Ask Altucher

James credits at least some of his success to his guest's new company, .   Erik Torenberg a founding team-member at Product Hunt, co-founder of Rapt.fm, and associate at Queensbridge Venture Partners joins James today.   Product Hunt seems like such an easy idea and an overnight success on the surface... but really it was years in the making.   But since its launch, it has been on a true rocket-ship ride.   It all started with a relatively small e-mail list... and the brilliant strategy of allowing product makers to talk to product users.   They went through Y Combinator and then got funding from Andreessen Horowitz. That was all the street cred they needed to explode.   Listen here as Erik tells James what's next for Product Hunt.

Do you need a vacation? How about a place that has such a lingering bad reputation that it's the perfect place to get away to? Interested? Today, James and Claudia call our good friend and the original co-host of Ask Altucher, Aaron Brabham, to find out why he's now living there and what else he has been up to. I can't tell you where he is – you'll have to listen to find out. But once you hear his story, you'll know why he has no plans to come back stateside. And what's he doing there? He's living the life of an entrepreneur. To learn more about his new company, just . He's involved with a new and exciting health and fitness company and explains to James and Claudia why he got involved and what his plans are to grow it. Listen here as James and Claudia catch up with Aaron.

James spent an hour interviewing his wife and business partner, Claudia Azula Altucher. They went back to 1999, when Claudia first started to learn about yoga. She knew very little about it, but wanted a discipline that would be physical and get her into a "zone." They went all the way back to Claudia's early childhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was raised by a very loving mother, who unfortunately committed suicide when Claudia was only 17. You'll hear the pain in Claudia's voice as she talks about this tragic time in her life. Claudia eventually saved $2,000, just enough money to come to the United States. She had to leave Argentina. Life as an immigrant can be tough, yet Claudia never gave up. But she still hadn't found peace. She needed to make new choices and take control of her life. She found it in yoga. If you're interested in learning more about yoga, you have to listen to Claudia's podcast. You can listen on her website: . Follow her on and .

James gives his friend a call today to talk about a subject that scares the heck out of him — public speaking. James asks Mitch about his philosophy on public speaking. Mitch breaks down public speakers and presenting into three styles of music: The first is the "classical music approach," the second he calls the "jazz improve” approach," and the third he calls the "rock and roll approach." Mitch tells a great story about President Bill Clinton, the type of speaker he is, and also what his own personal speaking approach is. He helps James understand that he doesn't always have to create a brand new speech every time he presents. It's OK to re-use a lot of the same material. Don't keep the entire audience from hearing your best speech if only 20% may have heard it already.

James gives his good friend a call today to talk about the real value of doing a podcast. James asks Chris... Is podcasting worth the time and effort? Chris says "no... and yes." There's no real money in it, but the other benefits are worth every second you put into it. Podcasting helps you with all your other media by broadening your "umbrella." You can take your podcast and create a blog post or a newsletter article and you can tweet about it and post it on Facebook. Plus, as both James and Chris say, their biggest benefit is getting to talk to people they would never get a chance to without the podcast Listen to Chris and James talk about the real value of starting a podcast.

Brian Koppelman is back today to continue the fascinating discussion he and James started on his last visit. As Brian says, "Non-fiction books answer a series of questions, whereas fiction books raise a series of questions." On the last show, James made a promise to Brian that he would read more fiction. Brian holds him to it today. This is another amazing conversation between two extremely creative people who are constantly working hard to improve their crafts. Listen today and make sure you grab a pen to write down all the great books they talk about.

Today's question is a tough one, as one of our listeners writes in... "My girlfriend has decided to concentrate on her career and wants to take a break from our relationship. How can I support her while satisfying my own needs?" James and Claudia disagree a bit on their answers. Listen here and you can decide who you think is right.

