The James Altucher Show

You have a unique set of advantages and disadvantages. And you'll hear a lot about overcoming difficulties in today's podcast. But these are the steps: Step 1. Find out what's different about you Step 2. Use your setback to create your skillset Step 3. Stop trying to figure it out Listen now and go to my blog for the full show notes. ------------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.

"Imagine... If you had suddenly learned that the people and the places and the moments most important to you were not gone, not dead, but worse- had never been." I was in LA at Imagine Entertainment. It's Brian Grazer's studio. He produced A Beautiful Mind, 8 Mile, a bunch of Jim Carrey movies. He's worked with Eddie Murphy and produced my favorite TV series, Arrested Development. "I bought the book A Beautiful Mind with the thematic intention of trying to make a movie that would help de-stigmatize mental disability," he said. So he created an alternate reality. And he's done this in his own life. "You see, the nightmare of schizophrenia is not knowing what's true," the psychiatrist said in A Beautiful Mind. He was talking to John Nash's wife as she watched her husband get electroshock therapy. She loved a schizophrenic man. A brilliant man. She let me him keep his delusions. They weren't real. But what's the harm? Nothing. Unless you almost drown your baby. He won the Nobel Prize. And I cried. His mind brought him delusions but it also brought him love. Between two realities, he chose himself. I don't try to be everything I am. Because some of me is jealous. Some of me feels sad. Some of me ran out of things to say. So I become the rest of me. The side that practices difficult gratitude and improves just 1% a day. The part of me that listens. And flies to LA to be in an alternate reality. Brian Grazer says, "Curiosity propels storytelling. All stories, incidentally, need propulsion. It not only creates the story, but it gives life to energy, and energy is what stories need." It's what life needs. Or at least, my life. Brian also produced Apollo 13, another one of my favorite movies. He used his curiosity muscle to reframe the story. "People think it's about space. They thought it was about aerodynamics," he says. "To me, it was only about human resourcefulness." "Perspective is everything," Brian said. "It's everything." His perspective comes from curiosity. Which he wrote about in #1 New York Times bestseller, A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life. I don't know where my curiosity will lead me. I can only hope it helps you. ------------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're scaring me now," I said. "Don't scare me." I was laughing. But I meant it. The news, the doom and gloom, the fear, it makes fresh air turn to vomit. Chunky streams of acid. I bet Ron Paul has thin stomach lining. We were talking about freedom. And if there's any left. I usually ignore all the doom and gloom. That's what works for me. But we talked about opportunities, hope, trends, the innovation economy. And freedom. "I don't even like politics. I did it only because I could get a voice out there telling people what was going on, what you need to do, and what the substitute has to be. Believe me, we're going to have a chance," Ron Paul says on today's podcast. Did you hear that? "We're going to have a chance..." I like that. If you pay attention, you'll see the future is already here. What does that mean for you? I don't know. Maybe you'll go to space or make millions investing in robotics. You have thousands of new opportunities to create your own wealth and freedom. And you can start right now. I'll tell you how to make money off of rising trends in today's podcast. This is rare. But you'll hear about my plan to profit in this innovation economy. I don't want to choke on my own vomit. I'm choosing myself. Voting for me. Because if I don't nobody will. ------------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'm homeless. By choice. I wrote about it. And it turned into a debate. Now I'm sharing the discussion with you. My podcast listeners and answering your questions. "Does minimalism mean having no accomplishments?" "Does minimalism mean not having a lot of possessions?" "How do you deal with kids if you are a minimalist?" "What's the first step I should take? Should I throw things out?" This isn't something I usually do. Welcome to my experiment of the day. ------------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 would've taken the money. A couple hundred million. He could've sold the business for a 100, 200 million dollars. Bill Gates wanted to buy it. But he didn't sell. I wanted to know why Steve Case, co-founder and former CEO of AOL said no to being a millionaire. "The simple answer is I really believed in the idea of the internet and believed in AOL and believed that it could change the world," he says on today's podcast. Investors said, "What are you talking about? This internet thing? Why would normal people ever want to get connected to this?" People thought he was crazy crazy. But he could see the future. That's the thing about the future. Nobody wants to see it coming. Back then, nobody wanted to connect to the internet. They missed opportunities. "It was a hard struggle for a decade before we finally broke through," he said. The future paid off for Steve Case. And now it can pay off for you. He believed they could change the world. He was right. "Six, seven years later, [AOL] had gone from a few hundred million dollars to tens of billions to then over 150, 160 billion." But he didn't stop there... The Third Wave is coming. Steve talks about it in his New York Times bestselling book, The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur's Vision of the Future. These are the opportunities you haven't missed yet. We're offering you the future. In my interview with Steve Case, you'll learn about the first wave (building the internet), the second wave (social media, community, Facebook, Snapchat... all the billion dollar companies you wish you thought of or invested in...) And finally, the third wave. The future. Listen now to learn how to master your future. Before it's too late. And read what I learned from Steve Case at jamesaltucher.com ------------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.

"Everyday is a new day." ...unless you have a routine. Then it's just "eat, sleep, shit, repeat," like they say in Billions. "Don't you want to create memories? Don't you want to build your life resume and get as much out of life as you can?" Jesse Itzler said on my podcast. He's the co-founder of Marquis Jets, owner of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, endurance athlete, former-rapper and now he's an author. "I didn't have a resume," he says. "I didn't want to have a resume. I didn't want to work for anybody." Jesse built his life. "I had no background, no experience and I had no connections." He's self-made. I don't know who's in charge of my life. Maybe me. I chose myself. And I still do. Everyday. But I also lend my life out. At least once every 24 hours. "We're constantly dodging arrows," Jesse said. "Each arrow is time." "Routines are great, but they're also a rut," he said. "I thought wow, this is amazing. I have great balance. I have a great routine. I'm in my routine. Everything is my routine..." And he needed to get out of it. So he did something crazy, which you'll hear on today's episode. And you'll learn his tricks to becoming self-made. Then you can enjoy your life. I hope. And forget your resume too. Listen to my podcast with Jesse Itzler. Or read my notes here: 6 simple steps to becoming self-made on jamesaltucher.com ------------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 have no idea. None of us did. Until now.Everything I've done for the past two years is unfolding before me.I interviewed Dr. K Anders Ericsson. You know his work. He discovered the 10,000 hour rule.The rule that says if you do 10,000 hours of "dedicated practice" you can master a field. But what we've been lead to believe is false. And it's finally being corrected. Today. Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise uses thirty years of research to reveal what we never knew before, including:What you're truly capable of, how you can achieve it, and where to start. I started this podcast two years ago. And I just realized what it's actually about. Everyone I interviewed has one thing in common: peak performance. They excelled in their field. They're the smarter person in the room. They mastered their craft. Go to jamesaltucher.com for 7 things I learned about how to become a PEAK performer ------------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 writing this, I closed my eyes. I allowed myself to rest. I went from, "think, think, think" to nothing. And nothing felt good. Nothing worked. Nothing is my success. Today. I used to have another kind of success. I was a hedge fund manager, web developer, producer, investor, corporate employee, CEO, writer. I still do some of these jobs. But not because "they" tell me to. I look back and see desperation. I was desperate to secure my future. My income. My relationships. There was always a risk of getting fired. I knew my then-wife could decide she didn't love me anymore. My kids could, too. I was shrinking. Physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually shrinking. I thought if I was miserable, "they" would help me. They didn't. I bled out on the floor. And then I chose myself. Now I do the daily practice. I experiment. I find what works for me. And I write about it. Because advice is autobiography. But something is still stopping me. And, if you've read to here, I bet there's something stopping you. If you learn one thing today, I hope it's this: experiment everyday. The steps are: Experiment. Pay Attention. Experiment And if it doesn't work out how you imagined, then you'll have a better story. I got evicted last week. The same day, I did this interview with Charles Duhigg. You'll hear it in the podcast. Charles is a Pulitzer Prize winner and the author of two New York Times bestselling books, The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business. Renting doesn't work for me. But I tried it. It was a successful experiment with a failed result. I'm finding what works for me everyday. Charles says that's what the most productive people do. They cycle through systems. Charles cycled. He wasn't always smarter, better, faster. "I would come home every night and tell my wife, 'If this is what success feels like, sign me up for failure.' It was killing me," he says. "It's very easy to lose sight of the 'why,'" he says. "[We] lose track of why we're doing something, how it links up to our deepest values or our biggest aspirations... what we actually want to do with our life." This interview might teach you something about experimenting, or focussing, or motivation. Or it might teach you nothing. But, nothing is a lesson, too. ------------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 didn't have permission. But he did it anyway. And one day Elon Musk called him. "He was either going to make life really horrible on me or he was going to cooperate with the book" said Ashlee Vance, author of the New York Times bestseller and Wall Street Journal's "best books of the year," Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. Ashlee did 200 interviews before Elon agreed, proving permission is not a starting place. I wish I wrote the book. But I didn't. My "quest" is different. Instead, I mastered curiosity. I called people and recorded. I did a ton of research. I read every book, article, interview and watched every talk. I've spent 10,000 hours interviewing and more than 10,000 hours preparing. I didn't need permission. And neither do you. Here are 5 ways to bypass the gatekeepers: A) Master something Like anybody, Elon is smart in some things and probably stupid in others. But he mastered his interests. Mastery is learning 90% of everything you could learn about a subject. You can't reach 100%. I hope that's comforting. Explore your interests. Combine them and you'll find what works for you. Then improve 1% each day. Along the way, you'll master it. B) Make your own decisions Elon doesn't let people make decisions for him. They'll choose wrong. And he knows it. If you choose for yourself you will choose yourself. C) Play for pay I remember my childhood. Some of it. I read comic books and Dear Abby. Now, at 47? 48? I search for "superhero" stories. And I get to be Dear Abby. "Ask Altucher." Every Thursday at 3:30 PM EST, I have a Twitter Q&A. I answer texts and emails from strangers. 203-512-2161 I answer Quora questions and co-host a podcast with my friend, Stephen Dubner. He wrote the New York Times bestseller, Freakonomics. I wonder if he read Dear Abby growing up, too. We answer questions with questions. But before all of this, I worked in finance. I did what "they" wanted me to do. I got lost. Elon did, too. "He just got swept up in the internet for a little while," Ashlee says, "and then once he made a ton of money (from PayPal), the light went on and he just said, 'Now I can go chase everything I've ever wanted to go do.'" "Elon appears to have some kind of calling to go save humankind," Ashlee says. "When he was 12, he designed a video game that was exactly that concept." But at one point, he changed course. We all do. We forget play. Now he's saving humanity. D) There are always problems When I interviewed Derek Sivers last week, I said "You can always disappear from your problems." And you can. He did. But then what? Derek spends a lot time answering emails and giving advice. And Elon is exploring electric vehicles and life in space. Everyday, I have a choice: find new problems or help others with theirs. Create problems or solve them. When I help people with their problems, I forget about mine. Sometimes. Elon sees extreme problems and extreme solutions. All his basics are covered. He's doesn't worry about his boss or the mortgage. "The weird thing to me," Ashlee says, "was that [when] you started talking [to Elon] about mankind being wiped out, he wells up with emotion." Suffering graces all life. There are always problems. "What I saw with Elon is that he's very clear-eyed. He meditates on what he thinks is important and has a absolute devotion to pursuing these goals" "He gives you a sense of urgency in your life. Maybe I'm just getting older," Ashlee says, "When I finished doing the book, I sat back and I said, 'I need to be much clearer about exactly what I want to do with my life.'" I don't have the same problem as Ashlee or see the same problems as Elon Musk. And I'm grateful. E) Be on the right side of history You only have a certain amount of energy each day. Don't waste it fighting the inevitable. "Going against Elon is the equivalent of going against Steve Jobs these days and you... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The most powerful currency in the world is not what you think. Not anymore. We're turning to a new economy with two powerful currencies. And you have an opportunity, right now, to build a more fulfilling and rewarding life. I'm going to tell you what these two currencies are and how to leverage them successfully. I'll tell you what works for me. But before I do, I want to introduce you to Derek Sivers. He's an influential thinker, speaker, entrepreneur and the zen master of entrepreneurship writing. If you're starting a business, you have to read his book, Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur. It's in my top three. Derek built his business, CD Baby, around doing people favors. It became the largest seller of independent music online, with $100M in sales for 150,000 musicians. Derek later sold CD Baby for $22M and gave the proceeds to charity. "If you focus entirely on others the world seems to reward you the most," he says. That's one of the two most powerful currencies today: favors. But there are limits. "You have to serve others within the limits of what you're able to sustainably do. You can't do something that makes you absolutely miserable," he says. That's choosing yourself. I got a lot of ideas from interviewing Derek, which is the other currency: ideas. But you already knew that. Derek moved to New Zealand. He takes 3-day hikes, spends 30 hours a week with his family, and answers thousands of personal emails asking for his advice. He wrote a list of his priorities and said "I don't want to do anything else right now. (No more interviews or speaking at conferences until further notice.)" This is his last interview for awhile. I'm grateful he chose me. Chose us. And chose himself. I encourage you to write him. And listen to this interview. Share what you learned. I wrote a list -- 7 ways to a "make a killing" and master the new economy. Because Derek quoted Kevin Kelly, futurist and founder of Wired. He said, "We should focus on making a living, not on making something huge." Derek changed it to "It's about making a living, not making a killing." To me, that's success in the new economy. 7 ways to a "make a killing" and master the new economy: A) Leave in the cracks Derek was listening to Sheryl Crow. But he didn't know it was her. Her voice cracked. And she got his attention. "That little fault is what made me like her," Derek said. B) Admit your faults I know I'm bad at a lot of things. Derek gave an example. When I interviewed Ramit Sethi, I admitted I forgot to read something. And I wasn't totally prepared. "To me it kind of seems like a brilliant way of asking the world to love you," Derek said. And maybe it is. Everyone wants love. How sad is it that we, as humans, contemplate hiding ourselves? We have two choices: be yourself or fear being yourself. C) You can always disappear from your problems But do you want to? Did Kurt Cobain kill himself because he was too famous? Or because he got everything he wanted? And didn't know what to do with it. We always want things. Happiness, love, appreciation. But then do we ask for the right things? Raises, promotions, more responsibility, less freedom? You can choose f-ck you money and f-ck you problems. Or you can focus on happiness. That's what Derek did. He had a company, CD Baby. It's basically the original iTunes. People said he'd get a lot of money with an IPO. But he didn't do it. "What's the point of making money?" Derek said, "It's to be happy." "And if it would make me unhappy to have so much responsibility then I'd rather not make more money. I'd rather just focus on the happiness." D) Do more favors Anyone can do this. Derek started by selling old CDs online. He made money right away. So people asked for favors. Can you sell my old CDs? He said yes. And it spread. Friends of friends asked. Then strangers and soon he had a profitable business. But... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If I didn't listen to my pain, I'd be dead. I've interviewed hundreds of "successful" people. When they look back, they see two things: struggle and a story. These are hero stories -- choose yourself stories. Directed by pain, they found passion. Because they listened. I was alone, on the floor, broke, desperate, hopeless. I ignored the pain. I wanted to die. And then something shifted. But you don't need to hit rock bottom to be successful. You just need something that ignites you. "There's a moment, a chemistry, where people find a spark... something inside you triggers greatness," said Terry George. He wrote and directed the award winning film, Hotel Rwanda, and the upcoming film, The Promise, about a love story during WWII's genocide. "I'm not interested in suffering," he says. But he is. "I'm interesting in alleviating it." He grew up Catholic during Ireland's struggle for civil rights across a divided nation. "I got beaten up in playgrounds and shit like that. There was definitely a sense that you were not welcome to put it mildly." "That was was my education," he says. He never thought about turning something horrific into a movie. But that's exactly what he did. Through film, he connects us to human frailty, vulnerability and fear. He calls it "a universal language." That's the art of suffering. ------------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.

