The Isaac Morehouse Podcast

A new buzzword appears from time to time, and it usually quickly gets plenty of negative connotations. During our Praxis meet-ups, I had the opportunity to meet Declan Wilson who joined me to talk about some positive sides of the Millenials, and how negative prejudices are mostly out of place. Also, we talked about his idea to blog while he goes towards his goals instead of waiting to succeed and then explain his path in hindsight, failing due to high expectations, and finding your own dream to follow instead of copying someone else's. Check out his website millenialtype.com where you can also pre-order his upcoming book!

What does it mean to sell out, water down, or compromise who you are? What are the unseen costs of doing so, and the unseen benefits of resisting? Today we discuss this in depth, including stories about how TK could have been as cool as Beverly Hills 90210's Luke Perry if he hadn't given in to peer pressure and how I nearly ended up a drug dealer. Here's Paul Graham's essay referenced in today's show: paulgraham.com/love.html Also mentioned were the books "The Education of Millionaires", and, "The Last Safe Investment", both on Amazon.

He worked as a teacher in a public school, a tutor, and eventually as a college consultant. He joins Isaac today to talk about why he walked away from those jobs and founded a project called "School Sucks." Brett Veinotte and Isaac discuss how he tried to add more value to test preparation in the form of argumentation and writing skills, where he found that students were mostly interested in just getting a high test score. B&I also talk about disproving something as a great way to learn, especially when it comes to conspiracy theories. He gives his view on the history of schooling in just a couple of minutes and provides his take on what schools will look like a decade from now. Check out some great resources and his podcast at schoolsucksproject.com

*Some weird audio issues going on today, so we were forced to switch platforms and it resulted in some imperfections in sound. Launching a new Friday feature! TK will join for a conversation on...whatever comes up. Today Isaac and TK discuss entrepreneurship, whether the word is too broadly used, the difference between entrepreneurship as an action and entrepreneurship as a career. Check out the 60-day Teen Entrepreneurship Course discussed on the show! discoverpraxis.teachable.com Use promo code "PODCAST" for 30% off.

Some of the common fears that I have encountered when it comes to unschooling, are that ‘kids won’t learn what they need to learn’ and that there are things that kids need to be forced to learn for their benefit. I use rational choice theory to dispel these misconceptions. Also I clarified some misunderstandings considering my stance toward high education and why spending time preparing for plan B instead of focusing on plan A is a waste of that time. Obsessing with creating options for yourself may actually hinder you and block your opportunities.

Whenever an activity gets a new, revolutionary approach, bystanders always seem to require it to result in perfection, while old ways remain isolated from such rigorous standards. Same goes for a topic that is discussed in today’s episode with Kevin Geary, who argues for an authentic way to solve challenges instead of copying known patterns. Kevin talks about how he applied an authentic way to solving issues during his classroom and taekwondo teachings, through communication and empathy development in place of punishment and shaming which may create obedience but will not change behavior. Visit Kevin’s websites rebootedbody.com and revolutionaryparent.com

Some questions have gathered on my website and it’s time for an Ask Isaac episode! As you probably know, my family and myself spent a couple of weeks in Ecuador and, of course, there were a couple of questions regarding that adventure - I was interviewed for World Wanderers podcast and in a few days or a week you will be able to hear it all out. Questions that were answered here: Fellow podcaster asks why ‘Ask Isaac’ episodes aren’t numbered as does that include a guest? A father asks about whether his daughter who is an average, B student who is not sure about her path and who was turned off from business by her econ class, would be a good candidate for Praxis? I had TK Coleman provide an answer to that question which I amended with the need to focus on creating value. Keri would like to start blogging every day and she wonders how do I do it, do I have a niche that I stick to and where does my inspiration come from? Another question on blogging comes from Peter who asks how do I handle editing of my posts, do I edit immediately or do I post as soon as I write it down. Philip wonders whether some people are unfit for a startup and what is the one characteristic needed in order to thrive in a startup? If there is anything that you would like to get my opinion on, Ask Isaac at http://isaacmorehouse.com/ask-isaac/

There is a world of difference between driving a car and riding a bike when it comes to experiencing the world around you. One of the chapters in, "Why Haven’t You Read This Book?" was written by one of our guests today, who join me to talk about why they chose to embark on a nationwide journey by bicycle. Both Anna and Peter are employed and are working while traveling and we talk about how they manage it all, problems that they faced, as well as about their experiences and impressions about human nature. I asked them for their recommendation on podcasts and books, as well as who could try such extensive biking tours. You can follow them up on their Facebook profiles and their page Shifts and Higgles. This episode sponsored by discoverpraxis.com

