0:00 So someone's almost scammed my entire company once. And this guy, I trusted him because he was one of the first founding staff of Barbell, our gym. And at that time we hired four people. This is even before Aaron came on. You guys remember Aaron? >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> So Aaron ended up being like my right hand man, but before he even before he came on, we hired the original four. Out of the original four, there was one of them that I thought had crazy potential. Like he was the most professional. He understood the vision of the company and he ended up becoming, I'm not going to say which role, but pretty high up in in the company. What's crazy though is as Barbell was growing, we moved into our from our Monterey Park 1700 location to 5500 square feet location. When we grew the apparel from like five figures six
0:52 figures to a seven figure company, he was there for all of it. I don't know what happened, but he decided like he needed to go to some sort of like self-help seminar type thing. But it wasn't one of those where it was like actual self-help or proven by like a person that was a business mogul. It was more so like what we found out later was a cult. Cuz when he came back >> Yo, what? >> Yeah, when he came back, like he had a different look in his eyes. And and he looked like he was about to cry all the time. Like like in Get Out, right? Like where you feel like there's like this Yeah, so he So one of the craziest things he told us was like he's like Dude, I was like, "Oh, so how was that?" He goes, "Man, they uncovered this memory of when I remember my dad was like repeatedly my mom." >> What the >> And I'm like
1:42 Wait, what the ████ I was like, "Are you sure that happened?" Or I also know when you have like those psychotherapy type sessions, sometimes they get you in such a crazy state they can implant new memories, right? So I was like, "What?" >> They planted a a story like that? >> And at this time when this happened his pops just passed away. So I'm like maybe you should just keep the the memories and the energy you have with your pops positive versus going back into the Rolodex and you know, so I don't know what's happening but this person almost completely flipped 180. He went to this thing it was it was like a call of some sort and it was like very like psychotherapy introspective whatever type stuff and the whole thing is about are you like maximizing your life? And what was really really weird is now when he came back he would start taking
2:33 one-on-one lunch meetings with and remember back then Barbell Brigade and JK we shared one big ass office. Remember in downtown LA? It's like the first half I I don't know if you Oh you've only been on the set side. Okay, so you know how there's that set side where we shoot JK Party? On the other side it was like our working admin office and in the admin office >> room and the >> Got it. I remember that yeah. >> First half was all JK the back part was Barbell. So we JK and Barbell like intermingled quite a bit. Even in the green room where we shot JK Party the behind there is the cyc wall that Barbell Brigade would shoot like photos and stuff like that for product photos. So we intermingled quite a bit. He would start taking one-on-one lunch meetings with everyone in Barbell and then start extending it to JK. Even David was even one of them.
3:23 >> Lunch meetings. >> Yeah and he would always >> It seemed like he was trying to get people to join a pyramid scheme. >> Oh damn. >> But he would always lead it with like are you actually like living your life? Are you like like are you maximizing or are you does your life have the meaning you always wanted? I remember David going like shut the ████ up you're 22 what the ████ do you know? But he was like one of those where he comes back cuz you know David's straight up. So it's like one of those where like he comes back and all of a sudden he thinks he's like 10 times wiser than he is. >> Oh, yeah. >> Right? So, he's like, "Dude, you're ████ 22 years old. You don't know ████ no s███." And uh what was crazy is one of the biggest ending fights that we ended up having uh we were having a regular barbell meeting with like I would say I mean, we're too small to have execs, but if we had execs in the in the room,
4:13 but the main like uh decision-makers, he stands up out of nowhere and then he goes um "You know what? I'm ████ tired of this ████ The amount of time that I'm spending here uh and he was yelling at Aaron, by the way. And he was the time the amount of time I'm spending here, I could have built five seven-figure businesses." And then he walks out. >> What? >> Yeah, and then we're like >> Dude. >> Whoa, what the ████ And then Aaron was like >> Build one, ████ >> And then Aaron was like >> Five seven-figure businesses? >> Aaron was so flabbergasted because he was like "I'm not even the owner of the company. Why'd you yell at me >> You like that. >> You know, like imagine like >> he getting mad at him? >> Yeah, imagine like you get pissed at JK, right? So, you look at me and Joe and then afterwards you ████ finish on Ronald or something. >> Yeah, yeah.
