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Elena Cardone - Actress, Speaker, Author, Investor, and Entrepreneur
Elena Cardone - Actress, Speaker, Author, Investor, and Ent…
In this episode of The Radcast, host Ryan Alford talks with Elena Cardone about her career achievements and how the 'Build an Empire' movem…
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Elena Cardone - Actress, Speaker, Author, Investor, and Entrepreneur
January 11, 2022

Elena Cardone - Actress, Speaker, Author, Investor, and Entrepreneur

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In this episode of The Radcast, host Ryan Alford talks with Elena Cardone about her career achievements and how the 'Build an Empire' movement started.

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Welcome to another episode on The Radcast! In this episode on The Radcast, host Ryan Alford talks with Elena Cardone, Actress, Speaker, Author, Investor, and Entrepreneur.

In this episode of The Radcast, Elena talks about her career as a model, an actress, and her most memorable experience. Elena shares about how the ‘Build an Empire’ movement started, what she envisions every woman to become. She also talks about the challenges she's encountered and shares how the building blocks shaped her to be the person she is now and more...

Learn more about Elena: https://elenacardone.com/ . Follow her on Instagram and Twitter account: @elenacardone.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more join Ryan’s newsletter https://ryanalford.com/newsletter/ to get Ferrari level advice daily for FREE. 

Learn how to build a 7 figure business from your personal brand by signing up for a FREE introduction to personal branding https://ryanalford.com/personalbranding

If you enjoyed this episode of The Radcast, let us know by visiting our website www.theradcast.com. Check out www.theradicalformula.com Like, Share and Subscribe on our YouTube account https://bit.ly/3iHGk44 or leave us a review on Apple Podcast. Be sure to keep up with all that’s radical from @ryanalford @radical_results @the.rad.cast

Transcript

00:00
Everybody has a job to do and you really, at the end of the day, it's like take the ego out of it. It's who are you as a couple? Like you have to become a team and we're so far away from that target. It's such an impossible target. I do live in reality, but yet that keeps us focused. It always keeps us driven. I'm not just giving this as the PR answer. This is pure joy for me when people come to me and they...

00:29
say that something I said affected them and they had a big win in their life. You're listening to the Radcast. If it's radical, we cover it. Here's your host, Ryan Alford.

00:47
Hey guys, what's up? Welcome to another edition of the Radcast. We're empire building today, joined by Elena Cardone, actress, speaker, author. Maybe just call her a badass, but I think I'm just Mike. What's up, Elena? I like that. How are you? I'm good. Thank you for joining us. Sunny Miami to sunny South Carolina here. I love it. Keep it in the South.

01:16
Keeping it in the south. Come on now, come on. I might be the only one with the southern accent though. Appreciate you joining us. I know you guys are busy, so I really appreciate the time. I know you and Grant are doing a lot of great things in real estate with 10X and doing a lot of things with empowering women and a lot of things I admire. My wife, I told her I was talking to you today and she was like, all right, that's cool.

01:46
That may be one of the first ones I actually want to watch. I'm like. I love that. I know. I love more women. Yes. Let's start with a little bit of your story though, Elena. I know obviously people can Google and go, search for things and read things, but I'd love to get it in your own words, kind of your story building up to today. Well, it was transformational for sure.

02:14
started out in New Orleans, Louisiana, kind of, kind of a rebel punk rock chick, you know, but back when it was real punk rock, not before it was fashionable. And so I just, I just had a mentality of wealthy people suck, they're greedy, give to the poor, you know, steal from the rich, literally, and did, steal from the rich, give to the poor. So I was like just, I was this wild, you know, agnostic kind of chick.

02:44
I went to Los Angeles at 17. I knew no one. And I left at 17 to pursue acting slash modeling. But it really wasn't to, I mean, yeah, that was my dream at the time, but it was more so as that was my out and my escape to leave New Orleans because it was pretty hardcore, like literally hardcore.

03:08
And so that was just kind of the avenue. I was never an academically overachiever. I was more of a visionary and artist, but I did have an ability to memorize. So I made passing grades, but I didn't really, there was nothing really that was applicable that I knew how to apply. That was not my area. So I never went to college. I went to LA at 17.

