I get goosebumps and feel instant respect for a man who defies all odds and creates what he wants.
A man who doesn’t play small.
A man who looks at the odds stacked against him and moves forward anyway.
I wasn’t born into wealth.
No silver spoon.
No handouts.
Everything I have—I built with my own two hands.
At 12 years old, I spent an entire summer busting my ass doing yard work for neighbors until I made my first $100.
Then I reinvested it—bought better tools, worked faster, and made more.
By my late 20s, I’d rolled several million through my company.
And I did it despite the odds:
? A recession
? Living in a town where most people made $20K a year
? My wife’s affair and a brutal divorce
? Heavy state taxes and red tape
? People criticizing my success, calling me an “evil business owner”
You know what? Didn’t even matter.
Because I was too busy doing the work.
I wasn’t sitting around worrying about whether it was supposed to be possible—I was too busy making it happen.
2008? One of my best years.
I didn’t even realize there was a recession until people told me.
COVID? Another great year.
While the world locked itself inside, my crews and I were out doing clean-ups for wildfire prevention—even when the state threatened to arrest us.
A Man Who Defies The Odds Takes Action NOW
Fear makes you second-guess yourself.
It convinces you to hesitate when you should be moving.
But here’s the truth: The right time to act is always NOW.
I want to introduce you to a client of mine—let’s call him Chuck.
Chuck is a go-big or-go-home kind of guy.
Hard worker.
No excuses.
He thought he had masculinity figured out.
He had the truck.
The military background.
The paycheck.
But at home? Different story.
Over the years, an emotional gap grew between him and his wife.
Like a lot of us, he was successful everywhere—except in his marriage.
She started pulling away.
He figured as long as they still had sex, things were fine.
She didn’t see it that way.
Because to a woman, a relationship isn’t worth it unless there’s emotional safety, a heart-to-heart connection, and a man who knows his value—independent of her moods.
Right before Christmas, she filed for divorce.
Chuck was wrecked.
But even through the pain, he made a decision: He was gonna do the work—not just to save his marriage, but to become the man he was always meant to be in his relationships.
The Light Switch Flipped
A few sessions in, something clicked.
I asked him what changed.
He said:
“I realized I can accept that my wife no longer loves me… or I can keep wishing it was different and keep suffering.”
Boom.
That was it.
Clarity.
Clarity about what he’s worth. Clarity about his standards. Clarity about who he gives his value to.
And once that switch flipped?
Everything changed.
Suddenly, he had the power to create an emotional connection with anyone, anytime.
Now? Women blush when he talks to them—not because he’s running some kind of game, but because they feel seen in a way most men never learn.
And get this—Chuck lost everything in a matter of weeks. His home, his wife, his dogs, his future plans.
If that wasn’t enough reason to give up, wildfires hit California.
Instead of throwing in the towel, he got to work fighting fires with his crew while still pressing forward in his personal development with me.
What Are You Waiting For?
Chuck is a man who defies the odds.
He’s putting in the work while pulling long shifts, rebuilding his life, and starting over from scratch.
I asked him what he’d tell another man who’s waiting for the right time to act.
He said: “Life is short, and hard sometimes. So make the decision to be the man you want to be. Be the hero of your own story. Get educated, do the work, and change your life faster than trying to figure it out alone.”
That, my friend, is the mindset of a man who refuses to be a victim.
Chuck owns his power now.
He told me: “The power to be sad or happy is mine, and no one else’s. Anxiety tells you you’re unprepared for what’s happening. The books, the coaching, the work—it gave me the tools to be ready.”
Phew! That gives me tears.
Those are the words of a champion.
He’s walking, head high, through his right of passage to join the ranks of great men.
A man who defies the odds and takes action is the kind of man I love working with.
Are you that kind of man?
If so, we should talk.
Book a free Get Grounded Now call, and let’s get clear on your next move.
Stay grounded, brother.
—Garrett Prettyman
