Dive into the complete episode list for In Search Of Excellence. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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29 Mar 2022
Orlando Bravo: Finding Your Niche | E16
01:36:40
The incredible story of Orlando Bravo’s journey from a tuna fishing village in Puerto Rico to the most successful private equity investor in the world, is one of incredibly hard work and a fierce determination to succeed. When Orlando’s childhood dream of becoming a professional tennis player ended, he went to Brown on a tennis scholarship, was terrified he wouldn't succeed, graduated Phi Beta Kappa in the top 2% of his class, and later earned a JD / MBA from Stanford.
After not being offered a summer internship position at a prestigious private equity firm and graduating from Stanford without a job, Orlando made 100 cold calls to potential employers, one of whom was Carl Thoma who is considered one of the founders and pioneers of private equity. It was here that Orlando put himself on the map.
After making a series of poor acquisitions of technology companies that survived the dot.com bust in 2010-2011, he pivoted and began investing in software companies. His first deal was the acquisition of Prophet 21, a product distribution software provider based in San Diego where he worked for five days in the garage of the company’s founder before going forward with the deal. The investment made a 4x return and earned Orlando a seat at the table, and by the age of 30 Orlando became a partner in the firm. Since its founding, Thomas Bravo has completed more than 350 acquisitions worth nearly $155 billion, and presently oversees a portfolio of 50 software companies that generate $21 billion in annual revenue and employs more than 72,000 people around the world.
In this inspirational episode, Randall and Orlando discuss Orlando’s journey from tennis to higher education, why he focuses on investing in well-established software companies instead of startups, the importance of learning from investment mistakes and other failures, and why he believes the next generation is always better than the previous one.
Topics Include: - Lessons about work ethic learned from his parents and grandfather - How “soft landings” and limiting pressure can build environments where people thrive - Why Orlando prefers cold calling to introductions - How the dot-com bubble influenced his investment strategy - The story of the Profit 21 acquisition - How he made a $9 billion profit in 18 months by buying and selling Ellie Mae - How to attract and retain top talent - The place cryptocurrency in our society - The value of preparation - Mentorship - The importance of philanthropy and his incredible efforts after Hurricane Maria, and what he’s doing to help Puerto Rico and young entrepreneurs there - And other topics…
Orlando Bravo is the Founder and Managing Partner of Thoma Bravo, a private equity firm with a focus on software and technology that has been rated the top-performing private equity firm in the world. Orlando is an incredibly generous philanthropist and ser
Steve Romick grew up in a tight-knit family in the San Fernando Valley and was very driven from a very young age. Even as a five-year-old, he wasn’t interested in failure and never gave up easily, a personality trait that has carried Steve through his career. Today Steve manages nearly $20 billion in assets and is a managing partner at First Pacific Advisors (FPA), an LA-based money management firm that manages $29 billion.
Steve’s passion to succeed, proficiency with numbers, and strong dislike of losing money have guided him to an accomplished career in money management, including the recognition of being named the 2013 Morningstar US Allocation Fund of the Year and earned him a nomination for Morningstar Manager of the Decade. Steve’s knowledge and perspective about money management and investing are built on 30 years of experience and understanding of risk and reward.
In this episode, Randall and Steve talk about Steve’s first experience with wealth management as an intern (and later an employee) for Kaplan, Nathan, & Co., the importance of self-education and self-awareness in investing, how to grow a money management firm, modern investment strategies, and how to be a successful money manager.
Topics Include: - How Steve’s father influenced his interest in philanthropy - The importance of reading and understanding shareholder reports - How to encourage people to learn and understand their investments - Who shouldn’t invest in a mutual fund - Low risk/high reward investments - Defining a hedge fund vs a mutual fund - Advice for getting a job in this industry - The ins-and-outs of growth at money management firm - The story behind his nomination for the Morningstar Manager of the Decade - What is the S&P 500 and why does it matter? - Defining the MSCI ACWI Index - Active vs passive investing - Why you should avoid secularly challenged businesses when deciding to invest - The two most important ingredients for success - Whether people should use a money manager or manage their own money - And other topics…
Steve Romick is the managing partner at First Pacific Advisors, a money management firm based in Los Angeles that manages $29 billion across multiple investment strategies. Before joining First Pacific Advisors, Steve was the chairman of Crescent Management and worked in for Kaplan, Nathan, & Co. In addition to managing the $10 billion FPA Crescent Mutual Fund, he also co-manages the FPA Hawkeye Hedge Fund and other multi-advisor strategies.
He serves on many philanthropic boards, including Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Our House, and Phase One.
In 2013, Steve was the recipient of Morningstar’s U.S. Allocation Fund Manager of the Year and was nominated for the Morningstar Manager of the Decade. He earned a BS in Education from Northwestern University and lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three k
Sammy Hagar: From Broke Kid To Rockstar Entrepreneur | E17
01:46:03
Sammy Hagar is one of the most prolific artists in the history of Rock and Roll. Playing in bands like Montrose and Van Halen, and with a successful solo career that included the rock anthem “I Can’t Drive 55,” Sammy has had 25 platinum albums and has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide. Sammy is also an extremely successful serial entrepreneur and was the first celebrity to create his own tequila brand which he sold more than 20 years ago for nearly $100 million. He is also devoted to giving back and is a generous philanthropist.
But who was Sammy before fame and fortune? How did he become the successful rock icon and entrepreneur he is today?
Sammy’s journey is filled with many challenges, incredible perseverance, a lucky coincidence, and an ability to change. Sammy attributes his success to the lessons he learned about resilience and appreciation while growing up in poverty in Salinas, CA where he often slept in a car with his mom and siblings to get away from his alcoholic father. When Sammy fell in love with music at a Rolling Stones concert at age 14, the scrappy, adaptable young man bought a guitar from Sears and decided he would stop at nothing to pursue his dream of becoming a rock star.
In this fascinating episode, Sammy and Randall talk about Sammy’s journey from poverty to the big stage, Sammy’s experience with the bands Montrose and Van Halen, his creativity and marketing abilities in building Cabo Wabo Cantina and Cabo Wabo Tequila, and his dedication to philanthropy and making a difference in local communities.
Topics Include: - The odd jobs Sammy had while growing up which taught him the value of a strong work ethic; - Sammy’s first realization about what having money would be like; - Sammy’s first concert experiences and learning to play the guitar; - The lessons Sammy learned from growing up poor; - The ups and downs and experiences of playing with Van Halen for 20 years; - The sale of Cabo Wabo Tequila for nearly $100 million to Gruppo Campari; - His creativity, branding, and marketing tactics used to build the Cabo Wabo brand; - Sammy’s three most important ingredients in the path to excellence; - His ability to finding joy and happiness in the simple things; - The origins of Sammy’s Beach Bar and Grill and the restaurant’s commitment to give back; - And other topics…
Sammy Hagar is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and entrepreneur. In the 1970s, Sammy’s career took off with the rock band Montrose, and continued after he launched a successful solo career that included some of the greatest rock anthems ever written with songs like “I Can’t Drive 55,” “Right Now,” and “Why Can’t This be Love.” Sammy was the frontman for Van Halen for nearly 20 years, has had 25 platinum albums, and has sold 60 million records worldwide. He is a Grammy award winner and inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Mark Cuban was born a serial entrepreneur. At age 12, he sold trash bags door to door. By age 16, he had a business selling stamps. During college at Indiana University, he taught disco lessons at sorority houses and opened a popular bar before he turned 21. So how does an average kid growing up in Pittsburgh go on to become a self-made billionaire?
For some of us, it may be hard to imagine the person that we know today as Mark Cuban quit a job, was fired from another, had a business that closed down because somebody who worked there was on probation for prostitution, and slept on the floor of an apartment for many months after moving to Dallas. But it was these experiences that made Mark the businessman, investor, philanthropist, and billionaire that he is today. Mark’s journey is one of incredibly hard work, determination and perseverance, adapting to change, and learning from failure.
In this episode, Randall and Mark talk about challenges on Mark’s path to excellence, the role Mark played in the early days of the internet with MicroSolutions, the story behind AudioNet/ Broadcast.com, taking it public, selling it to Yahoo for $5.7 billion, and how he sold his stock in what is considered one of the most brilliant business decisions of all-time. Randall and Mark also discuss Mark’s latest company The Mark Cuban Cost-Plus Drug Company, and his very sage advice for young entrepreneurs.
Topics Include: - How his college experience prepared him for success - The lessons about sales Mark learned as a 12-year-old selling trash bags door to door - Why you can learn just as much from the bad companies as the good ones - The interview answer that got him a job with no experience - Mark’s brief career as an actor and reading for Stephen Spielberg - Why owning a sports team is unique from owning a business - Mark’s powerful Shark Tank episode with Tania Speaks Organic Skincare - The importance of preparation and learning from failure - Mark’s thoughts on parenting - How his work-life balance has changed over time - Mark’s charitable work through the Mark Cuban Foundation and Fallen Patriots Fund - And other topics…
Mark Cuban is a serial entrepreneur, investor, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and a host of Shark Tank on NBC. Mark made his initial fortune through the sales of his startups MicroSolutions and Broadcast.com in the 1990s, and he was was ranked #177 on the 2020 Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest residents in the United States.
Mark is also the best-selling author of How to Win at the Sport of Business. Among many ventures, Cuban is also involved in the world of film and television and occasionally appears on popular television shows including Entourage, Dancing with the Stars, and The League.
Mark graduated from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University with a degree in management. He lives with his wife and child
Mayor Eric Garcetti: Fight For What You Believe In | E20
01:12:07
From homelessness and the housing crisis to traffic and education, Los Angeles County Mayor Eric Garcetti faces challenging, pressing issues day in and day out. But how did a young kid who grew up in an immigrant family in the San Fernando Valley become the leader and change-maker he is today?
All of Eric’s life experiences contribute to his ability to search tirelessly for solutions and lead the Los Angeles community towards a better future. When facing new opportunities, Eric considers the quote “only do this if you can’t not.” This motto has supported and encouraged Eric on his journey to becoming the 47th (and youngest) mayor of Los Angeles. We all have a lot to learn from Eric’s commitment to community, work ethic, and leadership skills.
In this episode, Randall and Eric talk about how Eric’s childhood and early education shaped who he is today, how he learned the value of hard work, why he ran for public office, political issues Los Angeles is facing, why giving back is the most important thing we can do, the four most important qualities to have on the path to excellence, and all he’s learned along the way.
Topics include: - How his trip to Ethiopia as a 16-year-old changed his life - Value of odd jobs and his work program for young Angelenos - Importance of both classroom learning and “real-life” learning - The ‘Will I regret this?” Test - Advice for people who want to be politicians - Why we should be more afraid of succeeding than failing - Why he views himself as “Storyteller in Chief” - The value of transparency and accountability in politics - The three C’s of leadership: convene, coerce, and convince - The importance of sharing power and using soft power - The education and housing crises in California - How to end homelessness - LA’s foster care system - His experience fostering seven children - Controversies he’s overcome - Why you can’t take yourself too personally - Value of having a great team - And other topics…
Eric Garcetti is a fourth-generation Angeleno and the 42nd Mayor of Los Angeles. In 2017, Eric won re-election by the widest margin in the history of Los Angeles. He was recently appointed to serve as the US ambassador to India.
Prior to becoming Mayor in 2013, Eric spent four terms as Council President on the L.A. City Council. Beyond his time in government, Eric served his country as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve, and taught at Occidental College and the University of Southern California.
Eric received his B.A. and M.A. from Columbia University. He studied as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and later at the London School of Economics.
He is also a jazz pianist and photographer. He and his wife, First Lady Amy Elaine Wakeland, have been foster parents for over a decade, and are the proud parents of a daughter, Maya.
Giada DeLaurentiis: The Dark Times Made Me Strong | E21
00:58:52
In the historically male-dominated culinary industry, Emmy-award-winning TV personality, celebrity chef, and New York Times best-selling author Giada De Laurentiis has not only helped pave the way for female chefs but has also shined a spotlight on the culinary arts as a whole.
Giada has always been a trailblazer: from being the first in her family to graduate from college, to being the only woman in her class at Cordon Bleu in Paris, to being the first female chef to open a restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip at The Cromwell Hotel in Las Vegas. But along the way, Giada faced a great deal of adversity - getting bullied as a child, experiencing the devastating loss of her brother, and fighting the sexism and discrimination she faced in the culinary industry. For Giada, these challenges only fueled her fire - with her passion, a love of great food, and tremendous amount of perseverance - she had built an empire.
In this episode, Randall and Giada talk about how Giada discovered her passion while working at her grandfather’s restaurant DDL Foodshow, the cultural Italian norms that impacted her life, how she launched her career, how she overcame challenges and practiced resilience, how her time on The Today Show gave her confidence, and everything she’s learned along the way.
Topics Include:
- Growing up in a traditional Italian family and her experiences in childhood
- Getting bullied as a child
- Being the first person in her family to attend college
- Applying for and attending Cordon Bleu in Paris
- Starting GDL foods
- Landing Everyday Italian on the Food Network
- Does practice make perfect?
- Sexism in the culinary industry
- Being the first woman to open a restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip
- Giada’s Restaurant at The Cromwell
- Challenges she had to overcome
- How her brother’s passing influenced her life
- The three most important ingredients to success
- Advice for changing eating habits
- Establishing the right work / life balance
- Giving back and Stand Up To Cancer
- And other topics…
Giada De Laurentiis is an Italian-American celebrity chef, writer, and Emmy award-winning television personality. She was the host of Food Network's Giada at Home and has been the host or co-host of 18 television shows, and she also appears regularly as a contributor and guest co-host on NBC's Today show. She is the founder of the catering business GDL Foods, and the founder and CEO of Giadzy.com, an e-commerce platform which sells culinary goods and contains recipes, entertaining, and travel tips. Giada is also the author of nine cookbooks including the #1 New York Times Best-Seller Eat Better, Feel Better.
Rachel Zoe is an icon in the fashion world. But before Rachel became a household name, she was 25 years old, styling celebrities like Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys out of her West Village studio apartment. Rachel continued to make a name for herself as a stylist by putting together some of Hollywood’s most memorable red carpet looks and collaborating on iconic fashion lines. But, when she discovered that she had a unique platform to empower and inspire women from all walks of life, her creative and entrepreneurial mindset took over. And the rest is history, she became a best-selling author, a Bravo star, the Editor in Chief and publisher of The Zoe Report, and more.
Rachel attributes her success to working hard, being open to opportunities, and always being the most prepared person in the room. But, being in the spotlight comes with fear, doubt, and criticism, all of which Rachel saw as learning experiences and opportunities for growth.
In this episode, Randall and Rachel talk about how Rachel became the fashion icon and influencer she is today, how growing up in a well-off family surrounded by beautiful things influenced Rachel’s career, the experiences Rachel had starting as a freelance stylist, the importance of taking risks, why she’s always the most prepared person in the room, how she faced and overcame criticism and tabloid rumors, and everything she’s learned along the way.
Topics Include: - The influence of her mother’s style - Education’s role in future success - The important advice she got from her father - Rachel’s advice for people who hate their jobs - Why getting over our fears is crucial on the path to success - Failure as a necessary ingredient to success - Rachel on designing her own style - How to deal with adversity at work - Rachel’s views on styling - Perceptions vs reality of being famous - Qualities she looks for in applicants - The importance of proactive thinking and planning for things to go wrong - Rachel’s ingredients to success - Marriage and life with Rodger and the secret to working with a significant other - The defining moment of Rachel’s career - Fill in the blank for excellence - And other topics…
Rachel Zoe is an icon of the fashion world. She is a distinguished designer, editor, author, TV personality, and entrepreneur. She is the Creative Director of the Rachel Zoe Collection, which comprises ready-to-wear, footwear, and accessory lines.
Rachel is the author of the New York Times bestsellers, Style A to Zoe and Living in Style. Rachel had a reality television series, The Rachel Zoe Project which aired on Bravo and ran for five seasons (2008-2013). In 2009, she founded The Zoe Report, a daily newsletter about what she was coveting in the worlds of lifestyle, beauty, and fashion. With the success of The Zoe Report, Rachel launched another paper foc
In 2002 Caryn Seidman-Becker created and ran a successful hedge fund that ultimately grew to $1.5 billion assets - an amount that was unheard of for a woman to manage at the time. When the financial crisis hit in 2008, Caryn - like thousands of other funds - closed her fund. She loved managing money, but decided to do something different - buy an airport-focused biometric-identity company that had raised $90 million and had filed for bankruptcy. She bid $5.87 million at the bankruptcy option, renamed the company CLEAR, raised $150 million in capital from various investors including Delta Airlines and United Airlines, and took the company public on June 30, 2021. Today, CLEAR’s market capitalization is $3.5 billion, landing Caryn on the Forbes list of America's Richest Self-Made Women (2021).
Caryn’s journey to incredible success is one of pivoting, grit, instincts, determination, and leadership. When she decided to close her hedge fund, it would have been impossible to predict that she’d go on to reach massive success with the purchase of a bankrupt biometric-identity company. But if Caryn’s story teaches us anything, it’s that with insatiable curiosity, transparency, determination - and was she describes as being indefatigabel - you can accomplish your wildest dreams.
In this episode, Randall and Caryn discuss how her childhood experiences and time attending the University of Michigan shaped her future, the importance of great teachers and mentors, the ability to overcome challenges and make tough decisions, the experience of buying a bankruptcy company and turning CLEAR into a company with $450 million in annual revenues, and advice for female entrepreneurs trying to find funding.
Topics Include:
- What values her parents instilled in her
- Her first job in NYC in risk arbitrage
- Why she started her hedge fund Arience Capital Management
- The decision to close Arience in late 2008
- Advice for people who want to start over and pursue their passions
- What is CLEAR?
- Transparency and real-time feedback in the age of social media
- The impact of COVID on CLEAR and creating CLEAR Health Pass
- The importance of preparation - and EXTREME PREPARATION - on the path to excellence
- Caryn’s ingredients for success
- Her view on making money
- Fill In The Blank For Excellence
- And other topics…
Caryn Seidman-Becker is the Chair and CEO of CLEAR, an expedited airport security service that allows its members to quickly pass through airport security lines. Caryn and a colleague bought CLEAR's predecessor out of bankruptcy in 2010, and after raising $150 million from investors including Delta Airlines and United Airlines, she took the company public in June 2021 at a $4 billion valuation.
Caryn serves on the boards of Home Depot and Lemonade, and in 2021 Forbes
Daymond John: Rise, Grind, and Accomplish Your Goals | E24
01:08:36
If there is someone who knows the power of hard work, it’s Daymond John. As a young man growing up in the neighborhood of Hollis, Queens, Daymond's entrepreneurial talent took off when he started a clothing line with a $40 budget. At the time, Daymond was hand-sewing hats between his shifts at Red Lobster. And today, Daymond's company, FUBU, has over $6 billion in sales.
Daymond is not only one of the most successful fashion icons of his generation but is also a sought-after motivational speaker and branding expert. He is a beloved “Shark” on ABC’s hit show Shark Tank and a best-selling author. Daymond is an incredible example of how a combination of hard work, overcoming obstacles, passion, and creativity is a recipe for success.
In this episode, Randall and Daymond talk about Daymond’s experience with dyslexia, starting FUBU and the struggles he overcame on his path to excellence, the importance of keeping an open mind and entertaining all opportunities, and Daymond shares the meaning behind his S.H.A.R.K. acronym.
Topics Include:
- What Daymond learned from seeing his mother struggle
- Why you need to have an entrepreneurial mindset no matter what
- Hacking yourself and the importance of ownership
- The reasons why people buy clothes
- The name FUBU and what he was trying to create
- Cold calling as a factor in success
- The “Boom” moment of entrepreneurship
- The growth of FUBU
- The importance of work ethic
- When to give up your day job
- Why he decided to host Shark Tank
- Napoleon Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich
- The importance of creativity and persistence
- How Daymond defines success
- Advice on finding the right work-life balance
- Philanthropy and giving back
- Fill in the blank to excellence
- And other topics…
Daymond John is an American businessman and investor, best known as the founder and CEO of the American apparel company FUBU. Daymond is also the New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Broke. His most recent book is Rise and Grind.Daymond also stars as a "Shark" on ABC's hit show Shark Tank.
Daymond’s impressive accolades include Brandweek Marketer of the Year, the Advertising Age Marketing 1000 Award for Outstanding Ad Campaign, Crain's Business of New York Forty Under Forty Award, and Ernst & Young’s New York Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Apolo Anton Ohno is the most decorated Winter Olympian of all time. Between the 2002, 2006, and 2010 Winter Olympics, Apolo earned eight Olympic medals in short-track speed skating. Even as a child, Apolo’s athletic ability was evident, at the young age of 14, Apolo won his first major speed skating title, after just six months of training.
But, despite his incredible talents and drive, Apolo faced setbacks and struggles from managing his mental health, navigating adolescence and his rocky relationship with his father, to tuning his competitive spirit. Apolo attributes his massive success as a speed skater and athlete to his fear of failure.
In this episode, Randall and Apolo talk about what it takes to succeed at the highest level, and Apolo shares how the struggles he faced growing up and his unique relationship with his father shaped him into the athlete and man he is today. Apolo talks about what he learned from his failure at the 1998 Olympic trials, talks about the four foundations of mental health, and shares tips on how to set a regimen for mental health.
Topics Include:
- Advice to people afraid to fail
- Winning his first big race
- How to sustain performance level after success
- Advice for parents navigating relationships and experiences with their children
- The role of genetics in sport and excellence
- Experience of 2002 Olympic Games
- Going the extra mile and the role of extreme preparation
- Elements of success
- Passion and money's role in success
- Five golden principles for overcoming challenges
- Philanthropy and the importance of giving back
- And other topics…
Apolo Ohno is America’s most decorated Winter Olympian of all time, earning eight Olympic medals in short-track speed skating across the 2002, 2006, and 2010 Winter Games.
He was an NBC sports analyst for the Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games and is a global ambassador for the Special Olympics and the Winter Olympics. Among his other athletic accomplishments, Apolo won season 4 of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and participated in the 2014 Ironman World Championship Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii.
Apolo is also the author of the New York Times best-seller, Zero Regrets, A Journey, the autobiography of Apolo Anton Ohno, and his latest book, Hard Pivot. He is a regular speaker at hundreds of organizations from Fortune 100 companies to nonprofits.
The Grandfather of Modern Real Estate Investing: Sam Zell Revisited
01:13:00
In celebration of our one-year anniversary, we are revisiting a couple of our early episodes that people loved!
In today's episode, Randall Kaplan is joined by American billionaire businessman and philanthropist Sam Zell to discuss daring to be different, finding and capitalizing on opportunities, what it means to go for greatness, and much more.
Topics Include: - How Sam’s parents escaped from Poland prior to Nazi invasion. - What freedom and an opportunity to thrive in the US meant to the Zell family. - Sam’s early success in real estate during his college years. - The power of clarity to transform your business. - Getting turned down by 43 consecutive law firms. - Evaluating and taking on risk as a business owner and investor. - The importance of culture, access, and a lack of hierarchy within an organization. - Thoughts on current investment trends such as digital currencies. - And other topics.
Samuel Zell is the chairman of Equity Group Investments and five publicly-traded companies on the NYSE. He is considered one of the grandfathers of the modern real estate investment industry and was recognized by Forbes as one of the greatest living business minds. A self-made billionaire with a net worth of over $5 billion, Sam is an active philanthropist with a focus on entrepreneurial education.
The Beauty of Living Twice: Sharon Stone Revisited
01:33:06
In celebration of our one-year anniversary, we are revisiting a couple of our early episodes that people loved!
