The James Altucher Show

"This guy tried to kill me. He had a gun to my head," Jon said. "We were leaving the country. We got intercepted." Wait. What? I was interviewing Jon Alpert. He was trying to smuggle controversial footage out of Iraq. "I was basically a complete failure up until the moment that I started making films," Jon said. He was constantly trying to make his community a better place, but his attempts were always unsuccessful. "I want to make this country better. And I'm not a good soldier. And I'm not a politician. So I can't go represent in Congress, but I can be a good reporter," he said. He took two passions (camera and country) and combined the two to become creative in the intersection. His documentaries show aspects of social change that I've never seen anywhere else. There's this undercurrent of a larger problem... an issue or a cause that people are fighting for. I feel like, in talking to Jon, that I want to be fighting for something too. Jon had a core. A direction. And a destination. All in one. "The camera is a license for me to go up to you and to invade every single part of your life," he said. "The camera is a license to invade people's personal space." "And I'm doing it because I love my country and that's how I believe I can be the best patriot." He told me about his newest documentary, "Cuba and the Cameraman." 45 years! It took him 45 years to make this. It's his life work. He went through a thousand hours of footage. Editing took a year. And what resulted (what we finally get to see) is one of the greatest films about the Cuban Revolution. Ever. And this podcast is the story behind those stories. We hear about the leaders. The criminals. And what was inside their refrigerator. These are the war stories you don't hear. This is the filmmaker's journey. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I started to get really itchy. Inside my head. I didn't know how to scratch it. So I avoided it. Until I broke out into hives and finally forced myself on stage. I think it started when I interviewed Gary Gulman, one of the greatest comedians ever. It was over two years ago. And even though he was deeply depressed, I was jealous. Because he was living my dreams. He was scratching my itch. So I started to interview more comedians. And writers of comedy. I had so many questions. I interviewed Jim Norton, Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson!) Fred Stoller, Chris Smith (who worked with Jon Stewart), Paul Shaffer (the famous band leader on Jay Leno), Bonnie McFarlane. The list keeps growing. And there are so many branches of comedy: Stand up, voice overs, writers, monologue performers, sidekicks. And each branch has its own microskills. That's true for every skill. They all require you to learn hundreds of micro-skills. So getting started can be scary. Very scary. Some people die with itches unscratched. When I want to get better at something, I go underneath the skill. I imagine a small version of myself looking up at my dreams. If I can see how far away I am from greatness, I feel the desire to get there. That's what this podcast is about. Picking apart greatness. Jackie Martling came to the studio. He was the lead writer at "The Howard Stern Show" for 18 years and now he's the author of "The Joke Man Bow to Stern." I don't know anyone who's looked at their crappy job and said "I'm going to do this for 18 years." So I wanted to hear him talk about what it's like to love what you're doing with your life. To feel good and dedicated. That's where I hope to find us help. (I say "us" because I'm still itchy). I still want to be a standup comedian. Not just "do" standup. Doing and loving leads to being. I'm still at "doing." Because love comes from having a deep relationship with the skill. Jackie loves what he does. So I'll keep scratching. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I like the idea of experimenting for two reasons. A) widen comfort zone B) become a better person. I'll tell you about A first then B. But first, let me reintroduce my good friend AJ. If you listen to this podcast then you already know who AJ is. But just in case, AJ Jacob's is a professional at experimenting. All his books are experiments. Four are bestsellers. He told me about one he did with the comedian Jim Gaffigan. They looked up the oldest jokes in the world. From hundreds of years ago. And told them to live audiences today. Sometimes Jim bombed, some jokes he skipped (because a lot of jokes were about lettuce... lettuce used to be thought as an aphrodisiac), but others worked. And he didn't know what to expect. That's A) widening your comfort zone. So for this podcast, AJ and I came up with ideas to experiment with. And we want you to join us. You'll hear what we're testing right now. And what's next. I found that if I do a new experiment a day or week, it becomes a micro step to creating a healthy life. For example, I told AJ that I try very heard not to say anything bad about anybody. And it's hard because things come up throughout the day. But ultimately it makes me feel happier to not gossip. And I've been doing this now for about seven years. AJ tried it too. "It was fascinating," he said, "because I realized 70% of my speech was trash talking and it made such a difference in my life when I cut that out because it made me more positive and happier." And it's true. Because we all know that eating trash makes you feel like trash. And it's true for your brain too. These are the nuances hidden in experimenting. You have a secret with yourself. A promise to uphold. And you live up to some unknown potential sometimes. That's B. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Got to interview one of my favorite comedians for the podcast, Tiffany Haddish, star of "Girls Trip," her recent comedy special. "She Ready", and 20 years a stand up. I asked her what was the biggest change in her first few years of doing standup. (She's been doing it over 20 years). She said, "I learned to change the fear into fun". I think all of the above is great advice to achieve success in everything worth doing. I had a gift for Tiffany. It was a suitcase. I gave her a suitcase for the kids. Let me explain. Because a suitcase is an odd kind of gift. Tiffany was placed in foster care when she was 12 years old and stayed in the system until she was a legal adult. When she moved from home to home she didn't have a suitcase or any kind of bag to put her clothes. They make the kids put all their belongings in trash bags. And it made her feel like garbage. "You're garbage," she said. "Garbage moved around from house to house." "When I was 13, I said to myself if I ever get any sort of power, any sort of influence at all, I'm gonna figure out a way to make sure no kid feels like a piece of trash." And she's succeeding (and you can help). So she's been collecting suitcases for kids through the Felix Organization. If you're reading this and want to donate a suitcase, look up the Felix Organization. I wanted to know how she rose up from foster kid to superstar comedian. And the first black female to host Saturday Night Live. "I try to manifest what it is I want to be," she said. And she told me her self talk... "You got divine order all over you," she said. "Everything is happening in the order and the way it's supposed to happen.You got this girl. Pull that energy from your uterus. You got it that's where your soul at. Pull it up from your soul. You got this girl." I couldn't stop laughing. She said she tried to find the joy and the fun in everything she's ever gone through. Here's a quote from her new book, "The Last Black Unicorn": "In stand-up, you do need to be having fun up there like Richard Pryor said, but you have to know yourself well, too...You start learning and it's like playing a piano. You know exactly what keys to stroke, 'cause really with comedy, you're like fiddling with people's souls. You resonate on the same frequency as them, trying to greet them to relate..." "To do that, you gotta put yourself out there. And in order to put yourself out there, you've gotta have an idea who you are." Make sure to read the full show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/12/tiffany-haddish/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you're reading this, you probably don't know the name Stephen Tobolowsky. But I'll give you some hints. Ned Ryerson. (From "Groundhog Day") Jack Barker. (From "Silicon Valley") Sound familiar? Stephen Tobolowsky is one of the main characters and actors in one of my favorite TV Shows, Silicon Valley. He also plays the MOST annoying character in Groundhog Day. He's been in 200 movies and a thousand other things including Seinfeld, Thelma & Louise, Heroes and the list goes on. But he did something weird. He wrote a book. And when I read it I thought, "who the hell is this guy?" There are only two ways someone could write this book..." My Adventures with God". ONE: If they were incredibly broken as a human being somewhere in their lives and then they climbed back out of that hole by thinking all these intense and philosophical thoughts. TWO: They were just born this way... I still haven't figured out which one. I have to admit I didn't understand parts of Stephen's book. And not because it was bad, (I loved it), but because I had to stop and think. His thoughts are so valuable and I really wanted to know what they meant. I was pretty happy he was able to come on my podcast. He taught me that we're all writing and choosing our narratives to some extent... "Well I think on a personal level, we all end up developing narratives," Stephen said, "Either it's instinct or sometimes it's choice. I think we live in the dark so much of the time that we need metaphors to find our way. And I believe having a philosophy is only useful if it helps you see in the dark." So I asked him how do we begin to take control of our own narratives? Because we to some extent, I can't just surrender to the narratives that has been given to me. That takes away my freedom and ability to reinvent. Stephen told me this, "We're all living on borrowed time." This podcast shows you a window into a man's desire to connect with the deeper meaning on time and what it means to be alive. Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out the show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/12/stephen-tobolowsky/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I wish I could take everything Ray Dalio said and turn it into a book. But he already did that. It's called, "Principles: Life and Work." And I'm going to be re-reading it for the rest of my life. He defines principles as "ways of successfully dealing with reality to get what you want out of life." And he's revealing how he used these principles to build BridgeWater Associates, (which manages $150 BILLION in assets. Globally.) He told me story after story. How he went broke. How he started over. How he built a community within the walls of business. How he wrote his book. Love his family, teaches his students, learns from life... "I think you're faced with choices. Those are the times that test your values..." "Being successful is hard," he said. "But it's a lot harder to live a life you don't want." Then he said, "habit is the main controller of all of us." And (for me) it all came down to one formula: He said, "Dreams + reality + determination = a successful life." Show Notes: Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio Ray founded Bridgewater Associates, LP, a hedge fund that manages $150 billion in global investments. Listen to Ray's TED Talk "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" by Joseph Campbell "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" by Charles Duhigg (And you can listen to my interview with Charles - Ep. 161 - Charles Duhigg: Be Smarter, Faster, Better... And Most of All Be Free Also check out this video from Ray if you want to learn more about economics. Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts: iTunes Stitcher iHeart Radio Spotify Follow me on Social Media: Twitter Facebook Linkedin Instagram ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You may remember Amy, she came on my podcast a few weeks ago. We discussed her book, "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do." I asked her why is it a book about what people DON'T do instead of SHOULD do. It seemed counterintuitive to me. But her reasoning made sense. The book wasn't written for other people. It was actually just a letter to herself at first. And then she put it online. And it became viral... that led to a book deal. The podcast was really popular. But I feel like you didn't get the full story... Amy's not just an author, therapist, social worker/mentally strong person. She's also an entrepreneur. She was making money in her sleep... "I've always had some sort of a side hustle usually something fun or strange," she said. I knew immediately I needed to have her back on the show. I wanted her to share this with my listeners. Because these are "choose yourself" ideas. Simple, easy to execute, and anyone can do it. "I had a friend who had a jewelry store," Amy said, "so I knew the markup on jewelry was incredible, like 200 hundred or 300 hundred percent." And she knew jewelry was fairly inexpensive to ship because it didn't weigh anything. Over the years she and her husband thought about how they could turn this into something they could monetize. And finally they did it. I asked so many questions about how she pulled the trigger. And got the courage. I wanted to know how she made this business work. I also gave her ideas about how she could scale. I really believe this: anyone who listens to this podcast can start doing their own side hustle right now. "Over time it went from a few dollars to a few hundred and then before I knew it we were up to a few $1,000 dollars a month." You could quit your job I told her. "That was the dream," she said. You can read my show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/12/amy-morin-2/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I got a call from my friend Mike Van Cleave a year ago. He told me had cancer. We hadn't spoken for years. "It's like mold in your refrigerator," he said. "All of a sudden you're like, 'What the hell happened? It's only been a week." You never know who's going to call you out of the blue someday with cancer. It's scary, but luckily we don't live with these thoughts in our minds. We only think of ourselves. "Will I get cancer?" And that's important. These selfish thoughts keep us alive. I've always admired my friend Mike. I felt honored to have him on this podcast. He told me the science of his cancer (thyroid cancer) and the ways he's surviving every day. I'll take emotional pain over physical any day. So my bones can keep typing. "Do you have pain in your bones?" I asked him. He did. And it went away. "I have no bone pain right now. So there's a very good chance that all the bone metastasis is working," he said. That takes away 80% of the "badness". He spoke casually. And sometimes I laughed inappropriately. I guess I was scared. In 18 months, his medicine will stop working. The cancer will keep growing again. And he'll be on a new drug. He told me about the success rate of his next drug (only 50% of people are helped and it only helps for 6 months). "What's the best case scenario?" I asked. I cried afterwards. Not in front on him. Not there... But later, when I was alone with my fear, I cried for hope. He's down to his second to last drug. The second to last hope. Unless they create a new medicine... "We're look at a maximum of three years," I said... "What happens next?" "Honestly, really bad things happen," he said. Then he told me, "All of a sudden there was meaning... The desire to connect with meaning overwhelmed the time I had for the meaningless. In some ways, you can't understand it. And the one thing I've come to understand completely is there's only one thing in your life that matters and that's the quality of your relationships. It's such a cliche. You can look back at thousands of quotes from people who are old and dying and they always talk about the people in their lives. Nobody cares how much money you have when you die." I stayed silent. I wanted to catch all his words. And learn from them. "Most of the things we sit around worrying about, you realize, at this stage, has no meaning. Now, it's important. Maybe. Ya know, it's important that I have a job, but the job itself only has the importance that you place in it." I hope this podcast is a special moment for you like it was for me. I took it as a chance to step back from my life. And the problems I think about over and over again. This interview allowed me to care for a friend. And I hope it lets you care for a stranger. That's something I want to do a little bit more each day. Until the day is full with selfless thoughts between selfish thoughts. Maybe that's part of the medicine. Make sure to read the full show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/12/mike-van-cleave/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I don't know where to begin. I'm a fan of Scott. I think he reminds me of someone I went to highschool with. He was bright and always cursing at the right time. I remember laughing. Because I felt close to being free. But he was the one with the ability to put himself in the middle of controversy. That's something I (still) can't do. He'd say eff this or eff that. Part of me felt compelled to egg him on. But he didn't need it. He was comfortable being cynical and right. Scott Galloway does this with business. I watch his weekly "Winners & Losers" videos where he tells you things like "Brands are dying" and "Amazon will be broken up" Then he'll dress up like Spock and I'll lose my mind. I get these videos emailed to my phone. And I'm also subscribed to his YouTube channel. He came on my podcast to talk about his new book, "The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google." But we also talked about his past: creating and selling companies. Being on the board of The New York Times, wanting to salvage the newspaper industry (his idea back then was brilliant). "I got laughed out of the room," he said. "What was your idea?" "That the stupidest thing we did is buy into this bullshit lie that 'information wants to be free.'" He's right. I remember the beginning on the internet. We gave information away... And now they're profiting off us. Scott called it "the hot girl effect" "Everybody wants to hang out with the hot girl," he said. "So, to say you're doing a deal with Google made you feel younger and more interesting." They said "information wants to free." So deals were made. He told me exactly how he would've turned it around. And I felt like I was listening to the possibility of new reality. That's what Scott Galloway brings to the table. Beyond strategy or analysis. Beyond brilliance, he brings possibility. And teaches you that it's not over. "The Four" are winning. But I told Scott nobody really cares. Nobody cares which one of these companies "wins." I'm interested in is learning how to win too. I want to know HOW Amazon, Apple, Facebook & Google became influential. And disruptive. So I can be influential and disruptive, too. Scott said all Fortune 500 CEO's have one thing in common... or at least "450 of them have one thing in common." They're likable. "Even the ones that are psychopaths?" I said. "Yeah..." He explained: "During the day these people are Darwin and Darth Vader, make no mistake about it. They play full body contact business and they make very brutal decisions. They dominate markets. They put companies out of business. And they don't put warning labels on your iPad even though your kid has a crack-like addiction to the thing." He called them "wolves in sheeps clothing." Zuckerberg, Jobs, Bezos, Page, Brin. But then he told me the principles they standby... There's five in total. And we go through them all on this podcast. You can read my show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/12/scott-galloway/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dennis Woodside left Google, for DropBox. Everyone thought he was crazy. DropBox was this little tiny company. What was he thinking? "So you ask why I would go from Google to Dropbox. Just play the movie forward. Where's it going to be in ten years? It's logical to me that the company that pioneered this notion of putting your files in the cloud is going to have all kind of opportunities and going to solve problems for everybody in the world. A lot of people don't think that way. They think very linearly. That's how we're taught as kids. That's how you're taught in college." (And that's how Dennis was taught to think in law school. But he got out of that rut. More on that later...) "You have to rewire your brain a bit," he said. You have to ask yourself, "What trends do I understand to be true?" And "If I extrapolate that trend to its logical conclusion, what does the world look like?" That's what Dennis did. And that's how he found Google. And later, Dropbox. He said Google was tiny when he first joined. "What year?" "2003" There were only a thousand employees. "When I joined Google everybody thought I was crazy because it was a little tiny company," he said, "but I felt one of the most exciting things you can do with a career in Silicon Valley is to help grow a company. And be there early... There's a lot of uncertainty. And competition is really hard. You have to figure everything out. That's the hardest part, but the most rewarding." Dennis is now the COO of DropBox. How did he go from lost lawyer to a leader in Silicon Valley? I wanted to know. "Ultimately, I realized I wasn't going to be a great lawyer," Dennis said. This is where his career path changed from one end of the spectrum to the other. He reinvented. He learned a whole new set of skills. And he adapted to an ever changing digital world. Most people are thinking about the next ten days, Dennis is thinking about the next ten years. He saw DropBox as a pioneer. And is vision paid off. DropBox is one of the fastest growing companies maybe ever. And there are billions of people who are signing up every month. I wanted to learn how to cultivate that same skill. The one that lets you have a vision. And believe in it. Make sure to read the full show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/12/dennis-woodside/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I sat down with two women the other day. And I can't decide whether they've completely ruined my life or helped me. I decided they were going to help me decide before this podcast was over. Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider are the authors of the classic book, "The Rules". I know this book inside and out. Every woman I ever dated back in the 90's and early 00's read "The Rules" AND were following them. I felt like I was talking to them on behalf of every single person I've ever dated. (And every man who's ever been frustrated by a woman they've dated.) "The Rules" tell women how to date and WHO to date. But more than that, it teaches you to have self respect. How to bring the center of gravity back to yourself. And stop outsourcing your self-esteem to some other human or some idea of being with that human. I've been married twice. I told Ellen and Sherrie about both of my marriages, but I kept something things private, too. I told them I'm going to give their books to my daughters. I want them to read it. "But I don't know if I want my future girlfriend to read it," I said. Maybe that's because I'm a little lost. And I want her (whoever she is) to be a little lost with me. Make sure to read the full show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/11/ellen-fein-sherrie-schneider/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I asked Frank Shamrock, a living legend MMA fighter, "How many titles have you won?" "I think I won them all." He calls himself a "super athlete." So I told him he lacks humility... And we laughed. But he's right. He IS a super athlete. He evolved the art form. And went one level deeper than any opponent. He didn't just say "how do I crush this person?" He said "How is the body working? What is this machine? How can I use it optimize my performance?" "I was studying the biomechanics," Frank said. "And how to maximize it... everyone else studied technical fighting." But he wasn't always a fighter. He found the sport in jail. He was 11. He left home and learned "crime was a tool to change your situation and protect you," Frank said. His parents were abusing him. "I was an emotional basket case," he said. "I couldn't hold anything together for more than a few days, no sport, no activities I would just fall apart." He escaped through crime. " I actually threw rocks at a train and in California, that's a felony. I went and did ten days in juvenile hall." It was his first time away from his "family." His abusers... He was hanging out with all the other kids in juvie. So he started to ask questions. "How do you deal with x, y and z." He listed out all the abuse. They looked at him shocked and confused. And asked him repeatedly, "What are you talking about?" "You don't get locked in the closet till they get home?" he asked. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. That's when this small 11-year-old realized he had to get out. "When things didn't work out, I knew what to do: commit a crime, go back to juvenile hall, see my friends..." The cycle didn't stop. He turned 17. Committed another crime and went to prison for 3 and a half years. "Because I was married and an emancipated minor, anything that I did illegally was charged as an adult." THIS was Frank's wake up call. It all fell on him. He had ruined his life. He had 20 felonies, no education, and a baby to support. "I know what the bottom is like," he said. "I know what it's like to have zero. You can always build up. But it starts by changing your mind and taking action." This is a story about the making of a legend. It's the story of a criminal turned champion. I want to take these lessons and apply them to my own life. I realized I don't have to fight, but I can at least live with the mindset of a fighter. Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out the show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/11/frank-shamrock/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Anthony holds a lot of weird records. But the most interesting to me is the record for the biggest span between winning golds. SIXTEEN YEARS. But first, let's start from the beginning. Anthony Ervin always had a gift for swimming. He had the talent. He had the coaching. And he had the success from an early age. But there was something else looming. Tourette's. I asked him how it happened. "What was the first things you noticed about yourself when you developed Tourette's?" "It was debilitating," he said. "I felt a lot of nervous energy running through the body and that energy needs to find an exit." It escaped through his eyes, his jaw, his neck. "It took a long time cause originally you want to fight this. You want to imprison this energy just to make it stop. But my eventual tactic for it was to take that energy and move it through my entire body. Specifically to move it into my swimming," Anthony said. He used it as a weapon. He turned a negative into a positive. And it ultimately led to success in swimming. He first went to the Olympics when he was only nineteen. He won gold. But he wasn't ready for the mantel of responsibility that came with winning. "I quickly fell off the mountain," Anthony said. He battled with depression and addiction. He dropped out of college. He stopped competing. He self-medicated. And he kept this secret inside. He forgot all about his athletic success. I really wanted to understand why. What is the catalyst for a comeback? In this podcast, Anthony Ervin, 3 time Olympic gold medalist reveals how he did it... Make sure to read the full show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/11/anthony-ervin/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We've become too comfortable. We're innovating less and watching Netflix more. When I think of a "complacent class," (a group of people who don't care to move forward or move at all), I think of this: Americans soaking high wages off the backs of more aggressive global economies. I picture us eating delivered food, never moving, only using the remote. And having drones deliver everything we need. I had to ask Tyler Cowen about this. He's a personal computer that's going to answer all my economic questions. He knows all about the "complacent class." Because he wrote the book on it. It's called, "The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream". "Look at it this way," he said. "We've had these incredible advances in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. We take fossil fuels and powerful machines and combine them to do everything you can imagine (cars, airplanes, electricity, radios, televisions). We've had incredible booms spread to the middle class. Spread to the poor. We've done that. Now we're waiting for the next wave of big things." I have an idea of what the next big wave could be... I've written about it before. And I've interviewed the experts. But I wanted to know, will we be successful? "We're kind of running a race," Tyler said. "Will the next wave of innovations and productivity come before our debts do us in? Right now to me, it's looking like the answers no." What Tyler said next scared me. "America is losing its dynamism." But Tyler makes two distinctions here. The future is built on A) Innovation and B) PRODUCTIVITY. It's the persistence to do. I still feel we're trying to hit the frontier. We're exploring space. Improving biotech. Creating countless innovations. But is this progress coming from is only the 1%? Are the rest of us just sitting around? Waiting for the benefits? I wanted to hear the worst case scenario. I don't know why. Maybe sometimes fear pulls me in. It's like following a narrow path of light in a dark cave. I'm not interested in the dark. I'm following the light. But what he said next is a scary thought to consider... "The worst case scenario is that America's allies realize we cannot make good on all of our commitments. So they start fighting more amongst themselves. Trusting us less. Maybe building their own nuclear weapons. The fiscal position of the United States government becomes more and more cramped. We stop being credible. The quality of our governance continues to decline. And, both internationally and at home, we have a mess with warfare and partial collapse of international order. And here we have a return of something like the 1970s with high unemployment, high inflation and stagflation," Tyler says. So then what is our future? What can we depend on? In this podcast, I ask Tyler and he shows me how we can create a dynamic future... How we can keep reaching for the frontier. Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out the show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/11/tyler-cowen/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tim's doing a new experiment. (I'm not surprised.) He's looking at people and asking himself one question... "What happened to this person?" He said, "Normal people are just folks you don't know well enough yet, right? Nobody's normal. We're so full of stuff and trauma and nonsense and silly beliefs. Everyone's a work in progress and since you're a work in progress, it's very hard to know yourself." He gave me an example. But didn't name names. "There was this woman who had some very peculiar emotions. It turned out that she had watched her father beat her mother into unconsciousness on multiple occasions... knocked out, unconscious, on the floor. And that was just the tip of the iceberg." She's acting in response to her past. Not her present. I think that's what Tim means when he said, "we're cause and effect collection machines." And that's really where advice comes from... the intersection between cause, effect, and hindsight. I feel Tim's really mastered this new intersection. He's embracing being "a work in progress." That's what makes his new book so relatable. It's called "Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World." He reached out to Matt Ridley, Stephen Pressfield, Dustin Moskovitz, Naval Ravikant, Patton Oswalt, Susan Cain, Ben Stiller, Annie Duke... the list goes on and on. (But don't worry! I'm in the next book, "Tribe of ALMOST Mentors"). Each person in the book dissects their success. They slice it open, dig through the guts and give you the heart. They show you HOW they became a peak performer. And the best part is it's all through Tim's lens. Make sure to read the full show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/11/tim-ferriss-3/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I can't just call Chuck a writer. He's arguably one of the most successful pop culture critics. "Oh sure," he said. "And I have a big advantage. Most critics want to be the first to write about something, I get to be the last person. And that puts me in a very good position." "Why?" I asked. "I'm not just reacting to something," he said. "I'm looking at all the other reactions." He's interpreting our interpretations. And defining the 21st century. They say Deja Vu shows us when we're having the right experience at the right time. The other kind of "repeat experience" is monotony. The same "day-in and day out." I think humans have a desire to look for newness.?? If you look down at your feet but forget to look at the sky and see a new day, is it a new day??? The way to achieve newness is through interpretation. ?No song sounds the same to any two people. No business opportunity or investment looks as golden to two people. We see the world through ourselves. ?Chuck Klosterman analyzes Pop culture. He's the author of "Fargo Rock City," "Sex Drugs and Coco Puffs,"Kill Yourself to Live (85% of a True Story). (I love that "85% of a True Story".) Last time he came on my podcast, we talked about his book "What If We're Wrong." And now we're talking about his latest book is "X. "??He told me about the age of Led Zeppelin... when artists performed for themselves. People always asked, "What's this lyric or that lyric mean?" And the artists would say, "You decide. "??But now we live in a 24/7 awake world. ?? People don't want other people to have control over "their" creation. "The artists now have a desire for people to understand what they did," Chuck said.?? I wanted to understand why... ??And what I found out is that interpretation is a form of control. Or a form of freedom (depending on how you use it.) In this podcast, Chuck teaches you how to become an observer from the inside... how to change your view of yourself, your life, of the world. ?I think this podcast is about choosing to look each day the way you'd want yourself to... and then taking action that