Today's question... "I feel like the life I knew is falling apart before my eyes and my next steps are critical. I would deeply appreciate guidance and support. Here is what's happening. I'm a twenty-year-old college student starting an online business, and last week I flew to New York City behind my parents' backs for a business event (with my own money) and they found out and decided to withdraw all financial support. I called my mom to apologize and she exploded, telling me that starting a business was ruining my life and destroying my relationships. She said she would rather I take a semester off than work on a business while she is paying for my school tuition. So, I stayed up all night thinking and decided to take a semester off to pursue my business. Then I called her today to tell her and she exploded in the other direction, telling me that if I drop out of school I will be putting a dagger into her heart. She tried to make me promise I will stay in school It looks like at this point she will let me stay in school and work on my business, but now I genuinely think the best thing might be to take off a semester and work only on my business. I don't want to give in to a compromise that isn't in my best interests, but I also don't want to tear my family apart. How do I choose myself in this situation?" Listen to James as he gives his real life advice.

joins James and Claudia to talk about what it means to be a great salesman and John has decided to take it to a new level. Before you can sell you have to get in the door. So he introduces himself with a very special gift. Like the time he brought $7000 worth of Brooks Brothers clothes to a prospective clients hotel room and set it up to shock him. It worked even better than he had hoped. John says, if you’re going to send a gift than send it to their inner circle, their significant other, their adman and their family. These people are usually ignored and they’re often the most important people in your prospects lives. to listen to John’s stories and ideas for some great gifts to get you in the door. Think “radical generosity”

Of all the assets that you could possibly sell, I bet you've never thought of selling your future . . . but Jason is doing just that. Jason Zook (formerly JasonSurfrapp, Jason Headsetsdotcom and Jason Sadler) is a crazy-at-heart salesman . . . beneath that, he's an impressive content creator with a long track record of success. He's not a painter or a musician, but no one would ever say he's not an artist. Is he on to something new here? Listen as James does his due diligence and decides whether to buy in or not. I doubt you'll ever hear another show like this one again.

is the master at networking. Derek says, "Going to networking events is a waste of time." You can go to networking events two or three times a week and never realize how much time you're wasting. Traditional networking isn't working anymore. He still goes to larger networking events, but only if there are multiple ways he can win . . . you need to be very selective. Derek wrote the book on networking, , and he gives James a recap of some of his best ideas. Listen to James and Derek talk about networking 2.0. 

Everyone at some point in their career hates their job. For some people it's just temporary, but for others, it gets so bad that they quit. If you decide to quit, everything suddenly changes. The stability of your old job is gone. Now you're on your own, and it's scary. Give yourself permission to be burned out.   Listen to James and Claudia work through how to get through this.

Do you know what the secret mistake that most first time entrepreneurs make? If you’re an entrepreneur than its so to know it. If you don’t you could already be out of business and not even know it.   Listen to James and hear his secret.

Most books are "business card" books. A "business card" book is a book that helps the author establish credentials. It works as a business card. But today, James wants to talk about "braingasm" books. Your brain has an orgasm while you're reading these books – they're that good. James recently wrote a post about books like these, called "," and today he's going to review a few of them.   Listen to James' list and hear why he thinks they deserve to be on it.

  James says, no.

Just don't do it. In honor of , Claudia and James felt it was very important to record this podcast. Claudia, being a victim of living through her mother's suicide when she was just a teenager, is passionate about preventing it.   Listen to this extremely important podcast.

This question came in from the Facebook group: "I've been passed over for my next promotion. I feel like 'the poor employee' instead of "the 'rich employee.'" James says being "The Rich Employee" is a mindset, and this person is already acting as a rich employee. He has realized there's a problem and he's taking steps to fix it, but right now he's hurting. He asks himself, "Why should I accomplish anything?" Listen to James' answer in today's show. Regards, David Newman   P.S. is now also in paperback.

Get ready – this one is going to be very controversial. You went to college. You took out huge student loans to get your degree. You can barely make ends meet, and your monthly student loan bills are now due. What can you do? Ask for help. Listen to today's show here Regards, David Newman   P.S. is now also in paperback.

Should you "fire" a really terrible customer? Well, that depends... If that customer happens to be 99% of your business, you have a big problem. But today, James addresses what to do with those customers who won't break your business. You could delegate that customer to another employee. Sometimes that works. You could have a real, honest conversation with that customer, asking them their advice on how you could serve them better. "Help me help you..."   P.S. is now also in paperback.

