Introduction: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Wellness search podcast with Dr. Adeola Oke. Each week we discuss our wellness journey with real people like you and me. We have conversations about food, fitness, mental health, financial wellness, and much more. So you can get back to the real you to make sure that you’re up to date with this and other wellness topics, visit wellnesssurge.com. Information presented here is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease. Please do not apply any of the information presented here without first speaking with your primary care provider. Now let’s head onto the show.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:00:32] Hello everybody. And welcome to the Wellness Surge podcast. My name is Adeola Oke. I’m your host for today. And today I do have Akbar Sheikh  and we’re going to be discussing, using mindset to achieve health and wealth. Say hello Akbar!

Akbar Sheikh: [00:00:48] Hello. How are, how is everyone? Nobody can hear. No, I can’t hear anyone’s answer, but I’m gonna, I’m gonna assume everyone’s doing well.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:00:55] Yes, yes. Yes. So Akbar is a number one international bestselling author. He’s a speaker, he’s the master of the seven ethical principles of persuasion. He is a father, a philanthropist with a concentration on orphans and giving a gift of a vision to the blind. That’s awesome. And he has helped 8 funnels hit seven figures.

He’s on a mission to create a massive impact through coaching. And he believes that as people earn more, they can give more to their families, communities, and favorite charities; hence making the world a better place . That’s my favorite line, making the world a better place. Cause that’s what you’re here to do.

Alrighty Akbar,  like I said, I’m so happy that you’re here. I’m honored. So I know that , you’ve not always been this way right. At one point in your life, you used to live in a closet. Okay. So can you share your journey from being homeless to owning a company as you can, you know?

Akbar Sheikh: [00:01:54] Yeah, I mean, you know, I, well, you know, I used to live in an electrical closet. You know, I mean, listen, we, I mean, listen, we had family and stuff. I mean, I could have gone and stayed with some family or something, but on our own, we couldn’t afford like a house or an apartment or anything. We were kind of just starting fresh and we didn’t have anything going on.

And we’re entrepreneurs. So long story short, we ended up renting a, an electrical closet living where we paid, I forget is $75 or $150 a month. Utilities included. And what’s funny is obviously it’s an illegal apartment, but the lady made me sign a lease, which is kind of funny. Um, you know, it’s, it’s it, my story is a little unique in the sense that you would think, okay, my mindset would have to change.

When I was in the closet to owning a business, but I actually had, you know, a business before I ended up. My mindset started changing before I ended up in the closet. It’s just that, that was kind of a temporary stop during my transformation, the mindset, you know, you’re talking about the mindset about how to go from, from broke to, to, I guess the reality is, is that we’ve gone from, I really hate to talk like this.

I think it’s super cheesy. But I guess somebody made me realize yesterday, I guess the thing is we went from, we went from broke. Sure. We went from not having the company or not really having any money or nothing to really talk about to I suppose now having a company, a top 1%, company, in the world.  I never really thought about it.

I’m sure it’s been in some marketing somewhere, but I never thought about it. And someone said it to me yesterday and said “man, that’s really trippy”  you know? And. I just try to like, learn from that and be like, why, why? You have to understand that I suffered for many, many years. And it was like, why, why did God give me this?

It’s not for me. God gives everybody everything. And it really made me think about it. Like, what’s my purpose. Why, why was I given everything happens for a reason? Why was I given this? What am I supposed to do with this? You know? And I believe that I’m supposed to spread the message of make more- give more. The mindset  is essential here.

You see, I hung out with a lot of the wrong people, and you are who you hang out with and you think the limits of what you think are defined by the people you spend time with. So I was hanging out with a lot of low, low level people. And therefore I was a low level. I don’t mean like low lodge. I hung out with a lot of small thinkers.

I hung out with a lot of bum. You can just call it.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:04:22] Okay.

Akbar Sheikh: [00:04:23] And then I turned and then I became one. It’s funny because I wasn’t always that way. Yeah, actually, cause it’s funny, like in high school and stuff, I wasn’t really like a bum. I was like high school student, you know, it wasn’t until like afterwards.

Yeah. It wasn’t just like afterwards that I started, like, I made some friends and they’re just the wrong friends, you know, it’s so important to hang out and this goes for anybody at any age. This goes for anybody at any age. Okay. Um, this goes for anybody at any age.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:04:53] Can you talk more about the health part t oo? You just didn’t make a difference in your business. You went from being overweight,  and you totally change your life. It was not just the business aspect, but he was, he changed two things at the same time. Right?