03:34
And you know, I had my up years, my down years or months or however you wanna call it. I was, you know, I was always hanging around guys. I don't know, I just clicked better with guys. I just kind of understood them better. So, I mean, I worked on 60s hot rods. I was 10th in California for shooting Sporting Clay. And I always just had this mindset of never dependent on a man, be independent.

04:04
And I just, I never wanted to be in a relationship longterm. I never thought of myself as wanting to have kids, which is so ironic now because now I realize, wow, I would have like, I would have deprived myself of my greatest, most powerful talents. Like, I just didn't know how amazing I would be on that, this side of things. But cutting back to the previous.

04:31
Um, so I was kind of, you know, kind of dude-ish in my mentality with, in, in regards to relationships. And I just never wanted to let anyone in and didn't, you know, I, I'm, I say this braggingly, I've, I've never been broken up with by a guy. And, um, you know, it's just because of you, because I was like back in the day, I mean, I just used to be kind of a badass. I was on a TV show. I had hot rods. I mean, a 65 convertible RS.

05:00
SS Chevy Malibu. I mean that I restored myself in a 67 Camaro with a smoker window I mean I was freaking hot dude and running around town shooting shotguns winning competitions. And so anyway I then Encounter grant, you know and he pursued me for 13 months and he was just very different from the type of guy I had ever dated because I was I was in the acting world. So I knew a lot of

05:30
you know, famous actors, a lot of famous musicians. And that was my world. It wasn't a business world. And Grant looked like a business guy. Like the first time I met him, he was like, looked like he was in a golf outfit. Just not my jam. He calls me. I don't return his phone call. This is back in the day of the answering machine days. And he leaves a message to a month, every month, for 13 months, no return phone call. Finally, he finds out I was shooting sporting clay at the time.

05:59
So he rented the range and was like, hey, I rented this, he left the message. I rented the range, da, da, da, da, da. And it's not cheap shooting. And I'll admit, I was like, oh, I'll, you know, oh, he wants to play big bad guy. Like I'll let him pay for the bill. So I was the first, but the joke was on me at the end because it was the only time I called him back. I was like, yeah, okay, I'll meet you at the range. And then we shot and then, you know, he was cool but he wasn't like, anyway.

06:28
He becomes friends with one of my friends. I'm gonna get off of that story. But anyway, he gets in the circle. Next thing you know, we're hanging out as friends. I know the guy likes me, but he doesn't like do the typical guy thing where they get mad when you don't like them back and you know, all those stupid games and this and that. And he was just always there, like a real friend. And it was just really weird. Like, why does this guy like me? I don't even like him. And he just wouldn't go away. And then...

06:55
I would try all of my little tricks of everything I knew to make a guy disappear and he wouldn't leave. It was so weird. It was like I was checkmated. Like he knew every step I was going to make before I made it. I had never had a guy out playing me like that. And you know, just slowly but surely he just made me fall in love with him because he was able to, to just see something in me that I like was so terrified of letting myself go to that place.

07:25
And so, I mean, we've been together ever since now, 18 years, but it was difficult for me because the first four years of our marriage, and I didn't realize this at the time, I didn't realize it analytically, but the first four or five years of our marriage, I'm still operating with never to depend on a man and, you know, be independent, but yet I'm in a marriage and it was confusing because I didn't even wanna make him a meal because I didn't want him to think that I'm now some.

07:53
subservient woman that's gonna make them. I mean, I was really messed up in the head, like for a long time. And I had issues, you know? And so we were each creating in our lives and coming home and kind of destroying because I was vying for this male, female kind of, you know, role. Like the last thing I wanted is like any guy thinking he's gonna dominate me ain't gonna happen.

08:19
And then 2008 happened and we're on the verge of losing it all financially. I was pregnant with our first child. There's no more acting jobs for me. I had to really look at, well, what am I going to do here? And it was the first moment where I had to really confront the situation. And that's when I had to take my first entrepreneurial move, which is putting all your chips and betting on someone or something with the hopes that it's going to pay off.

