Build Your Utopia

We are very excited to bring you part 2 of our conversation with Chris Plough, Entrepreneur, Storyteller, and Adventurer. We jump right back into the conversation with Ben asking Chris Plough to help explain how to find your True North.  Chris has a very specific way that he works through his ideas to help keep him on the path and he shares that with us. Besides jumping into a Wraith and driving around Europe, Chris Plough takes us through the methods he uses to make time for himself and gives his mind a place to work and bubble up ideas. We then get on another tangent by Josh and Chris Plough encouraging Ben to share his own motorcycle story.  Ben shares the story of his bike wreck which includes totaling the bike, road rash, and an overpass.  While Josh and Chris enjoyed the story, it wasn't the one Josh wanted to hear and prompts Ben again for the story of a mustang, the center stripe on a two lane highway, two semi-trucks, and 130 miles per hour. We bring things back to business with Chris Plough sharing how he makes time in his day for both business and time for himself.  Chris's method is key to making his day feel like a win and the things he gets done feeling like icing on the cake. Finally, Chris Plough drops his Value Bombs on us: You have to be vulnerable at least with yourself Your network is your net worth Question everything Links for the show: ChrisPlough.com Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very excited to bring you part 1 of our conversation with Chris Plough, Entrepreneur, Storyteller, and Adventurer. Chris Plough starts of the show by sharing some of his 'reset' adventures including driving an ambulance across Europe, riding a motorcycle and side car in the arctic, and racing a Rolls Royce Wraith in Europe. Next, Chris Plough takes some time to walk us through his history. He has worked for small startups, for large companies (that acquired the small startup), started his own business, purchased ambulances (yes, more than one), the loss of his parents and how he handled that, his vision of Utopia and if he is there. Links for the show: ChrisPlough.com Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are excited to bring you part 2 of our conversation with Ryan Deiss, CEO of Digital Marketer, co-founder of Idea Incubator LP, speaker, loving husband, and father of four. We jump right back into the show by learning how to ask your audience what they want and you do that by offering them a product.  Offers are great because you can drive the conversation with your offers and if your audience like it, they will vote for it with their pocketbook. Ryan Deiss shares a couple stories about oscillating between making money and being broke.  Google made a change to their algorhythms and his business stopped.  He got better by running up $250,000 in credit card debt.  He fixed that only to find out he owed a ton in back taxes to the government.  His experience is a great lesson we should all learn and keep in mind. Ryan Deiss drops some value bombs on us! Chaos is okay Life is not about checking a bunch of stuff off a list Remember that you don't actually matter Links for the show: Digital Marketer 1,000 True Fans Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very very pleased to bring you part 1 of our conversation with Ryan Deiss, CEO of Digital Marketer, co-founder of Idea Incubator LP, speaker, loving husband, and father of four. We start the show by learning that while Ryan Deiss is a famous and sought after speaker, that was not his goal.  He is protective of his personal life and has learned to keep his business self and personal self separate.  He sometimes feels conflict about this as he knows the value of social media and presenting himself publicly for his professional endeavors. Ryan Deiss has given this a ton of thought (even wishing at times he had gone in under a pseudonym) and shares some of his thoughts on keeping his professional self separate from his personal self.  He even shares a story about a weirdo who found his home phone number and called his wife! After a bit of time down tangent road, we come back around and hear Ryan Deiss's thoughts on Utopia.  His vision is the ability to choose.  He has tried living the leisurely life, and after a week or two he's going crazy and needs to get back to work.  The true heart of it is being able to choose to work now, or read quietly, or attend a tennis match of his child, or meet a client. Links for the show: Digital Marketer 1,000 True Fans Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

It's the last Friday of the month and that means it is time to talk about what we've learned from our stellar guests this month! Thank you to Josh Turner, Cheryl Liew Chng, Allyn & Greg Reid, and Omar Zenhom. Ben & Josh joke about Josh Turner starting a business with his friend Ben and how that parallels so closely with this show. Then they jump right into Josh Turner's value bombs and talk about their favorite (surprisingly, our hosts agree with each other). Next Josh & Ben recall how awesome Cheryl Liew Chng is because of her impact on the folks around her while being able to have time for herself and her family. Our hosts then discuss their favorite value bombs. Then Ben & Josh talk about Allyn & Greg Reid. Josh shares how he met Greg and both Josh & Ben talk about how the conversation with Allyn & Greg impacted their lives.  It was also great having the pair on together as a couple, and this leads Ben & Josh down memory lane and the couples who have been on the show in the past. Finally Josh & Ben talk about their impressions with Omar Zenhom, Ben explains how he likes talking to people he doesn't know and Josh shares his obstacle course and training simulator experience with Omar Zenhom. Before we close out the show, remember to get our list of Top 10 Value Bombs from our guests over the last 100 episodes! As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are stoked to bring you part 2 of our fun conversation with Omar Zenhom, Educator and Entrepreneur. Our conversation so far meanders and we finally get to hear Omar Zenhom's definition of Utopia.  Omar feels it is important to do what you feel like doing. Next, we learn what helps keep Omar Zenhom balanced.  He works out because he feels it is important to keep your body in a good place because it impacts your mental attitude.  We also learn that Omar spends time watching movies with Nicole (his significant other, who went to film school).  It's also critical to take time off, some of his best ideas came out when he was on vacation. We close out the conversation with Omar Zenhom with his 3 Value Bombs: Know the fundamentals and then rehearse (in business, life, and even dance) Completely focus on one task at a time Whatever you choose to do in life, want it bad Follow Omar Zenhom: The $100 MBA Webinar Ninja OMar Zenhom on Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are excited to bring you part 1 of our interview with Omar Zenhom, Educator and an Entrepreneur. Omar Zenhom starts off by giving us some background on where he came from professionally.  Omar used to teach English as a second language to folks coming in and learning so they could attend other classes.  Omar also gives us a glimpse into his professional career including working out of an Air BnB for a few months just to decide if the city was a good fit. Next Omar Zenhom talks with us about having a "plan B" versus going 100% in and really believe in what you are trying.  Omar believes this can make a huge impact on your mental attitude and your commitment to an idea.  It isn't worth the effort to put in part time work, you have to dive all the way in.  This talk leads into a corner of how Omar thinks and acts. Omar Zenhom also explains to us the importance of having those closest to you support you in your endeavors.  Those folks need to be on board and know you are doing what you are passionate about and it will take some sacrifice.  They need to prop you up in the tough times and celebrate the wins with you. Follow Omar Zenhom: The $100 MBA Webinar Ninja OMar Zenhom on Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

Hello Utopians!  Josh and Ben are super stoked to bring you this extra episode, Episode 100!  Thank you so much for coming on this journey with us, we wouldn't be here if not for the support of all you listening out there and our fantastic guests for sharing their stories and experiences with us. Josh and Ben talk about how Build Your Utopia has impacted us over the last year. Next Josh and Ben reflect on how Build Your Utopia Guests have inspired, motivated, and challenged us. Then Josh and Ben talk about work-life balance today compared to a year ago. Following that, Josh and Ben cover where they are personally & professionally now versus last year. Guest Clip compilation Free Gift! As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music for the last 100 shows!