Akbar Sheikh: [00:05:09] A hundred percent. I lost 50, 60 pounds. Okay.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:05:13] That’s huge.

Akbar Sheikh: [00:05:13] This happened before. I, I really got like successful in business. You see, this is kind of what prepped me. Okay. If you really want to talk about health and mindset. That is directly responsible for my success because when I was broke and lost and confused and all that, I was very unhealthy eating, garbage drinking soda, fast food: Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Burger King, everything.

Uh, it wasn’t until I went clean, I start eating organically. Got rid of all the chemicals, high fructose corn syrups, all the garbage. And started doing a little light exercise that I began, everything changed. I got mental clarity. I got confidence. I was a different person. Uh, you see overweight people. A lot of the times, they’re not confident.

They don’t like the way they look they’re uncomfortable. And that really messes with their head. And as art as entrepreneurs, we’re artists, we need really a clear canvas and a clear mind. And in order to I do that a lot of that has to do with what you eat. Um, and, and things like that, because if you, I mean, the truth is like, you know, it’s really cheesy, but you are where you eat.

Right. You know? And when I ate cheeseburgers and all that, I looked like a cheeseburger. Right. So it’s like, you know, when I started eating clean and drinking a lot of water, a matter of fact, I just, let me tell you how much I value water. And let me tell you how much water is like a staple thing. It totally changed my life, like straight up.Let me tell you something.

It was, it’s interesting that it’s free, right? I started free. I was drinking and I’m not a doctor talk to your doctor, but I was drinking like a gallon of water a day. I can’t do that. Now I try to drink half a gallon of water. Um, it should, I just can’t go to the bathroom that much. It is, it is very annoying,but….

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:06:52] Tell me about that!

Akbar Sheikh: [00:06:54] Yeah, it is endless benefit, endless benefit. Um, but I, I value water so much. I just bought a really expensive, it’s actually a $5,000 water machine. That it’s like a King and it’s like ultimate pure, like, like next level of water, but that’s how much I value water and how much it’s changed my life. I cut off soda and all that stuff.

I mean, really you can say like, what’s your what’s one of -and it’s one of- what’s one of your biggest secrets to success. Literally tell you water. I will literally tell you to your face. Uh, you know, yes, absolutely no joke water and some people like: um, okay. You know what I mean? But it’s, it’s true. I’m telling you, I’m telling you the truth.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:07:36] Makes sense though, because the water like clears out your system, um, you purifies and if you drink a lot of water, you won’t be so hungry to be eaten the junk, right.

Akbar Sheikh: [00:07:45] Yeah. Yeah, it’s really just kind of a cleansing thing. He has a mind, um, once, you know, listen, once you clear your mind of toxic relationships,  once you clean your body. of toxic chemicals, which is a lot of the food out there, just garbage food and drink. And once you clean your soul of confusion and not praying and things of that nature, once you fix all these things, they’re all intertwined, you know, and only then was I started thinking differently and then we were able to kind of become a – I suppose, I don’t know if you want to call it a successful, but I suppose, you know, only then did we find some success in business?

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:08:32] Okay. Alright. Good. Well, thank you. So like, so you kind of said, he kind of said a few things, but do you have like actionable steps people can use to help change their mindset?

Akbar Sheikh: [00:08:44] Listen, there’s different orbs. Let’s talk about each orb. Let’s talk about health real quick. And again, please. I’m not a doctor. I’m not a nutritionist. I’m not certified- nothing. Talk to your doctor. I’ll tell you, I’m just gonna tell you what I did. Cut out all sodas, and don’t say, ‘Oh, but it’s diet.’

Listen to me, cut out all sodas. Anything with chemicals, anything with high fructose corn syrup. Anything like that drink primarily water. You can have some natural fruit juice and things like that. Or I like sparkling water or, you know, add lemon in your water, whatever. Drink a lot of water, eat organic clean diet.

And what that means is- I’m not like this keto guy. I actually not into that at all. A very balanced and healthy diet. And what that means is every day, three servings a day, roughl! And these are kind of rough numbers, three servings and fruit, you know. Three or so servings of vegetables. Uh, some nuts… make it super food heavy. Avocados, nuts, berries, um, flax seed, you know, honey, you know. Make it super what’s called super food, heavy, uh, lean meats, nothing fried.