5:03 >> And then they're like they're like yeah, they're like, "What the f███?" >> Yeah. >> And Aaron's like one of the chillest dudes on Earth. >> He's super chill, yeah. Why would anyone yell at him? >> Yeah. And so yeah, like but what was scary at the time was uh some of the people started you know, like if people were especially like um when you're in that early 20s, you're like, "Oh, yeah, am I maximizing my life? Could I do more?" You a lot of people could have been ████ had they all joined the cult. >> And I did some deep diving once I started finding about like what the ████ this thing was all about. And then there's so many ex-members that are trying to call it out and then they use all these cult tactics like they separate you from your family. They're like, "We're your family now. Come to our meetings." And then like you get rewarded for recruiting people. They do these tactics where they sleep deprived. They have these seminars where they sleep deprived, push you into the to
5:54 your limits, and then put you up on stage, and make you like divulge your like talk about the most deepest, darkest secrets, and then how everyone it's in the whole like facade of like support. And then when you're spilling all this ████ out, that's when like they turn it on you. Like they use that against you. They'll be like, "Oh, that's why you're the way you are is because your dad or your mom and then this and that." >> Right. I like the idea that that Joe like did deep dive research, but really he just joined it. >> I was investigating. >> Yeah, I had lunch with the dude. He's like, "Yeah, dude. I feel like I do want to turn my life around." >> It actually worked out well for me. I ended up building three other seven-figure companies. >> That reminds me of when you guys went to Tony Robbins. You you guys went to Tony Robbins, and um you guys came back, and you guys for like a month were like being business guys or whatever. You guys were talking buzzwords and ████
6:45 like that, and I was like, "Oh, ████ How long is this going to last?" And then I remember one time Joe was like, "Let's all meet at the office on like a random Thursday." And then Joe's like, "Okay, we're all going to clean up the office now." >> I got these guys to clean the whole spot. >> got us to clean up the whole office, and he's like, "See what can happen when we all work together?" And then I I think and I was like, "This is so ████ gay. I hope this doesn't last very long." And then sure enough like it took like three or four weeks, and then you guys came back to normal. But for a while it was touch and go. >> That one that seminar was dope though cuz there was a lot of uh what is it called? Actual applicable stuff. Like they'll like pull up, you know, people's like Shopify accounts or whatever, and you can see like, "Oh, if you crank this on marketing whatever." And then like it wasn't like a uh like soul-searching type of seminar. Whereas this guy like I he came back, and he was like, "I'm no
7:35 longer going to be someone's uh macros and fitness coach. I'm going to be a life coach." >> Wait, so how did he scam the company? >> He looked empty. So he was super close because uh now he had rates and he was like, "If you book me for a 1-hour phone call, which is pretty funny because he's so accessible. We see him every day. But he was like, "If you book me for a 1-hour phone call, you pay me a thousand bucks and I'll help rearrange your whole life." But then he's like 22 years old and and you can see and we're all going to go ████ grab Noodle Planet together. Like it's like it was just it was just crazy like >> The jump. >> The jump from going and then leaving and then now like him like asking David, "Hey, can I rearrange your whole life for you to maximize it?" >> For a thousand-dollar phone call. A thousand-dollar phone call. And David's like, >> That he could get to the >> to be 30 years old and I know way more
8:25 ████ than you, you know?" So it was like Yeah, it was it was just crazy. But he was Some people was on the fence of slowly siding with him and then joining. He got some people to go. >> Yeah. >> So when he left through that big fiasco in Barbell, >> he did pull like three or four other people with him. >> Oh, they let they quit Barbell and went with him? >> With him. Whatever his new >> To the five-seven figure >> Yeah, to his five-seven figure businesses. And what was funny is, you know, we have like someone in our uh I call him like the cheese-making in Barbell. I don't want to name his name, but he's always looking for gossip and stuff. He was like, "Dude, did you see his website? He puts uh Barbell's one of his main credentials." >> Oh my god. >> I'm like, "Dude, he's Now he's using Barbell to build his five-seven >> that he's like so much better than >> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. >> Wait, so did he ever end up making anything of substance that was real? >> is Jeff Bezos. You heard Jeff Bezos?