We are very excited to bring you the second half of our conversation with Allyn & Greg Reid, authors, producers, entrepreneurs and chasers of freedom. We jump right back with another huge message from Greg, change your plan to a strategy.  Strategies are adjustable and flexible.  Greg makes another point that you have to adapt and illustrates this point with a fun story about a monkey and a nut. Next, Allyn and Ben talk about the advantages and drawbacks of having a set schedule.  As we know, Ben is very process driven and uses the "blocked time" mentality to get work done.  Allyn believes that being so regimented doesn't leave you open to unexpected events and opportunities. Finally, Allyn & Greg leave us with a huge value bomb each: Allyn -- Ask Questions, especially "How", how is the language of creation Greg --  We are a reflection of our associations Follow Allyn & Greg Reid here: The Secret Knock Sherpa Press Allyn Reid on Twitter Greg Reid on Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very excited to bring you part 1 of our conversation with Allyn & Greg Reid, authors, producers, entrepreneurs and chasers of freedom. Not counting the slight derailment by Ben, we jump right into the definition of Utopia.  Allyn gives us a great view of of her Utopia and it is something we've never heard before. Allyn & Greg really live an idea we've heard before on this show.  When Allyn & Greg decide to do something, they don't ask a friend, they find an expert in the area and ask them.  There is no reason to re-invent the wheel, find someone making a great wheel and learn from them. Next, Allyn and Greg give us some great advice for being a couple devoted to eachother as well as business partners.  They get out of each other's way.  There is Allyn time, Greg time, and Allyn & Greg time. Most people want to be "normal" and Allyn & Greg are happy by chucking that word out the window. Follow Allyn & Greg Reid here: The Secret Knock Sherpa Press Allyn Reid on Twitter Greg Reid on Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very pleased to bring you part 2 of our engaging conversation with Cheryl Liew Chng, Entrepreneur, Coach, Author, and the 24-Hour Woman. Cheryl Liew Chng keeps the value high by sharing when she would outsource different tasks.  Cheryl says the best time to outsource work to other people is as soon as possible!  It is also a good idea to look at they type of work and if it is not your forte, then hire someone else to do it.  One of the key things to keep in mind when hiring people is not only 'are they a high performer' but also 'do we get along with eachother'. We next change things up with Cheryl Liew Chng by figuring out what her outlets are.  Cheryl loves to bake (but not so much the washing up!).  She also loves to create floral arrangements.  She finds these types of activities that permit her to create very energizing.  Thankfully her family also knows that if she doesn't get this time, she becomes grouchy.  And no one in her family is upset when she cooks and bakes. Finally, Cheryl Liew Chng drops her Value Bombs on us: We all have 24 hours, invest in what matters most If you have a burning desire, take the first step You are valuable as a person, so live a life that is most excellent Get the book The 24-Hour Woman Follow what Cheryl Liew Chng has to say right here: My Life Workz and The 24-Hour Woman YouTube Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very pleased to bring you part 1 of our engaging conversation with Cheryl Liew Chng, Entrepreneur, Coach, Author, and the 24-Hour Woman. Cheryl Liew Chng doesn't waste any time and jumps right in with her view of Utopia.  Cheryl wants us to live our lives as a living legacy and also thriving in the different facets of our lives.  She also gives us some tips on how to thrive!  When you go to a bookstore and what section of books do you find yourself in?  What do your friends and family say are the times you are really engaged and happy?  When you look back at your life, what projects or times were you most happy?  Those three can really help you triangulate the areas where you thrive. Next, Cheryl Liew Chng shares her vision for the future of continuing to grow the 24-Hour Woman movement by touching and improving the lives of more and more woman.  Cheryl also wants to have the time to travel with her family.  Through all of this she finds herself as a role model and has to remind herself that people look up to her.  It's a great position to find yourself in and one she takes very seriously. Cheryl Liew Chng recalls a turning point in her life that really got her thinking about her life and her future.  Cheryl worked with a good friend and mentor who asked her if she wanted to work in the healthcare field her entire life.  That really got her thinking about why she worked so hard and was so good at and committed to her job. Get the book The 24-Hour Woman Follow what Cheryl Liew Chng has to say right here: My Life Workz and The 24-Hour Woman YouTube Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very pleased to bring you part 2 of this week's conversation with Josh Turner, entrepreneur, author, and fan of Sour Patch Kids! Josh Turner continues to get right into it by sharing how he makes time for all his interests during the day.  He just does it.  Josh elaborates by saying that he makes the time for himself, he has to or he gets into a negative mental state (like wondering why he is the only one in the office working late or being lethargic).  He makes it a point to jog in the morning, it helps him start the day upbeat and energized. Josh Turner doesn't really struggle to make time for his outlets because he has built his business up to make sure he has the time for himself.  That doesn't mean he won't hop on the computer for an hour or two on the weekends, but he doesn't spend all day working.  It isn't worth it for him. Ben recalls that Josh Turner mentioned in part 1 that he used to work 60 hours a week and wonders what changed from then to now.  Josh says he used to think it was a badge of honor to put in that many hours.  As he's grown, he's realized that he no longer wants to brag about that.  He'd rather brag about the opportunities for adventures that having a successful business offers. Josh (our Josh) then leads us down a small tangent based on what Josh Turner said about having a strong number 2.  Josh said he's seen successful business with overworked and stressed owners because they are wearing too many hats.  He advocates finding a strong person who is dedicated and really bought into the business.  Josh also shares how to make the compensation plan work for someone especially when a business is new and growing. Josh Turner closes out the show with these Value Bombs: It's okay to dabble to find the one thing you want, but it's better to have one thing than many Don't be afraid to invest in marketing and sales You can never have enough cash in the bank Books from this conversation: Connect by Josh Turner Money, Master the Game by Tony Robbins Follow Josh Turner here: LinkedSelling Linked University Twitter Visit this site to get his book, Connect As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very pleased to bring you part 1 of this week's conversation with Josh Turner, entrepreneur, author, and fan of Sour Patch Kids! We get right into it with Josh Turner and learn his definition of Utopia is to do whatever makes you happy; enjoy what you're doing and look forward every day to do what you're doing.  It could be running your own business, it could be working at a food bank, anything really that gets you pumped up.  He dives in a bit further and calls out a number of things that he really enjoys doing (but none that he'd want to do 24/7). Next, Josh Turner shares his journey of working for himself and how he got there.  He's been his own boss since 2010 (LinkedSelling started in 2011).  He was working for a construction firm that closed up and went out of business when the market crashed and that motivated Josh to take his part time entrepreneur ventures full time.  It could have been a rough situation as he didn't really have a pile of savings to ride on, he only had credit cards.  This let to a side conversation about how credit cards are very dangerous but can also be a great benefit to a company. Books from this conversation: Connect by Josh Turner Money, Master the Game by Tony Robbins Follow Josh Turner here: LinkedSelling Linked University Twitter Visit this site to get his book, Connect As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

