Podcasts about Les Standiford

What I learned from rereading Random Reminiscences of Men and Events by John D. Rockefeller. ----Ramp gives you everything you need to control spend, watch your costs, and optimize your financial operations —all on a single platform. Make history's greatest entrepreneurs proud by going to Ramp and learning how they can help your business control your costs and save more. ----Founders Notes gives you the superpower to learn from history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. You can search all my notes and highlights from every book I've ever read for the podcast. Get access to Founders Notes here. ----Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book----Follow Founders Podcast on YouTube (Video coming soon!) ----Notes and highlights from the episode: It has not been my custom to press my affairs forward into public gaze. (Bad boys move in silence)My favorite biography on Rockefeller John D: The Founding Father of the Rockefellers by David Freeman Hawke. (Founders #254)Secrecy covered all of his operations.Taking for granted the growth of his empire, he hired talented people as found, not as needed. — Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller by Ron Chernow. (Founders #248) We had been frank and aboveboard with each other. Without this, business associates cannot get the best out of their work.Rockefeller said Jay Gould was the best businessman he knew. Jay Gould books and episodes: American Rascal: How Jay Gould Built Wall Street's Biggest Fortune by Greg Steinmetz (Founders #285) and Dark Genius of Wall Street: The Misunderstood Life of Jay Gould, King of the Robber Barons by Edward J. Renehan Jr. (Founders #258) "If I have to choose between agreement and conflict, I'll take conflict every time. It always yields a better result." — Jeff BezosIt's a pity to get a man into a place in an argument where he is defending a position instead of considering the evidence. His calm judgment is apt to leave him, and his mind is for the time being closed, and only obstinacy remainsI like doing deals with the same people. You get to know each other and build a mutual sense of trust. Today, a lot of what I do originates from associations that go back ten, twenty, thirty, even forty years. — Am I Being Too Subtle?: Straight Talk From a Business Rebel by Sam Zell.Writing a check separates conviction from conversation. — Warren BuffettWe had with us a group of courageous men who recognized the great principle that a business cannot be a great success that does not fully and efficiently accept and take advantage of its opportunities. (Do everything and you will win)Such was Rockefeller's ingenuity, his ceaseless search for even minor improvements. Despite the unceasing vicissitudes of the oil industry, prone to cataclysmic booms and busts, he would never experience a single year of loss. — Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller by Ron Chernow. (Founders #248)Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean by Les Standiford. #247 Henry Flagler (Rockefeller's Partner)Rockefeller on the impact Henry Flagler had on the beginning of Standard Oil: He always believed that if we went into the oil business at all, we should do the work as well as we knew how; that we should have the very best facilities; that everything should be solid and substantial; and that nothing should be left undone to produce the finest results. And he followed his convictions of building as though the trade was going to last, and his courage in acting up to his beliefs laid strong foundations for later years. (Build a first class business in a first class way)Young people should realize how, above all other possessions, is the value of a friend in every department of life without any exception whatsoever.When you recruit A players you don't tell them here's 5 things I want you to focus on. Here's your top 10 priorities. NO. You've got one priority. Destroy that priority. Do it more than anybody else possibly will. (Henry Flagler's main priority was controlling the cost of transportation.)Larry Ellison: You don't want turnover on your core product team. Knowledge compounds. Don't interrupt the compounding. — Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle by Matthew Symonds. (Founders #124) We were accustomed to prepare for financial emergencies long before we needed the funds. (Keep a fortress of cash)It is impossible to comprehend Rockefeller's breathtaking ascent without realizing that he always moved into battle backed by abundant cash. Whether riding out downturns or coasting on booms, he kept plentiful reserves and won many bidding contests simply because his war chest was deeper. — Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller by Ron Chernow. (Founders #248)I learned to have great respect for figures and facts, no matter how small they were.This casual way of conducting affairs did not appeal to me.As our successes began to come, I seldom put my head upon the pillow at night without speaking a few words to myself: "Now a little success, soon you'll fall down, soon you'll be overthrown. Because you've got a start, you think you're quite a merchant; look out, or you will lose your head—go steady." These intimate conversations with myself had a great influence on my life. I was afraid I couldn't stand my prosperity, and tried to teach myself not to get puffed up with any foolish notions. (If you go to sleep on a win you'll wake up with a loss)I hope they were properly humiliated to see how far we had gone beyond their expectations. (Chips on shoulders put chips in pockets) 98 percent of our attention was devoted to the task at hand. We are believers in Carlyle's Prescription, that the job a man is to do is the job at hand and not see what lies dimly in the distance. — Charlie Munger in Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist by Roger Lowenstein. (Founders #182) Rockefeller on Standard Oil stock: Sell everything you've got, even the shirt on your back, but hold on to the stock.All business proceeds on belief: Trying to run a company without a set of beliefs is like trying to steer a ship without a rudder. — Four Seasons: The Story of a Business Philosophy by Isadore Sharp (Founders #184)  Rockefeller on his “unintelligent competition”: We had the type of man who really never knew all the facts about his own affairs. Many kept their books in such a way that they did not actually know when they were making money or when they were losing money.A few weeks later, the newspapers announce his new partnership—revealing who had backed his bid—and the news that Rockefeller is, at twenty-five, an owner of one of the largest refineries in the world. On that day his partners “woke up and saw for the first time that my mind had not been idle while they were talking so big and loud,” he would say later. They were shocked. They'd seen their empire dismantled and taken from them by the young man they had dismissed. Rockefeller had wanted it more.  — Conspiracy by Ryan Holiday At best it was a speculative trade, and I wonder that we managed to pull through so often; but we were gradually learning how to conduct a most difficult business.A blueprint for success in any endeavor: Low prices to the customer. Root out any inefficiency. Pay for talent. Control expenses. Invest in technology.We devoted ourselves exclusively to the oil business and its products. The company never went into outside ventures, but kept to the enormous task of perfecting its own organizationThe fastest way to move a dial is narrow the focus. People naturally resist focus because they can't decide what is important. Therein lies a problem: people can typically tell you after some deliberation what their top three priorities are, but they struggle to decide on just one. What is too much and what is too little focus? Do you ever even discuss this? Most teams are not focused enough. I rarely encountered a team that employed too narrow an aperture. It goes against our human grain. People like to boil oceans. Just knowing that can be to your advantage. When you narrow focus, you are increasing the resourcing on the remaining priority. —  Amp It Up by Frank Slootman Two people can run the same business and have vastly different results: Perhaps it is worth while to emphasize again the fact that it is not merely capital and "plants" and the strictly material things which make up a business, but the character of the men behind these things, their personalities, and their abilities; these are the essentials to be reckoned with. When it comes to competition, being one of the best is not good enough. Do you really want to plan for a future in which you might have to fight with somebody who is just as good as you are? I wouldn't. — Jeff Bezos in Invent and Wander: The Collected Writings of Jeff BezosDon't even think of temporary or sharp advantages. Don't waste your effort on a thing which ends in a petty triumph unless you are satisfied with a life of petty success.Study diligently your capital requirements, and fortify yourself fully to cover possible set-backs, because you can absolutely count on meeting setbacks.Do not to lose your head over a little success, or grow impatient or discouraged by a little failure.Know your numbers. You need to know your business down to the ground.Money comes naturally as a result of service (Henry Ford)Don't do anything that someone else can do (Edwin Land)The man will be most successful who confers the greatest service on the world.Commercial enterprises that are needed by the public will pay. Commercial enterprises that are not needed fail, and ought to fail.Dedicate your life to building something that contributes to the progress and happiness of mankind.----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

Ron DeSantis: junkie.Our subject this episode is the fabulous Mar-a-Lago estate on Palm Beach. We discuss it's history from Marjorie Merriweather Post through Donald Trump and what makes the mansion/private club special. Les Standiford, author of "Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago, and the Rise of America's Xanadu," provides the expertise.Birds of a Feather Talk TogetherA podcast all about birds. Two bird experts, John Bates and Shannon Hackett, educate...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Les Standiford, a writer and lecturer who spoke onboard a recent Sea Cloud Spirit cruise, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report, about his many books that make up a virtual history of Florida tourism. Those books include one devoted to Henry Flagler and the building of Florida's railroads and historic hotels (which proved crucial to tourism to the state). Standiford, who is the founding director of the Florida International University Creative Writing Program, also talks about his book examining the history of Palm Beach and Mar-a-Lago, a villa originally built by the Post fortune heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, who also built the first Sea Cloud sailing ship still in use today. For more information, visit www.seacloud.com or find Standiford's books on www.amazon.com. If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report Youtube channel or by searching for the podcast's title on Youtube.

