We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bishoy Tadros a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Bishoy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made?
The worst business investment I made and I actually made it TWICE was hiring a publicist. I was especially hard on myself after making the investment a second time. The truth is that no agency or no representative will ever tell your story as well as you do and it cost me significant resourcess to confirm what I already knew.
Here is some background, I always knew I had a story to tell and growing up I had musings of how, when and where I would share my story. The beauty of it all is that when the time came, it happened ever so naturally and it felt right.
2 years before I published my first book, Break Barriers: How Setbacks Can Dare You Rather Than Define You, I finally shared my story with the world. I decided to run my first ever marathon (a feat I never imagined as a child and as I type this, I have now completed 10 and am on my way to my 6th World Major in Tokyo) and in deciding to run the 2017 New York City Marathon, I had to fundraise money for charity to secure my bib. I decided to raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as a survivor of pediatric leukemia myself. The funny thing actually was that I almost never shared my story because I thought no one would donate and that I would have to pay all of it on my own. A couple weeks went by and I ultimately shared my story with a mentor who had no idea about my personal journey and the setbacks I faced as an immigrant child whose parents left everything they knew to find treatment. The mentor, his name is Tim and when he ead my story, he looked me square in the eye and told me that I had to raise my goal from $3,000 to $100,000 and there I was approaching my 30th birthday and for the first time in my life I felt that someone outside of my parents believed in me and saw value in my journey.
As the narrative goes, I shared my story with the world and quickly I saw a spike in funds raised. At around the $30k mark, I got an email from Nasdaq and they had invited me to come ring the Closing Bell (WHO ME??). ABC selected me as one of the featured runners for that year’s race and I was interviewed live during the race. I went from holding on to my story for a lifetime to a spotlight that I quite frankly never saw coming.
Despite all that, this was never about the spotlight. It was about the patients and caretakers who were reaching out to me, who were sending me notes letting me know that because I spoke up, they found strength in their darker moments. It was about the impact the campaign was having and how it was propelling cancer research for those who need it most.
Anywho, I got back to work after that year’s race and I realized life was never going to be the same. My story mattered and it mattered for the right reasons. My life could no longer be centered around my work because I unleashed a calling and found purpose.
In December 2018 after months of mulling it over, I sat at my desk at JP Morgan and I Googled “How to Write a Book” , I also Googled “How many words do you need to write to reach 100 pages?” and for the next 3 months every single day I would type away until I had a draft.
In March of that year, I had a very long Microsoft Word document and I reached out to a friend who went to Harvard and asked him if he knew anyone who published and he did. That connection then introduced me to my now editor and 6 months later we published Break Barriers. It was rather quick for a book to be released but I was on a mission to get my story out.
Over 200 people came to my launch party, we donated almost all of the proceeds to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and to date have raised well over the $100,000 that Tim suggested.
I was feeling good, I did what I set out to do and now I wanted to grow the mission and so I started exploring PR. An acquaintance at the time recommended I speak to these two publicists and I shared my goals with them. The flag was they never worked with an author but I overlooked it because I didn’t know much about PR and they seemed like good people. 3 months went by, I was paying more for my retainer than I was paying in rent and I wasn’t seeing much except free merch from some brand partners. Coincidentally, I was saved by the pandemic. It was March 2020 and businesses were shutting down, I was reviewing my ROI or lack thereof with my publicists and I used the pandemic as my excuse to sever ties suggesting that in-person events would be on hold and thus revenue-generating opportunities would be limited.
In the months that followed, I reflected on those 3 months of representation as a learning experience, I said to myself that it could have been a lot worse financially and that thankfully I had a good excuse to move on. I was also grateful that I experienced having representation because it taught me what to look out for and how important it is to find agents that you align with.
Fast Forward 3 years and Break Barriers is profitable, my podcast Mile 40 is taking off and I decide to write my second book, Audacious: Uncaging Your Authentic Self.
I think to myself – I’ve proven that I belong on stages, I’m a 2x author, I have a following albeit not huge but loyal, and I’ve proven to myself over and over that I can do hard things.
A friend of mine who so happened to be a publicist approached me about working together, and at first he made me an enticing offer where the risk seemed low. He held up his end of the bargain but then he suggested we move to a retainer model and that’s where things started to go dark…
He was essentially selling me air, making promises based on his rolodex, sharing that he has contacts at Today Show, GMA, you name it! He promised it all and I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Eventually the emails slowed down, he wouldn’t return calls or texts despite the fact I was paying the retainer and none of his promises were coming to fruition. And that’s when I realized two things – 1) The PR world is wildly toxic and that reps are selling a dream and 2) I messed up AGAIN.
I felt burned after the second time, I was embarrassed. I barely pushed my second book because I felt dejected. It was another hard learning moment but one that I am growing from daily. In the end, I always say failure is key to success and I am grateful for the lows because they instill the resilience to bounce back.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Bishoy was born in Egypt and at the young age of 3 his family uprooted and immigrated to the United States after he received an unforeseen diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Initially they arrived in the City of Hope where treatment began and soon thereafter they settled on Long Island, NY where he underwent treatment on and off over a span of 10 years. On his 13th birthday, Bishoy underwent brain surgery for what was eventually revealed to be a golf-ball size blood clot (venous hemangioma) and was thereafter granted a clean bill of health.