Do you want to be a professional speaker? Does having to get up on stage in front of a group of people scare the heck out of you? Today James and Claudia invite to join them to give us a couple of quick tips to help you if you want to become a public speaker. Brian says you have to get really clear on one topic. Then create a clean one-page that lists bullets points on what you'll talk about, and add in testimonials as soon as you have them. This is a long interview and Brian doesn't hold back. He's willing to answer every question they ask him. James calls this interview "The bible of public speaking." Regards, David Newman   P.S. is now out in paperback

Why did James self-publish his new book, ? He wanted total control over the marketing. The old way of the legacy book publishers is to get the author to march around the country doing book signings at the few book stores that still exist. This just doesn't work anymore. Instead, writers should do the "podcast tour". You'll get in front of millions of potential buyers without ever leaving your house. Remember, you should always choose yourself. Regards, David Newman   P.S. is out in paperback as of today

Why did James feel that he had to write his new book, ? He wanted to set the record straight. For the average employee, income is going down while inflation goes up. Industry, knowledge, and management are all being outsourced cheaply to other countries or to technology. Many people mistakenly think that the only solution is entrepreneurship – that "entrepreneurship is the pathway to riches." This is not true. Being an entrepreneur does have great upside but it also has a well-known failure rate of 85%. There is no way to predict your way out of that 85%. The solution is to become a rich employee, and now, anyone can do it. This century, companies will only succeed if they encourage their employees to develop the "Rich Employee" mindset.   In today's podcast, James talks about , saying that to succeed and thrive no matter where you are, no matter who your boss is, and no matter what your situation is, you should "choose yourself."

was gracious enough to allow us to repost an interview he did today with James to talk about, everything…including the release of James brand new book; that hit the Amazon bookstore today. They jumped onto a platform new to many of us, and did an hour long interview. A lot of people jumped in to ask questions including Joel Comm, Michael Stelzner, Mitch Jackson and so many others. We hope you enjoy this as we play with the best way to deliver you our content. Thanks again Chris and please check out Best,   David Newman

This weekend Dr. Wayne Dyer passed away. James wants to recognize the influence Wayne Dyer has had on his life. We're very sad about his passing. Here is one of the last interviews Wayne Dyer has done and it is with James...  During that interview James asked Dr. Dyer what he saw as the arc of his career. "What has your message been and how have you seen it evolve?" Without hesitating, Dr. Dyer responded... "Well, it's really been always about self-reliance, in one form or another. I've often said that I really feel that I had a conversation with God just before I showed up here on this planet in 1940 and I was asked, 'What would you like to do on this trip?' And I said, 'Well, I think I'd like to teach self-reliance.' And God said, 'You want to do that for an entire lifetime? Just teach self-reliance?' "I said, 'Yes, that would be a great lifetime.' And he said, 'Well, then, we'd better get your little ass into an orphanage and we'd better let you have all of these different experiences, so that once people start to question that, you will never be dissuaded because you'll have the experience of it.' So everything in my life has been directed towards teaching people how to have self-reliance. It has shifted from psychology and an emphasis on psychological principles, to spiritual principles, and that's something that I really had nothing to do with personally; that was just the direction that I was destined to go." They concluded their conversation with the following exchange... Dr. Wayne Dyer:Think about your body, the body that you're in. You're in a male body, I'm in a male body. And I'm in a body that's about 6'2", it has blue eyes, it has no hair on its head, it has certain characteristics and so on, and inessence, that's why, for this incarnation, I'm doomed. I'm doomed to live – I'm not gonna be in a female, 4'10" body. I'm not gonna be in any other – this is the body that I get, okay? Now, what kind of choices do I have to make within that context? Well, I can decide how healthy it's gonna be. I can decide whether I'm gonna exercise it or not. I can decide actually how long it's gonna live. There's many, many choices that I make about this body within the context of being doomed to live in this body and not any other body. Now, if you take this metaphor and you extend it to not just the physical body but to the rest of your life and all that you are, you are, in essence – you are given a dharma. You showed up here with a purpose. You showed up here with an energy that propels – and there's something that excites you, and it's like whether you want to be a falconer or whether you want to be a musician or whether you want to be a writer or whether you want to raise horses in Montana. Whatever it might be, there's something that excites you. Now, you have been doomed; in other words, this is your dharma. This is what you're here for. But you're making choices. And the choices that you make all along, all the course corrections that you make, involve, "Am I willing? Am I willing to do whatever it takes to make this come true?" I've always been willing. "Are you determined?" That is, are you gonna not let anything interfere with it? Yes. You have to have that determination. "Am I fearless?" In other words, am I gonna get the fear out of me and come from a place of love, from divine love? "Am I using compassion?" Compassion for myself and compassion for others, and ultimately, "Do I reach that state? " The highest rung on the ladder, if you will, when Rumi said, "When you are born, a ladder is placed before you to help you to escape from this world.' And so to understand that you're in this world but you're not of this world, and when you reach the top of the ladder, the top rung on that ladder of divine love, you realize that, yes, you are doomed. You have been. You're to be a writer, you're to do all these things, but you also make choices and course corrections along the way, just like the choice you make about how your body is going to be. When you understand that, when you understand that you showed up here for a reason and a purpose and, "Now I'm gonna be willing, I'm gonna be fearless, I'm gonna be determined, I'm gonna be passionate," then you can live your life without regrets. I just read a book called The Five Regrets of the Dying, by a woman in Australia who is a hospice nurse, and she interviewed people every day who were dying, and asked them what were their regrets.  She wrote a book about it, and the number one regret of people who were under her hospice care, the number one regret of the people dying was, "I wish I'd had the courage to live my life the way I knew I should, rather than listening to other people tell me what to do." That's the essence of it all. James Altucher:   That's really important, because as you said, you're doomed to make your choices, but if you don't make your choices, you're even more doomed. Dr. Wayne Dyer:   Absolutely, absolutely. James Altucher:   'Cause someone else is making the choices for you. And on that note, Wayne, I really appreciate you spending the time and on this interview. I really want recommend I Can See Clearly Now. It's a great book, it's inspirational. I also recommend all of the books that you referenced in the book and in this interview, because I think they're all transformational books, and again, once again, thank you for coming on this show and being interviewed. Dr. Wayne Dyer:   It's my pleasure. God bless you. Good luck to you, my friend. James Altucher:   Thanks, Wayne.   Dr. Wayne Dyer:   Namaste.