JOIN OUR PATREON FOR BoNuS EPISODES and to purchase a CAMEO-STYLE video greeting from Dave and Kellen! (Gift to a friend or family member!)https://www.patreon.com/TheBookPile*So there's this book called A Christmas Carol which is about a guy trying to save money when a bunch of ghosts guilt-trip him into burning through his 401K just for a party. The book for today's episode, however, is about Charles Dickens writing that book.*If you want to read/listen to this book and support the podcast in a fun way, click here to buy the book! Free on Audible to first-time subscribers!https://amzn.to/3REVWWZ*Kellen Erskine has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC's America's Got Talent, and the Amazon Original Series Inside Jokes. He has garnered over 100 million views with his clips on Dry Bar Comedy. In 2018 he was selected to perform on the “New Faces” showcase at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. He currently tours the country www.KellenErskine.com

Podcast: Founders (LS 61 · TOP 0.1% what is this?)Episode: #295 I had dinner with Charlie MungerPub date: 2023-03-21What I learned from rereading The Tao of Charlie Munger.----Get access to the World's Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders Notes----Follow Founders Podcast on YouTube ----Follow one of my favorite podcasts Invest Like The Best !(5:45) The blueprint he gave me was simple: Forget what you know about buying fair businesses at wonderful prices; instead, buy wonderful businesses at fair prices.(8:48) He has never forgotten the importance of having friends in high places.(9:04) Most people systematically undervalue their time. — Peter Thiel(11:08) Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership by Edward Larson. Founders #251)(12:23) Meet You in Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Changed America by Les Standiford. (Founders #284)(15:02) Charlie took the excess capital out of Blue Chip Stamp and invested it in profitable businesses.(16:56) Charlie started seeing the advantages of investing in better businesses that didn't have big capital requirements and did have lots of free cash that could be reinvested in expanding operations or buying new businesses.(17:38) Go for great.(21:33) In everything I've done it really pays to go after the best people in the world. —Steve Jobs(27:15) If you're in a good business just know that it's human nature to mess it up. Don't mess it up. Just stay there and let time do its work.(27:34) One truly great business will make your unborn grandchildren wealthy.(28:08) All I Want To Know Is Where I'm Going To Die So I'll Never Go There: Buffett & Munger – A Study in Simplicity and Uncommon, Common Sense by Peter Bevelin. (Founders #286)(34:39) I did not succeed in life by intelligence. I succeeded because I have a long attention span.(34:54) Charlie Munger on how he made $400 or $500 million by reading Barron's for 50 years.(35:11) One of the reasons Charlie and Warren have never worried about anyone mimicking their investment style is because no other institution or individual has the discipline are the patience to wait as long as they can. (35:47) Wisdom is prevention.(36:50) Only play games where you have an edge. — A Man for All Markets: From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market by Ed Thorp. (Founders #222)(38:31) Wise people step on big and growing troubles early.(44:51) I am continually amazed at the number of people who are presented with an opportunity and pass. There's your basic dividing line between the people who shoot up in their careers like a rocket ship, and those who don't — right there. — Marc Andreessen's Blog Archive (Founders #50)(46:28) The most inspiring biography I've read so far: Born of This Land: My Life Story by Chung Ju-yung. (Founders #117)(47:11) Invest Like The Best #204 Sam Hinkie Find Your People(42:42) Rober Caro's Books:The Power BrokerThe Path to Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson IMeans of Ascent: The Years of Lyndon Johnson IIMaster of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson IIIThe Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson IV(48:46) We just got after it and we stayed after it. — Sam Walton: Made In America by Sam Walton. (Founders #234)(52:39) Some brand names own a piece of consumer's minds and they do not have any direct competition.(55:30) We are individual opportunity driven.(57:08) Size and market domination can create their own kind of durable competitive advantage.(56:15) Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products by Leander Kahney. (Founders #178)(1:01:57) Extreme specialization is the way to succeed. Most people are way better off specializing than trying to understand the world.(1:04:44) Wise people want to avoid other people who are just total rat poison and there are a lot of them.(1:05:35) Charlie and I have seen so much of the ordinary in business that we can truly appreciate a virtuoso performance.(1:09:00) Am I Being Too Subtle?: Straight Talk From a Business Rebel by Sam Zell. (Founders #269)(1:10:15) Charlie looks at nearly everything through the lens of history. You aren't changing human nature. Things will just keep repeating forever.(1:13:13) There should be more willingness to take the blows of life as they fall. That's what manhood is, taking life as it falls. Not whining all the time and trying to fix it by whining.(1:14:40) Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire by James Wallace and Jim Erickson. (Founders #290)(1:17:00) Arnold Schwarzenegger autobiographies and episodes:Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story by Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Founders #141)Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder by Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Founders #193)----Get access to the World's Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders Notes----Follow Founders Podcast on YouTube ----Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders PodcastThe podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from David Senra , which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.

Podcast: Founders (LS 59 · TOP 0.5% what is this?)Episode: #295 I had dinner with Charlie MungerPub date: 2023-03-21What I learned from rereading The Tao of Charlie Munger.----Come see a live show with me and Patrick O'Shaughnessy from Invest Like The Best on October 19th in New York City. Get your tickets here! ----This episode is brought to you by: Tiny: Tiny is the easiest way to sell your business. Tiny provides quick and straightforward exits for Founders.  ----Follow one of my favorite podcasts Invest Like The Best ![5:45] The blueprint he gave me was simple: Forget what you know about buying fair businesses at wonderful prices; instead, buy wonderful businesses at fair prices.[8:48] He has never forgotten the importance of having friends in high places.[9:04] Most people systematically undervalue their time. — Peter Thiel[11:08] Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership by Edward Larson. Founders #251)[12:23] Meet You in Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Changed America by Les Standiford. (Founders #284)[15:02] Charlie took the excess capital out of Blue Chip Stamp and invested it in profitable businesses.[12:56] Charlie started seeing the advantages of investing in better businesses that didn't have big capital requirements and did have lots of free cash that could be reinvested in expanding operations or buying new businesses.[17:38] Go for great.[21:33] In everything I've done it really pays to go after the best people in the world. —Steve Jobs[27:15] If you're in a good business just know that it's human nature to mess it up. Don't mess it up. Just stay there and let time do its work.[27:34] One truly great business will make your unborn grandchildren wealthy.[28:08] All I Want To Know Is Where I'm Going To Die So I'll Never Go There: Buffett & Munger – A Study in Simplicity and Uncommon, Common Sense by Peter Bevelin. (Founders #286)[34:39] I did not succeed in life by intelligence. I succeeded because I have a long attention span.[34:54] Charlie Munger on how he made $400 or $500 million by reading Barron's for 50 years.[35:11] One of the reasons Charlie and Warren have never worried about anyone mimicking their investment style is because no other institution or individual has the discipline are the patience to wait as long as they can. [35:47] Wisdom is prevention.[36:50] Only play games where you have an edge. — A Man for All Markets: From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market by Ed Thorp. (Founders #222)[38:31] Wise people step on big and growing troubles early.[44:51] I am continually amazed at the number of people who are presented with an opportunity and pass. There's your basic dividing line between the people who shoot up in their careers like a rocket ship, and those who don't — right there. — Marc Andreessen's Blog Archive (Founders #50)[46:28] The most inspiring biography I've read so far: Born of This Land: My Life Story by Chung Ju-yung. (Founders #117)[47:11] Invest Like The Best #204 Sam Hinkie Find Your People[42:42] Rober Caro's Books:The Power BrokerThe Path to Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson IMeans of Ascent: The Years of Lyndon Johnson IIMaster of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson IIIThe Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson IV[48:46] We just got after it and we stayed after it. — Sam Walton: Made In America by Sam Walton. (Founders #234)[52:39] Some brand names own a piece of consumer's minds and they do not have any direct competition.[55:30] We are individual opportunity driven.[57:08] Size and market domination can create their own kind of durable competitive advantage.[56:15] Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products by Leander Kahney. (Founders #178)[1:01:57] Extreme specialization is the way to succeed. Most people are way better off specializing than trying to understand the world.[1:04:44] Wise people want to avoid other people who are just total rat poison and there are a lot of them.[1:05:35] Charlie and I have seen so much of the ordinary in business that we can truly appreciate a virtuoso performance.[1:09:00] Am I Being Too Subtle?: Straight Talk From a Business Rebel by Sam Zell. (Founders #269)[1:10:15] Charlie looks at nearly everything through the lens of history. You aren't changing human nature. Things will just keep repeating forever.[1:13:13] There should be more willingness to take the blows of life as they fall. That's what manhood is, taking life as it falls. Not whining all the time and trying to fix it by whining.[1:14:40] Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire by James Wallace and Jim Erickson. (Founders #290)[1:17:00] Arnold Schwarzenegger autobiographies and episodes:Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story by Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Founders #141)Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder by Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Founders #193)----Subscribe to listen to Founders Premium — Subscribers can ask me questions directly and listen to Ask Me Anything (AMA) episodes.----Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book----I use Readwise to organize and remember everything I read. You can try Readwise for 60 days for free here.  ----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders PodcastThe podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from David Senra , which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.