Happy Friday!  It is the last Friday of the month and that means it is time for just Josh and Ben to talk about what has happened this month and review the great guests than graced us with their presence on the show. We start off the show discussing networking at conferences.  What does it mean for Josh to put his game face on when he attends these events.  What does he get out of it and how does it help him professionally and personally?  This also leads into a discussion on why we started the show.  Learning from those who are out there doing the things they do while still making time for themselves. Next Josh tells a story of revenge!  Revenge in a pure form of being the best that he can be.  Josh went to Pei Wei after recording an interview and ran into an old friend that he lost after a breakup.  We're sure that after a couple breaks up, friends sometimes choose one person or the other to maintain the friendship.  This friendship was one of those where Josh was on the losing side.  It was very satisfying to talk with this lost friend and tell him how well Josh was doing and how satisfied Josh is with his life. Getting themselves back on track, Josh and Ben talk about Kavit Haria.  Ben really wanted to talk music with Kavit, after all he's played with some stellar musicians!  Staying on theme for the show, Ben really tried to keep on work/life balance.  The music conversation then moved to a previous guest, Graham English, who also came from a music background.  Finally, Josh & Ben talk about their favorite Value Bombs from Kavit. Next Josh & Ben talk about Ed O'keefe and their favorite Value Bomb from him.  In a rare turn of events, Josh and Ben both agree on their favorite Value Bomb.  This leads us down a conversation about what spirituality means and of Ed's views on how to take care of yourself, what does spirituality actually mean?  Josh also shares a valuable part of himself, he is not very woo woo. After that, Josh & Ben cover what they learned from Austin Iuliano and what we learned from him.  Ben reflects a bit about Austin revealed that while he was speaking with us, he was also Meerkating the show.  At first Ben was very concerned about the world listening to a very unpolished, raw show and on the heals of that, how awesome that Austin's fans were listening live and enjoying the conversation!  Would you Utopians out there enjoy listening to the shows live as they are recorded?  Should we try and make that happen?  After much speculation, Josh & Ben speak about their favorite Value Bombs from Austin. Finally, Josh & Ben review our guest from this week, Alisa DiLorenzo.  For Ben, it was like catching up with an old friend while speaking with Alisa.  That speaks highly of how easy she is to speak with. Josh & Ben then get to their favorite Value Bombs from Alisa (again, not agreeing). Before closing out the show, Josh & Ben tease about the upcoming 100th show As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very happy to bring you part 2 of our conversation with Alisa DiLorenzo, author, coach, podcast host, wife, and mother of two. During this half of the conversation with Alisa DiLorenzo, we get really into some of the ramifications of divorce and how the decision to end a relationship can ripple out and have an impact on multiple people for many years down the road.  We live in a very disposable world, and it is a shame that people sometimes view their marriage as disposable as razors or paper coffee cups. Josh drops a huge question on Alisa DiLorenzo, "What advice would you give someone who is working on building their business while maintaining a healthy relationship with their significant other."  Alisa doesn't miss a beat and has a great answer, SEX Schedule time together - you schedule time with your clients, schedule time with your spouse and keep it! Enrich the relationship - invest in the things your spouse likes to do eXchange roles - sometimes you are the leader and sometimes you have to let your spouse lead Next, we move into what Alisa DiLorenzo does to maintain balance in her life.  Alisa needs to get out and move, she takes walks (marathons are not her thing).  She really enjoys reading and she loves writing in her journals.  It is important to her to journal, and she teaches the folks she coaches the same thing.  Journal, write it down and get it out of your head so you can focus on what you need to focus on.  You can always come back to it. Alisa DiLorenzo admits that she struggles to make time in her day for herself.  She used to use paper calendars until the world moved to digital calendars on the all of our phones.  Alisa realized that she was adding way to much to her day and moved herself back to a paper calendar, just to have the visual of how much was stacked in one day. Finally, Alisa DiLorenzo drops her value bombs! Be intentional about your resources Be willing to take risks Love deeply Alisa leaves us with a surprise free gift! Follow Alisa DiLorenzo here: One Extraordinary Marriage Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very happy to bring you part 1 of our conversation with Alisa DiLorenzo, author, coach, podcast host, wife, and mother of two. We start the show catching up with Alisa DiLorenzo. Her husband Tony was a guest on the show back on episode 44.  It feels like old friends catching up with eachother and really speaks to how open and easy it is to speak with Alisa.  We also find out that their show, One Extraordinary Marriage, is closing in on the 300 episode mark!  That is a great accomplishment and we are very excited for them both! Alisa DiLorenzo shares her view of her Utopia. It's an internal sense, it's a sense that she's living her life on purpose.  She invests in herself and the world around her.  She pours so much into her life with her husband, her kids, her business, and her podcast.  Alisa wants to make a positive impact in people's lives. With that in mind, Alisa DiLorenzo tells us the story of why she and her husband Tony wrote the book, The Seven Days of Sex Challenge.  Alisa and Tony were in a rough spot in their marriage.  They were living like roommates, not a couple.  They took a challenge of 8 weeks of sex and had a great response.  She also realizes that 8 weeks is a ton of time, but anyone can do something for 7 days.  To help other couples they sat down together and wrote the book. After sharing where she came from, Alisa DiLorenzo shares where she wants to go in the future.  Alisa loves public speaking and she's looking forward to more speaking events in the next few years.  She also has plans to continue to grow the audience of her podcast as well continuing to grow the company ONE Extraordinary Marriage. Follow Alisa DiLorenzo here: ONE Extraordinary Marriage Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very excited to bring you the second half of our interview with Austin Iuliano, a phenomenal Brand Strategist and avid Meerkat user. As we dive into Austin Iuliano's work/life balance, he feels it's important to give us some back story.  He lives in New York, he's 27, he has a girlfriend who is also his business partner.  He does not have a family, so his life is work/work.  Austin feels the core of the matter is defining your goals in life.  He actively decided to not have a family because he wanted to work on his business.  You also have to know what revitalizes you.  Introverted people get energy from being alone where as extroverted people get energy from other people. Next Austin Iuliano shares how he deals with aspects of his business that he doesn't like to do.  For example, Austin loves talking with people, so he does that as often as possible.  Austin does not enjoy editing his own blog posts, so he doesn't do them.  He's carried that over to nearly every aspect of his business, if he doesn't like it, he doesn't do it.  Austin uses the barter system.  He struck up a conversation with a guy in the park, learned he is an english student and traded coaching on building your brand (Austin) for editing blog posts (english student). Following that, Austin Iuliano talks about how he is always in work mode (even when he is having fun).  Austin shares the story of buying lift passes for a ski trip only to find out they were not good for three days.  Instead of paying full price for that day, if he waited for 90 minutes, the passes were much cheaper.  For those 90 minutes, he flipped back into work, created a video on his phone, made some minor edits, posted it on YouTube, and got it out into the world. We close out the show with Austin Iuliano's Value Bombs: Humility is essential Don't be afraid of failure Pursue your passion Follow Austin Iuliano here: D.Science. Meerkat Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very excited to bring you the first half of our interview with Austin Iuliano, a phenomenal Brad Strategist and avid Meerkat user. Austin Iuliano shares how he recently got into Meerkat and how that platform is a fresh new way to interact with your fans and followers.  Not only does Meerkat allow you to directly speak to your followers, it also lets people meet and interact with the person behind the brand. Next Austin Iuliano and Josh make plans to meet up when Josh and his son visit New York.  The conversation dives into a mini nerd fest about the Marvel universe with reverences to Iron Man, the Avengers, and Daredevil. Getting back on topic, Austin shares his vision of Utopia.  Live each day better than the last.  He was inspired at his first job teaching folks to snowboarding (which he officially started at 16).  He learned that it isn't about age, but about knowledge.  He taught an 86 year old who was not interested in snowboarding, but how to do something new and exciting.  It helps to recognize your audience and speak to them.  After all, teaching an 86 year old is much different than teaching a 6 year old. Next Austin Iuliano shares how he lives his vision of a Utopia.  One of his key steps is to take some time every morning to be grateful.  Starting from a place of gratitude makes it easier to have a great day.  He then shares a very personal story about a dark time in his life where he contemplated suicide.  He stopped because of his mother and he started lying to himself.  He told himself every day "I am confident, handsome, charming, I do well in school, and people want to be my friend." Following that, Austin Iuliano shares his thoughts on what he would change, if he could, from his past.  