Technology has brought about and will surely continue to reduce transaction costs when it comes to education and employment. Taylor Pearson, author of a bestselling book The End of Jobs, joins me to talk about risky and antifragile when it comes to jobs and occupation. His work experience, why he thinks that accounting is the riskiest and entrepreneurship safest job, as well as how to think about yourself as a firm are some of the topics that we covered. Beyond entrepreneurship, we discussed the ongoing democratization of tools of production and creation of new markets. Visit his website http://taylorpearson.me

This episode is an interview that I gave to a local radio station on their Saturday show called ‘Beyond the Business’. The show is about local entrepreneurs in Charleston, where they come from, what they are doing and what influenced them to do what they do today. The hosts asked some good questions and we talked about how it was growing up in Michigan, my education and the work experience that I had prior to starting Praxis. Also we discussed how Praxis came into existence, some things which I would change if I were launching Praxis today, and the Are-You-Willing-To-Fail test that tells you whether you are ready to dive into entrepreneurial waters.

There are some striking similarities between entrepreneurs of today and renegades in the past - from saloons to gay bars, and from first brothels to the Dark Web. Thaddeus Russell comes back to the show to talk about his upcoming project called Renegade University. A combination of online lectures, readings and interactive seminars based on his book A Renegade History of the United States and some additional sources is what the RU will consist of. We also talked about where Thaddeus sees renegades today and how culture changed during time so that black market activities of old became legal and accepted today. We cover his upcoming book that deals with US interventionism abroad and the blowback that ensued, as well as the vastness of pop culture influence, along with what he thinks is wrong with modern universities. Check out more about Thaddeus and the Renegade University at http://www.thaddeusrussell.com This episode sponsored by discoverpraxis.com and fee.org/seminars

One of the downsides of formal education is that it fosters learning for the sake of satisfying a person in authority instead of learning in order to satisfy one’s curiosity. Schools generally offer praise and avoidance of pain when learning rules are abided, which is still externally guided and not connected to our curiosity and goals. TK Coleman comes back on the show to talk about the importance of selfish learning - approach that helps you achieve your goals and improve whatever it is that you see as valuable. Learn selfishly!

An entrepreneur, author and self-publisher as well as a college dropout, Tam Pham is working hard to introduce people to self-directed learning. Tam and I talk about jumping off the conveyor belt, how to identify one’s goals and directions, what obstacles are in the way of anyone publishing a book, the ‘Steve Jobs Fallacy’ and failure in entrepreneurship. Check out his website outsideoftheclassroom.com and sign up to his newsletter to get a free book! This episode sponsored by The Foundation of Economic Education. Check out seminars for 14-26 year olds at fee.org/seminars This episode is also sponsored by Praxis, for those who want more than college and think they have the entrepreneurial bug. discoverpraxis.com

Our Beginner’s Guide to Startups continues with Evan Baehr joining us in this fourth and final episode of the series to talk about how to get your idea funded. Evan lays down the essentials that you need to think about when you are preparing to ask someone for money. He provides some tools and tips that can help you find the right investor(s) for you and your team, and how to get to that crucial point - meeting with investors. Evan also talks about why he thinks that business plans are dying out and how pitch deck supplants it, with us diving deeper into some of the pitch deck building blocks. Also, he stresses the importance of story telling when the time comes for you to pitch. Evan Baehr is a cofounder at Able Lending and coauthor of a book that you should read when preparing to pitch: Get Backed: Craft Your Story, Build the Perfect Pitch Deck, and Launch the Venture of Your Dreams. This episode is sponsored by FEE.org/seminars and discoverpraxis.com/apply

Today’s episode features my appearance at the Free Cities Podcast hosted by Anthony Caprio, where we talked about Praxis, the importance of becoming your own credential and shedding away things that hold you back . What makes you come alive is not easy to discover, but you can do it by going via negativa and by eliminating things that are hurting you and which give you pain. Free Cities Podcast is a new show that advocates decentralization and provides voluntary, market solutions to problems which people face in their daily lives. Follow up on Free Cities at http://www.freecitiespodcast.com

The third episode in our startup series has my brother Levi come back to the show to talk about discovering your thing in entrepreneurship, bootstrapping and getting started, along with ways to grow without (big) investment. Levi’s view is that there are no bad reasons for wanting to be an entrepreneur, whether you want the freedom (and responsibilities) that comes with entrepreneurship, or is it money that motivates you. What can be of help is if you know where you want your business to end up, or at least what kind of a startup you would like to embark on. We also talk about ways of funding that you can choose from, and how they depend on whether you are ready to cut the safety rope and leave your comfort zone. Probably the most important thing is not to wait for ‘the Perfect Idea’, but also to be confident in steps that you are about to take. Levi is founder and owner of Ceterus that you can check out at http://ceterusinc.com

