What’s up, Hard Knocks community 💰 

In this episode of the School of Hard Knocks newsletter, we've got the amazing story of how one of the biggest names in security and solar energy built his 9-figure empire. We'll also tell you how you can get in on the action of our brand new community, The School of Mentors!

Today’s Schedule

• $600 Million Security Empire: Edwin Arroyave’s Inspiring Story of How He Built a 9-Figure Business

• From the Hard Knocks Library: The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss

• In Case You Missed It: We sat down with Justin Waller, the CEO of RedIron Construction.

Let's get into it!🔥

$600 Million Security Empire

Powered by faith, grit, and a little bit of fun, LA-based Edwin Arroyave is a 9-figure entrepreneurial powerhouse. Starting from the very bottom, he built an empire in the security and solar energy industries.

But it wasn't always smooth sailing. 

In search of the American Dream, Edwin and his family immigrated to the United States from Bogotá, Colombia when he was just six years old. However, things spiraled into an American nightmare.

His family wound up losing everything they had, forcing Edwin to become the head of his household at the age of 15. 

Although he was shy and timid, Edwin took a job at a call center and started dreaming about how he'd make $100K a year by the time he reached 21. To build up his confidence, he studied the top rep's every move and it eventually paid off.

Edwin wound up becoming the youngest manager in company history at 18, a huge moment in his life. It was then when he truly started to believe in himself and realized his dream of making $100k a year was possible.

After moving up the ranks at that firm, Edwin eventually got the opportunity to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. The VP of sales was starting up a home security company and needed a right hand man. 

His success in that venture eventually inspired him to start up his own company, Skyline Security Management. Today, the $200 million dollar company is one of the largest home security companies in the entire country. 

Edwin also recently started up Skyline Smart Energy, one of the fastest-growing solar companies in the nation. In fact, it came in at #20 on Inc. Magazine's 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list!

We recently sat down with Edwin where he shared a ton of wisdom from his entrepreneurial journey. Our conversation went deep and Edwin's success can be boiled down to four core takeaways.

Scaling the Mountain

For Edwin, the toughest component of going from 6 to 9 figures was having to let people go. The same people that got him to 6 figures didn’t get him to 7, the people that got him to 7 didn’t get him to 8, and the people that got him to 8 didn’t get him to 9. He struggled with this because although he really loved his team, many of the members weren’t a good fit to get him to the next level. 

Growth is uncomfortable, but sometimes you need to make tough decisions in order to grow to your full potential. Edwin says you need to be someone that keeps the promises that they make to themselves. If you don't, you'll collapse under pressure. You're inevitably going to face the hard stuff, but stacking up little wins along the way makes the ride a lot easier.

Unshakable Faith

If you ask Edwin about the number one factor of his success, he'll tell you it's his undeniable faith in Christ. Even if you’re not religious, having a positive mental attitude is what powers people to the top. Many people overlook this key component, which is a huge mistake.

In Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich, Hill states that faith is the starting point for accumulating wealth. People need to have faith in themselves and their ability to reach their goals and to do whatever it takes to get there. A healthy sense of faith can be harnessed to overcome negative subconscious thoughts and develop a stronger state of mind. 

The Fab Five

In order for Edwin to achieve maximum success in life, he has to have five specific areas of his life running at 100%:

• Faith

• Fitness

• Family

• Finances

• Fun

If one of these areas starts to collapse, the others will, too. As he moves through life, Edwin always identifies which of these areas aren't spiking and then works to quickly bring things back to balance. When you do this, you're growing, not dying. 

Edwin also reminds us to keep fun in the mix. Without it, you become ungrateful and bitter, which can really kill your motivation and drive. 

Leveling Up

Edwin, despite not playing them often, knows a thing or two about video games. He uses the same gameplay mentality when playing video games and he does with setting goals and reaching that next milestone. In our conversation, he took us way back to the classic game, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! Every time you fight a new boxer, you win and get to the next level, but it also unlocks a new level of belief. The pursuit of greatness isn't about the destination, it's about becoming the best version of yourself. 

In order to reach a new level of income, Edwin believed he had to become the person capable of doing so. This method of leveling up pushed him forward, fighting off imposter syndrome every step of the way. 

Watch our YouTube video with Edwin here:

Connect with Edwin here: https://www.instagram.com/tedwinator?igsh=ZnllYTlxeHV5dWow

If you enjoyed learning from Edwin, our community was able to learn directly from him on a live call. If you want to learn from 7, 8, and 9 figure entrepreneurs like Edwin, sign up for the Hard Knocks Community's School of Mentors! 

Words of Wisdom

From the Hard Knocks Library

In Case You Missed It

This past week we met with Justin Waller, the CEO of RedIron Construction. Justin talked about what led to his success in the construction industry, how he was able to build his wealth from $0, and the importance of embracing failure. If you want some gems about business that you won’t learn in school, then this video is a great watch for you.

Let Us Hear From You

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