08:48
In this case, it was my husband and it was a good bet and I'm happy. I traded in the acting career in order to trade up to what we have now. And amongst all of that, I learned, yes, I depend on a man and he depends on me and that's okay because we're a unit and no one's ever made it alone. And that's the biggest lie that everyone's been told. Like no one's built an empire alone, it's impossible. And it should start with the person who's in the bed next to you.

09:15
and then go out forward to the platonic relationships after that. I depend on my nanny to take care of my children when I'm not there. I depend on people. There's nothing wrong with that. So now I've learned my real strength and power as a woman, not just for myself, but in elevating my husband's game to a heightened level of success, we work together to achieve our goals and our dreams. And that works for us. And that's really where I've come to evolve.

09:44
What is really what is the purpose of a marriage and what is the purpose of us? And you know, it's so much bigger than just the little two individuals that we are. It's so much bigger than that now. Well, I really appreciate that's a lot to unpack. I, I do have to ask you, and I want to, I want to make this about business. We are a marketing and business podcast, but there's something fascinating about your story that leads me to a couple of questions. I mean, one, if you don't mind sharing like.

10:13
What do you think it was and how have you, you know, one, what was it innate inside you? Do you think that was embedded in you that makes it? Cause I see a lot of people struggle with relationships. I see, especially, I don't know, I don't want to like streamline it to the hot girl, hot guy syndrome. It's certainly broader than that. But a lot of girls, a lot of women, or a lot of men have struggled with these things with kind of like letting them in their circle when they're so

10:42
strong willed, so independent. But I'd love to know what maybe innately made you that way. And then transitioning to maybe how you're using, all the knowledge that you've built now with the empowerment that the relationship, that the dynamic duo that you are now, and maybe how you're teaching other women about that. I know that's a couple of different questions.

11:05
Yeah, okay. So, so immediately, who knows where it came from? I mean, I have an idea. My mom was the sole breadwinner in our family. So she ingrained into me, never depend on a man. My father was amazing World War II veteran, but when he came back into society, he just didn't really, he just, it just didn't, he didn't know how to assimilate into the work world. And my father wanted to be a voiceover comedian or whatever he wanted to be, kind of like an actor.

11:34
but he felt like he had to give up his goals and dreams because he had to raise family, because now he has a wife and two kids. So he kind of blamed my mom for that and he also embedded into me, never depend on a man because a man would make me stop doing my goals and dreams and he knew I wanted to be an actress in this whole thing and to get out of New Orleans and whatnot. So.

11:56
I had two of them telling me never depend on a man and be strong and somehow I'm not legitimate unless I do it myself, right? Like everything had to be done myself. That's what I thought. So how did I get out of that? Well, in 2008, when we were on the verge of losing it all and I had to reassess, it was a very terrifying move for me because I thought women around the world were gonna call me a sellout and that I was so stupid leaving my acting career to go support a man.

12:25
in his work and help him to build this empire thing. And then, you know, of course he's just gonna cheat and leave you in the end. And I had to like really work through all that. And I just thought, okay, at the end, he cheats on me. What's worst case scenario? I look like a jerk, I'm humiliated. Okay, I'm from New Orleans. I did a good enough job doing that to myself. I'm okay, always land on my seat, on my feet. I'm a winner. I'm like, you know, I'm not a victim. So I will deal with that painful situation if it arrives.

12:54
And that's what got me okay with my head. I said, I have to live my life for me, not for all these imagined pretend women that existed in my head. And so that was the moment I said, forget it, I'm gonna do this. And then again, back in 2008, when I said, okay, I'm gonna quit this acting career, what does my life now look like and how am I gonna build this thing? Because we literally had not nothing, but we were struggling to hang on.

13:22
Um, and it was a very crucial moment. And I said, okay, we're no longer, this is no longer about the game became bigger. Now it was no longer me, this woman against this man and vying for a position. Now it was like, you got, you got my back. I got your back. There's the, the targets. Uh, how are we going to deli up our strengths and weaknesses based on that?

