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Knowledge For Men Archives

Today's most successful leaders share their incredible stories and life lessons to help you get the life you want in the areas of health, wealth, relationships and personal growth. Every show is jam packed with actionable tips and insights that will propel you forward to become the man you want to be. Join us at knowledgeformen.com for recaps of every interview as well as an incredible gold mine of resources to help you live better. Are you ready?
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Now displaying: 2018
Dec 20, 2018

On March 24, 1965, Albert Podell embarked on a 581-day, 42,000-mile, adventure-packed expedition by 4×4 across 30 countries that set the record for the longest auto journey ever made around the world. During the next 50 years Podell visited every one of the rest of its 196 countries.

Albert Podell has a B.A. in government from Cornell, was a graduate fellow in international relations at the University of Chicago, holds a J.D. from NYU School of Law, and has had successful careers as a magazine editor, director of photography, advertising-agency creative director, and trial attorney. He has written 300 magazine articles and wrote the adventure classic, Who Needs A Road.

Favorite Success Quote

“You only live once so grab as much gusto as you can. “

Key Points

1. Life is Fleeting Live it Full

Life is precious and short. We all live like life will last forever without realizing its fleeting nature. Embrace the now and live life like you will never live it again.

2. People are Generally the Same

Many first worlders ignorantly assume that the rest of the world is vastly different from us. We assume that they are all extremists and crazies and that anywhere beyond the first world is the no mans land.

What we fail to realize is that humans are largely the same across all cultures. We all want to live long and prosperous lives. We all want to raise our children to the best of our abilities, we all want as much health, wealth, love and happiness as we can fill into our days.

When we open our mind to the similarities that cross all cultural boundaries, we are able to interact much more deeply and intimately with people who are seemingly dissimilar.

3. You Can Live on Less Than You Think

In America, the idea of living with less is a foreign concept. We assume that to survive we need to be making hundreds of dollars a day and filling our lives full of possessions and cheap thrills.

But in the end, we are left with crap we didn’t need and shallow, base level experiences. If we open our minds to the idea of embracing minimalism and living with less, then we open our lives to a whole new level of fulfillment.

When life becomes about seizing every moment enjoying every second over accumulating more stuff, we are able to live lives of true abundance and joy.

4. Money and Time are not an Impediment to Travel

If you are creative enough, adaptable enough, and tough enough.  You can travel the world on little to no money fairly easily. From staying with locals to camping to hostels, there are a number of ways that you can travel without breaking the bank.

One of the best ways to get started is by looking into work exchanges such as WWOOF or Help Ex where you work in exchange for room and board.

Dec 12, 2018

Michael  Matthews is back for a second round in the Knowledge for Men arena! Michael is the founder of Muscle for Life, author of the bestselling book Bigger, Leaner, Stronger and the CEO of Legion Supplements.

Mike believes in a simple, straightforward, no b.s. approach to achieving the body of your dreams and favors long term consistency over short term intensity in all of his methods.

Mike is currently juggling several projects including a new book, continued work on the site, launching a Legion clothing line and creating a new smart phone app! You can learn more and connect with Mike at muscleforlife.com

Key Points

1. Be Willing to Hustle

Too many people today want to achieve their dreams without being willing to work for them. If you want to achieve the life that few have, you must be willing to hustle on a level few will.

You will die and pass through history just like everyone else, and unless you hustle and create a legacy worth remembering, you will simply be another statistic. So get to work and be remembered.

2. Create Amazing Rituals

The top performers always have consistent result rituals in place to ensure their success. Experiment with your work, health and relationships to find rituals that work well for you.

Do you work best in the morning or at night? Do you write better after drinking some coffee or wine? Do your relationships flourish when you set aside one day a week for date night?

Look at what other high achievers have done and try to emulate them. If it works, then keep it, if not, discard and try something new.

3. Everything in Moderation

Just because you are working to be successful and build your best life does not mean you should deprive yourself. If you really enjoy watching House of Cards, drinking with your friends on the weekend, or smoking that Rocky Patel cigar every once in a while, then do it!

The key is moderation. Do not allow mindless entertainment and substance usage to become the norm, but rather an occasional treat as a reward for all of your hard work.

4. Don’t Just go for money

Following any career path solely because of the money is a one way road to misery. If you want to live a happy fulfilled life, then it is essential that you focus first on finding what you love. The money will follow.

5. Focus on the Basics and Keep Going

Men often try and get into the complexities and nuances of subjects before we master the basics. We can give you complicated speculation on the stock market, but can’t manage to save more than we spend. We can tell you exactly how testosterone fuels muscle growth, but can’t seem to workout more than once a month.

Focus on mastering the basics and the rest will fall into place.

6. Turn Your Car into a Mobile University

Massive self education (and applying that education) is the quickest way to be successful. Turn off the radio and plug in an audiobook next time you drive to work. Read for half an hour instead of watching tv.

If you take the time to educate yourself now, it will pay back dividends years down the line.

7. Have Realistic Expectations

Greatness takes time. Do not expect to transform yourself over night, but rather embrace the process and enjoy the ride. Success will happen if you work hard, educate yourself and focus on mastery, but realize it will happen over years, not weeks.

Dec 10, 2018

Gary Vaynerchuk is a leading internet marketing entrepreneur, angel investor, and founder of Wine Library TV and VaynerMedia. Gary has written severl New York Times bestselling books including Crush It! and Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook. He has invested in major companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Uber.

Gary currently travels all across the world speaking and teaching young entrepreneurs how to crush it, as well as always keeping an eye out for new investments and opportunities.

Favorite Success Quote

“Legacy is greater than currency” ~ Gary Vaynerchuk

Key Points

1. Learn to Love the Hustle

So many people work only for the dream of one day retiring to play golf on the beach. They focus on having free time and being able to live a life of ease and comfort. But no one is ever remembered for being comfortable.

As men who want to crush it in all areas of life, men who want to take life by the horns and throw it to the ground, you must be willing to hustle. Show up earlier, stay later, work harder than anyone else, and you will inevitably be rewarded.

You need to learn to love the hustle. Love working hard, love creating a legacy and building something worth being remembered for. History remembers the builders, not the vacationers.

2. Only Operate from Strengths 

We’ve been conditioned since grade school to work on our weaknesses. If we made an A in math but a B in English, we’re told to work harder on our English rather than doubling down in our areas of strength.

If you want to truly be successful, find the one or two things that you are naturally good at, and put all of your effort into building those. Yes, you should learn to basics of all aspects of your career or area of study, but rather than trying to be equally good in all areas, focus only where you have natural talent.

This can be applied to all areas of your life. If you are naturally a taller, leaner guy, than running and crossfit may be good options for you, if you are smaller and more dense, maybe try powerlifting.

Realize that the quickest way to success is to find your strengths and capitalize on them. Outsource your weaknesses, do what you’re good at, and you will be successful.

3. Focus on the Long-term

Too often, we get caught up in short term gratification over long term legacy. You must shift your focus from the now to one hundred years from now.

How do you want to be remembered? What will people say about you when you die? Shift your focus to these questions, and the answers to your current predicaments are often revealed.

4.  Become Self Aware

If you want to see your success in all areas increase exponentially faster than you ever thought possible, learn to be self aware. What are you good at? What do you suck at? What  habits do you have that aren’t serving you?

Really pause and reflect and be honest with yourself. If you can cut through the bullshit stories that you tell yourself and be real about who you are and what your strengths are, then you will be able to live a life of tremendous success and satisfaction.

5. Its All About the Journey

On the journey to success, we often forget that there really is no destination. The destination of all successful men and women is to continue growing, expanding and improving themselves and the world until they die.

Retirement is a fools game.

Dec 5, 2018

For 30 years, Drew Gerber has been inspiring those who want to change the world. As the CEO and co-owner of Wasabi Publicity Inc., lauded by the likes of PR Week and Good Morning America, Gerber sparks “aha” conversations that lead to personal and business success. His PR firm is known for landing clients on Dr. Phil, Oprah, Anderson Cooper, The Wall Street Journal, Inc., Entrepreneur, and other top media outlets.

Wasabi Publicity works with companies that strive to make a difference in the world, providing the best industry leaders and change agents for the media. Drew Gerber is the author of Destination Ah-hah and CEO of the parent blog destinationaha.com 

Favorite Success Quote

“Breath is the thread to remember everything you’ve forgotten”

Key Points

1. Get present 

If you want to live a fulfilling and successful life, then you need to stay in the present. It is often all to easy to get caught up in past regrets, future desires or present worries without living in the moment.

Take a few seconds before every interaction, presentation or important event and focus on your breath. Be mindful of your surroundings, appreciate the beauty around you. This will not only allow you to focus and achieve on a higher level in the present moment, but it will also make you a more happy and grounded man.

2. Travel 

One of the best ways to expand yourself as a man is to travel. Experience new cultures, explore new ways of life, be open to new world views. Travel will enrich your life in more ways than you can count.

From lifelong relationships, to unforgettable experiences, to simple serenity while you stand in awe at a natural wonder, travel will change your life for the better and will help equip you to live life on a more holistic level.

