Description:
In this first part of Matt Levenhagen’s conversation with Malcolm Reid Sr., we explore an extraordinary journey from the streets of Baltimore to prison, and ultimately to a life dedicated to helping others build better businesses. It’s the story of how adversity shaped the builder behind the business.
From dropping out of school and serving time in prison to discovering unexpected lessons in sales, leadership and human behavior, Malcolm shares how accountability, resilience and an unwavering desire to help others transformed the direction of his life. Every chapter, even the painful ones, became preparation for what came next.
If you’ve ever wondered whether your past limits your future, this conversation offers a different perspective. Malcolm’s story is a powerful reminder that while our experiences shape us, they don’t have to define us. Some of the strongest builders are the ones who first rebuilt themselves.
Key Takeaways:
- Resilience is often forged long before success becomes visible.
- Your past explains you, but it doesn’t define where you can go.
- Every experience, even painful ones, can become part of your builder toolkit.
- Great businesses are built by solving one problem after another.
- Authentic relationships consistently outperform manipulation and sales tactics.
- Helping others succeed is one of the most meaningful ways to build a lasting legacy.
Malcolm Reid Sr.
For more than 11 years, Malcolm Reid Sr. has helped over 1,000 coaches worldwide build profitable, values-driven practices through his company, ProGlobal Business Advisors, using a proven business-in-a-box model.
His work emphasizes execution over theory, equipping coaches with positioning, systems, enrollment processes, delivery frameworks, software, and long-term operational support, all branded to the individual coach. Guided by a deep respect for small business owners, Malcolm is known for his stance against hype-driven coaching and fake gurus, advocating instead for integrity, measurable results, and lasting client impact.
He and his team work exclusively with coaches who demonstrate strong values and a genuine desire to serve, helping them operate as true business owners and deliver real results for the businesses they support.
THE MEAT OF IT!
- Growing Up in the Streets of Baltimore
- Poverty, violence and survival
- Learning resilience at an early age
- Reading people as a survival skill
- From the Streets to Prison
- Dropping out of school
- Selling drugs and serving time
- Choosing accountability over victimhood
- An Entrepreneur Before He Knew It
- Early hustles in the neighborhood
- Discovering business principles in unexpected places
- Finding opportunity where others saw obstacles
- Finding New Paths
- Music, promotions and becoming a father
- Choosing family over fame
- Building a career through sales and leadership
- Building Through Service
- Helping people rebuild their financial lives
- Turning struggling businesses around
- Discovering that business is ultimately about solving problems
- Purpose, Legacy and Helping Others
- Leaving corporate life behind
- Coaching entrepreneurs
- Building systems that help others create greater impact
Check out these related Episodes:
- Episode 282: Drew Griffin – From Hyperbaric Medicine to Reinventing Local Marketing with Newsletters
- Episode 276: Bob Labbe – Building Solutions Through Curiosity, From Golf to Coasters
- Episode 275: William Holsten – Turning Product & Business Blunders into Hard-Won Lessons