What I learned from having dinner with Charlie Munger and rereading The Tao of Charlie Munger.This episode is brought to you by: Tiny: Tiny is the easiest way to sell your business. Tiny provides quick and straightforward exits for Founders.  ----Follow one of my favorite podcasts Invest Like The Best ![5:45] The blueprint he gave me was simple: Forget what you know about buying fair businesses at wonderful prices; instead, buy wonderful businesses at fair prices.[8:48] He has never forgotten the importance of having friends in high places.[9:04] Most people systematically undervalue their time. — Peter Thiel[11:08] Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership by Edward Larson. Founders #251)[12:23] Meet You in Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Changed America by Les Standiford. (Founders #284)[15:02] Charlie took the excess capital out of Blue Chip Stamp and invested it in profitable businesses.[12:56] Charlie started seeing the advantages of investing in better businesses that didn't have big capital requirements and did have lots of free cash that could be reinvested in expanding operations or buying new businesses.[17:38] Go for great.[21:33] In everything I've done it really pays to go after the best people in the world. —Steve Jobs[27:15] If you're in a good business just know that it's human nature to mess it up. Don't mess it up. Just stay there and let time do its work.[27:34] One truly great business will make your unborn grandchildren wealthy.[28:08] All I Want To Know Is Where I'm Going To Die So I'll Never Go There: Buffett & Munger – A Study in Simplicity and Uncommon, Common Sense by Peter Bevelin. (Founders #286)[34:39] I did not succeed in life by intelligence. I succeeded because I have a long attention span.[34:54] Charlie Munger on how he made $400 or $500 million by reading Barron's for 50 years.[35:11] One of the reasons Charlie and Warren have never worried about anyone mimicking their investment style is because no other institution or individual has the discipline are the patience to wait as long as they can. [35:47] Wisdom is prevention.[36:50] Only play games where you have an edge. — A Man for All Markets: From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market by Ed Thorp. (Founders #222)[38:31] Wise people step on big and growing troubles early.[44:51] I am continually amazed at the number of people who are presented with an opportunity and pass. There's your basic dividing line between the people who shoot up in their careers like a rocket ship, and those who don't — right there. — Marc Andreessen's Blog Archive (Founders #50)[46:28] The most inspiring biography I've read so far: Born of This Land: My Life Story by Chung Ju-yung. (Founders #117)[47:11] Invest Like The Best #204 Sam Hinkie Find Your People[42:42] Rober Caro's Books:The Power BrokerThe Path to Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson IMeans of Ascent: The Years of Lyndon Johnson IIMaster of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson IIIThe Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson IV[48:46] We just got after it and we stayed after it. — Sam Walton: Made In America by Sam Walton. (Founders #234)[52:39] Some brand names own a piece of consumer's minds and they do not have any direct competition.[55:30] We are individual opportunity driven.[57:08] Size and market domination can create their own kind of durable competitive advantage.[56:15] Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products by Leander Kahney. (Founders #178)[1:01:57] Extreme specialization is the way to succeed. Most people are way better off specializing than trying to understand the world.[1:04:44] Wise people want to avoid other people who are just total rat poison and there are a lot of them.[1:05:35] Charlie and I have seen so much of the ordinary in business that we can truly appreciate a virtuoso performance.[1:09:00] Am I Being Too Subtle?: Straight Talk From a Business Rebel by Sam Zell. (Founders #269)[1:10:15] Charlie looks at nearly everything through the lens of history. You aren't changing human nature. Things will just keep repeating forever.[1:13:13] There should be more willingness to take the blows of life as they fall. That's what manhood is, taking life as it falls. Not whining all the time and trying to fix it by whining.[1:14:40] Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire by James Wallace and Jim Erickson. (Founders #290)[1:17:00] Arnold Schwarzenegger autobiographies and episodes:Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story by Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Founders #141)Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder by Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Founders #193)----Subscribe to listen to Founders Premium — Subscribers can ask me questions directly and listen to Ask Me Anything (AMA) episodes.----Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book----I use Readwise to organize and remember everything I read. You can try Readwise for 60 days for free here.  ----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

What I learned from rereading Meet You in Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Changed America by Les Standiford.This episode is brought to you by: Tiny: Tiny is the easiest way to sell your business. Quick and straightforward exits for Founders.—Follow one of my favorite podcasts Invest Like The Best  and check out these great episodes: #137 Bill Gurley: All Things Business and Investing#88 Sam Hinkie: Data, Decisions, and Basketball#204 Sam Hinkie: Find Your People—Subscribe to listen to Founders Premium — Subscribers can ask me questions directly which I will answer in Ask Me Anything (AMA) episodes —[0:01] Frick had been the man Carnegie trusted above all others to manage the affairs of Carnegie Steel.[2:00] Carnegie had delegated the job of holding the line on wages and other demands to Frick—a Patton to Carnegie's FDR.[3:00] The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie by Andrew Carnegie.  (Founders #283)[5:00] Here's a starter pack of essentials  for Day 1 defense: customer obsession, a skeptical view of proxies, the eager adoption of external trends, and high-velocity decision making. —Jeff Bezos's Shareholder Letters (Founders #282)[7:00] In less than half a century the United States had been transformed―from a largely agrarian and underdeveloped federation of competing interests, to a relatively cohesive economic juggernaut. The age of the Founding Fathers was over. The Age of the Titans had begun.[12:00] By 1863 Carnegie was earning more than $45,000 a year from this and all his other investments, compared with a mere $2,400 from his railroad salary. Yet he understood that it was the contacts he made and the information he derived from his association with the railroad that made everything else possible.[13:00] More control. Less costs. More profit.[15:00] Technology is just a better way to do something: As a result of the process for transforming iron to steel that bore his name (Bessemer), a quantity of steel that might formerly have taken as long as two weeks to produce could now be made in fifteen minutes.[17:00] Carnegie starts his company during a financial panic. The best time to expand is when no one else dares to take the risk.[20:00] Already the best but still wants to do better: Even his key employees were not spared Carnegie's heavy-handed management style. To almost every positive report Carnegie's response was "Good, but let us do better."[21:00] Cut the prices, scoop the market, watch the costs, and the profits will take care of themselves.[21:00] Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire by James Wallace and Jim Erickson (Founders #140)[22:00] He could make steel more efficiently than any of them.[24:00] Henry Clay Frick: The Life of the Perfect Capitalist by Quentin Skrabec Jr. (Founders #75)[24:00] Like Rockefeller, Henry Clay Frick used a lot of borrowed money to get his start in the coke business. There was a line in one of Rockefeller's biographies where it said “he was the greatest borrower I've ever seen.”[26:00] Frick knew his business down to the ground.[26:00] LIke Carnegie, Frick expands his business during an economic panic. Frick, who would later recall this as one of the most grueling times in his life, proved as undaunted in the face of adversity as Carnegie had been.[34:00] Carneige was accustomed to obedience from his subordinates, but if he expected unquestioned subservience from Henry Frick, he had gravely miscalculated.[36:00] Frick was no puppet, but rather a man willing to take considerable risks in defense of his principles.[37:00] Frick had ambition, a singleness of purpose, and a lack of self—doubt that even Carneige envied.[38:00] Carnegie would repeat the mantra time and again: profits and prices were cyclical, subject to any number of transient forces of the marketplace. Costs, however, could be strictly controlled, and in Carnegie's view, any savings achieved in the costs of goods were permanent.[39:00] On this issue the two men were of one mind. Frick had made his way in coke by the same reckoning that Carnegie had in rail and steel: if you knew your costs down to the penny, you were always on firm ground.[39:00] Frick had always understood how essential new technologies were in driving costs down. Cost control became nearly an obsession.[47:00] [Frick was shot] Only after he was finished with his day's work did Frick permit himself to be carried from the office to an ambulance.[49:00] You must not allow anything to discourage you in the least. Even if things do not go well for some time to come, or even if they should get much worse. Just keep at it, doing the best you can. Do not allow the fact that you are not getting along as well as you would like to lead you to put yourself in a compromising position.[1:03:00] Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World by Jill Jonnes. (Founders #83)[1:04:00] J.P. Morgan understood the folly of a long-term battle with the Carnegie Company, a firm that controlled its own sources of raw materials, transport, and manufacture, and that was far more deeply capitalized than his or any other of the upstarts. They might stay in the game for a while, and they might put a dent in Carnegie's armor, but in the end, Carnegie would run them into the ground, every one. Subscribe to listen to Founders Premium — Subscribers can ask me questions directly which I will answer in Ask Me Anything (AMA) episodes —I use Readwise to organize and remember everything I read. You can try Readwise for 60 days for free https://readwise.io/founders/—“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

