Bear Hunts, Mormon Missions, and... Elephants? 🐘 Meet Stan Way

Bears. Wolves. Bison.

Sure, he was eight. But he was ready. 22-gauge locked and loaded, pedaling his five-speed up into the hills of Utah, ready for adventure.

Little legs pumping, the sun on his shoulders, big dreams in his heart.

The views from Stan Way’s vantage point were clear. Grand. Expansive. The world was at his feet.

But there’s no possible way he could have seen what lay ahead.

In this week’s edition of Entrepreneurs Gone Wild, you’ll hear about Stan’s journey. Cutting his teeth as a master of sales, racing up the corporate ladder, how getting fired changed the course of his story, and what he’s doing now. This tale has it all: Macklemore, Elephants, a business tip that flies in the face of what we hear often, and the homework Stan assigned a couple of years ago… that’s a huge reason Idyllwild Woods is happening.

Plus, the somewhat mystical and totally ancient nature practice you can do today that will rock your world and possibly even rid you of existential dread… if you’re into that kind of thing.

HOW A BEAR-HUNTING MORMON KID MADE MILLIONS AND MILLIONAIRES, AND HOW LISTENING TO THE ELEPHANTS GAVE HIM HIS NEXT MILLION-DOLLAR IDEA

Where were we? Oh yes. Utah. Wee Stan Way might have imagined the jumping off point for his adult life pretty accurately. He became a Mormon missionary. And he was really good at it. A natural. The powers that be put him in quite possibly the most impossible place to do this sort of work… the Seattle suburb where all the billionaires live. Still, his conversion rate broke records.

There may be 1,729 easier ways to learn how to sell. But when Stan decided to go corporate at age 21, he realized he’d honed some skills that would forever pay the bills. And they did. Until one fateful night about 9 years ago.

It’s nighttime. Stan’s exhausted. His son George had just been born. Early. So early that he needed to spend some time in the NICU. Stan called his boss to share the good news.

Congratulations. You’ll Be In The Office Tomorrow, Right?

“Leave my newborn prematurely born son? Leave my wife when she needs me most? Um, no.”

And that was that. Now, this was not a hot-headed move. For Stan had been building side hustles all along. A cell phone accessories brand that he later sold. A digital marketing agency that years later gave him his big exit. A man-it-should-totally-have-happened reality TV show about leaving the Mormon church (actually, that comes later but it’s too cool to cut).

He was fine.

Plus, the line from Macklemore’s Glorious was ringing in his head.

I heard you die twice, once when they bury you in the grave

And the second time is the last time that somebody mentions your name

He knew he had to make this life count. His eye is on the ripple. His passion is for helping people, especially entrepreneurs. Because think of the ripple effect of what we do… We are the rock in the stream of humanity, plopping in to make our people’s lives better. Serving entrepreneurs is the highest ROI on a karmic scale.

100 years from now, people will not be saying, “Oh, thank goodness for Stan Way. That's not going to happen. Even my own family will be like, Oh, Great Grandpa What's-His-Face? The short one. Strange one. But we sure did love him.”

Many of you actually know Stan. He spent 18 months as the president of Capitalism.com, becoming a much-loved coach in the Incubator. Stan’s wisdom and straight talk helped multiple students prepare for Pitch Week. Some got funded. All came away infinitely better at presenting their businesses.

When it came time to turn that page, Stan went outside and turned inside to choose his next adventure.

Bougie in Birmingham

(I jest because I love.)

Just as in the Utah days of endless vistas and dreams of mountain man adventures when Stan’s possibilities were limitless, so it now is for him standing on his high-rise balcony. On a quiet morning, you can hear the elephants. The zoo’s not far. Neither are the Botanical Gardens, a lush oasis in the hottest city in Alabama.

Stan craves time outside there with his beautiful family. His office has no windows. But he does have a grounding mat. And he will probably never get my nagging out of his head, “Go outside for a few minutes and just sit there, Stan.”

So, no surprise. All that time outdoors gave his mind the space to create what’s next. And it’s glorious.

Sales Training for High Ticket Coaches Who Suck at Closing

And their teams. He says it nicer. But if you know, you know (*shudder*). Some of you do.