In today's episode, Randall Kaplan is joined by global superstar Sharon Stone to discuss what it took for her to achieve excellence in Hollywood as an outsider, how she managed to claw her way back from a crippling brain aneurysm, why being of service goes hand-in-hand with pursuing excellence, and much more.
Topics Include: - Growing up dirt poor. - Sharon’s early jobs and experiences as a model. - Challenges as a woman and an outsider in Hollywood. - The need to constantly prove yourself as a woman. - Setting clear goals and pursuing dreams. - The primacy of professionalism and kindness. - The challenges of being a global superstar. - The prevalence of sexual assault in the US. - Finding ways to be of service every day. - Sharon’s charity and philanthropic work. - And other topics.
Sharon Stone achieved global superstardom for her performance in the blockbuster film Basic Instinct and has appeared in over fifty-two movies. She has won 43 awards for her acting including a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture and an Academy Award nomination for the film Casino. Sharon is intimately involved in humanitarian and philanthropic efforts and received the Nobel Peace Summit Award in 2013. In March of 2021, Sharon released The Beauty of Living Twice, an autobiography that details her life and the incredible challenges she’s managed to overcome.
Ed Mylett: The Path to Happiness and Fulfillment | E27
00:26:08
Ed Mylett spent his early life in a dysfunctional home living with an alcoholic father who would often get into fist fights — at church, in line at the donut store, and even on the freeway. After his dad embarked on his path to sobriety, he soon became Ed’s first example of what it takes to succeed in life. This ultimately led to Ed’s realization that the challenges we overcome, or the parts of our former selves that we were once ashamed of, are the very things that qualify us to contribute and be in service of others in their search of excellence.
Despite this new mindset, Ed found himself aimless after an injury ended his dream of playing major league baseball. Ed had retreated to his family home where he spent his time alongside his childhood Teddy bears while watching episodes of The Maury Show and Jerry Springer. Some thirty-odd years later, Ed is now an incredibly successful serial entrepreneur and one of the most sought-after motivational speakers. Life for Ed is coming full circle as he’s now working on his own show… in the same studio that created episodes of The Maury Show and Jerry Springer he once watched.
In this episode, Randall and Ed discuss how important it is not to quit (at least for one more day); how a fear of failure is necessary and even healthy; how to recover from profound disappointments in life; the type of people you should look for (and avoid) when you need advice; why you should operate using visions and dreams, not history and memories; the importance of public speaking and unconventional ways to improve; why you should never base your self-confidence on your abilities or your achievements, and more…
Topics include: -How adversity in Ed’s childhood influenced his adult life -How to channel negatively-perceived emotions into success -Why successful people embrace pain -The concept of invisible progress -Becoming an impossibility thinker and a possibility achiever in life -What it means to actually step into your dreams -The power of intention -The difference between being wealthy and being rich -Why confidence comes from preparation, not ability -Why you should focus more on how you want to feel rather than what you want to get
Ed Mylett spent his early life in a dysfunctional home living with an alcoholic father who would often get into fist fights — at church, in line at the donut store, and even on the freeway. After his dad embarked on his path to sobriety, he soon became Ed’s first example of what it takes to succeed in life. This ultimately led to Ed’s realization that the challenges we overcome, or the parts of our former selves that we were once ashamed of, are the very things that qualify us to contribute and be in service of others in their search of excellence.
Despite this new mindset, Ed found himself aimless after an injury ended his dream of playing major league baseball. Ed had retreated to his family home where he spent his time alongside his childhood Teddy bears while watching episodes of The Maury Show and Jerry Springer. Some thirty-odd years later, Ed is now an incredibly successful serial entrepreneur and one of the most sought-after motivational speakers. Life for Ed is coming full circle as he’s now working on his own show… in the same studio that created episodes of The Maury Show and Jerry Springer he once watched.
In this episode, Randall and Ed discuss how important it is not to quit (at least for one more day); how a fear of failure is necessary and even healthy; how to recover from profound disappointments in life; the type of people you should look for (and avoid) when you need advice; why you should operate using visions and dreams, not history and memories; the importance of public speaking and unconventional ways to improve; why you should never base your self-confidence on your abilities or your achievements, and more…
Topics include: -How adversity in Ed’s childhood influenced his adult life -How to channel negatively-perceived emotions into success -Why successful people embrace pain -The concept of invisible progress -Becoming an impossibility thinker and a possibility achiever in life -What it means to actually step into your dreams -The power of intention -The difference between being wealthy and being rich -Why confidence comes from preparation, not ability -Why you should focus more on how you want to feel rather than what you want to get
Sarah Friar: Taking Risks in Career and Life | E28
00:43:20
Sarah Friar learned about the power of community from an early age. Growing up in Northern Ireland during a time of tremendous violence showed her the importance of finding common ground and taught her how to create resilience from within, both of which are lessons that she continues to live by today. Even in moments of fear and despair, Sarah was able to find her resilience and take risks throughout her career.
After checking all the boxes that she thought would lead her to become a partner at Goldman Sachs, Sarah received the news that she wouldn’t be getting the promotion she had been striving for. She could have stayed at Goldman, but her husband said something to her that she couldn’t shake — losing the promotion has set her free.
From there, Sarah considered what she’s good at, what she’s passionate about, and what the world needs, which ultimately led her to her current role. As the CEO of Nextdoor, a hyperlocal social networking service for neighborhoods, Sarah is now working to strengthen the power of community — a reflection of her lessons learned early on.
In this episode, Randall and Sarah discuss how curiosity and resilience are the keys to finding your path; how finding common ground can unlock social capital that allows you to get things done in the world; advice to women today who are working in a sexist environment; what to do when you aren’t passionate about your work but are making good money; why searching for an emotional connection helps to build stronger companies; why you should be taking risks in your career frequently; the role politics has in the workspace; how to use moments of failure to help you rise; and more…
Topics include: -The power of community -Why it’s necessary to do the nitty-gritty work -Why it is important to learn both inside and outside of the classroom -The importance of finding purpose at work -How to use your fears to spur you into action -Whether or not you should have a plan B -Why extreme preparation matters -Prioritizing mental health -Why job hopping is a red flag -How to strike the right work-life balance -The secret side of philanthropy -Why having a diversity of experience is advantageous
Prior to Nextdoor, Sarah served as the chief financial officer at Square. Under Sarah’s leadership, the company launched its initial public offering in 2015 and added $30 billion in market capitalization.
Sarah grew up in Northern Ireland and earned her MEng in Metallurgy, Economics, and Management from the University of Oxford and her MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where she graduated as an Arjay Miller scholar.
Sarah Friar: Extreme Preparation, Mental Health, and Finding a Mentor | E29
00:35:12
Sarah Friar learned about the power of community from an early age. Growing up in Northern Ireland during a time of tremendous violence showed her the importance of finding common ground and taught her how to create resilience from within, both of which are lessons that she continues to live by today. Even in moments of fear and despair, Sarah was able to find her resilience and take risks throughout her career.
After checking all the boxes that she thought would lead her to become a partner at Goldman Sachs, Sarah received the news that she wouldn’t be getting the promotion she had been striving for. She could have stayed at Goldman, but her husband said something to her that she couldn’t shake — losing the promotion has set her free.
From there, Sarah considered what she’s good at, what she’s passionate about, and what the world needs, which ultimately led her to her current role. As the CEO of Nextdoor, a hyperlocal social networking service for neighborhoods, Sarah is now working to strengthen the power of community — a reflection of her lessons learned early on.
In this episode, Randall and Sarah discuss how curiosity and resilience are the keys to finding your path; how finding common ground can unlock social capital that allows you to get things done in the world; advice to women today who are working in a sexist environment; what to do when you aren’t passionate about your work but are making good money; why searching for an emotional connection helps to build stronger companies; why you should be taking risks in your career frequently; the role politics has in the workspace; how to use moments of failure to help you rise; and more…
Topics include: -The power of community -Why it’s necessary to do the nitty-gritty work -Why it is important to learn both inside and outside of the classroom -The importance of finding purpose at work -How to use your fears to spur you into action -Whether or not you should have a plan B -Why extreme preparation matters -Prioritizing mental health -Why job hopping is a red flag -How to strike the right work-life balance -The secret side of philanthropy -Why having a diversity of experience is advantageous
Prior to Nextdoor, Sarah served as the chief financial officer at Square. Under Sarah’s leadership, the company launched its initial public offering in 2015 and added $30 billion in market capitalization.
Sarah grew up in Northern Ireland and earned her MEng in Metallurgy, Economics, and Management from the University of Oxford and her MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where she graduated as an Arjay Miller scholar.
Jimmy Pitaro: Taking Action and Moving Forward During Times of Uncertainty | E30
00:44:25
Like many who are just starting out in their careers, Jimmy Pitaro was uncertain of the direction he was headed in as he prepared to enter the workforce. He was attending Cornell University where he had secured a spot on the football team, but Jimmy knew that the odds of him becoming a professional athlete were slim to nonexistent.
Nonetheless, sports had always played an influential role in his life and he was determined to incorporate the world of sports into his career path. As the now Chair of ESPN, it’s safe to say that Jimmy had reached this goal, but not without learning many important lessons along the way.
In this episode, Randall and Jimmy discuss the progression of Jimmy’s career, how to recover from a huge disappointment, determining when you should stay on course or move on to something else, identifying the subject matter you are most passionate about to lead your career direction, finding opportunities to work with like-minded people, and so much more.
Topics include:
-How Jimmy’s early love of sports shaped his future -Importance of having a support network -Why having compassion and respect for others is advantageous -Prioritizing mentorship -Erring on the side of over preparation -Jimmy’s “Four North Stars” at ESPN -Creating a culture of innovation -Why work ethic is the single greatest determinant of our success -The relationship between fear and courage -Networking -Finding the right work-life balance
Jimmy Pitaro was named Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content on October 12, 2020. His focus is the entirety of ESPN's multimedia offerings - including live sports programming, sports news and original and non-scripted sports-related content, audio, digital and social endeavors - plus all sports-related content for Disney's cable channels, ESPN+, and ABC.
He was named ESPN president and co-chair, Disney Media Networks, on March 5, 2018, after serving eight years as a top Disney executive. In making the announcement, Bob Iger, then The Walt Disney Company chairman and chief executive officer, said, "Jimmy's appointment was the result of more than 20 years spent at the intersection of technology, sports and media."
Pitaro's record of success leading businesses focused on consumer products, digital initiatives and sports made him the quintessential selection for ESPN at a pivotal point in its then 38-year history: a time of unprecedented technological advancements and rapidly changing consumer habits.
Pitaro originally joined The Walt Disney Company in 2010 as co-president, Disney Interactive, where he successfully led the turnaround of the digital media and gaming division.
He serves on a variety of industry and charitable boards, including the NCTA, the Paley Center for Media, The V Foundation, The National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, Pacer and CoachArt. Pitaro also serv
Jimmy Pitaro: How to Prepare for Anything and Crush Your Next Big Opportunity | E31
00:44:24
Like many who are just starting out in their careers, Jimmy Pitaro was uncertain of the direction he was headed in as he prepared to enter the workforce. He was attending Cornell University where he had secured a spot on the football team, but Jimmy knew that the odds of him becoming a professional athlete were slim to nonexistent.
Nonetheless, sports had always played an influential role in his life and he was determined to incorporate the world of sports into his career path. As the now Chair of ESPN, it’s safe to say that Jimmy had reached this goal, but not without learning many important lessons along the way.
In this episode, Randall and Jimmy discuss the progression of Jimmy’s career, how to recover from a huge disappointment, determining when you should stay on course or move on to something else, identifying the subject matter you are most passionate about to lead your career direction, finding opportunities to work with like-minded people, and so much more.
Topics include:
-How Jimmy’s early love of sports shaped his future -Importance of having a support network -Why having compassion and respect for others is advantageous -Prioritizing mentorship -Erring on the side of over preparation -Jimmy’s “Four North Stars” at ESPN -Creating a culture of innovation -Why work ethic is the single greatest determinant of our success -The relationship between fear and courage -Networking -Finding the right work-life balance
Jimmy Pitaro was named Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content on October 12, 2020. His focus is the entirety of ESPN's multimedia offerings - including live sports programming, sports news and original and non-scripted sports-related content, audio, digital and social endeavors - plus all sports-related content for Disney's cable channels, ESPN+, and ABC.
He was named ESPN president and co-chair, Disney Media Networks, on March 5, 2018, after serving eight years as a top Disney executive. In making the announcement, Bob Iger, then The Walt Disney Company chairman and chief executive officer, said, "Jimmy's appointment was the result of more than 20 years spent at the intersection of technology, sports and media."
Pitaro's record of success leading businesses focused on consumer products, digital initiatives and sports made him the quintessential selection for ESPN at a pivotal point in its then 38-year history: a time of unprecedented technological advancements and rapidly changing consumer habits.
Pitaro originally joined The Walt Disney Company in 2010 as co-president, Disney Interactive, where he successfully led the turnaround of the digital media and gaming division.
He serves on a variety of industry and charitable boards, including the NCTA, the Paley Center for Media, The V Foundation, The National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, Pacer and CoachArt. Pitaro also serv
Mike Horn: Conquer Your Fear and Make the Impossible, Possible | E32
01:07:55
Mike Horn is a person who has redefined the boundaries of human endurance. He’s trekked to the North Pole in complete darkness, scaled four of the world’s 8,000-meter tall mountains, circled the globe not once, but twice (once on the Equator and once on the Arctic Circle), and the list goes on.
And while his expeditions are often life-threatening, and despite some incredibly close calls, he’s not one to be reckless in accomplishing his goals.
In this episode, Randall and Mike discuss his journey to becoming the world’s greatest modern-day explorer, covering everything from lessons learned in early childhood to his groundbreaking expeditions.
They discuss how mistakes can and should be used to our benefit, viewing inspiration as a two-way street, why making peace with failure is an absolute requirement of success, how psychological attitude and mental strength determine whether we achieve excellence, where money should rank in our career goals and life, and so much more.
Topics Include: - How freedom leads to creativity - Power of positive reinforcement - Investing in education - The relationship between self-discipline and motivation - Setting and achieving goals outside of our comfort zone - Ingredients to success - Understanding fear - Sports psychology - Taking ownership of our problems - Addressing environmental and ecological issues
Mike Horn is globally acknowledged as the world’s greatest modern-day explorer. From swimming the Amazon River solo and unsupported to an un-motorized circumnavigation of the globe at the equator, Mike’s list of accomplishments as a solo explorer is unparalleled. In two decades, he has seen more of the Earth than possibly any other human. He walked to the north pole during the dark season (more people have been to the moon) and has scaled the world’s 8,000-meter peaks including a recent attempt to paraglide K2.
For 25 years, as one of the top motivational speakers, he has inspired and educated the world by pushing the limits of human ability through a series of groundbreaking expeditions, always naturally powered and often solo. Mike also engages in mental coaching of elite sports teams. Through his coaching, Mike already contributed to the victory of several teams, including Germany’s national football team during the 2014 World Cup, the Kolkata Knight Riders cricket teams and the Mumbai Indians in India, and the Proteas in South Africa.
Mike Horn: Extreme Expeditions, Losing Loved Ones, and Finding Discipline in Life | E33
00:56:53
Mike Horn is a person who has redefined the boundaries of human endurance. He’s trekked to the North Pole in complete darkness, scaled four of the world’s 8,000-meter tall mountains, circled the globe not once, but twice (once on the Equator and once on the Arctic Circle), and the list goes on.
And while his expeditions are often life-threatening, and despite some incredibly close calls, he’s not one to be reckless in accomplishing his goals.
In this episode, Randall and Mike discuss his journey to becoming the world’s greatest modern-day explorer, covering everything from lessons learned in early childhood to his groundbreaking expeditions.
They discuss how mistakes can and should be used to our benefit, viewing inspiration as a two-way street, why making peace with failure is an absolute requirement of success, how psychological attitude and mental strength determine whether we achieve excellence, where money should rank in our career goals and life, and so much more.
Topics Include: - How freedom leads to creativity - Power of positive reinforcement - Investing in education - The relationship between self-discipline and motivation - Setting and achieving goals outside of our comfort zone - Ingredients to success - Understanding fear - Sports psychology - Taking ownership of our problems - Addressing environmental and ecological issues
Mike Horn is globally acknowledged as the world’s greatest modern-day explorer. From swimming the Amazon River solo and unsupported to an un-motorized circumnavigation of the globe at the equator, Mike’s list of accomplishments as a solo explorer is unparalleled. In two decades, he has seen more of the Earth than possibly any other human. He walked to the north pole during the dark season (more people have been to the moon) and has scaled the world’s 8,000-meter peaks including a recent attempt to paraglide K2.
For 25 years, as one of the top motivational speakers, he has inspired and educated the world by pushing the limits of human ability through a series of groundbreaking expeditions, always naturally powered and often solo. Mike also engages in mental coaching of elite sports teams. Through his coaching, Mike already contributed to the victory of several teams, including Germany’s national football team during the 2014 World Cup, the Kolkata Knight Riders cricket teams and the Mumbai Indians in India, and the Proteas in South Africa.
Steve Case: Vision Without Execution is Hallucination | E34
00:46:58
If it weren’t for Steve Case, the internet may never have become part of our everyday lives. He is the co-founder of AOL, after all. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Steve’s search for excellence.
As one of the most important entrepreneurs in the last hundred years, Steve is driven by a mission to create entrepreneurial opportunities in surprising places as a means to close the opportunity gap. Since 2003, he’s invested in more than 500 companies and his contributions have influenced the lives of hundreds of millions of people, if not billions of people around the world.
In this episode, Randall and Steve discuss whether someone can learn to be an entrepreneur or does they have to be born with the gene, the importance of failure and our ability to overcome it, the role entrepreneurs play in creating jobs, why innovation is key when starting a company, and so much more.
Topics include: -The digital revolution -Raising venture capital -Establishing partnerships -The Attacker/Defender dynamic -Characteristics of great entrepreneurs -Closing the opportunity gap -How to identify promising entrepreneurs -Mistakes to avoid when looking for funding -Philanthropy and The Giving Pledge
Steve Case is one of America’s best-known and most accomplished entrepreneurs and a pioneer in making the Internet part of everyday life. Steve’s entrepreneurial career began in 1985 when he co-founded America Online (AOL). Under Steve’s leadership, AOL became the world’s largest and most valuable Internet company, driving the worldwide adoption of a medium that has transformed business and society. At its peak, nearly half of Internet users in the United States used AOL.
Steve’s passion for helping entrepreneurs remains his driving force. He was the founding chair of the Startup America Partnership—an effort launched at the White House to accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation. He is also a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship, was the founding co-chair of the National Advisory Council on Innovation & Entrepreneurship and a member of President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness where he chaired the subcommittee on entrepreneurship.
Steve Case: How Entrepreneurs in Surprising Places are Building the New American Dream | E35
00:34:38
If it weren’t for Steve Case, the internet may never have become part of our everyday lives. He is the co-founder of AOL, after all. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Steve’s search for excellence.
As one of the most important entrepreneurs in the last hundred years, Steve is driven by a mission to create entrepreneurial opportunities in surprising places as a means to close the opportunity gap. Since 2003, he’s invested in more than 500 companies and his contributions have influenced the lives of hundreds of millions of people, if not billions of people around the world.
In this episode, Randall and Steve discuss whether someone can learn to be an entrepreneur or does they have to be born with the gene, the importance of failure and our ability to overcome it, the role entrepreneurs play in creating jobs, why innovation is key when starting a company, and so much more.
Topics include: -The digital revolution -Raising venture capital -Establishing partnerships -The Attacker/Defender dynamic -Characteristics of great entrepreneurs -Closing the opportunity gap -How to identify promising entrepreneurs -Mistakes to avoid when looking for funding -Philanthropy and The Giving Pledge
Steve Case is one of America’s best-known and most accomplished entrepreneurs and a pioneer in making the Internet part of everyday life. Steve’s entrepreneurial career began in 1985 when he co-founded America Online (AOL). Under Steve’s leadership, AOL became the world’s largest and most valuable Internet company, driving the worldwide adoption of a medium that has transformed business and society. At its peak, nearly half of Internet users in the United States used AOL.
Steve’s passion for helping entrepreneurs remains his driving force. He was the founding chair of the Startup America Partnership—an effort launched at the White House to accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation. He is also a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship, was the founding co-chair of the National Advisory Council on Innovation & Entrepreneurship and a member of President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness where he chaired the subcommittee on entrepreneurship.
Sallie Krawcheck: Watch Me Go. How Sallie Beat the Odds and Became One of the Most Powerful Women in Business | E36
00:36:29
Sallie Krawcheck holds the world record for being fired the most times on the Wall Street Journal. She is also one of the most powerful and influential people on Wall Street, currently serving as CEO of an investment platform that manages over $1.5 billion in assets. By viewing success and failure as two sides of the same coin, she has overcome what few of us are capable of.
Sallie is a Wall Street legend, an author, and the co-founder and CEO of Ellevest, a digital investment platform built for women. Over the last 30 years, she has continuously broken barriers on Wall Street, navigating high-profile leadership positions at companies like Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, and Smith Barney (now Morgan Stanley).
In this episode, Sallie talks about how she went from a rocky and emotionally-scarring start on Wall Street to the “Eureka!” moments that defined her career. She dissects what to do when facing constant rejection, the significance of outworking others, and how to rank learning, money, and passion when it comes to work. She also discusses the importance of proactively supporting and advising others, navigating office politics as a woman, and why success and failure are two sides of the same coin.
Topics Include:
- The most important relationship a professional woman can have
- How one person led Sallie to realize her potential
- Working for money vs. passion
- Biases against women and minorities in the workplace
- Sallie’s world record
- Why you shouldn’t be the smartest person in the room
- How job candidates can separate themselves from the competition
- The #1 unwritten rule of success in business
- And more…
Sallie Krawcheck is known as one of the most influential women on Wall Street, but the title hasn’t come without its challenges. From navigating constant workplace discrimination to being fired for maintaining her honesty, Sallie has jumped continuous hurdles, moving from investment banking to becoming one of the top business research analysts in the game.
Her Wall Street career includes being named CFO of Citigroup and CEO of Merrill Lynch, the Citi Private Bank, Smith Barney, US Trust, and Sanford C. Bernstein. She is the co-founder and current CEO of Ellevest, whose mission is to put more money in the hands of women. Her recent book, Own It: The Power of Women at Work, talks about the power of resilience, risk-taking, and hard work to reach the top.
Sallie Krawcheck: Yes, Women Make Better Investors Than Men. How Diversity Outperforms Meritocracy in Finance | E37
00:40:23
Sallie Krawcheck holds the world record for being fired the most times on the Wall Street Journal. She is also one of the most powerful and influential people on Wall Street, currently serving as CEO of an investment platform that manages over $1.5 billion in assets. By viewing success and failure as two sides of the same coin, she has overcome what few of us are capable of.
Sallie is a Wall Street legend, an author, and the co-founder and CEO of Ellevest, a digital investment platform built for women. Over the last 30 years, she has continuously broken barriers on Wall Street, navigating high-profile leadership positions at companies like Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, and Smith Barney (now Morgan Stanley).
In this episode, Sallie talks about how she went from a rocky and emotionally-scarring start on Wall Street to the “Eureka!” moments that defined her career. She dissects what to do when facing constant rejection, the significance of outworking others, and how to rank learning, money, and passion when it comes to work. She also discusses the importance of proactively supporting and advising others, navigating office politics as a woman, and why success and failure are two sides of the same coin.
