British business magnate, investor and philanthropist
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WELCOME TO THE VIBE! This week, Kelly Cardenas sits down with the visionary Founder & CEO of Lovesac, Shawn D. Nelson! (Nasdaq: LOVE).We're diving into the mindset of the man who started his journey by making Sacs by hand in college in 1998 and scaled it into the fastest-growing furniture brand in the US, now projected to exceed $1 Billion in annual sales. Get ready for a masterclass in entrepreneurship, sustainable design, and disruptive innovation!In this game-changing conversation, you'll learn about:The Branson Blueprint: The legendary story of how Shawn won a million-dollar investment from Sir Richard Branson on The Rebel Billionaire and served as acting President of Virgin Worldwide.Design Meets Strategy: How his Master's degree in Strategic Design and Management from the world-famous Parsons, The New School for Design shaped Lovesac's strategy.The Sactionals Secret: The innovation behind the Sactionals platform—the world's most versatile couch—and how Shawn holds over 50 issued patents.True Sustainability: An in-depth look at his unique "Designed For Life" philosophy, which demands products are built to last a lifetime and evolve, promoting genuine sustainability.Lessons for Leaders: Insights from his book, Let Me Save You 25 Years, detailing the colorful history, "mistakes, miracles, and lessons" learned while building a vibrant culture.Connect with Kelly Cardenas & The Vibe:Connect with Shawn D. Nelson:Visit or listen to his Let Me Save You 25 Years podcast to learn more.
In this episode of the Capital Raiser Show, Richard C. Wilson interviews Kevin Harrington—original Shark from Shark Tank, creator of the modern "As Seen On TV" model, and early investor in Celsius. Kevin walks through how he turned unused cable downtime in the 1980s into a billion-dollar infomercial engine, took his company public, and then scaled a global distribution business by syndicating only the proven winners worldwide. He explains why he exited TV at the right time, how he spotted Celsius at $0.10 per share before it became a $20B brand, and why influencer and digital marketing now beat traditional media for consumer products. Kevin also breaks down his philosophy of becoming a Key Person of Influence (KPI)—building your personal brand, writing books, doing 100+ podcasts, and assembling a "dream team" so the best deals and JV opportunities come to you first. He shares lessons from mentoring with Richard Branson, running high-discipline studios, reviewing 1,000+ pitches, and what he looks for in early-stage consumer deals personally and through Cypress Ascendant. If you want to attract better deal flow, build authority in your niche, and operate at true high velocity, this episode is a blueprint. To meet investors in person and plug into our ecosystem, visit https://familyoffices.com/. Our investor club offers 30 nationwide events a year, 10,000 registered investors, and 40 proprietary AI tools to help you raise capital and grow your platform.
Oz Pearlman has guessed Joe Rogan's pin number, freaked out Barack Obama, mind-read Howard Stern's secret afterlife password and left Richard Branson staring into the middle distance. But behind the viral moments is a former Wall Street analyst who insists there's nothing supernatural in what he does, just psychology, pattern-spotting and a lifetime spent decoding how people think. We dive into the real tricks of the world's most in-demand "mentalist", the habits that power his $10m career, and why he says you can learn them too.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryWritten by: Michael Odell, interviewer and features writer.Read by: Micaela Arneson and Edward Drummond.Producer: Dave Creasey.Read more: The $10m mind-reader who spooked Barack Obama and Joe RoganClips: The Joe Rogan Experience, SiriusXM, AGT, TedX, GMA.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Virgin Voyages Honors Joan Templeman, Wife of Richard Branson is the lead story on a busy Friday Travel and Cruise Industry Podcast, November 28, 2025. Also today, American Cruise Passenger Missing in St. Maarten; British Fugitives Ran Bar With Thai Nominees; Japan itineraries, designed around cherry blossoms; Costa Cruises Launches 2025-26 South America Season; Queen Mary 2 Delays and Itinerary Changes; Beach Club Delays; Conquest Propulsion Issues; Carnival Venezia Has a Slight Embarkation Delay; Holland America Line's Macy float; Grandiosa Sails West; Montego Bay Back Open; National parks to launch 'America-first' pricing on Jan. 1; and lots more LIVE at 11 AM EST. #fridaytravelandcruiseindustrypodcast #travelandcruiseindustrynews #podcast #cruisenews #travelnews #cruise #travel #chilliescruises #chilliefalls #whill_us Thanks for visiting my channel. NYTimes The Daily, the flagship NYT podcast with a massive audience. "Vacationing In The Time Of Covid" https://nyti.ms/3QuRwOS To access the Travel and Cruise Industry News Podcast; https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/trav... or go to https://accessadventure.net/ To subscribe: http://bit.ly/chi-fal I appreciate super chats or any other donations to support my channel. For your convenience, please visit: https://paypal.me/chillie9264?locale.... Chillie's Cruise Schedule: https://www.accessadventure.net/chillies-trip-calendar/ For your mobility needs, contact me, Whill.inc/US, at (844) 699-4455 use SRN 11137 or call Scootaround at 1.888.441.7575. Use SRN 11137. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ChilliesCruises Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chillie.falls X: https://x.com/ChillieFalls Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
About Alex: Since 1993, my unique marketing strategies have generated almost $400 million in sales and profits for my companies, students, clients, and alliance partners on five continents. I've had the good fortune to share the stages with thought leaders such as Richard Branson, Ivan Misner, Donald Trump, Tony Robbins, Robert Kiyosaki, Suze Ormand, Mikhail Gorbachev, and the Dalai Lama.A partial list of distinguished consulting clients include: New York University, Wal-Mart, BNI, CEO Space, Success Resources International, Dale Carnegie Training, New York Yankees, Wells Fargo Bank, Steiner Sports, and several other clients who prefer to remain anonymous. If you are an entrepreneur or physical business owner who wants to uncover your marketing strengths, weaknesses, and preferences so you can put your business in HIGH-GROWTH mode, take my no-cost assessment at http://MarketingOnline.com/Take our FREE LinkedIn Business Assessment here: https://www.magpaiassessments.com/4043/0
Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Sir Richard Branson heartbroken as wife Joan dies aged 80 Australia social media ban Teens challenge law before High Court Newspaper headlines Rachel Reeves Budget Ledger and Jury trials scrapped Blackpool Tower hosts couples last dance before care home Army halts use of Ajax armoured vehicles after 30 soldiers fall ill Newport Runaway driver Jamie Challis caught by DNA on car airbag What we know about the cruise ship death of Anna Kepner When is the Budget and what could Rachel Reeves announce Trump defends Witkoff after leak appears to show envoy coaching Russias The looming election Trump cant afford to lose
Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Sir Richard Branson heartbroken as wife Joan dies aged 80 Australia social media ban Teens challenge law before High Court Newspaper headlines Rachel Reeves Budget Ledger and Jury trials scrapped Blackpool Tower hosts couples last dance before care home The looming election Trump cant afford to lose Newport Runaway driver Jamie Challis caught by DNA on car airbag Trump defends Witkoff after leak appears to show envoy coaching Russias What we know about the cruise ship death of Anna Kepner When is the Budget and what could Rachel Reeves announce Army halts use of Ajax armoured vehicles after 30 soldiers fall ill
Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Newport Runaway driver Jamie Challis caught by DNA on car airbag What we know about the cruise ship death of Anna Kepner The looming election Trump cant afford to lose Army halts use of Ajax armoured vehicles after 30 soldiers fall ill Newspaper headlines Rachel Reeves Budget Ledger and Jury trials scrapped When is the Budget and what could Rachel Reeves announce Sir Richard Branson heartbroken as wife Joan dies aged 80 Trump defends Witkoff after leak appears to show envoy coaching Russias Blackpool Tower hosts couples last dance before care home Australia social media ban Teens challenge law before High Court
