We had the good fortune of connecting with Robert Anthony and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robert, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
To quote Winston Churchill, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”

I am my own boss in all honesty because I like doing things my way. Who doesn’t? With it, however, comes significant costs.

Not the least of which is that things don’t often go our way.

As a numbers guy, someone who monitors success based on achieved numbers, it’s often disheartening when things are not going as planned—-EDIT: As someone who monitors success based on achieving number goals, it’s often disheartening when things are not moving along as planned.

I saw this for so many years in the retail flower businesses I owned. Sure, we’d have a few good years, but it always seemed they would be wrought with failure. —-EDIT: change end to “it seemed failure was always lurking around the corner.”

Now, as we pursue our Living With Rob model and brand, the same thing applies. We aren’t seeing the growth we continue to hope for on our Youtube channel and this frustrates me.

Hard work is required along with a dogged commitment to never quit, even when failure after failure seems to show up.

As a “creative” guy, it’s easy to let this never gaining traction situation dishearten my desires and kill my motivation.—-EDIT: add quotes around “never gaining traction”

I then must remind myself of that thing which I tell anyone seeking my counsel for life advice. —EDIT: add ” and that is this…”

Remember, the mountain top experiences are wonderful. But life is mundane in reality. It’s a daily effort to put one foot in front of the other without fail. —EDIT: Combine first two sentences into one with a comma.

For between every mountain top view, a valley, a descent exists in order to begin the next hike “up”. —EDIT: Remove comma after valley and also “a descent”; change “order to begin” to “before”

Remember, it’s with enthusiasm I must persist and then, when one of those days come where a little gleam of “hope” comes, celebrate it. Buy a coffee, high five my wife. —EDIT: add …. at end, then “You know, those fun little celebration things I like to do.”

When our Youtube subscriber count hits 1500, don’t compare it to channels with millions, instead, celebrate, and most importantly, express gratitude. —-EDIT: Add “I” before “don’t compare ”

Not every day will be a banner day. That’s no reason to not persist and continue forward with enthusiasm.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My entire life was spent in the retail flower business. I grew up in the flower business in Lansing Michigan, I spent about 5 years in Grand Rapids working for a very large operation and then, after a fallout with family went on to own a flower shop in Flint Michigan. —-EDIT: Add comma after “family”, and then “I”

In 2006 I purchased a shop in Kissimmee, Florida and spent from then until February of this year, 2023, in business there.

For many, many years, I have felt called to something different. When I went through the Dale Carnegie C0urse in circa 1996 I found I had a very strong gift in speaking. —-EDIT: correct case in Course and remove “circa”

Knowing this was perhaps more to my true calling, I then have found myself frustrated since.

Why?

I went into the flower business out of pure laziness. It was the path of least resistance and the easy way.

By the time it became clear I am here for something else, well, my two children were young and a 3rd was on the way. This was no time to now throw it all to the wind and hope for the best. —-EDIT: Change “This” to “That” in last sentence open

I had 3 little people dependent on dad for food and shelter. The flower business, while not making us rich did provide for that. —EDIT: Add comma after “rich”

Now?

Well, with my youngest turning 19, having no debt to our name other than our home and a strong desire to get OUT of the business of Central Florida we decided, my wife and I, now’s the time.

In a number of 6 to 8 week road trips living out of a converted mini van (van life) we found tremendous love for the people we were meeting along with the stories they’d share with us. What a joy it was to share my gift in photography with them along with some life advice and motivating stories. —-EDIT: Remove (van life) and replace it with a comma.

As the market in Florida real estate is off the hook, our home purchased in 2017 had over doubled in value up to the point we sold it in June.

We made the decision to sell the flower business for a few bucks and the home and have taken the equity in both, invested it and will live off that until such time we have a passive income stream developed through our new adventures. —EDIT: add comma after “invested it”

The Living With Rob brand came about one day when having a brief “bitch session” with the Lord.

Initially, we called ourselves Robert Anthony Photography. But that wasn’t working. It wasn’t working because our lives are more than just photography.

I want our brand to be something that encompasses everything we offer.

Sure, we are doing photography and video.