Topics Include:
- The most important relationship a professional woman can have
- How one person led Sallie to realize her potential
- Working for money vs. passion
- Biases against women and minorities in the workplace
- Sallie’s world record
- Why you shouldn’t be the smartest person in the room
- How job candidates can separate themselves from the competition
- The #1 unwritten rule of success in business
- And more…
Sallie Krawcheck is known as one of the most influential women on Wall Street, but the title hasn’t come without its challenges. From navigating constant workplace discrimination to being fired for maintaining her honesty, Sallie has jumped continuous hurdles, moving from investment banking to becoming one of the top business research analysts in the game.
Her Wall Street career includes being named CFO of Citigroup and CEO of Merrill Lynch, the Citi Private Bank, Smith Barney, US Trust, and Sanford C. Bernstein. She is the co-founder and current CEO of Ellevest, whose mission is to put more money in the hands of women. Her recent book, Own It: The Power of Women at Work, talks about the power of resilience, risk-taking, and hard work to reach the top.
David Solomon: Stop Rushing. How Patience and Long-Term Thinking Wins in the Marketplace | E39
00:24:51
David Solomon is the CEO and Chairman of Goldman Sachs, the second-largest investment bank in the world – but this position was far from handed to him. As a teen and young adult, David raked leaves, babysat, flipped burgers at McDonald’s, and worked at a summer camp, learning the importance of work ethic and perseverance early on.
David’s career trajectory had its highs and lows just like any other, but his hard work, resilience, and self-awareness led him to become a leader for over 43,000 employees at a firm that manages $1.5 trillion in assets.
In this episode, Randall and David discuss the importance of adaptability and persistent effort amidst challenges, the characteristics of leaders, how success and work-life balance are defined, and much more.
Topics Include: - How consistent difficulties create resilience - David’s advice for dealing with limiting and frustrating bosses - Whether or not luck and timing impact success - Defining success - The 3 most important aspects of leadership - The connection between time management, preparation, and accomplishments - The characteristics of a Goldman Sachs employee - How to establish your work-life balance - The biggest lesson David has learned - And more…
David Solomon is the CEO and chairman of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Last year alone, Goldman Sachs managed $1.5 trillion in assets, had $60 billion in revenue, and employed 43,900 employees.
David began his career with the firm in 1999 as a partner, soon becoming the Global Head of the Financing Group. In 2006, he was named the joint head of the investment banking division, where he doubled profit margins over the next decade. He later served as president and COO of the firm before succeeding Lloyd Blankfein as CEO in 2018.
In addition to his work at Goldman Sachs, David is the chairman of the Board of Trustees of Hamilton College, serves on the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and serves on the Robin Hood Foundation, New York City’s largest poverty-fighting organization.
David Solomon: From Flipping Burgers at McDonald’s to CEO of Goldman Sachs | E38
00:24:38
David Solomon is the CEO and Chairman of Goldman Sachs, the second-largest investment bank in the world – but this position was far from handed to him. As a teen and young adult, David raked leaves, babysat, flipped burgers at McDonald’s, and worked at a summer camp, learning the importance of work ethic and perseverance early on.
David’s career trajectory had its highs and lows just like any other, but his hard work, resilience, and self-awareness led him to become a leader for over 43,000 employees at a firm that manages $1.5 trillion in assets.
In this episode, Randall and David discuss the importance of adaptability and persistent effort amidst challenges, the characteristics of leaders, how success and work-life balance are defined, and much more.
Topics Include: - How consistent difficulties create resilience - David’s advice for dealing with limiting and frustrating bosses - Whether or not luck and timing impact success - Defining success - The 3 most important aspects of leadership - The connection between time management, preparation, and accomplishments - The characteristics of a Goldman Sachs employee - How to establish your work-life balance - The biggest lesson David has learned - And more…
David Solomon is the CEO and chairman of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Last year alone, Goldman Sachs managed $1.5 trillion in assets, had $60 billion in revenue, and employed 43,900 employees.
David began his career with the firm in 1999 as a partner, soon becoming the Global Head of the Financing Group. In 2006, he was named the joint head of the investment banking division, where he doubled profit margins over the next decade. He later served as president and COO of the firm before succeeding Lloyd Blankfein as CEO in 2018.
In addition to his work at Goldman Sachs, David is the chairman of the Board of Trustees of Hamilton College, serves on the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and serves on the Robin Hood Foundation, New York City’s largest poverty-fighting organization.
Bob Pittman: How a Kid With a Glass Eye Became A Radio Star and Founded MTV at Age 27 | E40
00:35:51
Bob Pittman desperately needed $10 for his first flying lesson but was turned down for a job at a retail store and another at Piggly Wiggly. Refusing to take no for an answer, he walked into his local radio station and managed to snag a position that paid $1.65 an hour – never imagining that this perseverance would set him up to become not only a pilot, but the co-founder and former CEO of MTV Networks, COO of AOL Time Warner, CEO of Six Flags, CEO of Century 21, and a co-founder and CEO of iHeartMedia – the leading audio company in the United States whose broadcast reaches over 250 million Americans every month.
In this episode, Randall and Bob discuss:
- Bob’s experience growing up in the segregated South
- Leaving your comfort zone to identify problems and find solutions
- How Bob’s passion for aviation led him to the radio industry
- The necessity (or not) of a college degree
- Moving a company from a $20 million operating loss to turning a profit within 18 months
- How companies can create a brand without spending millions on marketing
- Why success and failure are the same thing
- The critical importance of marketing
- The great opportunities in working for a company nobody’s ever heard of
- 3 key elements to success
- And other topics…
Bob Pittman is a rockstar radio and TV programmer, marketer, investor, and media entrepreneur. He is currently co-founder, CEO, and Chairman of iHeartMedia, the leading audio company in the United States. iHeartMedia owns 863 radio stations, reaches over 250 million people every month, and had $3.85 billion in revenues over the last 12 months.
Bob is also the former COO of AOL Time Warner after its $180 billion merger, the former CEO of Six Flags Theme Parks, the former CEO of Century 21 Real Estate, and the former CEO of Clear Channel Outdoor, one of the world's largest outdoor advertising companies. He is a founding member of the Pilot Group, a New York-based private investment firm whose investments include Huffington Post, Zynga, and Facebook. Bob is also a co-founder of Casa Dragones Tequila, a host of a podcast called Math and Magic Stories from the Frontiers of Market, and is also a dedicated philanthropist among many other organizations.
Bob Pittman: Take Fast Action, How Bob Wins in Entrepreneurship Over and Over Again | E41
00:39:53
Bob Pittman desperately needed $10 for his first flying lesson but was turned down for a job at a retail store and another at Piggly Wiggly. Refusing to take no for an answer, he walked into his local radio station and managed to snag a position that paid $1.65 an hour – never imagining that this perseverance would set him up to become not only a pilot, but the co-founder and former CEO of MTV Networks, COO of AOL Time Warner, CEO of Six Flags, CEO of Century 21, and a co-founder and CEO of iHeartMedia – the leading audio company in the United States whose broadcast reaches over 250 million Americans every month.
In this episode, Randall and Bob discuss:
- Bob’s experience growing up in the segregated South
- Leaving your comfort zone to identify problems and find solutions
- How Bob’s passion for aviation led him to the radio industry
- The necessity (or not) of a college degree
- Moving a company from a $20 million operating loss to turning a profit within 18 months
- How companies can create a brand without spending millions on marketing
- Why success and failure are the same thing
- The critical importance of marketing
- The great opportunities in working for a company nobody’s ever heard of
- 3 key elements to success
- And other topics…
Bob Pittman is a rockstar radio and TV programmer, marketer, investor, and media entrepreneur. He is currently co-founder, CEO, and Chairman of iHeartMedia, the leading audio company in the United States. iHeartMedia owns 863 radio stations, reaches over 250 million people every month, and had $3.85 billion in revenues over the last 12 months.
Bob is also the former COO of AOL Time Warner after its $180 billion merger, the former CEO of Six Flags Theme Parks, the former CEO of Century 21 Real Estate, and the former CEO of Clear Channel Outdoor, one of the world's largest outdoor advertising companies. He is a founding member of the Pilot Group, a New York-based private investment firm whose investments include Huffington Post, Zynga, and Facebook. Bob is also a co-founder of Casa Dragones Tequila, a host of a podcast called Math and Magic Stories from the Frontiers of Market, and is also a dedicated philanthropist among many other organizations.
Colin O’Brady: They Said He’d Never Walk Again. Now He Holds 10 World Records | E42
00:40:10
Since he was a child, Colin O’Brady dreamt of becoming an Olympian, but when a terrible accident burned 22% of his body, doctors told him he would never walk normally again. Luckily for Colin, he didn’t believe in being “realistic”, so 18 months later he won the Chicago triathlon, and a year after that he represented Team USA at the 2010 World Triathlon Championships. Through intense focus, intuition, and a possibility-focused mindset, Colin has continued to shatter world records at groundbreaking speeds while proving there is no such thing as impossible.
Colin O’Brady is an American professional endurance athlete, motivational speaker, author, and 10-time world record holder adventurer. He is the fastest person to complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam and the 50 Highest Points in all 50 states and the youngest person to row on the Southern Ocean. He has climbed Mount Everest twice, completed marathons in over 50 countries, and crossed Antarctica solo and unassisted in just 54 days.
In this episode, Randall and Colin discuss:
- Creating large goals while facing insurmountable challenges
- The importance of being all-in on only one project at a time
- Why being “realistic” can limit your success
- The extreme preparation Colin endured for the Explorer’s Grand Slam
- How Colin beat an ex-British Special Forces polar explorer across Antarctica
- The concept of the “possible mindset” to unlock new opportunities
- Colin’s new book and movement, The 12-Hour Walk
Colin O’Brady is an American professional endurance athlete, motivational speaker, author, and 10-time world record holder adventurer. He is the fastest person to complete what is known as the Explorer’s Grand Slam, which includes climbing the seven summits and skiing to both the North and South Poles. In addition to this, Colin was the first person on record to cross Antarctica solo and unassisted in just 54 days and has completed more than 50 marathons on six continents.
Aside from scaling mountains and racing at unprecedented speeds, Colin has authored two books, the New York Times bestseller The Impossible First and his most recent release, The 12-Hour Walk. He is also a dedicated philanthropist and creator of Beyond 7/2, a registered non-profit with the mission of inspiring kids and communities to live active, healthy lives and pursue their dreams.
Colin O'Brady: Cultivate a Possible Mindset and Break Your Limiting Beliefs | E43
00:40:23
Since he was a child, Colin O’Brady dreamt of becoming an Olympian, but when a terrible accident burned 22% of his body, doctors told him he would never walk normally again. Luckily for Colin, he didn’t believe in being “realistic”, so 18 months later he won the Chicago triathlon, and a year after that he represented Team USA at the 2010 World Triathlon Championships. Through intense focus, intuition, and a possibility-focused mindset, Colin has continued to shatter world records at groundbreaking speeds while proving there is no such thing as impossible.
Colin O’Brady is an American professional endurance athlete, motivational speaker, author, and 10-time world record holder adventurer. He is the fastest person to complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam and the 50 Highest Points in all 50 states and the youngest person to row on the Southern Ocean. He has climbed Mount Everest twice, completed marathons in over 50 countries, and crossed Antarctica solo and unassisted in just 54 days.
In this episode, Randall and Colin discuss:
- Creating large goals while facing insurmountable challenges
- The importance of being all-in on only one project at a time
- Why being “realistic” can limit your success
- The extreme preparation Colin endured for the Explorer’s Grand Slam
- How Colin beat an ex-British Special Forces polar explorer across Antarctica
- The concept of the “possible mindset” to unlock new opportunities
- Colin’s new book and movement, The 12-Hour Walk
Colin O’Brady is an American professional endurance athlete, motivational speaker, author, and 10-time world record holder adventurer. He is the fastest person to complete what is known as the Explorer’s Grand Slam, which includes climbing the seven summits and skiing to both the North and South Poles. In addition to this, Colin was the first person on record to cross Antarctica solo and unassisted in just 54 days and has completed more than 50 marathons on six continents.
Aside from scaling mountains and racing at unprecedented speeds, Colin has authored two books, the New York Times bestseller The Impossible First and his most recent release, The 12-Hour Walk. He is also a dedicated philanthropist and creator of Beyond 7/2, a registered non-profit with the mission of inspiring kids and communities to live active, healthy lives and pursue their dreams.
Brian Lee: Entrepreneurs Don’t Wait – Take a Risk, Work Hard, and Don't Be Afraid | E44
00:35:26
Brian Lee is a rock-star serial entrepreneur and incredibly successful venture capitalist. He is also a great philanthropist dedicated to leaving and impact and giving back to the community.
He is a co-founder and ex-CEO of LegalZoom, a co-founder and ex-CEO of ShoeDazzle, a co-founder and ex-CEO of the Art of Sport, co-founder and current CEO of Arena Club, and co-founder of the incredibly successful venture capital firm, BAM ventures.
Brian Lee is also an amazing person, dear friend, and a mentor and I am very grateful for having him on In Search of Excellence!
(00:00) – Brian Lee's background
Who is Brian Lee?
Brian’s parents and their coming to America
How Brian’s dad built a successful business
(06:59) – Can you learn to be an entrepreneur?
It can be learned, but most entrepreneurs are born with that DNA
Entrepreneurs don’t wait, they seize opportunities
If you have an idea and want to peruse it, go and do it
Entrepreneurship is mostly a young person’s game
(09:09) – The advice to people who are afraid of failure
It’s ok to fail, failing is learning
You have to get back on the horse and keep going, many entrepreneurs failed several times
You have to be focused and work very hard
Nothing happens out of itself
(14:25) – Brian’s education and the importance of attending a college
High school - wanted to be a rapper, tried it and it didn’t work
College - went to UCLA School of Law
Salesmanship is a key for everything you do in life, whatever you do, you are selling
Cold calling is one of the best skills to learn
(21:09) – Are grades important when hiring someone for a job?
No one pays attention to the grades, but it’s important to finish what you started
What is important are commitment and drive
Important traits – dedication, loyalty, ability to see things through
What to do when you are unhappy on your job – stay or leave? A little bit of pain in life is inevitable, sometimes you have to suck it up!
(21:09) – The grass is always greener
Stick it out and do well with what you are given
(28:02) – LegalZoom
The late-night call with Robert Shapiro at 9:00pm
LegalZoom's goal was to bring trust to people, not steal information
Brian Lee: A Roadmap to Success – Passion, Dedication, Innovation, and the Power of Influencers | E45
00:45:47
Brian Lee is a rock-star serial entrepreneur and incredibly successful venture capitalist. He is also a great philanthropist dedicated to leaving and impact and giving back to the community.
He is a co-founder and ex-CEO of LegalZoom, a co-founder and ex-CEO of ShoeDazzle, a co-founder and ex-CEO of the Art of Sport, co-founder and current CEO of Arena Club, and co-founder of the incredibly successful venture capital firm, BAM ventures.
Brian Lee is also an amazing person, dear friend, and a mentor and I am very grateful for having him on In Search of Excellence!
(01:04) – Working with Celebrities (Kobe Bryant and Kim Kardashian)
Learning about the power of influencers
(08:45) – The Importance of Passion
Arena club: Passion not only about the mission, but also the service
The idea was to digitize the physical and build a community
(14:43) – The Entrepreneurial Desire to Fix What is Broken
Entrepreneurs are not happy with the status quo – change them
Good preparation is extremely important to be successful (sometimes it doesn’t work, but that’s ok)
(17:40) – Extreme Preparation at LegalZoom
(54:15) – Advice to Students Who Want to Pursue Venture Capital
Today we have all kinds of venture capital
Use a unique approach if you do not have industry contacts (go to events and meet people, go to LinkedIn, find mutual contacts)
Raising capital for LegalZoom (persistence is the key, you are literally begging for money) – you have to be that annoying person
(29:06) – What’s the Secret of Work-Life Balance?
Working around 100 hours a week, no social life, things are different now
Tip for organizing emails
(34:20) – The Most Important Elements of Success
Work and work ethic, being empathetic and understanding people, having a good support network
Everyone has a different path, and every company culture is different
(39:43) – Philanthropy and Giving Back to the Community
Tony Fadell: The Game Has Changed! You Don’t Need Silicon Valley | E47
00:28:56
Tony Fadell is an amazing and successful engineer, entrepreneur, and investor. He is the father of the iPod, co-creator of the iPhone, founder and former CEO of Nest Thermostat, and the founder of Future Shape, a global investment and advisory company.
In 2014, Tony Fadell was one of the Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. He is also a NY Times bestselling author with his book Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Work.
It’s a true pleasure to have Tony on our show and hear how he searched and found his excellence!
(00:24) Leaving the Silicon valley and inventing Nest Thermostat
A trip around the world with his family
Designing a new home on Lake Tahoe
Realized there were no good thermostats to remotely control
Nest Thermostat was born in Paris
There is no need for Silicon Valley anymore, the game has changed
(05:35) Money as a motivation to start a company
It was never about making money, it was about solving a problem
Focus on the inventions that fix real problems
Your success drastically changed the lives of your employees
(10:14) Steve Jobs and when is the time to quit
Book mention: Tony Fadell, Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Work
Working for Steve – one of the most important things in his life
Rumors about Steve Jobs are just rumors
Steve cared about customers and products, he demanded excellence, and he wasn’t going after people for no reason
When is the time to quit? (When you don’t grow anymore, when you work for someone you don’t respect, and when you work in a team with serious flaws)
If you’re working for an jerk, do you quit?
(18:32) The importance of Extreme Preparation
What is Extreme Preparation for Tony?
VC pitch meetings
TED talks
(21:10) The importance of mentors in search of excellence
Everyone needs a mentor (even Steve Jobs)
The best mentors know human nature
Coaches are something different
(24:25) Fill in the blank to Excellence
When I started my career I wish I had known – more about understanding the customer
The biggest lesson I learned in my life – when to say no and say it more often
No. 1 professional goal – to help people and mentor them
The greatest innovation in the next 50 years – Artificial Intelligence
Tony Fadell: Innovation Must Never Stop (Even If You’re #1) | E46
01:00:48
Tony Fadell is an amazing and successful engineer, entrepreneur, and investor. He is the father of the iPod, co-creator of the iPhone, founder and former CEO of Nest Thermostat, and the founder of Future Shape, a global investment and advisory company.
In 2014, Tony Fadell was one of the Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. He is also a NY Times bestselling author with his book Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Work.
It’s a true pleasure to have Tony on our show and hear how he searched and found his excellence!
(00:28) Introduction
Learning from his dad about building trust in business (relationships, not transactions build trust)
50% is what you know and the other 50% is who you know
When rejected for a job, don’t take it personally (send follow-ups, keep the line open create the conversation, ask how to improve)
(10:18) Tony’s childhood
Selling eggs to neighbors as a young kid (money = freedom)
Degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science studies
As a sophomore, made an improved processor for Apple 2 – offered it to Apple and Apple bought it!
(16:44) The value of cold calling skills
The first job in Silicon Valley – got it through cold calling (overcome the fear of cold calling)
Know how to tell your story to engage people – what value you can bring?
(21:13) Is education worth it?
Most people attend college in the wrong way
Tony’s mantra "Do, Fail, Learn"
The importance of internships (do a lot of things to know what you don’t want to do)
After college, go and learn from experts
(28:30) Turning disappointments into opportunities
General Magic – failed
6 years in Silicon Valley of failure
In 2000 Internets stocks tanked, the market froze
Called to work for Apple when the company was about to bankrupt
Apple was developing a new generation of Walkman
Randall’s experience with Apple
(40:25) Tony at Apple
6-week contract to research and design the iPod
The importance of constant improvement
Innovation must never stop, even if you’re #1 (you must be ahead your competition)
(48:59) What is an entrepreneur?
Someone who disrupts the market
Resonate with people in the first 30 seconds
Start with a pain and offer the painkiller (the development of iPhone – solved the issue of taking three devices with you)
Extreme Preparation: The Key To Your Success | E48
01:03:07
The episode today is a special one – I took the best segments about Extreme Preparation to highlight the importance of using preparation as the key to our success. Extreme Preparation was the most important determinant of my success, as it was for all my guests – they out-prepared their competition by always being the most prepared person in the room!
As you can see, Extreme Preparation is something very close to my heart – it has opened doors that were closed and even closed doors that would’ve ended in disaster – deals that would’ve gone wrong if I had prepared 1 hour less. Let Extreme Preparation be the one factor that leads to your success – harness it and out-prepare all your competitors.
Thank you for joining us for this incredibly special episode. Some of our best guests ever found their success through preparation and hard work. Tell us what you think about this kind of episode in the comments below!
(5:04) Mark Cuban (10:43) Ed Mylett (11:48) Sharon Stone (17:55) Jimmy Pitaro (25:04) Rachel Zoe (28:54) Kevin O'Leary (35:30) Daymond John (39:33) Giada DeLaurentiis (41:25) Mike Horn (46:32) Sammy Hagar (51:43) Bob Pittman (53:42) Sarah Friar (57:31) Caryn Seidman-Becker (1:01:01) Tony Fadell
Cold Calling is one of the best ways to grow as an individual as well as accomplish even your wildest dreams! It requires confidence, composure, and sales skills – all of which are extremely hard to master!
In today's competitive marketplace, many salespeople and business owners are relying solely on digital marketing techniques to generate leads and close deals. However, there is still tremendous value in cold calling, even if it seems intimidating or old-fashioned. The very fact that so many people are scared to pick up the phone can be a major advantage for those who do.
I started my Cold Calling career at Mural Stone Construction where I made 200 calls a day trying to selling aluminum siding. At the end of the summer I made one sale – it was something that changed the course of my life forever. Feeling the value of my work in a commission check was especially rewarding to me.
In today's episode I’ll be the one being interviewed! I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Spencer Lodge, host of The Spencer Lodge Podcast. Spencer is a leading sales trainer in Dubai and across the Middle East known for interviewing some of the most amazing guests ranging from Tony Robbins, Marisa Peer, a NASA astronaut, and so much more.
In this episode you’ll learn all about my upbringing, some of my earliest achievements, and my career path. From my early days as a failed lawyer, to finding my true purpose through the impact of the work I found myself doing shortly thereafter.
You’ll also hear all about my approach on “Extreme Preparation” – a characteristic that has been the core to my success. I’ll be talking about just how I prepare for some of these events and show you the steps on how to work wherever you would like (despite your experience).
Make sure to tune into the full episode today as you’ll get a ton of take aways and insights on how I truly went from having nothing to becoming the serial entrepreneur that I am today.
Tell us what you think about this kind of episode, do you want to hear more from me?
Please show support for Spencer's podcast by following and downloading his amazing interviews here!
Damon West: From A Loving Home To Lifetime In Prison | E51
00:42:56
Damon West is an ex-meth addict and the ex-head of an organized crime ring who was sentenced to life in prison for his crimes. Today, he is a college professor at the University of Houston, an exceptional motivational speaker, and a best-selling author. His story is one of the most incredible and fascinating stories I have ever heard – do not miss this episode!
(01:56) Introduction to Damon West
Grew up in Port Arthur, Texas with supporting parents
A black athlete on the front page of a magazine (hate mail he had to read)
Taking a stand and doing the right thing may mean standing alone
Being molested by a babysitter at 9 years old introduced him to adult behaviors (started smoking, drinking, and doing drugs at 10 years old)
High-school football in Texas
From star athlete to a career-ending injury – identity shattered
Going back to drugs being a functional addict
Finished college and got a job in the US Congress and UBS
(16:20) Drug addiction and descending into criminal
Addicts give up their goals to meet their behaviors
Successful people give up their behaviors to meet their goals
Everything can be an addiction
12-step recovery program
Falling in love with crystal meth
Known as "The Uptown Burglar"
(24:52) Life sentence in prison
Arrested for his crimes (6 days of a public trial and sentenced to 65 years in prison)
Great advice from his mother
Mr. Jackson – a ray of sunshine in prison
Prison is all about race and gangs
The strongest men in prison walk alone
The coffee bean story (the most important story of his life)
His first day in prison (you don't have to win, just fight)
Welcome to Part 2 of my amazing episode of In Search of Excellence featuring Damon West, a man with an astonishing life story. He was a former meth addict and head of an organized crime ring, sentenced to life in prison for his crimes.