3. Find Out What You Really Value

It is easy to use cop-out answers to describe our values. Beyond the “I want to change the world” and “I want to leave a legacy” there is a deeper and richer reason to everything that we want and do.

Take time and go deeper into your why. Ask yourself why 5 times, write down your answer, get clear on who you are and what you value and figure out your purpose in life. If you want to live a rich fulfilling life, full of abundance and happiness, you must go beyond the canned cliche values that you have heard and truly determine what it is that gets you out of bed in the morning.

4. Stop Listening to Gurus

Follow your gut and do what will make you happiest, don’t waste time paying attention to well paid speakers telling you how to live your life.

5. Don’t Take Things Seriously 

Life is too damn short to go through it with a constant frown. Bad things happen, failures occur, and things don’t go your way, buy all in all none of it matters.

The end result for every human is death, it always has been, and (unless scifi becomes reality) it always will. Don’t waste one more moment of your life than necessary worrying about crap that will be gone tomorrow. Don’t stress over the petty things in life.

Seek to be of service, seek to make an impact, and seek to enjoy what little time you have on this planet. Realize that life is a game, don’t take anything seriously. Laugh off the small stuff and work through the big stuff. Always ask yourself “If I knew I would die tomorrow, would this bother me?”:

Dec 3, 2018

Former Air force Captain Bryan Reeves is the Co-founder/Director for The Center for Mindful Education, where he’s taught mindfulness to people with autism. He co-founded “Operation Mindful Warrior” to help bring mindfulness to military veterans (who are currently committing suicide at a shocking rate)

Bryan serves on the Executive Board of the Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment (G.A.T.E.). Founded by John Raatz, author Eckhart Tolle and actor Jim Carrey, GATE is an organization of entertainment and media companies and professionals – actors, producers, filmmakers, musicians and more – working to influence the entertainment and media industry to produce and distribute transformational content that inspires global audiences for the benefit of all.

Bryan currently resides in L.A. working as a transformational life and relationships coach.

Favorite Success Quote

“Follow your highest excitement”~Bryan Reeves

Key Points

1. It Is Essential That You Learn to Collaborate

We live in a world full of people determined to go it alone. We look at others with differing ideologies, religions, or political standing as lost causes that will never be reached instead of seeking to use our uniqueness together to create something incredible.

Learn to see and bring out the best in people regardless of your differences, learn to work with others and use your differences to create a future that could never have been built alone. Work together with others and create a future that you would be proud to raise a family in.

2. Surround Yourself With People Who Won’t Take Your Crap

As much as we love to surround ourselves with yes men (or women) it is imperative to our personal growth that we are around people who push us and call us out on our bullshit. Build a social circle full of people who aren’t afraid to challenge you and make you uncomfortable.

As Jim Rohn said “You are the average of the five people whom you associate with most.” If you want to live a world class life, then associate with people who will push you in every area.

3. Acknowledge That You Could be Wrong

As you work to build the life and relationships of your dreams, approach every issue with the thought that you might be wrong. Nietzsche, the famous philosopher once said that “Conviction is the enemy of truth.” Never allow your need to be right to blind you to the  truth.

Realize that you may be wrong, accept it and look to collaborate with others who can help guide you to the truth.

4. Be a Leader in Your Relationships 

As a man, embrace the masculine energy in your relationships and take charge (most of the time). Decide where to go out on a date, set the time, lay down the ground rules of the relationship. Women cannot be fully in their feminine unless you are in your masculine and for this to happen you must be present and taking charge, leading the encounter to new and exciting heights.

5. Success Doesn’t Make the Man

Money, cars, girls, none of it makes you a man. To be a true man, an authentic man, you must be totally fulfilled and in love with yourself. Be who you are, pursue a life of purpose that excites you every morning. Do things because you damn well want to!

Never forsake dreams or aspirations for a paycheck or relationship. Follow your highest excitement, do what makes you happy and impact others while doing it.

6. If You Aren’t Thriving Today It’s Pointless

Goals are amazing. Plans are great. But nothing is certain. Life is a precious gift that can be taken at any moment. Live life in the moment and be passionate about the life you are living today. Because the life you are stressing about creating may not be there tomorrow.

Nov 30, 2018

Stephen Alter was born and raised in the Himalayas, where he and his wife, Ameeta, continue to make their home. He is the author of more than fifteen books of fiction and non-fiction, including Sacred Waters: A Pilgrimage to the Many Sources of the Ganga.  For ten years, he was a writer-in-residence at MIT and before that, director of the writing program at the American University in Cairo.

His honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Research Grant and an honorary degree from Wesleyan University, where he studied as an undergraduate. He is founding director of the Mussoorie Writers’ Mountain Festival, which brings together writers, mountaineers, filmmakers, artists and musicians from around the world to celebrate the heritage of the Himalayas.

Favorite Success Quote

“If you want to travel on the path, you must become the path itself.”~ Stephen Alter

Key Points

1. Live to Fight Another Day

Throughout your life and your own personal journey you will face a number of incredible challenges where you will be faced with two choices: 1) Stand and fight or 2) Live to fight another day.

As masculine and macho as perseverance and facing down impossible odds may sound, it is often wiser to know when to fold. This does not mean quitting. It means pausing, reassessing the situation, and deciding where to move from a place of greater clarity and knowledge

When faced with a huge obstacle in business or finances, you can continue banging your head against a wall that won’t budge. Or you can do the wiser thing. You can momentarily retreat, lick your wounds and come back later with a greater sense of purpose.

2. Understand That You Are a Small Part of a Whole

One of the many benefits of being out in nature, is that you begin to realize just how small you are. The world is full of 7 billion people and trillions of other organisms all fighting to survive. You realize that you are not important.

As depressing as this may sound. It is actually a cause for excitement because it means that you have free reign to dare boldly. No one cares enough about you for failure to be final. People are so caught up in their own concerns that they have very little time to worry about you as well.

This means you are free from the worry of judgement of others. Live life the way you want and don’t worry about what people think. You are a tiny part of a giant universe and at the end of the day it is better to dare boldly, and fail greatly than never to try at all.

3. Use Your Pain as Fuel for Your Story

Everyone suffers some kind of pain in this life. A break up or divorce, loss of a loved one, business failure, personal or moral failure; everyone has something in their life that causes great pain.

Instead of dwelling on this pain and wallowing in self pity, use it. Use your pain as fuel to create the greatest life possible and to share your story so others can avoid your misfortune.

The greatest way to cope with pain is to turn it into a triumph, if you can use it as a way to help others and better the world, not only will you relieve the pain you have felt, but you will save others from ever experiencing it as well.

4. Get in Nature

Spending time out in nature is one of the quickest ways to reconnect you with the earth and with yourself. There is a sense of peace that comes from sitting and meditating beside a quiet stream that is difficult to duplicate.

Some of you may live in a big city with very little immediate access to mountains or the ocean, but even getting outside for 30 minutes a day and walking in the park can be an extremely therapeutic and rejuvenating experience.

5. Seize the Moment

Too often, we focus on seizing the day, the week, the year with little to no thought about the present moment. Be present, intentionally set moments to memory. Live in the present and stay out of your head. Let tomorrow worry about itself.

Nov 12, 2018

Jonathan Levi is an experienced entrepreneur, angel investor, and lifehacker from Silicon Valley. After successfully selling his Inc 5,000 rated startup in April of 2011, Levi packed up for Israel to gain experience in the Venture Capital industry.

Levi has been featured in such publications and programs as the Wall Street Journal, Nana10 Television, The Silicon Valley Business Journal, Bimmer Magazine, BMW Blog, and Donna Fenn’s latest book, Upstarts! How GenY Entrepreneurs are Rocking the World of Business and 8 Ways You Can Profit from Their Success, among others.

Favorite Success Quote

“The greatest happiness in life is that we are loved. Loved for ourselves or loved in spite of ourselves.”~Victor Hugo

Key Points

1. Learn to Properly Delegate

Chances are, living the life of your dreams involves you doing a lot more of what you enjoy and a helluva lot less of the things that you don’t. Determine activities in your life that are neither enjoyable nor particularly profitable and delegate them to others.

For example, you can hire a maid to come and clean your house, do your laundry, and even cook your meals for between $20-$50/hour. If you are earning even $5 more per hour by doing this, than you are enhancing your productivity and your dollar per output. It’s a win win for everyone.

2. Do an 80/20 Analysis

Around 20% of what you do in every area of your life will account for 80% of the results that you see. To live a fulfilling and meaningful life, you must determine the things that you are content being in the 80th percentile for, and those that you are willing to invest the extra time into.

Do you want to be a top level bodybuilder, or just be lean and healthy? Do you want to be a Forbes list entrepreneur making millions a year, or just have the income to live life on your terms?

There’s no right or wrong, you simply have to decide what it is you want and allocate your resources properly.

3. Apply the Productivity Mindset to Your Personal Life

Seek to use the productivity mindset in all areas of your life, especially social. For example if you have the choice between going to an entrepreneurs mastermind or going to a club and getting hammered, it’s pretty clear which option will lead to greater results.

Enjoy yourself, party, live life, but make sure that you are filling your life with high caliber social activities as well.