Tam Pham hosted me on his podcast at Outside of the Classroom and we talked about Why Haven’t You Read This Book (http://goo.gl/YP0s38) - from the motivation and engaging with authors to some criticisms that the book generated. We also covered how the Kickstarter project for the book went on and eventually turned out successful. Tam Pham featured on Episode 47 of this podcast, go and check out his website and podcast at outsideoftheclassroom.com

We continue our Beginner’s guide to startups with a discussion that continues on the basics of formatting an idea and preparing a business plan. Michael Gibson from 1517 Fund joins me to speak about the investor side of the story. We cover the types of investors that can be found out there, what to look for and how to approach an investor, what a startup accelerator can help you with and what to consider when applying for one. Also we cover what investors think about when they consider which startup to support and what they fear the most.

Joe Sanok hosted me at his podcast where we talked about entrepreneurship, education and how to optimize your own life and stop doing things that you don’t like. We talked about some of my experiences and also went step by step through the experience which Praxis offers to it’s participants. You can find out more about Joe and his work from Episode 46 of my podcast.

This is the first episode in a four part series on start-ups for beginners. Antony Davies is a great opener for this first episode as he wields both theory and practice when it comes to start-ups and has a good understanding of what it's all about. He Antony covers some of the most important questions and dilemmas anyone who thinks about entrepreneurship faces: from Am I an entrepreneur? to the questions that you need to ask yourself when you start transferring that idea from your brain to the real world. Visit Antony's website for more resources http://antolin-davies.com This episode sponsored by Praxis and the Foundation for Economic Education. Go to discoverpraxis.com for a one year program in entrepreneurship. Go to fee.org/seminars for an unbeatable three day experience.

From humanitarian missions to engaging in politics and education, I wanted to make the world a better place. I discovered through both experience and theory that I was not changing the underlying causes of unfreedom through politics and that it takes ideas and experience to alter beliefs and open up the possibility for greater freedom. This talk is about my experiences and how they affected my life and career choices, and was presented at a FEE seminar at Austin, Texas, in the summer of 2015. Some of the slides that I mention can be seen in the video recording of this talk at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK2DBsud3mo

Are backup plans an absolute must, or can they actually do more harm than good? How can you think about and mitigate risk while not holding yourself back? I asked seven smart, interesting people to give me their take on the concept of backup plans. None of them heard each other's take and I gave no further instructions, just whatever came to mind. It's pretty cool to hear the results! Responses from: Cameron Sorsby - Praxis Levi Morehouse - Ceterus Founder & CEO TK Coleman - Praxis Jeff Till - Five Hundred Years Albert Lu - Power & Market Report Derek Magill - Praxis Zak Slayback - Praxis There is a wide range of takes on the idea of backup plans, but some clear themes emerge. Enjoy!

I'm not big on goal setting, yet I think consistent structure is key to achieving what you want (even if what you want isn't perfectly defined). I discuss this and a few other items on this episode. Check out the episode sponsor, FEE.org/seminars to apply for an amazing experience learning about economics!

Joe Sanok joins me today to talk about his business of counseling counselors and helping others launch, grow and make their own practices much more efficient. We talked about his beginnings in Kirby sales, starting his own counseling service, keeping his finances in control and how to look beyond the zero-sum-game view. Joe also states what he sees as the biggest obstacle people face when they want to launch something of their own into the world and shares his E-Course with IM Podcast listeners - Moving From Being Paralyzed by Perfection to Getting Things Done, which is available at http://www.practiceofthepractice.com/perfection This episode sponsored by... FEE, where 14-16 year-olds can check out amazing conferences at fee.org/seminars. Tell them you heard about it here. Praxis, where you can get off the conveyor belt and build an entrepreneurial career today, no debt, no waiting, and no credentials required.