Austin struggles with this question because there is no way of knowing what will cascade from making that level of change, but if he could, he would start earlier and work harder. Follow Austin Iuliano here: D.Science. Meerkat Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very pleased to release part 2 of our interview with Ed O'Keefe, entrepreneur, author, and father of 7! Ed O'Keefe was reaching the end of desire to be a coach for dentists and he decided to create something from scratch.  That is really challenging to do and something very few people have done.  Ed then gives us a few high level points about this very topic.  Why go to work for anything if you are not passionate about it, especially in this day and age. Next Ed O'Keefe walks us through some of the reasons why we (everyone) feels overwhelmed, like they are 'dumb', or like they 'stink'.  Ed starts with a mini biology lesson and helps us understand how we as a species have evolved much slower than the technology we use on a daily basis.  Take just six hours a day to pick one thing to focus on and really learn for 90 days.  When you wake up after 90 days you will be in the 1% of that niche that you chose. Once we start talking about how Ed O'Keefe keeps balance in his life, his first bit of advice is to throw the work 'balance' out of the equation.  When you are at work, be 100% focused on work.  When you are spending time with your family, be 100% focused on your family, completely in the moment. Finally, we get some great Value Bombs from Ed O'Keefe: You need to take care of yourself (physically, spiritually, mentally, socially) you are not going to be great at supporting other people If you are in business, your early focus should be what is your customer acquisition and monetization strategy. When you feel like a loser, surround yourself with winners Bonus! Do not talk poorly about your children or your spouse, ever Books discussed in this show: Dan Kennedy's Books Cory Rudl's Books Follow Ed O'Keefe here: Ed O'Keefe Show (with free gifts!) Inspired Wear (with a free gift!) Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very pleased to release part 1 of our interview with Ed O'Keefe, entrepreneur, author, and father of 7! Ed O'Keefe is the 12th of 13 kids, and the youngest boy of 9.  His parents are also still together, celebrating 61 years together this month!  Ed comes from the background of working in a stable environment.  Get a job and join a union so you know where your money is coming from.  Ed was also the first in his family to graduate college.  That is a major accomplishment! Ed O'Keefe shares a story about clothing, the tempory tattoos of our day with phrases and thoughts (and corporate messages/logos).  Ed was wearing a wrestling shirt with a message on it that struck a cord with his friend and his friend's son.  It was so important that this message is now a tattoo on all the members of this family.  This led Ed to creating his own line of clothing with messages on it that he and his family support. Next Ed O'Keefe shares his vision of the future so that from the health supplement point of view people are living longer and healthier, from the clothing point of view that he is working with some great designers and brands that fit with the athlete market, and from his personal point of view having the time, energy, and resources to spend time with his kids as they grow up. Books discussed in this show: Dan Kennedy's Books Cory Rudl's Books Follow Ed O'Keefe here: Ed O'Keefe Show (with free gifts!) Inspired Wear (with a free gift!) Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very excited to bring you part 2 of our interview with Kavit Haria, musician, coach, and entrepreneur. Kavit Haria shares that he is a big proponent of journaling.  He loves writing down his thoughts, ideas, plans, and tasks.  He feels that once he writes it down it is documented and no longer taking up space in his head.  Kavit, Josh, and Ben then dive down a path talking about Evernote, a great app for many journaling features. Kavit Haria says one of the best ways for him to stay on task and also to make time for himself, is to have an accountability partner.  He has a friend the talks with at least once a month and they keep each other on track.  He also trained his assistant to manage him.  By that, he means that he shares his goals and schedule and his assistant makes sure he stays on topic and focused.  At the end of the day, it always comes down to self dicipline.  His accountability partner and his assistant can tell him what he needs to focus on, but he still has to be the one doing the work. Finally, Kavit Haria drops some huge value bombs on us: The more clarity you have, the more your confidence will increase. Come from a place of humilty. Realize you are an incredible unique potential to be the best you can for yourself and the society you live in. Check out one of Kavit's (and Ben & Josh's) favorite apps, Evernote for iPhone, iPad, and the Mac. Follow Kavit Haria here: Insider Internet Success Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very excited to share part 1 of this interview with Kavit Haria, musician, coach, and entrepreneur. Kavit Haria is a professional musician (including playing with Jimmy Page and Paul McCartney), studied genetics in college, coaches other musicians, and a successful entrepreneur. Kavit Haria shares that he has recently (in the last couple years) started meditating.  Ben asks for some of the noticeable improvements or changes that his two hours a day of meditation.  This leads to a great insight to the level of focus you can achieve and the quality of work you can perform. Next, Kavit Haria shares that he currently works only 4 hours a day.  He does this by being really good at what he does as well as finding repetitive actions or tasks and automating it with systems.  Putting these in place help him stay productive, focused, and successful while only working 4 hours a day. The conversation then moved into how Kavit Haria accidentally created his first business.  He was working as a professional musician and finding success.  As more musicians found out about his success and asked for his advice, he started creating products to teach people to find the success that he had, thus creating his first business.  He continues and shares the story of taking months off to travel and what happened to the business while he was gone. Kavit Haria also shares how his business works and how he would like to evolve it in the coming years.  It is interesting to hear what he has to say because it echos so much his life philosophy that Josh read at the top of the interview. Check out one of Kavit's (and Ben & Josh's) favorite apps, Evernote for iPhone, iPad, and the Mac. Follow Kavit Haria here: Insider Internet Success Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

It is the final Friday in the month and it is time for Ben and Josh recap all the great guests from July. Josh and Ben start the show discussing Jon Schumacher. It was Ben's impression that despite the popularity and success that Jon has with his video podcast, Jon felt like he wasn't good at it. Seems that was all in Ben's head as Josh didn't get that impression at all. Ben then realizes that maybe he is projecting on Jon his own feelings about this show and the success it has and the guests that come on. Ben and Josh then jump into their favorite value bomb from the show. Next Ben and Josh discuss Mark Sumpter and really enjoyed the conversation with him. Based on some of the stories that Mark shared, it is very important to value your time. Make sure you enjoy what you are doing, or that you are getting paid for what you are doing (and if you're really good, get paid for what you enjoy doing). Then Josh and Ben discussed their interview with Shawn Manaher. This episode was even more fun for Ben to listen to and edit as he wasn't even on the show. Ben had a short notice work trip and couldn't co-host, and thankfully previous guest Shannon Hernandez joined Josh on the show to co-host. Ben really enjoyed Shannon and Shawn discussing their thoughts on working out. After that Ben and Josh talked about Zach Obront's interview. This show was also co-hosted by Shannon Hernandez in Ben's absence. Josh shares what one of Zach's value bombs means to him and how important it is to pivot. Things change and it is always important to see those changes and adjust your game plan to compensate for those changes while continuing to move forward and progress. Finally Josh and Ben recapped their interview this week with Ryan Levesque. Ryan was a great guest and had a great story to tell with his experience in the business world. Ben and Josh were also very grateful for the gift Ryan is giving to Utopians. He is giving away a copy of his book! Just go to AskFormula.com and use the code Utopia to get the book for free and just pay shipping! Let's make sure that we take him up on that offer and clear out all the books he set aside for us! As a special treat, Josh brought on his son Benji! Ben spent a few minutes talking with Benji about his perfect day, and possibly setting Josh up to make that happen. As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are excited to bring you part 2 of our interview with Ryan Levesque, Entrepreneur, Coach, and Author. Ryan Levesque continues his interview with move value by sharing his insight with creating his first business.  