13:48
on strengths and what are our roles based on strengths and weaknesses, not male, female. So you get to be the boss of the business. I mean, there's not many people who are smarter in business than my husband. So, and, and I know I'm not, I'm not a dummy. I'm, I'm like an artist. I'm a visionary. I'm a other things that I'm going to, that's not one of them. Can't even count to 21 at a blackjack table without using my fingers. So you're the boss at the business. When I come to the office.

14:15
Like he's the boss of the business. We're equal in marriage, but he's the boss of the business. So I'm his junior at the business. Now, everything in the home, ironically, it's set up like a traditional male-female role. But again, you know, I can't write this story. It just is the way that it is. I happen to be really good at like protecting the empire, running the household, the kids, the who comes into the circle, who doesn't come into the circle, all the behind the scenes infrastructure. That's like my specialty. That is my jam.

14:44
So everything under the household is all my decision and he can't change it. Like I decide if the kids are being homeschooled or who we hang out with, go on vacation with, like I run everything. And he is my junior in that department. Kids want something, they know they gotta come to me. Doesn't matter what Papa says, because at the end of the day, I'm the boss of that domain. So what it did is it alleviated us trying to have to fight for each other's roles.

15:10
because now we know who's the boss of what department. It's very clear and it's been agreed upon. You run that, I run PR, I run protection, you run this, you know what I'm saying? So it's like, I'm now fighting to make my areas be so booming that I really can't pick on him in his areas because all I care about is that my area and my stats are like higher than his. I think it's, and the reason I ask that is I think a lot of people, a lot of couples go through that. And I think that perspective

15:39
is really valuable and it's valuable to me because you know I own an agency in South Carolina where we've grown really fast and I have a wife and we've considered she's an assistant principal at a middle school and we've had this exact discussion and I find it fascinating I've watched you guys from afar and really admire the way you've built it and obviously it at a really high level um but I really admire the way you guys have embraced I love that

16:07
you know, the dual strengths, you know, and seeing what those are. I think a lot of people struggle with that because you're like, everybody's trying to play in each other's sandbox when we know what, you know, everybody has a job to do, right? Everybody has a job to do. And you really, at the end of the day, it's like, take the ego out of it. It's who are you as a couple? Like, you have to become a team, like a fortified team. Who are you as a couple?

16:34
And where are you going? What is the goal? What is the reward? What are you working toward? So Grant and I are going for the Super Bowl ring of life. You know, so, you know, I make this analogy a lot, like, and I don't really even know football that well. So if I mess up the terminology, get what I'm trying to say. But like in game three, if I'm the quarterback and he's the receiver and there's a throw and he misses it, I, as the quarterback, can't just harp on him and blame him.

17:03
I have to take responsibility for aiming better and he has to take responsibility for catching better. And then we have to go on to game seven and game nine. And certainly I'm not gonna bring up the mistake from game three when we're in game nine. And you know, the thing is, is we're trying to win the Superbowl. Like we're trying to do something so much bigger so it eliminates a lot of the small, the pettinesses because we're trying to go for a heightened level of success. We're trying to...

17:32
You know, for me, again, this, like, I think the greatest act of love you can give someone, whether platonic or not, is to help them achieve their goals and their dreams. So if I know what Grant's goals are and he knows what my goals are, and I can support him to achieving those goals and reaching a heightened level of success when inevitably happens is he falls more in love with me. And when he helps me achieve my goals and my dreams, I fall more in love with him.

18:02
which is why after being together 18 and a half years, we keep being in love, not that we're perfect, but every time that we have a win and we get to a higher level and we both are accomplishing, the more fortified we become and the more like in love we are along the way, you know? And there's toughness along the way. It's like you take hits, it's hard, you know? But the second thing I wanted to say is about the roles, you know?

18:29
A lot of people come to me, especially men, and they say, how do I find someone who's like me and like 10X? And I always say, well, what is it exactly that you're looking for? Do you need another monster like you? You know, do you need another monster? Because I'm a monster, but not like a Grant monster. I'm a monster in my element. But Grant is like a hammer and a push and a shove and a grind. And I mean, he got us.

