Larry Weidel: What an exciting afternoon ahead of us! Right now, I am talking with one of my biggest buddies in the world, Mario Arrizon, from Riverside, California. How are you, Mario?
Mario Arrizon: I am doing great, uncle Larry. I don’t even consider you as a friend—I consider you family, so thank you so much for the honor. I am excited to speak with you today!
LW: You know you have so much to offer to people—that’s why you are in demand all over the country. I am sure you are thankful for Zoom because it saves you a lot of travel.
Mario is a guy that has people pulling at him nonstop to add drive, energy, excitement, and insight into their organization so they can grow.
If you are smart, you will draft off people that are ahead of you and pick up their energy, spirit, and focus.
So Mario, people who don’t know you, how would you introduce yourself? What would you want people to know about where you started and how far you’ve come?
Mario has an organization spread across most of the United States. He has dozens of $100K income earners. He has offices everywhere that are growing by leaps and bounds.
He has led the company in growth for many years, and that’s why he is in demand.
Even John Maxwell, the best-selling nonfiction writer in the world, is always knocking on his door trying to get Mario to come and speak at his meetings.
He does it himself—he’s got the family, he’s got the whole package put together, without losing momentum.
He’s been able to expand in these areas—so Mario, let people know what you want them to know about how you came up.
MA: Thank you for that Larry—I really appreciate that! It’s really humbling to hear that from your hero.
You speak so highly of me, and you say some great things. Guys, it really is humbling because I do come from very humble beginnings.
My mom actually had me when she was 15 years old, and we struggled—most people don’t know that. You don’t realize how tough it was for me and my little brother.
My parents got a divorce when I was only 5 years old. We struggled to a point that we were homeless, living in a van with my mother at one point.
Everyone told my mother, you are gonna be like every other Hispanic young lady, living off the government—and she’s decided there was no way she was going to do that.
So, she had pride—but because she was so young, they would give her minimum wage jobs, and she couldn’t keep up.
Larry, my mom showed me what it meant to have work ethic. She showed me I am not going to be in the system, and you know, I am going to do something. Larry, it gave me a drive.
I remember as a little kid just praying to God. Saying, “God, why you hate me so much? Why do you take my hero [father] away from me? Why are we so poor?” Because kids used to make fun of my hair, my clothes, and where I lived.
Larry, I told God, “You took away my hero, we are so poor, and I am short. Come on God—at least make me tall! Give me something right.”
But, you know what he was doing, Larry? He was preparing my destiny.
I will never forget where I come from—no matter how many millions I make or how many people I impact. I will never forget where I came from and will never look down on anybody.
[bctt tweet=”I will never forget where I come from—no matter how many millions I make or how many people I impact.” username=”LarryWeidel”]
Just because I am doing better, I know that feeling, Larry. I remember little kids making fun of me, looking down at me because they have a little bit more, and it gave me a drive like you wouldn’t believe.
I want to make my mom proud, Larry. I never share this, but my grandmother was scared for my mom. She and other family members were pushing her, saying you are going to throw away that’s child’s life and your life—you need to give him up for adoption or abort him.
My mom ran away from home at a very young age because she wanted to save my life.
God is so good.
My father, he was so young. He was scared too, so he asked my mother, “What are you going to do?” And she was like, “What do you mean, what am I going to do? I am going to keep my baby.”
Thank God my mom was pro-life and chose to keep me.
Larry, I feel everything in my life . . . everything in my soul. I can be tired, but I start talking to people about my story to inspire them, to give them hope. It’s unbelievable how the Lord fills up my cup.
Suddenly, I have so much energy—because I know I am inspiring something in them. I am sparking something in somebody, and I know I was built to do this, inspire people, and give people hope.
It doesn’t matter where you come from—stop pointing your finger at your parents, at your country, at your president. Stop blaming everybody!
Guess what? Every time you point a finger, there are 3 fingers pointing right back at you. You have to take responsibility.
[bctt tweet=”Every time you point a finger, there are 3 fingers pointing right back at you. You have to take responsibility.” username=”LarryWeidel”]
We come from nothing, Larry. From the worst of the worst—but you know what? My mother did not raise me that way. My father did not raise me that way—that we are victims.
He said, “Hey, you know we are going to do something about this—and I believe with everything in me that we will live in the greatest country in the world.”
Is it perfect? No way, but it’s the greatest country in the world that takes a kid that was homeless at one point, that had a teenage mother, and allows him to become a multi multi-millionaire that shows other people how to do the same thing.
Was it easy? Absolutely not.
Was it worth it? I wish the readers could see the smile on my face. It is beyond worth it.