Fifteen percent of you won't like this interview. "I like that," he says, "I like being doubted." But I don't doubt Gary Vaynerchuk. And that's why I'm giving away 100 copies of his brand new book, #AskGaryVee: One Entrepreneur's Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness. The details are on my podcast. Gary will be the first to admit that he doesn't know everything. But he knows everything about everything he knows. "I talk emphatically and with enormous bravado about the things I know and understand," he says, "and I hedge and punt things I don't understand." Gary is transparent. Authentic. Self-aware. And successful. So successful that I dont even like introing him. He wants you to win. And I do, too. "When you understand yourself, you're able to navigate the world," he says. But navigating is hard. I have more misunderstandings than understandings. That's ok. Because it allows me to be curious everyday, do this podcast, write and read three, four or five books a week. "Self-awareness is the single best attribute anyone can be gifted with," Gary says. But people don't know if they're self-aware or not. "Don't live life hoping and wishing you were something. Start for the first time in your life actually deciding what you are and navigating around that," he says. Listen to my interview with Gary. Get to know him. And yourself. So you can navigate the world and get your intro. Whatever that may be. Listen now for your chance to win his new book. I recommend it. Resources and Links: Read Gary's new book, #AskGaryVee: One Entrepreneur's Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness Get your morning motivation from Gary every monday. Sign up on this website www.garyvaynerchuk.com Follow Gary on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Snapchat (garyvee) Subscribe to his YouTube channel to watch The #AskGaryVee Show Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion by Gary Vaynerchuk The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk ------------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 never thought about sex with Barbara Corcoran. I still don't. But she brought it up. We were talking about entrepreneurship. And she said how old she was when she lost her virginity. Twenty-three. I wanted to know how she turned a thousand dollars into a five billion dollar company. Then: $1,000. Now: $5,000,000,000. I wanted to know how she founded The Corcoran Group, the largest company in real estate. And how you become the type of entrepreneur Barbara Corcoran chooses on Shark Tank. I'm going to tell you how to get Barbara's investment. If that's what you want. But not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur. According to Barbara. "I found a real difference between the superstars and everyone else," she says. And I agree. That's why I wrote The Rich Employee. Entrepreneurship isn't everything. But it can be. Barbara reviews thousands of investment opportunities. And most hear "no." She says you have to have "a nose for entrepreneurship." That's how you get a "yes," from Barbara Corcoran. But before you start doubting yourself, take the test. You'll find out how in this interview. Jump to [39:25]. It's scary. She says, if you weren't born with "it," (the nose for entrepreneurship, the "innate intelligence,") then "you shouldn't be an entrepreneur in the first place." And you need specific characteristics: A) Handle rejection. You can't cry. Or feel sorry for yourself. The top people in Barbara's company made four million dollars a year in commissions. They took hits. Just as many as the others. Or more. "Because they were trying for more," she says, "But the real difference was how long they took to feel sorry for themselves." Get over rejection. And try again. B) Conserve energy. Monitor yourself. Just notice. I feel tired. Why? I'm not motivated. I'm drained. Burnt out. Why? Your energy leaks out. Through fear, regret, negative people, bad situations. Conserve it. Refocus. And put it to good use. C) You shouldn't quit your job I ran my side business for 18 months before quitting my full-time job. I had eleven employees. But I'm not special. Really. Because that's what all of Barbara's "successful" entrepreneurs do. They keep their jobs. D) You need to be "hungry, mean and insecure." "That's been my track record with the businesses I've invested," she says. You need to have something to prove. But nice is ok for me. I'll take nice. E) Daydream. "Vision is daydreaming and seeing yourself in a role and seeing what your business is going to become," she says. Picture it. Use your imagination. Escape into the dream. She says, "I don't know any entrepreneurs who don't visualize." Listen to today's episode. Are you really an entrepreneur? Maybe you don't know. But after listening to today's podcast, you will. Resources and Links: Follow Barbara on Facebook & Twitter Watch her on Shark Tank Read her book Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business ------------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... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I'd rather be an alien. I'd rather be myself. Than be liked. It makes sense... why you'd want to be liked. Think about it. From an evolutionary standpoint, when you're liked, you're safe. You're in the tribe. People protect you. But now, I'd rather be an alien. I don't want stress. I don't want to worry, "Do I fit in?" There are consequences to being liked. You start compromising. You stop taking risks. You follow the herd. You get stuck in a crappy job at a fluorescently lit cubicle. Where they can watch you. You stop taking risks. You wonder, "Is this ok?" Ok to who? Not you. Not the only person who matters. I'd rather be an alien. If I'm an alien, I can act like I just landed here. And I'm not supposed to know if I fit in. I'm forced to be myself. No trying. Just forced. I can surrender. My guest today, used to be in a tribe. I won't say it's the worst one. But it's bad. Turney Duff is the New York Times bestselling author of, The Buy Side: A Wall Street Trader's Tale of Spectacular Excess, where he tells the truth. He bleeds. "Look, chances are people aren't going to like me after I tell the story, so at no point am I ever, ever, ever going to try to get the reader to like me," Turney says. But that wasn't easy. Because he spent his whole life trying to be liked. "I've always had this 'Nobody loves me' syndrome. I had this fear of ordinary, fear of being normal." On Wall Street, Turney was a trader. But he wasn't just trading stocks. He traded sleep, health, relationships, money. All of it for drugs. He was afraid. He'd go to hotel rooms and snort cocaine by himself. But nothing was enough. He made $2 million dollars a year. He thought, "If I could just make three million dollars a year, all of my problems would be solved." But before that he said, "If I could just make fifty thousand dollars a year, all of my problems would be solved. All of them." He wanted to be a journalist. But he traded. A lot of people trade. Maybe you traded. But it's not too late. You can choose yourself. There are three things you need to know to choose yourself. And I got these from my interview with Turney. He'll show you. He'll prove to you it's not too late. I believe in you. Three steps to (finally) choose yourself: 1) Don't try to be liked. When Turney wrote this book, he knew people would stop liking him. Or hate him. He told it anyway. And it saved his life. That's what saved my life too. Bleeding on the pages. Telling my truth. Listen at [2:35] to learn how to cure something in yourself too. 2) Want less. Wanting more hurts. Because you trick your brain into believing you don't have enough. And start feeling sorry for yourself. Instead of grateful for what you do have. So I want less. Listen at [6:28]. Turney explains why wanting more destroys you. 3) Build up your gut. We have instincts. And our bodies speak to us. But we're good at ignoring it. The pain. We think stomach aches are just stomach aches. But it's an accumulation abuse. Stress. Worry. Fear. You have to listen to your body. Notice the pain. Turney says, "I became successful on the trading desk because I had great instincts, and I used my gut. Along the way I lost that." Listen at [51:50] to hear how he got his gut back. After everything, I ask him, "Has it worked out?" "I'll tell you this..." Listen here for my interview with Turney. You'll learn how to choose yourself. And you'll hear how Turney did it himself. How he turned his back on his tribe, his drugs, his money. It took him most of his life. But he did it. You can too. ------------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... 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 want to be afraid. But I am. I'll explain why. But first, I want to introduce you to Adam Grant. He has the solution to my problem... And maybe your problem, too. Adam is the youngest tenured and highest-ranking professor at the famed business university The Wharton School, a writer for The New York Times, and the New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success. In researching his new book, Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, Adam met with today's most successful and innovative entrepreneurs. Why? To get answers. "We have a ton of guidance on how to generate ideas," he says. But what about after? What do you do? Originals teaches you how to bring new ideas into the world. And really, there's no grand theory on how to be "original." But there are tricks... And Adam discovered some patterns among today's most successful entrepreneurs. He spoke to Google's co-founder, Larry Page, Warby Parker's founders and CEOs, and thought leaders like the renowned writer, Malcolm Gladwell. From Gladwell, Adam learned the most powerful technique to induce creativity. From Larry Page and the Warby Parker guys, he found a common thread. Hint: don't quit your day job. But, more on that later. I'm going to tell you the top three things to be "an original." They might surprise you. But first, I want you to know what else you'll get from today's podcast: How to get into a flow state (even during tasks you don't like) [51:32] Should you plan your procrastination? [25:20] The most powerful techniques to immerse yourself and bring creativity into your life(including Malcolm Gladwell's library trick) [20:06] Why the hell Adam Grant didn't invest seed money in Warby Parker and become a billionaire [8:38] An ode to the idea muscle: why it's more important to have quantity over quality ideas [28:19] Ok so here they are. The top three things to become "an original:" 1) Induce creativity First unlearn. Then learn... We've all internalized things we need to question. That's what adults do. We make up rules and reasons. We draw lines instead of pictures... tell "facts," not stories. But why can't we play with our food? Or stand on the counter? Kids think. Kids create. And we can get back to that too. We just have to unlearn. And then re-learn. "This comes back to our idea of broadening your experience and your knowledge," Adam says. "You need to step outside of your field in order to see what you should be challenging." Immerse yourself in new domains. Go beyond work... beyond your office... beyond the usual. Personally, I dabble in a lot of things. I play games. I write. I read. I'm involved in lots of businesses. And I recently tried stand-up comedy. "I've just pursued things I'm curious about," Adam says, "and then unexpectedly, they turn out to have bridges between them." That's the key to learning. Do something new. Do a dare of the day. It's good for your creative health. 2) Don't quit your day job (yet). Give yourself time to build your business. It worked for me. I tell why in this episode. Listen at [21:31]. And be conservative. It's one of the best ways to be original. "I was stunned actually," Adam says. He read this a "nationally represented study of American entrepreneurs." "People who did what you did, James, and kept their day job are 33% less likely to fail." 3) Propel your ideas forward Doubting your ideas can be paralyzing, so eliminate self-doubt. According to Adam, a lot of originals said, "Look, you could fail by starting a business that flops or you could fail by not starting a business at all, and I don't want to be in that second category." Listen at [22:09] to get actionable steps to fight self-doubt. Listen now. And let's stop being afraid... Together. Resources and Links: Read Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant Listen to my last interview... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ask the world this question, and you'll drown in failure. You'll lose. Anything you take, anything you earn, will be foul. I bet you've asked this question before. Maybe everyday. Maybe all your life. "How can I get?" How can I get rich? How can I get happy? How can I get more? There's no return on getting. It leave you with nothing. Or worse than nothingness. Emptiness. But there's another way. It's simple. And it works for me I'm going to tell you how to earn your worth. It works for me. And it works for my podcast guest, Russell Simmons, "the third richest figure in hip-hop with an estimated net worth of $340 million." He gets. He told me a story. "That was my first realization that hard work turned into something," he says. "I had never been on a plane. I had certainly never been out of the country, and landing in Amsterdam they're like, 'Mr. Simmons what would you like?' I'm like, 'Oh shit Mr. Simmons.' That was a revelation. I was a grown man I could get things I wanted." But not all his life. He grew up in Queens. "Hollis, Queens and 205 Street. Frank Lucas was on our corner and so that was the heroin capital. The neighborhood went down very quickly," he says. "Obviously every kid took a lot of drugs." He was 13. Joined a gang. Sold drugs, "had some experiences," and escaped. Now he's the chairman and CEO of Rush Communications and the co-founder of Def Jam, the record label famous for spotting Beastie Boys, Jay Z, Kanye West, Rihanna and 100 others. Since 1984. I wanted to know how he got here. And how he became one of my heroes. "I didn't discover hip-hop," he says, "hip-hop discovered me." Opportunity found him. He was at the center of that universe. He grew his opportunities. He spotted talent, formed partnerships, and became an entrepreneur. He learned a lot. You might expect to hear "he hustled." But mostly, he gave back. "This idea that you have to trade with the world or manipulate the world to be successful is wrong headed," Russell says. Contribute. "If you look at your own history of success it's because you contributed to success," he says. It's works for me too. I give writing. I get readers. I give interviews. I get advice, entertainment, a network, new friends, a memory, and experiences I would never get if I didn't give. And giving can be simple. Write emails to people you admire. Surprise someone. Do something that makes someone else's life better. Give ideas. Say thanks. "You have to be comfortable in your seat, and life's only goal is to be happy and comfortable in your seat," Russell says. "From that space the universe unravels and it attracts everything. You become a greater giver because you're focused on giving and you're not fearful of the world. You become a contributor." "Anyway I'm out of cocaine now. Just so you know I've been vegan and I've stopped taking drugs almost thirty years ago," he says. That's why I got to have him on my podcast. He wrote a book, The Happy Vegan: A Guide to Living a Long, Healthy, and Successful Life. I got to go to his apartment to interview him. It's an incredible book. I learned a huge amount reading it. I'm not a vegan. But I'm strongly considering it. Listen to today's podcast. You'll get you ideas. Ideas about how to change different industries (food, farming, the drug industry). And you can start giving. You'll learn how to contribute. Give. And why it's important to your success. "Good givers are great getters," Russell says. This interview will get you thinking. You're going to learn how to "get." I'll give you the starting step. Stop asking, "What can I get?" And start asking, "What can I give?" Listen now. Resources and Links: ReadThe Happy Vegan: A Guide to Living a Long, Healthy, and Successful Life by Russell Simmons Read Success Through Stillness: Meditation Made Simple by Russell Simmons Read Super Rich: A Guide to Having It All by Russell Simmons Follow... 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 diet. It's a distraction. My rule is simple. Don't eat when you're not hungry. But that's not always easy. Nothing is always easy. With diet, you have an internal argument. Willpower versus cravings. So what do you do when the voice in your head won't stop? You struggle. Your mind plays ping pong. Eat it. Don't it. One bite. No. Yes. Ok. Damn it. Only one side wins. Willpower or cravings. I'm going to tell you how to make willpower win. How to make that voice go away. And this will do a lot more for you than just help you lose weight. It will give you better brain function. Make you pay attention better. Give you more energy. You'll feel better. I'll tell you my secret. But before I do, I want to introduce you to a Silicon Valley investor and tech entrepreneur, Dave Asprey, who spent two decades and more than $300,000 hacking biology. When hunger stops interrupting you, "then you have more capacity to make better decisions somewhere else in your life," Dave says. He hacked hunger. And now he's sharing his solution in Bulletproof: The Cookbook: Lose Up to a Pound a Day, Increase Your Energy, and End Food Cravings for Good. Which I'm giving away for free here It works like this. But don't quote me. I'm not a doctor. Except I do play one on Twitter. When your body burns fat or sugar, you get energy. But "We're wired to only burn fat or only burn sugar," Dave says. One or the other. If your body could burn both at the same time, you'd get double the energy. Or triple. I don't know exactly how much. But I felt like Superman. I wrote an entire book in one weekend. And Superman felt like Superman, too. Brandon Routh, the guy who played Superman in 2006 wrote the foreword to Dave's book. Because it works. But we're all different. What works for me might not work for you. For me, the distraction is gone. The voice that says, "I'm hungry," stops. So you don't overeat. Your satisfied. And focused. "One of the three big urges that interrupt you all the time stops interrupting you," Dave says, "and then you have more capacity to make better decisions somewhere else in your life." You have more energy to do what you love. To read, write 10 ideas, start a business on the side. "I would happily weight 20 lbs more if I got better brain function, if I could pay attention better if I had more energy, if I felt better, but it turns out that when you eat to get enough energy into the body, you just effortlessly lose weight without willpower," Dave says. Get your brain back, your willpower and insane amounts of energy. Be like superman. Listen now. Resources and Links: Get Bulletproof: The Cookbook: Lose Up to a Pound a Day, Increase Your Energy, and End Food Cravings for Good Read his first book The Bulletproof Diet: Lose up to a Pound a Day, Reclaim Energy and Focus, Upgrade Your Life Follow Dave Asprey on Facebook & Twitter Visit his website bulletproofexec.com ------------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... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

