11 minute read
Albert Tristen
from NOMAD January 2019
Albert branding himself as The Wolf of Fort Worth
Justin McAfee
ALBERT TRISTAN
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THE WOLF OF FORT WORTH
Back in the day I was starting a fitness clothing company with a friend. We were called Wolf Pack Physiques; after seeing not only the impact of what I could do with the clothing we were selling as well as the velocity of the marketing campaign I was implementing. Things began to take off, and I was bit by the entrepreneurial bug. From there I knew I could not get enough of that rush from building the brand and the impact on people of Wolf Pack Physiques. After a good run, things began to turn south with my business partner, and I started to see a rift form in our relationship. From the discussions we did not see eye-to-eye on the future vision of the company and team roles. We ultimately decided to part ways.
This is where the story really picks up. Someone noticed the work I was doing for Wolf Pack Physiques and recruited me to work for another clothing brand called Bingo 93. I became the Marketing Director and during the stint at Bingo 93, I hosted a launch party and ended up meeting a contact who had a connection to my previous mentor. The thing to note here is you must build bridges constantly and with everyone, because you have no idea who is going to lead you to a person who will throw your entire career path upside down and provide you with an opportunity to excel. As Louis Pasteur said, you need to be prepared to seize the opportunities before you, before you can accept them.
Power Player
Justin McAfee
THE INTERNSHIP
I can better explain this experience through my internship rather than my personal business. Because the internship I was in was more of a business bootcamp. I had no choice but to endure everything possible to endure. At 19 years old the venture capitalist I met at that Bingo 93 launch party offered me an internship position to work for his multiple companies and learn his methods of business. So, of course, I dropped everything I had going and dove in 100% to the internship. I quit my job, dropped out of college and moved into a house with 5 strangers who were also under the same internship and some of the executives of the company. The experience was brutal…. Our mentors’ philosophy
was, in order to change your finances, we must first change your mindset and reshape your philosophies. This was done by stripping us of everything we had and rebuilding us from nothing. We had no income, no free time to socialize and engage in leisure activity with old friends (occasionally once a month we had time to relax). We had a $100 allowance a month (which was used mainly to cover the minimal expenses we had: phone bill/gym membership). Our schedule was to wake up at 6am every morning, dressed and reading our books by 7 am, at the office by 8 am, and spend the day working on a variety of tasks from trainings, meetings, cold calls, followup calls, presentations, lead generation, training new partners, studying wealth, and studying investment strategies.
Our day would usually end around 8pm. Due to this schedule, I had little, if any, time to have a social life. As you can imagine, I lost many friendsbecause I had no time to spend with them. I was beginning a relationship that dwindled away due to the lack of time I was able to commit to her. This is a prime example of the social hardships I faced. I also went through personal hardshipsdealing with myself and my performance in the workplace. I was thrown into the fire of a business startup and went through immense failure. I also learned the fear of failure. I was a procrastinator and hesitator because I was afraidto fail. Prime examples of this fear are when I had to make a phone call or approach someone in public who did not know me. I had a million things running through my head - assuming worst case scenarios, dealing with fear, anxiety and rejection.But it was breaking through those fears that I started to see results - building confidence, business, and myself that catapulted me throughthe ranks in the internship. After a year of learning and growing through the internship, I realizedthe path the company had planned for me was not the path I wanted for myself. I discovered my passion and purpose in life resides somewhereelse. I decided to resign and move to Fort Worth with my childhood friend Xavier where I shiftedmy focus on the financial markets, investing, and education which I had been studying in my spare time at the internship. Thus came Wolf of AllStreets…
PRESENT DAY #WOAS
The idea and concept of #WOAS came from mymotivation to connect like-minded individualsand provide a community for those who are enduring the journey of self improvement andsuccess. As I’ve mentioned before, it can be a hard and lonely journey, and it’s one we must allgo down. But with #WOAS you have a supportteam. We do this by helping educate otherson imperative skills we do not learn in today’s educational system.
#WOAS is an organization founded upon health, wealth, love & happiness. We provide a community for those who strive for a larger goalin life and are looking to work with like-minded individuals. What makes this group so special is we may have different backgrounds, but everyone shares the common goal of achieving success and financial freedom in the eyes of the beholder,along with achieving fulfilment in life and living life to the fullest.