Morse code transcription: vvv vvv The looming election Trump cant afford to lose Army halts use of Ajax armoured vehicles after 30 soldiers fall ill Sir Richard Branson heartbroken as wife Joan dies aged 80 Blackpool Tower hosts couples last dance before care home What we know about the cruise ship death of Anna Kepner Newport Runaway driver Jamie Challis caught by DNA on car airbag When is the Budget and what could Rachel Reeves announce Trump defends Witkoff after leak appears to show envoy coaching Russias Australia social media ban Teens challenge law before High Court Newspaper headlines Rachel Reeves Budget Ledger and Jury trials scrapped
Most entrepreneurs never scale because they're trapped in a business that consumes their time instead of creating it. Dan Martell, bestselling author of Buy Back Your Time and one of the top coaches in the SaaS and entrepreneurship world, went from juvenile detention to running 100-hour weeks before discovering the framework that changed everything: buy back your time instead of trying to out-hustle your problems. In this episode of The Next Level Podcast with Jeremy Miner, Dan explains how elite CEOs use time-and-energy audits, buy-back rate math, and the four forms of leverage to scale without drowning in low-value work. If you want to eliminate burnout, reclaim your calendar, and build a business that grows without costing you your life, this conversation gives you the blueprint. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (02:23) Why Dan Wrote "Buy Back Your Time" (09:07) The Sales Story That Changed His Career (15:43) Burnout, 100-Hour Weeks, and Losing Balance (21:55) Building the Foundation (26:49) How CEOs Buy Back Their Time (32:44) Saying No and Rebuilding Your Calendar (36:57) Richard Branson and the Art of Delegation Connect with Dan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danmartell/?hl=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@danmartell X: https://x.com/danmartell?lang=en Website: https://www.danmartell.com/ Got a question about sales, persuasion, or objection handling? Text me directly: +1-480-481-6755 Join the 7q.ai waitlist: https://7q.ai/waitlist The 7th Level U WHOP Community: https://nepqtraining.com/primer?utm_c Join the 7th Level Sales Team: https://hardlyselling.hirebus-careers.com/closer-7th-level The exact NEPQ script I used to earn $2.4M/year as a W-2 sales rep: https://nepqtraining.com/smv-yt-splt-opt-org Want the full NEPQ framework? This is what 350,000+ reps use to close more deals: https://go.nepqblackbook.com/learn-more Prefer to understand the psychology behind NEPQ first? Grab The New Model of Selling: Selling to an Unsellable Generation on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1636980112 Book a Clarity Call with my team: https://7thlevelhq.com/book-demo/ Connect with Jeremy Miner YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jeremeyminer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyleeminer/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyleeminer/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeremy.miner.52
Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Rachel Reeves will be hoping this Budget buys her some time Nigel Farages racism denials are dishonest, says ex classmate Ukraine Russia war Ukraine says understanding reached with US on peace plan, as Trump says his envoy will meet Putin in Moscow Sir Richard Branson heartbroken as wife Joan dies aged 80 Arrest made over waste mountain in Oxfordshire Historian Rutger Bregman criticises BBC for removing Donald Trump line from Radio 4s Reith Lecture Minimum wage to rise again from April to 12.71 for over 21s Brazil Bolsonaro ordered to start serving 27 year prison sentence for coup plot Jury trials could be scrapped except in most serious cases We earn 60,000 and want stamp duty scrapped
Authorities have raised bushfire alerts to their highest level in over two years, forecasting soaring temperatures and damaging winds across New South Wales; Optus is currently probing another major outage affecting emergency services calls for over 14,000 customers in Melbourne; Joan Templeman, the wife of British billionaire Sir Richard Branson and his partner of almost 50 years, has died at the age of 80; A new study has revealed voters considered the Labor party to be better economic managers than the Coalition; And Stranger Things fans, listen up - Creators of the show have shared ten key points for fans to keep in mind ahead of the final season. Support independent women's media CREDITS Host/Producer: Gemma Donahoe Audio Production: Lu HillBecome a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This episode will cover the passing of Richard Branson's wife. Cases against James Comey & Letitia James were dismissed. Two men were arrested for plotting to take over a Haitian island. A.I. is taking over the music genre. Song Choice: Norman Hutchins - God's Got a Blessing (with My Name on It!) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Twitter: @My2Podcast Instagram: my2centspodcastg2 YouTube: My2CentsPodcast Business email: my2centspod@yahoo.com
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Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Ukraine Russia war Ukraine says understanding reached with US on peace plan, as Trump says his envoy will meet Putin in Moscow Nigel Farages racism denials are dishonest, says ex classmate Minimum wage to rise again from April to 12.71 for over 21s We earn 60,000 and want stamp duty scrapped Jury trials could be scrapped except in most serious cases Rachel Reeves will be hoping this Budget buys her some time Brazil Bolsonaro ordered to start serving 27 year prison sentence for coup plot Historian Rutger Bregman criticises BBC for removing Donald Trump line from Radio 4s Reith Lecture Sir Richard Branson heartbroken as wife Joan dies aged 80 Arrest made over waste mountain in Oxfordshire
Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Minimum wage to rise again from April to 12.71 for over 21s Rachel Reeves will be hoping this Budget buys her some time Historian Rutger Bregman criticises BBC for removing Donald Trump line from Radio 4s Reith Lecture Brazil Bolsonaro ordered to start serving 27 year prison sentence for coup plot Arrest made over waste mountain in Oxfordshire We earn 60,000 and want stamp duty scrapped Nigel Farages racism denials are dishonest, says ex classmate Sir Richard Branson heartbroken as wife Joan dies aged 80 Jury trials could be scrapped except in most serious cases Ukraine Russia war Ukraine says understanding reached with US on peace plan, as Trump says his envoy will meet Putin in Moscow
Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Nigel Farages racism denials are dishonest, says ex classmate Jury trials could be scrapped except in most serious cases Ukraine Russia war Ukraine says understanding reached with US on peace plan, as Trump says his envoy will meet Putin in Moscow Arrest made over waste mountain in Oxfordshire We earn 60,000 and want stamp duty scrapped Brazil Bolsonaro ordered to start serving 27 year prison sentence for coup plot Minimum wage to rise again from April to 12.71 for over 21s Historian Rutger Bregman criticises BBC for removing Donald Trump line from Radio 4s Reith Lecture Sir Richard Branson heartbroken as wife Joan dies aged 80 Rachel Reeves will be hoping this Budget buys her some time
pWotD Episode 3129: Richard Branson Welcome to popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 160,194 views on Tuesday, 25 November 2025 our article of the day is Richard Branson.Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is an English business magnate who co-founded the Virgin Group in 1970, and, as of 2016, controlled five companies.Branson expressed his desire to become an entrepreneur at a young age. His first business venture, at the age of 16, was a magazine called Student. In 1970, he set up a mail-order record business. He opened a chain of record stores, Virgin Records—later known as Virgin Megastores—in 1972. His Virgin brand grew rapidly during the 1980s, as he started the Virgin Atlantic airline and expanded the Virgin Records music label. In 1997 he founded the Virgin Rail Group to bid for passenger rail franchises during the privatisation of British Rail. The Virgin Trains brand operated the InterCity West Coast franchise from 1997 to 2019, the InterCity CrossCountry franchise from 1997 to 2007 and the InterCity East Coast franchise from 2015 to 2018. In 2004, he founded the space tourism company Virgin Galactic, based at Mojave Air and Space Port in California, United States, noted for the SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane.In March 2000, Branson was knighted for "services to entrepreneurship". Due to his work in retail, music and transport, his taste for adventure and for his humanitarian work, he has become a prominent global figure. In 2007 he was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time magazine. In June 2023, Forbes magazine listed Branson's estimated net worth at US$3 billion.On 11 July 2021, Branson travelled as a passenger on board Virgin Galactic Unity 22 at the edge of space, a suborbital test flight for Virgin Galactic. The mission lasted approximately one hour, reaching a peak altitude of 53.5 miles (86.1 km). At 70 he became the third-oldest person to fly to space.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:41 UTC on Wednesday, 26 November 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Richard Branson on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Bluesky at @wikioftheday.com.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Ruth.