He self-medicated. He covered stories in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. He went to Iraq six or seven times. When he got back, he was depressed. He was 32 years old and had never touched hard drugs before. But it became the thing that made him feel better. Millions of people were watching. The red light was on. And right there, in the middle of his live segment, he had a panic attack. I'm going to tell you how to deal with stress. I'll tell you what works for me. But first, I want to tell you about my guest, Dan Harris. Dan is an anchor on "Good Morning America" and "Nightline." He's also the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works - A True Story. After the book came out people had questions. So he also created an app called "10% Happier." It teaches users easy "judo moves" to have more creativity, feel less stress, and be happier. It helps you surrender. Be self-aware. Focused. "The events that led up to my panic attack were a case study in mindlessness," Dan says. "Going to wars without thinking about the consequences, getting depressed and not knowing it and blindly self-medicating." I wanted to know what pushed him over the edge. "The one-word answer is cocaine," Dan says. "The more complicated answer is I arrived at ABC News when I was 28." He was insecure. He worked with big names like Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters. He wanted to be successful. "My Jewish father has this expression, 'The price of security is insecurity.' I really embraced that," he says. The pressure never let up. He demanded more of himself. But why do we make it so hard for ourselves? Many people have gone through this slow-motion panic attack. Including me. It's the stress of daily living. Something bad happens to you. You lose a job or get a divorce. Everyday wear and tear picks at you. Stress happens over time. And if you don't notice it, it builds. The voice in your head becomes meaner. Angrier. More resentful and regretful. Energy is wasted. Your creativity dies. Your idea muscle atrophies. And you're at the bottom of the funnel dreaming about retirement. But instead of imagining a better life later, retire. You can retire a little bit every day. Breathe. Feel your chest fall. That's retirement. It's a fantasy. I'm going to tell you how to make it real right now. But before I do, let me tell you what you'll get from today's podcast: a) Learn How to Have More Ideas Dan says, "When you ask, 'What is boredom like? What does this feel like? Where am I feeling it in my body? What's the taste of it in my mind?' That is curiosity." Curiosity produces creativity. And ideas. You'll learn how to make room for curiosity. b) Distance Yourself From Stress Dan teaches you how to notice stress and see your problems clearly. You'll learn to separate yourself from it. And relax. Essentially, you're becoming a scientist of your own inner reactions. A scientist is not his experiment. The same way humans are not their reactions and emotions to things. Those are separate. You'll learn how to separate yourself from stress.c) Be 10% Happier "First of all, 10% is just a joke. You can't quantify happiness," Dan says. "I came up with that as a bullshit answer to a friend." But being a little bit happier is better than being a little bit miserable. But you have to practice. You're practicing becoming aware of the angry voice that comes up and reacts. So you can be calm. Ok, now here's Dan's secret to dealing with stress: meditation "Let me just say outright, because as soon as you bring that word up, some high percentage of your listeners are like, 'All right, I'm done with this podcast. Meditation's bullshit. I don't want to do it,'" Dan says. He thought that too. "The book is really the story of me coming to terms with... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"I remember it like it was yesterday. It was Good Friday, 1989, at 3:30 in the afternoon. It was 37 degrees outside. I stood outside the Colosseum Mall, a mall in Jamaica, Queens. It's pretty popular. Just shivering with a bag of hats. I sold $800 worth of hats in an hour," Daymond John tells me. $800 an hour. That's "the power of broke." Before FUBU (a $6 billion global apparel company), before Shark Tank, and before Obama chose him as the Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship, Daymond John worked 18-hour days driving a delivery van. And he wasn't making money. His paychecks covered overhead - the cost of his van, gas, and maintenance. He worked to make money, and he made money to work. "When I took that to FUBU, I started saying, 'If we're not making money, it's not worth doing anything,'" he says. It's not failure. It's experience. "Other people call it failure. I won't call it failure. It's part of the process," he says. You need to take every single "failure" and bring it forward. You're on the floor. And broke. Learn from it. Money is the byproduct of energy, effort, and strategy. "Before you have any business, you're supposed to take inventory of yourself," Daymond says. "Assets and liabilities can be time, energy, education, friends, location, way of thinking." You have to take inventory of yourself. His new book, The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage is not Daymond's story. It's your story. And mine. It's about how you're going to get up, get experience, and get money. These are stories I learned from. The power of broke is "the common thread between all of us," Daymond says. It's about how you can learn from your mistakes and profit off your potential. Take advantage of that. Listen to my interview with Daymond. Here are the top 3 things you can only learn by listening to today's podcast: - "That is the most important thing about running a business," Daymond says. "If you don't have that, I don't care how much money you have. You can't buy your way into it." (at 5:35) - I ask Daymond: What are the first steps? What if you're listening and saying, "I got born at the wrong time," or "I'm in the wrong town"? What if you're hungry? And you want to hustle, and you've got the power of broke, but you don't know what to do with it? (at 21:59) - How do you know when a business will be successful? Because it sounds too romantic - the power of broke. Find out how to leverage your resources for success. (at 32:51) Listen now. Resources and Links: Read The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage by Daymond John Read Display of Power by Daymond John Read The Brand Within by Daymond John Follow Daymond on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram and visit his website ------------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... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I was always good at making money. I was also good at losing it instantly. I always went broke... Now I know why. What was I was doing wrong? I'll tell you. Because I bet you're making the same mistake. But first, I'll tell you how to make money. More money than you thought was possible. Listen to this episode. You'll hear tested and proven strategies to get rich from Ramit Sethi, the NewYork Times bestselling author and founder of iwillteachyoutoberich.com. He grew his business from a dorm-room blog into a multi-million dollar online business. And now he started a new company, GrowthLab, to teach you how to do the same thing-start and grow an online business. Ramit is a trainer. He'll make you hustle. "It's like looking up at a skyscraper and saying 'How am I going to build one of those?' Well you're not. You're going to start by walking in the lobby," Ramit says, "That's what you're going to do on day one." You can't get rich without putting in the work. I've set goals. None of them came true. But five or six other amazing things that I never could have predicted happened instead. Goals require plans. You're going to get rich. How? You want to lose weight or start a business. How? Ramit will tell you. He'll turn your goals into achievements. Actually, you'll do it, with his help. Consider taking his courses... One teaches you how to triple your salary. Which is like heroin. According to one of my other podcast guests, Nassim Taleb. Taleb said the three deadliest addictions are 1) heroin, I don't remember the second one, and 3) a steady salary. How can you feel motivated when you're prostituting yourself everyday? What did I learn from Ramit? It's less about what I learned, and more about what I feel capable of doing every time I listen to him. Fear is a debilitating idea. Replace fear with motivation. You'll be amazed at the results. I need motivation to eat well, write everyday, do the daily practice. And I start over everyday. Because motivation isn't as constant as your to-do list. But with Ramit's plan, you'll get systems in place. Systems that manage your money and organize your time, and take care of all the things draining you dry. "If you're going to put in work, why not be positive, try to improve yourself, improve your relationship, make more money," Ramit says. I haven't taken his courses. But strangers email me saying they're great. That they've tripled their income. I don't know why they tell me that. I get a lot of strange emails from strangers. Skip to 40:12 on my podcast. You'll laugh. Trust me. You shouldn't go a day without laughing anyway. I'm going to tell you why I went broke. You'll hear it in this episode. And you'll learn how to clean up your life. You'll get systems... you'll get a plan. And, thanks to Ramit, you'll learn how to be rich. Listen now. Resources and Links: * Ramit is giving away his Ultimate Guide to Making More Money on his website * If you're looking to start and grow your online business, go to GrowthLab.com * Listen to my last interview with Ramit Sethi here and watch this video from 3 years ago where we talk about our hate mai * Hear my last interview with Ramit Sethi here * Follow Ramit on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram and follow I Will Teach You To Be Rich on Facebook Read Ramit Sethi's New York Times bestselling book, I Will Teach You to Be Rich ------------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... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For billionaires, every exchange has a winner and a loser. That's what producers David Levien and Brian Koppelman tell me. They've made some of my favorite movies: Rounders, Ocean's Thirteen, Solitary Man. Now, they're coming out with 2016's most talked about show: Billions on Showtime. You can learn a lot from them. David and Brian are producers, creators and risk takers. If you want to create, listen to today's episode. You'll see how important it is to follow your curiosity. That's what David and Brian did. Sometimes starting something is that simple. Since they were kids, David and Brian were fascinated by two things: power and wealth. They wondered, "What makes a billionaire unique?" They had a question, an idea, and conviction. "We were all the f*ck in," Brian says. They had dinner with a bunch of billionaires. It sounds like it would be a lot of fun, but it wasn't. David and Brian were manipulated, belittled, and snubbed. But they were mesmerized. I'll give you one story. It's to tempt you to download this episode. Because I really think you're going to get a lot out of the interview. You'll hear their stories - the behind-the-scenes of 2016's most talked about show. You'll get motivation to write, build, and be creative. You'll hear about how a partnership is born. And you'll learn why people knowingly make the wrong choices. And maybe, you'll make the right ones. Whatever those are... the right choices for you. Ok so one story before you press play: Over dinner, David and Brian met with their first billionaire. It cost more than $2,000. He racked up the price and made them suffer. "There was clearly a power dynamic," David says. He acted like he wasn't thinking, but "billionaires don't just accidentally stumble along and amass great fortunes," David says, "He was showing us that he was no sucker. And we were." Before that night, "I've never thought, 'Who's gonna win the dinner?'" Brian said. If you've watched the trailer, you know what this guy did - "What's the point of having f*ck you money if you never say f*ck you." And they felt it. Morally, David and Brian believe in loyalty, honor, and ambition. And that you can balance these things. But not everyone does. Some people believe nice guys finish last. This interview reveals how to get inside the mind of billionaires. It might make you sick. Or it might make you hungry. Listen now. Resources and Links: * Watch the trailer for Showtime's Billions here * Check out my last interview with Bryan Koppelman here * I also highly recommend Bryan's podcast The Moment * Follow Bryan on Twitter and visit his website * Also check out David Levien's book, Signature Kill and read an excerpt here * Get my favorite movies: Rounders, Ocean's Thirteen, Solitary Man and The Girlfriend Experience ------------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 can't make everyone happy. Really, you can't make anyone happy. The sooner you accept this, the sooner you can let go of control, shame, or whatever your parents did to you, and start having sex. Or happiness. Whatever you're searching for. I'll explain. My guest today, a seven-time New York Times best-selling author, Neil Strauss, has written books on Motley Crue, Marilyn Manson, and pornstar Jenna Jameson, before exploring the pickup artist scene. Sex was all around him. He was immersed in the seduction community, but Neil couldn't find love himself. No woman would kiss him. He grew up a loser, and couldn't get a girlfriend for most of his life. Now he's happily married. But between marriage and being a loser, he had a lot of "pleasure fantasy experiences." Meaning, he learned how to pick up women and started having crazy sex orgies. One after another. And then he just stopped, and the sex parties ended. I wanted to know why. What made him decide he couldn't handle it anymore? But I'll get back to this. In his first book, The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists, Neil gives you easy tools you can use to have confidence. He teaches you how to feel like you're in control of a social situation. Neil was so busy having sex, he didn't have time to get back to his normal life. Personally, I don't think I'd like that. I would just constantly be jealous or insecure, to be honest. But back to happiness. Which I don't even like to talk about really... We put too much pressure on ourselves to be happy. You can't be happy all the time. And when you are happy, it should be special. But Neil had a good friend to help him refocus. "You need someone in your life who can reflect yourself back to you so you can see yourself a little bit," he says. His producer and close friend, Rick Rubin, said, "Look, you got everything you wanted in The Game. Why are you still not happy?" That's when Neil started looking for the truth. In his book, The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships, Neil shows you how he gave up control. The book is about beliefs. "It's so hard to recognize your beliefs, let alone change them, because you're living with yourself." But behaviors are easier to change. That's what he teaches you in this episode. You'll learn how to feel healthier emotionally. When your personal life is together, you're much more capable of achieving bigger things, accumulating wealth, and feeling less stressed and worried. Neil says, "There's always a reason for what you're doing, and if you don't know the reason, then maybe you're living an unconscious life." And if you're just curious about the sex, then there's something here for you, too. ------------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 know why I wrote Choose Yourself. But you don't know how you got here. How did you get here, on my email list, my website, Facebook page, Twitter? Do you want to know why you're following me? I'm going to tell you. I'll tell you my secrets to building an email list, a customer base, an audience. I'm going to tell you how I got you here. There are specific tactics I use. And you can use them, too, for your business or blog or anything. But I'll get back to that. First you need an idea. And there needs to be a demand for that idea. Next, you should be wondering, "Is my idea any good?" Probably not. Or maybe it is. You could be much smarter than me. Most of my ideas don't lead to anything. But a few have. Like StockPickr, the company I built and sold for millions before almost destroying myself and wanting to die. If you're an idea machine, you already know how to come up with ideas. Scaling an idea is more challenging. Results don't just appear. You need traction. You need to grow and acquire new customers. My guest today, Gabriel Weinberg, author of Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth and CEO of Duck Duck Go, is the king of results -- search results that is. That's what Duck, Duck, Go does. It is a search engine and it's stealing millions of customers from Google. It takes some sort of voodoo mastermind to figure out how to beat Google at their own game. Gabriel challenges the status quo. He's part of that rare breed of people who believe nothing is impossible. Now DuckDuckGo is pretty huge. But why would anyone want to challenge Google? That's what I wanted to find out. And I'll tell you why in a second. But let's get back to my secret. In 33 minutes and 22 seconds, you can know my preferred method to scaling your business. Or you can just skip to the 33:22 mark in today's interview. You might be surprised to find out how I scaled Choose Yourself - how I got traction. But if you're not looking for shortcuts, listen to the whole interview. You'll get an all-inclusive, complete breakdown on how to sell and scale your best ideas. Gabriel goes over every marketing tactic, nineteen to be exact. If you're resourceful, you can use them to start building your wealth for the New Year. And in his book, Gabriel and Justin Mares give you marketing tips from the masters, including Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, Kayak founder Paul English, and more than a dozen others. Listen today to hear Gabriel break down the best tactics for every stage of your business. You'll also hear why he wasn't happy with Google, and how he started today's superior search engine, in addition to how you and thousands of other people got here. And how you can start selling and scaling. Ready, set... (duck, duck) go. ------------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 know a miracle worker. He's an entrepreneur, marketing man, and film producer who gets companies like HP to say, "yes" to him. You can learn a lot from him. I did. One thing I learned is there's more to choosing yourself. There's a part two. Part one is when you see things in your life that are absurd, decide you're not going to stand for it anymore and quit. You decide to become physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually healthy. That's choosing yourself. Part two is when you see what's wrong with the world and say, "That's absurd. Let's change that. Let's hack that. Let's modify that so it's affordable." That's what Mick Ebeling does-- founder of the Not Impossible Labs and the Not Impossible Foundation. Through these two entities, Mick figured out how build whatever he wants, and solve impossible problems. Mick sees the world through his own lens. It's the reason he's successful. He creates technology that solves absurd problems like having your arms blown off. No prosthetics, no solution. Or being paralyzed and unable to speak to your family ever again. The technology to fix these problems does exist. But when you can't afford it, you have an even bigger problem. This is why Mick hacks. He disrupts the system, doesn't wait for permission, and believes in impossible things. You can, too, but more on that later. Let me tell you how he got started. Mick was just reading the paper. He read that thousands of people in the country of Sudan don't have arms because of war injuries. And they just live with it. They can't afford prosthetics, so they hand-feed each other, dress each other, and help each other with all the other daily necessities. Mick decided to do something. He flew to Sudan with no plan and figured out how to create prosthetic arms using a 3D printer. This is someone with no experience in medicine or engineering. He's just a guy with a big heart who decided nothing is impossible. On the show, you'll hear how he 3D printed arms for a boy named Daniel, and empowered an entire country to do this for thousands of other people missing limbs. I wanted to know how it's done. How can people quit their jobs and do things that really matter? Mick tells you how on the podcast. You'll also learn how to think like today's most successful innovators. "We're not trying to create the next $700 pill," Mick says, "We're trying to create something that totally disrupts a particular fill-in-the-blank, maybe it's a way of communication, a way of transportation." This is the winning mentality today: Uber, Airbnb, Not Impossible Labs. By making technology accessible, he's solving global problems. "Help one, help many," that's Not Impossible Labs' mission. Then Mick's team tells the story through videos that go viral and infect everyone with this bug- the not impossible bug. Besides a miracle worker, Mick's a story teller. "Each of our projects tells the story of a single individual. By helping one person, how many others can we help?" Stories bridge the gap between helping just one person and helping many. Mick's not just choosing himself... He's choosing the world. "Once you start to have the awareness of something you need, you start to see it." So how can you get the big idea, do the impossible, and become beautifully successful "First of all, you can just start to believe in this mentality that nothing is impossible," Mick says. Try it. Second, look for absurdities. They're everywhere - when you read or watch TV. When something bothers you, think of solutions. Be an idea machine. Third, disrupt. Don't wait for big government or big business to give you permission. Forget bureaucracy. Disruption starts now. We're hacking the system. Listen to today's episode. You'll hear Mick's miracle stories, find out where he gets his big ideas and his money, and how you too can do impossible things. Resources and Links: * Not Impossible Labs' Website *... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You can have power, but it comes with a lot of bullshit. When Spider-Man's Uncle Ben said, "With great power comes great responsibility," he was trying to say that power comes with a lot of BS. It's a good warning. We want all of the power and none of the bullshit. And then you hear everyone complaining. It's hard to be a good guy. My guest today, Jane Swift, is the youngest female governor in U.S. history turned CEO of Middlebury Interactive Languages. She's a superhero. During her campaign, she was pregnant with twins. She also already had a daughter. But that didn't stop her. She gives and expects nothing in return. That's what I do. Think about your obstacles. Now imagine doing more and complaining less. Sometimes, you might feel like you either have energy and no resources, or resources and no energy. Jane created both. And in today's podcast, she'll teach you how. I asked her what inspired her. "It's really around the passionate belief that I could make things better," she tells me. Her superpowers are her passion mixed with energy and focus. She uses them to help others. As governor, Jane was passionate about education. She says all children have gifts. And this is true for adults, too. Maybe someone failed you - the school system, or your parents. And now you're grown up. You're at a point in your life where you feel you should know what you're doing with your finances, your career, your family. Maybe you're feeling lost now. If no one patted your back, told you you're special, and helped you figure out what you're good at, you may feel like someone is sitting on your chest. You are lying there with weight, pressure, a heaviness inside you that says, "I'm stuck here." But it's not too late to find out what you're good at. Jane's goal was, and still is, to give kids opportunities in life. Don't you wish someone wanted the same for you now? I do. The difference is, you have to choose yourself. Part of that is surrounding yourself with the right people. Who are the right people? Jane says, "Sometimes, depending on the issue, the right people around the table are folks who you know well and trust a great deal." Plainly, if you pick the wrong people, you'll be stressed and you'll waste energy. How you spend your energy is your choice. And that's powerful. The other resource we crave is money. Campaigning, Jane didn't have that either. She hustled. "I tend to outwork people," she says. "As a working mother, I've learned to work hard and smart." She raised $60,000 for her campaign. Some people wrote checks to support her. Others baked brownies, and she had bake sales... That's old school hustling. Sometimes, to make things happen, you have to go back to the basics. You don't become a superhero by trying to be a superhero. You become a superhero by overcoming whatever's in your way. "I had to be really crisp and really convincing, and really think through my position on a number of issues to convince people that a 25 year old woman, a couple of years out of college, would be a better state senator than a 7 term incumbent," she says. Start small. Try to improve 1% a day. The people who baked brownies helped at least 1%. That's how you gain momentum. And that's what you'll learn in today's episode. You'll learn how to hustle, earn power, and, if you're lucky, become a superhero, too. ------------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... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It won't be the idea that causes you to quit... it's fear. It's the big idea that stops us-the idea of being a Google or a Facebook, a New York Times best-selling author, a guru, a YouTube sensation, a Mark Cuban or Kevin O'Leary. Sometimes, it seems easier to forget you even had the idea to begin with. The idea of success. But if you give in, you'll end up quitting before you start. It's a trap. Think about how many people are on Earth. There are millions of attractive people I have never met because I didn't give myself the chance. I always thought, "She'd never have sex with me."I didn't even look. So I quit before I could start. But staring at a girl is easy. And who knows what that leads to? If you want to achieve something, you need to make moves. In today's podcast, you'll learn the steps you need to take to achieve anything. My guest, Mary Karr, is an award-winning poet and best-selling memoirist with praise from Stephen King, among many other highly-esteemed writers. In the interview, Mary shares some easy techniques you can use to get started. Number one, start with things that are easy or convenient, and build from there. Identifying your interests is important, too. Mary started with reading. "Something about reading other people's life stories made me less lonely," she says. Mary explains that it's often "the thing that happened to you that was very dramatic that maybe nobody else would find dramatic," that make the best stories. These little moments give you insight. That's what makes you capable of doing whatever you put your mind to. No one has your experiences, the order of those experiences, your relationships, your perspective, your talents, and your drive. These pieces make you capable of doing something nobody else can. You have to work with what you have. "I start with very convenient ideas and convenient memories in which I always appear to be doing beautiful and nimble things," she says, "and then it turns out I was the one making a lot of the trouble." When it's your story, who knows what will turn out? Your experiences shape what you're capable of. And they shape what you're on your way to becoming. "No one can tell me what the shape of my mind is like better than me," Mary says. In addition to her literary success, Mary taught creative writing in jail. Why? "All of us who write are ultimately trying to make the world less lonely," she says. If there's an impact you'd like to make, make it. Even if you're scared. "I'm never not scared," Mary says. When I asked what she's scared of, I realized I've heard her list before. From myself. Scared of sounding like an idiot, being boring, "losing what little stature I've gained for myself." If what you have is so little, then what is there to lose? That's how I picked myself up. I improved 1% a day. You can too. Listen today for techniques to get overcome fear of failure. You'll learn to look around you and discover opportunities. You'll let yourself stare. Resources and Links: * The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr * Read her first memoir, The Liar's Club by Mary Karr * Read her second memoir, Cherry by Mary Karr * Read her third memoir, Lit by Mary Karr * Follow Mary on Facebook & Twitter * Read what Mary is re-reading: The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard * Stephen King praised Mary Karr in his book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft * Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut * George Orwell's memoir Down and Out in Paris and London * Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace * Jesus' Son: Stories by Denis Johnson * Giving Up the Ghost by Hilary Mantel ------------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... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Everyone I've ever dated (before my second marriage) was just practice. Telling my second grade crush I was in love with her and getting laughed at - practice. Posing as a psychic on Craigslist to meet women - practice. I could have chosen not to do those things. I could have been too embarrassed or said I don't want to be "that guy." But then I would have been holding myself back. Don't waste time and energy contemplating if you'll be successful. I get it. You're afraid. You don't want to get stuck or let go of a good thing. Recognize, though, that your fear won't generate wealth and freedom. So how do you know what's right financially? My guest today, Kevin O'Leary says, "There's no guarantee. You have to try things." Before becoming a successful entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and millionaire shark, Kevin tried and tested different jobs. He picked up garbage. This wasn't for him. He wasn't invested. Sometimes the key to success is to say no. Not to invest. If you aren't invested, you can keep trying new things. That's what Kevin did. He tried something else, which he talks about in today's interview. He just kept going. The idea is to find something more fulfilling. And even when you find it, keep an open mind. It might still be a test. Kevin has a three-year rule. If something can't survive three years, then "take it behind the barn and shoot it," he says. Dump it. Quit it. Do not invest. "Unless it's a hobby and you don't mind losing money," he says. This rule applies to dating, too. If you don't see a future with someone, why continue? Consider how much you're spending, or "investing," in dating someone. And think of it the other way around. Can you survive it for three years? Or three more years? Kevin waited six before marrying Linda. Now they've been married for 25 years. In his new book, Cold Hard Truth On Men, Women, and Money: 50 Common Money Mistakes and How to Fix Them, and in today's interview, Kevin teaches you how to avoid making bad investments in your life with simple, easy-to-follow tips. Smart investments require time. You need time to find out who and what you're compatible with. And those things change. You change. So when you feel stuck or unfulfilled, don't just cry about it. "There's no room for tears," Mr. Wonderful says. Do something. Listen today to learn the best techniques to test a potential investment. You'll also hear Kevin's advice on how to successfully get people invested in you. ------------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 she told me to jump off a bridge, I just might do it. She was the only friend who would tell me anything, and I would do anything for her. I think I love her. Growing up, I wanted to know everything-sex, bullying, whether I was normal or not. I was curious-confused really. Kids were mean and girls were pretty. Judy Blume was the only one who would answer my questions. I was asking, "What is it all for?" And she told me. I thought, maybe this is what finding God feels like. She's a No. 1 New York Times best-selling author with more than 85 million books sold. Successful? Yes. But it's more than that. "I represent childhood," she says, "I think when somebody represents your childhood, that's special. I'm lucky people tell me that." Her book, "Forever," taught me about sex. "Blubber" explained bullying. I read Judy Blume's books because I had questions and she had answers. So where did she come from? At age 25, a man took her on a date. He stayed the night and never left. They got married, had two little babies, but Judy realized she had stories but no other outlets. "I wouldn't say I had exactly grown up when I started to write, but I was in a grown-up situation." Sometimes, as grown-ups, we stop taking care of ourselves. We neglect our needs, health, relationships, and friendships. But if you're open to living a better life, you'll learn something from Judy Blume. She used to feel stuck, too. Stuck and lonely. "I understand now how important friendship is in a life, no matter how happy you are with your family," she says. Do you feel a void, too? What's missing here? Judy realized she needed to take care of herself. "Before I started to write, I was sick all the time. I was always sick. I had one exotic illness after another, but once I started writing I was letting that bad stuff out and it didn't have to make me sick anymore," she says. Writing helped her and it helped us, but we're still wondering, "What is it all for?" Uncertainty and darkness. "Would you say that's the overriding theme of the book," I asked. "You're interesting," Judy says. "I'm a person who never knows the theme of her book." Her new book, "In The Unlikely Event," is an opportunity for me, for you, for everyone "to be taken out of our own lives, to get insight into other people's lives, as well as our own lives, and to learn new things." Listen now to Judy Blume. No bridge necessary. ------------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.