Did you know that most coaches would rather drink from the alpaca watering trough than sell? And did you know that the folks selling most high-ticket coaching programs are on a commission-only deal? Explains why they usually show up to calls with commission breath. Or TUMS breath (can confirm). That is, if they approach sales the way 99% of salespeople do.

But the way Stan trains sales teams reflects his deep internal drive to truly serve people. “I’m not a pushy salesperson and I don’t think true sales should be. It should be about serving a person where they’re at,” he says.

Does his training work? Uh yeahhhh. (Very few of us have had the privilege of watching him in action. But I’m one.) In fact, when Stan works with your sales team, he guarantees their results.

I Was Told There’d Be A Juicy Business Tip?

Yes. Thank you for being so patient. It’s worth it.

Know how all the gurus out there say stuff like, “Charge your worth! Nevahhh work for free!”?

Stan says, “Bunk.” At least if you’re having sales challenges.

One of the most insanely valuable assets your business can use to become insanely successful is case studies. We’re talking having a few people whose lives were changed by your coaching or mentorship or guidance. You changed their freaking lives! (Works for services and physical products, too, yo.)

You don’t have to have 85 case studies. You just need proof of concept that you can take someone through your framework and change their dad-gum life.

You want the perma-cure for imposter syndrome? This is that, too.

Don’t have any case studies? Here’s where the “gurus” are going to puke…

1. Take your framework (or service or product) and go to your people.

2. Give it to them for free in exchange for a video testimonial at the end of 90 days.

3. Change their lives.

You’re still looking at #2. Look, it’s good karma. Plus, now when you’re helping someone decide to hire you, you can be authentic. “I want to change your life. Here’s how I do it.”

90 days isn’t long. Definitely long enough to change a life.

You can find out more about working with Stan here.

P.S. STAN SAID THIS…
NEXT THING YOU KNOW I’M BUILDING IDYLLWILD WOODS

A couple of years ago, Idyllwild Woods wasn’t even an idea.

“I want you to do this Perfect Average Day exercise,” he told our team. You can google it, but the way he leads it is better than anything out there.

I didn’t wanna. It required watching a 2-hour Frank Kern video first. Then, spending more time to actually do the exercise. I let the video play while making the drive home from northeast Tennessee, not expecting much.

But what happened next changed the course of my life. Maybe yours someday, too.

The entire idea for building a retreat center in the Smokies downloaded into my brain. It was vivid. So powerful that I had to pull over. And then I started scribbling in my notebook as fast as the pen could go. What we’d create. Who we’d serve. Why they’d come. Why they’d come back.

Is it taking forevvvvvver? Yep. Are we pouring our life savings into it along with some funds from angel investors? Yes again. And will it be worth it all? TBD but I sure think so.

TRY THIS AND WATCH WHAT HAPPENS

In the quiet corners of ancient gardens, beneath the shade of old trees, Rosicrucian sages sat in contemplation. With gentle hands, they planted a single seed into the earth and watched as it began its journey from the depths of the soil to the vastness of the sky.

This simple act, repeated over generations, was not just a ritual but a profound lesson in understanding the cycles of life and our place within it.

The act of planting a seed and observing its entire lifecycle is a practice that connects us deeply to the rhythms of nature and the mysteries of existence.

It's a reminder that life, with all its complexities, follows a natural order. By observing a plant grow from a tiny seed to a full-fledged entity, we are reminded of our own journey and the potential that lies within each of us.

Simply…

… choose a seed (flower, vegetable, tree - your choice)

… plant with intention (set an intention for whatever you’d like to create)

… observe daily (notice the subtle changes)

… journal (stuff may come up for you)

… contemplate (what is your plant trying to teach you?)

In a world that often feels chaotic and overwhelming, this practice can be a grounding force. It offers a moment of pause, a chance to reconnect with the earth and ourselves. It's a balm for existential dread, providing clarity and perspective when we most need it.

Next Friday, gear up for a globe-trotting entrepreneur who's backpacked through more places than you can find on a map. She's turned life's sucker punches into power moves, uses her imagination like a compass, and specializes in helping visionaries be brave. 🌍🎒🚀