Today, he is a college professor at the University of Houston, an exceptional motivational speaker, and a best-selling author. His story is one of the most incredible and fascinating stories I’ve ever heard.
In this episode, we’ll hear about his prison experience, life after prison, and the importance of never giving up and losing hope! Tune in for more!
(00:37) Prison experience
6 weeks in prison
Sports in prison is a big deal (no mixed-race teams)
Basketball court (getting on all-black teams)
Adversity is never as bad as you think
You are more capable than you think you are
No more violence
(07:58) Mental health and suicidal thoughts
Prison is a very predatory environment
Suicidal thoughts in prison
Church service and a personal talk with Miss D
A secret to faith
If we lose hope, we lose all
Movie mention: Shawshank Redemption
Message to people suffering in their own mind
(19:54) After prison
Getting out of prison
Working in a law firm
Meeting 8 best coaches in the US (rejected by everyone but the 8th conversation!)
Presentation in Clinton, Alabama
A message from the director of football operations in Alabama
A call from John Gordon, the motivational speaker
Writing a book “Coffee Bean”
(27:50) The importance of preparation for success
Preparation is everything
You have to put in the work and take action
3-5 elements one needs to be successful
(30:44) The importance of giving back
Extremely important
Helping children of incarcerated parents
Getting MA in criminal justice
Professor at the University of Huston and teaching at Prisons in America
Rodney Jerkins: Strive For Perfection And Be Beyond Prepared | E54
00:46:01
Rodney Jerkins is one of the most successful music producers of all time – he has worked with some of the greatest artists of our time, including Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and many more.
He has been nominated for 18 Grammy Awards and has won 2 – for the Record of the Year and Best R&B song. He is also an incredible songwriter and musician. His journey to excellence is incredible so tune in to hear more!
(00:00) Working with Michael Jackson
Teddy Reilly promised him to meet Michael Jackson (Teddy organized a trip to NY with Michael)
Several years later Rodney received a call to work with Michael Jackson
Jumped into the plane and waited in the hotel
His dream literally came true
(07:50) Importance of work ethics for our success
Working with Michael was a unique experience (Michael was a perfectionist)
One of the greatest experiences of his life
Rodney saved Michael's life on a four wheeler
Michael being accused of molestation
Michael was a kind and giving person caring for children and humanity
(17:18) Extreme preparation
Extreme preparation is essential (Michael was BEYOND prepared)
The goal is to take the client to the next level
Study and know everything about the client
Deliver the best version of yourself to the client
Show that you are extremely prepared
Success is inevitable
(23:26) The work ethic of Beyoncé and Lady Gaga
Beyoncé is similar to Michael Jackson – she strives for perfection
The secret is extreme preparation
Kobe Bryant and Michael Jackson story
Practice ONE THING until you master it
Killer instinct – the ability to overwork anybody
What’s Lady Gaga like?
Outstanding and special
Working together before she was famous
She believed she became great
(32:10) The influence of faith
One of the nicest guys in the business
Known to be a man of faith
Proud of his songs (hates derogatory songs)
Artists are humans and go through troubling times
There is always a bright light at the end of the tunnel
Made himself available to people
(36:28) Achieving success and paying it forward
50 billion streams of the songs he produced
Finding talent and nurturing talent
Performing Big Daddy Kane at the school talent show
Rodney's favorite song is Bee Gees “How Deep is Your Love” Rodney’s favorite song?
Money as a factor in life and career (money should not be an idol)
If you’re great at what you do, the money will come
Rodney Jerkins is one of the most successful music producers of all time – he has worked with some of the greatest artists of our time, including Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and many more.
He has been nominated for 18 Grammy Awards and has won 2 – for the Record of the Year and Best R&B song. He is also an incredible songwriter and musician. His journey to excellence is incredible so tune in to hear more!
(00:00) Rodney’s background
Born in Pomona, New Jersey (Dad was a pastor, mom a housekeeper)
Rodney is the fourth child
His mom was very sick while pregnant with him
Mom worked for wealthy families
Listening to rap music in secret
At 10, he decided to be a producer
At 13, started making and selling songs to local artists
Dad became his manager
Rodney was forced to play the piano
(10:52) Never stop dreaming, never stop believing
At 11, he started working and saving for Akai MPC 60
Went with his dad to a seller
Rodney copied the manual and read it every day (Rodney's dad realized his talent and broke his insurance policy to and bought him a machine)
The visit to Toledo, Ohio that changed Rodney's life forever
Rodney was blown away and inspired
Never stop dreaming, never stop believing
As a child, Rodney wanted to work with Michael Jackson
Dream the impossible dream
40-day family road trip
(27:20) From washing dishes to working with James Jones
Saving to buy the equipment
At 10, he asked for a job at local dinner (washing dishes)
Went to a mall and asked for a job at Foot Locker (Dug Smith let him stock the shelves)
At 15, went to Manhattan
James Jones from Uptown records (Rodney sent him a tape with a letter – James LOVED the music)
James Jones calls him to come to New York and work with him
At 16, dropped out of school and went to New York (Rodney's dad allowed him to go after his dreams)
(38:42) The biggest deal is not always the best deal
At 17, offered a 1.8 million dollars contract from EMI
At the same time, a 2.2 million dollar offer from Sony
Closed the deal with Brian Jackson (bigger money doesn’t mean a better deal)
Rodney bought his mother a car and a house for his parents at 17 years old
Wanted to be a blessing to them
The story about Randall’s grandmother
(50:04) Strike while the iron is hot
Doing local demos in South Jersey
A group hired him to make a demo for the Impact music convention (playing music for Teddy Riley)
Drove 6 hours to Future Recording Studios in Virginia Beach
Jon Gordon: The Power of Positivity (Your Life Is in Your Hands) | E55
00:46:40
Jon Gordon is a best-selling author and an amazing motivational speaker. He has written 27 books including 12 best-sellers and 5 children’s books. The most popular ones are The Energy Bus, The Power of Positive Leadership, Training Camp, Stay Positive, and The Garden.
The Energy Bus has sold over 2 million copies and inspired people around the world to change their lives and achieve success. Jon also worked with many Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sport teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits.
(00:00) Jon's Background
John’s father (step-father)
New York City undercover narcotics officer
Loving father, but with a negative world view (aught him to be stronger than the world)
Learned to be tough, but had to deal with negativity later
The Lord of the Flies neighborhood
Jon's Father got shot (came out of it a bit more positive)
Biological father was a social worker
The family were encouraging and supporting
At 30, John’s life crumbled (realized he had to start feeding himself with positivity)
(08:34) Getting out of a negative mindset
Got married at 26
Young entrepreneur with a restaurant business
Ran for city council (dreamed about being in politics)
Attacked with lies and didn’t win
Went to law school and dropped out
Got an opportunity to work for dot.com (everything crashed)
Going back to your passion
Had a second mortgage, credit card debt, and no savings / plan B
Lived in fear that he would disappoint his family
Asked God for help
Success and energy vampires
(17:16) Advice to future entrepreneurs
Do the research
Understand what you are doing
You have to truly love it and want it
Even if you fail, you still did what you loved
Choose your hard
Side hustle before you make it full time
The moment Jon became a true entrepreneur
Decided never to put his family’s future in someone else’s hands
Except struggle and challenges
Build a good team
Life is short, live it with no regrets
(26:10) Building the newsletter and publishing a book
Started researching positive psychology
Made complex ideas simple
Number 1 tip: take a gratitude walk everyday
Your mind is a garden, weed the negative, feed the postivie
Jon failed with 2 books
The Energy Bus succeeded through the power of prayer
Jon Gordon is a best-selling author and an amazing motivational speaker. He has written 27 books including 12 best-sellers and 5 children’s books. The most popular ones are The Energy Bus, The Power of Positive Leadership, Training Camp, Stay Positive, and The Garden.
The Energy Bus has sold over 2 million copies and inspired people around the world to change their lives and achieve success. Jon also worked with many Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sport teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits.
(01:20) Positive Leadership
Complaining is allowed only if you offer solution
Negativity sabotages the team
The science behind the positivity
Optimists are creating better future for them
(16:10) The Four C’s (Communication, Connection, Commitment, Care)
Communication (negativity fills lack of communication)
Connection
Commitment (to be committed team, you need to be connected team) - commitment recognizes commitment
Care (show that you care and others will care about team, customers, and results)
Vulnerability as a leader
(23:56) Most Important Ingredients For Success (Hope, Belief, Service, Care, Preparation)
The Carpenter builds with hope and belief
Fear paralyses you, love gives you power to overcome fear
Serve the people (as a leader, you have to serve and sacrifice)
Put your heart and soul in your work
The importance of extreme preparation
Sharing the ideas of his books with people
(32:53) Mental Health of Our Society
Our brains are not healthy (food, chemicals, and other things effect brain)
Neurotheology – how prayer influences brain
Positivity elevates our state of mind
A battle for the minds and souls of our kids is going on – we must help them to win
Suicide and overcoming the 5 D’s (Doubt, Distortion, Discouragement, Distraction, Divide)
Nothing can separate you from the love of God – love the Creator
Mike Tyson: “I Am Going To Tear His Soul Apart” | E57
00:40:01
My guest today is Mike Tyson, a former heavyweight boxing champion of the world and one of the greatest boxers of all time! At the age of 20, he became the youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title. He was the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold WBA, WBC, and IDF titles and a member of the international boxing Hall of Fame.
Mike has appeared in many movies and TV shows. He is the actor and creator of a one-man Broadway show Undisputed Truth, and the author of the best-selling book of the same name.
Mike is also a very successful entrepreneur and a founder of two cannabis companies, including Tyson 2.0. He is an incredible person and a dedicated philanthropist through his Mike Tyson’s Care foundation, and the support of other charities including The Make a Wish Foundation and The Special Olympics.
(00:00) Mike’s childhood
His dad was a pimp, his mom an alcoholic and a sex industry worker
He was bullied in his childhood ("you can’t run from them, you must confront them")
Started robbing people to buy food for his pigeons
A traumatic event with the birds that changed him
Mike's first fight and from being bullied, to being the bully
Went pick-pocketing and stealing with his friends
Started with crime at 11, by the age of 13, he was arrested more than 37 times
The stealing mentality - nobody else matters
His mom encouraged him to steal (his goal was to be a professional criminal)
(18:13) Juvenile facilities and Mike’s first steps in boxing
Watched the movie “The Greatest”, the story of Mohammed Ali
Transferred to Elwood Cottage
Mike was always handcuffed in a dangerous environment
Met Bobby Stewart who inspired him to finish school and started training him
At 13, Bobby wanted to take him to the next level - introduced him to Cus D'Amato
(21:14) Mike’s first mentor - Cus D'Amato
Relationship with Cus D’Amato (Cus taught him to never give up)
Cus became a father figure for him
The time Mike first experienced love
Cus saw in him the future world champion
Working out for 6 hours a day while going to school
Wanted to get kicked out of school, but Cus didn’t allow that
There is no progress without struggle (study about rats)
(29:32) The beginning of his fighting career
At 18, a fight with Hector Mercedes - beat him in one round
Wasn't afraid of losing, but being a bad loser
Mike's desire to be the world champion consumed him completely
Became the youngest boxing champion ever
His mother’s reaction - never got affirmed by her
(34:57) From millions of dollars to bankruptcy
Started making millions of dollars (became highest paid athlete in the world)
My guest today is Mike Tyson, a former heavy-weight boxing champion of the world and one of the greatest boxers of all time.
At the age of 20, he became the youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title. He was the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold WBA, WBC, and IDF titles and a member of the international boxing Hall of Fame.
Mike has appeared in many movies and TV shows. He is the actor and creator of a one-man Broadway show Undisputed Truth, and the author of the best-selling book of the same name.
Mike is also a very successful entrepreneur and a founder of two cannabis companies, including Tyson 2.0. He is an incredible person and a dedicated philanthropist through his Mike Tyson’s Care foundation, and the support of other charities including The Make a Wish Foundation and The Special Olympics.
(1:52) Fame and money
Neither will make you happy
Become your own alarm system
The pain is the same at the top and the bottom of the world
(06:43) Three years in prison
Three best years of his life
Everything in life is psychological
Confidence brings success
Prison shifted his perspective (no one’s better than anyone else)
(11:33) Mike’s famous fights
Evander Holyfield - The Bite Fight
First fight in 1996, rematch 1997
The Sound and the Fury match
In the second fight – Mike got frustrated and got disqualified
Now they are partners
Buster Douglas – lost a fight from an underdog
Mike was happy that happened
He learned that losing is not as bad as you think
Never got discouraged in his life
Won the title again
His message to people who want to give up
The story of Don King
Adversities never stop, it’s how you handle them that can change
(19:16) Mike and Rodney Jerkins
Great friends with Rodney Jerkins Darkchild
Rodney is one of the nicest people he ever met
One of his best friends
Godley soul
(22:31) The importance of Extreme Preparation
It’s not for everyone
Balance doesn’t exist
Trained more than everyone else
Extreme preparation came from fear of failing
Everybody has a plan until they are punched in the mouth
(26:23) Life after boxing
Went totally broke after boxing and didn’t know what to do (called his wife for help and she helped him get back his life)
Discovered cannabis and got into the business
People allowed to drink and smoke on the show
Regrets he didn’t smoke pot while fighting
Mike Tyson's definition of success
The ingredients of success
What motivates Mike Tyson today?
The advice to a young boxer (prepare for disappointment and never give up and fight to your last breath)
Craig Newmark: Reinventing the Peer to Peer Transaction (Founder of Craigslist) | E59
01:18:23
My guest today is Craig Newmark – the Founder of the incredibly successful internet marketplace, Craigslist! Craigslist serves 700 cities in 70 countries and has 250 million users a month. In 2018, only four years after formation, Craigslist reached $1 billion in revenue.
During the last eight years, Craig Newmark has been one of our country's most active and generous philanthropist. During that time, he has given away more than $200 million. In 2022 alone, he gave away $81 million, which made him the 24th most generous philanthropist in the United States that year.
(01:50) Craig's parents
Growing up in a Jewish family in New Jersey
How his father's death impacted his future
Stress of going to college from a young age
The influence of Sunday school teachers
(06:29) Craig's Education (Computer Science)
Mastering quantum physics and computer science
Using the first computer for the first time
Being a nerd in high school and college
Being bullied as a kid
(12:14) Advice for people who don’t want to go to college
63% of people graduating college on financial aid
Advice to those who don't want to go
Why 42 is not too late to start a company
Advice to new founders
Craigslist started as a hobby
How Craig became an accidental entrepreneur
(18:53) Turning Craigslist into a real company
How Charles Schwab got started on Craigslist
Turning a hobby into a business
The first dollar ad on Craigslist
The monetization philosophy of Craigslist
(27:04) When is the right time to leave your job to start a company?
When is the right time to leave a job to start a company
The fear of failure
Why he didn't take money from Craigslist
Advice to other entrepreneurs
Evaluate and make judgments on the founder
Advice to those with founder syndrome
(33:55) What went into the decision to hire Jim as CEO
The decision to hire Jim as CEO
Early on, Craig asked for the privilege of not being on the phone
Treating people the way they want to be treated
(40:12) Customer service is a way to make more money
The CEO of Verizon (customer service is important)
Dunbar's number and how it's been guiding principles at Craigslist
None of the figures can be relied on
Top five elements of success
(57:32) Humility
The importance of being humble in search of excellence.
One of Craigslist challenges.
How Craigslist has dealt with these issues throughout the years.
How craigslist dealt with the issues.
(1:03:04) The downsides of having a lot of money
Net worth is estimated to be between one and $3 billion
Relentless Work Ethic: Why It Is Essential For Entrepreneurs | E60
00:33:10
Work ethic is THE single-biggest determinant of your success. In this epsidoe, learn from how the best in the world refine their work ethic and hear their thoughts on how to achieve true excellence in life and business. What is success? What are the key ingredients to success? How to overcome challenges and stay motivated? How to give back and inspire others? These are just a few of the questions they will answer. Tune in to hear more and grow and thrive on your path to excellence!
(00:00) Introduction
Sandee domain (www.sand.ee > www.sandee.com)
Become indefatigable
(03:42) Mike Horn – World’s Greatest Explorer
Latitude Zero Degree Expedition
We only have 30 000 days! Use them!
Surviving death squad
Don’t worry about the stuff you can’t change!
(09:05) Bob Pittman - CEO of iHeartRadio
Passion isn’t something you plan
Hired at NBC in Chicago as a 20-year-old
Whatever you do, do something you enjoy!
(10:43) Jon Gordon - Best Selling Author and Keynote Speaker
Did a lot of research on how to be positive
Talented at making complex ideas simple
Created weekly positive tips
Jon's #1 tip - Gratitude Walks!
That will flood the brain with positive emotions
Mind is like a garden - weed the negative! Feed the positive!
(13:22) Chris Voss
Three most important ingredients to success
Be a little bit better every day
Be a better team player vs. the team leader (if you want to go far, go as a team)
Hear people out
(16:27) Brian Lee - Founder of LegalZoom and The Honest Company, and CEO of Arena Club
How important is it to be passionate about what you are doing?
Always passionate about the mission of his businesses
With Arena Club – for the first time passionate about the service and offer
The start of Arena card
Innovation comes from fixing something that is broken!
(23:46) Caryn Seidman-Becker - CEO of CLEAR
Overcoming insurmountable challenges
Be proactive!
Look around corners!
Make predictions and act on them!
Take care of your own!
(27:38) Ben Sherwood
When you’re great at something, great things happen to you
Working hard is necessary, but not sufficient
Giving back is a very important piece of success
The voice that leads you to excellence can be ruthless (go easy on yourself)
Constant thriving can be ultimately counterproductive
Be kind towards yourself and the people around you
Mircea Geoana: From Communist Romania to Deputy Secretary General of NATO | E61
00:46:24
My guest today is Mircea Geoana, the Deputy Secretary General of NATO, who has had a successful political and diplomatic career for more than three decades.
At the age of 36, he was appointed as an ambassador to the U.S. and became the youngest ambassador in Romania’s history. He later served as a president of the Romanian Senate, Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Deputy Prime Minister.
In 2009, he narrowly lost the elections for the president of Romania when he received 49.6% of the votes. He is a board member of several organizations, including the World Economic Forum, The Aspen Institute, and the European Council for Foreign Relations. He is also a published author and has written several books on foreign policy and international relations.
00:00 Family Background and Communism
Born in communist Romania
His dad (an engineer) and mom (transportation company)
Growing up in communism and feeling oppressed
When communism collapsed, immediately went to see the West
His fascination with America
Apart from the U.S., dreamed of visiting France and Italy
09:25 U.S. Immigration
America is the land of immigrants
People should be welcomed, but it’s not easy to receive too many people
The USA was an inspiration for him on how to rebuild Romania
The transition from communism to the capitalistic system
Wanted to transfer back home the best ideas from the West
12:00 Education
Getting his Ph.D. in Economics and studying in Romania and France
How important is education?
America is an abundant example of success without formal education
Never be satisfied with what you know (education should be ongoing learning of new things)
Many things are available online
Learning how to learn and understanding learning is a constant process
Choose whatever you want, but know you never know enough
The importance of building a social network in college
18:34 What Does NATO Do?
NATO creates the foundation of peace, stability, and security
Insurance policy for 1 billion citizens
Examples NATO efforts
23:05 Russian Invasion of Ukraine
NATO tried very hard to prevent invasion (in January 2021, tried to dissuade Russia but failed)
How did Russia get it so wrong?
Russian leadership lives in a different reality than the rest of the world
He hopes that Russians will realize that their leadership is in wrong
Doubts that Russian citizens have real information
How is this war going to end (both sides need to compromise)?
What makes a successful invasion (pre-conditions for counteroffensive)?
Ukraine requested to join NATO when Crimea was taken
Mircea Geoana: NATO Support for Young Leaders and Innovators | E62
00:38:55
Welcome to the second part of our insightful conversation with Mircea Geoana, the Deputy Secretary General of NATO. Mircea was born and educated in communist Romania, finished his education in the West, and built a successful political and diplomatic career.
He was appointed as an ambassador to the U.S.A. and became the youngest ambassador in Romania’s history. He later served as a president of the Romanian Senate, Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Deputy Prime Minister. In 2009, he narrowly lost the elections for the president of Romania when he received 49.6% of the votes.
Mircea is a board member of several organizations, including the World Economic Forum, The Aspen Institute, and the European Council on Foreign Relations. He is also a published author and has written several books on foreign policy and international relations.
00:00 NATO’s billion-dollar entrepreneur fund
NATO created an ecosystem where young entrepreneurs can test their ideas for free
Testing ideas in DIANA – Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic
The Innovation Fund – The first ever multi-national sovereign venture capital fund
Competition with China
European HQ for DIANA is based at Imperial College in London
10:23 Mistakes made and things learned from them
Don't be satisfied with your learning
Aspen Institute in Colorado
Started Aspen Institute in Romania
Wishes to become a moderator of Aspen leadership seminars
15:20 Five ingredients of being a great leader
There are no natural-born leaders
There are many different types of leaders
Never be happy with your success (make room for progress)
17:55 How important it is to be funny as a team leader
A tendency to become rigid and dry from within over time
Try to be humble and listen to others
Everybody has something to offer
There is always something to learn
20:32 What does it take to be successful
Life is tough and has ups and downs
There is always another chance
Never give up
21:36 Extreme Preparation
Romanians are very talented people, but sometimes neglect preparation
Hard work is very important (talent is not enough)
In NATO, everything is done with thorough preparation
Preparing for the unexpected
Don’t take things too seriously
26:30 The importance of mentors
Believes in mentorship and, even more, in indirect mentorship
Started mentorship program with NATO
Randall’s mentorship program
Mircea’s dream is to bring programs to Romania
31:33 The secret to work-life balance
The balance between mind, body, and spirit
A tendency to have a foresight for bad things to happen
Ryan Sheckler: The Youngest Winner of X Games | E65
00:42:27
Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is Ryan Sheckler, one of the greatest skateboarders of all time! He turned pro when he was only 13 and, in that same year, became the youngest gold medalist in X Games history.
At 17, he was the star of his own MTV reality show, The Life of Ryan. And in 2008, he created the Sheckler Foundation, whose goal is to support and enrich the lives of children and injured action sports athletes.
Tune in to hear about his beginnings, the skateboarding community, Tony Hawk, the crucial X Game competition that made him famous, and so much more!