5. Speed Reading Tips

  • Don’t move your eyes, this makes you effectively blind and wastes time
  • Don’t Sub-vocalize(say the words in your head)
  • Create images to help you recall information better

5. Sleep The Every Man Schedule

Sleep 6 hours at night and then take a half hour nap in the middle of the day. This will save you a few hours each day, leave you feeling refreshed and is more congruent with your evolutionary programming.

6. Passive Income is About Freedom

The holy grail of finances is passive income. To be making money while you sleep. What you must realize is that this goal is about freedom and having the options to do what you want. Never forsake options for a paycheck, you can always make more money, but once time leaves, it never comes back.

Nov 7, 2018

Danny Flood is an entrepreneur, world traveler, adventure seeker, and author of the new book; Buy Your Own Island. For years Danny has been traveling the world, creating businesses to fund his lifestyle and seeking out ridiculous adventures. Danny is a life long student speaking 5 languages and reading hundreds of books each year and teaching others how to live the lives of their dreams.

Danny is currently traveling around the world enjoying a well earned break after the publication of his new book.

Favorite Success Quote

“There are many who find a good alibi far more attractive than an achievement. For an achievement does not settle anything permanently. We still have to prove our worth anew each day; we have to prove that we are as good today as we were yesterday. But when we have a valid alibi for not achieving anything we are fixed, so to speak, for life.” ~Eric Hoffer

Key Points

1. Be Real About Your Goals

All to often we find ourselves pursuing goals because it is what other people what for our lives. We go to medical school because our parents said we should, we take that promotion because all of our friends told us to, but we rarely stop and ask what we want.

If you want to live a fulfilling life, an inspiring life, a life worth writing about, you must break out of the standards and the mold that society has set for you and you must do your own thing.

Pursue your own goals and dreams because it is what makes you happy. Don’t live your life for someone else

2. You Need to Get Out of Your Normal Environment

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”~Neale

One of the best ways to grow as a man is to experience new and exciting things outside of your comfort zone. Travel, try new foods, learn new instruments; expand your horizons and don’t be afraid of the unknown.

When you get out of your normal environment, you are forced to pause and reflect on the life that you are leading, danger and adventure cause you to pause and ponder questions to life you may have been too afraid to ask.

Don’t fight this, accept it and use what you learn. Get out there, get uncomfortable, and be better because of it.

3. Discover What Works For You 

Don’t do anything because it is what you “should” do. If something doesn’t work for you then scrap it and find a new way. Our society has tried to put everyone into a cookie cutter mold of how people should learn, what they should pursue and what they can and can’t do.

Break out of this and do what works for you.

Do you learn best by total immersion or by osmosis(watching others)? Then do that. Are you most productive in the morning or at night? Do the brunt of your work then. Life is not a one size fits all adventure, so get out there and find the things that work for you and discard the rest.

4. Look At Your Problems as Ways to Improve Your Life

Some of the greatest innovations of our time have come from people asking the question “how can I fix this problem?” In your life, there is nothing more powerful than asking questions that force you to innovate and try new things.

If you are broke, overweight, or terrible with women, see this as a challenge to be innovated out of. Find an approach that you can stick with and work it until you have the desired outcome.

5. You Have Nothing to Lose

Really, you have NOTHING to lose. You only get one shot at this life, don’t waste it fearing what might happen. What is scarier than a plane crash or financial ruin is a life that was never truly lived. Get out of your comfort zone, feel the fear and take action because of it.

6. Manage Energy Not Time

Many of the productivity gurus say to manage your time to get the most accomplished. However, 4 hours of half assed work is less valuable than 30 minutes of laser focused action. Learn to manage your energy and your focus before worrying about time.

7. Vietnamese Coffee is the Best

At least according to Danny hehe.

8. Step Back 

Whenever life seems overwhelming, take a step back and reflect. Meditate, go to the mountains, get away from it all. Chances are after you remove yourself from your normal environment you will realize that what you have been stressed about is no where near as bad as it seemed.

9. Live a Life That is True to You 

We live in a day and age of a much more sinister and insidious form of control than any dictatorship or monarchy in the past 100 years. We live in an age of media mind control.

Although likely not intentional (ie not a conspiracy theory) the media has sold you a certain story about what your life should be, about how things should workout and how you should live.

And we buy into it with out ever asking whether we want this story or not. Take time to ask yourself who you want to be, not who you are told to be, live life on your terms and in a way that is true to your authentic self.

Nov 5, 2018

Abel James is the founder and CEO of the Fat Burning Man podcast and blog, a brand committed to bringing people the no bs guide to getting the body of their dreams. Abel challenges all of the traditional wisdom around diet and exercise, challenging people to think outside of the box and do what actually works.

Abel is the author of “The Wild Diet” a cook book designed to help the average person cook incredibly healthy and delicious foods that will result in phenomenal results for your body and health. You can order a copy of Abel’s new book here

Favorite Success Quote

“Every kick in the ass is a step forward” ~Anonymous

Key Points

1. Fat is Not the Enemy (it’s actually a friend)

One of the common misconceptions in the health and fitness industry is that fat is somehow unhealthy. It is processed fats that are unhealthy.

Due to the over processing of our foods, the increase in chemicals and  the wide spread use of growth hormones, many of fats we receive from red meat and other previously organic sources are now basically just a slab of toxins.

However, eating organic, grass fed beef and other healthy fats such as avocado, coconut oil, and has actually been shown to help lower bad cholesterol, boost testosterone, and enhance cognitive function.

Long story short; get more healthy and natural fats in your diet.

2. Don’t Follow the Fads

The majority of diets nowadays are straight crap. If you want to look better, feel better, and live longer (and who doesn’t) keep it simple. Eat lots of fruits, veggies, and naturally raised meats. Period. Don’t complicate things unnecessarily. Remove processed sugars and eat organic whole foods.

3. Get Food as Close to The Source as Possible

Something many people do not realize is that the quality of your food is often more important than the food itself. If you are eating processed meats and veggies, filled with pesticides and antibiotics, you may as well be enjoying a pop tart for breakfast.

Read the label on your foods, always buy organic and natural, and if possible, shop at a local farmers market.

Not only will the food taste better, it will also be far richer in nutrients than any of the chemically processed alternatives/

4. Real Food is Cheaper Than Medical Bills 

One of the most common excuses regarding healthy eating is that it’s expensive.

And it is. Sometimes, high quality organic meats and veggies are 5x more expensive than their processed alternatives. However, this should be seen as an investment in your health and quality of life, not as an expense.

Eating chemically rich and nutrient devoid foods has been shown to lead to diabetes, cancer, autoimmune diseases and an early death. Do yourself a favor and invest in some high quality food so you don’t have to “invest” in medical bills.

5. If You Really Want to Get What You Want You Must Decide What You Want

Too many people today wander around aimlessly, with little to no direction in life and wonder why they are not successful.

What they are not realizing is that to live an extraordinary life and achieve extraordinary things, you must decide exactly what you want. Set a vision and clear plans for your future, and then execute ruthlessly.

Oct 31, 2018

Ash Avildsen is the Founder/CEO of Sumerian Records and was the Founder/CEO of The Pantheon Agency. For the past eight years, Ash has been a key player in the new wave of hard rock music as both an agent and a label owner. Discovering and developing acts like Asking Alexandria, Black Veil Brides, Animals As Leaders and many others from before the bands had ever toured or put out albums. Ash is also the director of his debut film “What Now.”

Favorite Success Quote:

“Success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be happy” ~ The Buddha

Key Points:

1. Success Does Not Equal Happiness

One of the common misconceptions of the modern world is that success automatically equals happiness. While it is true that many successful people experience tremendous levels of happiness, this is not due to their success, it is a product of their character and mindset.

Do what makes you happy, do what makes you fulfilled, do things that no one would have to pay you for because you are so passionate about it.

At the end of the day, you can’t take a single dollar you earn with you, all the material accomplishments and “things” will fade away and all you will be left with is your experiences and the impact you had on the world. So do what you love and don’t worry about the money; your happiness is contingent on your experiences and your attitude, not your bank account.

2. Don’t Let Haters Get to You

“You have made enemies? Good, that means you’ve stood up for something at some time in your life.” ~Winston Churchill.

If you set out to accomplish anything big in your life, regardless of what it is, there will be haters. There will be people who tell you that you can’t do it, that you aren’t good enough, that you’ll never succeed. Ignore every single one of them.

No one great every accomplished anything by listening to the doubters, people who feel the need to try and bring you down are often suffering from their own insecurities and fear that you will succeed and they will not. Learn to accept criticism and ignore “trolling” your life, business, and relationships will all be better for it.  

3. You Have to Have Faith That You Can Do It

“Whether you believe you can or can’t, you’re certainly right” ~Henry Ford

Everything starts with faith. The faith in yourself, your abilities, and your perseverance. You must have faith that if you put in the time, money and effort, you will inevitably succeed. How could you not? When you are educating yourself, learning from the best, taking massive action and learning from that action; success is inevitable.
Have faith in yourself and faith in the process, and at the end of the day, you will achieve the things that you desire.

4. Try to Improve Your Batting Average

No one is perfect, no one “bats 1,000,” but most of us have significant room for improvement in our lives. Take time to examine each area of your life, examine the results that you have achieved. What are you batting in health? In wealth? In love? In personal growth?

