Ep528: Izabela Lundberg – Show Up, You Will Figure It Out

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 so when in investing you must take risk, but to win big, you've got to reduce it. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm on a mission to help 1 million people reduce risk in their lives to reduce risk in your life, go to my worst investment ever.com today and take the risk reduction assessment I created from the lessons I've learned from more than 500 guests, fellow risk takers, this is your worst podcast host Andrew Stotz, from a Stotz Academy, and I'm here with featured guest, Isabella Lundberg. Isabella, are you ready to join our mission?

Izabela Lundberg 00:44
Absolutely. Andrew, thank you so much for having me. And I love what you stand for.

Andrew Stotz 00:49
Yeah, I really mean, it's a mission. And as you know, with any mission, we go through ups and downs, and we face our challenges. But I just keep plugging away knowing that day by day, I'm getting closer to helping a million people reduce risk in their lives. So let me introduce you to the audience. Isabella. Lundberg is a people's champion, who is transforming organizations, their teams and their talent and turning them into high performers. She has a unique lens on the world, which I think we're going to learn a little bit more about, why don't you take a minute Isabella and tell us about the unique value that you bring to this world?

Izabela Lundberg 01:38
Thank you so much, Andrew, excellent introduction and question obviously, for me, being able to work with people from over 125 countries, and travel the world to over 50 countries gave me insights that you cannot find anywhere in the books write that practical application. But also the undying curiosity. Like you have to ask the questions and learn from people on wide range of topics not only obviously on success, and how they get there, but the also behind the scene, all these failures and stressors and pain points and aha moments, in order not only to succeed and thrive, but I also had a fortunate situation where I survived the war and lost everything very early in life. And multiple times later since then. And it's very interesting, how then builds not only endurance and muscles, and knowledge and memory, but also opportunity to recreate and rebuild. And that is one of the my, I guess, a secrets because I am people champion for first and foremost. And when you champion people, people share things that they will never, ever there to say. And a lot of times, those are the most epic moments in life that are most rewarding. I'm sure you figure that out by now.

Andrew Stotz 03:01
Yeah. And also, it's interesting to have lost everything early in life. I kind of lost everything at a young age, and really started from complete scratch, not through war, but through a struggle with alcohol and drugs. And I ended up at the bottom. And at that bottom point, even after I eventually started to recover from drugs and alcoholism, and started to live a new life, I still left the treatment center, the rehab that I was at with nothing. I didn't have money to go to an education or anything like that. But there's two parts of it that I always think about in my own life is that I've lost everything. It's scary, but it's not the end of the world. Number one, number two, I realized at an early age, that all of the physical and monetary possessions that we have, do not bring joy and happiness. I was a happy young guy, clean and sober out of this rehab, living this clean and sober life and with good friends, and a good relationship I had rebuilt with my family. And when I've faced times in my life where I've lost it or I've almost lost it all I know I can lose everything and still have my happiness. So I really appreciate you know, you sharing about how you lost it all. And as you said, you know, many times we may lose it in our life. Just tell us just for a moment a briefly about what that means to you and how that is you. What you bring to your clients is unique because of that perspective, because I'm sure it's not everybody that comes to them and says I can help your team and your talent. Tell us about how you bring to that job to that business.

Izabela Lundberg 05:01
How to what I do bring into the job in business. It's rarely because forces me not only to real code, a literal located geographically and lived actually in five countries. On my own before I immigrated to United States, we have completely different environments, we're also have to learn different languages adopt a different culture and I became tremendous agent of change internally, and embracing the change instead of feeling that I'm being forced into that change of resisting that change. And as a result, I am very keen and I understand what change means and how often why people resist and the high know how to also overcome that objection, why we need either a new system or why we're changing environment or whatever might be the case. And then also the people that will like to stay in comfort zone or they're paralyzed in fear and fear and how to turn them into to ditch that and to be fearless and take a calculated risk, but take a big huge leaps and bounds. Because not only they have a support system this time around, they don't have to do it alone. But we have a beautiful step by step blueprint that they can just easily follow. And no, this somebody is got it right. So I not only walk the talk, but because I've been there. But in the same time leveraging years of my personal experience with experiences of my colleagues and friends and people that I've worked so closely with, as I mentioned, from over 125 countries, when you bring that wisdom, that is where also all the secret sauce come in, how can you be the best version of yourself? How can you deal with all these challenges and obstacle you have in a timely manner, and also not to only embrace it, but tapped into it. And when you're already in there, how to get super even more excited, because now you're seeing results, right? You want a more you start getting addicted to a new version are you and that's what I do as a people champion and team champion and organization champion.

