Story of the Week
A couple of weeks ago, I reconnected with my good friend Lewis Howes for what might be our most meaningful conversation yet. We check in with each other every few months to catch up; this time, Lewis said something profound that I wanted to pass along to you.
Lewis and I both entered the entrepreneurial scene around the same time (back in 2009-2010) but in completely different ways.
While I was building Smart Passive Income, Lewis was crushing it on LinkedIn and building relationships with top performers across various industries. This eventually led to his world-renowned podcast, The School of Greatness, several best-selling books, a long-running live event, and so much more.
What's always struck me about Lewis is his remarkable ability to reinvent himself while staying true to his core mission.
During our conversation, Lewis shared something profound about midlife (we’re both in our early 40s) that really hit home:
"At the core, the #1 way to find success is to have the courage to dream again."
He pointed to my Pokémon YouTube channel as an example. Four years ago, I decided to pursue something I was passionate about that had nothing to do with any of my established businesses. It was a risk.
What would people think? Would it be a distraction? Would it fail?
"When you are in your joy," Lewis told me, "you are encouraging and inspiring others to be in their joy, and that is service alone."
That Pokémon content has now generated over 1.5 billion views across all platforms. But more importantly, it has connected me with families who watch together. One father recently told me, "Pat, I want to thank you because when my son and I are older, you will be our nostalgia." That brought tears to my eyes.
What if I had told myself, "It's too late to start a Pokémon channel at 40.”? What if I had thought, "That's for younger creators," or, "I should stick to what I'm known for."?
Here's what I've learned about why "it's too late" is always a lie:
- Your age is your advantage: The wisdom, patience, and perspective you have now are superpowers your younger self didn't possess.
- Your past experience isn't wasted: Everything you've learned becomes fuel when applied to something new. I'd been creating YouTube videos since 2009, but my Pokémon channel launched in year 12 of that journey.
- The best ideas often come from unexpected pivots: Sometimes the greatest successes happen when we allow ourselves to follow joy rather than strategy.
- The sunk cost fallacy keeps us stuck: Just because you've dedicated years to one path doesn't mean you have to stay there. What would happen if you gave yourself permission to change course?
In his new book (released TODAY) — Make Money Easy: Create Financial Freedom and Live a Richer Life (affiliate link) — Lewis applies this same courage to our financial lives. He challenges us to dream again about our relationship with money and what's truly possible — regardless of where we are now or what financial mistakes we've made in the past.
If you’re feeling behind, experiencing self-doubt, or believing the window of opportunity has closed, Lewis' message is clear: It's NEVER too late to start.
Your past doesn't determine your future; it prepares you for it.
What would you pursue if you stopped telling yourself, "It's too late."?
Here's to your courage!
P.S. You can grab Lewis' new book, Make Money Easy, right now — it just released today, March 18th! (Congrats, Lewis!) I've had the chance to read an advance copy, and I can't recommend it enough for anyone looking to transform their financial future, regardless of where they're starting from.