Be honest and brutal with yourself. Figure out what you need to improve on and then take action. Life is nothing except for a never ending cycle of challenges and growth, if you aren’t growing you are dying. Stay in the land of the living; improve everything.

6. Do it Yourself 

We live in an age of men who lack self reliance. Society and technology have made us soft. Small occurrences that used to be minor bumps in the road are now considered catastrophic set backs.

One flat tire, one broken bulb, one business project where you don’t know exactly what to do, one fitness program that doesn’t map out every second of your workout, and we are screwed. Learn to be independent, do things yourself.

Do not rely on others for help or affirmation, just do it! If you don’t know, than follow Tai Lopez’s advice and “Just damn google it.” Do not allow yourself to become dependent on anything or anyone, do it yourself and make your own destiny.

Oct 29, 2018

Dr. Joe Martin is an award-winning speaker, author, professor, and retention expert. He’s authored or co-authored seven books, including the top-selling Good Teachers Never Quit and Tricks of the Grade.

In spite of being reared in one of the toughest inner-city ghettos in Miami, Florida, Joe started his first business at the age of 22 and his second at the age of 26. Professor Martin became the youngest, tenured-earning faculty member ever hired to teach at a state University in Florida at the age of 24.

He’s now regarded as “The Educator’s Educator” and the country’s leading expert on new teacher retention and student motivation issues. Joe is a visiting professor and educational consultant and he lectures on more than 60 college campuses a year.

Favorite Success Quote:

“Watch what most people would do in a given situation and do the total opposite” ~ Dr. Joe Martin

Key Points

1. Do Not Follow the Crowd

If you want to achieve a life that is different from the crowd, if you want to break away from the flock, and live life on your terms, then you cannot take the same action that the flock takes. You must ensure that every decision you make is as far removed from what the average and mediocre would do as possible. Seek out mentors, find role models living the life that you desire, and model your actions after them.

Do not follow what uninspired and small minds are doing. Ignore their criticism and focus on becoming great.

2. External Trappings Do Not Make You a Man

You can achieve every goal you have set in life. The beautiful wife, the big house, sports car and million dollar business, but none of it makes you a man. The measure of a man is not in the size of his wallet, or number of women he’s slept with; the measure of a man is his character and his impact. It does not matter how much money you are making if you are not making it in an honorable manner.

It does not matter how beautiful your wife is if you are not treating her with respect and dignity. It does not what you have achieved if you are not living your life for a purpose bigger than yourself! To be a true man, you must have unwavering values, you must focus on helping others more than yourself, and you must make sure that your existence means something to this world.

3. A Real Man Has Integrity

One of the most essential traits of a real man is integrity. Doing what you say you will do and doing what you know and believe is right…PERIOD. If you set a standard for yourself or commit an action to someone else, it does not matter how you feel in the moment, it does not matter that you are tired or weak or busy.

Do what is right, and do what you say you will do. NO trait is more important than this.

4. Your Purpose is Above Everything

Your purpose in this life is unique. In a world of 7 billion people, no one else has your exact calling, no one has your exact talents, mindset and goals. You must put this calling, this purpose above everything else. You must put it above your relationships, above your bank account and above your momentary desires.

Your purpose is what guides you through everything so you must not forgo it for anything.

5. A Real Man Teaches Others to Be Real Men 

An essential transition in every man’s journey is when he realizes that he has the obligation to teach and mentor others. Regardless of your status in life or your development as a man, you still have something valuable to offer the world and other men. Do not do yourself or the world the disservice of letting that gift go un-given.

Teach others what you know, help those struggling in trials through which you have already passed and be generous with your time and gifts. Because at the end of the day, the money, cars, and one night stands will amount to nothing and all that will remain is the legacy you leave and the lives you impact

6. You Must Have a Mentor

As men, we are often hesitant to admit our need for help to ourselves, let alone others. However, we must realize that a true man knows his weaknesses and brings other men into his life to help him work through the challenges. Life is confusing, it’s scary and it’s uncertain, but it doesn’t need to be lonely. Open up, be vulnerable, be authentic; find a man that you can trust and ask him to help you, to hold you accountable, to mentor you. Your life will never be the same once you do.

Oct 24, 2018

Dr. Andrew Hill received his PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from UCLA in 2012, studying how attention operates in the brain. He is currently lecturing for the Undergraduate Education Initiatives program at UCLA, teaching a course sequence gerontology, and the neuroscience of healthy brain aging.

Dr. Hill has published chapters on measuring and modulating human attention, and continues to research self regulation.

Favorite Success Quote

“Do what you love and the money will follow” ~Marsha Sinetar

Key Points

1. If you do not do what you love, you may achieve success but it will not be your success

Many men exemplify the qualities of successful individuals. They have drive, they have ambition and they have an innovative mind. But if you are not actively putting your skills and traits into building the life and business of your dreams, the successes you achieve will not fulfill you.

As the old saying goes “You may climb all the way to the top of the ladder only to find it is leaning on the wrong wall.” Don’t lean your ladder on the wrong wall. Life is short, make the most of it. Do what you love, do it with  a passion, do it will more heart and soul than anyone else, and all the fame, recognition, and money that you have sought after will come.

2. Practice Meditation 

One of the only free methods of cognitive training, mindful meditation has been proven to aid in several neurological functions. From improving your attention control, to memory to, to reducing stress and inflammation, meditation is one of the most beneficial and accessible forms neuro training available.

Studies have also shown that the amount of time you spend meditating actually matters less than the consistency with which you practice, so 3 minutes a day immediately after waking up is more beneficial than an hour once a week.

3. Basic Healthy Habits Increase Brain Health

The best way to increase overall brain health is to improve the quality of your overall health. Eat a diet that is low in starch and sugar and high in fats, exercise in some way every day, and ensure that you are getting at least 6 hours of quality sleep every night.

Without a basic foundation, no amount of nootropics or electrode stimulation will turn you into the high achieving machine you want to be.

4. Exercise Caution when Using Nootropics

A relatively new form of supplement, nootropics are cognitive enhancers that aid in: memory, mental agility, alertness, and overall brain function. However, because of how new the industry is, and the lack of FDA regulation, a large number of supplements on the market are complete bs. Before you purchase or more importantly ingest any nootropic, make sure that it is backed by research, testing, and lots of scientific evidence.

For a simple starter with nootropics, purchase L-Theanine oil and add it to your morning coffee. L-Theanine is a naturally occurring cognitive enhancer found in many teas and other similar drinks. It is inexpensive, completely safe to use, and overall, one of the best introductions to the world of neuro supplements.

5. Figure Out What You Would Do if You Knew You Couldn’t Fail

Many of us waste time in careers that don’t inspire us, relationships that don’t excite us, and lifestyles that don’t fulfill us. Of the many excuses and issues surrounding our complacency, one problem surfaces most of all: Fear of failure. What we must understand about failure is that it is rarely final, and almost never as devastating as we make it out to be in our minds.

Whatever you want to do, go after it like you knew you couldn’t fail. Put in the hours, grind it out, do the work, and what you will discover is that the failure you so dreaded likely never come to fruition. Instead you will be left with a fulfilling and exciting life like nothing you could have ever imagined.

6. Don’t Dick Around 

You only have a limited amount of time on this planet. Despite the societal idea that “30s are the new 20s” you will not live forever. You need to get your ass into gear now and start hustling to create the life that you want to live. Don’t wait for some day, don’t put off what you love for something you “have” to do, and don’t waste time on partying and intoxicants.

Start building the life you want now, so that you can have the future others will only dream of

Oct 22, 2018

Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, an online, graphics-design service, and an executive fellow at the Haas School of Business at U.C. Berkeley. Formerly, he was an advisor to the Motorola business unit of Google and chief evangelist of Apple. He is the author of The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment, and ten other books. Guy has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College.

Favorite Success Quote

“If you believe it, you will see it” ~ Jesus Christ

Key Points

1. Things Are Seldom as Good or Bad as You Think

In life, you will be presented with numerous challenges and triumphs. Accompanying these experiences will be a roller coaster of emotions from tear drenched depression and frustration to euphoric highs of achievement. However, despite what you may feel in the present moment, things are rarely as good or bad as they appear.

The failure in your business or relationship is not the end of the world, and generating your first 7 figure company is not as life-alteringly incredible as it once seemed. As the Latin proverb states “En medio stat veritas,” the truth lays in the middle.

Learn to see life’s struggles and accomplishments for what they truly are and always keep perspective on the good and the bad.

2. Life is Short

Don’t waste  time waiting for tomorrow. If you want to build the business, build it, if you want to talk to the girl, do it, if you want to pack up and travel the world, now is as good a time as any. Do not wait for all the lights to turn green or for the stars to align, if you want something, make it happen. The only certainty in life is death, act in accordance.

3. Your Customer Cannot Tell You What They Want

Your customers are an excellent source for improving existing products, but they lack the innovation and vision to tell you what they really want. They did not know that they wanted an iPhone or Amazon.com or any of the other industry shattering creations of the past. It is up to you as a producer and entrepreneur to innovate and create something that alters the way the industry works

4. The Goal is To Ship

Your goal as a businessman is not to secure funding or build capital, but to ship. Ship your product or service as soon as humanly possible. Then, after you have shipped; learn, improve and ship again.