A few months ago Frank Curzio interviewed James on his Top 10 iTunes podcast . We thought a lot of our new listeners might have never heard this interview and so I decided to publish it today. I really think you’ll enjoy this interview Regards, David Newman P.S. James is hard at work on his next new project. Stay tuned right here as we’ll be announcing it first on this podcast.

Most small businesses fail. In fact, about 85% of them do. Is it the business, or is it the people behind the business that fail?   Listen here today as James talks about how not to fail as a small startup business.

Why do anything if you're going to die anyway? It's an evolutionary thing. Our brains have been setup to reward us for those things that trigger well-being. When the chemical dopamine is triggered in your brain,  it makes you feel great.   Listen here today and go do something.

China is having problems... The Fed may raise interest rates next month. And the market is down about 10%. But this is not 2009. The world is not falling apart. Today James gives you some companies you may want to think about.   Listen here today and I hope you profit from it.

Before you start your podcast, should you have a specific niche in mind? James says no – you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. If it works, great. If not, then you can close it down and start another. Just do it for fun. Listen here today. I hope you enjoy it. Regards, David Newman   P.S. For a very limited time, .  All I ask is that you cover the shipping costs (just $5).

I've been saving this recording for the day when James' schedule became so crazy he just couldn't record your daily dose of Ask Altucher. Today is that day... This is a presentation that James gave recently at the NJ Tech Meetup. WARNING: This recording does have a bit of explicit language, so listen at your own risk. Listen here today and I hope you enjoy it. Regards,   David Newman

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

Do you fear the nothingness of death? That last thought, that last breath... James doesn't. Pain scares him, but not death. Listen here today as he and Claudia discuss the unknown. Regards, David Newman   P.S. This Thursday, August 20th, James will be the featured guest on Product Hunt LIVE, a place to chat with the world's most interesting authors, artists, founders, investors, game creators, entertainers, and makers. For more information .

What if the consequences of saying "no" are so strong, you feel like you just have to agree? James gives an example: Your boss demands that you change your plans at the last second and spend the weekend traveling for business, instead of doing what you had planned. Can you say "no" to him? Sure, but you'll probably lose your job, and that may not be an option. "No's" do have consequences. So what else can you do? Be prepared... Listen here today as James gives us a few hacks so this doesn't happen to you again and again. Hint... Choose yourself. Regards, David Newman P.S. For a very limited time, I want to send you a brand-new, hardback copy of my new book for All I ask is that you cover the shipping costs (just $5).   P.P.S. This Thursday, August 20th James will be the featured guest on Product Hunt LIVE a place to chat with the world's most interesting authors, artists, founders, investors, game creators, entertainers, and makers. For more information .