This is for the writers. Write something that doesn't suck. It's a simple goal. With low stakes, Amy Koppelman wrote "I Smile Back," which was rejected at least 80 times. It was rejected because it resembled the truth too much. One publisher said, "This is the reason we got into publishing, but I can't sell this." Now, Sara Silverman is starring in the movie. She's the main character, Laney. I was scared for the Laney. The book bleeds. Sometimes you have to feel sorry for someone else to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Good fiction can do that. It's how you can escape. They say you can't run away from yourself. But they lie all the time. Amy wrote letters. She was depressed. She needed an escape. When she recognized sadness in someone else, she wrote him letters. Years later, with a pair of scissors, she cut and pasted a story together. That's how she got her book. She wrote with scissors. In today's interview, Amy reveals how you write great fiction. I wanted to know about the sadness inside her. Does it come from a deeper, darker truth? Amy says the best kind of writing understands you somehow without even knowing you. It helps you understand yourself better. "All of us, whether we're writers, carpenters or teachers, we just want to be heard and understood," Amy says. Whatever you're doing now, you don't know what it's doing for your future. That's why I recommend a daily practice. Amy doesn't have a daily practice. She used to sit and wonder when she'd make coffee again. Depression made instant coffee look impossible. Everything loomed over her. But one day she made coffee. And over the course of many small victories, she survived. Listen to Amy Koppelman to learn how to write to survive. This is the master of fiction that bleeds. ------------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.

