Podcast Description

In this transformative episode, Bertrand Ngampa shares a profound lesson from Brother Nuri Muhammad at the Nation of Islam that will force you to confront the invisible chains keeping you from your full potential. The message is simple but devastating: your vices are holding you down, and you need to study them.

What Is a Vice, Really?

Brother Nuri Muhammad used a powerful metaphor: in construction, a vice is a tool that holds things down and keeps them in place. Your vices—whether they're substances, behaviors, or mindsets—are doing the exact same thing to your life. They're keeping you stuck at level 50 when you could be at level 100. They're the difference between making $100K and making $10 million. They're what's standing between the person you are and the person you're capable of becoming.

The Societal Double Standard:

We normalize certain vices while demonizing others. Smoking three or four packs of cigarettes a day? "Ah, it's okay." Drinking on weekends? "That's fine." But cocaine every day? Everyone's up in arms. Daily drinking? "Whoa, that's a problem." The truth is, all vices are holding you back—some are just more socially acceptable than others.

Bertrand shares the story of a friend who drinks so much on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday that it equals what most people drink in an entire month. But it gets worse—this friend revealed he actually drinks every single day. Multiple bottles. A fifth of alcohol daily just to function normally and go to work. No one can tell, but he needs it to operate. That's not a vice—that's a death sentence waiting to happen.

Vices Beyond Substances:

Here's where Brother Nuri Muhammad's message gets really uncomfortable: vices aren't just weed, alcohol, and drugs. Fear is a vice. Comparison to others is a vice. Perfectionism is a vice. Procrastination is a vice. Scrolling social media for hours is a vice. Anything that keeps you from becoming who you're meant to be is a vice, and most of us are carrying multiple.

Bertrand admits his own struggle. Before leaving the Nation of Islam meeting, he told his wife, "I can't join them because I love my vices." He loves pepperoni (which violates their dietary restrictions). But Brother Nuri Muhammad's challenge struck him: Don't just acknowledge your vices—study them.

The Challenge: Study Your Vices Tonight

Bertrand is taking the challenge seriously, and he's inviting you to do the same:

1. Write down every vice you have. Be honest. All of them.
2. Study each one deeply. What do you like about it? Why is it bad for you?
3. Ask yourself the hard question: Am I really okay being at level 50 when I could be at level 100?

Here's the reality check: You could be making 10X, 50X, or 100X what you're making now, but that little vice is holding you back. You could be a greater father, husband, entrepreneur, or leader. Instead of one business, you could have ten. Instead of leaving $1 million to each child, you could leave $100 million. Instead of impacting hundreds of people, you could impact millions.

But your vice—whether it's alcohol, weed, fear, perfectionism, or comparison—is keeping you locked down at a fraction of your potential.

The Uncomfortable Truth:

When Bertrand challenges people about their vices, they often respond with, "Ah, nah, I don't need to. I'm okay with that." But are you really okay settling for less? Are you really okay knowing you could be 100 times more effective, more wealthy, more impactful, and more alive—but you're choosing comfort over growth?

Your vice might feel like a small thing. A little weed. A little alcohol. A little perfectionism. A little fear of posting. But that "little thing" is the difference between who you are and who you were designed to be. It's the anchor keeping the ship docked when it was built to sail across oceans.

Tonight's Assignment:

Go with an open mind and open heart. Study your vices without defensiveness or justification. Understand what they're costing you—not just financially, but in terms of potential, legacy, and impact. Then decide: Are you willing to let go of the comfort of your vice to step into the discomfort of your greatness?

SHARE THIS PODCAST: If this message hit you in the chest, don't keep it to yourself. Share this episode and tag Bertrand @bngampa on all social media. Let's create a movement of people willing to confront and study their vices instead of defending them. Leave us a 5-star review and subscribe to The 1% Man podcast so you never miss episodes that challenge you to become who you're truly capable of being. Study your vices tonight. Your future self is waiting.