EP820: Cody Sturgess - Loyalty & Love

*"She's basically my best friend. I've had this horse for 21 years. If we do nothing, she's going to die — so it's one of those decisions you just have to make for them."* *— Cody Sturgess* Cody Sturgess was shortlisted for the Canadian Olympic team in 3-day eventing — an equestrian triathlon that includes cross-country riding at nearly 600 meters per minute over solid, immovable fences. He broke his back in two places during a fall and spent nine months relearning how to walk. He came back. That same refusal to quit became the foundation for everything he built afterward: a real estate business, a Director of Sales role at a North American SaaS company, and an AI company for real estate agents. The conversation covers what elite sport teaches you about business that nobody else will — the discipline of doing the unglamorous work when nobody is watching, the absurdity of trying to build a company without a coach, and the honest math behind self-investment. Nicky shares how Robin Sharma challenged him to triple his personal development spending, and how that single decision took his income from $75,000 to $210,000 in one year. But the emotional center of this episode is Imperial Melody — Melly — the off-the-track thoroughbred Cody bought as a 2-year-old, kept for 21 years, and took to the top of the sport. Melly has now colicked three times in seven months. A large abdominal mass has been found. Cody is taking her to the New Bolton Equine Hospital in Pennsylvania for surgery, and everything raised beyond the $30,000 surgical goal goes directly to equine cancer research — with the goal of building the kind of early screening for horses that already exists for dogs, cats, and humans. A GoFundMe has been set up. Every contribution helps — and every dollar beyond the target goes toward research that could save thousands of other horses from the same fate. Learn more & connect: GoFundMe for Imperial Melody's surgery and equine cancer research: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bring-the-queen-home Follow Cody's documentation of Melly's journey on his social channels Resources mentioned: New Bolton Center Equine Hospital — https://www.vet.upenn.edu/hospitals/newbolton Horse Sport Magazine — https://www.horsesport.com Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill Robin Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari — https://www.robinsharma.com Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level.