Time stamps:
00:50 Ryan’s first skateboarding experience
He was around 18 months old
A wild kid that moved around a lot
Discovered skateboarding as a toddler and naturally took it to the next level
All his neighbors skated
Loves free-falling and speed
The reaction of parents when they got hurt
Broke his arm when he was 5
05:48 Wearing helmets and pads
Very important for kids that are still learning
Wore helmet until 14
There is always a risk of falling
Today, it’s all about social media
Social media can work for you or against for you
Kids should learn in their own way and at their own pace
There're no rules to skateboarding, you’ve got to feel it
Randall’s experience in Venice skate park
15:00 Meeting Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk skated at the YMCA
Ryan’s dad emailed him and asked to come to a birthday party
Tony asked for $500 and a chocolate cake
It was an incredible experience
His coming and the way he treated them stuck with him
17:22 Skater community is a giving community
Was in Cuba years ago
The skate scene in Cuba is epic
They build their own incredible skateboards from various materials
Left everything he brought with himself there
The skater community is special and very giving
Ryan traveled the world as a skateboarder
You don't have to speak the language, speaking skateboarding is enough
What they all have in common is pain
Ryan had 12 broken bones, ligaments injuries, surgeries, and pins
Do good things for people in silence
Randall’s son skateboarding themed Bar Mitzvah
As getting older, Ryan wants to be more selfless
27:50 Rodney Mullen and his impact on Ryan’s life
Rodney Mullen is the best skateboarder alive ever
Rodney is the forefather of skateboarding
A Skateboard company called Almost
Unexpectedly, Rodney Mullen called Ryan
Ryan was obsessed with skateboarding and won many competitions
Devon Larratt: The World’s Greatest Arm Wrestler | E63
00:47:03
Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is Devon Larratt, one of the greatest arm wrestlers in the world.
Devon is a Canadian professional arm wrestler and a former member of the Canadian Army Forces. He has won multiple world championships and is considered to be one of the best arm wrestlers of all time. He is also a fantastic person and one of the most entertaining and charismatic sports figures!
We talk about this very unusual sport, his grandmother who was “the best arm wrestler in Alberta," underground arm wrestling competitions, his military career, and more!
Time stamps:
00:00 Is arm wrestling really a sport?
Arm wrestling is a very simple sport
It has federations with rule sets
It is done on a professional table
The size of the arm wrestling table
The elbow must stay on 7” plain surface
What does it take to win
Neutral position start
Take a grip, ready go, pin your opponent, win the match
Advantages and disadvantages of different anatomies
How Sylvester Stallone influenced arm wrestling
The movie Over the Top
09:39 How popular is arm wrestling in US?
It is very popular, but doesn’t have government support
3 prominent professional leagues
Armors, King of the Table, East vs. West
Amateur arm wrestling – WAF and IFA
Arm wrestling as a sport is growing
World Arm Wrestling League
The deciding factor is does it bring money
Today it does have sponsors
13:50 Devon’s background
Grew up in Big Island, Ontario on a farm
He was a high energy kid
His grandma was an arm-wrestler
Never beat his grandma in arm wrestling
His brother showed him The Pumping Iron book
Was fascinated with Arnold Schwarzenegger
Identified strength with being a man
Obsessed with strength, fitness, performance
Training from a very young age
After high school worked in oil field
Ton of young man worked there
He arm wrestled with them and beat everybody
Dion Angel was unbeatable
At the time, arm wrestling was completely underground
25:08 Are mentors necessary for success?
A goal is a light in the distance
Sometimes you meet people who have been where you are going
They can be amazing guides
Dion was one of those people
Mentors provide guidance and save you time
With Internet mentors are much more available
27:30 Joining the Canadian Military
Joined the army in 1996
Combat tours are scary
It takes time to develop psychological strength to fight
Welcome to Part 2 of an amazing episode of In Search of Excellence, featuring Devon Laratt, a Canadian professional arm wrestler who has won multiple world championships and is one of the best arm wrestlers of all time. He is also a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces.
In today’s episode, we talk about the things crucial for success, the importance of preparation, and the ability to accept defeat. You’ll hear about his most important wins and losses, the famous arm wrestlers he fought against, and so much more.
Time stamps:
01:05 The importance of Extreme Preparation
Things important for success
Considered the no. 1 arm wrestler in the world at 33
As you age you start losing physical energy
For the last four years, only trains his right hand
A lot of sacrifices is needed to become Number 1
You must be obsessed
05:19 How does Devon prepare for a match?
Devon’s training falls into 3 categories
The most important is actual practice on the table
Breaking new grounds and pushing forward
Muscle, tissue, and training rehab
Staying current
09:07 How important is a passion for success?
Passion is probably the most important thing
When you love something, you will be extremely motivated
Motivation will never be a problem
You have to know yourself
11:38 How to bounce back from a huge loss?
Lost 6:0 from Denis Cyplenkov
Denis is an incredible human being
Learned a lot from Dennis
Was defeated by an incredible arm wrestler
It’s great to have people to keep you humble and inspired
Denis is an inspirational athlete and fighter
Is there a fear of losing?
There are far more serious things than a match
Loves to fight and wants to have a good time
Cherishes his loses
Losses make you stronger
17:18 Is wrestling like poker?
In poker, you have your cards
Maybe not much like poker (random)
Arm wrestling is about self-betterment and growth of self
No Limits - a nick name given to Devon
Endurance has been his gift, never fallen short of it
Ryan Sheckler: When Success Takes Its Toll, The Tough Game Begins | E66
01:04:58
Welcome to the second part of In Search of Excellence episode featuring Ryan Sheckler, one of the greatest skateboarders of all time!
Ryan turned pro when he was only 13 and became the youngest gold medalist in X Games history. At 17, he was the star of his own MTV reality show, The Life of Ryan. And in 2008, he created the Sheckler Foundation, whose goal is to support and enrich the lives of children and injured action sports athletes.
Tune in to hear about his experience with the reality show, how success led him to a very dark place of alcohol addiction, how he fought hard for his recovery and found Jesus, and so much more!
00:47 The good and the bad of Ryan’s reality TV show
The first season was super fun
Didn’t think much about it or about anything else except himself
Stopped filming at season 3 because he was absolutely over it
His parents split up in the middle of the season
He was a vulnerable, confused, sad, and angry teenager
Went crazy on the streets, pushed the boundaries, and filmed
08:08 A crazy lifestyle and losing control
Years 17 to 21 were crazy
Bought a Ferrari at 18, constantly threw parties
Those days were a learning experience
Turned into a character that people wanted him to be
Used alcohol to quiet the noise
Believes that God had a plan for him
12:40 The drinking addiction and recovery
Started drinking around 17
Alcohol was at him to kill him
He thought he had a good tolerance to alcohol
Started partying and drinking every night, then during the day
He was confused about who he was
Thankfully, no social media back then
22:10 The relapse in Norway
Ryan was 25 and preparing for X Games in Oslo
Just ended a toxic relationship
Had a bunch of drinks and got on the plane
Prayed to God to make him fall
Flew home the next morning
Lasted for 4 years and then relapsed
Though he could be a normal drinker, but he could never be
31:21 Clay Thompson and Michael Phelps
Clay was friends with his friend Tony
They talked a lot during the recovery phase
They keep in touch regularly
Got in contact with Michael Phelps during his rehab
35:12 The Costco Gap and skating in Taiwan
Search on YouTube - Ryan Sheckler Costco gap
He did the basic jump successfully on the first try
Four tries later did a kick-flip
In Taiwan, almost got run over by a truck on a freeway
Skateboarding in Taiwan is epic
At the time, just healed from a knee surgery
51:15 Three to five most important ingredients of success
Welcome to the second part of In Search of Excellence episode featuring Garrett McNamara, a legendary surfer who owns the world record for the largest wave ever surfed, 100 feet tall, which is the equivalent of the 10-story office building or the height of Niagara Falls.
He is the first person ever to ride a wave created by breaking glaciers. Garrett is also the author of the book “Hound of the Sea: Wild Man. Wild Waves. Wild Wisdom.” and the star of the fantastic HBO documentary TV series called “100 Foot Wave."
He is also a dedicated philanthropist. Garrett and his wife, Nicole, started an amazing Waves of Life McNamara Foundation, which helps kids to discover nature and be more environmentally conscious and self-sufficient, with a particular focus on disadvantaged kids.
Time stamps:
02:05 From a hippie commune to a crazy cult
Born in Massachusetts, grew up in Berkley
Raised by a single mom in a hippie commune
Found the cult The Christ Family
He was around 6, and his brother was 4
Those were the crazy times
07:57 Life in Hawaii
Was being poor motivation for his success later in life?
In Hawaii, mom had a husband Daryl
Lived on welfare
Always wanted to feel secure and not worry about the money
11:14 Surviving elementary school
First went to elementary school in Berkley
In Hawaii, he fought with Filipino gangs
In high school, fought with another guy and took him out
Hawaiians and Filipinos fought mostly with brass knuckles and knives
16:30 Garrett’s first surfing board
Anybody with darker skin who moves to Hawaii is accepted faster
Haole – Hawaiian term for anyone that is not a native Hawaiian
His garage sale surfboard
Surfed for the first time with his friend Butchy Boy Wong, a Chinese Hawaiian
He fell in love with surfing at 11
21:25 Falling in love with big waves
His bad experience surfing at Sunset and his fear of big waves
Didn’t have a father in Hawaii, but had father figures (Roy Patterson, Gustavo Liberte)
Was hanging out with Gustavo, smoked marijuana
When he was 16, Gustavo wanted to take him to surf at Sunset
Gustavo literally grabbed him by the neck and took him
27:27 How Garrett quit drugs and alcohol
Was using drugs often, but stopped at 19
He was invited to a Triple Crown
Realized that it was possible to earn a living from surfing
Quit using pot, cocaine, and alcohol to become a professional surfer
How much money did he earn in Japan?
33:30 Garrett’s brother Liam
Liam was better than Garrett, had more sponsors, made more money
Liam became the most photographed surfer in the world
Garrett McNamara: Prepare For The Worst But Expect The Best | E68
01:03:29
Welcome to Part 2 of Garrett McNamara, a legendary surfer who owns a world record for the largest wave ever surfed – 100 feet tall – which is the equivalent of the 10-story office building or the height of Niagara Falls.
He is the first person ever to ride a wave created by breaking glaciers. Garrett is the author of the book “Hound of the Sea: Wild Man. Wild Waves. Wild Wisdom.” and the star of the fantastic HBO documentary TV series called “100 Foot Wave”.
He is also a dedicated philanthropist. Garrett and his wife, Nicole, started an amazing Waves of Life McNamara Foundation, which helps kids to discover nature and be more environmentally conscious and self-sufficient, with a particular focus on disadvantaged kids.
In this episode, we are talking about the big waves in Portugal, his team and preparation process, how to face the fear of death, his McNamara Foundation and so much more!
10:10 Surfing big waves at 50/60 miles per hour
Extremely dangerous
If there's no wind and it's glassy and smooth
12:38 Coming to Nazare in Portugal
In 2005, got an email from Dino in Nazare, Portugal
Emailed Larry Hamilton first, then Carlos Burle
Garrett replied right away
15:40 How does a big wave form?
The many variables that go into a wave
In Portugal, waves are formed by a shelf 30-60 feet deep
Coming of the swell
Rogue wave at the shore
Waiting on the wave and the thought process
How to know if it’s a big wave
23:54 Garrett’s team and what they do
Nicole, his wife
Safety drivers, trainers
First responder, ambulance, fireman, lifeguards
Videographers
Partners and sponsors
Lawyers and advisers
It’s all about surrounding yourself with people with the same goals
27:05 Training and diet for big wave surfing
Training can be focused or open
People aren’t drinking or doing drugs
Training 3-7 days a week
Garrett's current training regimen
Garrett has tried all the diets
Loves a good organic, grass-fed, free-range steak, chicken and fish
37:12 Facing death and the fear of dying
Never lost a tow surfer until last year in Nazare
Probably drowned, but the results of the autopsy didn’t come out
Big wave surfing deaths were many throughout the years
Every big wave is different
When you get pounded, the main thing is to relax and enjoy it
You have zero control you have you're at the mercy of the ocean
If you prepare properly and you have a good team, you know you're not going to die
How many times did Garrett almost die?
Fear of going out surfing
How to conquer your fears
52:31 Extreme Preparation in the world of big wave surfing
David Kidder: Becoming Successful and Discovering Who You Are | E69
00:57:43
Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is my good friend, David Kidder.
David is a serial entrepreneur, active angel investor, advisor to Fortune 500 companies, sought-after speaker, and author of four books, including two New York Times bestsellers, “The Startup Playbook” and “The Intellectual Devotional."
David has been a co-founder and CEO of three venture-backed startups, including Clickable, SmartRay, and Bionic, where he is currently a CEO.
We are talking about his background and early years, college experience, his first company, how to be successful as an entrepreneur, how to overcome the fear of failure, and what the future holds for our kids in this constantly changing world. Tune in to learn more!
02:15 David Kidder’s background and early childhood
05:22 What is Montgomery Ward?
08:26 The advice to companies that get offers to be bought by private equity firms
11:45 How to hire the right person for the job?
15:26 As a young entrepreneur, how to figure out what is good?
19:30 The story of David's uncle, Roger Franchi
23:25 How important are mentors for success?
26:02 How important is the college experience today?
30:24 How to advise kids on caring for their mental health?
35:04 The advice to students on how to deal with mental stress and negative thoughts
43:28 The start of David’s first company at 19
46:55 What is a roll-up?
49:40 Fear of failure and how to bounce back from failure
David Kidder: Obsess Over Solving Problems, Not Making Money | E70
00:50:19
Welcome to the second part of In Search of Excellence, featuring an exceptional man and a good friend of mine, David Kidder.
David is a serial entrepreneur, active angel investor, advisor to Fortune 500 companies, sought-after speaker, and author of four books, including two New York Times bestsellers, “The startup playbook” and “The intellectual devotional”.
David has been a co-founder and CEO of three venture-backed startups, including Clickable, SmartRay, and Bionic, where he is currently a CEO. We are discussing if an entrepreneur is born or made, what is the right motivation to start a business, how to learn from hardships, what is the concept of TOAD, and the concept of Becoming. Tune in to hear more!
00:35 Are you born as an entrepreneur or you can become one?
- Born entrepreneurs are very rare - Mostly conditioned at home - Creativeness and problem-solving
09:52 The motivation for starting a business
- Those who earn $100 million are rare - You can't be a billionaire without being lucky - Compounding is the secret to long-term wealth
16:51 Extreme preparation and its importance for the success
- Extreme preparation benefits greatly - For public speaking, David prepares like hell - Do not love people just to get something from them
23:20 Transition from an entrepreneur to an angle investor
- 70% of all of our returns come from 7% of all capital deployed - There are two investment signals - You have to put yourself in a network
27:47 Dealing with difficult people and hardships
- You have to have the ability to say no to people - Best books about entrepreneurship - Success is a bad educator - Growth lives in discomfort
33:34 Three most important things to look for in an entrepreneur
- Why them? What is their secret? What is their proprietary gift? - Timing, their understanding of the forces within the next 3-5 years - The ability to solve a problem and create an unfair advantage
35:24 Three worst things that an entrepreneur can do
- Overconfidence - Ambition, not obsession, as a drive - Urgency bias
37:14 What motivates David to be self-aware and constantly grow?
- The Becoming Journey - The second stage is Love Loving point - Mike Tyson – an incredible human being - Toad principle
44:28 What is a toad and how it changes people’s lives?
- It's a natural psychedelic that exists in both biological and organic form - The conscious physical reality that we live in is a part of the larger nature of our creation - These are not toys, they're not recreational, they're profoundly powerful - You’d probably want to experience them later in your life, in your 40s and 50s
48:12 Fill in the blank to excellence
- When I started my career I wish I had known - The
Dr. Mike Roizen: Your Genes Are Under Your Control | E71
00:44:09
Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is Dr. Mike Roizen – a world-renowned physician and author whose work has helped tens of millions of people improve their health and wellness through lifestyle changes, and whose purpose in life is help other control their gene expression through healthy living.
Dr. Mike formerly served as the Chairman of the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, and Dean of the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Chicago, and in 1997, he left to co-found a company called Real Age, a consumer health media company that inspires people to adopt healthier lifestyles.
Shortly after selling the company, Dr. Roizen was named Chief Wellness Officer at the Cleveland Clinic, the first such position at a major healthcare institution in the United States. Dr. Mike has published more than 185 peer-reviewed scientific papers, has written 18 books, including 4 New York Times bestsellers, and has received 13 patents.
07:32 The difference between real age and actual age
- Used to think this was all physiologic - How to calculate your actual age? - Age test on a new app called Longevity Playbook at the longevityplaybook.com
13:10 The results of the Human Genome Project
- What's the rest of the DNA? - Switches that control your genes - Your habits influence how your genes function
15:58 How will 20% of our genetics we cannot control negatively influence our life expectancy?
- Some of us are born with dominant genetic genes that might cause sickle cell disease - Many of those 20% we're learning how to alter with CRISPR Cas9 - Stress Management turns off or on over 256 genes and reduces our rate of aging very substantially
17:51 How useful is DNA testing like 23andMe?
- They are designed to let you know what risk you have from a genetic standpoint - You can take action to reduce the risk - Some of these tests aren't exactly accurate
20:19 Should parents do genetic testing of their kids?
- In the future, it will be more common and more useful. - Some genetic tests are mandated state by state - We're still in the infancy of this field
24:34 38 choices to improve cognitive functioning and reduce aging
- Mike’s life mission is to alter your genetics to control them to improve the quality of life and life expectancy - Speed of processing games - Favorite video games - Mike jumps rope every day
36:14 How to get 10,000 steps a day when you are a very busy person?
- Walking on a treadmill as you work, making phone calls - What is important is physical activity - 10,000 daily steps are optimal
40:35 The benefits of drinking coffee
- If you're a fast metabolizer, drinking lots of coffee lowers your risk of Parkinson's di
Dr. Mike Roizen: 90 Is The New 40 (How To Hack Your Longevity) | E72
00:33:24
Welcome to In Search of Excellence and the second part of our conversation with Dr. Mike Roizen.
Dr. Mike is a world-renowned physician and author whose work has helped tens of millions of people improve their health and wellness through lifestyle changes, and whose purpose in life is to spread the message that we get to control our genes to a large degree.
Dr. Mike formerly served as the Chairman of the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, and Dean of the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Chicago, and in 1997, he left to co-founded a company called Real Age, a consumer health media company that inspires people to adopt healthier lifestyles.
Shortly after selling the company, Dr. Roizen was named Chief Wellness Officer at the Cleveland Clinic, the first such position at a major healthcare institution in the United States. Dr. Mike has published more than 185 peer-reviewed scientific papers, has written 18 books, including 4 New York Times bestsellers, and has received 13 and many foreign patents.
00:55 Stress management
- Most stressful events are financial - The Christmas Eve story - Stress management technique - 10 breaths in the morning and evening
04:25 Vaccines in general and COVID-19 booster
- The initial COVID vaccination and the first booster were beneficial - Long COVID and Spanish flu - Dr. Mike is scared of the inflammation - Flu vaccine 10 years in a row decreases the risk of dementia by 40%
11:15 Food recommendations
- Eat things that are healthy, that you love and that will love you back - Eating bad food in moderation - Fruit is a sugar and fruit is bound to fiber and is not easily absorbed - 20g a day is fine
18:30 Obesity and fat reduction
- Obesity, especially obesity around your waist, causes inflammation - White vs. brown fat - Side effects of drugs for reducing fat - We don’t know the long-term risk
22:40 Are hot sauna and cold plunge useful?
- We have more data on the sauna - Sauna decreases heart disease and stroke risk - Increases longevity
24:05 Effectiveness of vitamins and supplements
- The longevity playbook analyzed 53 supplements - 15 have enough data on humans - Creatine was a surprise
26:25 Can we live 120 years and do we really want to?
- As a society, we need to - We are not producing enough kids - The working age will go from 40 to 60 years - The whole body will have a chance to get younger - Old people can be functional as young people
30:45 Is there just a simple checklist that we should be looking at every day?
- Do what you love doing - There are many choices but do what you love and add things on
Kelly Hansen: The Bumpy Road Of Musical Beginnings | E73
00:53:32
Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is Kelly Hansen, the lead singer of the legendary rock band Foreigner, which has had five platinum records and sold more than 80 million albums.
He was also a lead singer of the heavy metal band Hurricane – one of the most popular bands in the 80s. Kelly is a great musician with an amazing life story.
00:00 Kelly’s Family and Growing Up
- A vivid picture from his childhood of his parents carrying albums under their arms - Mom had a GTO convertible - At school, he sang in the school choir – a part of the curriculum - Discovered that he can sing almost accidentally - Didn’t know how to use his voice, took some singing lessons - Realized he could do that as his job
09:55 The Beginnings of Kelly’s Singing Career
- The first gig was at teen dance night - He was a part of a cover band - Later, they played at high school dances - Ended up playing all over Southern California - Played a military base in Yuma, Arizona - Music requires a lot of sacrifices and hard work - The band Hurricane - Parents were supportive
18:00 After High School
- Left the high school band - Had his own bands - Kelly Hansen band, The Last Tango - Played around LA - His father was his manager - Also started doing sessions - Played in a couple of cover bands - Played 5-6 days a week - Tried to connect to the audience - Played with Ross Bolton, a great guitarist - The Guitar Institute of Technology - GIT
23:39 The Rise and Success of Hurricane
- Met the drummer of the band - Later on, met bassist Tony Cavazo and guitarist Robert Sarzo - Started making music together - Found a new drummer - Jay Shelton - That's when they really became Hurricane - Did some demos with the producer called Kevin Beamish - Mixed them themselves - Sent them around to record labels - Made an EP with the producer Max Norman - The record label noticed them - Went on a tour - Went on the road - Made their second record - The third record - Continued doing shows and making songs - Doug Aldrich came to the band - Enigma records - Doing shows on the road, trying to sell records - Canceling the rest of the tour
41:48 Becoming a Foreigner’s Lead Singer
- In the early 90s, a new style of music was coming in - Tackled the other aspects of the recording business that he loved - Album production started to slowly sank down as technology advanced - Realized he had to go back to what he does best - being the lead singer - Foreigner was trying to get back together - Set up a meeting with Tom Gimbel of Foreigner - Back and forth conversation with management of Foreigner - Received 5 Foreigner tracks - the original re
Kelly Hansen: Foreigner And The Life Of A Rock Star | E74
00:49:02
Welcome to the second part of In Search of Excellence featuring Kelly Hansen, the lead singer of the legendary rock band Foreigner which has had five platinum records and sold more than 80 million albums. He was also the lead singer of the heavy metal band Hurricane, popular in the 80s.
03:46 The importance of being proactive
- Kelly was frustrated with where he was - Realized he had to be proactive - You have to handle criticism - Believe in yourself enough that you can take the risk - Keep moving forward - Is fear our greatest motivator to success?
11:47 Sex, drugs & rock ’n’ roll
- Learned a huge lesson in Hurricane - They became famous rock stars - 6 months after the label went under, no one knew who they were - What popularity projects to you is not reality - You have to know who you are as a person - Experienced some things of a rock star life - Never did drugs
16:05 Playing in front of 50 000 people
- There are a lot of types of audiences - You have to treat each kind differently - Responsible for converting the audience - How to keep your energy night after night? - Show hours have to be the apex of the day
23:02 Priorities in life
- Re-prioritized his life - Currently on the farewell tour - Has other passions besides music - Wants to spend time with his family
26:05 Popular songs vs. “bathroom” songs
- The band had 16 Top 30s - Every single song did well - Fortunate to be in a band with so many popular songs
28:28 The importance of Extreme Preparation for success
- Your 100% might be somebody else's 70% - When you over-prepare, it's like muscle memory - Bands in the 70s and 80s looked rebellious and unhappy - 45 years later, not trying to prove how dark and cool they are - Smiling is a huge part of that
34:15 The current state of the music business and where's it going?