Andrew Stotz 07:05
Fantastic. And if you want to follow the team and people champion, just go to Isabella's LinkedIn, that's one of the best places to follow her. A lot of us, including myself, follow her there. And I'll have the links to that in the show notes. Well, now it's time to share your worst investment ever. And since no one goes into their worst investment thinking it will be. Tell us a bit about the circumstances leading up to then tell us your story.

Izabela Lundberg 07:34
Thank you so much for asking that, again. Because we learn from these mistakes, and you're spot on. And just as I mentioned, I've been in moments in lab, where I'll actually by force lost everything and then as a young person, so rebuilding all of that. So I started looking like what's my risk tolerance? What's my appetite? What's things I want to invest in? How do I approach Money, Finance and everything related to that? And honestly, frankly, not all of us had a great financial education foundation. As you know, that's why I was super busy, Andrew, and thank you for doing what you're doing. But to answer your question, I'm prefacing again, where I was how many times I had these insane disruptions and things that I just didn't have no control. And for first time, I felt like I'm finally out some control. I'm in United States, I'm establishing myself I am building my business I'm also working in the corporations and doing a lot of different issues and learning for the fire hose. Yes, we had also those bumps with stocks are putting blood and equity and financial sweat into new startups. But I really thought I figured things out literally right before COVID And late 2017 2018 and 19 I converted full time attention to actually bracing myself and become an executive producer and producer invest in in film and film production as well producing the films and creating something and it's interesting why I'm sharing this story. Nobody under sun expected that ever to go and stand still in 2020 If you had a movie specifically where you invested or had other invest in and then you expect they're expected their money back or whatever sinner or financial ratios were there without going into all the details. We were expecting a lot of chatter trickle releases. And guess what happened when the 20 shut off world all the projection of finance on the profit margin of the risk everything went down the toilet in a split second. We didn't know how long it's gonna last we did not is going to be now in the third year we didn't have no idea how all these elements going to create horrible domino effect. But I just knew from all the risk analysis and preparation and going and doing due diligence and partner Read Write groups and not You know, calculating again, these elements, I thought were on the Golden Horse were charging ahead. And we know exactly where we're doing till the moment we felt the rug was pulled under our feet. And with that in mind, guys, I have to say disposed to be opportunity before my early retirement, guess what? I now have to feel like I start all over again, right? I mean, this time, I'm not starting from scratch. I'm starting from vism and experience. Well, let me tell you, I still have moments where I'm thinking didn't really this just happened? Did I just drummed up. So that really, there was not because I can make so much money, and how I'm going to make this money, but was also because there were phenomenal stories to be told the great projects that were in production, and they were completely shut. Some people fortunately died, some people parted away, companies collapsed at court and ship were broken people around the money pain points, behaved in ways you never expected. So it's ripple effect. It's not just the loss of the money that really was suffocating me. And still, in some ways. It's a burden for our there are a lot of people that were involved, but it's just that element of ripple effect that it created.

Andrew Stotz 11:23
Can you remember the day that you realize that it's gonna all fall in? Can you remember where you were, what that day was like?

Izabela Lundberg 11:35
I vividly remember my last trip for LA in 2020. After I had a bunch of business trips and traveling to on Coover in New York, and Toronto, and San Francisco. I'm back in LA for a second time. And I was an airport. And I'm receiving this call from some people that I trusted the door, given me into what's going on in China, what's going on and other parts and then hits me there was this early for stages, and seeing people wearing masks. And I was shocked. I'm like, why they're wearing masks. What is going on, there was actually, you know, like even even 2019, I knew that because of pollution. Other parts of the world were wearing masks, which were typical. We're talking about like 2019, like December, November, then we have January than I was traveling until Oh, back to March. And I remember hearing this information that was not yet distributed and stream on media, and was I believe, November of 2019. And then start observing who is very mask on under one of the biggest airports. And I start wondering why. And then where they just flew from and that hits me not only the virus is already in the country that is going to be spread, how deadly is going to be and how is it going to be huge game changing that we cannot anymore just say over them over there versus us over here and we're okay. And then knowing because of obviously not surviving just award but economics from Global Business Management, from politics. I just said that I remember I just sat down I had this horrible sigh. And I'm just like, start shaking my head because I could just see the images flowing. And everything that I signed that split second on fold it. I just knew, I just absolutely knew. And it was so defeating.