The two qualifications to join the group are:
1. Have a motivated mindset
2. A positive attitude
Other than that, anyone with any dream that has ambition is welcome to #WOAS. We embrace diversity and cultivate multiple talents. The foundation of #WOAS was upon one simple man’s desire to surround himself with more likeminded individuals and help others looking for guidance while learning something new at the same time. You can see this play out in “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill; he had a mentality to bring people together to form a community. Through this mentality Andrew Carnegie not only built up the confidence of others surrounding him, but was able to build the wealth of those who were beside him therefore improving society.
WHAT #WOAS OFFERS
Currently #WOAS offers access to our financial markets “Trading Room” where we analyze markets together and provide setups (money making opportunities). Students also receive one-on-one support from me to answer any questions and provide psychological training (dealing with fear, greed, and uncertainty). This is because trading is 90% psych and 10% technical.
#WOAS offers people what they truly seek.
Become a part of the pack.
Justin McAfee
Happiness. That is why we all do anything atthe end of the day. Whether it's from work,relationships, purchases, or entertainment.Everything we do and the decisions we makeare ultimately to achieve a state of happiness.To obtain happiness. If it didn’t make us happywe wouldn't do it. Growth, fellowship, abundance,and purpose all lead to happiness. Right now,I offer one-on-one personal and online trainingfor physical fitness and foreign exchange markets,along with guidance and education on investmentstrategies utilized by the 5% which the 95% arenot familiar with using. If getting in better shape,creating multiple sources of income and havingyour money work for you is your interest, do nothesitate to reach out to me personally.
#WOAS aims to educate the masses to understandpersonal finance, investing, and obtainingfinancial freedom. We hold a personal missionto educate and rebuild America’s lost middleclass. Most importantly, #WOAS provides acommunity for living a life of abundance andhaving powerful relationships with like-mindedindividuals. I’ve always had an interest in finance,and once I began to shine with my tradingcapability I knew I had to focus my strengthsand help others in the ways I know how.
HAVE YOU EVER TURNED SOMEONE DOWN TO MENTOR?
Yes, when people want to learn something for the wrong reasons, I explain to them the process and the hardships they will face, then usually after some dialogue back and forth, they lose interest and instead seek some “get rich quick”schemes. While I am a beloved gym goer I am more known for my passion in the financial markets. But do not let that fool you. I often tell people, “I don’t get why people think I’m so ‘money hungry’, I’m not. As a matter of fact, Icould care less about money. For me, money isjust debt losing value every year. I care so little about money, I don’t believe anyone should work 40 hours a week for 40 years of their lives to get the damn thing.”
Fulfillment is an interesting subject, let alonegoal. It’s a never ending journey or path youtravel. I do not believe there is completion toa journey. There is only progress along thejourney, which is the key to fulfillment. I havestudied happiness and psychology from manygreat leaders. I have come to the belief thatprogress and purpose are keys to fulfillment.As I learn new philosophies I turn to socialmedia platforms to help teach and encourageothers traveling along a similar journey or forthose who seem lost. This points back to theaspects of community I highlighted earlier.
TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS?
The mentor I lived with, my family, for thestruggles and hardships I went through mademe want to strive for more. Then my dedicationto fitness, where it all started, which becamethe catalyst for me to strive for more success.
With a background in wrestling, mixed martial arts, and weight lifting, I believe a strong bodysupports a strong mind. Discipline and adversityare the formula for perseverance, and I credita lot of my confidence to Brazilian jiu-jitsuand MMA. When you can step onto the mator octagon knowing the person in front ofyou is trained to hurt you, and not be fearful,it’s a powerful feeling you only gain throughhours and hours of hard work and dedication.Physically and mentally. Last, obsession, be thebest version of myself I can.
FUTURE OF #WOAS
We plan to help the lost middle class of Americagain a strong hand on their finances and life.Be on the lookout for ebooks covering financiallogic you did not learn in school. For example,building credit, creating multiple streamsof income or passive income and long terminvestment vehicles which are tax sheltered,protected on the downside of the markets andcan participate on the upside. I want to providethe world with life hacks to help close the gapbetween the upper and lower class, becauseright now there is a dwindling middle class, andthe sad truth is, most will fall into the lower.According to the IRS the median householdincome in 2014 was $53,719 Which may notseem too bad but when said anddone it truly is less than what we think, whenyou consider:
- Taxes, debt, and interest rates
- The rising cost of living, and decreasing valueof the dollar (inflation)
- Time it takes to make $50,000
Let’s use some whole numbers. 50K turns into 35K after taxes, and with a modest 1K/month mortgage (12K) brings your 50K salary down to 23K. At this point you’re down to not even 2K a month for other expenses on top of lifestyle. Once you learn these numbers, it’s hard to deny there isn’t something wrong with the system.