18:59
to where we are. For me, I was comfortable playing the support role and not a lot of people are comfortable playing the support role, but the support role is my superhero. So I fricking own that. And I look that up. What does it mean to support? The definition of support means to show active interest in the success of. Is that something to be ashamed of? No, I show active interest in the success of. Two, to bear the weight of. So imagine this, to bear the weight of.

19:28
This is Grant, this is me bearing the weight of Grant Cardone and everything that comes along with it. How strong, I mean, it would just logically make sense that I would have to be stronger than the thing I'm bearing the weight of. So for me, I don't have a problem being in the support role because I know how extremely powerful and crucial that is. And Grant has really done an amazing job giving me credit and validating me for the visions that I've had.

19:57
for pushing him, for demanding that he achieve his full potential and making it so that he hits these goals that were a lot bigger than he even imagined. But I did that because A, I saw that is who he is and for him to not be that, then I know.

20:23
that energy comes at me. So greedily, I made the target be out there and not at me. Yeah. I love that. And it's, I don't think enough people embrace, you know, they, they hear support or whatever. And I think you laid it out perfectly. The foundation of what you're holding, you have to be stronger than, and I think there's a lot to take from that. Even in, not just in a husband and a wife, but just in general, the roles in life.

20:50
I want to transition to like the book and a few other things, but I mean, the last thing, I think the thing, and you probably, you probably get asked this a lot. I've never heard, at least I haven't seen, you know, you are a grand answer, but like, you know, some people look at the level that you guys have gotten to now. And I always wonder like, when is enough enough? Like not that you would stop doing, but like I do, it's like, you guys have achieved so much.

21:19
When does it, is it just another hurdle? Is it just the journey? You know, like I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I just, I think a lot of people think like, you know, where does, where does the success end? Not the end. Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, I know. And that's why, that's why I'm, I'm glad that I'm with a partner like Grant Cardone because I finally felt my comparable magnitude. I met my match and you know, the, what, the thing that I was,

21:49
saying previously is that Grant has done an incredible job of acknowledging who I am, and how big I think and how how just the visions that I have of where we can go and, you know, Grant, I had asked Grant years ago, what is it that you want to achieve? And he said, I want 7 billion people to know who I am. And I finally said, Okay, I met I met my match because

22:18
I remember I tried, I tried to be normal once and I dated this guy for far too long, but I tried. I was really trying to just be like a normal girl. And I remember he asked me a similar question and I said, when he said, what do you wanna do? I said, I wanna change the world. And he was like, you see, that's the problem with you. You always like, everything's so big and over the top. Like, that's so stupid, that's so ridiculous. Who would say that? Like, and I remember thinking in my head like,

22:47
Who are you to tell me that I can't change the world? Like, what is wrong with you, you know? And so when Grant said I want to reach 7 billion people, I was like, that's it. That's the goal. That's the plan. He said it. Now he's going to do it. How do we get 7 billion people to know his name? Which is why I insisted that he become a billionaire. And at the time, he asked me the same question. When is enough enough? You're not the hammer. You get to just have all these ideas. I'm the one that has to go out there.

23:17
and claw and beat and scrap and I was like, yeah, and then you come home and I patch you up and kick you back out. So, you know, we're a good match. But I told them that because, you know, if 7 billion people were to know who you are, you're gonna help and change half of those people's lives. I believe in you, I'm your biggest fan. I know your material works. I've seen the success stories. If 7 billion people have Grant Cardone products in their hands,

23:44
the world will be a better place. And I believe that, and I know that to be true. Financially, like free, people can actually have an understanding of the correct information to actually be able to change and make a difference for the trajectory of their life. And so that's the mission. So when is enough enough? Enough is enough when 7 billion people know who we are. And we're so far away from that target.

24:09
It's such an impossible target. I do live in reality. I know that's an impossible target, but yet that keeps us focused. It always keeps us driven. Of course we have sub-targets in between that or we just get overwhelmed and exhausted because seven billion people, eh, it's a big number. But it's never enough until I feel like, you know, I've made a difference and I changed the world in my little way and I'm nowhere near closing the surface. So.

24:37
I feel like I'm working as fast as I can 24 seven, like as this little hamster in this wheel, like trying like, I'm running out of time. I gotta make a difference for the better, you know, like. But I think when you set that big of a goal though, I mean, I've heard of, I've a lot of highly successful people put the goal line so far out there, that it really is an endless journey. But because it's so far out there.