We've got an inspiring and eye-opening conversation for you this week as Mitch sits down with Shawn D. Nelson - the founder and CEO of LoveSac. If the name sounds familiar, it should. LoveSac has become a billion-dollar disruptor in the furniture space, known for their ultra-comfy bean bags and their game-changing modular couches that are built to last a lifetime. But long before LoveSac became a publicly traded company with hundreds of retail stores… it started in Shawn's parents' basement with a roll of vinyl, some foam, and a wild idea. Since then, Shawn's story has included entrepreneurial highs (like winning Richard Branson's The Rebel Billionaire) and deep valleys (like navigating bankruptcy and rebuilding the company from scratch). Through it all, he's remained committed to building things that last - and helping others do the same. In this episode, we get real about Shawn's journey, his mission to inspire people to buy better stuff so they can buy less, and what it really takes to stay in the game long enough to win. This one's packed with powerful takeaways, candid stories, and practical wisdom for anyone who's chasing a big dream, yearning to lead more effectively or just wanting to live their best life! CONNECT AND READ THE FULL SOW NOTES HERE: https://mitchmatthews.com/438
The Podcast That Rocked for 11/19/25. Dave Mustaine wants Megadeth to play on the moon, Warped Tour, Welcome To Rockville, more. Discussion Topics:Megadeth to the moon! (as wished by Dave Mustaine)Warped Tour 2026 Orlando recapWelcome To Rockville 2026 lineup announcedGWAR X John OliverTom Morello gives Audioslave recordings updateSlipknot sells catalog to take on music industryUpcoming tours/albums/more SONG OF THE WEEK: Moon Tooth “I's” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzRp4MolTSg "I hope we'll be playing up in space," Mustaine recently told Metal Hammer. "I think that will be a really fitting climax. And I'm not talking about on the side of a vomit comet. A gig on the moon, a full moon landing, that would be cool. I saw they sent up a bunch of celebrities into space and I thought 'Well, if them, why not me?', you know? I'm just watching how that all progresses," he said. "I know Elon Musk and Richard Branson were working on interstellar travel. I think people are going to be traveling to space a lot sooner than you think."(Loudwire) The Hosted by:Luke = https://www.instagram.com/rocked_net/Alex = https://www.instagram.com/voiceofalex/Rowan = https://www.instagram.com/buxsh0t/
Send us a textIn this dynamic episode of Living the Dream with Curveball, we are thrilled to welcome Christos Garkinos, a visionary leader in the luxury resale market and the author of the bestselling book, "Cover the Comeback." With over 25 years of experience in fashion and media, Christos shares his remarkable journey from a young Greek immigrant in Detroit to working alongside Richard Branson at Virgin Megastores. He opens up about the challenges he faced in his career, including a significant personal crisis that led him to become sober and ultimately inspired his writing. Christos discusses how he reinvented the resale industry, earning the title of the "Robin Hood of fashion," by making luxury items accessible to a broader audience. Listeners will gain insights into his innovative live streaming venture, Covet by Christos, which has become a leading platform for luxury goods. Join us for an inspiring conversation filled with resilience, creativity, and the power of reinvention. Discover more about Christos and his work at Covet by Christos on Instagram and find his book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Quietmind Astrology — Learn Vedic Astrology with Jeremy Devens
See if you have any of these special placements in your free Vedic Birth Chart at https://www.quietmindastrology.com/freebirthchartVedic wealth indicators, billionaire yogas, and the hidden rulers that drive abundance. In this episode I explore the deeper layers of Jyotish that you won't see on the surface of a chart. These are the subtle, powerful combinations that show up again and again in the lives of people like Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, and Ray Kroc.I've been studying astrology for over twenty years, and after looking at thousands of charts I've found that true wealth potential almost never comes from the obvious places. It's rarely the rising sign, the Moon, or even the Sun. It comes from hidden rulerships, exchanges, and relationships between houses that most people overlook. Today I walk you through eight of these wealth indicators, including the rare first–second house exchange that shows up in many multi-millionaire and billionaire charts.You'll hear me talk about why the sixth and tenth houses matter far more than most people realize, how daily routines and dharma shape your capacity to create abundance, and why house rulers reveal the real story behind your money karma. We also explore the difference between potential and fulfillment. Having a wealth yoga doesn't guarantee a certain outcome. You still shape your life through choice, effort, and alignment with your dharma.Five key ideas from this episode:“Massive wealth rarely comes from the obvious parts of the chart. You have to look at the deeper details like house rulers.”“The sixth house is where you have the most influence. It's your daily routine, your effort, your time.”“The tenth house shows your dharma. When you align with it, resources tend to move toward you.”“House exchanges between the first and second can create ten-figure wealth potential.”“Everyone is handed a different karmic hand, but you choose how to play the cards.”If you want to explore these indicators in your own chart, you can get your Vedic birth chart and training here:Free Vedic Birth Chart & Training: http://www.quietmindastrology.com/freebirthchartInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/quietmindastrologyYouTube: http://www.quietmindastrology.com/youtubeMentorship Waitlist: http://www.quietmindastrology.com/mentorshipYoga Teacher Training Podcast: https://www.anchor.fm/yogateachertrainingQuietmind Yoga: https://www.quietmind.yogaTags: Vedic astrology, Jyotish, wealth indicators, house rulers, billionaire yoga, 1st house exchange, 2nd house exchange, sixth house, tenth house, dharma, nakshatras, vedic horoscope, money astrology, abundance, spiritual growth, self awareness, Jeremy Devens, Quietmind Astrology Podcast
Have you ever looked at someone wildly successful & thought “There's no way they have ADHD”?Well my friend, buckle up… because in this episode we're celebrating 14 big achievers who all have ADHD (some with a little extra neuro-spice too!). Their success isn't in spite of ADHD - it's often because of it.From world-class athletes like Simone Biles and Michael Phelps, to powerhouse entrepreneurs like Mel Robbins, Steven Bartlett, Gary Vee &Richard Branson, to creatives and change-makers like Anika Moa, Will.i.am, Chlöe Swarbrick & David Goggins - each one has learned to harness their fast, curious, restless, sparkly brain and turn it into fuel for greatness.You'll hear: Why ADHD traits like hyper-focus, impulsivity & drive can become huge advantages How late diagnosis transformed lives & careers Why success can look more zig-zaggy for ADHD brains & why that's not a bad thingYou know that saying: you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with?As you listen, think about who you want to be the sum of. Who inspires you, motivates you & reminds you what's possible for your life?