What I learned from rereading The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie by Andrew Carnegie. Subscribe to listen to Founders Premium — Subscribers can now ask me questions directly which I will answer in Ask Me Anything (AMA) episodes [1:01] 3 part series on Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick:Meet You In Hell: Andrew Carnegie Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Transformed America by Les Standiford. (Founders #73) The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie by Andrew Carnegie (Founders #74) Henry Clay Frick: The Life of the Perfect Capitalist by Quentin Skrabec Jr. (Founders #75) [2:00] What these guys all had in common is they were hell bent on knowing their business down to the last cent. They were obsessed with having the lowest cost structure in their industry.[2:00] Highlights from Meet You in Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Changed America:—Cut the prices, scoop the market, watch the costs, and the profits will take care of themselves.—Frick knows his business down to the ground.—Frick's rise from humble beginnings was obviously intriguing to him. It signaled to Carnegie that Frick was another of the fellow “fittest,” and those were the individuals with whom Carnegie sought to align himself.—Carnegie would repeat the mantra time and again: profits and prices were cyclical, subject to any number of transient forces of the marketplace. Costs, however, could be strictly controlled, and in Carnegie's view, any savings achieved in the costs of goods were permanent.—On this issue the two men were of one mind. Frick had made his way in coke by the same reckoning that Carnegie had in rail and steel: if you knew your costs down to the penny, you were always on firm ground.[6:00] Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson. (Founders #115)[7:00] A sunny disposition is worth more than a fortune. Young people should know that it can be cultivated; that the mind like the body can be moved from the shade into sunshine.[7:00] The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder. (Founders #100)[8:00] The most important judge of your life story is yourself.[9:00] You can always understand the son by the story of his father. The story of the father is embedded in the son. —Francis Ford Coppola: A Filmmaker's Life by Michael Schumacher. (Founders #242)[10:00] Invest in technology, the savings compound, it gives you an advantage over slower moving competitors, and can be the difference between a profit and a loss.[17:00] He is working from sunrise to sunset for $1.20 a week and he is ecstatic about being able to help his family avoid poverty. [18:00] Andrew Carnegie had manic levels of optimism.[20:00] Do not delay. Do it now. It is a great mistake not to seize the opportunity. Having got myself in, I proposed to stay there if I could.[21:00] I felt that my foot was upon the ladder and that I was about to climb.[21:00] Lesson from Andrew Carnegie's early life: Focus on whatever job is in front of you at this very moment and do the best you can. You can never know what opportunities that will unlock in the future.[24:00] On the miracle of reading and having free access to a 400 volume personal library: In this way the windows were opened in the walls of my dungeon through which the light of knowledge streamed in. Every day's toil and even the long hours of night service were lightened by the book which I carried about with me and read in the intervals that could be snatched from duty. And the future was made bright by the thought that when Saturday came a new volume could be obtained.[26:00] To Colonel James Anderson, Founder of Free Libraries in Western Pennsylvania:He opened his Library to working boys and upon Saturday afternoons acted as librarian, thus dedicating not only his books but himself to the noble work. This monument is erected in grateful remembrance by Andrew Carnegie, one of the "working boys" to whom were thus opened the precious treasures of knowledge and imagination through which youth may ascend.[28:00] Running Down A Dream: How to Succeed and Thrive in a Career You Love by Bill Gurley[36:00] Dark Genius of Wall Street: The Misunderstood Life of Jay Gould, King of the Robber Barons by Edward J. Renehan Jr. (Founders #258)[43:00] This policy is a true secret of success: Uphill work it will be.[46:00] Put all your eggs in one basket and watch that basket.[46:00] The most expensive way to pay for anything is with time.[48:00] The men who have succeeded are men who have chosen one line and stuck to it. It is surprising how few men appreciate the enormous dividends derivable from investment in their own business.[48:00] My advice to young men would be not only to concentrate their whole time and attention on the one business in life in which they engage, but to put every dollar of their capital into it.[51:00] The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance by Ron Chernow. (Founders #139)[52:00] Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean by Les Standiford. (Founders #247)Subscribe to listen to Founders Premium — Subscribers can now ask me questions directly which I will answer in Ask Me Anything (AMA) episodes —I use Readwise to organize and remember everything I read. You can try Readwise for 60 days for free https://readwise.io/founders/—“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

The Man Who Invented Christmas is the title of a very popular holiday season movie starring Dan Stevens playing the role of Charles Dickens. It began its life as a book, written by New York Times best-selling author Les Standiford, who is also founding director of the Florida International University Creative Writing program in Miami. Les has written dozens of nonfiction books and novels, including the John Deal crime series and  Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean. His most recent book is Battle for the Big Top: P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, John Ringling, and the Death-Defying Saga of the American Circus. You can find out more about his work at http://www.les-standiford.comGail talked with Les just in time for Christmas Day.The Brainwave Podcast is produced and presented by WindWord Group Publishing and Media. Please visit our website at https://www.windwordgroup.com to sign up for our newsletter and receive regular information about upcoming guests, new releases, and special gifts for regular listeners and readers. Support the showLet's connect!Instagram https://www,instagram.com/brainwave_podcastFacebook https://www.facebook/windwordgroupSign up for Gail Hulnick's newsletter "Connecting the Creative Dots" at https://www.windwordgroup.com

What I learned from reading Paul Graham's essays.Support Founders' sponsors: Tiny: The easiest way to sell your business. Quick and straightforward exits for Founders. Capital: Banking built for Founders. Raise, hold, spend, and send—all in one place. Tegus is a search engine for business knowledge that's used by Founders, investors, and executives. Subscribe to listen to Founders Daily (my new daily podcast)[4:52] My father told me I could be whatever I wanted when I grew up, so long as I enjoyed it.[5:49] Do what you love doesn't mean, do what you would like to do most this second.[7:41] To be happy I think you have to be doing something you not only enjoy, but admire. You have to be able to say, at the end, wow, that's pretty cool.[8:00] You should not worry about prestige. This is easy advice to give. It's hard to follow.[10:22] You have to make a conscious effort to keep your ideas about what you want from being contaminated by what seems possible.[12:18] Whichever route you take, expect a struggle. Finding work you love is very difficult. Most people fail.[16:46] How To Do What You Love by Paul Graham [16:34] What Doesn't Seem Like Work by Paul Graham [17:16] If something that seems like work to other people doesn't seem like work to you, that's something you're well suited for.[17:42] Michael Jordan said what looked like hard work to others was play to him. Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby. (Founders #212) and Driven From Within by Michael Jordan and Mark Vancil. (Founders #213)[20:53] How Not to Die by Paul Graham [23:00] All that matters is to survive. The rest is just words. — Charles de Gaulle by Julian Jackson (Founders #224)[24:49] You have to assume that running a startup can be demoralizing. That is certainly true. I've been there, and that's why I've never done another startup.[27:31] If a startup succeeds, you get millions of dollars, and you don't get that kind of money just by asking for it. You have to assume it takes some amount of pain.[28:17] So I'll tell you now: bad shit is coming. It always is in a startup. The odds of getting from launch to liquidity without some kind of disaster happening are one in a thousand.So don't get demoralized. When the disaster strikes, just say to yourself, ok, this was what Paul was talking about. What did he say to do? Oh, yeah. Don't give up.[28:45] Why to Start a Startup in a Bad Economy by Paul Graham [30:23] If we've learned one thing from funding so many startups, it's that they succeed or fail based on the qualities of the founders.[31:15] If you're worried about threats to the survival of your company, don't look for them in the news. Look in the mirror.[34:10] The cheaper your company is to operate, the harder it is to kill.[35:43] Relentlessly Resourceful by Paul Graham [35:43] I finally got being a good startup founder down to two words: relentlessly resourceful.[37:20] If I were running a startup, this would be the phrase I'd tape to the mirror. "Make something people want" is the destination, but "Be relentlessly resourceful" is how you get there.[37:40] The Anatomy of Determination by Paul Graham [37:45] David's Notes: A Conversation with Paul Graham[39:50] After a while determination starts to look like talent.[42:12] Ambitious people are rare, so if everyone is mixed together randomly, as they tend to be early in people's lives, then the ambitious ones won't have many ambitious peers. When you take people like this and put them together with other ambitious people, they bloom like dying plants given water. Probably most ambitious people are starved for the sort of encouragement they'd get from ambitious peers, whatever their age.[43:21] One of the best ways to help a society generally is to create events and institutions that bring ambitious people together. (Founders Podcast Conference?)[45:21] What Startups Are Really Like by Paul Graham [49:00] The Entire History of Silicon Valley by John Coogan[49:50] Meet You In Hell: Andrew Carnegie Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Transformed America by Les Standiford. (Founders #73)[55:08] You need persistence because everything takes longer than you expect. A lot of people (founders) were surprised by that.[57:18] Estee Lauder was a master at doing things that don't scale. Estée Lauder: A Success Storyby Estée Lauder. (Founders #217)[58:45] What makes companies fail most of the time is poor execution by the founders. A lot of times founders are worried about competition. YC has founded 1900+ companies. 1 was killed by competitors. You have the same protection against competitors that light aircraft have against crashing into other light aircraft. Do you know what the protection is? Space is large.[1:01:00] Paul on what he would do if he was strating a company today: If I were a 22 year starting a startup I would certainly apply to YC. Which is not that surprising, since it was designed to be what I wish I'd had when I did start one. But (assuming I got in) I would not get sucked into raising a huge amount on Demo Day.I would raise maybe $500k, keep the company small for the first year, work closely with users to make something amazing, and otherwise stay off SV's radar.Ideally I'd get to profitability on that initial $500k. Later I could raise more, if I felt like it. Or not. But it would be on my terms.At every point in the company's growth, I'd keep the company as small as I could. I'd always want people to be surprised how few employees we had. Fewer employees = lower costs, and less need to turn into a manager.When I say small, I mean small in employees, not revenues.[1:05:07] Against The Odds: An Autobiography by James Dyson (Founders #200)[1:07:00] A Word To The Resourceful by Paul Graham [1:08:07] We found the startups that did best were the ones with the sort of founders about whom we'd say "they can take care of themselves." The startups that do best are fire-and-forget in the sense that all you have to do is give them a lead, and they'll close it, whatever type of lead it is.[1:09:00] Understanding all the implications of what someone tells you is a subset of resourcefulness. It's conversational resourcefulness.[1:11:00] Do Things That Don't Scale by Paul Graham [1:11:00] Startups take off because the founders make them take off.[1:16:00] The question to ask about an early stage startup is not "is this company taking over the world?" but "how big could this company get if the founders did the right things?" And the right things often seem both laborious and inconsequential at the time.[1:16:00] Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire by James Wallace and Jim Erickson (Founders #140)[1:21:00] The world is complicated. It is noisy. We are not going to get a chance to get people to remember much about us. No company is. So we have to be really clear about what we want them to know about us. —Steve Jobs[1:22:00] Any strategy that omits the effort is suspect.[1:23:00] The need to do something unscalably laborious to get started is so nearly universal that it might be a good idea to stop thinking of startup ideas as scalars. Instead we should try thinking of them as pairs of what you're going to build, plus the unscalable thing(s) you're going to do initially to get the company going.Now that there are two components you can try to be imaginative about the second as well as the first. Founders need to work hard in two dimensions.—I use Readwise to organize and remember everything I read. You can try Readwise for 60 days for free by going to https://readwise.io/founders/—Subscribe to listen to Founders Daily—“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth

What I learned from reading Cable Cowboy: John Malone and the Rise of the Modern Cable Business by Mark Robichaux.--Support Founders' sponsors: Tegus is a search engine for business knowledge that's used by founders, investors, and executives. It's incredible what they're building. Try it for free by visiting Tegus.and Sam Hinkie's unique venture capital firm 87 Capital. If i was raising money and looking for a long term partner Sam is the first person I would call. If you are the kind of founder that we study on this podcast and you are looking for a long term partner go to 87capital.comand Get 60 days free of Readwise. It is the best app I pay for. I couldn't make Founders without it.--[8:00] Thread of highlights from Cable Cowboy by @Loadlinefinance[8:31] Malone was stalwart about building long term value through leveraged cash flow. Earnings didn't count. He wasn't constrained by quarterly expectations.[8:53] Malone built the pipes, then bought the water that flows through them.[9:12] Malone took spartan operations to another level. Absolutely no bureaucracy. No waste. We don't believe in staff. Staff are people who second-guess people.[9:40] Malone averaged one M&A deal every two weeks over 15 years. That's insane. These guys were slinging billion dollar deals like bowls of breakfast cereal.[10:02] One of the best parts of the book is Robichaux's exploration of Malone's complex personality. It's not just a fawning glow piece.[10:46] The beginning of industries are always filled with cowboys, pirates, and misfits.[12:05] This book— by far — has been the most requested book for me to cover on Founders for years.[12:51] Founders episodes on Andrew Carnegie:Meet You In Hell: Andrew Carnegie Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Transformed America by Les Standiford. (Founders #73)The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie by Andrew Carnegie. (Founders #74)Founders episodes on JP Morgan:The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance by Ron Chernow (Founders #139)The Hour of Fate: Theodore Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, and the Battle to Transform American Capitalism by Susan Berfield (Founders #142)[14:37] Mavericks Lecture: John Malone[15:04] Two Rockefeller podcasts:Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller by Ron Chernow (Founders #248)John D: The Founding Father of the Rockefellers by David Freeman Hawke (Founders #254)[18:45] Bob when recruiting John: You've got a great future here. If you can create it.[19:32] Malone's top executives were rough riders.[20:49] In 1972 TCI had $19 million in annual revenue and its debt load was an obscene $132 million.[21:49] Magness learned to listen instead of talk.Successful people listen. Those who don't listen, don't survive long. —Michael Jordan Driven From Within by Michael Jordan and Mark Vancil (Founders #213)[24:41] That $2,500 loan turns into hundreds of millions of dollars for his grandsons.[25:47] New employees were asked can you walk 10 miles in 10 below zero weather?[26:42] The cable companies hardly paid any taxes because of the high depreciation on the equipment.[28:24] He skimmed the company's numbers, looked up at Betsy and blurted out, I'm gonna hire the smartest son of a bitch I can find.[30:55] Francis Ford Coppola: A Filmmaker's Life by Michael Schumacher (Founders #242)[32:26] Once you make a guy rich don't expect him to work hard. Very unusual people do that.[33:24] You can identify an opportunity because you have deep knowledge about one industry and you see that there is an industry developing parallel to the industry that you know about. Jay Gould saw the importance of the telegraph industry in part because telegraph lines were laid next to railraod tracks.Edison: A Biography by Matthew Josephson (Founders #267)Dark Genius of Wall Street: The Misunderstood Life of Jay Gould, King of the Robber Barons by Edward J. Renehan Jr (Founders #258)[35:24] 1. You raise money so you can increase production. 2. Use your increased production to get better rates on transportation than other refiners. 3. Use your increased profits —because you have better transportation —to buy your competitors. 4. You continue to find secret sources of income. — John D: The Founding Father of the Rockefellers by David Freeman Hawke (Founders #254)[36:40] Malone thinks about his industry more than anyone else.[38:07] He blundered early by suggesting in a meeting that Amazon executives who traveled frequently should be permitted to fly business-class. Jeff slammed his hand on the table and said, “That is not how an owner thinks! That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard.”  — The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone (Founders #179)[38:58] Our experience has been that the manager of an already high-cost operation frequently is uncommonly resourceful in finding new ways to add to overhead, while the manager of a tightly-run operation usually continues to find additional methods to curtail costs, even when his costs are already well below those of his competitors. — Berkshire Hathaway Letters to Shareholders 1965-2018 by Warren Buffett (Founders #88)[40:24] FedEx was fearful the bank would try to seize the mortgaged planes. The bank had a young officer keeping track of the situation. Every time he showed up at the airport, we would radio the planes not to land. It was all very touchy. — Overnight Success: Federal Express and Frederick Smith, Its Renegade Creator by Vance Trimble (Founders #151)[41:14] How John described this point in his career: I'm the head of a little pipsqueak company in debt up to its ass, a couple million dollars in revenue, and not credit worthy to borrow from a bank. We're barely making it.[42:25] Malone like the mathematics of it. Tax sheltered cash flow could be leveraged to land more loans, to create more tax sheltered cash flow.[43:52] Stay in the game long enough to get lucky.[47:05] Bowerman's response to other coaches: “As a coach, my heart is always divided between pity for the men they wreck and scorn for how easy they are to beat.” —Bowerman and the Men of Oregon: The Story of Oregon's Legendary Coach and Nike's Cofounder by Kenny Moore. (Founders #153)[49:27] "Forget about earnings. That's a priesthood of the accounting profession," he would preach, unrelentingly. "What you're really after is appreciating assets.”[50:23] If you control distribution you get equity in return.[53:04] My Life and Work by Henry Ford (Founders #266)[54:49] Call Me Ted by Ted Turner[1:06:33] When picking an industry to enter, my favorite rule of thumb is this: Pick an industry where the founders of the industry—the founders of the important companies in the industry—are still alive and actively involved.  — The Pmarca Blog Archive Ebook by Marc Andreessen (Founders #50)—“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

One of America's favorite pastimes has always been the circus. And dominating that entertainment spectacle were the larger than life circus kings PT Barnum, James Bailey and John Ringling. Independently they competed for control of the American Circus; together they created the Greatest Show On Earth and captivated the nation. Best selling author Les Standiford brings to life this remarkable story and shines a spotlight on Florida's circus scene is his book Battle For The Big Top.

What I learned from reading Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean by Les Standiford.Listen to every full episode for $10 a month or $99 a year. The key ideas you'll learn pays for the subscription cost thousands of times over.WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE SAYING:“Founders is the only podcast I pay for and it's worth 100x the cost.”“I've now listened to every episode. From this knowledge I've doubled my business to $500k a year. Love your passion and recommend your podcast to everyone.”“Without a doubt, the highest value-to-cost ratio I've taken advantage of in the last year is the Founders podcast premium feed. Tap into eons of knowledge and experiences, condensed into digestible portions. Highly, highly recommend. “Uniquely outstanding. No fluff and all substance. David does an outstanding job summarizing these biographies and hones in on the elements that make his subjects so unique among entrepreneurs. I particularly enjoy that he focuses on both the founder's positive and negative characteristics as a way of highlighting things to mimic and avoid.”“I just paid for my first premium podcast subscription for Founders podcast. Learning from those who came before us is one of the highest value ways to invest time. David does his homework and exponentially improves my efficiency by focusing on the most valuable lessons.”“I haven't found a better return on my time and money than your podcast for inspiration and time-tested wisdom to help me on my journey."I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested, so my poor wallet suffers.”"I can't get enough of your podcast. You add a new layer to the books I've already read and make connections to ones I haven't, but now must read."“I have listened to many podcasts on entrepreneurship (HIBT, Masters of Scale, etc.) and find Founders to be consistently more helpful than any other entrepreneurship podcast. David is a craftsperson, he carefully reads biographies of founders, distills the most important anecdotes and themes from their life, and draws commonalities across lives. David's focus is rightfully not on teaching you a formula to succeed but on constantly pushing you to think different.”“I highly highly recommend this podcast. Holy cow. I've been binge listening to these and you start to see patterns across all these incredible humans.”Listening to your podcast has changed my life and that is not a statement I make often.“After one episode I quickly joined the Misfit feed. Love the insight and thoughts shared along the way. David loves what he does and it shines through on the podcast. 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Subscribe and start listening as soon as possible.”“David saves you hundreds of hours by summarizing bios of legendary business founders and providing valuable insight on what makes an individual successful. He has introduced me to many founders I would have never known existed.”“The podcasts offer spectacular lessons on life, human nature and business achievement. David's enthusiasm and personal thoughts bring me joy. My journey has been enhanced by his efforts.”"Founders is the best self investment that I've made in years."UPGRADE to listen to the rest of this episode and gain access to 255 full length episodes.You will learn the key insights from biographies on Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, John D. Rockefeller, Coco Chanel, Andrew Carnegie, Enzo Ferrari, Estee Lauder, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Phil Knight, Joseph Pulitzer, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alexander Graham Bell, Bill Gates, P.T. 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Dennis talks to Les Standiford, director creative writing program at Florida International University. His new book is The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits.  A Best of Prager Hour. Originally broadcast on December 24, 2008. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two high school English teachers provide financial advise for your Xmas season through books: The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford (2008) VS Hundred Dollar Holiday by Bill McKibben (1998).