25:06
they stay driven and there's something about people that are wired. I think like you and grand are that make that, you know, it's the jerk. I mean, I mean, it's cliche. It's a spiritual legacy play. At this point, we hit the targets, you know, the sub targets a billion, we hit it. Yay, Dean. Next is target 10. But um,

25:29
You know, those are just Super Bowl rings. You know, those are just validations in the physical universe that you're on the right path, you're reaching enough people, you can do more. You're not this little small, little dumb girl from New Orleans, Louisiana, who's not supposed to be here. Like, you know what, if you can do it, you're setting the bar for everybody else that they can do it to. And that's, so I live now more for a spiritual legacy, you know, cause I have materialistically everything that I could ever want.

25:59
I forget to even put my jewelry on. Like I had to remember to put earrings on. Like it's not, I'm not comfortable in like dresses. I like that stuff. I like Chanel, but it's not really where I'm comfortable. I'm comfortable, you know, training MMA every morning, which is ridiculous because I'm horrible at it. But, and I'm happy on a gun range, you know, with the guys trying to shoot three gun, you know, that's what really makes me happy and what I would be doing if I didn't care about.

26:28
trying to change the world. Well, you almost answered for me, but ironically you mentioned MMA. Bruce Buffer was on the show a couple weeks ago, amazing guy, the voice of the octagon. But you answered it a little bit there. I was gonna ask like with someone that once you reach these pinnacles, you've got a few Super Bowl rings, what's pure joy for Elena Cardone? Like pure joy. That's not what's success. That's not what makes you happy. What is pure joy like for Elena?

26:57
Uh, many moments. I mean, pure joy is when I, I mean, I'm not just giving this as the PR answer. This is pure joy for me when people come to me and they say that something I said affected them and they had a big win in their life. Like it's pure joy because my life, even though it looks, it could look on the surface perfect and easy and oh, it's so easy. She's Elena, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah. It's really not. I mean, I'm not complaining.

27:27
But I'm just telling you the reality is, is there's lots of levels to play this game at this level. And it's an enormous validation when I see other people be moved and really change their life because it's such a validation that everything that we're doing is paying off and we're making a difference. That's sheer joy. What else is sheer joy? Seriously, when I run a three gun match and like I kill a station, that's pure joy. When I beat the number one three gunner,

27:57
in America on the shoot house during the biggest competition at Fort Benning with all the army. When I beat him on one stage, like that's just pure joy for me. And, you know, skydiving or, you know, when we go to the St. Barts and we're on a boat and I'm with my family and it's just, you just take in the scenery or in Thailand and, you know, just these special magical moments that I've had with my family around.

28:26
to 19 countries in 2019. There's just, there's just pure joy, you know, when you can really just appreciate life and the beauty that it really is. And you're around the loved ones. That's pure joy for me. So we've read the book, Build an Empire, and certainly want you to mention points from the book, but it's really broader than I mean, and I know the book touches on it, but like, an empire is a big word.

28:55
And you know, the empire for the Cardones is one thing, an empire for someone else. I take from it kind of, you know, building the life that you want to, whatever that is, and that's defined a lot of different ways. That's how I took it. And I think it's probably how you meant it, but like, what are some of those core tenets for you? What's been your learning lesson in 18 years, especially the last, you know, 10, which have been on fire, you know, for you and Grant, but like, are there things that you like,

29:25
I don't know, two or three of those bullet points that what it takes truly to do it. Well, yeah, you know, I say empire and mine might be larger or whatever in comparison to other people's, but I really structured the book Empire because it's really a mindset. It's really a thinkingness no matter where you're at in your empire. Like just take the king and the queen for instance, okay? The husband, the wife, the whatever.