Right. Nothing fried. Uh, no, and I, and I kind of stayed away from butter oil. Although, you know, if you just have some olive oil on its own, it’s pretty healthy for you. But I did, I pretty much stayed away. I had like one teaspoon of olive oil a day or something or something. And just eat clean like that. It’s following the superfood organic diet.

And that will really help you start beginning to think differently. That will start declogging all the mental trash. Number one. Number two is getaway practically get away from all toxic relationships. Any toxic relationship you have now, get away from it. Get away from it, whoever it is, getaway.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:10:29] When you say toxic is like draining the energy out of you can physically, like you don’t feel good after you’ve been with that person.

Akbar Sheikh: [00:10:35] Yeah. Yeah. Or they just like, everyone’s, everyone’s like at a different journey, dude. Like everyone’s at a different journey. And if there’s like a lot of people. They’re negative. They just want to watch Netflix all the time. They don’t have the same ambitions like you are. Like let me be clear, like, remember I told you like, one of my biggest secrets is water. And you be like- ‘WHAAT! That’s kind of too simple. I don’t real-‘ I’ll tell you another super simple thing. That’s very factual. You hang out with millionaires. You’re going to be a millionaire. You hang out with bums, you’re going to be a bum. So, so hang out with, with higher level. Hangout with the kind of person you want to be. And if, if you, if you’re looking around and you’re hanging out, like, dude, I’ll be totally honest with you.  Like, I have a- you know, some of these things you can’t avoid.

Like I have a cousin that I was just arguing with. You know,  I love, uh, her obviously. But not the kind of person I want to hang out with in the sense that like, you know, very negative watches, a ton of Netflix. Um, doesn’t have experience in certain things, but it gives a lot of advice in those things.

Um, it’s just, it’s just, you know, dude, um, you know, we have big dreams and we, we do big things and we try to do big things. Um, And, and I don’t want to surround myself with people who have like limiting beliefs and you know, her playing small. You know, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna hang out. People are doing bigger things than me, cause I want to catch up. And it’s not a disrespectful thin, it’s not that or better than anybody and I don’t. And you shouldn’t feel like that. And people will misinterpret that by the way. They’ll think that’s what you think. They’ll think that’s what it is.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:12:06] No. Absolutely not.

Akbar Sheikh: [00:12:08] Yeah. And it’s not. So, so that’s a practical thing is, um, you know, remove yourself. Be very careful who you hang out with.

Uh, and the other practical thing is really discover your why. And what that means is like, , have you discovered something you enjoy doing in an environment that you enjoy doing it in. Right. In other words, are you tene- do a little gut check and ask yourself, are you tenaciously passionate about what you do? Are you tenaciously passionate in what you do? And, um, um, if not, you need to pivot. You know, because it is that- like, let me give you an example. My wife went to do something with their friends, right. With the kids. And I had some free time, which is pretty rare to be honest. And I could do anything I want, I can go call some friends and go see a movie and go jet skiing.

I can go and get a boat. I could go shopping. I get to do, whatever the heck I want to do. Right. You got it. You know what I did not because I had to. Cause I don’t, but because I wanted to. I came right here to the office cause I’m that passionate about it. I love it that much, you know? And if you feel, if you, if you don’t feel like that and you don’t believe and what you do and your mission and your why, it’s not going to work. You know, it’s not going to work.

So you gotta make sure and keep a gut check on that. Uh, you know, so that all that’s in order. So I think those are some practical things.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:13:39] That makes total sense because I finally figured out my why, and that has made such a big difference because- Oh, initially I was all over the place now. I’m like, finally, I know what I want to do. I wonder to reduce the burden of chronic diseases and poverty around the world. And so obviously I will do that through. Well, things like this, and I enjoy inviting people like you that are not healthcare professionals come and talk to the layman. Like, because you’re doing it, you’re living it. But when we say, Oh, drink water or do this, or do that, they’re like, Oh, because you’re a healthcare provider, you’re saying this.

But when it comes from laymen like you, it makes such a big difference. So thank you for that. I really appreciate those three actionable steps. Okay, so it’s not easy. Right? What did you do? Because I can’t remember. How, how heavy were you and how, and how, what did you usually say?

Akbar Sheikh: [00:14:27] I think the rough numbers were, I mean, these are rough numbers. I have pretty dramatic before and after picture, but it was something to the effect of, I was like 220 pounds.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:14:34] Okay.

