Sam Gordon: Why the Top 1% Run Toward the Storm

Most people want the highlight reel of success. This isn’t that. On The Top 1% Podcast with Sam Gordon, I opened up about the toughest chapters of my journey, losing half a million dollars a month, cutting my team in half overnight, and staring down $5 million in survival debt. These were the moments that could have broken me, but instead they reshaped the way I build, lead, and think today. Adversity doesn’t just shape individuals; it reshapes entire industries. During COVID, when most expected collapse, our members experienced explosive growth, driving hundreds of millions in revenue, with some bricks-and-mortar businesses recording their biggest months in the very same month they thought they’d die. This conversation is about more than survival. It’s about what adversity really does: stripping away ego, forcing you to find out who you are without the scaffolding of titles, awards, or net worth, and showing you that resilience is the only real currency that matters. Inside, you’ll discover: How businesses grow more in hard times than in good ones (including COVID) Why money doesn’t change you — it magnifies you The hidden danger of “good times” and complacency The single trait that separates average performers from elite entrepreneurs If you’ve ever wondered what it actually takes to stay in the game when everything is on the line, this episode will give you the unfiltered truth Connect with Jack: Instagram | jackdelosa YouTube | @jackdelosa LinkedIn | jackdelosa Connect with Sam Gordon Instagram | @samgordon_official Podcast | The Top 1% Podcast LinkedIn | Sam Gordon TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – What Defines the Top 1% 02:20 – Why True Success Knocks the Ego Out of You 05:40 – From $50M Growth to Facing the Storm 07:13 – How I Navigated $5M of Survival Debt 12:15 – The Only Way Out Is Through 17:15 – Calm Seas Don’t Make Skilled Sailors 20:00 – Money Matters, But It’s Not the Mission 25:45 – Building a Culture of A-Players 39:20 – The Danger of Complacency 42:00 – Why Hard Times Drive the Biggest Growth 50:20 – Why I’ll Never Sell The Entourage 01:20:57 – The Trait of the Top 1%

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Sam Gordon: Why the Top 1% Run Toward the Storm is an episode from The Jack Delosa Podcast by Elevate With Jack Delosa.

This episode is 01:25:13 long.

This episode was published on Aug 28, 2025.

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