Join us as Ocean House owner and award-winning author Deborah Goodrich Royce moderates a conversation with our featured author, Wilbur Ross, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce. About the Author: Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. served as Secretary of Commerce in the Trump administration following 55 years of experience in investment banking and private equity. In this capacity, he advised President Donald Trump on commercial and economic affairs and helped American entrepreneurs and businesses create jobs and economic opportunity. A native of North Bergen, New Jersey, Ross spent a significant portion of his business career at Rothschild, Inc. Ross negotiated on behalf of creditors in some of the highest-profile bankruptcy proceedings in history, including those involving Pan Am, TWA, Texaco, and Drexel Burnham Lambert. After founding his own private equity firm in 2000, Ross purchased and restored many companies to profitability, including those in the steel, coal, textile, and banking industries. Over the course of his career, Ross restructured more than $400 billion in assets, earning him a distinguished reputation on Wall Street. In 2011, Bloomberg Markets named him one of the 50 most influential people in global finance. Secretary Ross's philanthropic work has included significant support for the Japan Society, the Brookings Institution, the Blenheim Foundation, and numerous entities devoted to the fine arts, including the Rene Magritte Museum in Brussels. He was also a member of the advisory board of the Yale University School of Management. Secretary Ross is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Business School. He and his wife, Hilary Geary Ross, have four children. Before being named President Trump's Secretary of Commerce in 2017, Wilbur Ross had already earned a reputation as the “King of Bankruptcy” over his 55-year career on Wall Street. Often working on high-profile bankruptcies such as Pan Am and Texaco, Ross helped restructure more than $400 billion in assets, and was named among Bloomberg's 50 most influential people in global finance. After coming to Washington, Ross faced equally tough challenges, yet survived in his post for all four years. About The Book: Creating Success in Business and Life explains how Ross got to the top and stayed there. Rising from humble beginnings in North Bergen, New Jersey, Ross applied simple principles with strict discipline—something readers can apply in their own quest for success. Ultimately, Ross's strategies and dealmaking skills led to relationships with King Charles, Warren Buffett, Carl Icahn, the Rothschild family, Steve Wynn, Lakshmi Mittal, Mike Milken, and many other famous personalities. Ross also documents his experiences with President Trump in the Oval Office. Whether you're interested in Ross' experiences as a neighbor of John Lennon in the legendary Dakota apartment building, celebrating with Sir Richard Branson on his private island, or his tumultuous time in Washington, you will find Risks and Returns to be a candid reflection of a life lived at the pinnacle of Wall Street, New York, and Palm Beach society, and the Trump administration. Above all, anyone driven to find career success will learn from Ross' life the strategies and mentality to achieve it. Please find out more about Wilbur Ross and his book at www.risksandreturns.net. For details on Deborah Goodrich Royce and the Ocean House Author Series, visit deborahgoodrichroyce.com
Wie denken die Menschen, die die Welt verändert haben? Wie treffen sie Entscheidungen? Wie gehen sie in Meetings? In dieser Folge von TOMorrow tauchen wir ein in die Erfolgspsychologie der Top 1 % – mit Wlad Jachtchenko, dreifacher Spiegel-Bestsellerautor und Strategieberater für Führungskräfte. Wir analysieren die Denkweise, Prinzipien und Strategien von Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Richard Branson und Larry Page – und was du ganz konkret für deine eigene Karriere daraus ableiten kannst. Für alle, die nicht nur funktionieren, sondern führen wollen. Für alle, die nicht aufholen, sondern vorausgehen. Wlad gibt tiefe Einblicke in sein neues Buch „Du bist der bessere Chef“ – exklusiv zuerst bei TOMorrow. Wir verlosen 10 Exemplare! Schreib mir in die Kommentare oder eine DM und sag mir, welcher Karriere-Tipp dich am weitesten gebracht hat. Willkommen zur Masterclass der Milliardäre!
This episode is Part 2 of our Miami MerMaiden recap and now we're getting into the fun stuff. Tortola, sea days, random surprises… all of it! Tortola was such a good day. We did a private catamaran and the water was gorgeous, the views were perfect, and then out of nowhere Richard Branson is literally kite boarding right in front of us. We're also talking about what we did on the sea days and the Kelis performance including Milkshake, of course. In this episode:• Tortola + our private catamaran day• Richard Branson kite boarding like it's totally normal• Sea day plans vs. what we actually did• Kelis performing onboard • Final thoughts That wraps up our MerMaiden experience! Join us for Girls Gone Cruisin' 2026! Click here: https://fabulousadventurestravel.com/girls-gone-crusin/Shop Virgin Voyages essentials! Click hereReady to Sail? Get a deal here!Join my Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/virginvoyagestipsanddealsFollow me on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FabulousAdventurestravelcompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthastravels
In this episode of the Powerful Communication Podcast, host Colin Kelly explores why it is vital for board members, owners, shareholders, and "silent partners" to cultivate some form of public profile and speak out. The central argument is that silence creates risk: If the only time the public hears from governance leaders is when a crisis occurs, they have done nothing to build goodwill, rapport, or a relationship. This absence of communication means that when something goes wrong, the public might not trust or like the leaders because they were never given an opportunity to get to know them. Learn why the typical governance argument—that boards should not "tread on toes" or speak when the day-to-day management team should be addressing issues—is often used as a shield or a diversion to justify avoiding public engagement. Kelly discusses real-world examples, including situations involving Historic Environment Scotland and Celtic football club, where the anonymity of leaders resulted in a vacuum filled with rumor, speculation, and innuendo. He argues that proactive communication is good for transparency, democracy, and accountability. Communication is a learnable skill, and leaders should embrace routes like social media or their own YouTube channel to give people the chance to get to know them. When leaders—like Sir Richard Branson—cultivate a reputation while things are good, the public is more likely to trust them when difficulties arise. Stepping into this truth brings "freedom" and "peace and security".