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

What's an effective way to deal with complainers? James says help the complainer focus on other things, and if they're a chronic complainer, then just remove yourself from the conversation. You'll notice the complaints will slow down. Why doesn't James have any external advertising on his blog or podcasts? James gives his honest answer and breaks some new news. How does James pick a book subject that he knows there is a demand for? He doesn't. Listen here today as James explains. Regards, David Newman   P.S. For a very limited time, I want to send you a brand-new, hardback copy of my new book for All I ask is that you cover the shipping costs (just $5).

Are you writing a thousand words a day, every day? You better be if you want to write a great book. Are you doing great research? Have you immersed yourself in the story? Are you writing everything down? James says you should start off with a moment of fear. Ask yourself, what are the 10 questions everyone is going to have? Good luck, and if you want James' guide to self-publishing, . Regards,   David Newman

We’re not talking about having enough money to take care of your human needs; we’re talking about getting rich. Today’s question comes from a twenty-year-old who says that’s all he can think about. The key to getting rich is to ask, who did I help today? Regards,   David Newman

James delves into the mind of his 13-year-old daughter Mollie today. We start off with James asking Mollie about her favorite music, movies, and TV shows. They then talk about school. James has made Mollie an offer: She will never have to go to school again, if she'll just read one book a week and talk about it with him. She says... No thanks. to hear Mollie's answers. Regards,   David Newman

Claudia "The Snake Killer" has today's question, which is, how does James retain the information from all the books he reads? James usually reads about five books at the same time, making it through 20% of each book daily. If something interests him, he'll highlight it and write it down. And then he'll try to teach it to someone else. Listen here to hear James on the "mind palace" technique to memory recall. Regards, David Newman P.S. We're looking for a few great affiliates to help us get James' message out. The idea is simple. You sign up with us to become an official, sanctioned distributor of Choose Yourself Media products. You begin promoting them immediately. You use sales copy and other advertising materials that we've tested ourselves – materials that have already been proven to work (banner ads, text ads, e-mails, newsletter ads – you name it!), and you offer your members the bonuses and privileges that we offer.   For more information on becoming an affiliate, .

I hate my boss. He's a real tyrant, but I can't quit because I need the money. James says, in order to become the rich employee, you need to tie your success to the success of the company. Encourage the people around you, as hard as that may seem. It will make you feel better. And, as intimidating as it may seem to leave your job, you need to start to take action. Start working today on finding another job. You could take courses online and learn new skills. Invest in yourself, starting today. Listen here to hear James' ideas on becoming the rich employee. Regards, David Newman P.S. We're looking for a few great affiliates to help us get James' message out. The idea is simple. You sign up with us to become an official, sanctioned distributor of Choose Yourself Media products. You begin promoting them immediately. You use sales copy and other advertising materials that we've tested ourselves – materials that have already been proven to work (banner ads, text ads, e-mails, newsletter ads – you name it!), and you offer your members the bonuses and privileges that we offer.   For more information on becoming an affiliate, .

What's the best way to get your dream job? A listener wrote in to say that he has been sending his "out-of-the-box ideas" to his company, but he hasn't heard back. Suddenly, the company has posted a job opening for something similar that he can do. He's wondering if he should just go through the normal routine and apply for the opening through the normal channels, or if he should get very creative, like Claudia did when she "applied" for the CEO position at Twitter. James says he should do both. Listen here to hear James give the listener the tips and tricks to getting his dream job. Regards, David Newman P.S. We're looking for a few great affiliates to help us get James' message out. The idea is simple. You sign up with us to become an official, sanctioned distributor of Choose Yourself Media products. You begin promoting them immediately. You use sales copy and other advertising materials that we've tested ourselves – materials that have already been proven to work (banner ads, text ads, e-mails, newsletter ads – you name it!), and you offer your members the bonuses and privileges that we offer.   For more information on becoming an affiliate,