matches the rhythm of your heart. That's how I make meaning out of anything and everything.?? This is what Chuck did. He's created a micro category. He dives deep into every aspect of a niche category (pop culture.) And if you study how he thinks, you'll learn something very important. ??No one else thinks like him. And no one else thinks like you. The world changes because our thoughts change. Anytime I've been in the gutter, I told myself, "the world changes if my thoughts change." Maybe nothing happens, except for the exchange of an old mindset for a new. You can read my show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/11/chuck-klosterman-2/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I was really nervous for this podcast. Elizabeth Smart has been through so much trauma. And I'm sure everyone says that to her. Was she sick of hearing that after all these years? I wanted to learn how she survived. The kidnapper came through her window, held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. He said it was religion... God, that made him do it. But she saw through them and their evil. Elizabeth said, "From a very early age, my parents said, 'You'll know a person by their actions. If they're a good person, they'll be doing good things. If they're a bad person, they'll be doing bad things.' So despite the fact that my captors constantly said, 'God has commanded us to do this. We don't want to do this, but we have to,' it was always pretty easy for me to separate what they said from actual faith because they were hurting me." I asked her about escape... and how she rebuilt her life back. She was just fourteen when she was kidnapped. Now she's an advocate. She started by going to Washington with her dad. They spoke to congressmen about the "Amber Alert" we all get on our phones when someone is kidnapped. Now she has a two-part movie series on A&E called "Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography" and a new movie coming out on Lifetime called "I Am Elizabeth Smart." These movies help us discuss a terrible issue. 1 in every 4 women are sexually abused. And one in six men are sexually abused, too. "I can talk statistics," she said. "But for me, personally, those numbers did not sink in until I started meeting them and they started coming forward and saying, 'Elizabeth, I've never told anyone this before, but when I was your age..." I think that's what struck me the most about Elizabeth. Everyday she focused on the tiniest things to be grateful for. Even in the worst moments she never forgot that gratitude is often the key to meaning. This podcast is not about the horrific details of Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping. It's about the endurance of a survivor. This is her story. Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out the show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/11/elizabeth-smart/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Floyd exposed Armstrong. He exposed the whole US cycling team for doping. In 2006, he won the Tour de France. He made it to the heights of the profession. And then he blew the whistle. "People see it as exercise, a healthy, endurance sport. It's not that at all," he said. "It's war, and your body is a machine." I don't know if I'd be brave enough to be the whistle blower. I think I'd just quit the sport to avoid controversy. "Aren't you afraid of letting down children?" I asked him? "At this point there's enough information out there that if you're able to read and you can think, you can see what's happening. It's obvious... what's happening in profession sports." He told me every detail. How he was bullied for being honest. Sent hate mail. He was depressed and turned to drugs. So how did he turn himself around? This is that story... The consequences of exposing a legend... overcoming rejection, and finally learning how to take your life back one and for all. You can read my show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/11/floyd-landis/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I wish they'd send Joan to space. She's a real writer... who wrote about true things. I want her to describe the feeling and the wonderment of what life would be like. But they don't send writers to space. Only scientists (for now). Joan Didion pioneered a new genre in writing: "creative nonfiction." Before her, storytelling and nonfiction never touched. They were separate. She's one of my all time favorite writers. And I spoke to her nephew, Griffin Dunne, a filmmaker, director, producer, actor... And now, he's a documentarian. "Every family has it's tragedy," I said. "But not everybody dives into that tragedy decades later to re-explore it." The documentary is about his aunt Joan Didion. "Was it painful for you to go through every piece of tragedy in your life?" I asked. You don't usually see directors or documentary makers making a movie about somebody so personally close to them. "I think she knows that I love the people that we lost," Griffin said. "We're the last two standing in the family. I think when she looks at me she sees someone who loved her husband and her daughter. And when I look at her, I see someone who adored my mother and adored my father. We grew up together. " Her story's never been told. "Why'd she let you do it?" I said "I can only sort of guess what the reasons are," he said. Sometimes mysteries stay mysteries, but also become art. This is why Griffin was able to make the documentary. And make it beautiful, creative, and inspiring. He titled it, "The Center Will Not Hold". This podcast is about so many things. Joan Didion's writing. Griffin Dunne's career. But most of all, I think he taught me about instinct. He told me about his daughter. She wants to be an actor (my daughter does too). He discouraged her a little bit. Encouraged her, but also told her about all the heart ache. But Joan told her, "Do what you want to do. Do what you feel and what you love. Forget everybody's advice, follow your gut." I think we all need a Joan. At least I do. Make sure to read the full show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/11/griffin-dunne/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's Scott's 3rd time on the podcast. In the first interview, he was "the creator of Dilbert." A famous cartoonist. The second time he was still "the creator of Dilbert" and a hypnosis/persuasion student. Now (appearance #3), Scott Adams is something new. He's reinvented. And no longer standing on the footbridge between old self and new self. He's the author of "Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter" and infamous for predicting Trump's win... two years before election day. His prediction was spot on. Before Trump raced Hillary. Before he beat Ted Cruz in the primaries. And before he beat 18 other "more experienced" Republican candidates (Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, Ben Carson, and the ones who's names I can't remember.) Scott could name each persuasion trick Trump was using. His tone, the stories he told, the way he made you remember him, his thoughts, plans, policies, tweets. And how he's still doing it to us today. I wanted to know how he knew. But I also wanted to know how he changes his career. And his life. "I came in through the side entrance," he said. "Why?" ""Look how hard it is to change to fields. And so so dramatically. The hardest sell is convincing someone you're not what you've been for decades... Or convincing them that you have more to offer," he said. "Right." And then I realized we hadn't even talked about cartooning. And the interview was almost done. He taught me the most important rule for persuading anyone of anything: facts don't matter. "What makes news and what makes people care is if you do something in a different way," he said. New doesn't matter. New and different matters. "In this case, I'm talking about politics, but I'm talking about persuasion. That was a different way. That immediately gets people's attention. And they say, 'Oh a new thing. Finally, there's a new thing. Let's talk about the new thing." In this episode, Scott teaches you that it's possible change someone's perspective of you. That you can break free of the titles and jobs you hold and become who you really feel you are. He'll walk you through how he did it... how President Trump did it, and how you can do it, too. Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out the show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/11/scott-adams-3/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

He was trying out a role built for him. The screenwriter wrote the script with John in mind. He wrote his name in the margin. "A John McGinley type." "Did that give you high confidence?" I asked him. "No, they made me audition 5 times for a John McGinley type!" So I wanted to know how he landed so many incredible roles. He told me the secret. We either poison ourselves. Or we thrive. It's our choice. We make it every day. And usually one is our habit. "Actors usually bring one of two things with them into a room," he said. "They usually either bring in 'pigpen,' which is this cloud of dust." He gave me an example: You walk into an audition or an interview. You say, 'My aunt died in Philadelphia last night so I had to take the train down there and I never got a chance to look at your script/proposal/offer."? ?That's pigpen. And you're out before you gave anyone the chance to give you a chance. ? I asked John why people do that. Why do we pick poison?? "Fear. We're afraid. We're afraid of our own shadows. Sometimes we come in and we impose our problems into the room. And that's pigpen. And you're dead." And it happens in every situation in life really. You can probably think of a friend who does this to themselves all the time. So what's the other choice? Elvis dust. "Elvis dust is when you come in with this strange combination of self-esteem meets homework meets right for the part meets the room. And when people bring in Elvis dust all we wanna do is get it on us." Al Pacino had Elvis Dust. So did Paul Newman. John worked with both of them. ? "What would you see in Al Pacino's acting that was really above and beyond? What did you learn from him?" I asked.? "He's a magician," John asked him why he wanted to be an actor in the first place. Al Pacino said, "Johnny, see, I just want to be a storyteller.'" I asked John what he wanted to be growing up... his answer was the same as Al's. "I didn't know what it would look like. But I knew I loved participating in any kind of storytelling process." Maybe that's what Elvis Dust is made of... ? You can read my show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/11/john-c-mcginley/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bill Cartwright and I have nothing in common. He's from the west coast and I'm from the east coast. He's 7'1" and I'm not. When Bill got drafted to the NBA, they called him "Moses". He held every important basketball title in high school AND college. But being tall and having talent are two very different things. I wanted to know the evolution of becoming a peak performer. So I asked him, "What made you want to be good?" It was obvious he was working really hard from a young age. So what was that driving force that pushed him over the edge? "Everybody wants to be good at something," he said, "In sports everybody wants to be a good shooter. Or a great player. There are thousands of people who want to do that. So what's going to separate them? Time. The time you're willing to put in. It's the sacrifices you're willing to make." Then he told me his WHY. "I liked it," he said. Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out the show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/11/bill-cartwright/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Before Sheila Nevins, no one cared about our human stories. "I felt that there could be performance in every man, that every man could perform his life or his situation or his trauma or his successes or his failure," Sheila said. She's a 26 Academy Award winning HBO producer. She birthed the modern documentary. 1,700 of them in total. "I think everyone has something to offer," Sheila said. But not everyone realizes it. "Sometimes you're so embittered by life that you never can tell your story," she said. "I think in the best of all worlds everybody would respect their own story. They would feel that their life was worthy... that they had done the best they could... that they were the victim either of circumstance or the recipient of good luck." She sees people as picture. To Sheila, all life is either film uncaptured or captured. "I walked home last night," she said. "There were a lot of bag people out. Madison Avenue... pretty ritzy block. Fancy stores and a guy collecting cans. No one who threw that can in that garbage thought that someone could get five cents for it." Sheila made documentaries. But this podcast isn't only about that process. It's also about the lens she used. And how she inspired us to fall in love with ourselves, with human stories, and with the darkness of the human experience. Make sure to read the full show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/11/sheila-nevins/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Was Lewis Howes a bully? Is it possible? He set up the situation: When you're young, you're told to be kind, open, loving, helpful and generous. When you stand up to the bullies for treating someone badly, what happens? They shove you in a locker. Your mindset changes. And then you realize... maybe it doesn't feel good to be open, kind and generous. So we put on these masks. We try to fit in. We try to protect ourselves. Lewis walked me through the masks: The athletic mask The material mask The sexual mask The know it all mask (and so on.) He writes about each one in his new book, "The Mask of Masculinity: How Men Can Embrace Vulnerability, Create Strong Relationships, and Live Their Fullest Lives." And he gives a real-life example for each mask. I'm in the book. He put me in as the example for the "know it all mask." So I asked him, "Why did include me in your book?" "Well, as I was writing it, I was trying to think of examples of men in my life who are a good representation of these masks," he said. "For example, the sexual mask was Tucker Max and Neil Strauss. For the material mask, I talk about Ty Lopez. I'm not trying to make any man wrong," he said. "They're just examples of men who have lead with these masks and got amazing results but also struggled." But I was still curious why he included me. I push. "I think to me, you're just a brilliant guy who always knew how to build up businesses. You had the answers, you were smart in chess. You read a ton of books. You just had a lot of information," he said. But he also reveals my failures. And how I exposed myself through writing. I put my fear and the stories behind my fear out in the open. And that's what Lewis calls "the vulnerability hiding beneath the mask." It's what we lost when we were shoved in the locker, humiliated and afraid. We have to return to what was once lost. But be careful not to put a new mask on at the same time. I made this mistake. And I think I still make it. After losing everything and writing about it, I put on a new mask. "I think that became an addiction for me," I told Lewis. I replaced the "know it all mask" or the "Wall Street" mask with a new, "self-deprecating mask." I felt if I didn't write a new self-deprecating story about myself every day, I'd disappear. And it goes back to Lewis's point. Masks help us protect ourselves. But they also help us lose our sense of self. "Most of us don't feel like people will still like us or love us if we're not producing one of these masks..." he said. It's scary to remove the protected mask layer. But Lewis says that's part of growing into your true self. "Try to think, 'How can I take off the masks that aren't supporting my vision or the masks that are maybe hurting other people in the process?'" I've known Lewis a long time. And I wanted to learn from his new strengths. Not just the ones he's mastered. I wanted to learn from the lessons he's still trying to learn. So I asked him, "What if this book doesn't do well? And you get the worst reviews?" Because he said winning was one of his old masks. "Here's the thing, I've come to peace with it," Lewis said. "I've thought about this. 'If I didn't get on the bestseller list how would I feel?' My ego would be hurt. I'd be sad and frustrated because I worked so hard. But I'm focused on the vision, the process, and the message more than the result. I'm not defining my self-worth based on the result anymore. If I don't hit the 'New York Times' list, it's okay. It's more important for me to get the message out than to get the result." I believe in Lewis's message, too. It's helpful for men to understand themselves and for women to understand the men in their lives. Enjoy. And if you like this podcast, please subscribe and leave a review (it helps other people find the show, too). Thanks. You can read my show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/lewis-howes/... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dan Lyons is kind of infamous. He was a journalist who loved his job and got fired when he was 52. "I loved what I did," he said. And that's rare. "I loved meeting people, talking to them, interviewing them, trying to figure out what's a good story." And then it was taken away from him. I feel like 52 would be the worst time to get fired. He moved to San Francisco and got a job at Hubspot, which lead to his book, "Disrupted." He exposes the company. And exposes Silicon Valley. And then the TV writers for "Silicon Valley" invited him to write for their show. I wanted to know all about it. What's it like on set? How much input did you give? And did they take? And then what happened when you went back to your job at Hubspot? That's sort of where Dan's story begins. Because as he shares in his book, "Disrupted" they started to push him out. Like high school kids bullying a kid out of their clique. I wanted to know how he survived. How he coped... And how he got back with his bestselling book. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"[President Obama] knew who I was, but he knew who a lot of people were," David Litt, a former speechwriter for the president, told me in this podcast. He wrote speeches for the president. Now he writes for "Funny or Die". And before the White House, David wrote for "The Onion". His style is satirical, humorous and self-deprecating. When Obama made you laugh, there's a chance it was really David Litt. So I asked him, "What's the funniest thing you wrote that you were happy the president said?" "Oh man, it doesn't sound that funny when I say it, but, it got at a truth about politics that we probably could have expressed otherwise," he said. The joke was told at the 2013 Correspondents dinner. Obama said, 'I know Republicans are still sorting out what happened in 2012, but one thing they all agree on is they need to do a better job reaching out to minorities. And look, call me self-centered, but I can think of one minority they could start with." Humor helps us tell the truth. And it helps us remember the truth. And sometimes it just gives us a break from the chaos. Like the time Reagan needed surgery after getting shot. He said to the surgeon, "I hope you're a Republican." And everyone remembers that. "You don't have to be the president's right-hand man or woman to contribute to your country," David said. "I mean, you certainly can be and those are important stories, but I wanted to write a book about this other side of public service." So I wondered, could I do it? Could I write for a president? And how did he transition from "The Onion" to the Oval? "In America, your place in history isn't determined for you," David said. It's not determined by where you're born or who your parents are. "You make your own place in history as an American." When Obama first became a senator, a reporter asked him, "What will be your mark in history?" The young Barack Obama laughed and said, "I haven't even sat at my desk yet." Then he repeated this story at a commencement speech in 2005. (I'm paraphrasing.) But he told the students, "You haven't sat at your desk yet... but you still have a choice." I wondered how he did that... how he connected this small part of his personal history to this larger idea of making your mark. "It's called the ladder of meaning," David told me. "I forget who coined the phrase, but at the bottom of the ladder are basic details and at the top of the ladder are big values." "One of my favorite speeches is the speech Martin Luther King delivered the night before he was shot. He talks about surviving an assassination attempt. A deranged woman, stabbed him with a letter opener. It almost got to his heart. Doctors told him that if he sneezed, he would die. This got out in the press and he got a letter from a nine year old, white girl who said, 'I just wanted to let you know I'm glad you didn't sneeze.'" Then Martin Luther King gives his speech about the progress of civil rights. "He prefaces everything with saying, 'I too am glad I didn't sneeze because If I had sneezed I wouldn't have been able to tell you all about a dream that I had.'" "He's connecting this very meaningless moment (a sneeze) with these incredibly important national events." It was beautiful. He used imagery. "I've been to the mountain top." He used passion and love. He used the top of the ladder and the bottom. This episode isn't about politics. It's about how words make history. And with every new word, you can make your own history, too. Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out the show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/david-litt/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sir Richard Branson. End of notes. Enjoy. Just kidding. The advice from Richard is priceless. He's a self-made billionaire (BILLION!) who windsurfed across the English Channel with his kids, biked from Northern Italy to Southern italy with his whole family (they rode 100 miles a day). He's active everyday. Active in life, active in fatherhood, active in business. "My slogan is 'Screw it, just do it.' Why not just try these things? You may fall flat on your face," he said, "but you'll have fun." That's part of "find your virginity." (The slogan based on his new book "Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography") Then he told me how he applies this to Virgin, the multi-billion dollar empire he started on a whim... "A business is simply coming up with an idea that's going to make people's lives better," he said. That's why he's been in business for over 50 years. "If I hadn't reinvented myself I wouldn't be in business," he said. "And if I see a situation where people's lives are not as good as they could be, we'll jump in. We'll try to improve people's lives." I don't have an easy time saying "screw it." I usually overthink. And second guess myself. I want to change that. So I called Richard. And he told me how to change... he told me how to find my virginity. Make sure to read the full show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/sir-richard-branson/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I've never been a vampire. But Kellan has. He got his big break in "Twilight." This was an epic. Five movies back to back. It was a supernatural role in this made up fantasy world. And that's where he found his freedom. "With Sci-Fi, you have this freedom to create whatever world, whatever rules, you want. There's nothing tell you what you can and cannot do," he said. "We're playing these vampires that don't breathe, don't eat, so trying to portray human qualities was interesting." But now he's done with that series. He's taking on more challenging characters. And contributing his fame to charities he cares about deeply. He came to New York to support the Geoffrey Beene Foundation. (He's the brand ambassador for them). They had an event in New York, "Frame This Revelation." It's aimed "to uncovers the truth of cancer's ruthless and vicious assault by showcasing the work of artists who are battling this insidious disease - either for themselves or their loved ones." The campaign is raising awareness for new cancer research. And I felt lucky to learn about it directly from Kellan. "Children and animals just always get my heart beating. And when my good friend, Kim Biddle, created "Save the Innocence" an organization that deals with children being trafficked for sex out in LA..." I had to interject. Because I'm totally naive. ?"How big is this problem? Because on a day to day basis, you hear the words "sex trafficking," but you never see it." He told me about the problem. He told me how it's all around us in everyday life. And how we miss the signs. Because we're not educated. "When you're educated, you see it first hand," he said. He told me how hard it is for girls to escape. And why they get trapped repeatedly. And he told me the solution to... building a case, getting law enforcement involved... "A lot of times, women don't feel worthy... we have to give them hope," he said. And so I listened and I learned how we can give hope. You can learn more about the Geoffrey Been Foundation at www.geoffreybeene.com You can read my show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/kellan-lutz/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

He thought he was going to be one of the lucky ones. "I knew statistically... and intellectually that every once in awhile an artist has a hit song. And they're lucky... they're even luckier if they get two. I felt like, I was different. My first song was a hit," he said. "So I thought all all of mine will be hits..." But he was wrong. "Each song I put out after that was progressively less and less popular. And I became progressively less and less popular, until I was left alone in a million dollar house in LA with an empty schedule and nothing to do," Mike told me. He felt pathetic. And need to escape. He realized fame wasn't the "magic bullet." So he set out to find it. And his comeback story began... This podcast is that story. Make sure to read the full show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/mike-posner/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Playboy wasn't part of the plan. "It wasn't on my list of things to do in life," Amanda said. "What did you want to do?" I said. "Acting." But everyone told her "no." They told her "You're branded as a playmate, so that's what you are." She could've given up. She didn't. "One person says "no," then another person says "no"... but eventually, there's that one person who believes in you and that can be yourself." In this interview, Amanda tells me her secrets to becoming a social media influencer and the actor she's always wanted to be. She taught me how you can choose yourself. You can read my show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/amanda-cerny/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The FBI went to his high school when the 15-year-old Mr. X hacked into the largest Internet company in the world and stole 90 million credit card numbers. "You are going to jail for a long time," they told him. The day after he stole them he sent them back to the company and explained what their cybersecurity flaws were. He thought they would thank him. The FBI came to arrest him. "I was scared to death," he told me when we first met. The head of the school, a three-star general, told them, "You guys better get out of here if you aren't writing this boy a check and saying thank you." They left. Then. Two years later when Mr. X graduated he got "the call". The call that meant he wouldn't go to college. The call that meant he would parachute into enemy fire, hack foreign governments, hack our own computers. "I've done so many things," he once told me. "You can't imagine." The call from a three initial agency. More than one. We met at a dinner. We were both obsessed with hacking and the latest flaws in computer security. We ignored every else and spoke for three hours. And we haven't stopped talking since. I don't mean this to be a conspiracy theory. There's already been rumors about "fake news", election hacking, etc. There are bot armies. There are hackers taking down electric grids every day. Every company in the Fortune 500 is completely hacked. Your computer is hacked. I've spent many years talking to people in the security space. The reality is: the war is on. And it's being fought with data. And it's being fought all over the world. And it's being fought every day. Not just on election systems. Or at big companies. But on your computer. And the war is not always being fought by the people you expect. The enemies we were always trained to believe. Mr. X spent time in special forces. Was in every overseas battle. Has been involved in more news stories than he likes to admit. He's also built and sold two companies using his hacking abilities. He lives a good life now and doesn't want his voice e or identity to be revealed. So we distorted it for the podcast. I asked him, "Do you still work for 'them' ". He turned away and said, "You never stop working for them." The goal of this isn't to scare people. Information is power. And this is some of what I've learned from Mr. X. 1. IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A VOICE, YOU HAVE TO SPEAK "In the past, to go up against an institution, you need to be an institution." Mr. X said. "Now more than ever, we need to stand up for what we believe in. We have these powerful, engaging tools to influence others, but we still leave it up to the powers that control us to influence us. If you believe something, share it. In other words, don't let the media "program" what you believe in. Don't let the online word "hack" into your brain. They already know more about you than you know about yourself. And they use that knowledge against you 24 hours a day. If you want to have a voice, YOU HAVE TO SPEAK. 2. POLICE YOURSELF We were talking about computer security. He told me all the ways you could be hacked... that you would never think of. "Let me ask yo, when's the last time you updated your firmware on your router?" I had no idea. "If I'm going in, I'm going through the router," he said. "The majority of the fortune 500 use the same router... So you either trust the government to police data OR you need to be that person." And that was just one weakness. Next time you are on your phone check out how many apps on your phone have permission to turn on your video camera and start recording and transmitting what they record without you being aware. Don't think they aren't doing it. 3. HOW DID OSAMA BIN LADEN REALLY DIE? Was Osama Bin Laden really casually sleeping on the third floor of a building with no access out? Or was he a prisoner and we had lost... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"Everyone has their own talent," Erika said. "And my talent is expressing through writing songs and from singing them." She wrote "Despacito" - the fastest song to hit 3 billion downloads in the history of music. Now it's past 4 billion. That's half the planet. I asked how she did it. "Let's say I want to write a song that gets 4 billion views," I said. "What should my first few steps be?" "You know what..." she said. "I don't think about the numbers. I think the main thing is for you to connect with the world." She has a beautiful way of thinking. And it bleeds into her art. Often, my mind is full of fears and it clouds my creativity. So I asked if she's afraid of losing. Or not topping herself. What if "Despacito" was it? Her peak? "Everyone asks me that," she said. "People are always asking, 'Do you feel pressure? What are you going to do next?' And I say, "You know what... this is such a gift. I'm not putting any pressure on myself because I think doing that is seeing life from the ego eyes. I'm not thinking I'm going to top this. I'm just going to keep doing quality work. I'm trying to evolve." That's the key to having an "abundance mentality." And the key to pursuing your talent. Make sure to read the full show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/erika-ender/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Comedy is brutal. If the audience doesn't know you, they WILL judge you. That's true for most things (you can't walk down the sidewalk in New York City without being judged at least a hundred times). Bonnie said you have to know your audience. I wondered "how though?" I gave an example, "Okay so do you try to figure out how old the audience is, what gender they are, sexual orientation, race, how much they drank or didn't drink, etc.?" "No, I usually just think, 'Okay, blue collar, I'll do my marriage stuff." It was that easy. That's professionalism. That's professional judgement. That's comedy. And the path to likability. Bonnie has a joke about using the GPS. "In Brooklyn I'm not going to do driving material. I have a really funny GPS joke that I can't do in the city because nobody drives. "I'm so immature about it," she said. She makes fun of the audience... They didn't ALWAYS live in the city. "Sometimes it irritates me. I'm like I know you understand what GPS is, if you saw this in a movie you'd get it, so don't just sit there like 'oh not my experience'." I learned you can lose likability as quickly as you gain it, though. And that scared me. But Bonnie doesn't care. "I like when the audience is scared for you. If they don't laugh at something I think is funny, I lash out. Sometimes we start in a love fest, then I insult them and them maybe we still end in a love fest." Her process is her art. She has hundred of jokes. "The premises just come," she said. She takes from life. The premises are there all the time," she said. "I just write whatever happens to be in front of me." Right now she's working on a joke: "what if your therapist was a Syrian refugee?" I think I did more laughing than questioning in this interview. I hope you do too. You can read my show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/bonnie-mcfarlane/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