5. Tell a Story

If you want to connect with a customer or client, tell a story. Don’t hash out the same, dried up marketing hype surrounding every new product. Tell them a story that they can relate to, tell them a story about what your product can do for their lives, tell them a story about who you are and why you are doing what you are doing.

If you can engage your audience into your story, into your journey, you have a much greater chance of closing the sale and building customer loyalty in the long term.

6. Man Up

Quit whining, grow a pair, and put in the work. Quit bitching about how unfair life is and make something of it. If you want something, than go after it, pursue your goals tirelessly, never quit, and at the end of the day, you will achieve what you want.

7. Take Advantage of Opportunity

The biggest key to being a successful entrepreneur is to have the ability to seek out and take advantage of opportunity. When you see a viable opportunity, don’t be like most people who simply say “That’s a great idea,” or “Someone will make millions off that one day.” See the opportunity and take it. You never know when you may pass up on the next billion dollar enterprise

8. Work Your Ass Off

“Good things come to those who wait, but only things left by those who hustle.” ~Abraham Lincoln

You cannot sit on the sidelines and expect the world to hand you the life of your dreams. You have to be willing to put in the work to make it happen. Wake up before everyone else, stay longer, train harder, invest more, educate yourself more. Do not settle for mediocre work. Strive to be above average, to be extraordinary.

Be willing to put in more work than anybody could reasonably expect of you, and you will achieve the results you want in less time than anyone could reasonably expect of you.

Oct 17, 2018

Dean Graziosi is well known as America’s #1 real estate expert, author, speaker and entrepreneur. Based in Scottsdale, AZ, Dean has written Multiple New York Times best-selling books and has touched the lives of Millions of people around the world with his powerful investing education.

Favorite Success Quote

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm” ~ Winston Churchill

Key Points

1. Failure is an Essential Piece of Success

Many entrepreneurs and other businessmen believe that success is a straight road, you simply get on the path and once you get enough momentum you will succeed.

What they don’t understand is that there is no success without failure, as Ryan Holiday says,  “The obstacle is the way.” Even the most illustrious of companies and entrepreneurs have faced tremendous adversity and “unconquerable”situations before they achieved the renown they know today.

When going into any new endeavor, expect failure, expect to be tested beyond your perceived limits, and expect things to which you devoted your whole life to fail.

Do what you can to prevent failures by reading books by those who have gone before and gathering an army of mentors, but realize that even with all the preparation in the world, you will fail. And when you do, have the courage to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and go again.

2. Use Your Pain as a Motivator

The natural state of human-kind is to move towards pleasure and away from pain. This is the driving force behind every action we take. Therefor, learn to use the pain in your life to motivate you towards success.

Make the pain of inaction or ultimate failure (not temporary setbacks) far greater than the pain of getting off your ass and doing what needs to be done. Overweight? Learn to make the pain of dying young, and being unable to live a full life greater than the pain of going to the gym. Broke? Then make the pain of not having the money to live the life of your dreams greater than the pain of forgoing temporary pleasure.

Pain is one of the most powerful tools in your belt if you learn to harness it properly. Leverage pain to create the life you want.

3. Don’t Work on Your Weaknesses

One of the biggest lies of our society is to work on our weaknesses. From grade school we are taught to focus on things we suck at instead of improving things for which we have a natural propensity. If you made an A in math and a C in English, you were told to work harder in English instead of doubling down in the areas which you already excel.

Root out this mentality like a cancer, embrace your strengths and delegate your weaknesses, the only way to build a vibrant business or life is to fill it with people working from areas of excellence and passion. Forget your weaknesses and work on your strengths. You will be healthier, wealthier and wiser for it.

4. Most People Will Not Understand

If you are on this site, you are unique. Most people are not filling their heads with the knowledge and wisdom of the wise and successful and as such, they will try and bring you and your dreams down.They do not understand the world the way you do, they are victims and pessimists.

Do not let small minded underachievers prevent you from achieving the life of your dreams. Go for what you want, go big, build the life of your dreams the business of your dreams, do what you damn well please and don’t let broke unhappy people stop you.

5. Protect Your Confidence 

Ensure that you guard your confidence in yourself above all else. If you do not believe in yourself and your abilities, you will never accomplish great things. Realize the importance of confidence in all areas of your life and take daily actions that reaffirm your self belief.

6. Remove Energy Vampires

Plain and simple, if you sigh when someone calls or messages you, they need to be cut out of your life. As harsh as this sounds, you cannot afford to waste time and energy on people who do nothing but drain you.

7. What Your Surround Yourself Shapes Your Destiny

Your environment will, in large part, determine your destiny. Surround yourself with inspiring and high caliber individuals, fill your head with knowledge and ideas from the best minds, listen to audio tapes and CDs. No matter where you are in life, by altering your environment, you will alter who you become, get started today creating an environment conducive to excellence.

8. You Have to Actually Do The Work

No amount of positive thinking or visualization will make the life of your dreams fall into your lap, you have to get up and do the work. Period.

9. Go 7 Levels Deep to Find Your Why

One of the most powerful tools for getting the motivation required to succeed is to go 7 levels deep with your “why.” Ask yourself what you want, then follow up with “why?”, then again and again, 7 times until you are at the very core of what it is that is truly motivating you.

Do this exercise and your eyes will be open to the truth behind every action you take. Do this, and you will be better equipped to crush it in life, love, and business.

10. Trust Your Heart and Not Your Head 

Trust your heart above your head. Your heart knows what you truly want and what will truly fulfill you in life, your head only knows what friends, family, and society have told it will fulfill you. Do the hard thing now, condition yourself to trust your heart and you won’t go wrong.

Oct 15, 2018

Mark Belden is a personal growth fanatic, having devoted the last 10 years of his life to growing himself into the man he wants to be. He is the founder of the self help and dating blog thenewmanwithin.com and is currently working on turning his blog into his full time career.

Favorite Success Quote

“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful.” ~ Eric Thomas

Key Points

1. Improve Your Environment, Improve Your Life

One of the quickest ways to improve your life is to improve your environment. Surround yourself with inspiring and ambitious people, spend more time at seminars and live events than bars and clubs, read more books and watch less TV.

When you change what you surround yourself with, you will begin to change who you are, you must realize the power of your environment to shape your destiny.

2. Approach Life and Dating From an Abundance Mentality

We often see the opportunities and circumstances presented to us as once in a lifetime. We are approached about a business idea or meet a new girl and think “Oh my God! If I miss out on this, nothing like it will ever come my way again.” But we fail to realize that life is full of abundance.

There are thousands of opportunities everyday for a budding entrepreneur and countless single, high quality women. We must remember that life is full of opportunities if we will seek them out and take them, do not become too attached to one idea, girl or business. There will always be other opportunities.

3. Learn to be Authentic with Others

One of the biggest struggles for the modern man is authenticity. From a young age we have been told to “toughen up” and “get over it,” and even though strength and toughness is necessary to be a thriving man, we often miss another piece of the puzzle. Vulnerability.

Learn to express your thoughts and feelings honestly, do not be caught up in having the perfect thing to say or the manliest pickup line. Be who you are and say what you want without fear of the outcome. “Be you, because everyone else is already taken.” Oscar Wilde.

4. Cultivate Emotional Intelligence

As men, we focus on developing many skills and traits. We focus on physical strength, intellectual prowess business savvy, but we often overlook one of the most essential traits of a complete man: Emotional intelligence. To operate on the highest levels, you must learn to be in touch with your own emotions in every moment.

Learn to accept how you feel in  and learn from it, do not hide away, accept it and use it to create the life you want.

5. Listen

You were given two ears and one mouth for a reason, use them in that proportion…you might be surprised where it gets you.

Oct 10, 2018

Alistair Overeem is a Dutch mixed martial artist and professional fighter. He is one of the only fighters who holds a belt in different combat sports and the only mixed martial artists to win the K-1 Grad Prix Title. Alistair is currently training for his next fight against Roy Nelson on March 14th in Dallas, Texas.

Favorite Success Quote:

“Stay positive”

Key Points:

1. Be Positive

Fighting professionally for nearly two decades, Alistair has experienced his fair share of wins and losses. However, unlike many fighters, he has never allowed defeat to crush his will to continue fighting. He has always stayed positive, knowing that tomorrow was a new day and a new fight.

If you want to succeed in anything in life; physically, financially, or socially, you must develop a positive mindset.  Do not allow setbacks or “failure” to cloud your judgement or prevent you from achieving on the level which you desire. Know that if you put in the work and are willing to do what others won’t, chances are, at the end of the day you will achieve what you desire.

2. Improve Every Day

No matter how good you think you are, or how successful you feel, you must always keep improving. If you are not improving you are dying. Do not allow success to go to your head and cause your growth to stagnate. Use your wins as a springboard to succeed on a higher level in the next fight.