This episode sponsored by the Foundation for Economic Education. Check out their life-changing summer seminars for high school and college students - fee.org/seminars My good friend and co-podcaster Jeff Till joins me to talk about his experiences with freeing himself from the chains of obligation. We go from his schooling ups and downs, pursuit of an artist career, navigation through the corporate world to breaking out of his corporate suit, building a family, launching a company and moving out to a different place. Jeff writes and does podcasts about things that will affect the future, and he also wrote two books on homeschooling - follow up on him at fivehundredyears.org

-Anonymous asks why the new intro music -Thomas Bogle asks what to do with business ideas if you don't have the expertise to build them yourself -Andy Heinen asks how we can really have information without gatekeepers when people are trying to incentivise us to choose certain things all the time -Matt Needham asks for a book recommendation, and what the best and worst things are about living in Charleston

Happy New Year everyone! We're opening the second year of this podcast with TK Coleman and a wide ranging discussion. From new year resolutions and determining goals in order to improve yourself to the logical fallacy called Who-The-Money-Comes-From-Matters-More-Than-The-Product. Relation between education and technology, the error of focusing on improving efficiency instead on breaking traditional gate keepers and in what way Education relates to Knowledge.

*Spoiler Alert* NL (age 10) and I give our three biggest pros and cons for the new Star Wars movie.

The first year of this podcast ends with a special guest and the wind under my wings, my wife Heather Morehouse. We did a review of this year, what were the most important milestones and we also talked a bit about how we got where we are today and what's ahead for us - including our five week stay in Ecuador! This episode includes also some refreshments, Heather and I introduce FEE and Praxis as podcast sponsors, and new music by Tim LeVan Miller. Many thanks to all 32 guests which appeared on 43 episodes this year, along with 19 special episodes that were aired.

Today's question comes from Vivek Rajasekhar: "Does voting matter? I'd argue that, only if your preferred candidate wins by exactly one vote (i.e. you are the tie-breaker) did your vote actually produce change." I give my response, which is rooted in Public Choice Theory. Search "Public Choice" at isaacmorehouse.com to find a primer if you want more. I also answer a bonus question about college football from Danny Benavidez in this, the final Ask Isaac episode of the year. I'll be back in 2016, so submit questions anytime via isaacmorehouse.com/ask-isaac This episode was sponsored by the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) and Praxis. If you're high school or college aged and interested in clear thinking about the world, you should check out a free FEE seminar this summer! Tell them you heard about it here. www.fee.org/seminars If you're interested in creating your own education and career path outside of the classroom, apply to Praxis. www.discoverpraxis.com/apply

On Episode 42 Chris Nelson comes back to discuss the upcoming Episode 7 of Star Wars, expectations, fears, and the mystery that surrounds it. Chris explains the nature and origins of the Expanded Universe (comics, books, games), what is and is not "canon", and whether Mickey Mouse is a Sith Lord. This episode is sponsored by the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). FEE is the best place to learn the core ideas of economics and freedom. If you're in HS or college, you need to carve out three days for one of their amazing summer seminars. Apply at fee.org/seminars

Economist Bryan Caplan is always fascinating. He seems to just pick really interesting and provocative things to explore with the tools of economic thinking. We discuss how he got into economics, his work habits, belief in personal bubbles, and explore three of his research areas. Bryan was super easy to talk with and the conversation never slowed. Check him out at bcaplan.com

"Nobody has the right to tell you you're selling out" - TLM Tim is an accountant by day, composer and musician by night. We talked about his beginnings in music, how he took a different turn in college and his choice to separate what he does for a living from what he loves. Check out his music on timlevanmiller.com

Taylor Foreman, current Praxis participant and aspiring entrepreneur, joins me to discuss subjectivity of value, short and long term gratification and how self-interest can translate into good consequence. We also talk about art and the relation with audience, as well as his experience with psychedelics.

Alex Tabarrok advocates the idea of getting rid of movement restrictions. We tackle some of the most common objections to #openborders that concern economic, institutional, cultural and security issues. Alex is a professor at the George Mason University and co-author of the Marginal Revolution blog. Make sure you check out his other venture with Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution University http://www.mruniversity.com/

We're trying out something new in this podcast: a game in which I give a word to TK and he answers with associations, definition and meaning of that word. I've thrown Fear, Magic, Suffering, Mentor and Greatness at him, so hear him out and send me the words you would like me to include next into this game!

An exciting new book is coming out called, "Why Haven't You Read This Book?" It's about flipping the burden of proof to open up a world of possibilities. It's about asking 'Why not?', instead of, 'Why?' This episode includes a bit about the book and teasers from 5 of the 10 authors about the content of their chapter. Check out www.whyhaventyoureadthisbook.com to get a copy. Support the KickStarter campaign here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/190201615/why-havent-you-read-this-book

I jumped in for a fellow podcaster and had a conversation with Jeffrey Tucker for Albert Lu's podcast "The Economy". Jeffrey and I tackle some interesting questions from Jeff's own experience with the police and criminal law, how it surpasses the divide of left and right politics and why it's a key human rights issue. Hear my previous interviews with Jeff on the IM podcast and follow him on fee.org and liberty.me. Find Albert's other episodes at www.powerandmarket.com

This Ask Isaac episode is devoted to one single request: Please explain the theory of marginal utility and give a few practical examples. Through riddles and illustrations I try to make the ideas of value subjectivity and marginal utility easy to understand and recognize in everyday life. Got a question? Ask here: http://isaacmorehouse.com/ask-isaac/

My good friend Albert Lu, host of "The Economy" podcast guest hosts this episode for me and does a bang-up job! Albert was the person who got me into podcasting, so he's the Obi Wan to my Anakin...or something. Enjoy, and check out his work at www.powerandmarket.com.