Andrew Stotz 13:45
Here it comes again. I can imagine that feeling in the airport and seeing those people where you start realizing Yeah, something big is changing. So how would you describe the lessons that you learn from this experience?

Izabela Lundberg 14:00
However bad something can be. I know in the moments and months and days can be devastating and overwhelming. I think it's so important to take out those moments one day at a time and tap into your strengths as much as you can to stay calm and grounded to not make a hassle decisions not to overreact or do something dramatic because we know that during those moments people go in so many different directions either trying to commit commit suicide or just really commit suicide or feeling so helpless that there's no any other point of return. Sometimes there are so last day create all kinds of issues for other people and played the victim and blame game or just simply be in such a depression and despair as you mentioned earlier that can really go for different vices to numb and process unhealthy what's going on which is using drugs or alcohol or whatever might be and being in denial So it's all these different rages stages. It's all it's truly like a grief grief stages, you know, because you're grieving life identity the status, the business or whatever it might be, we don't really realize, but it is grieving something of tremendous loss. Right. So with that, less than in mind is just to know, that even looks so horribly devastating and it's no point of return or no other way that would time our picture will change, what we see so much staring in front of us will start getting smaller and smaller, and we'll be able to see things behind it, and which means opportunity to move forward. And I will just say, that was the one of the biggest lessons that my coping mechanism from survive and more my coping mechanism for living in five different countries and as a young adult by myself, with no parents, when nobody is held with different cultural languages, and still succeeding, and tapping into my own strength that everything will be okay, I will figure things out. And that that is truly honestly temporary. And I strongly believe in that. That's why I'm here today.

Andrew Stotz 16:10
Yep. Yep. Well, let me summarize a few things I take away. I mean, I was writing down some of the words that you were saying, you know, one of them I wrote down was endurance, and the importance of endurance, you know, when you get into a difficult situation, and you you had kind of practice that having come out of war and kind of lost losing everything. The other thing you mentioned, you had, you said, no control, there are times in our lives where we just don't have any control. And also, I wrote down all over again, like, oh, here we go. And once you've been there, you know, you realize that you can survive it. I think when people go through extreme trauma and stuff like that, they don't know if they could survive it. And I think that your story is a lesson to all of us that you can survive it. And the last thing I was just thinking about is, you know, timing, you know, timing is such an odd element, because there's not a lot that you can do about timing. I mean, there's some things you can do about timing your business, but you know, it's, it's your time, when you've got the money, you've got the interest, you've got the resources. So your time to do something comes at a moment in time. But what we don't realize is that moment in time comes on a timeline of other events happening. And sometimes those other events in my business was one of my businesses that we set up. In 1995, we started selling an AK 96, here in Thailand, where I am. And then all of a sudden, what happened was 1997, we had the Beit collapse and the Asian economic crisis. And we were not, you know, we didn't have any plan for that. So timing is an important thing. And I think the last thing I would say about that is that you have two options. One option is just to not pay much attention, serious, bad things can happen that we just don't know. And there's not a lot you can do. Another thing you could do is try to prepare for that. But if you prepare for that, you could be sitting on cash, and you know, a difficult, you know, sitting on cash, let's say waiting for something to happen. And it's something that you just never can predict. So it's really, really hard. I would say that for survivors of this type of situation. You know, they probably ended up being much more conservative over the years and so a lot of things in my head, but anything you would add to that.

Izabela Lundberg 18:32
Wow, what a crow summarization and on the end and what only really think I wanted to, you're going to be okay, you are much stronger and more capable than you give yourself credit. And honestly, you are going to be okay.

Andrew Stotz 18:50
That's the most beautiful message. So maybe that's the answer to the next question, which I always ask, which is, what one action would you recommend our listeners take to avoid suffering the same fate?