3. Keep Going

A quitter never wins. You must realize that no matter what your goals in life, they cannot be achieved through quitting. If you fail at something, no matter how monumental the failure, you still succeeded more than you would have without trying. You will fail on the road to achieving your goals, but you cannot allow these failures to define you, pick yourself up, get back on the horse, and kick ass.

4. Your Environment is Your Foundation

What you surround yourself with is what you become. If you are around uninspired, unmotivated individuals, you will slowly adopt their ways. But, if you surround your self with ambitious, high achieving people who empower you to succeed, every facet of your life will improve 100 fold. Realize that environment is stronger than willpower and work to ensure that your environment is optimized for success.

Oct 8, 2018

Freddie Achom is a Nigerian born British business man, entrepreneur, and investor who decided to follow an unconventional route by dropping out of medical school and starting his own business. Freddie founded what would be his first million dollar company, the Rosemont Group, in his early 20’s and is currently serving as Chairman of the company.

Freddie is now focused on giving back to the next generation of entrepreneurs helping young inventors, businessmen, and CEO’s acquire the capital and develop the relationships necessary for personal and professional success.

Favorite Success Quote

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage continue that counts.” ~Winston Churchill

Key Points

1. You Cannot Live Your Life for Others

Each of us have a plethora of voices vying for our attention. Our parents, friends, coworkers, and even society all tell us how we should live our lives. Although none of these voices is necessarily bad, almost none of them are looking out for our best interest.

They all want something different for our lives than we do, they want us to have security, they want us to have safety, they want us to stay on the same playing field they’re on, in short they do not want us to live the lives we were designed to live. As men, we want lives of danger, lives of risk, and above all, lives of purpose, but we cannot accomplish our purpose if we are following a plan laid out for us by someone else. We must march to our own drum and create our ideal lives, not the live’s of others.

2. Relationships Are Key to Business

Many young and aspiring entrepreneurs forget the famous saying “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” We focus on developing our skill sets, on absorbing as much knowledge as possible, we read as many books and listen to as many podcasts as is humanly possible in a single day. But we forget that first and foremost, all business is relationships.

No matter what you are building or creating, you cannot do it without creating and sustaining relationships with your customers, employees and mentors. As you begin building your knowledge and skills, remember to focus on growing your network as much as yourself.

3. Do Not Try and Scale too Quickly

Many otherwise promising businesses have failed because of  hasty growth. Do not try and force your business into its next chapter prematurely. Build your companies core values, build your brand and client base, and allow the growth to happen naturally over time.

4. Focus on the Core Values of Your Company

Instead of getting caught up in the valuation of your company or your projected growth over the next quarter, focus on the core values of your company. What are you and your business here on this earth to do? How well are you achieving this mission? Every couple of months, take time to analyze your business and the direction it is headed in, make sure that every action is in alignment with your ultimate vision for your company and your life.

5. Make Sure You Have a Large Market Disruption

Too many companies aim for small or mediocre impact within the marketplace. Set audacious goals, make it your mission to have such a huge effect on the marketplace that your niche will never be the same again after you enter. Think of companies life Google and Microsoft who have revolutionized entire industries, you must strive to have an effect on the same scale.

Regardless of whether you believe you can have an impact on the same level as these companies, companies that have defined a generation, remember the wise words of Benjamin Franklin, “I would rather aim for the stars and hit a stump than aim for a stump and miss.” Don’t aim for a stump in your life, dare mighty things, and at worse, when you fail, you will fail heroically.

6. Failure is Never Final

In the modern world, almost no failure is final. There is always a way to pick your self up by your bootstraps and get back on your feet. Think of people like Donald Trump who went $9 billion dollars in debt when the recession hit…and then paid it all back and became, once again, one of the wealthiest people in the world.

No matter how catastrophic you may feel your failure is, there is always a way to get back to the top if you are committed.

7. The Journey is More Important Than The Destination

As men who are not content with average lives, it is often very difficult to live in the now whenever our whole existences are so far below what we imagine. However, we cannot lose sight of the joy of the journey, we can’t stop enjoying the grind.

In reality the only end destination is death, enjoy the journey, because the journey is life, enjoy improving, enjoy failing, enjoy succeeding. Whatever you do, enjoy it, and enjoy it to the full, don’t wish for tomorrow, because tomorrow will bring its own challenges, live for today.

8. Understanding People is Key to Success in Business

One of the most crucial skills you can develop in your life is the ability to read and understand people. This will put you heads and shoulders above your competition in business, love, and life. Take time to study human psychology, understand what drives people to action, what holds people back.

Learn to understand what people want and to read how they react to situations and you will have yet another force multiplier in your quest for the good life.

9. You Must Balance All Pillars of Your Life

Life is short, you must never allow your desire for material success and fame to outweigh the important things in your life like family and friends. Learn to balance your life. Build your business, hustle like hell, but spend time with people in your life that are important to you, reignite old hobbies, call a friend you haven’t seen in years, in short, live life like you knew you would die tomorrow.

All the material gains in the world aren’t worth a damn when it’s all said and done, all that you will have to take with you into the great beyond are the people you loved and the lives you impacted.

10. Break The Rules

As Mark Twain so famously said “When you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.” No one on this site wants to be average, no one here wants to work an average dead end job for 50 years only to find they can’t retire and then continue that job until they die.

Everyone here wants to be extraordinary. But to be extraordinary sometimes means bending the rules, it means taking the path less traveled or doing the unconventional thing. Do not be a slave to tradition and “supposed to’s” create the life you want, whether it fits society’s mold or not.

Oct 3, 2018

Mike Michalowicz is back for his third interview on the Knowledge for Men show! Mike is a serial entrepreneur, who by age 24 had started his first million dollar business. He then proceeded to repeat his success three more times.

Mike is the author of the entrepreneur’s cult classic “The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur” as well as “The Pumpkin Plan” and “Profit First.” Mike is now the CEO of his third million dollar venture, Profit First Professionals.

Favorite Success Quote

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the things you did.” ~ Mark Twain

How to Create Your First $1,000/month Business

Nearly every man who listens to this show wants to have the freedom and income that comes from being a successful entrepreneur.

However, we often struggle with starting and sustaining a business that will afford us the lifestyle we desire, in this interview, Mike breaks down 10 essential steps and mind sets that are key to creating your first $1,000/month business.

1. Take Advantage of Having a Stable Income

The first step to succeeding in creating a side hustle is to realize the benefits of having a stable 9-5. When you have a source of income separate from the business or product you are trying to create, it removes some of the anxiety and desperation that entrepreneurs who quit their jobs to build a business sometimes feel.

Since you do not rely on your side hustle for your livelihood, you will not be forced to compromise the integrity of your business so that you can put food on the table, you will be able to build and scale your business how you want, when you want, and with whom you want.

Use the job you have now as a springboard to invest in yourself and your company and ensure that the business you create is the business you want to have, not the business you must have to survive.

2. Fix Problems for Yourself (and Look for Opportunities for Entrepreneurial Action in Your 9-5)

One of the keys to finding a profitable idea that you are passionate about is to fix problems for yourself.

Find things that bother you on a regular basis and try and find what new and innovative ways you can fix them. You will not only solve your own annoyances and pet peeves, but you will likely find that there is a large customer base willing to pay you to fix the same issue.

Another potential way to develop a product or service is to find a problem  within the company you currently work for.

As a member of a company, you often realize what product or service they may need to operate more efficiently. This gives you the unique opportunity to create and market your business to a customer with whom you have already established trust. Use the leverage and insider knowledge you have already built within your current company to find a solution to a problem that can be scaled and adapted for similar situations.

3. Never Ask for Opinions, Ask for Investment

When you ask friends or family for their input on an idea, their first reaction will almost always be to try and validate you and your product, to make you feel good about yourself. They will rarely give you honest input for fear of hurting your feelings or damaging a relationship.

This can lead to false hope and a misconception of the value of what you plan to provide. Instead of asking people what they think of your idea, ask them to put their money where their mouth is and invest. This will serve two purposes.

First: This will provide you with more accurate feedback as to how feasible and lucrative your business idea may be, and second: It will help you generate the necessary capital to get your business off the runway. If friends, family, and strangers aren’t willing to invest in your idea, then modify and try again.

4. Setup an LLC

Setting up an LLC for your business and product is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to protect yourself from legal or financial liability. Setting up an LLC early on in your business gives you a cushion of protection from disgruntled customers and employees; this prevents a large number of potential legal crisis from occurring and gives you peace of mind as you conduct your affairs.

5. You Have an Obligation to Deliver Quickly

When you receive an investment or pre-sale, you have an obligation to deliver to your investor or customer quickly. Hustle your ass off and get the promised return or product into their hands as quickly as possible. Not only will this make your current customer happy, but it will increase the likelihood of recommendations and referrals.

6. Communicate

Regardless of whether you are able to deliver your product on time, it is essential that you maintain good communication with your customers. Whether this is in the form of update emails, quirky thank-you gifts, or follow up surveys, you will build trust and rapport with your existing client base, which, inevitably, will lead to more customers.

7. Use Time Restraints to Your Advantage

As Mike said in the show, “The less available a resource is, the more we will squeeze out of it.” If you are currently under time restraints due to your employment or family obligations, you will be forced to use what available time you have to the full advantage. From eliminating useless tasks, outsourcing, and using the 80/20 law, when your back is against the wall, you will be forced to be more creative and effective with how you spend your precious few hours.

