is that you really, I mean, some of the words you said is exactly what I say when I talk about a little bit different situation. But where we both ended up was pretty much the same. But how we got there was very different. I was in three different rehabs, you know, missed my senior year in high school. But in June of 1983, I walked out of long term dreaming center, from drugs and alcohol. And basically, I was 18. I had a new rule book in life, I had a new roadmap in life that I didn't have when I went in, that I had the tools, you know, in my cases, it was the tools of, you know, a 12 step program, and that type of thing. But I had the tools. And, and I had been sober for a while. So I had like a lot of energy. And I was really excited about life. But I literally had nothing, zero. And when I came out, I went home. And I was really happy to be back with my mom and dad, and we had been through so much. And then my mom in particular, but you know, my dad, too, said, well, you're going to be 18 in you know, a month or so. And you need to move out by the time you're 18. And I was like, Damn, just the time that I thought I was gonna be, you know, living the life of my mom and dad, but no, you got to go. You got to make it on your own. And I went out and I had nothing. I had a little moped that I bought. And I rode that to a factory where I worked. And I went back in every night and went out to 12 step meetings with my friends. And we had a blast. I didn't have any money. I sometimes went home and had meals with my parents. I had to go to church at one point a few times to get like canned goods and stuff to get some donations so I can eat. I did go on food stamps for a short period of time. I really had nothing. But I was happy every night I was with my friends, getting to know more people and learning about how to you know get some And how to live a happy life. And why is that important, you know that I kind of ended up somewhat at the same place where you were, but from a different direction. But what I learned from it, I always learn is that I, I am not my wealth, and I can lose all my wealth. And I still have everything I need to be happy. And when I went through the 1997 Asian crisis, and almost lost businesses in lost wealth, and all of that, and it was depressing, there was the you know, it's not like, you're going to avoid depression, because you've been through these types of things. But it's just that I knew in my heart, that I could lose everything, and still be happy. And you, Jacob, remind me of that, you know, through your story. So those are the two things I'd take away. Is there anything else you would add?

Jacob Roig 20:55
I thank you for that parallel, because it really is, you know, and happiness, for sure doesn't come from outside. It takes us sometimes a long time to get to that point where we understand what happiness is for us. But it's worth whatever it takes to get to that point. Because when you can really say, Wow, maybe for the first time in my life, I feel happy. It's euphoric. Yeah. And once you find it, you never turn it away. You know, and that's the beauty of a release the self discovery, we're both talking about here. nano. So

Andrew Stotz 21:39
it's a great point. I mean, you know, one of the one of the realities is that usually we have to be smacked in the face, to, you know, buy some sort of crisis, whether that's someone dying in our life, whether it's losing, whether it's failing, whether it's being locked up, whatever it is, we usually end up having to face some crisis. And, you know, I, I went into the 12 step programs, then I was 17 years old. And there was people that said, you know, I've sports feel more more beer on my necktie than you drank in your life. And I thought to myself, I didn't say anything, I just thought to myself, and what's your point, right. And my point that I'm making is, you got a choice listeners, you got problems, you got challenges you got to face, you can put it off, it will eventually come. And so for that guy that said he spilled more on his necktie, and he got sober, let's say when he was 50, or 60, or 70. And I got sober when I was 17. And to this day, I've enjoyed nearly 40 years of sobriety and a happy life. You make your choice, listen, Jacob is giving you a great story to help you think about it. But you make a choice, you know, you face it now, or face it later. And I think that's really a huge lesson that I want to take away from what you've said.

Jacob Roig 23:07
Well, one thing that I would add to that is that it seems easier in the moment to not take a step. But it is so much more painful to stay where you're at. Any action that we take any step we take, just the fact that we're taking this step is joyous and joyful. If you're looking at it from the right perspective, which is getting out of here, coming down to here, right, The Longest Journey 14 inches, you know, from our head to our heart, but when you can go into your heart and you can open it, you'll find an amazing place to hang out. Like I said, I still am in growth, you know, I'll be 62 this year. And at 56 was one of my biggest turning points. Where is the first time I really felt pure happiness. But it was also a time where I realized you know how I said I closed in right when I was young. Yeah, I realized I'm 56 I have 49 year friendships that are still like to this day there now there's 59 year friendships or 50 plus year friendship that I still talk to these people like on a monthly basis where that tight, but I had 40 plus year friendships. I was with my wife almost 30 years. Nobody knew me 100% I never revealed myself fully. And so if I can share one thing, it's about like the holding back. It doesn't help anymore. You don't require it to protect yourself anymore. At that point in time when I was young, it was beneficial. But we forget sometimes to let go of the protection isms that we had when we were dealing with our trip tragic moments. whatever they are, we have to learn how to let those go. And I can tell you as soon as I faced my stuff, and realized that I was holding back, I wasn't sharing myself fully anywhere in my work in my life in my relationships. As soon as I that got revealed, more than just to me, and I was able to face it, that was the biggest turning point I walked this earth with an open heart. My work is better, my life is better, my relationships are better. So do what it takes to get that help that we talked about earlier, because it's the best wealth you could ever have.

Andrew Stotz 25:41
Great. And for those people that you know what you're saying resonates? What's the best way to get in touch with you?

Jacob Roig 25:47
Yeah, well, I'm really active on social media on LinkedIn, but also my website. It's Jacob ROI ig.com. And that's my last name is just ROI. g ROI.

Andrew Stotz 25:58
Got it. All right. Last question. What's your number one goal for the next 12 months?

Jacob Roig 26:05
Yeah, well, I'm in growth mode. So yeah, COVID was tragic, you know, in every area, but I was already working from home. So it wasn't this big, huge adjustment for me. And I had two options. I could either wait and see what happens. Or I could get really proactive. And that's what I chose. So I started growing my business again. And I'm at the point now where I have two team members and I'm right now I'm in the process of looking to add a third assistant. So I can keep my growth going. But yeah, I'm scaling. This will be my third seven figure business for sure.

Andrew Stotz 26:43
Fantastic, fantastic. Well, listeners, there you have it. Another inspiring story of loss to keep you winning. My number one goal for the next 12 months is to help you my listener, reduce risk and increase return in your life. To achieve this I've created our community at my worst investment ever.com Also remember, go to that community and you can get a special discount for podcast listeners to my six week valuation masterclass boot camp. As we conclude, Jacob, I want to thank you again, for coming on the show. And on behalf of a starts Academy I hereby award you alumni status for turning your worst investment ever into your best teaching moment. Do you have any parting words for the audience?

Jacob Roig 27:33
Yeah, don't let go of your dream, pursue it and seek the help that you require. If I feel like somebody that would be able to help you reach out to me, I'll share some time just mentioned this podcast. If you're looking to build your wealth, I did my research. I highly recommend that you come back to this site and you check out the program. And you consider becoming a member of stats Academy for sure. And I don't mean that because I'm on this show. I really did my homework and you know what you're talking about, and more importantly you care.

Andrew Stotz 28:12
I appreciate that. And that's a wrap on another great story to help us create, grow and protect our wealth and even our health. Fellow risk takers. This is your worst podcast host Andrew Stotz saying. I'll see you on the upside.