A 'Million Dollar Listing' star was so broke his card was declined buying tofu at the grocery store and he cried on the subway — and he says that's the moment that set him up for success

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• "Million Dollar Listing" star Ryan Serhant acted off-Broadway and hand modeled before he became a top-performing New York City real-estate broker. 
• Serhant hit a career wall after his debit card was declined at a grocery store and in 2008 decided to get a real-estate license.
• Serhant has learned that success is born from a balance of fear and motivation.

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Real-estate mogul and "Million Dollar Listing" star Ryan Serhant had a slew of odd jobs before he became a top-performing New York City real-estate broker. 

Before getting his real-estate license in 2008, Serhant lived in New York City trying to be an actor, he said on an episode of Business Insider's podcast "This is Success." When acting didn't work out — although he played a clock in a free, Edgar Allen Poe off-Broadway show — he hand modeled.

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See Also:

• A New York City realtor whose team sold over $800 million worth of property last year says a simple mental shift will make you a better salesperson forever
• I asked everyone from a billionaire tech founder to a former Navy SEAL commander what it means to be successful, and money was only an afterthought
• A business coach with an online empire says there was a clear sign every job she tried wasn't meant to be her career

SEE ALSO: Million Dollar Listing' star Ryan Serhant explains how he went from broke actor to leading a top real-estate team that sold over $800 million worth of property last year

DON'T MISS: A New York City realtor whose team sold over $800 million worth of property last year says a simple mental shift will make you a better salesperson forever

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