8. Build Your Business not Your Plan

As a beginning entrepreneur, it is so easy to get stuck in the trap of over-planning and under-performing. Determine your vision for your company, then take action. Don’t wait until you have the perfect plan or business model, just take as much action as is humanly possible. After you take loads of imperfect action, review your vision and the direction of your company each quarter and course correct as needed.

9. Get Uncomfortable

Change only comes from discomfort. You must force yourself out of your comfort zone, you must create a reason to change, otherwise, all of your goals and dreams will simply be a nice idea, fantasies relegated to “someday.” You must make the pain of inaction far greater than the fear of failure.

If you are not currently in a situation that is painful enough to elicit the action you want to take, start setting goals, making bets, and programming yourself to take the action necessary to live the life of your dreams.

10. JUST DO IT

No matter how much advice or guidance you are given, it will not amount to anything without massive action. So get out there, start today, don’t look for perfection, just take action and start making things happen, and you will look back on your life later, thankful that you did.

Sep 26, 2018

Growing up in a fatherless home, Tony Little experienced significant adversity in his youth. After moving to Florida to live with his uncle, he began a career in bodybuilding winning the Mr. Florida title and being on track to win Mr. America before a tragic bus accident ended his bodybuilding career.

After a bout with depression and uncertainty, Tony decided to build a career in the fitness and advertising markets. Tony’s fitness products have grossed over $3 billion with over 45 million customers. At 57 Tony is still working in the fitness advertisement industry developing new and innovative products every year.

Favorite Success Quote

“When you change your mindset, you change your life. ” – Tony Little

Key Points

1. Change Your Environment Change Your Life
 

As a young man, Tony grew up in a small town with very few positive influences in his life. As such, he became involved with the wrong crowd at an early age experimenting with drugs and alcohol and butting heads with the law. After an unintentional GTA, his mom decided to move him to Florida to live with his uncle, and this is when his life changed.

By changing his environment, Tony was able to change his future. Regardless of your situation, there are probably some tweaks you can make in your environment to improve your life. Spend less time with unmotivated and uninspiring people, make your pantry more conducive to healthy eating, unplug your TV and buy more books, do whatever is necessary to get you to the life you want.

 
2. Fight Harder When Your Back is Against the Wall
 
Life is full of adversity, always has been, always will be. But the times when it is most difficult to be on our feet are the times when we need to stand strong the most. Whatever challenges life throws at you, do not cower from them, face them and overcome them. Fight like hell and never give up, because it is often the most difficult challenges that result in the greatest rewards.
 
3. Never Quit
 
Plain and simple, reaching your goals is difficult, but quitting wont make it any easier. You only have one shot at the game of life, so make it count. If you want something, fight for it, and don’t stop fighting until you get it. Don’t quit when you’re tired, quit when you’re finished.
 
4. Believe in Yourself
 

Henry Ford once said “Whether you believe you can or believe you can’t you are most certainly correct.” Believing you can do something does not ensure success, but believing that you cannot ensures failure.

If you believe in yourself and work tirelessly to make your vision a reality, you will inevitably succeed in some manner. However, lack of belief in self will prevent you from even taking the first step toward your goals.

Sep 24, 2018

RJ Mitte is an American actor and producer most widely known for his role as Walter Jr. on the AMC series Breaking Bad. RJ started his acting career at 13 despite suffering from Cerebral Palsy, and has actually learned to use his disability as an advantage in securing movie and TV parts. RJ is currently in the process of auditioning around the country for his next role.

Favorite Success Quote

“Find your niche” – Mother

Key Points

1. Look at your disabilities as a strength

At a very young age, RJ has created a successful career in one of the toughest industries in the world by using his disadvantages as a strength. Despite suffering from CP, Rj has been able to seek out niche roles playing characters with similar disabilities.

We often find ourselves using our past, current circumstances or upbringing as an excuse for why we cannot achieve greatly, however, no excuse is valid, and the career that RJ has been able to create for himself is a testament to what can happen in your life when you forgo excuses in favor of action.

2. You must stand up for yourself

The world is full of people who are complacent and subservient to others. They allow life, society, a spouse, a friend or any number of external influences to walk all over them and their dreams. You must take control of your own life, and stand up for yourself, stop taking shit from other people and make sure that your voice is heard.

3. Make the most of the time you have

Despite its negative connotation, there is great truth in the phrase “YOLO,” you only live once. Do not see this as a green light to live lives of debauchery and frivolity, rather see this as a challenge, a challenge to make the most of the limited time that you have on this earth.

You only get one chance to make a difference, you only get one chance to touch lives, you only get one chance to leave a legacy that will ring through the ages, and you only get one chance to make sure that your life is worth a damn. You only live once, don’t waste it.

Sep 19, 2018

Aaron Lamont Curry is the author of “This is Why You’re Single” a relationship and personal growth book that focuses on helping individuals to examine themselves and their beliefs about dating and relationships so that they can better understand the reasons they are struggling to find love. Aaron is currently traveling the country, speaking on relationships, and writing his next book in the “why you’re single” series.

Favorite Success Quote

“Don’t give your heart to anyone just to have someone.” – Anonymous

Key Points

1. Don’t settle for less than you deserve

It is so easy to settle for sub par relationships (both romantic and otherwise) because you do not want to face the discomfort of loneliness. It’s easy to justify staying with someone despite low class behaviors, just because you don’t want to go through the pain of singleness.

If you want to achieve great things in your life, in your business, and in your relationships, you must realize that you cannot settle for less than you deserve. You are the average of the people with whom you associate most, and this applies doubly to romantic relationships.

If you are dating someone with no drive, ambition or common values, you are setting yourself up for failure. Make the decision to raise your standards, only allow relationships that are edifying, that add value to your life, and that move your dreams forward. .

2. The simple actions make all the difference

The majority of men today have lost the art of chivalry. Simple things that show you love and respect a woman are no longer practiced, or if they are, they are done in a manipulative way to try and achieve a desired outcome (typically sex). If you want to be a man who stands out in the crowd, do the simple actions to show women that you care.

Open doors, walk on the side closest to the street, offer her your coat if she is cold, be a gentleman. This doesn’t just apply to women you are dating either, display this type of respect and humility whether the woman is a Victoria’s Secret model or an elderly lady crossing the street. Women will notice, and you will be a better man because of it.

3. Take the appropriate steps in relationships

It is all too easy to rush a relationship just for the sake of a relationship. However, if you want lasting love, take your time. Don’t decide you want to marry the girl before you even meet her. Date for a while before you start moving things along, hold off on the sex until you decide whether this is the kind of girl that you want to be with for more than a night, take it slow.

Women will respect this, and it will save you a ton of pain and heartache in the long run.

4. Don’t get into a relationship for sex

Simple but profound, as the old saying goes, “Don’t buy a ring for what you can buy on the street.” Sex is never a good reason to date or marry someone.

5. Ask the right question to find the right answer

When we examine our lives, especially the lack of certain things in our lives, we often ask the wrong questions. We ask “why” we are single instead of asking “what” we are doing that has kept us single, we ask questions that allow us to answer with cop outs and justifications instead of getting to the root of the issue. Start improving the quality of your questions and your life will improve with them.

6. You miss 100% of the shots you do not take

Life is too damn short to always live in fear. Do not allow the fear of failure to hold you back from becoming the man you want to become, because the truth is, inaction is the greatest failure of all. You will never achieve anything if you do not first try, even if you only succeed by 1% that is still 1% more than you could have achieved without taking action. Feel the fear, and do it anyways.

Sep 17, 2018

Early on in life Sean struggled with panic attacks, anxiety and depression all stemming from an unhealthy lifestyle and a weed brownie gone wrong. For months, Sean couldn’t even bring himself to get out of bed, and common activities like grocery shopping lead to severe anxiety attacks. Sean decided to defeat take back control of his life and delved heavily into personal growth.

Now, 3 years later, Sean is a totally different person free from anxiety, depression and panic. Sean is the founder and CEO of the manprovement blog and podcast, a platform that allows him to help thousands of men become their best selves

Favorite Quote

“Man cannot remake himself without struggle for he is both the marble and the sculptor” – Alexis Carol

Key Points

1. Always keep hope

For years, Sean suffered through severe bouts of anxiety and depression, making life a living hell. Through it all, he never lost hope, he never gave up or stopped believing life could change. No matter what situation you face in your own life, you must keep hope.

It may look like your relationships will never improve, it may look like you will always be broke and unemployed, and it may look like you will always be depressed and unhappy with your life. But if you put in the work and strive to make changes, your life can and will improve.

2. Learn self reliance

To be a complete man, you must be self reliant. This means that you take responsibility for everything in your life, and are operating out of a mindset that says “I am enough.” You have a higher purpose and are working to achieve it, you do not need anything other than yourself.

You could have everything you’ve worked to build stripped away and you will still be just as content as you are now. Any man who wants to achieve greatly learn to rely on himself and not other, he must learn to be content with who and what he is, but always be striving to improve.

