Brad Lea is an entrepreneur and businessman with a large following online. He’s become somewhat of a thought leader with his podcast, books, and courses. He made his money by founding LightSpeed VT, an interactive virtual training system. As of 2023, Brad Lea has a net worth of $8 million.
Early Life
Lea was born in Cottage Grove, Oregon, on November 9, 1969 and is now 53 years old. He has four other siblings but didn’t grow up in a stable environment. When his parents split up, three siblings were taken to the orphanage. Eventually, his father got his life back on track and the kids all lived with him.
Despite not having a good relationship, his father was a serial entrepreneur and founded a number of businesses such as a newspaper and a pizza parlor. When Brad was 16, he dropped out of high school and his father kicked him out of the house. As a result, Brad had to fend for himself and didn’t get the opportunity to go to college.
Humble Beginnings
In the early days, Brad was passionate about acting and had dreams of breaking into the industry. However, after six months of failing to get any major roles, he was broke and had to take another path.
When he was 17 years old, Brad applied for a job with the Forest Service in Oregon. He imagined himself as the person who would help fight forest fires but again, it didn’t work out.
The day after leaving this job, he saw an ad for a car salesman and accepted it. This time around he was brilliant at the job and was one of the top salesmen. Later on, he started selling vacuums and art. During this time, he developed and honed his sales skills.
Founding LightSpeed VT
Brad soon realized that he had a talent for teaching people. The problem was, he could only teach a limited number of people in person. This gave him the idea of using the internet to reach a larger audience. Around this time the tech bubble was at its peak.
He launched LightSpeed VT in 1999 with the goal of revolutionizing online learning. They offer users a more engaging way to learn that is much better than the traditional ways used by corporations.
Lea became a powerful figure on social media as his company grew. He regularly shares motivational advice with his 750,000 Instagram followers and has branched out to other ways of educating people.
Other Business Ventures
His podcast Dropping Bombs is aimed at entrepreneurs who need help either starting a business or taking it to the next level. The podcast covers a range of topics such as leadership, marketing, and real estate.
Lea likes to bring on guests who are an expert in their field to provide the audience with detailed insights. He also has a YouTube channel called BRAD LEA TV where he uploads podcast episodes and short clips. The channel currently has over 150,000 subscribers!
Lastly, he became a published author with his book titled “The Real Deal.” He also wrote The Hard Way, a book that outlines life lessons and universal rules that anybody can use to become successful.
Personal Life
Brad has been married twice. His first wife is unknown to the public and they had three kids together but sadly divorced. He found love again not long after and married Melissa Renee Lea. The couple has three kids meaning Brad Lea has six kids in total. At this rate, he’s not too far behind Elon Musk!