Today, James, Claudia, Mollie, and Josie are podcasters in cars going to Whole Foods. Often, the biggest gatekeeper you'll run up against is in your own mind. You believe you have to use gatekeepers to become successful. What if you want to be a star in Hollywood? Do you need an agent (i.e., a gatekeeper)? The short answer is: no. Listen here to hear James and Claudia offer proof that you can do this yourself. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?   A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time,

Good television tells great stories... In fact, James believes television is the best art form out there right now. It's better than the best movies and even better than most books. But they both do love to watch funny movies Here's a list of the 11 funniest movies ever, according to James and Claudia:  1. Superbab  2. This Is the End  3. The Hangover (James), Liar Liar (Claudia)  4. Groundhog Day (James), Trainwreck (Claudia)  5. Ben Stiller movies – Meet the Fockers, There's Something About Mary, Zoolander  6. Funny People (James) (Claudia isn’t crazy about this one)  7. Top Five   8. We're the Millers   9. The Wedding Ringer  10.The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up  11. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Listen here to hear James and Claudia talk about these and a few more of their favorites. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?   A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time,

First, what is good character?  A person who takes responsibility has good character. to hear James and Claudia talk about whether society is dying because of a lack of character. Be impeccable in your word… Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?   A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time,

When is enough enough? Whenever money is your main goal, it will always disappoint you. At the end of the day, it's more important to ask yourself: "Who did I help today?" Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?   A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time,

James answers a few questions in rapid-fire fashion. The first question is whether you should edit as you write. James says never. Your first draft is always terrible. Just race to the end. Write it, write it, and write it... Race to the end, and then sculpt it when you're finished. A listener writes in to ask James if he, as an author, should start using Quora. Another wants to know how to avoid taking criticism personally. Plus, someone wants to know more about why James doesn't read or listen to the news. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?   A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time,

James and Claudia celebrate five years of marriage on today's show. They talk about what marriage is really all about. It's not about your sex life, the money, or almost anything else... It's about becoming friends and handling problems. If there is love underneath... any problem can be solved. Because you will have problems... And to read James blog post on , click the link. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?   A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time,

James recently hired someone to completely rewrite Fifty Shades of Grey using a thesaurus to change every word. Unfortunately, he found out there are laws against this, so of course, he never published it James' guest, , joins him today to talk about a friend of a friend of his who claims he makes about $15,000 a month through the Amazon Kindle store selling books he "writes." He finds other people's books about dating and social relationships, reads the comments to see what people like and don't like, and then he creates an outline. He sends this outline to a ghostwriter in the Philippines and, for about $250, he gets back a 30-page document that he then edits to create a book. He publishes about four books a month to the Amazon Kindle store. He's learned all the tricks on the Amazon platform that help him "work the system," increasing his rankings and selling more books. Designing an eye-catching cover and writing great copy on the description page are the most important things you can do to boost your sales. For him, the content is secondary. So John and his team decided to see if they could replicate his system. They decided to see if they could get a #1-ranked book on Amazon within a week. They took a romance novel they thought was in the public domain, changed names, re-worked it, and put it out there. It didn't work out the way they thought it might. Listen here to hear the story behind John's experiment. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?   A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more.

Love can be tough – especially when it's unrequited or unreturned. We've all been there... Are you sure that what you're feeling is love? If you truly care about someone, then you want the best for them. The best for them may not be the best for you. Love is not a gift that has to be returned. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?   A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time,

In school, in order to get an "A" you have to get 90% of the questions right. But in business, if you make just 50% of your decisions correctly, you're an "A+" leader. Do most of you really need to learn trigonometry, algebra or geometry? Why to they keep teaching this to everyone? Real life business is about strategy, persuasion, and writing. Writing is a critical skill to learn, but most schools never spend enough time focusing on it. Instead, students read Shakespeare and Homer and write reports on historical subjects. Listen to today's episode and let us know the last time you "square rooted" something. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?   A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time,

What is doubt? James says doubts are all in your head. "If I X, then the result of Y may not be great" – that's a doubt. Don't let doubt control you. Instead, use it as a tool. Action is the only thing that will make you successful. Living in your head will never get you anywhere. Listen to today's episode and don't doubt your decision. Regards, David Newman   PS – James was on Farnoosh Torabi's podcast yesterday. It was a great interview and we thought you might want .