BUT, my life has been wrought with struggles I have overcome. Divorce (pretty bad), Bankruptcy, Raising 4 children (not that this is in the same class as the previous 2), having a young child come down with what they initially thought to be cancer, family betrayal…the list is endless. —EDIT: de-capitalize bankruptcy and raising

Through all of these we want to share with anyone who will listen how to find victory. —-EDIT: remove; reads awkwardly

When I was griping to the Lord about being confused, not sure what to call what we are doing, I heard, almost audibly, “call it Living with Rob”. —EDIT: change last sentence to “Call all of it ‘Living with Rob.'”

It was so striking, I came in to tell Joelle, my wife, right away. “Genius” was her reply. —EDIT: Add exclamation point after genius

It covers everything.

SOOOOO, when you follow our lives through our site and Youtube channel, not only is one able to live vicariously through the adventure we will document, BUT you might find little “robisms” that may in fact help you to live a more abundant life. —EDIT: change “one is” to “you are, and change “robisms” to “Rob-isms”

Hence…Living with Rob.

When we hit the road formally in August, what has been so very encouraging is seeing doors open and hearing from others along the way.

We hear from strangers along the way because our logo and brand is all over our RV. We’ve had people reach out that have, from seeing it, visited the website or been on our Youtube or Social Media channels, found inspiration for their own lives and wanted to say thanks. —EDIT: change first sentence to say “Because our branding and logo is all over our RV, strangers are easily able to find a way to reach out to us.” And change second sentence to “We’ve had people reach out to us on our YouTube or social media platforms wanting to say thank you, or that they have found inspiration for their lives from some of the posts we’ve made.”

Does life get any better than inspiring others, in helping others in their own lives find meaning than by living out what we are called to do?

If there’s a lesson I can offer in a nutshell, it’s this.—EDIT: change period to a colon : at the end

The easy path is the one to NOT follow. The only way to find success is to really be all in. I mean really all in. One must believe in it so strongly there is nothing that fear can do to dissuade them from pursuing it. —EDIT: Italicize “really all in” in 3rd sentence. Change 4th sentence to “One must believe in what they are doing so strongly that there is nothing fear can do to dissuade them from pursuing that dream.”

It takes courage, guts, and a willingness to embrace failure should it hit hard in order to truly succeed.

Take the leap, put the rest in God’s hand. Let him handle the rest. He say’s he will. He always honors faith. Always. —EDIT: add “and” before “put” in first sentence.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I think of this related to Denver, my answer has to be, come at Christmas.

I spent a number of days in Denver doing video work of Christmas. Of all the cities I have visited at Christmas time, Denver wins. —EDIT: Add “as the place to be” at the end of the last sentence.

It was epic. The zoo and downtown were amazing and so well done. EDIT— change “done” to “decorated”

I think, the thing about Denver that I love is how close it is to so much we love to see and do in life.

The Peak to Peak Highway from Blackhawk to Estes is one of my favorite drives to do in the fall. —EDIT: Remove this, because you share it better again a few paragraphs down.

I love Nederland and always have to stop for coffee when going through.

If I ever have a visitor with us when we are in the area, this is always a place to which we must travel.

If anyone ever asks me for advice on where to go and what to do if they are in Denver or Boulder, the Peak to Peak is ALWAYS my first suggestion.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am surrounded by a number of people who have, through my life, encouraged me and believed in me.

In the end, it’s the every present direction and guidance I receive from God, or Jesus Christ which has put me here today.

HE has put across my path and into my life various, what my closest friend said to me in a letter years back, “signposts”.

These are people and their devotion to living by faith which has motivated me to finally, FINALLY, take this step of faith today.

By name?

Steve Harvey in his book Jump certainly played an influence

Rush Limbaugh’s life and success once he took the leap to pursue radio

My friend Don Cousins, a founding pastor of the famed Willow Creek Church in Chicago who’s story in leaving Willow Creek to pursue a new path is perhaps the most significant life story which has put me here today. In fact, the last day I was in his company before leaving Orlando for good I said “…and just so you know, If this doesn’t pan out for me…well…” We laughed.

My friend Dave Ledgerwood, My friend Charlie Diauto and My Friend John Chapman give me the encouragement and inspiration to keep on moving forward.

My wife Joelle and my 4 children keep me on point and help me to never forget who I really am.

Website: https://livingwithrob.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/livingwithrobert

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-anthony-13761b199/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/livingwrob

Facebook: https://facebook.com/livingwithrobert

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@livingwithrob

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