Do you have a favorite book you return to over and over again? James does, and today the author of that book joins him on The James Altucher Show. Many of you know James does a Twitter Q&A every Thursday. But what you probably didn't know is that before he jumps online he rereads one book... He turns to Sugar for inspiration. Sugar is the fictional character in Cheryl Strayed's book, Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar. Cheryl Strayed has had a rough life: sexual abuse, divorce, past drug abuse, and her mother's death. All this pushed her to do something radical with her life. She decided to take a hike. Not your everyday hike; she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Coast Trail from the Mojave Desert through California, Oregon, and Washington - and she did it alone. The hike finally healed her, and she turned it into her NY Times bestselling memoir, Wild. The book was then turned into a movie starring Reese Witherspoon. Oprah loved the book so much she restarted her book club just to highlight it. Cheryl's new book Brave Enough was just released in October. James asks her, "Why a book of quotes?" As Cheryl says in the introduction of her book... "I've always been a quote collector... From the comic to the profound, the simple to the complex, the sorrowful to the ecstatic, the inspiring to the stern, whenever I need consolation or encouragement, a clear-eyed perspective or a swift kick in the pants - which is often - quotes are what I turn to. They've been tacked to the walls of every home I've made. I've written them down in my journals and kept them on files in my computer. I've scribbled them on the back of ripped-open envelopes and drawn them across stretches of sand." Now that they've met, James is almost sorry, as he'll not be able to steal from her so easily going forward. Resources and Links: Cheryl Strayed Website Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed Wild by Cheryl Strayed and Wild (the movie) starring Reese Witherspoon Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed Torch by Cheryl Strayed Dear Sugar podcast Oprah's 2015 Book Club ------------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.