What I learned from reading Meet You in Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Changed America by Les Standiford. Subscribe to listen to the rest of this episode and gain access to 229 full length episodes.WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE SAYING:“Without a doubt, the highest value-to-cost ratio I've taken advantage of in the last year is the Founders podcast premium feed. Tap into eons of knowledge and experiences, condensed into digestible portions. Highly, highly recommend. “Uniquely outstanding. No fluff and all substance. David does an outstanding job summarizing these biographies and hones in on the elements that make his subjects so unique among entrepreneurs. I particularly enjoy that he focuses on both the founder's positive and negative characteristics as a way of highlighting things to mimic and avoid.”“I just paid for my first premium podcast subscription for Founders podcast. Learning from those who came before us is one of the highest value ways to invest time. David does his homework and exponentially improves my efficiency by focusing on the most valuable lessons.”“I haven't found a better return on my time and money than your podcast for inspiration and time-tested wisdom to help me on my journey.“I've now listened to every episode. From this knowledge I've doubled my business to $500k a year. Love your passion and recommend your podcast to everyone.”“Founders is the only podcast I pay for and it's worth 100x the cost.”“I have listened to many podcasts on entrepreneurship (HIBT, Masters of Scale, etc.) and find Founders to be consistently more helpful than any other entrepreneurship podcast. David is a craftsperson, he carefully reads biographies of founders, distills the most important anecdotes and themes from their life, and draws commonalities across lives. David's focus is rightfully not on teaching you a formula to succeed but on constantly pushing you to think different.”“I highly highly recommend this podcast. Holy cow. I've been binge listening to these and you start to see patterns across all these incredible humans.”Listening to your podcast has changed my life and that is not a statement I make often.“After one episode I quickly joined the Misfit feed. Love the insight and thoughts shared along the way. David loves what he does and it shines through on the podcast. Definitely my go-to podcast now.”“It is worth every penny. I cannot put into words how fantastic this podcast is. Just stop reading this and get the full access.”“Personally it's one of my top 3 favorite podcasts. If you're into business and startups and technology, this is for you. David covers good books and I've come to really appreciate his perspective. Can't say enough good things.”“I quickly subscribed and it's honestly been the best money I've spent all year. It has inspired me to read biographies. Highly recommend.”“This is the most inspirational and best business podcast out there. David has inspired me to focus on biographies rather than general business books. I'm addicted.”“Anyone interested in business must find the time to listen to each any every Founders podcast. A high return on investment will be a virtual certainty. Subscribe and start listening as soon as possible.”“David saves you hundreds of hours by summarizing bios of legendary business founders and providing valuable insight on what makes an individual successful. He has introduced me to many founders I would have never known existed.”“The podcasts offer spectacular lessons on life, human nature and business achievement. David's enthusiasm and personal thoughts bring me joy. My journey has been enhanced by his efforts.”"Founders is the best self investment that I've made in years."Sign up to listen to the rest of this episode and get access to every full episode. You will learn the key insights from biographies on Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, John D. Rockefeller, Coco Chanel, Andrew Carnegie, Enzo Ferrari, Estee Lauder, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Phil Knight, Joseph Pulitzer, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alexander Graham Bell, Bill Gates, P.T. Barnum, Edwin Land, Henry Ford, Walter Chrysler, Thomas Edison, David Ogilvy, Ben Franklin, Howard Hughes, George Lucas, Levi Strauss, Walt Disney and so many more. You will learn from the founders of Nike, Patagonia, Apple, Microsoft, Hershey, General Motors, Ford, Standard Oil, Polaroid, Home Depot, MGM, Intel, Federal Express, Wal Mart, JP Morgan, Chrysler, Cadillac, Oracle, Hyundai, Seagram, Berkshire Hathaway, Teledyne, Adidas, Les Schwab, Renaissance Technologies, IKEA, Sony, Ferrari, and so many more. Sign up to listen to the rest of this episode and get access to every full episode. 

Spoiler note: We're giving an alert for persons who haven't read or watched an adaptation of A Christmas Carol. In this episode co-hosts Michon and Taquiena talk about Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, based on the 2019 FX reinterpretation of Dickens' iconic story about Ebeneezer Scrooge, a resentful miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, to take him on a journey towards transformation. The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017), adapted from Les Standiford's biographical book of the same title, is the story of Charles Dickens, his challenges, inspirations, and disruptions while writing “A Christmas Carol.” The Boston Sisters also share their family Christmas memories, and the spirits Charles Dickens' iconic story lift during the holiday season and throughout the year. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/historicaldramasisters/support

Battle for the Bigtop: Miami Book Fair Author Les Standiford's Newest Treasure World class author and professor of Creative Writing, Les Standiford, explores issues of imagination, creativity, curiosity & cultural appropriation in writing with host Donna Kim-Brand. He also expounds on the entrepreneurial zeal and resourcefulness of early American circus founders in his latest tome: Battle for the Big Top: P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, John Ringling and the Death-Defying Saga of the American Circus.

On today's episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell Kaplan talks to Les Standiford about his new book, Battle for the Big Top, out now from PublicAffairs Books. Les Standiford is the author of several critically acclaimed books, including Last Train to Paradise, Meet You in Hell, and Bringing Adam Home. His book, The Man Who Invented Christmas, was a New York Times 'Editors' Choice' and was made into a feature film starring Christopher Plummer and Dan Stevens in 2018. He is a Professor of English and Founding Director of the Creative Writing Program at Florida International University and holds a MA and PhD in literature and creative writing from the University of Utah. He attended the US Air Force Academy and Columbia School of Law and is a former screenwriting fellow and graduate of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. He lives in Miami, Florida. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(6/16/21) If you're over the age of 40, whether you thought it was thrilling or cruel, chances are the circus played some kind of role in your childhood. In his new book, Battle for the Big Top: P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, John Ringling, and the Death-Defying Saga of the American Circus, bestselling author Les Standiford shines a light on the era when three circus kings—James Bailey, P.T. Barnum and John Ringling—all vied for control of the massive audience for the American circus. Join us for one of the nation's original showbiz showdowns in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

Looking at the island of Palm Beach today, with its unmatched mansions, tony shops, and pristine beaches, one is hard pressed to visualize the dense tangle of Palmetto brush and mangroves that it was when visionary entrepreneur and railroad tycoon Henry Flagler first arrived there in April 1893. Trusting his remarkable instincts, within less than a year he had built the Royal Poinciana Hotel, and two years later what was to become the legendary Breakers--instantly establishing the island as the preferred destination for those who could afford it. Over the next 125 years, Palm Beach has become synonymous with exclusivity--especially its most famous residence, "Mar-a-Lago." As Les Standiford relates, "the high walls of Mar-a-Lago and other manses like it were seemingly designed to contain scandal within as much as keep intruders out."With the authority and narrative prose style that has gained Standiford's work widespread acclaim, Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago, and the Rise of America's Xanadu tells the history of this fabled landscape intertwined with the colorful lives of its famous protagonists. Flagler's own marriages to Ida Alice Shourds and Mary Lily Kenan perhaps initiated the dramas to come. While sewing machine heir Paris Singer and architect Addison Mizner created the "Mediterranean look" of Palm Beach in the 1910s, inspiring the building of such modern day palaces as Eva and Ed Stotesbury's "El Mirasol," the centerpiece of Palm Beach became the fever dream of Marjorie Merriweather Post and her equally wealthy husband E. F. Hutton, for whom Ziegfeld Follies designer Joseph Urban built "Mar-a-Lago" in 1927. Marjorie "ruled" social Palm Beach through two other marriages and for years on her own until her death in 1973. The fate of her mansion threatened to tear apart the very fabric of the town until Donald Trump acquired it in 1985. Les Standiford brings alive a fabled place and the characters--the rich, famous and infamous alike--who have been drawn inexorably to it. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/pbliving/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pbliving/support

Barbara Meyer Link  is an award-winning California author and poet. She's the recipient of the Sacramento State University Bazzanella Prize for fiction. Her 2010 memoir, Blue Shy, won first prize in the Sacramento Friends of the Library First Chapter contest. She is also the co-author of  "Coffee and Ink", a handbook for writing groups. For fifteen years she shared her poetic gifts as a  teacher. Her debut novel  is "Chokecherry Girl". Set amid the racial tensions of 1950s Montana, It's  the story of three women drawn together by a stolen car, an illicit love affair and a shooting.  New York Times bestselling author Les Standiford says, “The characters and the place are palpable, and Link’s laconic delivery is perfectly suited for the proceedings. Sweet work, indeed.”

Barbara Meyer Link  is an award-winning California author and poet. She's the recipient of the Sacramento State University Bazzanella Prize for fiction. Her 2010 memoir, Blue Shy, won first prize in the Sacramento Friends of the Library First Chapter contest. She is also the co-author of  "Coffee and Ink", a handbook for writing groups. For fifteen years she shared her poetic gifts as a  teacher. Her debut novel  is "Chokecherry Girl". Set amid the racial tensions of 1950s Montana, It's  the story of three women drawn together by a stolen car, an illicit love affair and a shooting.  New York Times bestselling author Les Standiford says, “The characters and the place are palpable, and Link's laconic delivery is perfectly suited for the proceedings. Sweet work, indeed.” This is a copyrighted podcast @AuthorsontheAir Global Radio Network.