He had a major breakthrough thinking that his first business as a practice business. Once he got into that into his head, he was able to step back and really focus on the processes. Ryan Levesque shares some person experiences to get his points across.  He thinks back to hiring additional staff in his business.  To him, it always felt too early.  If your time, for example, is worth $100, then you should not spend your evenings doing $10 an hour work packing up envelopes to send to your customers.  The main challenge is that hiring someone will eat into your profits, but the benefit of opening up your time to work on your business (instead of in it) will ultimately improve the situation. Ryan Levesque and Josh then spend some time talking about who to hire and where they are located.  Josh is looking into virtual staff finder which finds people from the Philippines while Ryan hires folks in the US.  Ryan is quick to point out that there is not a 'one size fits all.  The team you have now is the team that will get you from A to B, not Y to Z. Keeping in form for the interview, Ryan Levesque drops another nugget of wisdom on us.  He does not believe in a work/life balance.  He believes in only doing a few things very very well.  He works very hard to minimize the choices he makes in his daily life to avoid decision fatigue.  He gives an example of this based on the clothes he wears. Ryan left us with these three value bombs: Study how people were when they were working to be successful, not how they are now that they are successful You don't have to get it perfect, you just have to get it going The five most profitable words of Ryan's career "Screw it, just do it" Here are the books we talked about in the show: Essentialism by Greg McKeown on Amazon and iTunes. Follow Ryan Levesque here and get Ryan's gift to Utopians!: RyanLevesque.Net AskFormula.Com and don't forget the coupon code Utopia As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are stoked to bring you part 1 of our interview with Ryan Levesque, Entrepreneur, Coach, and Author. Right out of the gate, Ryan Levesque hits us with a huge message.  He and his wife started their first business with just an internet connection and a $500 laptop.  Now they run a multi-million dollar a year company.  Huge insight that you can come from a humble start and make something giant out of it. Ryan Levesque then drops another insightful observation in our lap.  People tend to over estimate what we can do in a year, but underestimate what we can do in three years.  It's amazing to look back and see what happened this past year and compare that to what happened in the past three years. Ryan Levesque provides us with a great example of how decision making and scheduling can have a trickle down effect on the rest of the day.  His day starts (right now) with dropping his son off at school, next he goes to work out, and then starts his work day.  He starts with what is most important (family), then moves into what energizes him (exercise), then moves into what he needs to focus on (work). Ryan didn't figure this out all at once.  His first business iteration was a structureless business.  He worked when he wanted.  Next, he moved to a very structured business plan.  Currently, he has a blend of the two.  He has milestones and company goals, but can structure the rest of his time around what he wants. Ryan Levesque gives us a great example of 'riches in niches' and going an inch wide but a mile deep.  One of Ryan and his wife's first business was a scrabble tile jewelry business on Etsy. Their insight in the business helped them launch their location free business selling 'picks and shovels'. Here are the books we talked about in the show: Essentialism by Greg McKeown on Amazon and iTunes. Follow Ryan Levesque here and get Ryan's gift to Utopians!: RyanLevesque.Net AskFormula.Com and don't forget the coupon code Utopia As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very pleased to present part 2 of our interview with Zach Obront, Entrepreneur, Editor, and Publisher.  We are also very lucky to have former guest and friend of the show Shannon Hernandez guest hosting with Josh! Zach Obront gave us a great example of how his type of work and desire to create business and processes is a love, but working in that business or process is something that he does not enjoy. He also gives us an example of after living the 'beach entrepreneur' life he needed to get back into creating. Zach Obront next tells us about the impacts he has had on his business partner and vice versa. It lead to an example of Elon Musk and how he talks about continuing learning and not just in the areas you already know. Zach Obront shares his value-bombs for all of us: Think about your Utopia, once you're there, then what? Let go of your Ego, you may have a great idea, but it may not be the best solution. Be able to pivot, nothing stays the same, change happens Follow Zach Obront: Book in a Box Zach Obront Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very pleased to present part 1 of our interview with Zach Obront, Entrepreneur, Editor, and Publisher.  We are also very lucky to have former guest and friend of the show Shannon Hernandez guest hosting with Josh! Zach Obront starts the show off with some incredible advice about the enormous lists of things we have to do to get things done.  He shares a story about previous guest Ben Altman of Charisma on Command and how they worked up a plan to get done all the things they needed to get done. Zach Obront then shares how one of his outlets, improv, has helped him beyond his expectations of being funnier or thinking quicker on his feet.  Improv has helped him let go of things not going his way, which has made him more relaxed and accepting. Zach Obront gives us his definition of his Utopia.  He was hesitant to start because he feels his vision has changed in the past and continues to change now and sees it changing in the future. Follow Zach Obront: Book in a Box Zach Obront Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very pleased to present part 2 of our interview with Shawn Manaher, Entrepreneur, Coach, Mentor, and Podcast Host.  We are also very lucky to have former guest and friend of the show Shannon Hernandez guest hosting with Josh! Shawn Manaher shares that he is at the start of his 40s and does not feel 'old,' he feels like he is just on the start of his journey.  Shawn, Josh, and Shannon discuss how old you are verses how old you feel and act.  Huge difference and an important distinction in how you view your life. Shawn Manaher gives us a great example of a catalyst that lead him down the path he is on now.  He had a great job, doing well, getting promotions and raises, but he was also in pain.  He went to doctors, got put under, tested and ultimately was told nothing is wrong, he was just stressed and that stress was causing his physical pain. Shawn Manaher closes out his time with us with three value-bombs: Have a forgiving mindset Don't lose focus on the one thing you want to do/become We only have one life, live it at your highest potential Books we talked about during the show: The One Thing by Gary Keller on Amazon and iTunes Follow Shawn Manaher: Sidepreneurs Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very pleased to present part 1 of our interview with Shawn Manaher, Entrepreneur, Coach, Mentor, and Podcast Host.  We are also very lucky to have former guest and friend of the show Shannon Hernandez guest hosting with Josh! Shawn Manaher starts off the show with some huge value by sharing that it is about the content and creating a following before turning it into a sustainable business.  He also calls out a few of his inspirational people like Joe Pulizzi and Brian Gibbs. Shawn Manaher has a great view of Utopia, he wants to meet his potential on a daily basis.  He wants to do his best physically, spiritually, emotionally, and relationally to hit that potential every day.  Shawn and Shannon take a short tangent and explain how they feel with their physical journey in becoming a healthier and more physically fit person. Books we talked about during the show: The One Thing by Gary Keller on Amazon and iTunes Follow Shawn Manaher: Sidepreneurs Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very pleased to bring you part 2 of our interview with Mark Sumpter, Coach, Speaker, and Author. Starting the second half of the interview discussing where Mark Sumpter sees his business grow to in the future.  He would love to see his company evolve into having 5 or 6 people all working together to improve people's lives. Mark Sumpter has some exciting (or do I mean expensive) outlets that help keep him balanced.  Mark took flying lessons to become a pilot.  He also plays in tennis (he plays doubles and enjoys playing the net) and soccer leagues.  Mark makes sure he has the time for all his events by sticking to his calendar. Mark Sumpter shares an impressive story about focus and finding things that are good for you vs things that are good for you right now.  