Why I Created Permission to be Powerful.
Tony Robbins Fired Me. I Hit Rock Bottom. And Now... I'm Building My Own Empire.
Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader,
Confession: I’ve been working on Permission to Be Powerful nonstop for four months.
Okay. I lied.
It’s been nine.
I wrote the book before I ever launched the blog.
I work until midnight seven days a week.
I gave up running for a while.
I’ve gained 20 pounds.
I am also currently managing some chronic pain from sitting nonstop.
There are several reasons for this. First, I am a man possessed. It’s taken me more than 10 years to work up the courage…
To allow MYSELF to be powerful. I wanted to do anything BUT stand at the podium and speak the truth. That shit TERRIFIED me. Like… it put the fear of God in me.
I’d rather do ANYTHING but stand in the limelight.
But the day finally came when I had no choice.
It wasn’t just terrifying.
It felt like walking the damn plank.
And not in a dream — in real life.
Public. Humiliating. Irreversible.
I was willing to BEG Tony Robbins not to fire me.
That’s how much I wanted the safety of my confined little box.
That’s how much I was ADDICTED to playing small.
LOL.
I really should put a disclaimer on every post.
Yesterday I told you to raise your price unapologetically.
But I forgot to mention the downsides of raising your price.
People will 100% reject you and it’s going to hurt as badly as you think it will or worse.
But… ah you must learn the truth:
YOU are the common denominator — NOT THEM.
YOU are the one who overcomes through thick and thin…
No matter how bad things get.
YOU are the one who survives and grows.
YOU are the one who has grown in compassion.
And that’s no small feat.
Most people stay stuck on repeat.
Once you see how stuck people are…
Ugh.
It’s ugly.
It’s old.
It’s sad.
Runs my stomach rancid.
PEOPLE WILL REJECT YOU WHEN YOU RAISE YOUR PRICE.
Just like Tony Robbins did when I asked for a $3,000 raise.
It felt like one of the biggest mistakes of my carrier.
Instantly fired right at the start of the apocalypse.
Just great.
Caught with my pants down.
My industry is dying…
The economy is dying…
And I have to figure out how to swim to solid ground.
I once met a successful entrepreneur who told me…
Starting a business is like jumping out of a plane…
And building your parachute before you go splat.
To me, this is a living truth.
This experience humbled the shit out of me.
One day, my words are on a billboard Time Square…
The next, you’re eating at food banks because you’re so broke.
I was firmly convinced I’d never be back to such a place.
Yet, here I am.
The whole ordeal did a number on my mental health.
That’s the main reason I’ve been struggling.
It takes a lot for me to function in a civilized society.
And I don’t take loss very well.
It took a while to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
My mental health was seriously compromised.
In reality…
Getting fired by Tony Robbins wasn’t a big deal.
Like… there are other clients out there.
But to me… it was the death of me as a freelancer.
I’m done with aiming so low.
I DON’T NEED THEM.
I’d rather die than let someone treat me like that again.
No more being other people’s sidekick.
No more taking orders.
No more sucking up to people who would stab me in the back in a heartbeat.
But there was a massive problem.
That meant finally facing my fears.
Facing my self doubt.
The one thing I never feel like doing.
Getting fired felt like being forced to walk the plank.
But it didn’t end just there.
It felt like having to jump into that water.
Total malicious abandonment.
Being left for dead in a bottomless pit.
No shelter.
Totally exposed.
Sharks circling.
The relentless heat.
Punishing cold.
No food.
No water.
With ONE fucking option: Swim my ass home
Swim farther than I think is even possible.
Or DIE.
Get into a few fist-fights with sharks along the way.
What a grim prospect.
But…
These are the moments that have earned me the title Mike Tyson in my mind.
Because it would push me to my limit…
But I made up my mind…
I WAS GOING TO DO IT.
Food banks. Did you hear what I just said?
Food banks.
I am completely alone in this world.
It’s the apocalypse.
ChatGPT destroyed my entire profession.
Copywriters were the literal first to go.
I got fired.
The writing was on the wall.
As far as I was concerned…
It wasn’t supposed to get much better than Tony Robbins.
He’s so iconic.
Everyone else seemed like a step-down.
So…
This time.
If I was going to survive…
I FINALLY had to believe in myself.
You see.
You raise your price.
Everyone’s 100% going to tell you “FUCK YOU.”
Who do you think you are?
But LET THEM.
Tony wants to fire me?
He wants to tell me I’m not worth that much?
Right.
Now he just lit a fire under my ass.
I’m going to build a million dollar empire is exactly what I’m going to do.
In my mind… I’m this is a one-man New Yorker…
I’m giving you EVERYTHING I learned without holding back.
15 years of people putting a muzzle on me.
And now I’m finally unleashed… and this is the most rewarding work I’ve EVER done.
It’s the only work that matters to me.
It’s all I think about.
I write so much I’m too exhausted to go dancing.
I’m going to PROVE to myself that I was worth every penny.
That firing me was THEIR loss.