Sent us text! We would love to hear from you!Everyone loves the feeling of comfort. But remaining in one's comfort zone too long has a downside. Never daring to step outside of it may limit possibilities and opportunities you will not have access to any other way than to challenge yourself. Taking a more difficult path may be uncomfortable at first, but rewarding in the long run.Stress and fatigue, if not kept in check can degrade you body and spirit. In order to combat this pattern, pay attention to what you put in your mouth and how you treat your body. Regular exercise is a key to almost any type of rejuvenation plan. If you couple that with a time restricted eating, commonly known as intermittent fasting, you will give your body needed internal rest so that it's free from processing food all of the time.Good news is all around us. As an update to a story we covered earlier, the successful discovery of hidden sperm through the use of Artificial Intelligence has resulted in a successful pregnancy for a couple once thought to be infertile by doctors at the Columbia University Fertility Center. Dyslexia is usually associated with a negative outcome, but a young girl in England recently diagnosed with this affliction received more in-depth testing, that revealed she is actually a genius. Consider that the founder of the Virgin Brand, Sir Richard Branson is also dyslexic, a characteristic he attributes to his success in the business world.Meet a wingman who came to the aid of a severely injured comrade and helped give him overcome depression and lighting the spark needed for him to reclaim his Mojo. The result was successful rehabilitation from a devastating injury and other successes in life.
Send us a textLinking the Travel Industry is a business travel podcast where we review the top travel industry stories that are posted on LinkedIn by LinkedIn members. We curate the top posts and discuss with them with travel industry veterans in a live session with audience members. You can join the live recording session by visiting BusinessTravel360.comYour Hosts are Riaan van Schoor, Ann Cederhall and Aash ShravahStories covered on this podcast episode include:Eastern Airways (UK) Ltd goes into administration, with all flight operations cancelled.Air France-KLM buys a minority stake in WestJet.IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation Ltd) launch their Delhi - Guangzhou and Mumbai–London routes.With Riyadh Air | طيران الرياض's inaugural London flights came some posts about how they are doing things differently. Me and some others asked more questions about the phrase "Delivery with Order" and Benjamin Waymark from INKdid a great job at explaining these in more detail. Two major incidents of bad behaviour on flights this week:
In this episode of the Daughtered Podcast, Oscar welcomes Anil Gupta. They call him The Love Doctor — and for good reason. Anil is a world-renowned relationship expert, TEDx speaker, and author of the bestselling book Immediate Happiness. He’s shared stages with icons like Richard Branson and the Dalai Lama, coaching families, couples, and leaders in over 18 countries. Through his signature “Happiness Formula” — G×G×G (Give × Gratitude × Growth) — Anil helps people rediscover joy, rebuild connection, and live with purpose. In this conversation, Oscar and Anil discuss simple, powerful tools fathers can use today to deepen relationships with their daughters and strengthen the family bond. From the exact questions that spark meaningful dinner-table conversations, to building resilience through small challenges, to never giving your happiness away — this episode is packed with real-world wisdom for dads who want to lead with love. Listen in and learn how to add more years to your life — and more life to your years. Anil Gupta Anil's Books Anil on Instagram Daughteredpodcast.com Oscar on Instagram Few Will Hunt. 10% OFF use GIRLDAD 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 01:29 Anil Gupta's Background and Family 03:59 Parenting Insights and Techniques 14:31 Overcoming Adversity and Personal Growth 23:05 The Happiness Formula 26:35 Building Muscle Memory for Gratitude 27:38 Teaching Kids Resilience and Independence 30:27 Creating Positive Connections with Your Kids 32:28 Handling Teenage Challenges with Empathy 38:58 Practical Tips for Mindful Parenting 42:42 Sharing Wisdom and Resources 46:39 Final Thoughts and Encouragement Guest Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are solely those of the guests. They do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the host, any organizations, companies, or institutions mentioned, or corporate entities represented by the host. Our aim is to provide a platform for diverse perspectives and open dialogue. While we strive for accuracy and balance, it's important to recognize that opinions may vary. We encourage critical thinking and further exploration of the topics discussed.
Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, is one of the most well-known entrepreneurs of our time, pioneering ventures in industries including music, telecommunications, banking and, of course, travel and tourism. At present, there are more than 40 Virgin businesses worldwide in more than 30 countries, according to Virgin Group. In this episode of Humans of Travel, Branson shares travel stories from his early childhood, and details his first entrepreneurial journey as the teenage founder of Student Magazine, a publication created in protest of the Vietnam War. Listeners will also hear the business lessons Branson learned throughout his life, his advice to travel advisors starting their own businesses and how to be adaptive during times of change. Branson also reflects on the creation of his adults-only cruise line, Virgin Voyages, why he decided to enter the cruise industry and how his First Mates (travel advisors) can best sell the line. This episode is sponsored by Windstar Cruises. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Virgin Group Virgin Voyages About Student Magazine ABOUT YOUR HOST Emma Weissmann is the Executive Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly, and the Editor-in-Chief of print publication AGENTatHOME.TravelAge West also produces events including Future Leaders in Travel, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala ad the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. ABOUT THE SHOW TravelAge West’s award-winning podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the highs and lows that make them human.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This episode is about the Miami MerMaiden and how the vibe on this launch sailing felt compared to our earlier sailings! Richard Branson was onboard for the Miami launch events, the Red Hot Show officially premiered, and we tried new activities and entertainment we hadn't done beforeThis is Part 1 of our Miami MerMaiden recap. Stay tuned for Part 2 next week!Join us for Girls Gone Cruisin' 2026! Click here: https://fabulousadventurestravel.com/girls-gone-crusin/Shop Virgin Voyages essentials! Click hereReady to Sail? Get a deal here!Join my Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/virginvoyagestipsanddealsFollow me on Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FabulousAdventurestravelcompanyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthastravels
Dr. Jeff Spencer, an Olympian, author of multiple books, an award-winning chiropractor, a renowned glass artist, and a human performance coach, joins me on this episode. Jeff's client roster includes Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, the rock group U2, Richard Branson, and many others.