29:53
Right? Or if you want to make it platonic and it's a business partner and a business partner, but they're at the head, right? So like these are tenants that I apply in my life. Like when I have an argument or a problem with Grant, which, you know, like who doesn't, right? But Grant, if you have problems with Grant, come on. Oh my God. I don't see any flaws. My head almost exploded just thinking about it. But as like in the pretend empire world, if I'm going to be a queen,

30:22
I then can't afford the luxury to go to my friends. In this case, just for the mindset, let's call them the chambermaids or whatever, if we're taking it back into time. I can't go talk to them about a problem that I'm having with the king. Do you realize how unethical that would be to diminish the king role, to diminish your role? And do you think any one of your friends has any sort of reality of what you two have? And I-

30:51
what possible advice could they give you that could be constructive? Like, you know, and then the problem is, is then, you know, you hear somebody else go into agreement with how horrible your husband is about this or that, then you make up with them, but then that's still sitting there. And then when you go back to visit the girlfriend, then they remind you of it. Then you go back, you really have the fight all over again. So I really do keep, seek my own counsel. And I'll only talk about a problem that Grant and I have had.

31:19
after the fact. Like in 2020, hardest year we ever had, like very difficult, the worst year for us, like, ooh. But I wouldn't talk about that at the time because I needed to figure it out for me. It wasn't anybody else's, you know, I don't owe it to anybody else to, to, to have you know, every aspect of my life, even though in 2008, Grant and I made a vow to keep our lives transparent for everybody. So

31:49
we can help fast track their way to success. It also doesn't mean you have the right to be in my marriage. I am married to one person, that's Grant Cardone. And until I figure it out with him, nobody else is gonna know my deal until I get on the other side. So that's one example. The other thing every empire needs to have is like, who's in your royal court? Who do you hang out with? You have to know that these people are affecting you and who is an asset?

32:18
Who is a liability? Who is dependable on what for what resource? Like, this is how I think. I don't think, oh, friends, we're all friends and we just play this game of life. Like, no, every single thing and the way that I think is structured, intentional. I don't know, maybe that's too structured for people, but every single person, I am aware of every single move and who's in there and why. And I think it's part of the reason why we have our success.

32:46
Another thing is like the bottom line infrastructure to the whole empire is your purpose. What are you doing it for? What is the reason? What is your why? Doesn't have to be the one that's long-term. Like now I'm, you know, I wanna make a difference for the better. I wanna restore family values. I wanna restore the value of women to society. I want financial literacy for all. Like I have these big purposes and big goals, but in 2008, my purpose was I just wanna survive.

33:16
There was no caring about Ryan in 2008. You know, it was all about how do we survive and how do we not lose at all. So the purpose can change, but my point is, is you have to have your foundation, your purpose. What are you building this on? And without that, you can't enlist your army. No one's gonna wanna be on your team if it isn't like a goal and a mission that everyone can partake in. Like you should be able to say, I'm...

33:43
I fight for this cause and this cause. And then people are like, yeah, I want to be a part of that movement as well. You know? Love it. And I mean, my biggest takeaway from everything you just said and what you owe no apologies for, intentionality, like everything you just described, you know, from the friends to everything like that. I think in life, a lot of us kind of go, you know, just go with the flow or like, this is okay. And it's certainly more complex being the cardones in making some of these decisions I recognize.

34:13
but you have intentionality in the friends that you trust, the people that you bring in your circle, that they're bringing value to you, you're bringing value to them. That is a very, not only intelligent, but highly successful way of living your life with intention. Exactly. And I think that's probably the biggest takeaway. Where's it all headed?

34:39
I mean, you know, I know the goalpost is way out there at seven billion, but like, what's the future hold for Elena and what's kind of your overarching message, you know, to women? I know you're doing a lot with empowerment. Talk about a few of those. Well, yeah, I'm on a big massive movement. I have 10X Ladies coming up in February, and then I have a Build an Empire Mastermind workshop the two days after the 10X Ladies. I also started a new business.

35:06
I became a licensed realtor with the EXP. So now my goal is I want to build the largest, most successful real estate team in the world. So, and the reason behind that is because the model and the structure of EXP is such where it's kind of set up like an MLM, like a multi-level marketing component.

35:29
where you can get paid on the up to the seven people that bring in the people that bring in the people. Anyway, it's a model that I love that when I found, I thought, wow, now I have the opportunity to not only be the woman behind the man, which is my superhero power, mindset, infrastructure and support. Now I have that opportunity based on this model to go out and be the woman behind the thousand. So that's my legacy, my personal legacy play is to go out and to...