9:15 >> He's That's who was >> You heard of Amazon? >> I think the best this best scammers are those that drink the Kool-Aid and they really believe it and they don't think they're scamming. So with with him trying to make money off all the recruitment and all that stuff, I think he genuinely thought he was doing a good deed and he was kicking all that money back to the cult. >> So for me, I don't know because I'm not a live in the past guy. Like I don't >> Oh, you never heard word of >> I don't search people on Instagram. Like oh >> Nobody ever told you? Like some random person? >> Only Mr. Gossip guy here and there. >> Oh. >> Mr. Gossiper. But not But not much. Like I don't I don't like to like lurk and stuff. That's not my style. >> You're not IG sleuth? >> No. >> I want to look him up at right after this, actually. I want to see if he's got five seven-figure businesses. >> But I mean, it's pretty safe to say he didn't, right? Cuz like you never heard nothing. >> Maybe if he did and he's happy, that'd be ████ awesome. But um that's not my
10:05 style to like live in the past type >> I wonder if he's still a part of it. >> Oh, I don't know. Oh, you know what? I He could be because um his lady, who was his fiance at the time, the person that got him into it was his fiance's brother. So, you know what? It If it's family, it's ████ hard to separate unless he broke up with her. >> At the time, were you like, "Why couldn't you just join a pyramid scheme instead?" >> man. Well, at the time, I was like, "Why the ████ did you even do this? Like there's so much promise." >> Oh, like you He had potential. >> had a lot of potential. I thought he was a a dope dude. >> And I was like, "F███, why did you have to get into this ████ bullshit?" >> But then later on uncovering after he left his role and someone else came in, I realized there was a lot of ████ swept under the rug that we had to fix. But I still thought he had a pretty good potential. >> After scamming you.
10:55 >> Quick odds. What are the odds he's he's doing like he's selling time-shares and ████ right now? >> I mean, that's >> Time-shares is like the cult, right? >> Adjacent. >> It's like a legal cult. >> I think it's it's got to be hot. >> I think he's chilling it. I think he got I think he has five seven-figure >> I think you guys should have paid a G. Like whatever. You guys were balling out of control at that time. You guys just spent thousands of dollars on stupider things. >> I think if you're always having to kick back that money, there's no way you're doing good. That's crazy. >> I mean, if it's a family cult, then that means and you're kicking back and it's an actual pyramid scheme. >> Yeah, but but the cult's are to basically be you're you're a ████ because the cult leader is the pimp and everyone's giving 100% to the cult leader. >> drain you no matter how much you're doing. >> scheme is more like is more honorable cuz you get some
11:46 money, you know? >> It's like >> as you're high up and you move fast. >> Even the middle people have some money but like >> Sure, yeah. >> But a cult is like you get zero. >> Yeah, they'll just keep taking it. They'll just keep making up reasons why you don't deserve it. >> It's like when my my mom's friend joined Mary Kay. You guys remember Mary Kay? >> Yeah, I do remember that. >> Yeah, and that was basically like what Joe's talking about. Like you sell makeup to to a bunch of gal pals. >> That was the women's 2 by 2.net. Multi-level marketing. >> sell makeup to their gal pals. Everybody sell makeup. >> It's like the yeah, there's like the clothing ones or the Tupperware parties. >> Amway, remember that one? Am Herbalife. >> Oh, Herbalife for sure. >> Or Kangen water. >> Yeah. >> Don't you have a Kangen water? >> I don't. I don't. >> Oh, I thought I thought Kanjin had one. >> No, I used to work in their shipping. >> Oh, yeah, that's right. You messed up the thing. >> Multi-level marketing.
12:36 That's the way to say it. Now you can't call it a pyramid scheme. >> Imagine you were doing multi-level marketing but in only the shipping. You had to get more people under you to ship. Business booming, we need shippers. >> The Seventh-day Adventist church one at the time in like the late '90s was Ganoderma. It was it was mushroom tea. >> Oh. >> That would apparently have healing properties. >> That was specifically associated with the church? >> Well, it it spread really heavily within Seventh-day Adventist Asians. >> Ah, yeah, yeah. >> just kept selling it to each other and then one of the dads who had like severe skin problems was like he claimed it like healed him from his skin ████ >> Wow. >> And then like a year later his ████ got way worse. He couldn't even go out in public cuz his ████ was so ████ up. >> My mom was part of one called Sunrider. It was like Herbalife. >> Oh, like a health tea? >> It's like health ████ capsules and
13:26 ████ like that. But then my mom has like the worst IBS ever, so I'm like, "You're the worst salesperson for anything." >> So funny. Why couldn't he have gotten into one of those, man? >> The biggest Sevenfold Avenged one is cornflakes. >> What?
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