Lewis Howes is great. He has achieved Olympic level successful in many areas of his life and today with the launch of his brand new book, The School of Greatness, he adds Bestselling Author to the list. On this episode, I ask Lewis what it takes to be great. Without hesitation, Lewis says that it all starts with a vision. You have to visualize what it is you really want. You have to dream it. Lewis says that before you can achieve greatness and success you have to understand what greatness and success looks like for you. Take a notepad and a pen, go out into nature, lay there in silence and write down what your perfect day would look like. Lewis says that everyone faces some type adversity in their life, but the ones who achieve greatness figure out a way to use the adversity to their advantage. We discuss some amazing examples of people who have achieved greatness after adversity, like Kyle Maynard. I hope you enjoy today's episode as much as I did. I know you can be great. Links and resources: The School of Greatness - Lewis Howes book that releases today! Lewis' website Lewis' Twitter "You need vision if you're going to reinvent yourself." - Lewis Howes - click to tweet ------------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 running your own business, then you know by now that you have to care about what you're doing if you want to be successful. Making money can be a goal, but it can't be your only goal. You have to work toward something greater than just turning a profit. On today's podcast I talk with Bryan Johnson, someone who knows full well how much you have to care if you want your investments to pay off, and he's found the perfect balance between being financially successful and changing the world. I talked with Bryan two years ago (and I actually put the interview in my book Choose Yourself!). I invited him to that first interview because he had established Braintree, a payment platform for many online businesses and entrepreneurs, and it was immensely successful. But I'm bringing him back this time around because a lot has changed in two years. Bryan sold Braintree to Ebay for $800 million and has since used that money to start a venture capital fund for what he likes to call "save the world" sort of companies. He's looking for engineers, creators, and financiers who are creating platforms, companies, and businesses that could benefit the lives of billions of people. He talks about what kinds of fields and platforms he's interested in on today's show, and he explains the passion that's driving him. "I have a burning desire to devote my life to improve the lives of people," he says when I ask him what inspired his approach to business. "But I didn't know what that meant at 21. So I decided I'd become an entrepreneur, retire by 30, and then spend the rest of my life with an abundance of time and money trying to do some good." That definitely explains why he sold Braintree, but he also gives insight into what made this first business venture of his so successful and how he used it to kick start his true goal for helping people. Combining business with philanthropy is Bryan's main focus, and he is actively seeking those who are creating the technologies people cannot find but desperately need, such as synthetic biology for combating diseases like Alzheimer's. On today's podcast, Bryan goes into what it takes to get into what he calls the "ecosystem of contribution" and how you can contribute to his charitable cycle by: Learning his unique three goals when it comes to running a successful business Looking at our planet Earth as its own technological platform Focusing on what makes you - and your business - happy and helpful Leaning how to avoid snobbery in small business If you've got a humanitarian approach to business like Bryan does and are actively looking to engage with the game changers of the world who are focusing their efforts on building a better world, then this podcast is geared at you. Anyone can be successful for themselves, but being successful for the sake of others is truly admirable and Bryan's approach will no doubt help you build a better business for yourself and your clients. Resources: Bryan Johnson The OS Fund Braintree ------------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... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's guest changed my life. Seeing as he helped to invent Blogger and Twitter, he probably changed your life too! The Internet's last decade and a half of development as a forum for writing has taken place in large part on platforms built in part by Ev Williams. Evan "Ev" Williams is on the show today to talk about his new blogging platform, Medium, and how he worked his way up to the top spot he is now. "I worked my whole life basically broke and in debt," he tells me, and this may be a familiar situation for you. Struggling to realize your dreams, working hard to create something new the public wants - we've all experienced these efforts in one way or another, and some of your attempts may have been more successful than others. The hardest part about running your own business is not only having the confidence to take the risks, but also to pull yourself together if that risk should fail. Even success can come with its own stress. Working to create Blogger and Twitter led Ev to a ton of success in media, but he talks about the strange kind of success Google brought him and how you don't always necessarily know what to do with it. In fact, he didn't handle success very well at all the first time. As he said in an article in The New York Times "It wasn't obvious to me that I wanted to sell my business," he tells me when Google came asking for Blogger and absorbed him into the company. He was dedicated to seeing it become successful, but he did not know the rules and language of corporate success, and he ran into many roadblocks along the way. Of course, we know from hindsight that whatever he did was right, but how can you be sure of the outcome when you're just starting on the path? Ev shares his answers to this difficult question, and his insightful advice on today's podcast will teach you - How to find product-market fit for your business - How to monetize your web and media content in different ways - How to use multiple media platforms to reach your audience - How to use more than a website to get real interaction with your audience and clients Evan Williams' new site Medium, www.medium.com, is up and running right now. Connect with Twitter, Facebook, or Google to get started, and see how you can use this new, larger platform to market yourself and interact with your clients. Resources: Ev Williams Twitter - @ev Ev Williams Medium here and here ------------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.

Naveen Jain is the founder and CEO of one of the biggest companies from the dot-com boom era, and now he has set his sights on the moon. His company, Moon Express, plans to send a rocket to the moon as a business venture to collect rare minerals and resources, and then bring them back to Earth. He also plans to make travel to the moon and other planets accessible to all of us at some point in the future. Naveen is the founder of InfoSpace, the first company to develop services that were sold to other companies that then white-labeled those services on their own web sites. According to Naveen, InfoSpace was the first company to realize that people would eventually want to use the internet on mobile devices. Naveen co-founded Intelius, the information commerce company that gives users access to basic information about people all on one site. In 2010, Naveen started Moon Express with the goal of bringing rare minerals back to the Earth for use in a number of applications, such as energy uses. Going to the moon is not the only goal of Moon Express, and Naveen sees it as the start of developing a multi-planetary society. Naveen explains how Moon Express will become both commercially viable and also sustainable as a company. In addition to space, Naveen sees the medical diagnostics field as another big industry in which he sees potential large growth over the next five to ten years. Naveen says the biggest societal problems offer entrepreneurs the most opportunity. Education is another field in which he sees a need to address training for current jobs that weren't around 20 years ago. Also, another important area is looking for solutions for at-risk countries that do not have accessible, clean drinking water. Naveen believes we need to first solve our own internal problems before we tackle the world's problems. He thinks being at peace with who we are, and finding our purpose and mission, are key factors to finding that solution. He says the process of becoming more fluent in producing ideas lies in having intellectual curiosity, learning for the sake of learning, and getting basic fundamental knowledge in the areas that interest us. As far as finding our own mission in life, Naveen says ask yourself "What would you do if you had a billion dollars?" He says do that career now, and you'll find a business around it. Resources and Links * Moon Express * X Prize Foundation * Singularity University Thanks so much for listening! ------------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.

Are you willing to disobey your parents? Cassey Ho came from a typical Asian family. They gave her three choices for her career... doctor, lawyer or engineer. She had to bring honor to her family. But that wasn't Cassey's calling. She had the entrepreneurial spirit, and she just had to follow her dream. Fast-forward to today, and Cassey has almost 2.5 million subscribers to her YouTube channel Blogilates TV, with one of her videos now approaching 7.5 million views. And that was just the beginning. She has created a whole line of products that's growing quickly. Listen here today as she shares with James how she advertises her "brand." ------------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.

This week I've got something important to say to every message board across the internet: "Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wants to help mom with the dishes." Sound familiar? That's PJ O'Rourke, world-renowned talking head and published author, whose political humor and commentary make him the butt of many an insult on message boards everywhere. He's on the show today to talk about politics and why humor is always the best policy, especially if you want to really make a difference. When it comes to being funny in politics, humor is your only option. "You really don't have a choice," PJ tells me. "To take it seriously is to indicate you're an idiot." And the same applies to the way you run your business, so be careful! If you take yourself too seriously, you're only going to end up missing out on the important, finer details. Because even in business you are still involved in politics one way or the other. Maybe you're the member of a committee, maybe you design your staff meetings as a form of democracy - either way, there is an election process, a conversation, and a show of hands that can represent your decision or point of view. And you need to be educated in your field if you ever hope to find the humor in it. Because finding the humor in your point of view means you are much more likely to start the right kind of conversations to get people on your side. Unlike politics though, comedy is hard. "I have more respect for comedians like Jay Leno and Chris Rock," PJ says, after I asked him if he respected them more than Joe Biden. And that's saying something. Humor gives you the power to generate conversations, and PJ's quirky sense of humor lends this week's show some hilarious viewpoints on these conversation starters: * The government's role in regulating capitalism and big businesses * The time and place for politics * How to find humor in high-stakes political situations * How comedy can change the way the world sees a situation, especially through the lens of the internet PJ's latest book, Thrown Under the Omnibus, comes out October 6 "Is that when it's coming out? No one told me!" says P.J. The book touches on these themes, but his conversation with me on the show today is full of the kind of jokes you want to be able to tell at your next networking event. So listen in and see how you can be the funny man (or woman) at your next business meeting. To find out more about PJ and hear more of his work, head over to his column at The Weekly Standard. Special Note: Both PJ and James will be presenting LIVE at next month's Stansberry Conference in Las Vegas. If you're interested in joining them and over 30 additional speakers for two full days click here. This year's Conference will take place at one of the newest and most luxurious destinations on Las Vegas Boulevard -- the Aria Resort and Casino. ------------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.