35:58
and to really be that woman that I was for grant for the thousands without giving up what I also do at home. So that's really my next move. And then again, it's just for the real estate, we were at 10,000 units, the next is 40, everything is just to grow and expand, of course the children to flourish and prosper and so that they become contributing members of society and whatnot. So that's really it.

36:27
Just a little, just a few things. I mean, I don't think you're gonna be busy at all. I'm not very, very busy. You know, it's insane. It's insane because I question myself often because I feel like there's certain areas that I know I sound like I'm full of myself, but I want you to know that I'm also realistic. Like I just became a brand new realtor six months ago. So.

36:51
I understand I'm not a professional as a realtor yet. I have a lot of training to do and I don't have confidence in that area up to surround myself with mentors. So I know I'm not great at that yet. Like I actually like think I suck, but I know what I'm really good at, you know, and I don't know where I was going with that. Forget it. It means you're busy, but I think again, something tells me you're gonna get there. If you say you're not there yet with real estate, I don't know, just a sneaky hunch. I don't see.

37:20
much getting in your way. No, no, no, you're right. I don't lose, I never will. Like, you can't ever lose unless you say you're gonna lose. That's right. You can always. So Elena, where can everybody keep up with everything? Elena Cardone and find your book and all the things you're up to, which seem to be countless.

37:43
Oh my God, this is what I was gonna tell you about being busy. I was gonna tell you a secret that I've never told anyone. A rad cast exclusive, Elena Cardo. Okay, so I was setting you up by telling you I know I'm not great at things because I know that sometimes maybe I sound overconfident or all of that. So I told you I wasn't good as a realtor, but there are things where I am extremely competent and like I know I am black belt at what I do.

38:12
Like what I do, not what Grant does. Grant Sensei, I call him that, whatever. We're talking about me here, black belt. Like I surprise myself sometimes with some of the life moves that I pull off. I'm like, holy crap, that was amazing. I can't even believe I did that. Okay, now we've established how competent I am. Literally, I worry about myself because there have been on more than one occasion, okay, where I have showed up in the morning.

38:41
in front of my coach to go have my little MMA session and my workout pants have been inside out and backwards. Like how do you, how does somebody that capable, like I can't even dress myself. You know, it means you're human, Elena. Like we had this whole interview, all the boil down to the secret, Elena Cardone. It is so embarrassing. Human being. You have no idea how hard it is to be me. Like I can't even.

39:10
get my pants on right, like inside out and backwards on more than one occasion. It's just humiliating. It's so humiliating. But anyway, where can people go to find me? You're not a robot. Where can people go to find me? ElenaCardone.com. My book, if I can reach it. Yes. My book, ta-da-da-da, is free. You go to ElenaCardone.com forward slash empire.

39:38
You just pay for the shipping, but I send you the book for free. And that's, that pretty much gives, if you're in, if you're a realtor and you want to join what's going to be the largest, most successful real estate team in the world, go to join 10XEmpire.com. Yes. And help me fulfill my legacy. Get in early. You know, something tells me get on the bus early because I have a feeling it's going to the moon. Maybe along with Elon Musk and.

40:07
all the other billionaires out there. Is Grant gonna get on the Blue Origin, like Jeff Bezos? Like, are we getting, does he have aspirations for space? He does, he does. I'm like, yeah, go, go to space. See buddy, Elena, you've been charming. You've been wonderful, you've been human. I really appreciate you coming on the show. Oh, thank you. I've had a blast. You're awesome, thank you. Thank you so much. Hey guys, you know where to find Elena.

40:37
Look her up on Instagram, look her up on the web, just search Elena Cardone, you'll find her website, all the content, get that book. It's amazing. I'm Ryan Alford, you know where to find us, we're at theradcast.com. Search for all the content today. Every bit of the content on every episode is searchable at theradcast.com. We'll see you next time on the Radcast.

 

Elena Cardone

Actress / Speaker / Author / Investor / Entrepreneur