Izabela Lundberg 19:04
To really, really face it, what happened in with honesty, and examine from many different angles and learn from it? What can I do differently? What if I knew x y&z? Did I do the best I could with what I knew, or did I just made a pasty decisions? What how much was the price tag truly on my time that we don't often calculate, we just looked at from monetary aspect, how much this price tag was on my house, how much his price tag was on my relationship? How much all of those other rippling effects, right? And if there was just the money, it's like, okay, you have all the other stuff that you could create in this, you can rebuild it. But a lot of times people lose everything because the way they behaved, they HELOC their emotional capacity to truly deal with that in a healthy way as a result, because their threshold is so small damage and creating not only damage within themselves, but damage with everybody around them. So that is also something to really pay attention to. But when you have that assessment, then or process with someone you trust, or you can ask question or they can help you, and then put a bow on it, close the door, don't return back, don't look back. And just to say, Now I know where my risk tolerance it is. Now I know where my weaknesses are. Now I know who I need to console before I make a next decision. Now I know what I would like to do. So that way you also not paralyzed and not taking no action either. Right.

Andrew Stotz 20:41
Excellent advice, and particularly about putting a bow on it. Once you've done the work, you've also got to do the work of letting go. What is a resource that you'd recommend for our listeners?

Izabela Lundberg 20:54
Well, letting go, I have to sift for someone who has a more shares of losses than you can possibly imagine, specifically, in terms of people, and people that we love to be emotionally strongly connected with it is by focusing on positive I know sounds crazy, and you've been hearing this and oh my God, how can I focus. But honestly, if you start tapping in what joy is Something brought you or how excited you were, as you were building something or creating something before you lost it, or how much did stern individuals match to you and how they were instrumental and physical in your life. When you focus on those lessons. And those memories, it's amazing, all of those start terminating your sphere. So you don't get triggered by any of those negative experiences. And all of a sudden, it's just like, Oh, my God, you know, bring it on, and more and more of those types of conversation you have in your head by not scolding yourself and more and more conversation without our people. That is like, Oh my God, you know, repeating that narrative. I'm not going by this just happened few years ago. So I'm not going back to the narrative. I'm like, looking in your direction. I'm starting something new, new team, new partnership, new money, new opportunities, and it just so interesting, because no need because that is done, right? And as a result, it's like, okay, and honestly, guys, it's okay, you don't have to always go from that place. And you know, when you feel the best part, you will know how much you let it go. When you don't have this heart for French and heaviness. When you can laugh when you can say, Oh, I got a, you know, I can really move forward and I'm ready for another piece of action. Where do I go next? And what do I invest into next? What can I tackle next?

Andrew Stotz 22:47
Well, ladies and gentlemen, listen to Isabella, tie up that bow. And let it go. Last question, what's your number one goal for the next 12 months?

Izabela Lundberg 22:59
next four months is truly being able to serve and give my talents and skills and then the highest rate of return in bid priorities that are happening right now. I'm working on some amazing efforts with what's going on in Europe around refugee crisis situation in Ukraine. That's why expertise among many other elements and and then also back into the documentary for Feature Film Production and journey and bringing my passions together. And reason I'm bringing that up. It's like you can do many things would want to effort and when you find that secret sauce and or when you find that opportunity, even you may think you're not ready, just roll up sleeves show up, you will figure it out, but brave in. And one of the things I'm really wanted to say just jump in leap forward, right? And you'll figure it out everything else.

Andrew Stotz 23:58
Well, listeners, there you have it another story of loss to keep you winning. If you haven't yet taken the risk reduction assessment, I challenge you to go to my worst investment ever.com Right now, and start building wealth the easy way by reducing risk. As we conclude, Isabella, I want to thank you again for joining our mission. And on behalf of a Stotz 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?

Izabela Lundberg 24:34
I just want to say thank you, Andrew for a phenomenal show and for hosting me for having as a guest and I really hope that our audience learned something from my pain and that can be your game. But in the same time I just wanted to say consider every time you fail or you lose as a stepping stone to your success. Because those things help you to build you and tremendous human being you're meant to be so terrible. into your genius into your maximum potential and shine on champions.

Andrew Stotz 25:05
Beautiful. That's a wrap on another great story to help us create, grow and protect our well fellow risk takers this is your worst podcast hose Andrew Stotz saying thank you for joining our mission. And I'll see you on the upside.