This is my first threesome on the show! Tucker Max, Nils Parker, and Dr. Jeff Miller are all here to discuss their new book Mate: Become the Man Women Want. But what does dating have to do with business? Believe it or not, marketing yourself for social relationships is related to marketing your business for success. In fact, from Tucker's point of view, they're almost one in the same. "Dating and sex is [seen as] a battle between men and women, and that's totally wrong." He says, "You want to create win-win relationships," a relationship where you and your partner(s), whether they be professional or romantic, both come out on top is exactly what you should be seeking. When Jeff and Tucker met over a steak dinner to discuss Jeff's recent social and evolutionary psychology talk at a conference, it wasn't necessarily a romantic meal. Jeff's point of view is not trickling down to the young men and women who could truly benefit from his kind of information, and both authors were worried about the perceived misconceptions regarding their work. "I was appalled at how they misunderstood and misapplied it," Jeff says of his first book. "I wrote The Mating Mind a long time ago, '98/'99, and the science has moved on." But even with a modern point of view that speaks distinctively with that fratire tone of voice, Tucker Max still experienced the same problem. "I assumed when I wrote the stories that everyone got the subtext," Tucker says. "[But] the guys didn't even have a basic foundational set of knowledge about life or about women or about social relationships that they could put my stories into context." And this is why a deep understanding of social relationships is nothing but beneficial for your business. I'm not telling you to marry your job, because it will never satisfy you in a way a romantic relationship ever could. But when you're networking and looking to build that client base, understanding what makes your brand attractive and utilizing those tools to attract new people is key to your success. Tucker, Geoffery, and Nils took the initiative to update our knowledge banks and give us these tools, along with a few pieces of eye-catching advice regarding: * How to adapt yourself and your business to cultural change * How to seek win-win relationships where cooperation, communication, and coordination reign supreme * How to network effectively through all of your social relationships in order to increase presence and popularity * How to recognize and embody the key traits and behaviors both women and clients seek out in romantic and professional relationships If anything, this book will be the confidence boost you need to initiate new and better sales. Sell yourself, sell your product, or sell your services by paying attention to the clients (or the woman) in your life. You're going to meet new people and you're going to talk to them, which - in Tucker's mind - will make you the most popular guy in the room because you'll be the one having the most fun. Links and Resources: Tucker Max websites (here and here), Twitter and Facebook Mate: Become the Man That Women Want The Mating Mind by Geoffrey Miller The Mating Grounds podcast Dr. Geoffrey Miller Nils Parker ------------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... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do you summarize a highly colorful life of an inventor, billionaire and philanthropist? In this episode of The James Altucher Show, our guest is John McAfee. James and John talk about the high and low points of John's life. Just days after this interview, John announced he is running for President of the United States. Listen to John and see if you can decide if he's going to get your vote. He is probably best known for McAfee antivirus software, which he created while working as a programmer for Lockheed Martin. Even with extraordinary success, John never measured his self-worth with his net-worth. Rather, he saved more than $30 million since he began McAfee. After a time, he turned the reins of of his successful antivirus company to Bill Larson, former VP of IBM. John has had a controversial career. He's spent his life on the run, has admitted to using and selling illegal drugs and has been arrested for illegal possession of firearms in the U.S. Despite this, he still remains ever-relevant decades later. He is still the most influential authority on information security in the world and a widely sought speaker on that topic. So it did not come as a surprise that just recently he's come under fire for writing about the real culprit behind the Ashley Madison data brouhaha. Episode highlights: How he created the McAfee antivirus out of curiosity, never expecting it take off. His unhappiness with the administrative aspect of running an enterprise and why he stopped running the company. His life on the run, after experiencing threat and extortion from the government of Belize. Reinventing his business and reorganizing his life after losing all his money when forced to leave Belize. Talking about his natural antibiotics venture in Quorum sensing. His foray into biohacking is touted to be 15 years advanced in terms of research. Problems confronting the Internet landscape nowadays, the loss of privacy and what he does to stop it. Being rich and famous never bothered John McAfee, he stays true to himself and does what he knows best: being unreasonable even if the world doesn't agree with his opinions. And there was the matter of losing all of his money and investments, hiding like a fugitive and finally getting extradited to the U.S. Also not a problem; John just continued to find ways to start another internet-security firm called Future Tense Central, the technology of which is leaning toward consumer mobile-device apps, company privacy, and security-sharing software. His purpose nowadays is more focused on preventing the loss of privacy and warning against the evil of using gadgets, downloading convenience apps and storing information on the cloud because there are ways to 'spy' and fish for personal information. Links and References Mentioned in this show: Ashley Madison write-up Future Tense Central: his security firm after Belize D-Vasive: a mobile-privacy app he devised for anti-spying Spy TV Series ------------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... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hank is one half of the popular YouTube duo VlogBrothers. The show is co-hosted with his brother John Green, author of the New York Times bestselling book The Fault in Our Stars. The show boasts a loyal group following, amounting to around 2.6 million viewers. The brothers are also the brains behind a fundraising campaign called "Project For Awesome," through which they're organizing the community to take over YouTube with charity work for a day. Hank is well-known for being an Internet entrepreneur, article writer/contributor to a variety of publications like the New York Times, Scientific American and Mental Floss. In addition to the successful Brotherhood 2.0 project, he's also produced science-based videos like the popular "SciShow" and "Crash Course." He is also the inventor of 2D-Glasses for those who have trouble watching 3-D movies; this is his least successful business venture to date, by the way. Speaking of merchandise, he also owns DFTBA records, an online store he co-founded with his friends. He's also an Emmy winner for his web-series "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries," a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Hank takes us into the creative process of producing a lot of successful video shows. The ideas and the content that he puts into each show shines with his dedication and passion for educating his followers and the deep relationships he has forged along the way. He loves creating new things that encourage discourse and having fun and that simply entertain the audience until they learn something. The man does not want to stop giving back what he knows and he will continue to influence the next generation with new products or topics that liven up their lives. Because of this, he is now redefining the meaning of cool by being 'on fleick' just the way he is. Resources and Links VlogBrothers YouTube videos Crash Course SciShow VidCon The Lizzie Bennet Diaries Don't Forget To Be Awesome Project For Awesome Dear Hank & John Podcast Hank Green's 2D-Glasses Hank's Tumblr Hank's Twitter Hank's Facebook Hank's 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.

Penn Jillette is a famous magician - he's one half of the duo Penn and Teller. He has made a career out of sleight of hand and tricks. He credits Teller with getting him into magic. Penn's specialties are juggling, writing, and comedy. He suggests that when you choose a career you go into a field in which you know you can improve. He continued his education at "clown college." He was "forced" into comedy, but he wanted to be a brooding French poet. While at clown college, he learned wire walking, juggling, and tumbling. Penn says card tricks are actually a form of juggling. ============ Special Note: Both Penn and James will be presenting LIVE at next month's Stansberry Conference in Las Vegas. If you're interested in joining them and more than 30 additional speakers for two full days click here. This year's conference will take place at one of the newest and most luxurious destinations on Las Vegas Boulevard - the Aria Resort & Casino. ============ When he first began with Teller they went to bad magic shows and learned what they didn't want to do. They wanted to get away from illusions and focus more on tricks. All magic is about the perception of truth. Penn says he didn't have a choice in magic. He was homeless when he started out, but Teller was from a very different background. The pair didn't like each other, but they felt they could do better together. Other topics Penn discusses in this interview are: *Find what you like and let it kill you. *How dramatic weight loss has changed his act. *His parenting skills. *How journal writing has improved his daily routine. *His biggest inspirations. *The unwilling suspension of disbelief. *Built-in biological love. Resources and Links: Kinky Freedman Gary Panter and The ROZZ-TOX Manifesto Clown College Penn Jillette's books The Cups and Ball Trick Penn's Sunday School Bob Dylan Picasso Miles Davis If you want to learn more about Penn Jillette, check him out on Twitter: @pennjillette. ------------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.

This weekend Dr. Wayne Dyer passed away. James wants to recognize the influence Wayne Dyer has had on his life. We're very sad about his passing. Here is one of the last interviews Wayne Dyer has done and it is with James... During that interview James asked Dr. Dyer what he saw as the arc of his career. "What has your message been and how have you seen it evolve?" Without hesitating, Dr. Dyer responded... "Well, it's really been always about self-reliance, in one form or another. I've often said that I really feel that I had a conversation with God just before I showed up here on this planet in 1940 and I was asked, 'What would you like to do on this trip?' And I said, 'Well, I think I'd like to teach self-reliance.' And God said, 'You want to do that for an entire lifetime? Just teach self-reliance?' "I said, 'Yes, that would be a great lifetime.' And he said, 'Well, then, we'd better get your little ass into an orphanage and we'd better let you have all of these different experiences, so that once people start to question that, you will never be dissuaded because you'll have the experience of it.' So everything in my life has been directed towards teaching people how to have self-reliance. It has shifted from psychology and an emphasis on psychological principles, to spiritual principles, and that's something that I really had nothing to do with personally; that was just the direction that I was destined to go." They concluded their conversation with the following exchange... Dr. Wayne Dyer:Think about your body, the body that you're in. You're in a male body, I'm in a male body. And I'm in a body that's about 6'2", it has blue eyes, it has no hair on its head, it has certain characteristics and so on, and inessence, that's why, for this incarnation, I'm doomed. I'm doomed to live - I'm not gonna be in a female, 4'10" body. I'm not gonna be in any other - this is the body that I get, okay? Now, what kind of choices do I have to make within that context? Well, I can decide how healthy it's gonna be. I can decide whether I'm gonna exercise it or not. I can decide actually how long it's gonna live. There's many, many choices that I make about this body within the context of being doomed to live in this body and not any other body. Now, if you take this metaphor and you extend it to not just the physical body but to the rest of your life and all that you are, you are, in essence - you are given a dharma. You showed up here with a purpose. You showed up here with an energy that propels - and there's something that excites you, and it's like whether you want to be a falconer or whether you want to be a musician or whether you want to be a writer or whether you want to raise horses in Montana. Whatever it might be, there's something that excites you. Now, you have been doomed; in other words, this is your dharma. This is what you're here for. But you're making choices. And the choices that you make all along, all the course corrections that you make, involve, "Am I willing? Am I willing to do whatever it takes to make this come true?" I've always been willing. "Are you determined?" That is, are you gonna not let anything interfere with it? Yes. You have to have that determination. "Am I fearless?" In other words, am I gonna get the fear out of me and come from a place of love, from divine love? "Am I using compassion?" Compassion for myself and compassion for others, and ultimately, "Do I reach that state? " The highest rung on the ladder, if you will, when Rumi said, "When you are born, a ladder is placed before you to help you to escape from this world.' And so to understand that you're in this world but you're not of this world, and when you reach the top of the ladder, the top rung on that ladder of divine love, you realize that, yes, you are doomed. You have been. You're to be a writer, you're to do all these things, but you... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today James welcomes Josh Foer to the podcast. Josh is a U.S. Memory champion, award-winning journalist, and bestselling author of Moonwalking with Einstein, which details his journey to becoming a U.S. memory champion. ============ Special Note: Both Josh and James will be presenting LIVE at next month's Stansberry Conference in Las Vegas. If you're interested in joining them and over 30 additional speakers for two full days click here. This year's Conference will take place at one of the newest and most luxurious destinations on Las Vegas Boulevard -- the Aria Resort and Casino. ============ Taking some of the ancient memory techniques he learned during a yearlong trip to Europe, Josh was quickly able to master techniques that have not yet made their way across "the pond." Having this advantage over American competitors allowed him to become very successful in a short amount of time. Once he brought these European techniques back to the U.S. and started sharing them, the U.S. record for memorizing a deck of cards went from 1 minute 40 seconds to just 30 seconds. One concerning question that comes to mind for both James and Josh is whether some of the modern technologies in our current world are reducing our capacity to remember things. Is Googling making us less smart? And this is not a new question, it dates all the way back to the days of Socrates, and the advent of the written word. These concerns may be valid, but it often just means a change in both how and what we remember. One of the most common questions that Josh gets is about remembering people's names. For this he has a great memory hack: Create a secondary association with the thing you're trying to remember. For people's names this can be a funny association with the sound of their name. For prose, associate it with a song or rhyme. Anything you can do to give your brain another method of associating will help you better recall it later on. Resources and Links: Moonwalking with Einstein by Josh Foer TED talk - Feats of Memory Anyone Can Do The Obscura Society Sukkah City Nelson Dellis - Current US Memory Champion The Pridmore System for Card Memorization Get in Touch: To learn more about Josh and stay up to date with his newest book, check out joshuafoer.com. Josh is writing a second book on Hunter Gatherers, which explores how the oldest remaining tribe operates and compares to some of our more modern members of society. Sign up for his mailing list to learn more about it and when it is coming out. You can also connect with Josh on Twitter @JoshuaFoer. ------------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.

James Hong is one of the founders of the infamous site Hot or Not. What started out as an innocent experiment turned into a cultural phenomenon and lucrative business. Hot or Not was a website that allowed users to upload their photos to the site so that other users could rate them as "hot" or "not." Soon after, a dating site was added, and a new form of internet speed dating began. Hot or Not was part of the dawn of social media, preceding Youtube, Facebook, and sites like Tinder. James shares his observations of human nature and how the site proved age-old truths about attraction. People who submitted the photos were, for the most part, confident enough to know the site was all in good fun. Others took it too seriously. In the long run, "hotter" people found the site and stayed based on the reaction to their photos. James and his partner built the site as a side project that started out with an invite to friends - and grew to 30 thousand visitors. Online source photos were used to begin the concept of the site. James estimates about 100 photos were used. Within 7 hours, the site was populated with real users wanting to be rated. The instant success was a little overwhelming for James and his partner. Machines and internet service were much more expensive in the early 2000s. So much so, the site was almost shut down because the equipment couldn't keep up with the site! They moved Hot or Not to GeoCities, and changed the future of the site. They made a deal with Ophoto as an affiliate. The final step was a business deal with Rack Space, which hosted the site for an exchange of publicity. Companies called, wanting to buy this new business, but James and his partner wanted to see where it was going. James says that the first year was all hard work. The dating service was the first attempt at monetizing the site. The dating site was linked to Hot or Not, and to go on with the site required one participant to be a paid member. James compares the success of Hot or Not to the early days of reality shows. Hot or Not has been credited with creating 5 to 10 marriages a day. Hot or Not was eventually sold in February of 2008. With the financial crash of 2008, James and his partner decided liquidizing the company was the wisest move. James has always considered the future of business to be entrepreneur-focused rather than capital-focused. Hot or Not is a prime example of how the internet can make this possible. James's suggestion to the newcomers in this business would simply be: "Just do it." Concepts don't have to be complex to work. If the interface works, then don't complicate it. Resources and Links: You can reach out to James directly on Twitter @JHong. To learn more about Cakey, James' new app that helps parents find kid-friendly video playlists, head over to cakeyvillage.com. ------------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.