As a child battling cancer, Bishoy was never able to unleash his full potential as an athlete. In his adult years, Bishoy reinvigorated his passion for fitness and slowly began chasing down goals which once seemed impossible in the midst of his cancer journey. He is now an Iron Man and a 10-time marathoner. Bishoy was determined to use his story to inspire other and he has led charitable campaigns for cancer research raising over $125,000 to date!
Navigating the professional world at the height of the financial crisis, Bishoy launched his career at J.P. Morgan. He was a member of J.P. Morgan’s Met Club and awarded for his work as a leader within the sales organization. In a career shift that had been deemed notoriously challenging, Bishoy made the leap from finance to tech in 2019 when he transitioned into a role at Salesforce. Since then, he was elected into the Sales Excellence Academy an honor awarded to the top 10% of performers within the organization.
Bishoy holds an undergraduate degree in Accounting from SUNY Geneseo and an MBA from Fordham University with dual concentrations in Management and Finance.
In 2019, Bishoy added Author to his list of accolades when he published his memoir, Break Barriers: How Setbacks Can Dare You Rather Than Define You. He wrote his book with the objective of giving readers a tool to channel the mindset to overcome obstacles whether they be personal, professional, or on the playing field.
Four Years Later, Bishoy published his second book, Audacious: Uncaging Your Authentic Self. Audacious was written to empower you to set huge goals for yourself at work and beyond, to live life on your own terms. By unleashing your inner audacity, you can separate yourself from the pack and take the bold steps required to accomplish your grandest ambitions.
Bishoy is also the host of Mile 40 Podcast. Mile 40 is a forum to learn about how athletes, professionals, and leaders of all backgrounds stare down moments in life where the only option is to rise up. The Mile 40 podcast strives to remind listeners that the comeback is always greater than the setback.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
Quit: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
This book highlights the strengths of introverts in a society that often overlooks them. It’s a must-read for understanding the power of quiet persistence
Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
A powerful reminder of the perils of ego and the importance of humility, resilience, and continuous learning in achieving long-term success.
The Third Door by Alex Banayan
Explore the unconventional paths to success taken by some of the world’s most successful people. This book is a testament to creativity, persistence, and thinking outside the box.
Think Again by Adam Grant
Challenge your assumptions and embrace the joy of being wrong. This book teaches the value of rethinking and unlearning to stay ahead in a rapidly changing world.
Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
Discover the importance of creating a supportive and trusting work environment. Sinek’s insights on leadership will inspire you to prioritize the well-being of your team.
Outlive by Dr. Peter Attia
Dive into the science of longevity and learn practical ways to extend your health span. Dr. Attia provides insights on how to live a longer, healthier life.
Living with a SEAL by Jesse Itzler
This hilarious and inspiring book recounts the author’s journey of living and training with a Navy SEAL for 31 days. It’s a testament to pushing boundaries and stepping out of your comfort zone.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Back in 2017 before I ever ran a marathon, wrote a book, or publicly share my story with the world I decided to compete in a Half IronMan, a 70.3 mile race across swimming, biking, and running.
If you knew anything about me, you knew this was wildly out of character for me. Growing up, I was the last kid on the suicide drills, I was hindered by the chemotherapy and radiation that I underwent as a child. Despite being the first kid at practice and the last one to leave, I never understood why I couldn’t compete with the other guys.
It haunted me for my entire life and so when I decided to compete in this race I was in a better place personally and starting to uncover some of my potential.
For 6 months leading up, I shut it down. I wasn’t socializing, I trained twice a day, I gave up alcohol and I was carefully watching my diet.
My mother was concerned and people kept asking me, “Why are you doing this?” and truthfully I didn’t have an answer. I couldn’t verbalize my WHY but internally I felt it was something I had to do. I had to do something hard, I had to exit my comfort zone but I had no idea what was on the other side.
I got to race day in June 2017 it was blistering hot over 90 degrees in Maryland. The swim for me was expected to be the hardest part as I was battling a current for at least half a mile. I transitioned to the bike and due to a scheduling conflict that weekend, the company I rented the bike from sent me a Hybrid instead of a road bike. (Imagine ordering a Ferrari and getting a beat up mini van). I was peddling and peddling and riders were flying past me, it was a 56 mile bike ride and the sun was only getting stronger. Any shot at a time goal was thrown out the window early in the race.
And then it happened – I broke down. Mile 40, I was all alone on the path. There was salt all over me from dehydration, I thought to myself that I failed. I was about to call my mother and ask to go home. There I was asking myself the same question people were asking me, “Bishoy, Why are you even here?”
But then
I snapped out of it, I was in fight or flight mode and immediately my mind went to its’ darkest pit. I reminded myself that I battled much worse in my lifetime. I beat cancer, I had brain surgery, I had many reasons to never show up on race day but I knew I had to be out there. I recalled that when I was younger my parents celebrated small wins through my cancer journey. I looked at the 30 miles ahead of me and I reframed them in 30 increments of 1 mile. I celebrated every single mile to the finish line. I crossed that line and I unleashed a power like never before. I realized I can do anything I set my mind to and from that point forward, my life changed.
Now my podcast is called Mile 40 because I do feel that as humans we are unified by our ability to navigate setbacks. Mile 40 was the crux of my story and I am forever grateful for what it taught me not only about myself but about humanity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bishoytadros.com
- Instagram: @bishoy_tadros @mile40podcast
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tadrosb/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bishoy-tadros-mba/
- Twitter: @BishoyTadros8
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BishoyTadros?sttick=0