It is amazing how much you can do if you are focused on exactly what you need, when you need it. To wrap up the show, Mark Sumpter dropped some knowledge on us with these three takeaways: Fail forward fast Invest in a Coach Connect with as many like-minded people as you can Books we talked about during the show: No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs by Dan Kennedy on Amazon and iTunes Essentialism by Greg Mckeown on Amazon and iTunes Follow Mark Sumpter: Renegade Success Coach Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very pleased to bring you part 1 of our interview with Mark Sumpter, Coach, Speaker, and Author. Mark Sumpter starts the show off with his view of Utopia.  He wants the resources to take care of his parents in their golden years while still having the freedom and flexibility to travel.  He also points out that he has always had these goals and has built his life around achieving them. Mark Sumpter shares a story about hosting a coaching call from the deck of a cruise ship just as the ship is setting sail.  That is the power of a digital company, it frees you from a 'location'.  As long as you have internet access, you can do your job. Next Mark Sumpter dives into how he got into the digital space way back in 1999.  Back then, Mark was a police officer working two jobs (moonlighting as we know it) when he saw a guy driving a nice car headed home and Mark realized he was working harder and he needed to start working smarter. Mark Sumpter shares how his business grew and adapted into what he does now.  Way back, folks would ask Mark to lunch to pick his brain about how to be an entrepreneur and how to do business.  Eventually, Mark was going out to talk shop with folks every single day (and he was still paying for his own meals, and sometimes the meals of the person asking all the questions!).  He had enough, and when the next person called for lunch, he said "sure, it's $500 a day," and they bought two full days!  As that model got more and more popular, Mark became more and more booked.  As his time was evaporating, Mark took all his daily contacts and created a seminar to services multiple people at once. Books we talked about during the show: No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs by Dan Kennedy on Amazon and iTunes Essentialism by Greg Mckeown on Amazon and iTunes Follow Mark Sumpter: Renegade Success Coach Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are super excited to bring you part 2 of our interview with Jon Schumacher, Entrepreneur, Coach, and Fitness Guru. Jon Schumacher tells us of the benefit of learning from those who already know, but don't just stop there.  Jon spent a ton of time and money taking classes and working with other gurus in various fields to get better at the skills he deemed important.  Once you have that knowledge though, make it your own, put your own spin on it, and combine different areas of knowledge and expertise. Jon Schumacher reveals to us that he isn't the best at work life balance.  He worked a full time job and built his side career, which didn't leave a ton of time for himself.  He's aware of the issue, and he is working to fix it.  Now that he has resigned from his day job, he is going to take back some (not all of that time) for himself and time with his wife. Jon Schumacher then leaves us with three powerful things to think about: Life only gets better when you get better It's about connection, not perfection Persistence is key Get so busy that you don't have time to be disappointed Books we talked about during the show: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki on Amazon and iTunes. Follow Jon: Hangouts that Convert Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very excited to present part 1 of our interview with Jon Schumacher, Entrepreneur, Coach, and Fitness Guru. Jon Schumacher starts the show off with two huge points.  First, he just left a stable success job to work full time on his passion.  Second, he puts it into perspective how much time you have in your life and how much time you have for your loved ones. Jon Schumacher didn't really have the entrepreneur itch until 2010 when he started working on his own personal brand.  After exhausting his Facebook and Google friends, the company crashed.  He was disheartened and left that for the stock market.  He found his way back and started working on his brands again, using his vast knowledge of person fitness to educate and help people.  Also, he did all this while working a full time 'day job'. Jon Schumacher also discusses some of the challenges to overcome when you go off on your own business.  It can be a scary decision to make, but it also offers a ton of opportunity. Books we talked about during the show: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki on Amazon and iTunes. Follow Jon: Hangouts that Convert Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

Happy Friday Utopians!  Today is the last Friday of the month and that means a new recap show.  Josh and Ben talk about the last 4 interviews with Joel & Pei, Eden Sunshine, Philip Beyer, and Midori Verity as well as catching up with what is happening in their lives. Ben & Josh start the show talking about a very recent incident with Ben at his job.  The company wants to pay his cell phone bill, great news right?  The truth is, nothing is free and paying the bill also means giving out his cell number.  What to do? Next, our hosts spend some time talking about Josh's experiences with his new motorcycle.  He also admits to being an adrenalin junkie (which may explain some of his hobbies).  They also play with the idea of starting a new show! Josh & Ben then talk about the conversation with Joel & Pei.  Those two were a blast to talk with and they were super accommodating given some technical difficulties that happened during the show.  As it turns out, our hosts cannot pick a top value bomb!  This may be the first time that has happened on Build Your Utopia. Then Ben & Josh move to Eden Sunshine (yes, his real name).  Ben starts off with an apology, there was something on the audio that was very difficult to remove and it is obvious that Ben's pride was bruised because he couldn't fix it.  Our hosts decide that their favorite value bomb from Eden was "learn to do the right work." Our hosts then have a mini intermission and talk about Josh's issues with bees! Once they get that out of their system, Josh and Ben then speak about Philip Beyer and his fantastic accent!  Something about that southern accent makes a person super easy to listen to.   Our hosts couldn't agree on a favorite value bomb from Philip.  Josh picked "sales, sales, sales" while Ben picked "organize your business through systemization."  It actually shouldn't be that surprising based on what we know about our hosts personalities. Finally, Josh & Ben revisit this week's interview with Midori Verity.  That was a great interview as well. Josh and Midori actually have something in common, something that Ben just doesn't understand. Our hosts were able to agree on this one and chose "look at the big picture, don't get caught up with the small things." Here are the books and movies that came up during the show: My Girl on Amazon and iTunes Inception on Amazon and iTunes Do Over by John Acuff on Amazon and iTunes Ask by Ryan Levesque on Amazon and iTunes Money Master the Game by Tony Robins on Amazon and iTunes As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very excited to share part 2 of our interview with Midori Verity, Relationship Coach, Entrepreneur, and Author. Midori Verity shares some detail and specifics in her affirmations.  She shares the story that she is currently mentoring some young adults and invited them over to her house to create vision boards.  The vision board helps to visualize the goals and the attitudes you want to embody by making it part of something real.  Then she shares a story about communication, specifically with her husband.  She shares the Rubber Band Technique.  It is a tool to adjust your thinking from a negative space into a positive one. Midori Verity tells us some of the things that help keep her in balance, and one of the biggest ones is working out, physical activity.  She doesn't enjoy running, but she does it every day because she knows she'll feel better once she is done.  Midori and Josh then talk about the benefits of kick boxing.  Sometimes Midori doesn't always have the time to work out, and she makes conscious, positive decisions to keep her schedule. Midori Verity also shares her 3 take home lessons for us: Gratitude, come from a place of Gratitude Look at the big picture, don't get caught up with the small things Take care of yourself Here are the books we talked about in the show: Secrets to a Kickass Marriage by Midori Verity Amazon. Follow Midori Verity here: Midori Verity Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very excited to share part 1 of our interview with Midori Verity, Relationship Coach, Entrepreneur, and Author. Midori Verity shares where she came from and how far along she is in building her Utopia.  5 years ago she was in a very different place, battling depression and trying to find the strength to just get out of bed every day.  It is a truly inspirational to know where she came from and where she is now. Midori Verity also shares some of her tips and some of her process in writing her book.  She didn't set aside time every day to write, but was driven by her passion to get the book written and the information out there.  Being married for 30 years definitely gave her a wealth of experience to draw from, but she also recognized some of her shortcomings and brought in other experts to co-write some portions of the book. Midori Verity then talks with Josh and Ben about a concept that help her greatly once she discovered it, Neuroplasticity.  