AJ's about to launch a TV show. A few months ago he started a podcast. He's 49 years old. And it all started because he decided to write a book on a weird idea he had. "I wonder what it would be like to live the Bible." It's especially weird if you consider the fact that he's Jewish. AJ is a living example that anyone at age 49 could've decided to do this idea. Anyone at ANY age could've done this idea. He told me to be curious about everything. "Even things you're not curious about." That didn't make sense to me. How do you do that? "Read books you don't think are interesting," he said. Explore new podcasts, watch old movies. Then observe yourself. One of the original Saturday Night Live writers, Alan Zweibel, said you need to have two heads. "The head that's having an experience and the head that's observing." That's how you find your next big idea or small step forward in your life. You peel back the layers crusted on top of yourself. You dig into fresh layers and discover something new. AJ calls is "Fun-comfortable" (it's the intersection between discomfort and curiosity). This episode teaches you how to find that intersection. Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out the show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/aj-jacobs-3/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"If you do not do what you love, that's on you," Gary said. Years ago, no one believed you could choose yourself. You needed gatekeepers. Now we have YouTube, Instagram. "Now it's the standard," Gary said. If you cut out all the reason why you can't do something, then you cut out all the infrastructural and financial problems stopping you. "The only thing left is your f-cking head." Gary set up this example (and this podcast is full of them): Pokemon. Imagine this is your passion. First, you blog. Then it becomes a video blog. Then a podcast. "Let's say you become the foremost Pokemon gal, 'Sally the Pokemon Gal.' You're owning it. You go to Comic-Con, you get random sponsorships on your blog. You're getting by. And then, Pokemon-GO comes out. Now you're on CNN and FOX. You're getting paid $5,000 to give a talk. The world has just walked in to you." That's key. "Everybody who's listening right now is looking for trends. They're trying to walk to where the world is now and by the time they get there, the world moved on. If you go to your thing and set a f-cking flag on your thing, the world comes to you." Read the full article (and top 10 lessons I Learned from Gary Vaynerchuk: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/gary-vaynerchuck/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"Life is inherently risky. We make up all of these rules in life about what's gonna keep us safe," Amy Morin told me. She's the author "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do." It was originally just a list she wrote for herself. Her husband died suddenly. Just after the three-year anniversary of her mom's death. "I thought my mission in life was to teach people how to be mentally strong, and I didn't realize how much I was going to need mental strength," she said. This podcast teaches you the skills to become mentally strong. To practice every day. Make sure to read the full show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/amy-morin/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To me, Nancy Cartwright is the most unknown famous person. She's the voice of Bart Simpson. "When I went in for "The Simpsons", the audition pieces of Bart and Lisa were sitting right next to each other. Hers said 8-year-old middle child. His a ten-year-old, school-hating underachiever, and proud of it." Nancy's instict kicked in. "I'm like 'Oh bam bam that's it.'" She tried out for Bart. And got it. Her whole career is based off of instinct. "I read this book about writing and producing," she said. "It was an awesome book written a number of years ago. It said, 'Ride the horse in the direction that it's going.'" Her career as a voice actor became real acting and she landed roles in "Cheers," "Richie Rich," "Twilight Zone." Now she has her own production company, "Spotted Cow." ANd just released "In Search of Fellini," a beautiful film about her search for the most influential artist in her heart. "This film was probably 75-85 percent true," she said. "It's mostly true." In this podcast, Nancy tells us how she traveled alone to Italy in her mid 20's. And followed her heart and instincts ever since. We speak about how this film really comes full circle for her and gives meaning to her life. This is the journey to find your authentic self. Also thank you to Audible for supporting today's show. Audible content includes an unmatched selection of audiobooks, original audio shows, news, comedy, and more from the leading publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, and business information providers. You can read my show notes here: https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/09/nancy-cartwright/ And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"Life is tough...and it's also miraculous." T-Boz and TLC sold 70 million albums, becoming the bestselling girl band ever in America. Along the way they declared bankruptcy, she battled sickle-cell anemia, the death of one of their bandmates and best friends, a brain tumor, everything. She's 47 today and beat two life sentences the doctors declared on her. People say, "Well, she sold 70 million albums! That's success!" When you do your absolute best today, even though you know tomorrow everything can change - that's success. I had T-Boz on the podcast to celebrate the release of her new memoir, "A Sick Life" which I highly recommend. REINVENTION IS EVERY DAY TLC sold 70 million albums and is the #1 selling girl band in America. But to stay creative, T-Boz and her bandmates, Left-eye, and Chili had to constantly develop music that stayed fresh and relevant. 15 years after they started, they released their 5th album REMEMBERING THE ABOVE I always say "Reinvention is every day" ever since my book, "Reinvent Yourself" came out. But I'll be honest, just as hard is remembering every day that "reinvention every day". The straight and narrow and supposedly easy path is constantly whispering to me to follow it. But don't. IDEA SEX Other groups were R&B, other groups were rap, other groups were funk. How do you be the best? T-Boz (funk) + Left-Eye (Rap) + Chili (R&B) = TLC = 70 million albums PERSISTENCE Sickle-cell anemia is debilitating. You're not supposed to live. The blood cells don't want to deliver oxygen to the rest of your body. The pain is incredible. T-Boz's brain tumor took three years to recover from. The death of her best friend and band-mate took 2 years to recover from. Going bankrupt after selling tens of millions of albums forced her to start from scratch. Reinventing in a constantly changing music business is the downfall of many artists. For their last album, TLC even used Kickstarted to fund it as opposed to a record label. Success is about reinvention and persistent every day. IF YOU'RE AN ARTIST, KNOW THE BUSINESS A lot of creatives don't want to read the contracts or fine print. TLC didn't read it as well and ended up making almost no money on their first 30 million albums. At one point they even held up music legend, Clive Davis, at gun point, asking, "Where's our money". They went bankrupt and had to start from scratch. Don't outsource your financial well-being and the security of your family to others. SICKNESS AND PAIN No matter who you are, life is going to happen. "Life is tough". T-Boz had painful sickle-cell anemia since birth and often had to be hospitalized mid-album, mid-tour, mid-whatever. "When I was seven they told me I wouldn't live past 30. I'm 47 now." "They told me I couldn't have kids. I have two now." "When they did brain surgery, they told me I might never sing again. I'm on tour now with our latest album." Then she lost her best friend and band-mate, Left-eye, to a car crash. She was depressed for two years. Then she had a brain tumor that required surgery and three years of physical therapy to recover from. "I still can't whistle," she told me. "Try," I said. So she did. She couldn't whistle. "I can't move the muscles on the left side of my mouth." But throughout the podcast she laughed. "And I'm going back on tour tomorrow." CREATIVITY HAS MANY OUTLETS T-Boz has written songs, performed them, did the choreography for TLC's videos, conceived of the videos, written a book of poems, written movies, and now this memoir. People sometimes say, "I can't be creative". Or, "I don't have the talent". Or "I can do X, but not Y". Not true. Creativity is a muscle. Find some small way to be creative every day and the muscle gets developed. For me, today is the first day I'm going to try to do standup in the same day at two different clubs. I'm scared. Find one thing scary and challenging and creative every... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ken Follett is a well-known Welsh novelist who specializes in writing spy thrillers novels and has sold over 160 million copies worldwide. Before he became a novelist he was a reporter for the London Evening News and was a Deputy Managing Director for a small publishing house, Everest Books. In his spare time he wrote novels, but he wrote a dozen before finding success. Eye of the Needle, his eleventh book, was his first successful novel published in 1978. His novel The Pillars of the Earth was on The New York Times bestsellers list for 18 weeks in 1989. This novel has been so incredibly popular all over the world for many years. In 2007 it became the #1 most popular choice on the Oprah Winfrey Book Club and returned to The New York Times bestsellers list at #1. Follett's newest novel, Edge of Eternity, is the final novel of his Century Trilogy and available today! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Marcus Lemonis is a self-made millionaire, serial entrepreneur and the front man of CNBC's popular series, "The Profit". Since an early age Marcus has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and passion. When he was twelve he started his own lawn mowing business to generate enough money to open a candy store. After he graduated college, he started in automotive sales and managerial positions which ultimately led him to get involved in the camping and RV business. Today he is the CEO of Camping World, a company specializing in products and services for RV owners. On "The Profit" Marcus lends his expertise and experience to help struggling businesses get back on their feet. Since the show premiered in 2013, he's invested $50 million of his own money into the businesses featured on the show. On each and every episode Marcus uses his 3P formula, People/Process/Product, to analyze the pitfalls and how to improve the product and process. Marcus' charm, results driven attitude and passion for people has left an impression on the entrepreneurial industry that can't be matched. Start watching "The Profit", today! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jim Kwik is a leading expert in memory improvement, brain performance, speed reading and learning. But before he became the expert, he suffered a brain injury. And that made it really hard for him to learn. "If knowledge is power than learning is a superpower," he said in this conversation. He's figured out how to increase his brain power and memory. And now, you can learn the tricks that he's taught to high profile clients like Elon Musk, Nike, Virgin, Will Smith, and more. His online courses have helped students in over 100 countries. He's the founder of Kwik Learning and host of "Kwik Brain" podcast. Unlock your brain's power NOW. And enjoy this episode. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Paul Shaffer has lived through five decades of music. He got his first big break was he was hired on the spot by Stephen Schwartz to be the musical director in Toronto's production of "Godspell". The cast included Martin Short, Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin and Victor Garber. The show was a huge hit and launched Paul's career. Paul was a featured performer and a musical composer for the first five years of Saturday Night Live. But he's best known for being David Letterman's sidekick and musical director on _The David Letterman Show_ for over thirty years. He got to play with some of the most popular musicians of our generation including Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Tina Turner and Ringo Starr. You can read his memoir _We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives_ or listen to his newest album "Paul Shaffer & The World's Most Dangerous Band". ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brandon Webb served as a Navy Seal for almost ten years. He decided to leave. He was burnt out and he wanted to watch his kids grow up. And he's had a philosophy since he was thirteen, if he's not enjoying what he's doing he's going to find something different. When he left the military he got into real estate, then he got four years into a business that failed and then after all that he got divorced. He had hit the bottom. But he learned how to pull himself back up. He started a blog as a passion project and turned it into a very profitable media company. Today, he is the CEO of the media and E-commerce business, Hurricane Group, Inc. which focuses on military news and entertainment and outdoor products and clubs. He is a New York Times bestselling author of The Killing School and The Red Circle. Look for his newest book, Total Focus that is now available. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Geno Bisconte is the most hilarious, high energy person I've ever met. He finds humor in almost every single sentence and he's always in a good mood. He's been a stand up comedian for more than fifteen years, headlining and hosting some of the most popular comedy clubs in New York City. He's written for the Comedy Central Roasts, featured on multiple radio shows and was a cameo in HBO's series Crashing. Every week he hosts his own podcast, In Hot Water with Aaron Berg on compoundmedia.com and his newest album, Uncle Geno Is Amazing is available to buy now on iTunes. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alex Blumberg is the founder and CEO of Gimlet Media. Before this, he was an incredibly successful radio journalist. He won multiple awards in the industry. Alex hosted and produced popular NPR shows, "Planet Money" and "This American Life". When he saw the new industry of podcasting booming, he risked it all and reinvented himself. He started his own company. Today Gimlet Media oversees and produces multiple podcasts at one time. Visit gimletmedia.com to discover a variety of new podcasts you can start listening to today! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After a long journalism career, Chris Anderson became the curator of the TED Conference in 2002. Since then he has expanded the conference to cover all topics including science, business and global issues. He introduced the TEDx initiative, giving licenses free of charge to local organizers who want to put together their own live event. In 2016, Chris published his book, "TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking". It's an insider's guide to creating an unforgettable talk. Listen to thousands of free TED Talks on ted.com and follow Chris on twitter @TEDchris. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Noah Kagan was fired from Facebook. He was employee #30. "I think they made the right decision to fire me," he said. "One of the big realizations I've had in the past few years is that people need to stop fighting their natural skill. My sweet spot is getting things going. My sweet spot is promoting products I love. That was the lesson learned. What I was strong at was not what Facebook needed anymore." He wrote about it in his free ebook "How I Lost 170 Million Dollars: My Time as #30 at Facebook". I asked him "how does the average person know what their strong at?" That's what we talk about in this interview. Today, Noah is the CEO of sumo.com, appsumo.com and kingsumo.com. I use these sites to grow and market my business. He also hosts a great podcast, "Noah Kagan Presents" and writes for his blog, okdork.com. 3 min - Noah first came on my podcast 2 years ago. He gave me a challenge: go to a coffee shop and ask for 10% off. The cashier was confused. "You want what?" "10% off," I said. And I didn't give a reason either. My face was emotionless. She asked her Dad. "We don't do that," he said. I could feel myself about to throw up. I was going against the normal social protocol. And endangering my life. Any time you step out of your comfort zone and risk being thrown out of the tribe, it signals a reaction in your brain: fear. But now it's much easier. I do challengers almost everyday. Noah does too. And he shared them on his podcast "Noah Kagan Presents." We talk about more challenges you can do in this interview. 6 min - "I've been experimenting with habits and figuring out how to focus on the essentials," Noah said. "That's where I'm really starting to explore." He gave me an example. "Look at your phone right now. What apps have you not used in the last 6 months? Delete them." He does this with relationships, business, everything. "It helps me realize what really matters," he said. And appreciate more of the people and places and things he interacts with. I did a similar thing about a year ago, but in a much more macro level. I got rid of everything I owned. Except 15 items. Noah asked me what I miss. "Nothing," I said. I lied (by accident). A few special things came to mind. But, more importantly, it's been a year and I haven't replaced it rebought anything I threw away. 9 min - After I got rid of 40 years worth of stuff, I had nowhere to live, so I started another experiment. I threw myself at the mercy of my friends... 10 min - Noah says he doesn't want to hate his week so he did a week of nothing. "I had no meetings, I had no one to be around and I was alone for a week." He started at point zero. And added back the essentials. "What things really matter in my life? What places? What people?" 11 min - I told Noah what I learned from getting rid of all my belongings... 13 min - "People think of dieting only in health, but can you have a diet in friendships? Look at all the things that are weighing on you," Noah said, "and start having a diet." 16 min - Noah was the 30th employee at Facebook. "Why were you fired?" I asked. He told me about the guy who fired him. "He's rich," he said. "But I think they made the right decision to fire me. One of the big realizations I've had in the past few years is people need to stop fighting their natural skill. I call it their sweet spot and my sweet spot is starting out." Facebook didn't need that skill anymore. So they got rid of him. I wanted to know how the average person finds out what their sweet spot is... 19 min - Noah recommends trying these two strategies to find what you're really good at. 24 min - I tell Noah one of my signature jokes from my stand up comedy... 27 min - Noah told me about his mentor, Jonathan Coon. He founded 1-800-Contacts and funded the movie Napoleon Dynamite. He has a strategy to "reduce friction in his life." He goes to the same restaurants and overtips... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ramit Sethi is a bestselling author, personal finance advisor, entrepreneur and author of "New York Times" bestselling book, "I Will Teach You to be Rich". He's taught thousands to manage their personal finances and how to become rich on his website, iwillteachyoutoberich.com. He's been featured in ABC News, CNN and the WSJ. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ramit Sethi is a bestselling author, personal finance advisor, entrepreneur and author of "New York Times" bestselling book, "I Will Teach You to be Rich". He's taught thousands to manage their personal finances and how to become rich on his website, iwillteachyoutoberich.com. He's been featured in ABC News, CNN and the WSJ. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mark Manson is a writer, blogger and author of the "New York Times" bestseller, "The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F-ck". Visit his blog, markmanson.net, to read some of his best articles on self improvement, dating and relationships, culture and life choices. 2 mins - I tell Mark why I didn't initially want him in the show... and why I changed my mind 4 mins - Mark and I first met at a friend's poker game. then I ran into him a few weeks later. But I didn't remember meeting. "Hi I'm James," I said. Then I remembered. And I realized he was the guy from the poker game... the guy who's name I kept trying to figure out all night. "I just thought you were a chill guy," Mark said. We laughed. That's how I'd like to start all new moments in life. With a laugh. 8 min - Mark says where he got the inspiration to write his bestselling book, "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck" 10 min - We talk about what "giving a fuck" actually means. And how to decide what's worthwhile. "I joke around with a lot of people," Mark said. "I say I wanted to write a book about values...but I knew if I wrote a book about values no one would read it. So I put the F word everywhere. Because essentially what giving a fuck is is you are deciding what you care about. You are deciding what you value in your life." 12 min - So then I ask Mark how you get started? 14 min - We talk about people pleasing. And self absorption. "It's very common in the self help world to say, 'Be true to yourself and follow your feelings.' That's nice and everything, but if I went out to 6th Avenue and started peeing on the corner just because I feel like it..." I interrupted. "Is that your true passion? Peeing in 6th Ave. That's your truth?" "Yes this is my truth at the moment..." Then he got serious. "We live in a society. We're inner-dependent on each other in many ways. So there's tension between what you yourself want and what's also good for the community around you. And that's hard. I think a lot of people suffer because that balance has gotten out of whack too far one way or the other. Either their constantly people-pleasing or they're constantly selfish and self-absorbed." 15 min - I feel everyone starts out people pleasing. And adulthood is when you cross into being more independent. Not necessary self absorbed, but the part of your brain that works to increase your livelihood and sense of survival kicks in. And the struggle is to let go of the "people pleasing" aspect. The part of you that needs approval. I still struggle with this. "Choosing yourself" is choosing to give yourself the stamp of approval. I try this everyday. 17 min - Mark sold drugs when he was 13. Someone told the principal and he got kicked out of school. Six months later his parents got a divorce. 22 min - So I asked, "What do you think your parents could have or should have done differently in this situation?" 28 min - There's a trick to having a good relationship, he told me... it's sort of an equation. Or a scale. 31 min - He fell into a "bottomless pit" of approval. He chased every woman on campus. And learned the rules of attraction. He told me about the really sleazy pick up lines he'd use. "Does that stuff work?"I asked. "It attracts really insecure women," he said. And that led to his dating theory: you end up attracting what you put out. 33 min - He took what he learned about dating to build a coaching business. 35 min - We talk about Tucker Max's books and how they're often taken the wrong way. 41 min - Mark started traveling and living off his online business. He got serious about his writing. 43 min - Mark explains the attachment theory 45 min - He read "The Four Hour Workweek," by Tim Ferriss. And based his nomadic life around it. But traveling forced Mark into avoiding intimacy. He kept leaving friends behind. And later learned what he really wanted... 47 min - I asked Mark, "When did you start... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.