How to Be a Balcony Person

As Glenn Stearns explains it, there are two types of people in life: basement people and balcony people. To understand what he means, imagine a college house party with music pumping and drinks flowing. The basement people are the ones who prefer to stay out on the dance floor where it’s warm and take another vodka shot because that’s what everyone else is doing. In general, this personality type mostly tends to do what is easy or expected and they drag others along with them. Balcony people are the exact opposite. They are the ones who leave the party to hydrate and get a full night of sleep so they can ace their exam the next day. They celebrate others’ success and appreciate being around people who help them grow. Glenn Stearns is the perfect example of a balcony person. 

For those who are unfamiliar, Glenn has a real “rags to riches” story. He was born in a low-income suburb of Washington, DC to alcoholic parents, diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, and failed fourth grade. He fathered a child at the age of 14 and graduated high school in the bottom ten percent of his class. Through hard work and his “people before profit” attitude, Glenn went on to become one of the most successful businessmen of our time. His mortgage lending company has funded over 30 billion dollars in loans since 2010 and Glenn has starred in the hit Discovery Channel show Undercover Billionaire. His story is captivating, but even more impressive is his genuine nature and fierce determination to lift others up as he rises.  

Try it yourself:

• Get around other balcony people. Glenn didn’t know anyone when he moved to California. He describes seeing people’s names on billboards and plastered across college buildings, and he became fascinated by the stories of these high achievers. Using his status as a young newcomer to his advantage, Glenn reached out to the individuals he found in the philanthropy sections of magazines and asked them to lunch to pick their brains. He didn’t want anything from them but a good conversation and to understand how they had gained the respect of their community. In these people Glenn found examples of how to control his own destiny that propelled him through the rest of his career. Take an inventory of the people in your life. How many are lifting you up versus bringing you down? How can you intentionally put yourself in environments where those around you will inspire you to be the best version of yourself? 

• Focus on doing the right thing. During our podcast conversation, Glenn described a situation in which his son was asked to leave school after getting into a bit of trouble with a girl in his class. There were no consequences for the other student, and Glenn asked his son whether he thought that was fair. Both Glenn and his son agreed that it was. Although his son had always been a good kid, he had existing demerits (being late to class, forgetting to tuck in his shirt, etc.) while the other student did not. People give you the benefit of the doubt and go out of their way to help you if you constantly hold yourself to the highest possible standard.

• Embrace fun along the way. When you have a clear goal in mind, like selling a company or climbing a mountain, it’s natural to focus exclusively on the destination. One of the things I love about Glenn is that he has been through the journey of creating, scaling, and selling a company and is now doing it all over again but in a totally reimagined way. He asked his wife Mindy to join as the business’s Chief Happiness Officer, and together they emphasize having fun and making sure the people they work with enjoy their jobs. Balcony people motivate and lift others up with them, and that’s exactly what Glenn and Mindy are doing.