Affirmations, gratitude, and positive thinking all helped her change the way she views her life and what she knew could be possible with her life. Here are the books we talked about in the show: Secrets to a Kickass Marriage by Midori Verity Amazon. Follow Midori Verity here: Midori Verity Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are proud to publish part 2 of our interview with Philip Beyer, Entrepreneur, Author, and Coach. Philip Beyer recounts a story of Steve Jobs and his return to Apple. When Jobs came back to Apple, he asked to see everything the company was working on, and after seeing the pile of products, he cut nearly everything out and left only three or four products.  This hits home for Philip, especially after his experience with the crash in 2008-2009.  It is best for the business leaders, the business, and even the market to focus your efforts on one thing. Philip Beyer, Ben, and Josh also talked about examples of companies that have some simple systems in place.  The act of greeting your customers when they come into the store is a system designed to make the customer feel welcome and appreciated.  It's also simple to implement from a training/management point of view as well. Finally, we recapped Philip Beyer's top three lessons: Make business contacts, don't be shy to talk to people Sales, Sales, Sales Organize your business through systemization Here are the books we talked about in the show: System Busters by Philip Beyer on Amazon and iTunes. E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber on Amazon and iTunes. Essentialism by Greg McKeown on Amazon and iTunes. Follow Philip Beyer here: System100 As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very pleased to share part one of our interview with Philip Beyer, Entrepreneur, Author, and Coach. Philip Beyer is a proud husband and father who is very involved in his community.  His wife, kids, and daughter in law all take part in the businesses and this helps to keep him happy and grounded in what matters most.  Having the people he cares about and trusts also helps to keep away the business chaos that Philip feels is one of the biggest hurdles of modern business. Philip Beyer hasn't always been a system driven, organized person.  He started out, in his words, as a mess.  He was even called out by one of his customers about the level of disorganization in his business.  After reading the book E-Myth by Michael Gerber, Philip really got into processes and systems. Philip also reflects on some of the business choices in his past, both positive and negative.  His software company was doing great and he had the opportunity to sell Beyer Printing back in 2008-2009.  At the time, he decided he would just run both, after all, they were both doing really well.  Then the market crashed, and Beyer Printing took a big hit and it took years of hard work to recover. Here are the books we talked about in the show: System Busters by Philip Beyer on Amazon and iTunes. E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber on Amazon and iTunes. Essentialism by Greg McKeown on Amazon and iTunes. Follow Philip Beyer here: System100 As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very pleased to present part two of our interview with Eden Sunshine.  Eden is an entrepreneur, speaker, and author. Eden is a big proponent of developing systems.  He gave us a few tips from Level 7 Systems.  It is huge to create your business around systems that drive the goals of the company.  That way, if someone is not available, others can step in and follow the system to get constant results. We also learn the struggles that Eden and his wife face between being entrepreneurs as well as parents.  What is the right balance between work and family?  How many clients can you take on and give them all they need without losing time with the family?  Once you find that balance, know it will change as the kids grow up. Eden also shares with us his top three lessons, and he says it all starts with the 'decision to be excellent' Have the right mindset Learn to do the right work Find the best way to do the right work Follow Eden Sunshine here: Eden Sunshine's site Eden Sunshine's Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are very pleased to present part one of our interview with Eden Sunshine.  Eden is an entrepreneur, speaker, and author. Eden Sunshine has suffered through every business problem an entrepreneur or small business owner could face.  He had financial issues, employee issues, regulation issues, government issues, and motivational issues.  Through those issues, he realized that work shouldn't be a four letter word, we should make work an enjoyable part of our life.  With that mindset, Eden has decided he doesn't want to retire, he wants to continue to contribute as long as he is able. Eden Sunshine's vision of a Utopia is to live the Woo Hoo moment every day, both in business and in life.  It is important to continue to learn, grow, and move forward.  Once you accomplish your current goal, give yourself a big WooHoo and keep growing. We also learned that both Josh and Eden work out of their homes and they love it.  Eden's worst commute in was bumping into his mother-in-law in the hallway.  Josh, on the other hand, got called out on a video call with a customer about working out of his bedroom (don't worry, he has a dedicated home office now). Follow Eden Sunshine here: Eden Sunshine's site Eden Sunshine's Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We're excited to share with everyone the second half of our interview with Joel and Pei of Relaunch Show! Joel and Pei both firmly believe that taking care of yourself is a priority and must not be overlooked.  It is because of this priority that they do not find it hard to make time to be active. Joel, much like our host Josh, is a runner.  Pei enjoys Yoga.  Sometimes Pei feels selfish with her yoga because she teaches a class and charges for her time.  This is the perfect example of making the most of a situation!  Pei enjoys Yoga, and she knows it well enough to teach.  What better way to stay motivated than by leading a class that people pay for?  Now everyone wins!  Pei's students receive instruction from a knowledgeable person while Pei is motivated to work out and earns some additional income for herself. The Yoga conversation then leads to a surprising revelation between our hosts.  Josh, who is very physically active, is not very limber or flexible.  Ben, who is not physically active at all, can indeed touch his toes without bending his knees. Joel and Pei also share their experiences with hiring additional staff to remove some of the burdens of their job.  Josh asks them some detailed questions to help himself and Utopians when it comes to hiring additional staff, including virtual staff. Joel and Pei round out the show with their three important lessons: Learn to Delegate Quit asking for permission and do it already! Focus on marketing, it is a noisy world out there Joel and Pei also shared some of their favorite books: Finding Your Voice by Joel Boggess Amazon and iTunes Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker Amazon and iTunes Follow Joel and Pei here: Relaunch Show Joel's Twitter Pei's Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We are excited for today's show, this is part 1 of our interview with Joel Boggess and Dr. Pei Kang, both of which are Radio Hosts, Speakers, and Entrepreneurs. Joel and Pei have a great definition of Utopia, it is the ability to live where you want, contributing how you want in a way that not only adds value to the greater good, but also to yourself.  Josh and Ben dive into that through the lens of Build Your Utopia and how the show started as a way to add value to Utopians, but it is also a way to add value to their own lives. Pei also gives us a glimpse of her inner Texan by giving us an enthusiastic "YEE HAW!!"  Something she says she has never done before.  It also gives us a great transition into Joel and Pei's point of Seasons of Life and living in the moment.  Joel and Pei believe that life, just like a farmer has seasons for planting, tending, harvesting, and resting; there are seasons to life, relationships, and business.  It is best to identify what season you are in so you can best maximize that season.  They then share the example that with their current show, The Relaunch Show, is in the planting phase as they ramp up the show. Joel and Pei share that The Relaunch Show is actually their 5th show. They have made this one successful by taking all the lessons they've learned from the previous shows to make this one the best it can be. Joel and Pei also shared some of their favorite books: Finding Your Voice by Joel Boggess Amazon and iTunes Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker Amazon and iTunes Follow Joel and Pei here: Relaunch Show Joel's Twitter Pei's Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