This is a special episode about Praxis, an amazing one-year experience for entrepreneurial young people who want to take control of their life, education, and career. Praxis grads and participants talk about what made them choose the program and what the experience is like. Check out discoverpraxis.com to learn more and apply. Check out thefutureofschool.com for a free e-book.

Legal scholar, charter cities expert, surfer, writer, father. Meet Tom W. Bell. Tom joins me to talk about polycentric law and the variety of legal and social institutions present everywhere around us. We also discuss what makes charter cities succeed or fail and how online citizenship could change our perspective on states and nations. Find out more about him at his website: www.tomwbell.com

-Would you defeat Ludwig von Mises in a death match? -What kind of LEGO sets did you have as a kid? (and if we're honest, today) -How to get over the loneliness of entrepreneurship? -What three people, living or dead, would you pick as life coaches? -What are your greatest tools for creativity? Do meditation and psychedelics have a place? -Favorite cigar? -Are you an anarchist? If so, would you end government overnight or do you think a gradual process is needed? -How do you get yourself to do things you don't enjoy? -Did your beliefs have an effect on your decision to adopt? do you recommend adoption for others? -What was the adoption process like? What unique challenges do you face being a transracial family?

Lucas practiced law in Chicago for five years, being ’propelled by the inertia of safe choices’ before he decided to quit and engage his life long passion – music. We talked about making scary decisions, engaging the audience and fans as well as on how he writes music. Go to lucasjackmusic.com to hear his stuff!

In this edition I take on the Big Ones: -What is your viewpoint on God and Christianity? (The answer to this one comes as an addendum to the previous Ask Isaac episode.) -Any advice on how to keep your ideas fresh from what you read? Do you keep somekind of an idea-to-do list? -How do I convince my parents to let me do something other than college? Submit your own questions: isaacmorehouse.com/ask-isaac

TK Coleman comes back to talk about one of his greatest passions - books. We raise questions on how to find a good read and the way in which you can give yourself over to curiosity and follow your intellectual heart. Check out TK's blog on readings and ideas he explores at tkcoleman.com

Tom Woods brings me on his show to talk about Praxis and the road from theory to practice through creating alternative experiences for people here and now. We talk about what makes a successful Praxis applicant and how to figure out which path is right for you. Tom is a historian, author, Senior Fellow at the Mises Institute and a popular podcaster. Check out tomwoods.com to learn more.

After several listener questions about the what and why of my religious beliefs, I decide to answer. I recorded this months ago, but never aired it. I don't like to talk about my religious beliefs for two primary reasons: 1) They are ever evolving and I want the permission to freely change and not have people try to hold me to what I've thought in the past. 2) Every word on the topic is loaded and everyone has different meanings and feelings behind them. It's really hard to convey anything concrete without being misunderstood. It's tiring and too easy to offend or get people distracted by small details and lose the ability to talk about the stuff I'm more interested in. But I decided to just get it out there, at least in a very general sense, since several listeners have now asked. This is not about what I think you should believe. It is only a description of my own take. I'm sure there's something for everyone to disagree with in this one!

Are there things that shouldn’t be paired with money? James Stacey Taylor and I tackle controversial philosophical questions concerning adoption, organs, votes and even personal identity. We look at best and worst case scenarios and how allowing markets would compare to the world we have today. James is a philosopher, author and Associate Professor at the College of New Jersey. You can find out more about him at https://philos.tcnj.edu/faculty/james-stacey-taylor

I take several audience questions, submitted via isaacmorehouse.com/ask-isaac -Lessons from running Praxis? -Do you believe the craft beer industry is in a bubble at the moment that will soon pop, and what do you think will happen if it is? Also, what is your favorite brewery? -How do you manage having so many children and running a business, writing, speaking, etc? -Challenges as an unschooling father? -Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Is it valuable to think in those terms? -To what extent is "general ed" valuable? Is any common educational structure at the early ages a good thing, and if it is, what does that look like?