NOT the other way around.
I sat in my office and thought long and hard.
Until I came to the conclusion:
You know what?
Tony’s getting OLD.
He’s yesterday’s news.
And…
He has his own skeletons, which I will expose sooner or later.
You were getting a good deal.
The people are already confirming this.
Either way, I’m happy.
I want to create a legacy.
I want to build something powerful.
That nobody can take away from me.
It’s time to finally wear my big boy pants.
I don’t wish to sell myself short for even another moment.
This - Permission to be Powerful — is more rewarding than writing for ANY client ever was.
I write like a man, possessed…
Because I AM possessed.
You all have proven to me that I’m an even better writer than I thought…
But I let everyone else tell me I’m not shit for my whole life…
I believed them.
I rejected the truth agressively my whole life.
Even when was little I was always great.
And so are you.
There are some things that you earn in life.
But you don’t have to earn your greatness.
Acknowledge it.
Embrace it.
Believe in it.
But it’s already yours.
You’re just blind.
You’re scared.
You’re weak.
You need help.
Some problems are too big to solve by oneself.
Try to keep solving that problem in the dark… All alone… you’re really just hiding your shameful little secret.
This experience has put me in touch with the vastness of my old self doubt.
It was all encompassing.
That’s why I played small.
I simply refused to believe in myself.
I needed life to FORCE me to spread my wings.
I’m finally doing what I dreamed of doing all along.
I regret nothing.
15 years as a freelance copywriter shaped me.
It was my crucible.
But now, here we are…
And I am going to use my powerful skillset to help you break past YOUR barriers.
The very same ones that you can’t see…
That have been holding you back your whole life.
That shit gasses me up like you wouldn’t believe.
They said I wasn’t worth it.
Tony said I wasn’t worth it.
But Permission to Be Powerful is me saying:
I was.
I am.
And so are you.
You don’t need permission from them.
You just need to give it to yourself.
That’s the hardest part.
But once you do…
You’ll never go back.
You don’t need to play small anymore.
If you resonated with any part of this…
If you’ve ever been underestimated, underpaid, or left behind…
If you know — deep down — that you were meant for more...
Then VIP is your next move.
Inside, you’ll find:
🔥 The ADHD X Factor – Turn distraction into your superpower
🧠 The AI Prompt Bible – 70+ elite prompts to multiply your output
📚 Hell & Paradise – My rawest, most honest work
⚡ The Monster Method – How I built Tony Robbins' funnel engine
🌀 The Trigger Method – Heal the root of your self-sabotage
This isn’t just “premium content.”
This is a full-blown transformation toolkit.
It’s $8/month — but here’s the kicker:
👉 You get a 30-day free trial. No pressure. Cancel anytime.
So ask yourself:
What would happen if you actually bet on yourself this month?
Join here.
You’ve got nothing to lose.
And everything to reclaim.
Until next time,
Anton
Permission to be Powerful
Permission to be Powerful is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
P.S.: I got together with some author friends and decided to give away our books for free. That’s right. You can get my new memoir, Hell & Paradise, and over 20 other nonfiction titles for free. Check it out here.
💥 Best for a Gut-Punching Power Read
Hell and Paradise by Anton Volney
A fierce, high-voltage wake-up call about truth, survival, and what happens when you finally give yourself permission to be powerful. 🔥
(Yes, that’s you. And yes, it’s making waves.)
🧠 If You Want More Clients
Get More Clients by Lynn M. Whitbeck
Get More Clients is a short, easy-to-read book that walks you through simple, proven tips to close more sales and grow your business.
🔮 For the Meditative & Mindful
The Presence Inner Work by Diego Simon
A calming, spacious read that feels like a long exhale. Great for inner work and visualization.
👻 Dark & Gritty
No Dogs in Philly: A Cyberpunk Horror Noir by Andy Futuro
Grit meets glitch. Think Blade Runner meets Stephen King. If that combo excites you? Dive in.
🤓 For the Writers in the Room
A Writer's Guide to Deeper Stories by Thaddeus Thomas
Masterclass in emotional depth and layered storytelling. A must-read if you’re crafting powerful narratives.
🧩 Nostalgic & Wholesome
My Old Memory Pieces: 1950s Golden Age Everyday Life
A cozy, slow-sipping cup of tea in book form. Takes you back to a time when life felt simpler (at least on the surface).
🍵 For The Self Help Junkie
Self-Care Isn’t Selfish by Jenny Lytle, BSN, RN
The compassionate nurse's step-by-step guide to personalized stress relief.
🧘For The Spiritually Minded
How to Attain Eternal Peace by Pranay Saha
Mastery over the self, transcend illusions of mind, connect with universal consciousness, and achieve deep inner peace
It takes something to follow your own path and not give in. You obviously have commitment--so I want to encourage you to keep it flowing. The formula for getting what you want is easy. But few want to practice it. Like anything, it requires your whole heart and soul. We can't create until we give up what is old and secure. Freedom lies within your own being, and you have to dig to find it. Glad we're connected.