My fellow pro-growth/progress/abundance Up Wingers,China's spacefaring ambitions pose tough competition for America. With a focused, centralized program, Beijing seems likely to land taikonauts on the moon before another American flag is planted. Meanwhile, NASA faces budget cuts, leadership gaps, and technical setbacks. In his new book, journalist Christian Davenport chronicles the fierce rivalry between American firms, mainly SpaceX and Blue Origin. It's a contest that, despite the challenges, promises to propel humanity to the moon, Mars, and maybe beyond.Davenport is an author and a reporter for the Washington Post, where he covers NASA and the space industry. His new book, Rocket Dreams: Musk, Bezos, and the Inside Story of the New, Trillion-Dollar Space Race, is out now.In This Episode* Check-in on NASA (1:28)* Losing the Space Race (5:49)* A fatal flaw (9:31)* State of play (13:33)* The long-term vision (18:37)* The pace of progress (22:50)* Friendly competition (24:53)Below is a lightly edited transcript of our conversation. Check-in on NASA (1:28)The Chinese tend to do what they say they're going to do on the timeline that they say they're going to do it. That said, they haven't gone to the moon . . . It's really hard.Pethokoukis: As someone — and I'm speaking about myself — who wants to get America back to the moon as soon as possible, get cooking on getting humans to Mars for the first time, what should I make of what's happening at NASA right now?They don't have a lander. I'm not sure the rocket itself is ready to go all the way, we'll find out some more fairly soon with Artemis II. We have flux with leadership, maybe it's going to not be an independent-like agency anymore, it's going to join the Department of Transportation.It all seems a little chaotic. I'm a little worried. Should I be?Davenport: Yes, I think you should be. And I think a lot of the American public isn't paying attention and they're going to see the Artemis II mission, which you mentioned, and that's that mission to send a crew of astronauts around the moon. It won't land on the moon, but it'll go around, and I think if that goes well, NASA's going to take a victory leap. But as you correctly point out, that is a far cry from getting astronauts back on the lunar surface.The lander isn't ready. SpaceX, as acting NASA administrator Sean Duffy just said, is far behind, reversing himself from like a month earlier when he said no, they appear to be on track, but everybody knew that they were well behind because they've had 11 test flights, and they still haven't made it to orbit with their Starship rocket.The rocket itself that's going to launch them into the vicinity of the moon, the SLS, launches about once every two years. It's incredibly expensive, it's not reusable, and there are problems within the agency itself. There are deep cuts to it. A lot of expertise is taking early retirements. It doesn't have a full-time leader. It hasn't had a full-time leader since Trump won the election. At the same time, they're sort of beating the drum saying we're going to beat the Chinese back to the lunar surface, but I think a lot of people are increasingly looking at that with some serious concern and doubt.For what it's worth, when I looked at the betting markets, it gave the Chinese a two-to-one edge. It said that it was about a 65 percent chance they were going to get there first. Does that sound about right to you?I'm not much of a betting man, but I do think there's a very good chance. The Chinese tend to do what they say they're going to do on the timeline that they say they're going to do it. That said, they haven't gone to the moon, they haven't done this. It's really hard. They're much more secretive, if they have setbacks and delays, we don't necessarily know about them. But they've shown over the last 10, 20 years how capable they are. They have a space station in low earth orbit. They've operated a rover on Mars. They've gone to the far side of the moon twice, which nobody has done, and brought back a sample return. They've shown the ability to keep people alive in space for extended periods of times on the space station.The moon seems within their capabilities and they're saying they're going to do it by 2030, and they don't have the nettlesome problem of democracy where you've got one party come in and changing the budget, changing the direction for NASA, changing leadership. They've just set the moon — and, by the way, the south pole of the moon, which is where we want to go as well — as the destination and have been beating a path toward that for several years now.Is there anyone for merging NASA into the Department of Transportation? Is there a hidden reservoir? Is that an idea people have been talking about now that's suddenly emerged to the surface?It's not something that I particularly heard. The FAA is going to regulate the launches, and they coordinate with the airspace and make sure that the air traffic goes around it, but I think NASA has a particular expertise. Rocket science is rocket science — it's really difficult. This isn't for the faint of heart.I think a lot of people look at human space flight and it's romanticized. It's romanticized in books and movies and in popular culture, but the fact of the matter is it's really, really hard, it's really dangerous, every time a human being gets on one of those rockets, there's a chance of an explosion, of something really, really bad happening, because a million things have to go right in order for them to have a successful flight. The FAA does a wonderful job managing — or, depending on your point of view, some people don't think they do such a great job, but I think space is a whole different realm, for sure.Losing the Space Race (5:49). . . the American flags that the Apollo astronauts planted, they're basically no longer there anymore. . . There are, however, two Chinese flags on the moonHave you thought about what it will look like the day after, in this country, if China gets to the moon first and we have not returned there yet?Actually, that's a scenario I kind of paint out. I've got this new book called Rocket Dreams and we talk about the geopolitical tensions in there. Not to give too much of a spoiler, but NASA has said that the first person to return to the moon, for the US, is going to be a woman. And there's a lot of people thinking, who could that be? It could be Jessica Meir, who is a mother and posted a picture of herself pregnant and saying, “This is what an astronaut looks like.” But it could very well be someone like Wang Yaping, who's also a mother, and she came back from one of her stays on the International Space Station and had a message for her daughter that said, “I come back bringing all the stars for you.” So I think that I could see China doing it and sending a woman, and that moment where that would be a huge coup for them, and that would obviously be symbolic.But when you're talking about space as a tool of soft power and diplomacy, I think it would attract a lot of other nations to their side who are sort of waiting on the sidelines or who frankly aren't on the sidelines, who have signed on to go to the United States, but are going to say, “Well, they're there and you're not, so that's who we're going to go with.”I think about the wonderful alt-history show For All Mankind, which begins with the Soviets beating the US to the moon, and instead of Neil Armstrong giving the “one small step for man,” basically the Russian cosmonaut gives, “Its one small step for Marxism-Leninism,” and it was a bummer. And I really imagine that day, if China beats us, it is going to be not just, “Oh, I guess now we have to share the moon with someone else,” but it's going to cause some national soul searching.And there are clues to this, and actually I detail these two anecdotes in the book, that all of the flags, the American flags that the Apollo astronauts planted, they're basically no longer there anymore. We know from Buzz Aldrin‘s memoir that the flag that he and Neil Armstrong planted in the lunar soil in 1969, Buzz said that he saw it get knocked over by the thrust in the exhaust of the module lifting off from the lunar surface. Even if that hadn't happened, just the radiation environment would've bleached the flag white, as scientists believe it has to all the other flags that are on there. So there are essentially really no trace of the Apollo flags.There are, however, two Chinese flags on the moon, and the first one, which was planted a couple of years ago, or unveiled a couple of years ago, was made not of cloth, but their scientists and