- Talked with a famous rapper about his revenue stream - Live is the only place you're making any money - Everybody's stealing and no one’s paying - A cynical view of what's going forward - AI created content - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
40:44 Giving back to others
- Started working with Grammy Foundation - To raise awareness about the lack of funding for school music programs - Did a lot of work for the Shriners Hospital - Helping parents pay bills for their sick children
42:18 Fill in the blank for excellence
- When I started my career, I wish I had known - More about collaboration - The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is - You are insignificant - And more
Jason Belmonte: From Outcast To Bowling Prodigy | E75
00:52:52
My guest today is Jason Belmonte, the best bowler in the history of this sport. He has won a record number of 15 major championships and has been named PBA Player of the Year 7 times. He is also the second person in PBA history that has won the Super Slam, winning all 5 PBA major titles in the same year.
01:30 Off days during world tours
- It is brutally hard to compete - Tournaments are exhausting for both mind and body - Days off are mostly for sleep and relaxation
04:17 The first event outside of Australia
- At 16, he traveled to Malaysia on a mini tour - Bowling conditions in Asia - That was the catalyst for understanding
10:35 The preparation for tournaments
- Tries to leave Australia as late as he can - Most people like to play in the middle part of the lane - Bowling in a new tournament is a puzzle that you need to solve - Japan bowling centers
17:36 Types of lane surfaces and bowling balls
- Synthetic lanes are made of tough plastic - Bowling balls are very similar to golf balls - Jason carries 20 balls on his tours - Bowling balls weigh up to 16 pounds - Materials and designs vary depending on the goal
26:32 Jason’s childhood
- His parents built the bowling center after he was born - He started bowling at 18 months - The ball was too heavy so he had his own way of bowling - That difference gave him the advantage
31:16 Norm Duke and the Beast
- Norm Duke is one of Jason’s favorite bowlers - Norm Duke’s ball was called the Beast - Got the Beast from his parents - Met Norm and competed against him
34:50 The culture of bowling
- The popularity of bowling shirts, shoes, and other apparel - Breaking the stereotype of the burger-eating and beer-drinking bowler
39:02 Focusing on a bowling career
- As a kid, besides bowling, played rugby and cricket - Realized he had to commit to one - Quit his job at Blockbuster - Dad fired him, his safety net was gone
45:07 What did Jason do with his first prize money
- The first thing he bought was a Nokia 5110 - Invested the money into his career - Losing and not generating income - Became incredibly analytical of his game
Jason Belmonte: Tuning Out Haters And Tuning In To Supporters | E76
00:58:09
Welcome to part two of my amazing conversation with Jason Belmonte, the greatest bowler of all time. He has won a record number of 15 major championships and has been named PBA Player of the Year 7 times. He is also the second person in PBA history that has won the Super Slam, winning all 5 PBA major titles in the same year.
If you haven't yet listened to part one, be sure to check it out first.
00:00 Dealing with the defeat in 2008
- At first, 60th of 63 contestants - Jason thought he was better - Watched what the best players in the world were doing - Won the eighth event
03:48 Tim Mack and the first contract
- Tim was the best amateur player in the world - Called his sponsor to see Jason - Flew to Las Vegas for the tournament - Signed the contract for Storm Bowling
08:06 The courage to ask for what you want
- You have to be OK to hear No - Finding the best way to ask for something - Show value and give them a reason not to say No
10:46 How to deal with hate and loneliness
- Cheating accusations affected his mental health - Being constantly on a defense drained him - The jealousy of his competitors - Decided to focus on his supporters, not haters - The small inner circle of family and friends
20:24 Dealing with people that envy your success
- His roommate wasn’t happy about his first win - Becoming successful very young feels lonely - The story of Norm Duke coming to his defense
36:13 Bowling with two hands
- Jason doesn’t know the science behind it - Bowling with two hands became popular
39:17 The growth of the bowling industry
- The industry is a wild beast - It has many opportunities to grow - The sport needs the right people in the right places
42:43 The importance of mental preparation and confidence
- World Series comeback after 71 games - Self-belief is a huge element in the recipe for success - Understanding your own success
46:27 Throwing a ball outside of a NASCAR car
- Promoting the game in an unusual and funny way - An incredible moment
50:25 The importance of Extreme Preparation
- An honest discussion with yourself about why you are not as good as you can be - The goal is to figure out where you can improve and dedicate time to doing that
52:54 Fill in the blanks to excellence
- The biggest lesson I’ve learned - Number one professional goal - Number one personal goal - And more...
Tony Capuano: CEO Of The World’s Largest Hospitality Company | E77
00:28:17
Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence. It’s a true pleasure to have Tony Capuano as our guest today! Tony is the President and CEO of Marriott International, the world's largest hospitality company with nearly 8,600 properties in 139 countries and over 31 brands, including JW Marriott, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, BVLGARI Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, Westin Hotels, and Resorts and Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, among many others.
Marriott also has the travel industry's largest customer loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy, which has more than 186 million members! Tony sits on the board of directors of McDonald's Corporation and Save Venice, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the artistic heritage of Venice, Italy, which since its founding in 1971, has funded the conservation of nearly 2,000 individual artworks.
01:56 Tony’s family, childhood and early years
- The importance of work ethic - The impact of Tony’s father and grandfather - His parents divorced, lived with his father - Very self-sufficient from an early age - Played lacrosse at school - First job as a pot washer at Toby’s Dinner Theatre - Fell in love with the hospitality business - There are no bad jobs, everything can be a learning opportunity
09:39 Interns and the operating side of the business
- Tony’s experience with his interns - A member of the Dean's Advisory Board at the Hospitality School at Cornell - Students who have a passion for the operating side of the business - Tony has a lot of optimism for the future of the industry
12:58 Job interviews after graduation
- Cornell School of Hotel Administration - After 8 job interviews, got 7 offers and 1 rejection from Marriott - The importance of humility - Tony had deep admiration for the Marriott Company - Joined them in 1995
16:24 Working in a consulting firm
- “A and B work” message from his boss that changed his perspective - Your work impacts your team, customers, and investors - Catchphrases from Bill Marriott and his father - Success is never final
22:02 Joining Marriott during their hardships
- Worked under Kenneth Leventhal as a consultant - Got to do significant international work - But he had a burning desire to be inside the projects - Was always impressed with Marriott’s intellect, integrity, and innovation
24:36 The importance of being in the right place at the right time
- Working until 10 pm - Raised with a strong work ethic - Carol Wagner and a trip to New York - Working until the job was done
Tony Capuano: The Non-Negotiables In Business | E78
00:28:16
Welcome to the second part of our interview with the incredible Tony Capuano, the President and CEO of Marriott International.
Tony is the President and CEO of Marriott International, the world's largest hospitality company with nearly 8,600 properties in 139 countries and over 31 brands, including JW Marriott, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, BVLGARI Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, Westin Hotels and Resorts, and Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, among many others.
Marriott also has the travel industry's largest customer loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy, which has more than 186 million members! Tony sits on the board of directors of McDonald's Corporation and Save Venice, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the artistic heritage of Venice, Italy, which since its founding in 1971, has funded the conservation of nearly 2,000 individual artworks.
00:45 Becoming the CEO of Marriott
- FILO (First In, Last Out) - Control the factors that you can control - Arne Sorensen died of pancreatic cancer - Arne was a friend, mentor, humble, iconic leader - Tony became the new CEO six days later - Had to compartmentalize his grief and start working immediately - Buying Starwood and a round-the-world tour - Bill Marriott’s advice to Arne Sorensen - Randall’s experience with Arnie - Arnie knew how to listen and connect with people
11:00 The biggest 3 lessons Tony learned from COVID
- Core values and culture have never mattered more than in the pandemic - The value of authentic and transparent communication - The value of thoughtful stewardship of the company's financial position - The resilience of travel and wise business plan - Arnie’s pandemic video
16:22 Interaction with employees and customers
- Reads every email he gets - A face-to-face business
18:04 The importance of Extreme reparation
- Prepares extremely for earnings calls - Prepared for the audience with the Marriott board for 4 nights
22:12 The importance of giving back
- It’s critically important to give back - Tony responded to every person who reached him out
23:52 Fill in the blanks to Excellence
- The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is - Listen to the advice of your parents - My number one professional goal is - To give back - My number one personal goal is - To give back - And more!
Joe Mansueto: Founder Of Morningstar And Self-Made Billionaire | E79
00:51:41
Joe is the founder and former CEO of Morningstar, a financial services and investment research firm that is one of the most recognized companies in finance. It provides investment research and investment management services to many millions of people around the world.
Morningstar has a market value of $10.6 billion and Joe earned his spot on the Forbes 400 with a reported net worth of $5.6 billion.
Joe also owns magazines Inc. and Fast Company, as well as two professional soccer teams – the Chicago Fire in the MLS and FC Lugano in UEFA League.
Time stamps:
02:11 Joe’s childhood
Had a lot of unstructured time
Liked to do various projects
06:33 Joe’s first entrepreneurial experience
Went to a ham fest with a friend
Bought Drake 2B receiver for $200
09:19 The Room 607
Studied at the University of Chicago
Lived in a new dorm with no place to buy soda or snacks
11:20 The magic of boldness
You grow by going beyond your comfort zone
Just give it a try and be willing to stand out
16:34 The Christmas tree business
Rented a truck, bought Christmas trees, and set up a shop
Learned that managing your inventory is the key to success
Broke even, but learned a lot
19:50 Should starting a company be fun?
It should be fun and you should enjoy it
Finding something you are passionate enough
21:04 How important is perseverance as part of the passion?
Left it and went into investing
Real entrepreneurs won’t give up until they find a solution
26:27 Funding an entrepreneur that failed
Joe would fund entrepreneurs that failed
Failure is a great lesson, not a black mark
28:07 A night manager at Arby’s
Wanted to start a concept of healthy fast food
Got a job of a night shift manager at Arby’s in Chicago
Found out he hated it
32:06 How important is customer satisfaction and customer service to our success?
Satisfying customers is extremely important
Learning to deal with people is highly valuable
34:18 How did Joe get excited about investing?
Book mention: John Train, The Money Masters
Started working in an investing company - Harris associates
38:47 The great revelation about the mutual fund industry
Had a lot of reports and other material
Realized that he had valuable data
Looked deeply at the mutual fund industry
It was a very obscure industry
49:27 How important is it to do research when starting a company?
Research + instincts + judgement
The data is out there and it is extremely important to research
Joe Mansueto: "If It's Easy, It Would Already Be Done" | E80
00:57:56
Welcome to the second part of our interview with the amazing Joe Mansueto.
Joe is the founder and former CEO of Morningstar, a financial services and investment research firm that is one of the most recognized companies in finance. It provides investment research and investment management services to many millions of people around the world.
If you haven't yet listened to part one, be sure to check that one out first
00:55 The importance of parental support
Joe’s dad was buying saving bonds for his children for years
He gave the accumulated money to Joe to start his business
Joe made sure every dollar was spent wisely
05:07 Can parents give proper advice to children in today’s business environment?
You should listen to your own instincts
But also take into account your parents’ advice
09:06 The importance of cold calling
You learn about perseverance, handling rejection, processing, and not taking it personally
Cold calling is a very valuable skill to have
13:40 Bootstrapping and raising money
Entrepreneurs should not raise a lot of money if they can avoid it
Subscription model for Morningstar
The pressures of raising outside money
20:11 Becoming rich should not be your primary goal
Joe is more about independence, creativity, and autonomy
One of the byproducts is building wealth
His goal was to build a viable, enduring, independent company, that would survive for a very long time
You should want to make money, but not at all costs
23:42 Joe’s soccer investments
Wanted to diversify his investments
Loves soccer and it became his passion
Bought MLS team in Chicago
28:37 The importance of Extreme Preparation
Preparation is essential
Importance of understanding the client and his needs
If you can move the needle for a company, any company will hire you
Show the company how you can add value to it
33:26 Reaching out to successful people
Trust your gut and do something that no one else does
People are much more accessible than you think
Successful people want to help and give back
36:56 The responsibility of giving back
Giving back is important
Finding meaningful ways of giving back
39:20 The pressure of giving money and being generous
We shouldn’t judge others on their philanthropy
Joe signed a giving pledge to set a good example
Most wealthy people are trying to make the world a better place
Brandi Love: Building A Career In Adult Entertainment | E81
01:03:17
Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is Brandi Love, one of the most famous and successful adult film actresses of all time.
She has starred in more than 800 movies and her videos have been streamed more than a billion times. She has been nominated for and won 12 adult industry awards and is the author of the book Getting Wild Sex from Your Conservative Woman. She is also the owner of Traffic Stop Media and a real estate business together with her husband that renovates distressed properties.
We are talking about her childhood, college years, finding her soulmate, first employment, and getting into the adult business. Tune in to hear Brandi’s fascinating life story!
Time stamps:
09:13 Brandi Love’s background
Had supportive parents and a great childhood
Her first passion was ice skating
Athletics and fitness in college
Graduated with General Business degree
18:14 Meeting her soulmate
Met her husband during her first year at college
They became inseparable
Monogamous relationship and jealousy
20:39 Going into the corporate world
Managed a bagel store
Learned everything she didn’t learn at college
She was full of life and great with people
25:37 Cold calling and getting rejected
The only job that made her cry
Her husband helped her to understand how important that experience was
26:57 Working for Harley-Davidson
She was a tomboy and bought her first motorcycle at 17
Moving to North Carolina and getting a job at Harley-Davidson
She was the only female and no.1 sales person every month
Very motivated and passionate
32:47 Dealing with jealousy
Her husband was very successful and traveled a lot
One comment made her jealous and suspicious
There is no plan B advice
39:41 Starting a wine label company
Having a daughter and her husband having a heart attack
Decided to have their own company
Started a wine label company
45:23 What is porn?
The definition of pornography
The dividing line between porn and not porn
Nakedness on Instagram
51:25 Statistics about the porn industry
The global pornography industry brings $97 billion a year
46 million Americans regularly visit porn sites
People don’t talk about pornography
59:35 The transition from the wine to the adult business
Brandi and her husband got an offer to build their adult content website
Brandi Love: The Impact Of OnlyFans On The Adult Entertainment Industry | E82
01:00:32
Welcome to Part 2 of my amazing episode of In Search of Excellence with Brandi Love!
Brandi has starred in more than 800 movies and her videos have been streamed more than a billion times. She has been nominated for and won 12 adult industry awards and is the author of the book Getting Wild Sex from Your Conservative Woman. She is also the owner of Traffic Stop Media and a real estate business together with her husband that renovates distressed properties.
We discuss her strategies for success, making money and investing, the future of porn, and so much more.
02:53 Brandi’s great-grandfather Jesse Livermore
Brandi's savant great grandfather who was trading stocks at 14 years old
04:27 Finding a niche
Howard Stern show
Too old, too athletic, with a long face
The American Pie and the term MILF
08:49 The impact of Brandi’s job on her daughter
Brandi’s college fan base
Great relationship with her daughter
11:12 The reaction of their parents
It was a decision for her and her husband to make
Their parents tried to stop them and take away their child
17:15 The fallout from friends
A unique obstacle for adult entertainers
People don’t want the stigma
There are consequences to our choices
19:50 How much do people make in the porn industry?
Brandi is 50 and never earned more
7 major revenue streams
24:57 Earnings on online porn websites
For women, It’s possible to earn around $50.000/month
For men, around $20.000/month
27:02 How has Only Fans changed the games for porn actresses?
Only Fans is financially life-changing
A lot of talent left the industry for Only Fans
32:16 Money management
Delayed gratification and investing money
Buying a Ferrari
37:54 Thoughts on porn VR
Not her favorite because of the lack of interaction
Can see the advantages of VR
39:51 How is AI changing the porn industry?
Forever Voices
AI is always available to hang out with fans
Brandi trained her AI and the results were impressive
45:35 Mental health issues
Suicides in the porn industry
You have to be tough because of societal backlash
47:17 What are the elements of success?
Love what you do, be passionate, be authentic
47:39 The value of Extreme Preparation
Brandi’s husband is an exceptionally prepared human being
Ben Johns: The Greatest Pickleball Player Of All Time | E83
00:51:21
Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! Our amazing guest is Ben Johns, the greatest pickleball player of all time. He has been the No.1 player in the world in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles for most of the last 3 years.
On the business side, Ben is a co-founder of Pickleball Getaways, a vacation travel company that arranges pickleball vacations to Mexico, Portugal, Croatia, and other sunny locations. He is also the co-founder of Pickleball 360, an online instructional video subscription service that gives lessons on how to become a better pickleball player.
00:00 Introduction
Who is Ben Johns?
01:59 Ben’s background
Supportive, inspiring parents and 6 siblings
Encouraged to follow their own passion
04:15 Homeschooling of 7 kids
Mom used online resources and textbooks
Kids worked at their own pace
Personal responsibility
Social aspects of homeschooling
They pursued their interests, and social stuff happened naturally
08:59 Sports Ben played as a kid
Played baseball, tennis, table tennis, golf
Very eye-hand oriented sports
10:32 Ben's college experience
Switched majors from Business to Material Science and Engineering
How Innovators Think course by Professor Mark Wellman
Advice to people who don’t know what they want to do
Expose yourself to different things, experiment, research
17:24 Developing and innovating a new pickleball racket
Genuinely interested in how to make paddles better
Being genuine creates an opportunity in almost any area
19:27 Optimism and fear of failure
Optimism is important, but also confidence and work ethics
Do your utmost and put 100% of your effort
If you fail, learn from it
22:56 Ben’s first business venture
Pickleball had the stigma of an old person's sport
Wanted to make it more exciting
24:04 What is pickleball?
A combination of tennis and ping-pong on a badminton-sized court
Very easy to learn and very easy to play
27:19 The professional pickleball
The history of pickleball associations
The TPA and APP
The merging of 2 leagues
32:25 The ownership and worth of pickleball teams
The worth of major pickleball teams
Teams are part of venture capital groups
Who are the owners?
35:44 How do teams make money?
A revenue model
The vision is to make it like an NBA NFL type of league
No major TV contract but a rapidly growing fan base
Pickleball has fanatically engaged fans - a golden nugget for
Ben Johns: The Path To Greatness And Keys To Pickleball Success | E84
00:38:10
You're listening to part 2 of the incredible conversation with Ben Johns, the number one pickleball player in the world and the greatest player of all time.
On the business side, Ben is a co-founder of Pickleball Getaways, a vacation travel company, and the co-founder of Pickleball 360, an online instructional video subscription service.
If you haven't yet listened to part one, be sure to check that one out first.
Time stamps:
00:58 Winning his first US Open
Ben wasn’t expecting to win
Incredible feeling, felt like a dream
Professional high and low in Ben’s career
04:01 Being the lead in the beginning and today
Pickleball is a new sport and requires a lot of learning
More competition leads to being a better player
Winning 108 matches in a row
08:04 Is tennis background an advantage?
Tennis definitely lends a ton of advantages
Doesn’t automatically guarantee success
10:00 How long can Ben be so good?
No concrete plan as to how long he will be in pickleball
The ideal age to play
12:47 Making money in pickleball
The potential of making at least seven figures
Sponsors have a huge role
17:39 Ben’s mixed doubles partner Anna Leigh Waters
10 years younger
Very tough and extremely talented
20:22 Ben’s diet and training routine
2-3 hours every day on court
5 days a week working out in the gym
Standard healthy diet
21:49 A flow state in sports
A state where your body knows what to do without you thinking about it
It’s the perfect feeling that all athletes pursue
22:59 The importance of extreme preparation
Preparation is crucial
The more prepared I am, the luckier I seem to be
24:39 The importance of humility
You don’t need to talk yourself out
People will admire you for your accomplishments
How do people approach him?
27:02 All-inclusive pickleball vacations
Pickleball instructions from a pro player
The cost of training with a pro
How to contact Ben?
30:40 Elon Musk and Ben’s role models
His greatest role models are his parents and brother
Admires Elon Musk very much
33:06 The importance of giving back to the community
Mat Ishbia: From Basketball To Billion-Dollar Business | E85
00:26:31
Welcome to In Search of Excellence! We are happy to have Mat Ishbia as our guest today!
Mat is the Chairman and CEO of the United Wholesale Mortgage, the largest wholesale mortgage lender in the United States, which had a $931.9 million net income in 2022. Mat owns 71% of the company shares that are worth $5.9 billion, which places Mat at 156 on the Forbes 400 in early 2023.
Mat and his brother Justin bought a majority stake in the NBA, Phoenix Suns, and WNBA, Phoenix Mercury. Mat was a member of the Michigan State Spartans basketball team that went to three Final Fours and won the NCAA championship in 2000.
He is the author of the book “Running the Corporate Office: Lessons in Effective Leadership from the Bench to the Boardroom”. Mat is also a very generous philanthropist who has given away more than $50 million.
01:26 Mat’s background
- Born in Birmingham, Michigan, in a Jewish family - His mom was a schoolteacher and his dad lawyer and serial entrepreneur - From mom learned structure and accountability - From dad learned good work ethics and taking care of people
04:07 Mat’s life as a kid
- Always competitive - Didn’t like to lose - Pretty good at school, loved sports
05:03 Sacrifices are essential for success
- You can’t be good at everything - Focus and dominate one thing - Life’s goal should be happiness
09:58 Figuring out what to do as a student
- Expose yourself to as many different internships, people, and networks as possible - Find what you are passionate about - Mat has a passion for competing and winning
14:01 How important is having a great personality and sense of humor for success?
- Matt’s basketball career in the Michigan State team - The most popular guy on the team - It’s important to be who you are, genuine, kind, and caring - Every team needs camaraderie, leadership, culture, family atmosphere - The team is bigger than the person - A good team needs a balance of talent and chemistry (fit) - Different roles in Phoenix Suns
19:35 Deciding to choose his future career at 23
- Wanted to be a basketball coach - Decided to join his dad’s mortgage company - Applied his basketball experience to the mortgage business
21:57 Is money the number onbe factor when choosing your career?
- Opportunity to grow should be the no.1 factor - Also your dreams and aspirations - People focus too much on the money - Be great and successful in what you do and money will follow
24:27 What's cool or sexy about mortgages?
- Became the CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage in 2013 - Two years later, UWM was the no.1 wholesale mortgage lender in the country - Mat loves competing, improving, winning - Be
Welcome to In Search of Excellence! This is part 2 of our fascinating conversation with Mat Ishbia!
Mat is the Chairman and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage, the largest wholesale mortgage lender in the United States, which had a $931.9 million net income in 2022. Mat owns 71% of the company shares that are worth $5.9 billion, which places Mat at 156 on the Forbes 400 in early 2023.
Mat and his brother Justin bought a majority stake in the NBA, Phoenix Suns and WNBA, Phoenix Mercury. Mat was a member of the Michigan State Spartans basketball team that went to three Final Fours and won the NCAA championship in 2000. He is the author of the book “Running the corporate office: Lessons in Effective Leadership from the Bench to the Boardroom”, and is a very generous philanthropist who has given away more than $50 million.
1:10 What does Mat look for in a new hire at UWM?
Mat doesn’t care about the diploma
He looks for someone with a heart, work ethic, attitude, and drive to be great
Knowledge is a commodity
Be a human being, be engaged and energetic
4:56 The Importance of little things for success
Mat is looking for difference-makers
Intangibles are much more important than the tangibles
10:23 Advice to people who have dreams
Randall’s meeting with Bill Davidson
Think crazy big and then work towards it
Put the work in and be the best
14:05 No meeting Thursdays
Mat responds to every email
No meetings on Thursday – talking and checking with people
You have to be in the weeds of your business to be successful
15:55 Advice to people who are not working as hard as they should
Work ethic and attitude are the biggest determinators of success
Go to places that provide opportunity
You have to sacrifice to be the best
Mat is sacrificing for his kids and his business
19:14 The importance of extreme preparation
Game plan and role play
Preparation leads to success
Everything is about preparation
21:40 Owning an NBA basketball team
Managing a team is much fun in all areas
Making a positive impact on team members, fans, and the community
Coaching his children
Teaching life, skills, personality, the importance of supporting your teammates
24:35 How important is giving back to our success?
Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is the incredible Amberly Lago. When Amber was 38 years old, she was hit by an SUV while riding her Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
When she woke up from a coma, she learned that she had a 1% chance of saving her leg from being amputated. After the accident, she was diagnosed with an incurable nerve disease, lost her business, fell into a deep depression, and became an alcoholic.
Today Amberly is a peak performance coach, TEDx speaker, top 1% podcast host, motivational speaker, and a leading expert in the field of resilience, transformation, and health and wellness. She is also the bestselling author of the book True Grit and Grace, and the founder of Unstoppable Life Mastermind.
Time stamps:
02:05 Amberly Lago’s background
A strict Texas mom and dancing classes
The importance of instilling resilience in our children
It’s OK to ask for help
05:00 High school experience and Amberly’s kids
Parents’ divorce and physical and sexual abuse
Children need an outlet
Dancing and drill teams
Amberley's high school jobs
09:47 The importance of mentors in our lives
Amberly had a mentor for everything she did in life
The importance of doing research and finding a counsel, not an opinion
Not having a mentor is a waste of money
Pushing you to pass your limits
Randall’s mentoring experience
Unstoppable Life Mastermind for women
Having the right mentor is life-changing
16:37 What is a mastermind according to Amberly?
A small group of like-minded people who help brainstorm, collaborate, and guide each other
Not expensive events with hundreds of different people
Very profitable gatherings where hosts over-promise but don’t deliver
Amberly’s Unstoppable Life Mastermind
The launch of the mastermind while the world was shutting down
25:07 How important is it to be in good shape?
Amberly’s entire identity was in physicality
A knee injury and self-help
Went to school and became a certified trainer
Started a course to help people become trainers
28:55 The horrible motorcycle accident
Got very seriously injured
The first thought was how to save her business
1% chance to save the leg
Our health is the most important thing
Had 34 surgeries in total
You have a shovel in your hand, you can lean on it, pray for a hole, or you can start digging
37:09 The Story of a Good Samaritan
An unknown person saved Amberly’s life
She doesn’t remember him but would like to know who he was
Amberly Lago: Turning Pain into Purpose by Helping Others Heal | E88
01:13:48
Welcome to part 2 of our amazing conversation with Amberly Lago. Amberly is a peak performance coach, TEDx speaker, top 1% podcast host, motivational speaker, and a leading expert in the field of resilience, transformation, and health and wellness. She is also the bestselling author of the book True Grit and Grace, and the founder of Unstoppable Life Mastermind.
Amberly has an incredible life story and she is sharing pure gold advice on how to overcome life challenges, how to deal with trauma, and become resilient and successful.
Time stamps:
00:54 Randall’s emotional story about his heart attack
Life-threatening situation and a traumatic experience
Finding he had myocarditis
Death of a close friend
Asked by doctors if he was taking cocaine
Grateful for being alive
The power of endorphins
10:30 Hitting a rock bottom and suicidal thoughts
Amberly was always a high achiever
The pain became unbearable
Alcohol numbed the pain
It worked until it didn’t
Became addicted to alcohol and went to rehab
Didn’t want to live but had to endure because of her daughters
15:15 The importance of resilience
We have to decide to take action and thrive
Shifting perspective to gratitude
Focusing on what you can do, not what you can’t
Acceptance and being aware of who you are
Connecting to a community – Success is built on relationships
Resting is essential for resilience
21:08 The power of writing down our goals
There is power in writing things down
The story of Amberly’s book
Randall’s thoughts on writing things down
24:36 Put yourself on the to-do list
Amberly likes helping people and meeting their needs first
It’s important to take care of yourself as well
28:33 Surround yourself with the right people
Get rid of the doggie downers and stick with the puppy uppers
Surround yourself with people who are passionate and go-getters
Luc Robitaille: From "Too Slow" To NHL Hall Of Fame | E89
00:46:19
Welcome to another episode of In Search for Excellence! My guest today is my good friend Luc Robitaille! Luc is an NHL Hall of Famer who as a 19-year-old teenager went from being drafted in the 9th round (171st overall) to becoming the highest-scoring left winger in NHL history, with 668 goals over his 19-season career.
In his first year in the league, Luc won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year and then went on to become the only left wing in NHL history to record 8 consecutive 40-goal seasons. Luc played 8 all-star games, won a Stanley Cup as a player with the awesome Detroit Red Wings in 2002, and two more Stanley Cups as an executive with the Los Angeles Kings. He is giving back to his community through his Echoes of Hope Foundation.
Time stamps:
01:23 Luc Robitaille’s family and background
He had a great life but not a lot of money
Worked at his dad’s scrap yard
The value of manual labor
07:44 Earliest memories playing hockey
A tennis ball was gold
Made their own equipment for hockey
His first memory holding a stick
11:13 The difference from other kids
Practicing all the time to be better
His mentality was all about hard work
Sense of a game is hard to teach
14:57 Goals, dreams, and hard work
Wanted to play Junior Major
That was what they could afford to watch
He was up at 4:30 am to go to practice
No one needed to ever push him for the next practice
19:50 Getting into the World Junior Championship
Only 40 players were invited to make the team
He wasn’t called
One of the players got injured and he got in
That changed his life permanently
22:35 Getting drafted by the LA Kings
NHL draft
Projected to be a late-round draft pick
The scouts said he was too small, didn't skate well, lacked hand-eye coordination
He became the 171st pick
The story about the draft and the pin
29:38 Moving to LA
He wanted to focus on playing hockey only
Stayed in the boarding house with Marcel Dionne
Did nothing except training
The nickname Lucky
35:18 The first game
Wanted to be a part of making the LA Kings great
Recalling the first game experience
The excitement of his first score
39:17 The Rookie of the Year
How did it feel to receive the award?
Didn’t think he was going to win
He was overwhelmed but moved on
41:18 A special bond with Jimmy Carson
Jimmy came from a different background
They had a special bond and practiced all the time
Welcome to Part Two of my interview with Sugar Sean O’Malley, the UFC bantamweight champion of the world, who everybody believes is the next Conor McGregor.
Sean pulls back the curtain on his life inside and outside the cage, from balancing training for his next title defense with fatherhood to the brand deals making him a millionaire, plus his unconventional views on love and relationships. Tune in for more!
Time stamps:
00:38 Sean’s training regiment
Red light, cold plunge, PMF machine, meditation Eggs and oatmeal, Aero Press coffee Goes to the gym to practice, nap, lunch Strength and conditioning training
07:01 Going out and drinking
Drinking is a big distraction He goes out with the boys Stops drinking and smoking 3 weeks before the match
09:24 Dealing with the pain
Tries not to be hit It’s bad for the brain CTE worries Every month he gets a concussion
12:19 Sean’s controversial love and sex life
Injecting stem cells into the penis Didn’t feel much improvement He has an open relationship with his girlfriend
20:10 How did a kid change his life?
Always wanted to have kids Would like to have more The feelings when he saw his daughter for the first time Lucky to be able to be with his daughter
28:05 Motivated by money
Likes to be smart with his money Learning about investing Would like to be a billionaire Paying taxes
36:24 The key ingredients for success
Sleep, diet, meditation, consistency Work ethics and passion Building his brand on social media Keeping your brand clean
43:37 Giving back to the community
Helping his friends and family Planning to make a non-profit
45:42 Fill in the blanks for excellence
The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is Meditation My number one professional goal is Greatest of all time And more
Luc Robitaille: Playing With Wayne Gretzky And Lifting The Stanley Cup | E90
01:00:09
Welcome to part 2 of In Search of Excellence episode with a good friend of mine, Luc Robitaille! Luke is an NHL Hall of Famer and the highest-scoring left winger in NHL history, with 668 goals over his 19-season career.
In his first year in the league, Luc won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year and then went on to become the only left wing in NHL history to record 8 consecutive 40-goal seasons.
Luc played 8 all-star games, won a Stanley Cup as a player with the awesome Detroit Red Wings in 2002, and 2 more Stanley Cups as an executive with the Los Angeles Kings.
He is giving back to his community through his Echoes of Hope Foundation.
Time stamps:
11:29 Becoming a Stanley Cup Champion
A hard trophy to win
As a free agent, went to the Detroit Red Wings
Luc’s feelings during the game and after winning the cup
18:39 Giving away his best memorabilia
A great party after winning the cup
A poker night theme with giveaways
Gave away the stuff he collected during his career
22:42 The NHL Hall of Fame
It was very emotional
Luc’s inspiring speech
The reaction of his parents
26:28 The fear of failing makes you great
If you're willing to push yourself, you're going to have success
What do you do when no one's looking?
28:25 The importance of extreme preparation
Luc was very disciplined
Had to be sure he was prepared for every game
He likes having a plan and sticking to it
Picking the right marketing agency
34:10 How important is passion to our success?
Passion is the most important thing
Very few lucky people do a job that they're passionate about
36:34 Is luck an important ingredient of our success?
You bring your luck through preparation
Someone can open the door for you, but you have to prove yourself
Work ethic and constant improvement
41:51 Being humble and kind
Luke grew up in a humble family
The lesson from his uncle
How important is being kind and humble for our success?
Very successful people are usually extremely humble
Ian Boggs: How I Created Viral Videos with 30 Billion Views | E91
00:45:05
Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is an incredible young man, Ian Boggs. Ian is one of the most successful influencers of all time. He has more than 30 million followers on YouTube, TikTok, Snap, and Instagram. His videos have been viewed more than 30 billion times.
Tune in to hear Ian talking about his childhood, education, and his journey from dreaming about being a doctor to becoming one of the most successful influencers online. Find out how he started doing what he loved, how his videos went viral, and how he gained millions of followers on social media. He also shares how he dealt with hateful comments and how he earns money as a social media creator.
Time stamps:
01:27 Ian’s background
An American father who grew up in Kenya and a Japanese mother
That helped him build his audience all around the world
Welcome to the second part of In Search of Excellence episode with my amazing guest, Ian Boggs. Ian is one of the most successful influencers of all time. He has more than 30 million followers on YouTube, Tik Tok, Snap, and Instagram. His videos have been viewed more than 30 billion times.
Learn about his first million, the importance of having passion in what you do, his plans for the future, and the struggles he had with his mental health. Tune in to hear more from this incredible young man!
Time stamps:
00:54 Should you be motivated by money as an influencer?
Anything you can think of that you can sell
Affiliate marketing
02:49 Should you be motivated by money as an influencer?
You need money to survive, but not make it your end-all-be-all
Figure out what makes you happy and then how to make money out of it
The first thing is to build a strong core audience
06:27 The importance of passion
Randall’s experience with his interns
Passion as a life purpose
09:45 The feeling of the first million
Ian wasn't even looking at the numbers
Money is just a tool to invest into the business
Hiring people and building a team
12:18 Growing and planning the future
Typical age demographic
Plans for making a movie
A written 5-year tenure or 30-year plan
Buying a house
Building a franchise
21:58 The importance of extreme preparation
Writing down your personal goals
Making realistic and achievable goals
An interview for Netflix
Trying to over-prepare for other things
27:36 Mental health issues
Got stressed, anxious, and depressed at college
Thinking about suicide
A help from his dad and a therapist
Advice for people suffering from depression
Take advantage of existing resources, like the suicide hotline
34:38 Dating and parties
Doesn’t like parties
There is much more to life
There is more fun in learning and growing
37:38 The importance of giving back
Buying a house for his parents
Give back to people who helped you and supported you
40:11 Fill in the blanks for excellence
The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is
Do what makes you happy
My number one professional goal is
To be a billionaire
The one thing I've dreamt of doing for a long time but haven't done
Jesse Itzler: From Making Jingles To A Creating a $5-Billion-Dollar Company | E95
00:36:30
Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is the amazing Jesse Itzler.
Jesse is a serial entrepreneur who has built and sold five companies, including Marquis Jet and Zico Coconut Water. He is an Emmy Award winner, a former rapper and former manager of Run DMC, a globally recognized keynote speaker, and a part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks NBA basketball team.
He's also a passionate endurance athlete who has run more than 35,000 miles over the last 25 years, including 50+ marathons. Jessie is also the author of two awesome best-selling books, Living with the Seals 31 Days: Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet and Living with the Monks: What Turning off My Phone Taught Me About Happiness, Gratitude, and Focus.
Time stamps:
01:54 The influence of Jesse’s parents
- They showed up for everything - They let him explore - They didn’t over-schedule him - Didn’t teach him about hard work, he watched them doing it
04:12 How much is his personality a part of his success?
- He has problems with memorizing things - He is great at storytelling - His personality was essential for his success
05:58 The entrepreneurial gene
- Jesse’s grandfather was born in poverty in Russia - He immigrated to America and came with nothing - Jesse’s grandfather and father worked very hard - Jesse grew up middle-class
07:42 Should kids go to college?
- Jesse went to everything and was exposed to knowledge and people - His mom encouraged him to be curious and take every opportunity - He was aware of the time and urgency
12:50 The start of Jesse’s career – getting a foot at the door
- Jesse's record deal – go to every door until someone says yes - He got a deal from a record label called Delicious Vinyl - It’s essential to get a foot at the door and get into the system
16:47 The ridiculous offer and believing in yourself
- Started the music business doing commercial jingles - He lived on his friend’s couches - Someone offered him $10,000 for 10% of his future earnings - Can you? vs. Will you?
20:32 The advice to young entrepreneurs
- Some businesses require capital - Selling out equity to employees, friends, and family - Under-promising and keeping things simple is a better strategy - Take advice, go through the pros and cons, and think through the worst-case scenario
24:39 How to bounce back from a failure?
- Sold his business for $1 million - Tried many different things and failed - Extremely enthusiastic about trying fun things and projects - Sold celery and carrot sticks and loved it even without the profit - In business, three strikes and you're not out
29:30 Is there a time to stop trying?
- Jesse kept going despite failures - He never stopped - The tolerance
Jesse Itzler: Be A Participant, Not A Spectator In Life | E96
00:38:04
Welcome to part two of In Search of Excellence episode with the amazing Jesse Itzler.
Jesse is a serial entrepreneur who has built and sold five companies including Marquis Jet and ZICO Coconut Water. He is an Emmy Award winner, a former rapper and former manager of Run DMC, a globally recognized keynote speaker, and a part-owner of the Atlanta Hawks NBA basketball team.
He's also a passionate endurance athlete who has run more than 35,000 miles over the last 25 years, including 50+ marathons. Jessie is also the author of two awesome best-selling books, Living with the Seals 31 days training with the toughest man on the planet and Living with the monks: What turning off my phone taught me about happiness, gratitude and focus.
Time stamps:
02:59 The Coconut water business
- As a runner researched hydration and nutrition - Discovered coconut water - Partnered with a ZICO company - Sold the company to Coca Cola 2 years later
04:55 Money as a goal and motivator
- What is more important is the quality of your product or service - Passion and enthusiasm are also important - Experiences and proving yourself
09:08 The fear of failure
- His son decided to play baseball - The story of his son failing at the game - Participant vs. spectator in life
11:22 Lessons learned from Navy SEAL David Goggins
- Always been attracted to people who weren't like-minded - Met David Goggins and invited him to stay with his family - Interested in the habits of highly successful people - Jesse thinks of himself as of an observation expert
15:50 The power of the spoken word
- Speaking words gives them power - It’s important to talk things into existence - Remember Tomorrow mantra - Think about how a decision impacts your tomorrow
20:04 The value of a written letter
- The energy is a lot different - Jesse still writes letters - Randall’s stance on handwriting notes
23:16 The importance of extreme preparation and planning
- It was very important when Jesse was younger - Also, the ability to pivot - Jesse is a planner - Already planned his 2024 - Kevin’s rule
28:03 Saying “No” and finding time for your family
- in his 20s, Jesse was always saying “Yes” - Later in life, learned to say “No” - It’s important how you say “No”
31:01 Fill in the blanks for excellence
- The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is - Marry the right person - My number one professional goal is - Create more time to do the things I love to do - My number one personal goal is - Stay healthy - And more
Martin Luther King III: The Dream Lives On – Honoring MLK Jr.’s Legacy | E93
00:58:05
Welcome to In Search of Excellence! My guest today is Martin Luther King III, a human rights activist, advocate, and philanthropist. He is the oldest son and the oldest living child of the civil rights icons, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
For the past five decades, Martin has continued his parents’ legacy by dedicating his life to equality, social justice, and nonviolent activism, and is honored that activism through his dedication to human rights, voting access, gun violence prevention, race relations, and other important social causes. He advocates for underserved communities and he has led initiatives, including the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and he has also been awarded the Rosa L. Parks Award and the Lantern of Peace Award.
Time stamps:
01:56 Martin Luther King as a father
- MLK III was 10 years old when MLK Jr. was killed - When he wasn’t on the road, he spent time with his children - People always wanted to speak to him
05:55 Moving to Atlanta and bullying
- The first African American kids to integrate the Atlanta school - A kid with issues started bullying them - The change in their relationship - Mental health issues and bullying
10:37 An advice to parents whose kids are bullied
- Work to build a strong foundation within your children - Figure out how to fortify your child - Martin Luther King’s speech about resilience
13:00 When did he find out how important was his dad?
- Fully aware when he was assassinated - Many famous people used to come to their house - The president Kennedy was at his funeral - Listened to his dad’s speeches later in life
18:46 Traveling with his dad
- His dad traveled a lot - 80% of the time he traveled alone - He would always seek his wife’s advice and counsel - They met at Boston University - Moving to Montgomery and becoming the leader in the community
23:16 The constant threat on Martin Luther King’s life
- The incident with a burning cross - Martin Luther King was in constant danger - A bomb was thrown at their home in Montgomery - The New York attack and the cross on the skin
30:30 Martin Luther’s King Jr. assassination
- The day Martin Luther King Jr. was killed - Comforting conversations with his mother - His mom led the march on Memphis before the funeral
35:00 The influence of I Had a Dream speech
- The Civil Rights March in Washington - A speech that could be felt by everyone - The last message delivered at the National Cathedral - How to disagree without being disagreeable - It’s important to have common ground and build relationships
41:38 The winning of the Nobel prize
- A validation that he was on the right road - Wanted to create a better world for all of God's children - Always bet
Martin Luther King III: Who Really Assassinated Martin Luther King? | E94
00:49:03
Welcome to In Search of Excellence! This is the second part of an amazing episode with Martin Luther King III, a human rights activist, advocate, and philanthropist. He is the oldest son and the oldest living child of the civil rights icons, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
For the past five decades, Martin has continued his parents’ legacy by dedicating his life to equality, social justice, and nonviolent activism, and is honored that activism through his dedication to human rights, voting access, gun violence prevention, race relations, and other important social causes. He advocates for underserved communities and he has led initiatives, including the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and he has also been awarded the Rosa L. Parks Award and the Lantern of Peace Award.
Time stamps:
01:00 The case of George Floyd
- The police officers got the correct punishment - Being a police officer is a tough job - Protests all around the world – mostly non-violent - Banning on books and going backward - We have to do better
08:13 Black people being killed by the police
- A variety of things that have to be instituted and implemented - More in-depth psychological evaluations - Civilian review boards - Constant internal changes - Human relations and diversity training - Work together to create better communities
13:30 The case of James Earl Ray
- MLK III and his family claim he was innocent - There is a bunch of evidence that someone else did it - Ray died after serving 30 years in prison
19:22 The advice to people purchasing their dreams
- You have to have a plan, determination, focus, and work hard - Don’t give up on your dreams - His mom saying his dad would be proud of him
24:26 The spike of anti-Semitism
- We must go far beyond tolerance - We have to find a way to get rid of hate as a society - Society has created insecurities that make people want to judge
27:49 Anti-Semitism on campuses
- The anti-Semitic atmosphere on campuses and the response of the leadership - There’s got to be more to it because it doesn’t make sense - Somewhere we've lost humanity as a society - We have to elevate humanity
36:57 Fill in the blank to excellence
- The biggest lesson I've learned in my life - How to forgive - Number one professional goal - To find a way to bring people together - And more
Sean O'Malley: Becoming the UFC Bantamweight Champion | E97
00:44:43
My guest today is Sugar Sean O'Malley, the UFC bantamweight champion of the world with a 17-in-one record, who everybody believes is the next Connor McGregor.
He opens up about his meteoric rise from amateur fighter in Helena, Montana to one of the sport's biggest stars, detailing his path from early knockout victories to inking a deal on Dana White's Contender Series and ultimately becoming the champion.
Time stamps:
01:23 Sean’s background
- Grew up in Helena, Montana - His dad was a cop, mom was a nurse - He hated school, loved sports - Wasn’t a popular kid, and never fit in with sports guys - Moving to Arizona and taking care of his family
07:39 Buying houses
- Wanted to be smart with his money - Bought 6 houses in Arizona - Meeting people on Twitch and moving them into his houses
10:22 Sean’s relationship with school
- Didn’t like school and wasn’t interested in it - Never understood the setup of school - He was lucky to find a passion - He learned the stuff he benefited from
13:48 How did it all start?
- A friend called him to check out a fighting gym in Montana - He liked sports but didn’t have good grades to play - Didn’t get along with the jocks and coaches - The boxing was one-on-one and he wanted to experience that
15:55 In the gym for the first time
- Started with jujitsu, didn’t like it - Continued with kick box and was very good - Getting his GED - Kickboxing gave him confidence
21:15 The lessons he learned from kickboxing
- Wanted to be the best fighter in the world - Started learning everything that could help him achieve that - Sleeping well, eating well, taking care of his soul and body
23:20 The advice to people who want to be successful
- Always wanted to be rich and famous - Hustling form 16 - Making and selling T-shirts - If you want it, you’ll get there
27:09 Why did Sean want to be famous?
- Maybe coming from some deep insecurity - Being famous is normal for him now
30:43 The beginning of his pro career
- Never had street fights - It was always a sport for him - Turned pro at 21 - His knockout went viral on YouTube - Offered a fight on the Contender series - Snoop Dogg made him popular - Booked his first fight in Vegas - A fight with Andre Soccer - Broke his foot
37:10 Is Sean the next Connor McGregor?
- Dana Right and UFC - How much has his looks influenced his success - People want to see characters - He is the next Connor McGregor - Who is the biggest star in UFC? - Happiness is a skill - The origin of his nickname
42:47 The importance of Extreme Preparation
- He likes to have 12 weeks to prepare - Breaks into 4-week blocks, gradually picks up the pace
Jessica Berman: A New Playbook for Women in Sports | E99
00:46:06
Today, our guest is Jessica Berman, the Commissioner of the National Women's Soccer League, a trailblazing executive in professional sports. With a history of transformative leadership, she played a pivotal role in the growth of women's soccer.
From Deputy Commissioner of the National Lacrosse League to her impactful years at the NHL, Jessica has consistently broken barriers.
Jessica attended Fordham Law School, interning with the NFL during her studies. She later worked at Proskauer Rose, specializing in labor and employment law, where she dealt with the legal aspects of the NHL. Her story is one of leadership, innovation, and breaking barriers in the world of sports.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
2:23 - Jessica’s Background & Influence of Parents
- Diverse upbringing in Brooklyn, with an Orthodox Jewish family. - Phyllis, Jessica's mom, pursued a PhD after taking care of her. - Ted, Jessica’s dad, was an entrepreneur with golf gas stations in New York. - Dad's immigrant background, emphasizing hard work as the key to success. - Dad's grassroots business approach and resistance to advanced technology.
6:15 - The Brady Bunch Family
- Jessica's family, a blend of her dad's kids from a previous marriage and her mom. - The uniqueness and challenges of growing up in a mixed family.
