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Where do healthy, wealthy, generous men go to connect and learn how to upgrade their life?
Tim Rhode
Co-Founder of GoBundance, Real Estate Investor, and New York Times Bestselling Author, Tim Rhode is a rare individual who “walks the walk” of what he teaches. Tim came from a humble background, growing up in a blue-collar family in a blue-collar town. Despite barely graduating high school and never attending college, Tim went on to dream, plan, and create his own “magnificent life.” Tim attributes his success to his own determination and the individuals who have kept him on track.
In 2005, he realized he needed a quality peer-group of other successful men who understood his unique set of needs and could hold him accountable to his own high standards. Tim and three others created an accountability group through which they could help one another plan, execute, and achieve their financial and lifestyle goals.
Over time, new members were added to their tribe, and by 2013 the foundation was officially laid for GoBundance. Since then, it has grown to nearly 250 members. Having succeeded despite his own rocky beginnings, Tim is inspired to help others find their paths earlier in life. In addition to co-founding GoBundance, Tim recently co-authored Tribe of Millionaires. He is also the creative force behind 1 Life Fully Lived, where he helps kids plan their future, while driving positive change in the ways children are taught in school.
In today’s conversation with us, Tim shares key insights from his experience mentoring men who seem to have it all, along with his passion for helping men and their families create an abundant life in every area. We unpack the model used to grow GoBundance and 1Life Fully Lived, and Tim offers preparatory tips for aspiring movement makers – things to put in place before you launch out on your own.
What We Discuss With Tim Rhode
- What is GoBundance and how it started
- What successful men are looking for in a tribe
- The power of transparent vulnerability
- The biggest catalyst to the growth and success of their movement
- The Core 4 principles of the 1Life Fully Lived program
Key Takeaways
What is GoBundance and why did you start it?
GoBundance is the tribe for healthy, wealthy people who choose to live epic lives.
It started in 1997, when my two friends David Osborn and Patrick Hiben became a two-man mastermind. They were really big on accountability – if you say you’re going to do this, you’re really going to do it.
In 2004, they were looking for someone to join them and grow it. They met me in Chicago, when I was at a time in my life when I was going through an incarnation from down in the valley, full-time real estate investor to moving up to the mountains, building my dream home, getting the goods in the woods and selling a bunch of my inventory.
David is abundance – he has 250 income streams. Pat is accountability – if you say you’re going to do something, you better do it. I’m adventure – get the goods in the woods and stop and smell the roses.
Now we are 250 members. Mike McCarthy came on as our CEO to take it to another level.
What does a member of GoBundance experience?
You can be involved as much or as little as you want. People can get connected in a pod in their region and attend our twice a year trips. Everyone is helping each other sharpen their sword and play their games better.
How do you incorporate philanthropy into the GoBundance model?
One of our six pillars is genuine contribution. For a lot of us it doesn’t just mean throwing money at causes, it means leaning in with our hearts.
We pick on a piece of the picture that doesn’t fit with the process. When you’re at the top of the mountain, throw down the rope for the next person.
People come into our tribe because we’re really good at the “it’s not what you make but what you do with what you make.”
We’re great at creating horizontal income streams – that’s our ninja superpower. But we get people in there, until they find the things that really matter in life and go after them with purpose and passion – like your family and like yourself. Going deep inside yourself and finding out “Who in the heck am I? What’s most important? What bad habits do I need to fix?”
That’s (the benefit of) having a tribe that’s transparent and vulnerable and goes deep into conversations, having eyeball to eyeball conversations not shoulder to shoulder.
It’s a men’s only tribe correct?
We do have a women’s tribe now that we started about a year ago and there are 40 members now.
The men’s group has been going for 8 years and we made a conscious decision. Men said that they wanted a place to talk about things without women around. It’s a wonderful thing to go be guys. After we’re done with work we like to enjoy ourselves. Let me qualify what that means – we are very honorable. If some married guy is out there doing something – we just don’t do that.
We also started something called FamBundance where our families get together and teach our kids to be entrepreneurial. The result of that is that there are a lot of homeschoolers or even unschoolers that are doing untraditional things with their family and showing them the world.
We also have cousin organizations like Hal Elrod’s Miracle Morning, and Jon Vroman’s Front Row Dads. Sometimes after spending a few years in GoBundance it’s time to spend some time in Front Row Dads, and vice versa.
What has been the biggest catalyst to the growth of the movement?
