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The Playbook With David Meltzer

Your Identity Is Tied To The Wrong Thing

The Playbook With David Meltzer

David Meltzer, Entrepreneur.com

Entrepreneurship, Business, Careers

4.91.9K Ratings

🗓️ 10 February 2026

⏱️ 16 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In today’s episode, I share a hard lesson about identity, money, and the people we choose. From negotiating a billion dollar deal on day one to losing everything in 2008, I explain how tying self worth to money distorted my decisions and my circle. I talk about frequency, awareness, and why teams and positions matter more than chasing status. I break down how knowing what you want, reframing the meaning of your past, and aligning daily behaviors turns possibilities into probabilities. This episode connects faith, discipline, and attention to building a life that feels full, grounded, and honest, without shortcuts or empty promises.

Transcript

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0:00.0

I ran the most notable sports agency in the world called Lee Steinberg Sports and Entertainment.

0:05.7

They made the movie Jerry McGuire about our firm.

0:08.8

And my very first day of running the sports agency, we were negotiating an opportunity to buy

0:14.8

and move the Los Angeles Rams back to Los Angeles.

0:18.9

And Lee himself was not available. He actually was in rehab without anybody's

0:25.6

knowledge. And so my very first day, I had to negotiate a billion dollar opportunity with no

0:31.2

real experience. And I called Lee and I asked him for advice. I said, you know, I've learned that you're either humble

0:39.3

or you're about to be.

0:41.6

And so I'm going to be humble and tell you I really am not prepared, nor am I capable

0:46.4

of doing this transaction.

0:48.9

Can you give me some advice on how to close this deal to move the Rams from St. Louis

0:53.9

back to Los Angeles? And he said to me, David to move the Rams from St. Louis back to Los Angeles.

0:55.7

And he said to me, David, there's three simple rules. One, don't negotiate to the last penny.

1:01.7

Always be kind and don't do business with dicks. Which is the name of my newest book.

1:11.1

And it really hit home that through my career,

1:16.5

I'd always chose success and money

1:19.5

over the people I surrounded myself with.

1:22.8

Even though I studied, and I'm chairman of Napoleon Hill,

1:25.7

I've studied Napoleon Hill, Bob Proctor, Steve Covey,

1:28.5

Stephen Covey and so many others who will talk about surrounding yourself with the right people

1:32.6

and the right ideas. In fact, some people believe you're the aggregate of the five people

1:37.9

that you spend the most time with. Anybody here ever hear that or believe that you're the

...

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