26 Harsh Lessons I Learned in 2025

Alex Hormozi shares 26 harsh lessons he learned in 2025, covering topics from fear and mental toughness to scaling businesses and the importance of talent. He recounts his own rapid rise and setbacks, from graduating Vanderbilt to launching gyms, building a licensing model, and eventually founding Acquisition.com, a family office that now manages a portfolio generating $200M annually. The video is structured around 26 lessons, each with a timestamp, and offers practical advice for entrepreneurs looking to grow and scale. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 0:32 - Lesson 1: Fear exists in the vague 5:13 - Lesson 2: Mental toughness matters more than motivation 12:08 - Lesson 3: Record breaking outcomes take record breaking work 19:51 - Lesson 4: Always prioritize your personal life 23:13 - Lesson 5: Think for yourself or the world will think for you 28:53 - Lesson 6: A hard conversation up front can save you years & millions 35:07 - Lesson 7: Do more than what is required 37:55 - Lesson 8: Plan your life first, your career fills the cracks 43:11 - Lesson 9: What do you want to have happen? What increases those odds? 46:33 - Lesson 10: More, better, new 54:19 - Lesson 11: It's okay to just make money 59:42 - Lesson 12: Clear beats clever in all things 1:02:05 - Lesson 13: The offer is above everything else 1:06:49 - Lesson 14: How to make your ads actually work 1:07:58 - Lesson 15: Side quests can make the main quest 1:09:35 - Lesson 16: Delegation is the price of scaling 1:13:34 - Lesson 17: Real estate, big W 1:14:56 - Lesson 18: The best R.O.I is still on talent 1:19:09 - Lesson 19: A-players make you rich 1:22:00 - Lesson 20: Money attracts talent, culture keeps talent 1:24:05 - Lesson 21: Decentralization wins 1:30:30 - Lesson 22: A world-class EA is a superpower 1:33:30 - Lesson 23: The leader is always the problem 1:35:45 - Lesson 24: In the world of A.I., your brand is your moat 1:37:58 - Lesson 25: Brand must constantly be reinforced 1:39:46 - Lesson 26: The greatest risk to the business