What if someone told you that your behavior was controlled by a powerful, invisible force? Nick Morgan, the author of Power Cues, joins James today to tell the fantastic story of how, after a serious concussion that left him in a coma for about 10 days, Nick lost the ability to read other people he knew. He could no longer read their body language. He couldn't read the cues. After a couple of months of agony, something switched back on. That experience awakened in Nick a lifelong interest in body language, gesture, and voice, and a drive to understand how people really communicate with each other. Listen here today as Nick relays some amazing stories about how you can take control of your communication. Regards, David Newman P.S. For a very limited time, I want to send you a brand-new, hardback copy of my new book for FREE! All I ask is that you cover the shipping costs (just $5). ------------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.

By its very nature, social media lends itself to users showing the highlights of their lives and sharing their best moments, but only after they've cropped, edited and refined those moments. Casey Neistat, the prolific creator of YouTube videos that have made us look at our world a bit differently, thinks it's time we use social media to share the authentic moments of our lives. His new app Beme allows for social media interaction to take on a new level of realness. Casey Neistat, film director, producer, and YouTube creator, has gained a huge following. Millions of people look forward to his daily vlog on his YouTube channel. Casey and I recorded a podcast back in January 2015 (Ask Altucher Ep 202). What brings us together this time is a new app that Casey co-founded that could significantly change how people view social media. Named Beme, the app uses snippets of videos the user takes and then sends them to other Beme users. It does so without giving the user the opportunity to edit the video. Casey says that without scrutinizing the images of ourselves, we are able to bring honesty and authenticity to the things we send out as we share how we see the world. As you use the app, your phone screens turns off and captures what you are seeing. Casey explains Beme has various discovery cells, with one that specifically focuses on strangers and includes the nearby stranger, the interesting stranger, and the faraway stranger. Each discovery cell is a part of your social media network and allows you to look in on what it is seeing. Casey says Beme is built around a "platform of authenticity". Other highlights of our conversation include: The effort Casey puts into each video he creates The Make It Count Nike video that created a sensation His process for what he decides to develop How persistence is critical to anyone trying to achieve success in his field Casey says what he does takes hard work and he paves his own way. He explains that in his process, he is beholden only to himself and his voice, and it's an incredibly liberating way to be. Links and Resources: To find sources for all the social media platforms Casey uses, go to Casey Neistat. Casey posts his daily vlogs on his YouTube channel. You'll also find all his videos there too, including the Make It Count Nike video. Learn more about Beme, Casey's new app. Listen to Casey's previous interview with me here, Ep 202 Casey Neistat. Thanks so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode of The James Altucher Show, please leave a review or a rating on ITunes. I read every review and it helps to make the podcast better. P.S. For a very limited time, I want to send you a brand-new, hardback copy of my new book for FREE! All I ask is that you cover the shipping costs (just $5). P.P.S. This Thursday, August 20th James will be the featured guest on Product Hunt LIVE a place to chat with the world's most interesting authors, artists, founders, investors, game creators, entertainers, and makers. For more information click here. ------------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... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is it possible to transform your life on the eve of your 40th birthday, and experience meaning, vitality, and purpose like you've never before imagined? Rich Roll is a wonderful example of how a person can transform his life. Overweight and burdened by his own demons, on the eve of his 40th birthday, Rich began a transformation that resulted in him becoming an accomplished vegan, ultra-endurance athlete, wellness & plant-based nutrition advocate, and motivational speaker. His wife, Julie Piatt, is an accomplished yoga teacher, chef, artist, and musician. Their recent book collaboration, The Plantpower Way, includes guidance, recipes, and outstand photography that is designed to guide the reader to long-term wellness in body, mind, and spirit. Together they join Claudia and me for this episode that is in the spirit of a great chat around the dining room table with good friends. Some of the topics we discuss over tea include: Working together as a married couple and the relationship of the family The positivity created by being vulnerable and feeling uncertain of what to do at times The differences between divine love and human love What happens in your life when you follow your childhood dreams How doing podcasts benefit our lives Challenging labels to expand your growth Quieting the negative voice on your head by meditation and investing yourself into helping others And letting go - surrender as a powerful tool While that list may sound very serious, we also share a lot of laughs throughout the episode. Rich and Julie are fascinating people on an interesting journey to wherever life takes them. It was great fun to share of bit of time with them. Links and Resources To find out more about Rich, and his books on fitness, health, and mindfullness, go to RichRoll.com. The Rich Roll Podcast I also highly encourage you to learn more about Julie Piatt. She has wonderful articles on meditation, yoga, nutrition, and family. Julie's Jai Release Meditation Program Julie's music (aka SriMati) on CDBaby Rich and Julie just launched their new book about the benefits and approaches to a plant-based diet. The Plantpower Way is not only a beautiful book, but also packed with recipes, guidance on how to transition to a plant-based diet, and many of the benefits of following this type of nutrition plan. Thanks so much for listening! ------------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 infamous Miami-based rap group 2 Live Crew caused quite a stir in the early 90s when its provocative lyrics and album covers caught the attention of Tipper Gore and the like. Luther Campbell (once Luke Skywalker) of 2 Live, drove out of his way to talk with me about what it's like to work against the politicians and the money-making machine of the music industry. His new book - The Book of Luke: My Fight for Truth, Justice, and Liberty City - drops on Tuesday (August 4), and he offers a few tips for us who are trying to change the game and re-invent the way we do business. Luke calls me an innovative individual, but I am sincerely inspired by his ability to constantly stand out and re-invent himself. "I try to be a trendsetter," he says. "I never liked being a follower." Take his new book, for example. It's not necessarily a fashionable thing for hip-hop artists to write and release books, but Luke wants to break down barriers and start a new conversation. In these pages he covers what it was like to be coming up on the scene in Miami and how he changed the game for the better. It wasn't his original plan, but it's funny how things work out the way they're supposed to. "I wanted to be a promoter," Luke says of his first career move. As a DJ in Miami, it was his job to play new tracks and bring in unknown artists to perform. Finding labels for these artists was impossible. Without any labels in the South willing to sign, Luke created his own. He took his creative energy and his business smarts to help these artists sell their skills and see their success top the charts. But with this success came a bit of backlash from women's groups, politicians, and even fellow artists who did not respect his knack for sampling and reworking songs, film, and television into explosively sexy dance tracks. That was all part of the game, though, and Luke was conscious of every business decision he made. His technique? "I would plan my album releases alongside bigger album releases so people would see it in the store. My album covers would hook you in." Tricks like this can lead you to success, but you have to be prepared for any criticism that comes your way - even one in the form of a lawsuit. What Luke learned from his experience can apply to all of us who are struggling to start and succeed at our own business ventures. I've noticed that successful people always have someone coming after them, and not necessarily in a good way. "We live in a world where all you have to do is get people to complain, then they'll target you," Luke says. So how do you counteract this target? Keep fighting... That's why he put fight in the book title. "It is hard to beat the machine," he says. "But you can put some dents in it, and you can make people think. You can fight against the machine... [and] put the pressure on the machine to change." Luther Campbell's experience through the ins and outs and ups and downs of the music industry is cataloged in his new book, and the way he performs under pressure is inspiring. What you can take away from this interview and his book is how important it is not to take orders from anyone but yourself. As you explore your own business techniques, remember Luke's words: "Never stand down for anything." Links and Resources: Luke Records Uncle Luke TV The Book of Luke: My Fight for Truth, Justice, and Liberty City Winningthe Supreme Court case against Acuff-Rose. Ray Orbison spoof @unclelukereal1 P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more. ------------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... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tom Rath knows the secret to happiness. On today's show, I talk with him about his new book, Are You Fully Charged?, and with it, he offers key insights into finding the happiness and passion you need to feel fulfilled in your work and in your daily life. With over 5 million copies of his books sold worldwide, Tom knows what inspires you and what hinders you. He also knows what you can do to overcome your own personal weaknesses to build a better and stronger business within yourself. I had some specific questions to discuss with him during this show, and his practical answers and optimistic perspective will definitely kick start your quest for meaning in your life. When it comes to finding meaning, the best place to start is a book. "I read a lot of books out there, especially in the business field," Tom says. He recommends taking the information you find in books and applying it to your day-to-day business in order to stay grounded in the goals that matter. By breaking down your goals into daily, achievable objectives rather than wide-ranging, extensive ideas, you are more likely to succeed and to learn more regarding your success. And when you take charge of your own learning in this way, you take charge of your own motivation, which is the most powerful tool in your arsenal when it comes to achieving happiness. Ultimately, Tom wants us to start living every day like we have to do something that will leave an impression long after we're gone. In order to do this, we have to continue to seek new ways to be motivated. Motivation and happiness go hand in hand, and that's Tom's secret. He shares more on his secret to happiness with me today, including: *How to seek out ways to inspire fellow business partners, friends, and family *How to seek out groups and peers that will continue to motivate you *How to find a healthy balance between luck and talent that leads to success *How to cover and hone your natural talents, whatever they may be The last point is the topic we spend the most time discussing. If you are worried that you have no unique talents, squash that fear immediately. "There is something you can do better than anyone else in the world," Tom states, and if you focus on grooming that talent, even in your spare time, you will find yourself much happier. Tom Rath's points from his new book, Are You Fully Charged?, will help you recognize these talents and motivation in yourself, which in turn will help you find meaning in your work and in your life. Links and Resources Tom Rath.org Tom's books Bounce by Mathew Syed . P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more. ------------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.

Scott Young spent $2,000 and got a "degree" from MIT... And he never had to leave his house. He calls it the "MIT Challenge." Scott believes you might learn better without having to go to college for four years. He spent four years getting a business degree and he still had a longing to learn computer science. But he didn't want to spend four more years of his life in school and accumulate all that debt. He wanted the education, but not the school. He has taken a few classes online before and thought, "If you can learn a class, why not an entire degree?" But when he was done, would anyone hire him? Listen today to find out. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more. ------------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.

My guest today, author Oliver Burkeman, has a strong opinion on the power of positive thinking: he can't stand it. In his book, The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking,Oliver writes in a humorous and thoughtful way about how self-help books are ineffective. Oliver believes we should coexist with both our positive and negative thoughts, be attached to neither, and take the actions we need to take without giving into emotions. His approach is partly Stoic: he believes that telling people that everything will work out doesn't replenish their optimism tanks. He also believes it can be paralyzing for people to think that whatever success they are seeking must be realized. We talk a bit in-depth about one of Oliver's favorite quotes from Shoma Morita: "Give up on yourself. Begin taking action now, while being neurotic or imperfect, or a procrastinator or unhealthy or lazy or any other label by which you inaccurately describe yourself. Go ahead and be the best imperfect person you can be and get started on those things you want to accomplish before you die." Oliver and I discuss some of the books we enjoy like: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment byEckhart Tolle, and The Art of Taking Action by GreggKrech, among others. We also take a look at the self-help books we don't find helpful. Oliver's book is an insightful and creative look at the negativity of positive thinking. Links and resources mentioned in the show: Oliver Burkeman's website Oliver's book, The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking Susan Jeffers' book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway A Guide to Spiritual EnlightenmentbyEckhart Tolle The Art of Taking Actionby GreggKrech ------------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.