Harsh Truth About Friends

Let me tell you the story of how I learned the harsh truth about my friends…

When I first moved to LA to pursue my acting career, my inner circle consisted of hotrod guys, rock musicians, and out-of-work actors.

Basically, if you were a party animal…

If you had zero money…

And if you were floating through life, directionless…

I would fling open the doors and invite you into my inner circle.

Sometimes, I’d hang out with these friends and we’d have a blast together.  But most of the time… 

It felt like we were simply using each other to pass the time. 

For years, people drifted in and out of my life… without adding anything positive. 

Even after Grant and I got married, I had no idea I should have been filling my inner circle with assets. 

However…

During the 2008 financial collapse, Grant and I had a major wake-up call

You see, while the economy was collapsing around our ears… some “friends” filed a $60 million lawsuit against us.

These weren’t just business associates either. 

These were people who had invited us to their wedding.  

Anyway…

Our entire friendship had been built on a lie.  All along, we had been a target for their multimillion-dollar con. 

At that point, it dawned on me.

Our empire’s strength did not depend on Grant and me. 

Our empire was only as strong as ALL the people in it — which included all our friends, family members, and coworkers.  

That was a huge wake-up call for me. 

Because it made me realize it only takes a single bad apple to blow everything we’d built to dust. 

It meant I had to stop allowing anyone into my inner circle.

And instead, I had to make my empire watertight.

Once I did that… I could stop worrying about people bringing down my empire from the inside. 

And I could focus on achieving my mission and purpose.  

But how do I choose who can enter my inner circle? 

1) Less is more

After our 2008 lawsuit disaster, Grant and I stripped our network to the bone.

Nowadays, we keep our inner circle small and tight.  This helps keep our allies close and our enemies out.

2) Assets only

It may sound cold and harsh, but I only surround myself with competent and contributing people.  Why?

Because I can’t fulfill my purpose if I’m constantly picking up those who can’t keep pace with Grant and me. 

The reality is… 

Some people can go from being priceless assets to your empire one minute… to being costly liabilities the next.

It’s why I ask my inner circle to constantly prove themselves to be assets. 

If they’re not, I show them the door. 

3) No exceptions for family

The hardest relationships to examine are those with your family.  

But when you’re trying to build an empire, you can’t make excuses for family members who constantly drag you down.

It’s why I look objectively at my family…

And I hold them to the same standards as everyone else in my network.

Before I go, I’ll leave you with this thought: 

I don’t agree that you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

It’s why I pour my resources into the things and people that elevate my empire.

And I hope you will too. 

Build an empire,

Elena Cardone

Create, build, and defend an extraordinary career and marriage

P.S. It isn’t always easy to fill your network with A-players and assets.

I made mistake after mistake… before I finally figured it out.

But I want to make it easy for you.

And that’s why I’m hosting my 10X Ladies event on August 4th & 5th.

Hundreds of incredible women have already signed up for this event.

And I want you to meet them.

Tickets are selling fast already.  So grab your slot before it sells out. 

Build an Empire,

Elena Cardone

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