#1 – it’s something very real in a time when people are searching. There’s so much garbage out there – in both the personal growth movement and also in society and the media. People are searching for something true, transparent and vulnerable where people are being real with each other.
#2 – the depth of talent in all the different areas where everyone is teaching everybody, and when they do something (that they didn’t realize was possible) they think, “What else can I do?”
Everybody is different but just by paying to who you are, what your gifts are and what are the things you need to work on, those make such a difference. It really helps to regularly examine those questions.
What are tips for someone listening who is looking to start a tribe like GoBundance?
Do your homework before you jump right in. We paid our dues before we started GoBundance. I went through Toastmasters, Tony Robbins’ whole program, I saw Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, Wayne Dyer, and completed Dale Carnegie’s Leadership program.
I did a lot of continuing education on the ‘what was next’ in my world, not counting the countless books I read – everything I could do to be the best realtor, best investor, best dad, and best husband. All the things that get you in that place where you launch what you’re passionate about.
I got such a late start in life, and then from 25 to 40 I just crushed it. All the things we teach in 1Life and GoBundance: vision planning, relationships, mastering finances and being healthy in your mind, body and spirit.
I did the right moves to earn more, monitor the heck out of it and not waste money on stupid stuff I didn’t need and I learned all I could about investing. It made all the difference in the world. I woke up at 40 financially free with the ability to do whatever I wanted to do. It sounds farfetched but you can do this in today’s world.
Let’s talk about 1 Life Fully Lived – what it is and who it serves.
It serves everyone. When you wake up at 3 with the gleam in your eye, to 85 when you lose a spouse and you need a new incarnation. Everyone deserves one life fully lived. It’s all about fulfillment.
Everybody has a dream, few have a written plan for their dream, and precious few are living it.
1 Life Fully Lived is about teaching two concepts to mastering the basics of creating a fulfilling life. Think of a triangle and on the bottom left is PASSION – what am I good at and what do I love to do? Bottom right is TALENT – what do I do well? At the top is OPPORTUNITY in the marketplace – where do my passions meet my talents, where there is opportunity.
If you can wake up and say, “Let me at it” or even better, “They pay me to do this?” then you know you’re in that fulfillment triangle. That’s where you thrive.
The second piece is the 1Life Core 4 – vision planning (where am I going with all this), relationships (who’s my posse and mentors), finances, and whole life wellness. These are the basics that we feel should be taught in school.
We created the 1Life Roadmap Journal that helps young people getting out into the world have this roadmap.
We also go into high schools across the country with our 1Life Dare To Dream program and facilitate a 1Life Roadmap experience where they come away with a roadmap based on the Core 4 and understanding the Fulfillment Triangle.
We’re also starting to make connections with those who are incarcerated and those who are becoming clean and sober. Battered women’s shelters, and Big Brothers teaching their little brothers and little sisters – getting this program into the hands of those who can most use our teaching.
What are some practical tips in terms of infrastructure of the business and movement?
I talked about the prelude – the homework you need to do before you’re ready to launch your passion. And I do say passion because if you’re not ready to be that big of a champion for what it is, you might consider teaming up with someone.
However if you have a burning desire “I’m going to make this happen” then you’d better have some friends with money or you have your own money, and you better learn how to ask. If you don’t ask, you’re not going to get it, and if you don’t have any money, you’re not going to get it done.
We have a budget this year of around $800,000 and we have 8-9 people who help us make this happen. They’re all very generous and love the mission so they all work for less than their time and talents are worth, but we 1Life the team. We teach our stuff and hold each other accountable. So that’s a perk in this and we’re all taking each other to a higher place.
You better have a very clear mission of who you are and what you’re doing. Find your niche and create your own category based on whatever it is that you’re passionate about.
Then slowly build it – like a big puzzle, put your corner pieces in.
One of the challenges we had was building something out of nothing, while we figured out what exactly we were doing.
It’s fun and if you love it that much and you have the time and money to do it, it’s a great way to spend your second half if you are financially free. All I do all day is have amazing conversations like this one.
It’s like a university of learning about people. I want to crack the code about how to get the people who have a fixed mindset to have an abundant mindset. To flip the switch and say, “I am worth this. I will do the hard inner work, to figure out who I am. I’m going to do it and then stick with it.”
Episode Resources 
- Get your free copy of Tribe Of Millionaires (just pay the shipping
Connect With Tim Rhode and his Tribe
- Website: gobundance.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gobundance
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gobundance
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GoBundance
- Website: https://1lifefullylived.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1lifefullylived
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-rhode-42660210
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