Why is it people work most of their lives andstill barely get by? This is an issue I look at tohelp those who are willing to learn how to thrivein this skewed game called life. Starting withgetting a handle on your finances.
While #WOAS is constantly building, my team and I look to technology, such as online webinars, courses, and curriculums, to level the playing field and help educate locally and abroad. Along with at home and in office meetings to help provide solutions for your financial needs.
ON THE JOURNEY TO SUCCESS
It’s funny how sometimes we think we have it all figured out and then we wake up one morning and realize we may be lost in an illusion.
The world is so fast paced and constantly changing. I’m not talking about the world’s development in general through media or technology. But our personal worldview. Our environment, social environment, and mental environment. Everything that makes up our essence, our worldview.
I felt iffy including this section in the article because it would make me vulnerable, but I’ve realized that allowing yourself to be vulnerable is the key or at least the first step to getting out of a rut and overcoming setbacks. Ryan Holiday talks about this in his book called The Obstacle is the Way. This may sound similar to an alcoholic admitting they have a problem in order to get better or to get help and it’s true. The key is to know when you are in a rut, identify what got you there, then decide you are not going to settle for that low level of your life. I call it “the day that turns your life around,” which usually happens through the form of desperate determination, the “I have no other choice” mentality. And the disgust “I refuse to put up with this anymore” mentality that makes you begin the process of revolutionizing your life. Once you go through this experience and accept your desire to change, the process begins. Not to mention I bet I am not alone in this stage of life.
I believe everyone is going through “something”. Something troubling, a hard decision, a difficult pivot in their life, needing some encouragement from someone who is going through that path right now, let me tell you how I feel.
Life is so complex and constantly changing that there is always some point in life feeling an impact. Although I am typically a reserved person, I have developed outgoing and energetic characteristics. This has resulted in an extensive network and abundance of nightlife and entertainment which I let get out of hand. I cannot remember the last weekend where I didn’t pop bottles of champagne or vodka with friends and business partners. A few weeks of it was a great time and great memories, but after months of doing it two to three times a week and not getting home till 5am, waking up at noon, missing deadlines for my work, and postponing meetings I knew things were getting out of hand. I was kidding myself to think I could live the best of both worlds and by pursuing balance I was completely out of balance on all sides.
But here’s what I learned: It’s not about perfection, it’s not even about balance. I will be the first to admit, I used to preach about “life balance” but over time I have realized this is a fairytale myth. I divide my overall life into the following categories: health/fitness, finance, business/career, recreational, relationships, personal/interests, contribution. Through these categories, depending on your current phase in life you will prioritize one of these more than the others and the list of priorities is constantly shuffling.
It’s about learning from the process.
I struggled deeply with trying to balance a lifestyle of the wild, rich, and famous and suffered in my personal friendships/relationships, health and fitness, and mental health.
I don’t want this article to glorify me, I don’t want to sound like I’m perfect or have it all figured out. Everyday, every month, every year is a learning process for me and it’s rewarding and blissful at times; it’s painful and scary at other times.
With that said…. I’m sure others can relate to being a workaholic and having ambitious expectations for themselves, which is not a bad thing. It’s important to have high standards for yourself and be disciplined. But at times it can be too much. While I believe it’s important to have high standards, it’s also important to cut yourself slack and ease up when you need it most. If you spend your whole life with your head down trying to work on something because you feel unaccomplished without it, then I fear we may wake up someday near the end of our life and realize we never really enjoyed the things making life worth living. It's a grey area separating hard work from enjoyment, being hard on yourself and feeling guilty for having fun. If you are being hard on yourself. Join the club. Join the community of #WOAS.
As I mentioned before, I do not believe there is a "perfect balance," only an ongoing journey.
Albert Tristan owns #WOAS and has been working with a brand called Forever Motivated in Fort Worth, Texas. He and I met at church back in 2005, when my family moved back from the Middle East. Seeing him grow to where he is today has been absolutely incredible to watch.