engineers spent a year building a composite material flag designed specifically to withstand the harsh environment of the moon. When they went back last summer for their farside sample return mission, they built a flag, — and this is pretty amazing — out of basalt, like volcanic rock, which you find on Earth. And they use basalt from earth, but of course basalt is common on the moon. They were able to take the rock, turn it into lava, extract threads from the lava and weave this flag, which is now near the south pole of the moon. The significance of that is they are showing that they can use the resources of the moon, the basalt, to build flags. It's called ISR: in situ resource utilization. So to me, nothing symbolizes their intentions more than that.A fatal flaw (9:31). . . I tend to think if it's a NASA launch . . . and there's an explosion . . . I still think there are going to be investigations, congressional reports, I do think things would slow down dramatically.In the book, you really suggest a new sort of golden age of space. We have multiple countries launching. We seem to have reusable rockets here in the United States. A lot of plans to go to the moon. How sustainable is this economically? And I also wonder what happens if we have another fatal accident in this country? Is there so much to be gained — whether it's economically, or national security, or national pride in space — that this return to space by humanity will just go forward almost no matter what?I think so. I think you've seen a dramatic reduction in the cost of launch. SpaceX and the Falcon 9, the reusable rocket, has dropped launches down. It used to be if you got 10, 12 orbital rocket launches in a year, that was a good year. SpaceX is launching about every 48 hours now. It's unprecedented what they've done. You're seeing a lot of new players — Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, others — driving down the cost of launch.That said, the main anchor tenant customer, the force driving all of this is still the government, it's still NASA, it's still the Pentagon. There is not a self-sustaining space economy that exists in addition or above and beyond the government. You're starting to see bits of that, but really it's the government that's driving it.When you talk about the movie For All Mankind, you sort of wonder if at one point, what happened in that movie is there was a huge investment into NASA by the government, and you're seeing that to some extent today, not so much with NASA, but actually on the national security side and the creation of the Space Force and the increases, just recently, in the Space Force's budget. I mean, my gosh, if you have $25 billion for this year alone for Golden Dome, the Missile Defense Shield, that's the equivalent of NASA's entire budget. That's the sort of funding that helps build those capabilities going forward.And if we should, God forbid, have a fatal accident, you think we'll just say that's the cost of human exploration and forward we go?I think a lot about this, and the answer is, I don't know. When we had Challenger and we had Columbia, the world stopped, and the Space Shuttle was grounded for months if not a year at a time, and the world just came to an end. And you wonder now if it's becoming more routine and what happens? Do we just sort of carry on in that way?It's not a perfect analogy, but when you talk about commercial astronauts, these rich people are paying a lot of money to go, and if there's an accident there, what would happen? I think about that, and you think about Mount Everest. The people climbing Mount Everest today, those mountain tourists are literally stepping over dead bodies as they're going up to the summit, and nobody's shutting down Mount Everest, they're just saying, well, if you want to climb Mount Everest, that's the risk you take. I do wonder if we're going to get that to that point in space flight, but I tend to think if it's a NASA launch, and it's NASA astronauts, and there's an explosion, and there's a very bad day, I still think there are going to be investigations, congressional reports, I do think things would slow down dramatically.The thing is, if it's SpaceX, they have had accidents. They've had multiple accidents — not with people, thank goodness — and they have been grounded.It is part of the model.It's part of the model, and they have shown how they can find out what went wrong, fix it, and return to flight, and they know their rocket so well because they fly it so frequently. They know it that well, and NASA, despite what you think about Elon, NASA really, really trusts SpaceX and they get along really well.State of play (13:33)[Blue Origin is] way behind for myriad reasons. They sat out while SpaceX is launching the Falcon 9 every couple of days . . . Blue Origin, meanwhile, has flown its New Glenn rocket one time.I was under the impression that Blue Origin was way behind SpaceX. Are they catching up?This is one of the themes of the book. They are way behind for myriad reasons. They sat out while SpaceX is launching the Falcon 9 every couple of days, they're pushing ahead with Starship, their next generation rocket would be fully reusable, twice the thrust and power of the Saturn V rocket that flew the Apollo astronauts to the Moon. Blue Origin, meanwhile, has flown its New Glenn rocket one time. They might be launching again soon within the coming weeks or months, hopefully by the end of the year, but that's two. They are so far behind, but you do hear Jeff Bezos being much more tuned into the company. He has a new CEO — a newish CEO — plucked from the ranks of Amazon, Dave Limp, and you do sort of see them charging, and now that the acting NASA administrator has sort of opened up the competition to go to the moon, I don't know that Blue Origin beats SpaceX to do it, but it gives them some incentive to move fast, which I think they really need.I know it's only a guess and it's only speculation, but when we return to the moon, which company will have built that lander?At this point, you have to put your money on SpaceX just because they're further along in their development. They've flown humans before. They know how to keep people alive in space. In their Dragon capsule, they have the rendezvous and proximity operations, they know how to dock. That's it.Blue Origin has their uncrewed lander, the Mark 1 version that they hope to land on the moon next year, so it's entirely possible that Blue Origin actually lands a spacecraft on the lunar surface before SpaceX, and that would be a big deal. I don't know that they're able to return humans there, however, before SpaceX.Do you think there's any regrets by Jeff Bezos about how Blue Origin has gone about its business here? Because obviously it really seems like it's a very different approach, and maybe the Blue Origin approach, if we look back 10 years, will seem to have been the better approach, but given where we are now and what you just described, would you guess that he's deeply disappointed with the kind of progress they made via SpaceX?Yeah, and he's been frustrated. Actually, the opening scene of the book is Jeff being upset that SpaceX is so far ahead and having pursued a partnership with NASA to fly cargo and supply to the International Space Station and then to fly astronauts to the International Space Station, and Blue Origin essentially sat out those competitions. And he turns to his team — this was early on in 2016 — and said, “From here on out, we go after everything that SpaceX goes after, we're going to compete with them. We're going to try to keep up.” And that's where they went, and sort of went all in early in the first Trump administration when it was clear that they wanted to go back to the moon, to position Blue Origin to say, “We can help you go back to the moon.”But yes, I think there's enormous frustration there. And I know, if not regret on Jeff's part, but certainly among some of his senior leadership, because I've talked to them about it.What is the war for talent between those two companies? Because if you're a hotshot engineer out of MIT, I'd guess you'd probably want to go to SpaceX. What is that talent war like, if you have any idea?It's fascinating. Just think a generation ago, you're a hot MIT engineer coming out of grad school, chances are you're going to go to NASA or one of the primes, right? Lockheed, or Boeing, or Air Jet, something like that. Now you've got SpaceX and Blue Origin, but you've got all kinds of other options too: Stoke Space, Rocket Lab, you've got Axiom, you've got companies building commercial space stations, commercial