7:45 - Early Interests in Dance and involvement in sport manangement
- Focus on dance and cheerleading due to limited sports opportunities for girls. - Volunteering as a student manager for high school sports teams.
8:12 - Dealing with Frustration and Pursuing Passions
- Lack of opportunities to play sports directly - Involvement in cheerleading. - Advice on dealing with frustration and finding alternative paths.
10:36 - Epiphany at a Hockey Game
- The pivotal moment at an Islanders game that led Jessica to aspire to work in the sports industry. - The Nelson Mandela quote
16:38 - Inspiring Social Change in Youth
- Reflection on her Jewish education instilling values of equality and respect. - Encouraging parents to inspire social change in their children.
- Jessica's advice to relentlessly pursue one's passion - Remaining open to different paths. - Balancing focused pursuit with openness to unexpected opportunities.
24:00 - Breaking Through and Adding Value
- The importance of making oneself useful. - Adding value in the absence of formal internship paths. - Challenges of breaking through.
29:56 - Networking and Following Up
- Disappointment in the lack of follow-ups after informational interviews. - The simplicity of standing out - Making lasting impressions in today’s competitive world.
Jessica Berman: The Future of Women’s Soccer | E100
00:45:58
Today, we continue the amazing conversation with Jessica Berman – the commissioner of the NWSL! She addresses the disparity in pay between male and female athletes, outlining the steps needed to achieve pay equity and grow women's sport which will drive unprecedented growth in the NWSL. Her dedication and strategic vision to continue shaping the future of women's sports is relentless.
Success is not just about achieving goals but also about embracing vulnerability, building resilience, and fostering authentic connections.
Join the movement to support women's sports! Together, we can empower female athletes and promote equality in sports.
If you missed part one, be sure to catch up for an inspiring conversation about breaking ceilings in the sports industry.
Timestamps:
0:47 - Introduction to part two.
2:01 - Climbing up the ranks in the male-dominated sports industry
- Transition from NHL to NLL; challenges faced. - Family support and career leap into NWSL. - The importance of taking risks.
9:10 - Transition to becoming Commissioner of the NWSL and the league's growth
- Turning a massive landmine into a field of diamonds. - Surreal experience of accepting the NWSL Commissioner role. - Milestones achieved: team expansion, media deals, office expansion.
12:20 - Challenges inherited with NWSL; league turnaround
- Addressing systemic abuse issues; league investigation. - Transformative growth: franchise values, media deals, attendance. - Expansion of NWSL staff; hiring process and objectives. - Office environment and collaborative workspace described.
18:47 - The disparity in pay between men's and women's soccer
- Comparison of earnings between male and female players. - Importance of growing fan base and revenue for equitable pay. - The challenges of building a sustainable business model.
23:53 - Importance of female soccer superstars
- Cultivating stars in women's soccer; role models and icons. - Impact of star players on league popularity and recognition.
27:38 - Five ingredients for success; empathy and hard work
- Personal qualities for success discussed; empathy as top priority. - Role of passion, preparation, and relationships in success.
29:20 - Significance of passion and preparation
- Passion is inherent to success; holistic preparation for challenges. - Role of extreme preparation in achieving goals. - Importance of physical and mental readiness for success.
32:05 - Importance of Vulnerability in Leadership
- Role modeling behavior and building connections. - Overcoming ego to foster genuine leadership. - Creating a culture of trust and authenticity.
35:15 - Legacy of Leadership
- Embracing authenticity and individuality in leadership. - Fostering a culture of success and pride.
Joe De Sena: Life Lessons That A Mafia Boss Taught Him About Business | E101
00:39:11
My guest today is Joe de Sena, a serial entrepreneur, ultra-marathoner, endurance athlete, motivational speaker, and self-described maniac. For the past 17 years, Joe has been the CEO of the global fitness and wellness brand Spartan, which has a community of more than 10 million athletes around the world.
Joe is the host of the CNBC primetime show, No Retreat business boot camp, and a New York Times bestselling author of four books, Spartan Up, Spartan Fit, The Spartan Way, and his latest, 10 Rules for Resilience.
Time stamps:
01:46 Joe De Sena’s background and childhood
He grew up in Howard Beach, the organized crime capital of the world
Mom was a long-distance runner, vegan, and yoga practitioner
Dad was a workaholic entrepreneur
The story about his dad and the missing package in the warehouse
The story about moving bricks all night
An unbelievable BMX ride to Greene, New York
11:33 Working for Joe Bananno as a kid
Lessons from the head of the organized crime family
Became a trusting kid and gained a lot of customers
The attractiveness of the mafia lifestyle and his dad’s advice
Joe Bananno as Joe’s friend and mentor
The best thing we can do in life is help people
18:15 What’s wrong with the mentality of today’s interns
Human beings are naturally lazy and wired for comfort
The story about Shaun and moving artworks
Make yourself invaluable and irreplaceable
26:48 Never ask for money
A story about a car dealer from Vermont
A risk worth getting numerous customers
Get your foot in the door first and provide value
29:23 How rejections can fuel you
Applied to Cornell and was rejected
Learned hard to prove worthy of Cornell but kept being rejected
Finally, enrolled in The Textile Department of Human Ecology
If you just keep doing it, you eventually break through
35:05 The ability to hang in there and finish is changing your biology
If the obstacle you face is not fatal, it’s just a lesson
Failure can be our greatest asset if we use it right
Joe De Sena: Every Man Dies, Not Every Man Lives | E102
00:44:28
Welcome to In Search of Excellence! You're listening to part two of my awesome conversation with Joe De Sena, the CEO of the global fitness and wellness brand Spartan, which has a community of more than 10 million athletes around the world.
If you haven't yet listened to part one of my conversation with Joe, be sure to check that one out first. In this part, Joe shares his incredible story of perseverance, the importance of mentorship, and how pushing your limits can lead to extreme success and personal growth.
Time stamps:
00:58 From Cornell to Wall Street
The entrepreneurship class at Cornell
Won a $5000 prize in a competition for the best business idea
The advice from one of the judges to go to Wall Street
Went back to his pool business
05:00 Joe’s bold stock investment
Buys Syntax stocks and earns $ 100,000
Sells his pool business for $500,000
Blew it all on the wrong stock investments
07:25 How to get a mentor?
Mentors are looking for basic human skills
Randall’s experience with his mentors
Earning a mentorship – a story about Max
13:35 The importance of taking meetings
You might add value to their life, they might add value to your life
Money comes from the most unexpected places
You never know where a meeting could lead
17:46 A risk to peruse your dream
Leaving the shore is uncomfortable
Take the chances, you can always come back
An incredible red barn story
21:20 The Spartan Company 24 years ago
Getting people outside their comfort zone
In the beginning, it didn’t work
People don’t want to buy discomfort
The change that came with Facebook
23:18 The Death Race
It’s like a Navy SEALs or Delta Force event
Spartan’s toughest event meant to break you
You look in the mirror and find out who you are
What does the Death Race look like?
26:27 Serious health issues in Japan
Joe was stressed out about his business
Woke up one morning and couldn’t see anything
Ended up in the hospital – and was told a part of his brain is dead
He decided not to accept that
28:59 Why do people come to the Spartan race?
When people experience the transformation, it’s addictive
Even if it sucked while they were doing it
Joe’s philosophy - nobody cares, work harder
Optimize your health and wellness to be able to operate
31:01 The fear of failure
Failure is a learning opportunity
A lot of our fear is just fiction
32:48 Three most important ingredients for success
Danielle Vasinova: How a Shy Farm Girl Became a Hollywood Star | E103
00:55:52
Welcome to another episode In Search of Excellence! My guest today is Danielle Vasinova. Danielle is an actor, model, producer, entrepreneur, avid equestrian, and drummer, she has been in more than 50 movies and TV shows and is best known for her colorful action-adventure rolls. And she has graced the cover of many magazines, including Vogue, and Harper's Bazaar.
In this episode, Danielle shares her story of overcoming shyness through cheerleading, starting a modeling career, and landing her first movie role. Randy discovers how he unexpectedly landed a role in a movie alongside Sharon Stone despite having no acting experience and emphasizes the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity you get in life.
Time stamps:
01:23 Danielle’s background
Her grandmother was an actress and singer in Prague
Escaped communism at 17
Met her future husband at displaced persons’ camps in Germany
They came to New York City together
Her mom worked for American Airlines
Dad tested airplane engines for Pratt and Whitney
Fell in love and moved to Connecticut
03:46 Childhood memories
Dad bought her a pony
Farm animals became her friends
Painfully shy as a kid
Creating a character is a form of protection
Reluctantly became a cheerleader
Helped her to break out of the shell
A training accident
11:12 Modeling at 13
Competition at the local mall
The scout came up to her and offered her to be a model
Went to New York and signed a contract
Castings, auditions, rejections and bookings
18:23 Taking advantage of opportunities
Danielle’s bucket list
Randy’s advice on how to get to people
Randy’s story about meeting a famous actress
People do respond to bold moves
Myocarditis on a date
29:16 Do you need education to be an actor?
UConn collage
Was a waitress the whole time
Became a Patriots cheerleader
Coming to Santa Barbara
32:31 Young and Restless casting
Called for casting through her mom
Went to LA and auditioned
Got the part
35:05 Randy’s hilarious experience with the movie industry
Danielle Vasinova: Making It in Hollywood: Ups, Downs, and Lessons Learned | E104
00:46:11
Welcome to In Search of Excellence! You're listening to part two of my awesome conversation with Danielle Vasinova, an actor, producer, entrepreneur, avid equestrian, and drummer. If you haven't yet listened to part one yet, be sure to check it out first.
Danielle is talking about the realities of pursuing a career in Hollywood, the life of aspiring actor and their struggles, her personal near-death experience, and the importance of preparation and creating your own destiny.
Tune in for now to listen to this amazing and inspiring conversation!
Time stamps:
01:02 After The Young and the Restless
Reality check and finding an agent
Worked in the restaurant to pay bills
Broke a foot and worked as an extra
04:20 A Pivotal moment in Danielle’s career
Passed an audition and went to film in South Africa
One of the most magical, crazy experiences of her life
Also scary and lonely
After that had jobs on and off
08:54 Saying No to movies
Said No to Danica Patrick’s movie
Refused to play a jockey
Agreed to work on her other movie
The whole movie ended up falling apart
11:33 Three minutes of death
Danielle’s near-death experience
Felt like having a flue
Later on, felt like she was going to die
Went to the hospital
Lost her heartbeat for 3 minutes
Doctors induced coma to avoid organ failure
Discharged after a month
She was one of the first COVID cases in the US
18:48 After the hospital
Almost had to relearn everything
Didn’t know what she was going to do or how to make money
Greater sense of purpose
Not taking anything for granted
21:35 The life of an actor
The reality is different than what people think
Many auditions to get 1 job
Working many hours
How are actors memorizing the text?
26:26 What are the elements of success?
Discipline
Drive
Punctuality
Consistency
28:21 The importance of extreme preparation
The impact of luck on success
You need luck, but you also have to create it
A letter to 300 CEOs
It’s not hard, you just got to be willing to do the work
Arik Armstead: Jacksonville Jaguars & Developing a Winning Mindset With NFL Football | E105
01:13:48
Welcome to In Search of Excellence! My guest today is my good friend Arik Armstead. Arik is a star defensive lineman NFL football player for the San Francisco 49ers and a dedicated philanthropist. He has been nominated for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for four consecutive seasons, recognizing his on-field excellence and impactful community work.
In this episode, we are talking about Arik’s remarkable transition from little league rejection to NFL Man of the Year nominee, his crazy spring break in Vegas and unexpected meeting with Floyd Mayweather, and the importance of humility, faith, and unwavering hard work in his path to excellence.
Time stamps:
01:36 Family background
Mother wrote a book about being the illegitimate daughter of a priest
Born and raised in LA and was shot in a gang shooting
Father is a respected basketball trainer
Trained over 500 NBA players
Arik was always with him
Grew up as a gym rat and that shaped his mindset
07:28 Arik’s childhood
Being around famous athletes was cool
The influence of NBA player Mike Wilkes
Being humble and having compassion for other people
Your hunger to be successful must exceed your thirst to shine
15:39 Entrepreneurial spirit
His brother started a snack bar
When he went to college, Arik continued
Didn’t have entrepreneurial drive as a kid
At college, his creativity and problem-solving kicked in
19:03 A chubby kid in the gym
Was always in the gym with his dad
Played basketball and football
Matt’s advice about giving an effort
23:12 Playing football
Playing football and basketball at 11 years old
Offered a scholarship to USC his Freshman year
Started dunking in freshman year
26:44 Achieving goals
Army All-American and a McDonald's All-American
To play football and basketball in college
Wanted to be the first person to play in the NBA and NFL
The importance of dreaming big and setting your goals
The importance of internal motivation
32:21 The importance of education
Education was not super important to him
He would do some things differently today
35:57 Being available for the highest bidder
Oregon recruited him
Coach Kelly’s promise
The offers he got
Kids should not only take the highest bid
But what else they will get – reputation, coach, skills
44:38 The humbleness of million-dollar athletes
Randall’s story about a million-dollar player who wanted to be his intern
Arik Armstead: Jacksonville Jaguars & How to Spend Your First NFL Check | E106
00:56:17
You're listening to part two of my awesome conversation with Arik Armstead. Arik is a star defensive lineman NFL football player for the San Francisco 49ers and a dedicated philanthropist. He has been nominated for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for four consecutive seasons, recognizing his on-field excellence and impactful community work.
Time stamps:
00:58 The first contract
Got a 3-million-dollar check
Bought a house for his parents
05:08 Managing money and voting
Managing big money and choosing the right advisers
Investing money to create wealth and secure the future
Learning form Randall’s filling out a voting ballot
14:29 Advice to kids that want to be like him
NFL and NBA statistics
Fight for your dream and be realistic about your situation
Use opportunities to better your life, don’t focus only on sports
19:24 The story of Brock Purdy
The underdog who made it to the top
Arik doesn’t understand the hate towards him
Brock is a very good team player and great at improvising
22:24 Ass-kicked by the Detroit Lions
The atmosphere in the locker room
The moments of failure that built their team
25:18 Playing in the Super Bowl
Most watched Super Bowl in history
Really prepared and focused on the game
27:36 Extreme preparation and top 3 ingredients of success
Owes his success to preparation
3 ingredients of success
Ownership over what success truly means for you
Sacrifice
Determination
30:28 The work-life balance
In season, it’s tough
His wife is a physician and has her own career
They have 3 children
Never feels like he’s doing enough
34:38 Randall’s funny stories
Randal’s being mixed up with Jimmy Garoppolo’s dad
Playing with Tom Brady in the Bahamas
Two best moments with Kliff Kingsbury
40:50 Fill in the blanks for excellence
The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is
Anything worth having is worth working for
My number one professional goal is
Reach my full potential
My number one personal goal is
To create a happy, healthy, loving home for my family
And more
46:58 Philanthropic work
One of the most philanthropic people in professional sports
Nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year 4 times
His organization is AAP, the Arms Academic Project
Believes that education equity would solve many societal issues
Flex Lewis Unfiltered Interview: Training Motivation, Workouts & Bodybuilding for Mr. Olympia | E107
01:02:13
Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is the incredible Flex Lewis. Flex is a serial entrepreneur, coach, motivational speaker, and one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. He has won 7 consecutive Mr. Olympia titles.
He's also the co-owner of Arsenal, strength gym equipment, the fastest-growing fitness equipment company in the world and the owner of the famous Dragon's Lair Gym in Las Vegas.
Time stamps:
00:55 Flex’s family and background
Grew up in a loving home in Wales
His father was a steel worker and his mother a nurse
Decided to be a millionaire as a kid
03:52 Born with a rugby ball in the mouth
He started playing rugby at the age of 6
His full name is Steven James Lewis
Flex is a nickname he got as a kid
06:27 The pressure to better himself
A pressure to become better
His first entrepreneurial moment
Delivering papers on his bike
Learned responsibility and dealing with money
13:22 Investing the money he earned
Bought a male and female finch
Started breeding and selling them
15:57 Starting a moving company
Powerlifting and starting a moving company
Bought his first truck and developed the business
Went an extra mile to do a good job
22:05 Learning from the Quadfather
Spent weekends at his grandparents
Discovered a book by Tom Platz at 12
The book changed his life
Found weights and started doing squats
26:23 His parents’ worries
His parents were afraid it would stunt his growth
Stayed away from training weights for a number of years
Funny story about his father catching him squatting
28:30 Steve Naylor and his influence
Flex had a lot of admiration for Steve
He was drawn by his humility
Started training with Steve
Bodybuilding is all about mind-muscle connection
32:19 Elbow injury and getting a tattoo
Spent the whole summer building his motocross bike
Had an accident and broke his elbow
After removing the plaster cast, his arm was dead
Had to make it stronger by himself
A tattoo on the weakened arm
38:53 Working in silence and achieving things
Didn’t like school but liked PE teachers
He had dyslexia or ADHD, was labeled stupid
How schools were failing kids by discouraging them
Practicing a handstand and the first day at school
Flex Lewis: The Gym Rat’s Road to Riches – Bench Presses, Business Plans, and Brand Building | E108
01:34:25
Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is the incredible Flex Lewis. Flex is a serial entrepreneur, coach, motivational speaker, and one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. He has won 7 consecutive Mr. Olympia titles.
He's also the co-owner of Arsenal, strength gym equipment, the fastest-growing fitness equipment company in the world, and the owner of the famous Dragon's Lair Gym in Las Vegas.
01:21 - Joe Gold recruiting Flex Lewis and living with John Cena and Hulk Hogan
11:50 - Motivation and background of Mr. Olympia
25:15 - Flex's last Mr. Olympia
28:00 - Flex's parents supporting him
38:20 - Hustling, relationships, and free protein powder
49:45 - Having a long-term view and the shelf life of careers
1:00:33 - Dana White
1:10:05 - Extreme Preparation
1:17:09 - Flex's family
1:23:54 - Extra questions, Joe Rogan, and pigeons on creatine
Where is Lele Pons Now? | Podcast Interview With The Venezuelan Social Media Superstar | E109
01:02:59
My guest today is incredible, Lele Pons. Lele is an actress, writer, producer, director, singer, model, brand ambassador, and is one of the most important content creators of all time. She has 54 million followers on Instagram, 39.1 million followers on TikTok, and as 18 million subscribers on her YouTube channel. She stars in "The Secret Life of Lele Pons" – a YouTube Documentary series that provides a look at our personal life, – and is the host of the podcast "Best Kept Secrets with Lele Pons" on Spotify.
00:00 Introduction and Early Influences
03:35 Getting Kidnapped as a Child
05:17 Health Challenges, Diagnosis, and Anxiety
07:49 OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
12:50 Exploring Tourette Syndrome
16:05 Dealing with ADHD and Executive Functioning
19:45 Bullying, School Experiences, and Coping Mechanisms
Lele Pons: Her Funny Vines, Music Career, and Staying Relevant Over Time | E110
01:18:11
My guest today is incredible, Lele Pons. Lele is an actress, writer, producer, director, singer, model, brand ambassador, and is one of the most important content creators of all time. She has 54 million followers on Instagram, 39.1 million followers on TikTok, and as 18 million subscribers on her YouTube channel. She stars in "The Secret Life of Lele Pons" – a YouTube Documentary series that provides a look at our personal life, – and is the host of the podcast "Best Kept Secrets with Lele Pons" on Spotify.
Dana White: Podcast Interview on His First Fight, Joe Rogan, the Mafia, & Building the UFC | E111
00:53:32
My guest today is the incredible Dana White. For last 23 years Dana has been the President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the leading mixed martial arts company in the world. During these 23 years, Dana has transformed the UFC from an unwanted, unloved, unsuccessful company heavily indebted into one of the greatest and largest sports franchises in history, and he's viewed by many as the greatest sports promoter in history. He is also the founder of Power Slap, a slap fighting promotion company owned by Ultimate Fighting Championship showcasing his innovative spirit in sports promotions.
00:00 - Introduction
03:18 - Dana's Tough Childhood
10:12 - Dana's First Fight
17:58 - Dana's Work Experience as a Bellman
25:18 - Move to Las Vegas
27:15 - Timing is Everything
34:29 - Is College Important
40:44 - Cleaning Up the UFC
43:06 - The Ultimate Fighter Breakthrough
48:09 - The American Dream, Hardship, and Perseverance
Dana White on Suga Sean O'Malley, Conor McGregor, and Building the UFC Podcast Interview | E112
00:55:37
My guest today is the incredible Dana White. For last 23 years Dana has been the President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the leading mixed martial arts company in the world. During these 23 years, Dana has transformed the UFC from an unwanted, unloved, unsuccessful company heavily indebted into one of the greatest and largest sports franchises in history, and he's viewed by many as the greatest sports promoter in history. He is also the founder of Power Slap, a slap fighting promotion company owned by Ultimate Fighting Championship showcasing his innovative spirit in sports promotions.
00:00 - Introduction
01:16 - Sold UFC for $4 Billion
03:25 - Reflecting on Past and Future
06:03 - The American Dream
08:05 - Joe Rogan's Impact
10:14 - Innovating Fight Production
13:24 - Discovering Conor McGregor
15:20 - Importance of Superstars in UFC
17:55 - Story About Jon Jones
20:31 - Motivation Post-UFC Sale
23:49 - Dana's Current Motivation
27:48 - Impact of Money
31:15 - Family and Prioritizing Children
34:03 - Importance of Preparation
36:45 - Loyalty to Joe Rogan and Donald Trump
42:26 - Starting a Company: Reality vs Expectation
Mike Posner on "Cooler Than Me," "I Took a Pill in Ibiza," and His Walk Across America | Podcast Interview | E113
01:13:23
My guest today is the incredible Mike Posner. Mike is a singer-songwriter, record producer, and poet. He has released four albums and is best known for his hit song "Cooler Than Me," which he wrote as a sophomore in college. He is also known for the smash hit "I Took a Pill in Ibiza," which is one of my favorite songs of all time and, as of today, has 1.9 billion streams on Spotify. He has written songs for Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, Nick Jonas, Snoop Dogg, and many others, and has been nominated for a Grammy and various MTV Video Music Awards. As the author of the poetry book Teardrops and Balloons, he is also the only Grammy Award-nominated musician to walk across the United States on foot.
00:00:00 - Introduction.
00:02:57 - Lessons from family and mission-driven values.
00:05:50 - A pivotal moment of change.
00:08:45 - Entrepreneurial efforts during college.
00:11:38 - Early interests and influences.
00:14:36 - Challenges and motivational moments.
00:17:31 - Discussing patterns of depression and emotional states.
00:20:26 - Overcoming self-doubt and silly feelings.
00:23:18 - Achievements: Walking across continents and Grammy nominations.
00:26:15 - Socio-economic background and educational environment.
00:29:08 - Reflections on personal achievements.
00:32:08 - Rethinking career and life questions.
00:34:56 - Balancing career aspirations with financial realities.
00:37:56 - Academic experiences and personal capabilities.
00:40:51 - Memorable encounters with celebrities.
00:43:43 - Evaluating creative collaborations.
00:46:40 - The power of visualization and goal setting.
00:49:36 - Long-term commitment to music and personal growth.
00:52:28 - Supportive family dynamics and early creative experiences.
00:55:27 - Creative process and spontaneous songwriting.
00:58:18 - Brief moments and lasting impressions.
01:01:16 - Learning about the music business.
01:04:11 - Recognition and personal identity in the industry.
01:07:06 - Networking and spreading music through social connections.
01:10:00 - Philosophical thoughts on happiness and external circumstances.
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