Happy Friday!  We are excited to come back to you, just Josh and Ben!  Part of our 'new format' of the show is to have a monthly recap show and discuss things we've learned from all the guests this month. First Ben and Josh talk about Brianna Wu's interview.  Josh is convinced, though Ben asserts Josh is wrong, that Ben has a crush on Brianna.  Crush is the wrong word, Ben admires what she does and how she does it.  Josh and Ben could agree on Brianna's value-bomb of "be honest with yourself, keep on your 'mission objectives'."  Ben and Josh also discuss what her message means to us. Next, Josh and Ben review their time with Josh's crush, Shannon Hernandez.  Josh clears things up and says Shannon is just a fun guy to hang out with.  We talk about some of the stories Shannon shared and we also agree on his value-bomb "stay persistent and allow yourself to grow in small steps."  This is huge and we talk about how Shannon is living this idea. Then Ben and Josh cover Susan Carlson.  Josh and Ben both enjoyed speaking with Susan and both have a ton of respect for her.  She is very articulate and passionate about her goals and thoughts on the education system here in Phoenix.  Susan's value-bomb that stuck with us is "keep on keeping on."  This point also echos Shannon's point. Before Josh and Ben discuss the most recent interview of the month, they get on a bit of a tangent about motorcycles (especially considering Josh just purchased a new bike). Finally, Ben and Josh speak about Brett Gajda.  Brett shared some fun stories in his interview.  While it was a great time, it was also super informative.  Brett left us with a great value-bomb "breakdown almost always comes before break through."  Huge advice, and something we all should keep in mind when things get difficult. As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We have a great show for you today, this is part 2 of our interview with Brett Gajda, coach, speaker, and podcast host. According to Brett, success is being able to live your average perfect day, everyday.  While he isn't there yet, he as built all legs and is fine tuning them to be able to support his utopia.  Brett currently owns his business, which he can operate geography free, and earn passive income. Once Brett Gajda has all the supports built up strong and stable and able to support his utopia, what is he going to do next?  He worded it great by saying he "can't plan for the back side of the mountain until he reaches the top." Planning and building your business is key, and you have to have the vision and followthrough to make it.  Brett told a story of a friend who wants to learn to play the guitar that really brings the point home. Brett Gajda gave us three valuable lessons today: Compromise your lifestyle for what you need, not what you want Breakdown almost always comes before break through Ask for support, we are all in this together Books and Movies from Brett's interview: Three Feet From Gold on Amazon and iTunes Sliding Doors on Amazon and iTunes Star Wars on Amazon Princess Bride on Amazon and iTunes Back to the Future on Amazon and iTunes (parts one, two, and three) Follow Brett Gajda here: Where There is Smoke Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

We have a great show for you today, this is part 1 of our interview with Brett Gajda, coach, speaker, and podcast host. According to Brett, success is being able to live your average perfect day, everyday.  While he isn't there yet, he as built all legs and is fine tuning them to be able to support his utopia.  Brett currently owns his business, which he can operate geography free, and earn passive income. Once Brett Gajda has all the supports built up strong and stable and able to support his utopia, what is he going to do next?  He worded it great by saying he "can't plan for the back side of the mountain until he reaches the top." Planning and building your business is key, and you have to have the vision and followthrough to make it.  Brett told a story of a friend who wants to learn to play the guitar that really brings the point home. Books and Movies from Brett's interview: Three Feet From Gold on Amazon and iTunes Sliding Doors on Amazon and iTunes Star Wars on Amazon Princess Bride on Amazon and iTunes Back to the Future on Amazon and iTunes (parts one, two, and three) Follow Brett Gajda here: Where There is Smoke Twitter As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

Today we have part 2 of our interview with Susan Carlson, Educational Leader and Cultural Enthusiast. Susan Carlson sees an opportunity to improve education in Arizona.  Arizona has one of the lowest ratings in the country for engaged youth.  Susan explains that, in a few years, that means the work force in Arizona will be one of the least educated and least motivated in the country.  The economy will suffer and national companies will either move or not even come to Arizona in favor of cities and states with a higher caliber work force.  Susan and Josh discuss how this public education issue will impact even Josh's son, who is at a private school. Susan also shares with us a lesson she learned from her mother.  You are not a victim, if something is wrong, you need to do something to fix it.  This has taught Susan to be proactive in creating a change and making a difference. Susan left us with some valuable lessons today: Commit to an action and do it Keep on Keeping on Networks matter, cultivate and maintain yours Find more of what Susan Carlson is doing here: Carlson & Affiliates Los Alumnos Immersion Academy As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

Today we have part 1 of our interview with Susan Carlson, Educational Leader and Cultural Enthusiast. Most of Susan's professional career has been in education.  With the exception of a stint in real estate, she has taught, administered, and served school boards.  She even chaired the ACT and AMEPAC boards. Susan Carlson's Utopia is a place where people flourish by being able to participate in something you are passionate about. She retired from teaching and with the support of her husband, she has started down the path of her Utopia.  She knows where she wants to end up, but she is not completely sure how she is going to get there. Find more of what Susan Carlson is doing here: Carlson & Affiliates Los Alumnos Immersion Academy As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

Today is Part 2 of our interview with Shannon Hernandez, Professional Broadcaster, Podcast Producer, Trainer, and proponent of man buns. Shannon Hernandez's Utopia is freedom.  He has found the path and walking it, but he doesn't know when he'll get there. Speaking of walking, Shannon Hernandez found a ton of answers at the gym while on the treadmill and on the elliptical.  Shannon started working out after making a deal with himself.  He knows he needs to be healthier and lose weight but he didn't want to go to the doctor.  The deal was, if he can't lose weight and feel better on his own after six months, then he would see the doctor. The trick is baby steps.  Any monumental journey starts with a first step.  This is how Shannon started his health plans and it is applicable to any goal you can set for yourself.  Any task is easy when you break it down to baby steps. Shannon left us with great lessons today: You cannot give up Stay persistent and allow yourself to geo in small steps Have fun, you have to have fun And these are a couple books that impacted his life: The Go Giver on Amazon and iTunes Launch on Amazon and iTunes Follow Shannon on his website and on Twitter. As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

Today is Part 1 of our interview with Shannon Hernandez, Professional Broadcaster, Podcast Producer, Trainer, and proponent of man buns. Shannon Hernandez has a masters degree and was a high school english teacher who worked part time at a Phoenix radio station.  Then the station offered him a full time evening shift and he couldn't pass it up.  This led Shannon to working full time at two jobs and in between those finding time to grade papers and sleep. Could you get up at 6:00am and drive into school to teach a zero hour class until 4:00pm.  Then take a nap and head to the radio station to DJ from 7:00 until mid night.  Finally, grade papers until 2:00ish in the morning before taking another nap.  This is what Shannon did for about 4 months before the school semester ended and he resigned so he could work at the radio station full time. He made it happen because he had to.  If you're really passionate, you'll sacrifice for your passion. Shannon Hernandez found inspiration in these: The Go Giver on Amazon and iTunes Launch on Amazon and iTunes Follow Shannon on his website and on Twitter. As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!

Today is the second half of Josh Marsden and Ben Thompson's interview with entrepreneur, game developer, podcast host and equality advocate Brianna Wu. Brianna Wu learned a ton from her parents and thanks them for a number of opportunities in her life. As a child, if she ever wanted to learn something, her parents gave her the resources and told her to 'go figure it out.' That mentality taught Brianna to be self sufficient and independent. When Brianna sets her sights on something, she sticks with it until she makes it happen. "The Giant Spacekat Starship should have exploded many times but we pushed through." This attitude is evident not only in her company Giant Spacekat, but also in her actions for equality in the tech industry. Brianna Wu left us with some valuable lessons: Exercise, the mind cannot live without the body Be honest with yourself, keep on your 'mission objectives' Get a support network of friends Here are some additional links: Google Guys on Amazon and iTunes Revolution 60 for the iPhone and iPad Follow Brianna on Twitter or just 'read the news' As always, a special thank you to The Strand for our intro and outro music!