Akbar Sheikh: [00:14:35] And when I got down to it, I was about 160 pounds. It was something.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:14:41] So how did you get through this? How didn’t you like a lot of people it. So that’s a lot of weight. That’s a lot of work. So I commend you on that. How did, how did you get yourself through this? And didn’t get frustrated?

Akbar Sheikh: [00:14:52] Actually. I’ll tell you something. That’s a great question. It had a lot to do with mindset. You know, a lot of people who are trying to lose weight. If they go to like a birthday party or something, people are, Hey, have some cake. They’re too shy to say, Oh, you know, I’m on a diet. I can’t do that. They’re too shy to do that. And I’ve been there before. Yeah. God, for how many years I’ve been fat my whole life. How many years did I try to lose weight? My whole life I’ve failed. It wasn’t until my mindset changed to where it actually became, like, I became empowered by my goals. In the sense that when people said, Hey, do you want some cake?

I’m like, absolutely not. And I’m smiling to their face. I said, absolutely not. I’m a, I’m getting, I’m getting in the best shape of my life, but thank you so much. And it was just like pure confidence because I believed so much in it. And I was so dedicated to it that I would smile to their face- like. Absolutely not.

That’s for you. No, thank you. Not that I can’t. But I won’t. No, no, no. That’s not for me. My goals are different. I’m in the best shape of my life. Every cal-every calorie counts. No. And they’d be like all ‘come on, take a bit!’ Not a single bite. Forget a bite. I’m not gonna even have a lick. What are you talking about?

Never. You know, I mean, that’s the dedication, uh, that one needs. And by the way, you get that pretty quickly, the truth is like, if you’re overweight, like if you lose just five pounds and it’s like the first five pounds. It is hard. You know what I’m saying? But once you do lose those first ones, pounds, you feel different, your clothes look -just five pounds- your clothes look different, you feel different, your clothes fit better.

So on and so forth. That’ll give you that confidence and momentum to keep it, keep it going.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:16:31] Okay. Very good. Very well said. I love the part about smiling in their faces and say, absolutely not. I’ve never had the guts to see that. Well, yes, I’ll take off from that. Alrighty. So, um, thank you so much Akbar.  We’re almost at the end of the show.

So is that one thing you want to make sure that people take away from this from you today? Even if they don’t take anything else? What one thing can they take away and make sure they can implement on.

Akbar Sheikh: [00:16:59] Best thing you could do. For your health and your mindset is just to have the right intention. You know, why are you doing it?

You know, is it because you have a mission, a dream that is just not happening because you’re not optimized as a person, then you need to have that intention every day and that dream board and that vision board, and look at it every day, because that’s going to empower. You said, no, I’m not going to have a bite of that.

No I’m not going to have a sip of that. It’s just. You need to focus on your dreams, um, and the daily reminder and encouragement, uh, to make that happen.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:17:32] Okay. Very good. Very good. So Akbar, if people wanted to work with you, like you said, like you help people achieve stuff they want to achieve. How can we, how can we get ahold of you?

Akbar Sheikh: [00:17:43] And yeah, I got a great training on, you know, we’ve helped 10 entrepreneurs hit seven figures. I got a great training on how to own a model where you can outsource most of the work and charge a good amount and get people great results. It’s just, my website is my name.com. A K B A R S H E I K H.com.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:18:01] Well, thank you so much as where he was. I learned, I learned a lot. I’m actually far more confident in myself, right? Like there’s nothing weird about me. I’m just, I guess I’m just doing the right thing.

Akbar Sheikh: [00:18:12] Well, if you’re an entrepreneur, you’re definitely something weird about you, but that’s what makes you an entrepreneur.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:18:17] Alrighty. Well, thank you so much. I hope you all learned something. Cause I learned a few things from here. So you have a wonderful week and me.

Akbar Sheikh: [00:18:26] Thank you for honoring me with the invitation. I really appreciate it.

Dr. Adeola Oke: [00:18:29] Thank you Akbar. Yeah. So I’ll see y’all in the next show. Have a good one. Bye. Bye. Bye.

Ending: [00:18:39] Join our Wellness Surge Facebook community so that you can implement what we learned together. I am because you are thank you for listening and sharing your precious time with us. If you enjoy the show, then follow us and subscribe on iTunes, YouTube, or any app that carries podcasts. Have an awesome week. Best wishes to see you thrive.