Sean’s 10 Steps to Success

1. Decide to take the wheel

One of the biggest turning points in every man’s life is when he decides to take responsibility for everything in his life. Whatever you have or do not have is your fault. This does not mean you blame yourself for failures, you simply accept where you are and accept that it is within your power to change it.

2. Get a clear vision of who you want to be

“If you do not know where you are going, any road will get you there”~Lewis Carol

If you want to achieve anything big in life be it in your health, finances, relationships or personal growth, you must have a road map to get there, a clearly defined end goal. You must decide what you want before you can take the appropriate steps to achieve it.

3. Make yourself accountable

Having clearly defined, written goals with a deadline is one of the most powerful accelerators to your success, add some social pressure by posting your goals on Facebook or Twitter and you are golden.

4. Reverse engineer goals

After you have your ideal future, and clearly defined goals to get you there. You must reverse engineer. Look at the end result you want and figure out each step it will take to get there.

5. Create automation and habits

To make the achievement of your goals easier, create powerful habits in your life that will get you closer to your goal each day. Are you trying to write a book? Wake up an hour before you have to every morning and write 1,000 words. Trying to build a better body? Start implementing small healthy habits like drinking more water or walking in the morning. The more you can make your habits work for you, the quicker you will achieve your goals.

6. Self educate

Never allow disabling ignorance to prevent you from achieving a goal you have set. With public libraries and the internet there is no excuse for lack of knowledge.

7. Visualize daily

Once you have a clearly defined end goal or “ideal self” take ten minutes each morning and visualize yourself having already achieved the goal. This is a powerful way to train your brain to achieve success before you take the first step

8. Put in the work

None of the above steps will work without this, you cannot achieve anything without action, and not just any action, massive action. If you want success, you can no longer be content to simply visualize what you want. Turn off the xbox, get off your ass and start making it happen.

9 & 10. Bonuses:

Adding cold showers, meditation and daily exercise to your morning or evening routines will supercharge your mind and body for success. Also maintaining a long term mindset (3-5 years for big goals) will help keep you grounded and on track when times get hard.

Sep 12, 2018

Brian has always had an itch for adventure. He served in the U.S. Navy as an Air Rescue Swimmer, he has summited 6 of the 7 major peaks in the world including Mount Everest, which, after a solo ascent, he was forced to descend blind due to faulty goggles causing snow blindness. Brian wrote the book “Blind Descent” based off of the events and lessons learned from his time at Everest and is currently training to summit the last of the seven peaks

Favorite Success Quote

“Get busy living or get busy dying” – Shawshank Redemption

Key Points

1. Live as a Doer, Not a Sayer

Life is full of sayers. People who say they will lose weight, say they will start saving more than they spend or say they will start that business they have been talking about for years. But they never follow through. They are relegated to lives of menial existences, filled with mediocre intentions and non existent actions.

As men who want to be more than average, as men who want to create a life worth living, we must become doers. Don’t say you’re going to start a business, do it. Don’t say you’re going to start working out, do it. Let your actions speak so loud that you don’t need to say a damn thing.

2. Evaluate Every Situation

As men (especially younger men) we are often prone to haste, because quite frankly, waiting sucks. As guys, if we’re going to do something, we don’t want to wait, we don’t want to weigh different courses of action and examine the possible consequences. And this is when we get into trouble.

This is how businesses fail, how sexual mistakes are made, and how dreams are broken. We must learn to pause before taking action and evaluate. Ask ourselves what the consequences of our actions will be and determine the best possible way to proceed.

3. Don’t Over-think Things

Often just as easy as not thinking at all is over-thinking situations to the point of insanity. If we go out and get a cute girl’s number, we will sit for hours trying to think of the perfect line to text her, stewing over every single word instead of sending a simple “hey.” We often obsess over minutiae instead of focusing on the big picture.

As Einstein once said “Make things simpler, but not simpler than they need to be.” Don’t over-analyze, pause, take stock and execute.

4. Take Life One Step at a Time

As men who are driven and ambitious, it is easy to live in the future, focusing on steps that are light years away. We think about the color of the flowers we will have at our wedding, before we even say hello to the girl. We think about how we will invest our income from our next venture, before we even know what that venture will be.

We think about pretty much anything, except the thing right in front of us. Like Brian did while descending Everest blind, we need to slow down and take things one step at a time. Face each challenge as it presents itself and worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.

Sep 10, 2018

A few years ago, Joel Runyon got tired of having an average life, working at UPS and waiting for things to happen to me, so he decided to do something about it. He made a list of all the things he used to think were impossible and then I set out to do them. Now Joel works on his own terms and does his best to live a life of adventure and meaning while doing the impossible.

Favorite Success Quote

“It’s always impossible till its done” – Nelson Mandela

Key Points

1. You have to at least try

Chances are, you will fail (at least in the beginning) at everything you try. Despite what many gurus may tell you, success is never guaranteed. However, you will never know how far you can go, never know how much of a difference you can make, and never know what you could have accomplished without trying.

No matter what the venture, give it a shot, try it out. Don’t expect immediate success, or success at all, simply try. Once you take that first step, you may be surprised where the path takes you.

2. You can’t wait for things to happen to you

The world will never hand you success, or hand you opportunities. You must make them. Make a decision to take action and create your own path, as James Altucher says in his phenomenal book, “You must Choose Yourself.” No one else will. No one else has your best interest at heart, if you want anything, you must take responsibility and make it happen.

3. Be entrepreneurial in your career

With the online entrepreneur buzz that is so prevalent in modern society, it is often tempting to hand in your resignation and start building your own gig without first establishing a runway. A far wiser approach is to use your current career as a training ground for your future endeavors.

Seek to make the most impact and value in your current position rather than seeking to create a new one. And most importantly, learn all you can. Working in a corporate job can teach you how to effectively manage your time as you try to build your own gig on the side.

It can teach you how to effectively and maturely deal with all levels of jackassery that you will inevitably encounter within a 9-5. And it will teach you how to grind it out, how to keep going even when things are not going your way.

4. Start small

After listening to inspiring stories about tri-athletes and multimillionaire businessmen, it is often tempting to only look at the end result without contemplating the steps taken to achieve it. The key to seeing results in your own life it to create a snowball effect of “impossible” actions.

Want to lose 30 lbs. and get shredded? Focus on the first 5 lbs. Want to become a millionaire blogger? Focus on making your first $1,000. Start small and let the actions compound for bigger and bigger results. Take it one step at a time and before you know it, you will be miles from where you started.

5. Just keep going

The simplest, yet most challenging piece of advice. Just keep going. As Winston Churchill so famously put it “If you are going through hell, keep going.” Do not stop, even when everything is caving around you, do not give others the satisfaction of seeing you quit. Keep going no matter what.

Sep 5, 2018

David Waknine is a former professional boxer who reached the Golden Gloves tournament under the training of his mentor Eddie Tyler. After losing the Golden Gloves competition, David turned his back on boxing and set down a road of unhealthy lifestyle choices that resulted in obesity and depression.

In 2011, Eddie Tyler passed away after a battle with cancer, and the loss caused David to do some serious soul searching. David has decided to reenter the ring, and is now training and making a documentary of his journey back into boxing called “One More Round.”

Favorite Success Quote

“Say what you mean, and mean what you say.”

Key Points

1. Integrity Above All

It is often all too easy to become complacent with your word. More often than not, there is no malicious intent, we simply do not follow through with what we say. We say we will meet someone at 5, and show up at 5:15. We say we will lose 20 lbs. in the new year, but quit the gym after the first week.

We promise our family a vacation or weekend trip, but get caught up in work and go back on our promise. If you say you will do something, you do it, period. A man is only as good as his word, ensure that yours is impeccable.

2. Accept Your Demons

We all have demons. For some men it’s alcohol, for some it’s porn, and for others it’s a traumatic childhood event we never truly overcame. No matter who we are, we all have those deep dark struggles that we are scared to bring into the light for fear of what it would do.

Whatever your particular demons, we must be men enough to accept and defeat them. If we don’t, we are at the mercy of the things which we hate most in our lives. Face your fears and conquer them courageously.

3. You Will Face Dark Days on Any Journey, You Must Learn to Face Them with Pride

No one in history lived a life without trials. Everyone will face both internal and external struggles during our time on earth, and it is the character that we show during these struggles that will define us as men. In every challenging and dark day we face, we have a choice.

The choice to accept things as they are and face them no matter the cost, or the choice to cower in fear, and let circumstances dictate our lives. It is the choices you make during the darkest of times that you will be remembered for.

4. Take the First Step, the Rest Will Follow

As the old saying goes “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” In life, we all have dreams and desires that often seem out of reach. The career path we wish we could have, the relationships we want, the lifestyle of freedom.

Instead of taking action to achieve our goals, we allow our fear to paralyze us from making that first step, the hardest step. However, once we take the first step, the rest are easy.By taking the first step and following it with small consistent action, we begin to hardwire ourselves for success.

Once we talk to that first beautiful woman, the others are easy. Once we make our first dollar online, the next hundred comes naturally. Once we go on that first adventure, the others all fall into place. If we want to live lives of excellence, lives worth writing about, then we must take that first step no matter how scared we may be.

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