This week's episode of "Welcome to Florida" begins with great news for Florida's critically endangered grasshopper sparrow. Being Florida, the story of course involves a long and twisty road with no shortage of "colorful" characters who Craig Pittman introduces us to.Craig and Chadd Scott's guest this week is Les Standiford, author of "Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean."Standiford provides the definitive account of an essential Florida story featuring one of the state's most prominent figures, an engineering marvel and a deadly natural disaster. Les is the founder of the writing program at FIU and the author of more than 20 books, including the recently released "Palm Beach, Mar-A-Lago and the Rise of America's Xanadu."

In this episode of Fresh Art’s Fall 2020 Student Edition, University of Miami student Kristian Kranz heads to Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida, for a conversation with Lynne Barrett, editor of the book Making Good Time, and two of the book’s contributors: author Les Standiford and poet-engineer Richard Blanco. Listen to hear a few ‘only-in-Miami’ stories about getting around South Florida. Producers: Kristian Kranz/Miami Moves Me, Giselle Heraux/FreshArtINTL Sound Editor: Anamnesis Audio Related Episodes: Miami Moves Me/Making Good Time, Fresh Art Student Edition, Fresh Voices Miami Related Links: Miami Moves Me Podcast, Fresh Art Distance Learning Guide, Making Good Time in South Florida, Lynne Barrett, Les Standiford, Richard Blanco, Jai-Alai Books Making Good Time: True Stories of How We Do and Don’t Get Around South Florida —The city of Miami is renowned for her beauty and often imagined as paradise. Yet many locals and visitors find South Florida’s highways and byways a challenge to navigate. In the 2019 anthology Making Good Time, editor Lynne Barrett brings together thirty-one true tales inspired by transportation adventures in the southern realm of the Sunshine State.  

Interview with Les Standiford on John D. MacDonald

Florida has long been a muse for artists of every medium. For writers, it sets the scene and provides an endless supply of story content. The SoFlo team caught up with renowned bestselling author Les Standiford who's written 24 books and Kristen Arnett who is new to the scene, but coming on strong with her breakout bestseller, "Mostly Dead Things". They both talk about their love of Florida and how it's influenced their craft.

“The high walls of Mar-a-Lago and other manses like it were seemingly designed to contain scandal within, as much as keep intruders out,” Les Standiford. On this episode, Standiford talks with Mitchell about his latest book, Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago, and the Rise of America's Xanadu. From Henry Flagler, Marjory Merriweather Post to President Trump, who acquired Mar-a-Lago for $10-million in 1985 and now declares himself a Florida resident. The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan was recorded at the Books&Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Producer: Carmen Lucas Editor: Lit Hub Radio https://booksandbooks.com/ https://groveatlantic.com/book/palm-beach-mar-a-lago-and-the-rise-of-americas-xanadu/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Willie Drye, author of "Storm of the Century, and Les Standiford, author of "Last Train to Paradise" join Bryan and Luke to discuss their renowned South Florida-centric books and the history behind them on the Bryan Norcross Podcast.

What I learned from reading Meet You In Hell: Andrew Carnegie Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Transformed America by Les Standiford.If you want to listen to the full episode you’ll need to upgrade to the Misfit feed. You will get access to every full episode. These episodes are available nowhere else.As a bonus you will also get lifetime access to my notebook that contains key insights from over 285 podcasts and lectures on entrepreneurship.The Misfit Feed has no ads, no intro music, no interviews, no fluff. Just ideas from the greatest entrepreneurial minds in history. Upgrade now. 

In our intro episode, we look at how we got into true crime, talk about a few of the cases that have stuck with us, and discuss our goals for the podcast.   For Episode 1: The Abduction and Murder of Adam Walsh Read Bringing Adam Home: The Abduction That Changed the World by Les Standiford and Joe Matthews Read Tears of Rage by John Walsh Watch Adam (1983) Watch Adam: His Song Continues (1986)

In our first official episode, we discuss the case that started it all for both of us - the abduction and murder of Adam Walsh, as well as the accomplishments of his parents, John and Reve, who became the country's leading advocates for missing and abducted children. Sources: Bringing Adam Home: The Abduction that Changed America by Les Standiford and Joe Matthews Compilation of News Reports on Adam's Abduction "Adam Walsh Murder: John and Reve Walsh Re-Live the Investigation" by Dan Harris and Claire Pedersen, ABC "The U.S. is Still Dealing with the Murder of Adam Walsh" by Olivia B. Waxman, Time "27 Years Later, Case is Closed in Slaying of Abducted Child" by Yolanne Alamanzar, The New York Times "Police: '81 killing of Adam Walsh solved", NBC News "John Walsh Reveals Wrenching New Detail of Son's Death 33 Years Later" by Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter "Walsh's grief turned to action after Adam's murder" by Rich Phillips & Ann O'Neill, CNN "Adam Walsh case finally solved" by Lily Echeverria, The Miami Herald "Cops: 1981 Adam Walsh Murder Solved", CBS News Ottis Toole Biography, Crime Museum Ottis Toole Biography, biography.com Interview with Witness Mia Taylor Code Adam Training Video Code Adam Training Video (featuring John Walsh) Interview with Daniel J. Travanti John Walsh on His Wife Reve   For Next Episode Read Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule Watch Small Sacrifices

On this special episode of The Literary Life, Mitchell is joined by long-time friend, Les Standiford for a conversation about growing up in Ohio, finding his calling in life as a writer, teaching, upcoming projects and his favorite novel. Please listen, share and comment on @BooksandBooks' Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Recorded at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Host: Mitchell Kaplan Showrunner: Carmen Lucas Editor: Andy Stermer Links: https://booksandbooks.com/ http://www.les-standiford.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The holiday seasons bring many traditions. This year, a new tradition is in the making, The Man Who Invented Christmas, a film that takes us inside one of our all-time favorite holiday classics. Join Teresa and her very special guests Mitchell Kaplan, the film’s producer and renowned owner of the independent book store franchise Books & Books and the award-winning author of the book from which the film is based, Les Standiford. So how did Charles Dickens conjure up those unforgettable characters for his famous A Chrismas Carol? Find out on our holiday episode of Stories Beyond The Headlines.Link:https://www.google.com/search?q=the+man+who+invented+christmas+trailer&oq=The+Man+Who+Invented+Christmas&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j69i60j35i39j69i60l2j69i59.13251j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8reVolver Podcasts would like to thank our guests, Mitchell Kaplan and Les Standiford.Host: Teresa RodríguezShowrunner: Carmen LucasEditor: Cesar HaliwaClick below to Subscribe on:Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/teresa-rodriguez-stories-beyond-the-headlines/id1294144122Google Play Music: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Iximr5uqwege67iw77vl4h5n3uqSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aUY1JSXldLbsG0MppTp0fiHeart Radio App: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/teresa-rodriguez-stories-beyond-the-headlines-28549674/

Welcome to Mere Rhetoric, the podcast for beginners and insiders about the people, terms and movements who have shaped rhetorical history. I’m Mary Hedengren and I’ve been reading A Christmas Carol this holiday season because I’m playing Mrs. Crachit in a community theatre production. And wow. There is a story behind that. But becaue I was interested in The christmas carol, so I started reading The Man Who Invented Christmas, Les Standiford’s history of Dickens’s masterpeice. I was surprised to hear how A Christmas Carol had solidified Christmas as we know it, a home-and-family holiday rather than a racacus drunken orgy of disrule. Yeah, Christmas used to be like that. In fact, there was a debate about Christmas raging over several centuries when Scrooge came on the scene. After Dickens, though, industrialists started giving their employees Christmas Day off, and everyone started sending their workers the ubiquitous Christmas turkey. Robert Louis Stevenson, upon reading Dickens’s Christmas Carol first cried his eyes out and then committed to donate money to the poor. Even Dickens’s best frienemy and critic, William Makepeace Thackery, was deeply moved by it. Dickens’s book had, in the words of Lord Jeffrey “fostered more kindly feelings and prompted more positive acts of beneficence” than all the sermons in all the churches pervious. So if literature is so powerful to change the way people live, why isn’t it considered rhetoric? That question is probably best addressed in Steven Mailloux (My-U)’s Rhetorical Power. In the book that would in some ways define his career, Mailloux advances a rhetorical perspective of literature that would present a middle ground between idealist and realist literary theory. He calls the exercise of this perspective “rhetorical hermeneutics” which he suggests as an “anti-Theory theory” that will  “determine how texts are established as meaningful through rhetorical exchanges” (15). It isn’t just the content or, to use the old fashioned phrase, “theme” of a book that impacts people, but the way the story is drawn through, and the techniques that the author gets us to buy into. Such a reading differs wildly from the notions of New Criticisms that would restrict interpretation to the page and from even Stanley Fish’s narrow academic interpretative community. Instead, the work is rooted in a specific history, rhetorical tradition, and cultural conversation (145-6). We can be impacted by 19th century books, but not the in same way that Lord Jeffrey and Stevenson were. There are conversations going on and arguments made in the book catalogs of any culture. Mailloux claims that this perspective is not only engaged in the world outside the text, but also describes the temporal experience of reading. In this way, literature exits circles of elite academic interpretative communities and instead belongs to the community of readers at large. The text has an individual influence as well. Mailloux describes how a text can educate a reader (41) and train the reader to see and think a certain way as the text progresses (99). This education depends on the form of the work, how the work develops from premise to premise. Moby Dick is Mailloux’s main example of this kind of trained reading. The disappearing narrator through chapters isn’t just an error; it’s an education. In this way, rhetorical hermeneutics seem to draw on both Kenneth Burke’s discussion of form in Counter-statement and Wayne Booth’s concerns about immoral narration in The Rhetoric of Fiction. While Mailloux uses Moby Dick as his primary example of the education of the reader within the pages of a book, he spends more time discussing the way that a text’s educating qualities relate to a community’s debate, and what better example could he use than The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?     In Mark Twain’s book, Mailloux has a prime example of the way a work “includes rhetorical histories of interpretative disputes” (135).  Because of the way Twain’s work was part of the national debates of the “Negro Question” and the “Bad Boy Boom,” it can clearly demonstrate a reading that prioritizes not the “isolated readers and isolated texts” but the entire “rhetorical exchanges among interpreters embedded in discursive and other social practices at specific historical moments” (133).  We often think of Huckleberry Finn in terms of race only, because that’s the predominant issue from the book for our culture, but the issue of “bad boys” was even more pressing on Twain’s contemporaries, which may seems a shocking undersight to modern readers. Huckleberry Finn was originally banned from some schools and library for showing a bad boy getting away with rebellion.  Mailloux demonstrates that there were many pieces of literature of all sorts discussing what to do with juvenile delinquent boys, and Twain’s contribution in the unintentionally humane and thoughtful Huckleberry was a response to, and instigator of, some of the alarm. Moving from Mark Twain, Mailloux applies his theory to contemporary political disputes, demonstrating that this kind of reading practice isn’t exclusive to formal literature. So we come full circle. Literature participates in a wider societal conversation, and our political conversations can benefit of a reading as intense as the one we give to literature. As Mailloux says “textual interpretation and rhetorical politics can never be separated” (180).     So if you do a little light reading this holiday break, you might take a moment and wonder, what, exactly, are the political implications of what you’re reading. If you found a deeper level of rhetorical discourse in your holiday reading, why not drop us a line at mererhetoricpodcast@gmail.com? This is Mary Hedengren, ruining your vacation from Mere Rhetoric.

