What Is The

13 SHADOWS Framework?

Transcript From DC MORBY Video

Hi, I’m the ai generated version of DC Morby. The founder of the 13 shadows framework. Thank you for being here. Years ago, I stood on the balcony of my office as the CEO of a company with 325 employees. Our sleek, second-floor headquarters in Phoenix offered a breathtaking view of the mountains—a symbol of everything we had built. But as I turned to the parking lot below—crammed with sports cars, rusty Junkers, motorcycles, and bicycles on a rack—a different scene caught my eye. Eight workers were huddled by a block wall near a dumpster, smoking cigarettes, laughing, and chatting. They were enjoying their break… but I was uneasy. I had just read a book urging leaders to identify a successor—someone ready to step up in an emergency, a merger, or rapid growth. And watching those workers, a question gnawed at me: Who here could take my place? I wasn’t sure anyone could. Not because they lacked talent—many of them were incredibly skilled—but something deeper held them back...

Why don’t people progress? - Why don’t more people rise? What keeps them from building something of their own? That moment didn’t give me the answer—but it planted a seed. And over the years, through building companies, leading teams, going through setbacks, comebacks, and rebuilding my own life, I began to see something clearly: People don’t fall behind because they can’t learn the skills - People fall short because of the hidden behaviors—the internal patterns—that sabotage them long before the opportunity ever arrives. And that realization is what eventually led me to create The 13 Shadows… the behavioral framework that reveals why talented people stay stuck, and how to break those patterns permanently. It’s the foundation of this course. It’s the starting point for real transformation. And it comes from lessons I learned the hard way—lessons like this one...from my youth...

Between my junior and senior year of high school, my band teacher asked if I’d like to earn a little money painting his house. I’d painted my dad’s house before, so of course I thought I was a pro. He supplied the paint, and on a beautiful June morning, I drove down a gravel road into a shaded ravine where Birch Creek ran through his property. The house was a two-story wooden structure tucked into a forest-like setting. It was peaceful. Serene.After giving me a few instructions, my teacher left for the day, and I got to work.I started on the west side—it was full sun, and I figured I’d get that part done early. I painted all day and eventually climbed the ladder for the final section. The gallon bucket of oil-based brown paint hung from the top rung as I reached over for the last corner. That’s when it happened...The ladder began to wobble...The bucket started to quiver...I reached for the wall to steady myself……and that’s the last thing I remember. Everything went dark...

When I came to, I was flat on my back, looking up through the trees into the blue sky - my hands covered in thick brown paint. And across the entire side of the house were two perfect brown handprints streaking down the wall—where I had dragged my hands across my freshly finished work as I fell.The ladder had slipped off the rocky footing. The ground wasn’t level. That was my mistake. But the lesson?

You can have the best paint… a great ladder... the best brush… the perfect sunny day…but if the ladder is sitting on shaky ground, it doesn’t matter. And that’s what this course is about. Before you climb higher, before you pursue bigger goals, before you chase the next promotion or opportunity…we help you examine the ground you’re standing on. The 13 Shadows help you identify these hidden behaviors that quietly sabotage good people—and replace those behaviors with the habits, strength, and discipline that build a solid foundation for real success. Let’s build on solid ground. Let’s rise. Let’s begin...