E198 - Lessons from Anthony Cutno: Building on Faith When Everything Falls Apart

Rob Tracz: What's going on and welcome back to another Friday recap episode of Surviving the Side Hustle. And today I want to take a few minutes to sit with the conversation I had with Anthony Cutnow. so an in case you haven't heard the whole guest interview, I highly recommend going back and checking it out because Anthony is a pretty interesting fellow. He is a marine veteran, a speaker, a publisher, a branding coach, and the founder of Divine Warriors Dimension, which is a growing ecosystem built around identity, accountability, and leadership.

He serves veterans, men, and purpose-driven entrepreneurs who are ready to stop performing and start actually living their purpose. If you have not heard the full episode again, I want you to go back to do that. just after this because Anthony's the kind person whose story you do not want to forget. And so to give you some background, Anthony did not set out to build a business.

He was t he was he'll actually tell you that himself. He wanted to retire, be with his family and be done with pr most of life's stressors, right? But life had other plans for him. And it started one night outside of his dad's house.

He was hanging out, ended up talking to God, venting, questioning everything. And then, almost within minutes, his sergeant major called. That call connected him to a writing coach named Dr. Oliver Reed, and eventually led him to a He-Man speaking event in College Park, Georgia.

Anthony showed up alone, didn't know anyone, sat in the audience and just watched. Then Dr. Reed waved him up. onto a panel on the stage.

And there he was, one seat left, and Anthony took it. He still doesn't know exactly what he said that night, but it landed. And from the stage moment, the business was born. From that point forward, the roles just kept coming to him.

Someone needed a publisher, so he became a publisher. Someone needed a speaker, so he became that and even a coach for that as well. Someone needed branding help, he showed up for that as well. The business grew organically, almost spiritually, and it was shaped by every person and every need that found his way to him.

And here is what makes Anthony's story genuinely stop you in your tracks. The majority of his time in business, he's had that he has been homeless. He went from his dad's place to the streets to a friend's couch. To Dallas and eventually to California.

He survived being shot and stabbed, and survived many traumatic events that he didn't even remember until his cousin reminded him about. He deals with seizures regularly, including during conversations. He has brain damage that affects his whole body. He stutters sometimes, except somehow when he's speaking on stage or recording an interview, the stutter tends to disappear.

And He did not even plan the business. He planned a quiet life and instead was handed a purpose that he couldn't put down. And through all of it, the business kept moving. The message kept growing and Anthony kept showing up.

And I'm gonna time in here on Anthony's secret, because it's really it's radical authenticity and it's anchored in faith. So when I was asking him what he hopes people will remember about him, He didn't hesitate. He said he wants to be remembered as himself all the time, everywhere he goes, in front of anyone, kings, queens, presidents, it doesn't matter. That is it.

And the whole thing too. And he's not performing a version of himself that he thinks people want to see. And what makes him even more remarkable is the context behind it. He's smiling while in pain.

He's speaking while having seizures. He's building while being homeless. The on authenticity is not a branding strategy. It is the only way that he knows how to survive.

Faith and self-honesty are the two things he refused to let go, even when everything else was stripped away. And what Anthony is doing maps directly into the prime performance process. And it hits several principles at once. The most obvious one is resilience.

Anthony is the definition of it, not the motivational poster version of. Hey, what's up? Sorry for the interruption. It's Rob.

One quick thing before we keep going. If you're feeling stuck or like you've lost the momentum that you used to have, here's a simple free first step. Take the assessment at getheprime.com.

In just a few minutes, it'll show you exactly where you're leaking momentum so you can get that ball rolling again with the Prime app. It's completely free. So if you're new here, this is the best place to start. Go ahead to get the prime dot com and take the free assessment.

All right, let's get back into it. The real version, where you keep functioning, you keep building, you keep serving, even when your body is working against you and your circumstances are working against you as well. But I also want to name clarity here too, because this prime principle, that is the one that people often miss when they hear a story like Anthony's. Clarity is about knowing who you are before you try to build anything.

And Anthony had it locked in. He was not confused about his values, his voice, or his direction. even when his address changed every few months. And that is the through line in the prime performance process.

Awareness before action is what creates the momentum. Anthony did not build Divine Warrior's dimension by having a perfect plan. He built it by knowing exactly who he was, staying present to what each moment was asking of him, and then responding honestly. That is what kept the momentum alive even in the hardest seasons.

So if what Anthony shared on the full guest interview moved you at all, I want you to go find him. Look him up by name on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Anthony Cutno, C-U-T-N-O. He said himself, you will only find him and his dad.

So you cannot miss him. Send him a message, tell him that you heard this episode or the full guest interview episode. Follow what he's building with Divine Warriors Dimension. And if you've even felt a little bit changed or uncomfortable by what he said in the guest interview, he told you himself.

That means you probably are exactly who he's here to serve. So Anthony, if you're checking out this recap episode, thank you, man. Like fullhearted, genuinely. You came on to the show and you gave us something real.

Not a performance, no polish, just your story and your purpose. And that is exactly what the show is built for. For everyone listening Here's the one thing I want you to sit with today going into the weekend. You do not need perfect conditions to build something meaningful.

Anthony built a business, a publishing house, a speaker coaching practice, and a community leadership model, all while navigating homelessness, health crises, and a life that kept throwing curveball after curveball. The common thread was not circumstances, it was character. That is worth thinking about. If you want to hear the full conversation, head over to surviving the side hustle dot com.

And while you're there, please hit follow so you never miss an episode. We'll see you guys next week. Peace, peace, peace.