This episode of Movies First is brought to you by The Dollar Shave Club - Look, Shave & Feel Like A Million Bucks without paying it. For your special introductory offer - www.dollarshaveclub.com/first to let them know you came from us. There’s no reason not to join! Get yours at Dollar Shave Club dot com slash FIRST Stream episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com (mobile friendly). The Man Who Invented Christmas (Biography,Comedy, Drama) The journey that led to Charles Dickens' creation of "A Christmas Carol," a timeless tale that would redefine the holiday. Director: Bharat Nalluri Writers: Susan Coyne (screenplay), Les Standiford (book) Stars: Dan Stevens, Christopher Plummer, Jonathan Pryce - (IMDb) Movies First RSS feed: https://audioboom.com/channels/4673419.rss Subscribe, rate and review Movies First at all good podcatcher apps, including Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes), Stitcher, PocketCasts, audioBoom, CastBox.fm, Podbean, Spreaker etc. For more, follow Movies First on Facebook, twitter and Google+: Facebook - @moviesfirst twitter - @ moviesfirst Google+ - https://plus.google.com/u/2/collection/8p-OaB If you're enjoying Movies First, please share and tell your friends. Your support would be appreciated...thank you. #movies #cinema #entertainment #podcast #reviews #moviesfirst #christmas #xmas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On a riveting, heartbreaking episode of After Hours AM/The Criminal Code — True Crime Wednesdays with hosts Joel Sturgis, Eric Olsen, and secret weapon, forensic psychologist Dr. Clarissa Cole — we talk with legendary criminal investigator and retired Miami Beach Detective Sergeant Joe Matthews, who solved the Adam Walsh murder cold case and dozens of others. He is the co-author of Bringing Adam Home: The Abduction That Changed America. We speak with Joe Top of Hour 2; Hour 1, Clarissa leads us through the week’s most interesting and bizarre True Crime news. Bringing Adam Home: The Abduction That Changed America Bringing Adam Home:The Abduction That Changed America, co-written with Les Standiford, begins with Adam’s abduction and ends with the Hollywood, Florida PD closing the case 27 years later. Essentially, the Hollywood PD had all the information they needed to implicate serial killer Ottis Toole in the murder. However, the lead investigator on the case, who only had three years experience on the police force, strongly believed that a Walsh family friend was the culprit. It seemed as if this lead detective did everything in his power to disprove the fact that Toole was the killer including not processing evidence, such as photographs of the inside of Toole’s car where he reportedly murdered Adam and kept his body parts. Joe Matthews was involved in the case from the very beginning, as he was hired by the Hollywood PD to be a polygrapher. However, he was dismissed early on when he started questioning the methods of the police. Later, after John Walsh had risen to fame, he and Matthews crossed paths again and Matthews was finally allowed to do the investigation the way it should have been done in the first place. The evidence against Toole was strong. First, Ottis Toole often admitted to the crime both to family members, friends, and the police. He did reca

On a riveting, heartbreaking episode of After Hours AM/The Criminal Code — True Crime Wednesdays with hosts Joel Sturgis, Eric Olsen, and secret weapon, forensic psychologist Dr. Clarissa Cole — we talk with legendary criminal investigator and retired Miami Beach Detective Sergeant Joe Matthews, who solved the Adam Walsh murder cold case and dozens of others. He is the co-author of Bringing Adam Home: The Abduction That Changed America. We speak with Joe Top of Hour 2; Hour 1, Clarissa leads us through the week’s most interesting and bizarre True Crime news. Bringing Adam Home: The Abduction That Changed America Bringing Adam Home:The Abduction That Changed America, co-written with Les Standiford, begins with Adam’s abduction and ends with the Hollywood, Florida PD closing the case 27 years later. Essentially, the Hollywood PD had all the information they needed to implicate serial killer Ottis Toole in the murder. However, the lead investigator on the case, who only had three years experience on the police force, strongly believed that a Walsh family friend was the culprit. It seemed as if this lead detective did everything in his power to disprove the fact that Toole was the killer including not processing evidence, such as photographs of the inside of Toole’s car where he reportedly murdered Adam and kept his body parts. Joe Matthews was involved in the case from the very beginning, as he was hired by the Hollywood PD to be a polygrapher. However, he was dismissed early on when he started questioning the methods of the police. Later, after John Walsh had risen to fame, he and Matthews crossed paths again and Matthews was finally allowed to do the investigation the way it should have been done in the first place. The evidence against Toole was strong. First, Ottis Toole often admitted to the crime both to family members, friends, and the police. He did reca

Alexander Beresford grew up in Los Angeles and part of the time in Maryland and Dallas. He now resides in South Florida with occasional escapes to a haunted cottage in Derbyshire England where he communicates with ghosts, drinks rum, and writes. He is a National Writer's Association Short Fiction Award winner, a member of the Horror Writer's Association, and he studied Creative Writing at FIU with creative writing director/author Les Standiford. Alexander has also written plays, screenplays, short stories, and novellas.

Julie takes Bob Cratchit's coal. Scott throws snowballs at carolers. Neither can figure out why the clock keeps ringing 1:00 all night long. Episode 149: a discussion of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.Download or listen via this link: |Episode #149| Subscribe to the podcast via this link: Feedburner Or subscribe via iTunes by clicking: |HERE|The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits by Les StandifordCharles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World by Simon Callow

At the Miami Book Fair, Joseph Lapin, host of The Working Poet Radio Show, interviewed author Les Standiford on his creative journey and his new book "Water to the Angels."

Those of us in California know all too well what’s its like to be living in the midst of a drought.  Gov. Jerry Brown recently put in place restrictions demanding that urban water use be cut by 25%.  Already the push back is coming.  In a state where agriculture uses well over 50% of the state’s water, and only contributes 3% to the state’s economy, urban water users are becoming angry.There is much talk about pipelines, about desalination, and new technology to bring water to the parched desert that is much of California. All of this echoes a battle of an earlier time.  A time, at the turn of the last century, when a man named William Mulholland would devise a plan to make the desert that was Los Angeles bloom and allow it to become the world class, cutting edge metropolis that it is today.Perhaps in these dry times, its instructive to look back to that previous period and see what we might learn.My conversation with Les Standiford about his book Water to the Angels: William Mulholland, His Monumental Aqueduct, and the Rise of Los Angeles

  Alexander Beresford grew up in Los Angeles and part of the time in Maryland and Dallas. He now resides in South Florida with occasional escapes to a haunted cottage in Derbyshire England where he communicates with ghosts, drinks rum, and writes. He is a National Writer's Association Short Fiction Award winner, a proud member of the Horror Writer's Association, and he studied Creative Writing at FIU with creative writing director/author Les Standiford. Alexander has written plays, screenplays, a novella, and "CHARLA" his first novel.

  Alexander Beresford grew up in Los Angeles and part of the time in Maryland and Dallas. He now resides in South Florida with occasional escapes to a haunted cottage in Derbyshire England where he communicates with ghosts, drinks rum, and writes. He is a National Writer's Association Short Fiction Award winner, a proud member of the Horror Writer's Association, and he studied Creative Writing at FIU with creative writing director/author Les Standiford. Alexander has written plays, screenplays, a novella, and "CHARLA" his first novel.

The Friends of the Library presents Les Standiford, author of Last Train to Paradise, this year's Central Florida Reads selection.  Last Train to Paradise stunningly depicts the Key West Railroad's spectacular rise and dramatic fall and the man behind it all.  November 11, 2006. (07:43)