companies building space suits, commercial companies building rovers for the moon, a company called Astro Lab.I think what you hear is people want to go to SpaceX because they're doing things: they're flying rockets, they're flying people, you're actually accomplishing something. That said, the culture's rough, and you're working all the time, and the burnout rate is high. Blue Origin more has a tradition of people getting frustrated that yeah, the work-life balance is better — although I hear that's changing, actually, that it's driving much, much harder — but it's like, when are we launching? What are we doing here?And so the fascinating thing is actually, I call it SpaceX and Blue Origin University, where so many of the engineers go out and either do their own things or go to work for other companies doing things because they've had that experience in the commercial sector.The long-term vision (18:37)That's the interesting thing, that while they compete . . . at a base level, Elon and Jeff and SpaceX and Blue Origin want to accomplish the same things and have a lot in common . . .At a talk recently, Bezos was talking about space stations in orbit and there being like a million people in space in 20 years doing economically valuable things of some sort. How seriously should I take that kind of prediction?Well, I think a million people in 20 years is not feasible, but I think that's ultimately what is his goal. His goal is, as he says, he founded Amazon, the infrastructure was there: the phone companies had laid down the cables for the internet, the post office was there to deliver the books, there was an invention called the credit card, he could take people's money. That infrastructure for space isn't there, and he wants to sort of help with Elon and SpaceX. That's their goal.That's the interesting thing, that while they compete, while they poke each other on Twitter and kind of have this rivalry, at a base level, Elon and Jeff and SpaceX and Blue Origin want to accomplish the same things and have a lot in common, and that's lower the cost of access to space and make it more accessible so that you can build this economy on top of it and have more people living in space. That's Elon's dream, and the reason he founded SpaceX is to build a city on Mars, right? Something's going to happen to Earth at some point we should have a backup plan.Jeff's goal from the beginning was to say, you don't really want to inhabit another planet or celestial body. You're better off in these giant space stations envisioned by a Princeton physics professor named Gerard O'Neill, who Jeff Bezos read his book The High Frontier and became an acolyte of Gerard O'Neill from when he was a kid, and that's sort of his vision, that you don't have to go to a planet, you can just be on a Star Trekkian sort of spacecraft in orbit around the earth, and then earth is preserved as this national park. If you want to return to Earth, you can, but you get all the resources from space. In 500 years is that feasible? Yeah, probably, but that's not going to be in our lives, or our kids' lives, or our grandkids' lives.For that vision — anything like that vision — to happen, it seems to me that the economics needs to be there, and the economics just can't be national security and national prestige. We need to be doing things in space, in orbit, on the moon that have economic value on their own. Do we know what that would look like, or is it like you've got to build the infrastructure first and then let the entrepreneurs do their thing and see what happens?I would say the answer is “yes,” meaning it's both. And Jeff even says it, that some of the things that will be built, we do not know. When you had the creation of the internet, no one was envisioning Snapchat or TikTok. Those applications come later. But we do know that there are resources in space. We know there's a plentiful helium three, for example, on the surface of the moon, which it could be vital for, say, quantum computing, and there's not a lot of it on earth, and that could be incredibly valuable. We know that asteroids have precious metals in large quantities. So if you can reduce the cost of accessing them and getting there, then I think you could open up some of those economies. If you just talk about solar rays in space, you don't have day and night, you don't have cloud cover, you don't have an atmosphere, you're just pure sunlight. If you could harness that energy and bring it back to earth, that could be valuable.The problem is the cost of entry is so high and it's so difficult to get there, but if you have a vehicle like Starship that does what Elon envisions and it launches multiple times a day like an airline, all you're really doing is paying for the fuel to launch it, and it goes up and comes right back down, it can carry enormous amounts of mass, you can begin to get a glimmer of how this potentially could work years from now.The pace of progress (22:50)People talk about US-China, but clearly Russia has been a long-time player. India, now, has made extraordinary advancements. Of course, Europe, Japan, and all those countries are going to want to have a foothold in space . . .How would you characterize the progress now than when you wrote your first book?So much has happened that the first book, The Space Barons was published in 2018, and I thought, yeah, there'll be enough material here for another one in maybe 10 years or so, and here we are, what, seven years later, and the book is already out because commercial companies are now flying people. You've got a growth of the space ecosystem beyond just the Space Barons, beyond just the billionaires.You've got multiple players in the rocket launch market, and really, I think a lot of what's driving it isn't just the rivalries between the commercial companies in the United States, but the geopolitical space race between the United States and China, too that's really driving a lot of this, and the technological change that we've seen has moved very fast. Again, how fast SpaceX is launching, Blue Origin coming online, new launch vehicles, potentially new commercial space stations, and a broadening of the space ecosystem, it's moving fast. Does that mean it's perfect? No, companies start, they fail, they have setbacks, they go out of business, but hey, that's capitalism.Ten years from now, how many space stations are going to be in orbit around the earth?I think we'll have at least one or two commercial space stations for the United States, I think China. Is it possible you've got the US space stations, does that satisfy the demand? People talk about US-China, but clearly Russia has been a long-time player. India, now, has made extraordinary advancements. Of course, Europe, Japan, and all those countries are going to want to have a foothold in space for their scientists, for their engineers, for their pharmaceutical companies that want to do research in a zero-G environment. I think it's possible that there are, within 10 years, three, maybe even four space stations. Yeah, I think that's possible.Friendly competition (24:53)I honestly believe [Elon] . . . wants Blue to be better than they are.Do you think Musk thinks a lot about Blue Origin, or do you think he thinks, “I'm so far ahead, we're just competing against our own goals”?I've talked to him about this. He wishes they were better. He wishes they were further along. He said to me years ago, “Jeff needs to focus on Blue Origin.” This is back when Jeff was still CEO of Amazon, saying he should focus more on Blue Origin. And he said that one of the reasons why he was goading him and needling him as he has over the years was an attempt to kind of shame him and to get him to focus on Blue, because as he said, for Blue to be successful, he really needs to be dialed in on it.So earlier this year, when New Glenn, Blue Origin's big rocket, made it to orbit, that was a moment where Elon came forward and was like, respect. That is hard to do, to build a rocket to go to orbit, have a successful flight, and there was sort of a public high five in the moment, and now I think he thinks, keep going. I honestly believe he wants Blue to be better than they are.There's a lot of Elon Musk skeptics out there. They view him either as the guy who makes too big a prediction about Tesla and self-driving cars, or he's a troll on Twitter, but when it comes to space and wanting humanity to have a self-sustaining place somewhere else — on Mars — is he for real?Yeah, I do believe that's the goal. That's why he founded SpaceX in the first place, to do that. But the bottom line is, that's really expensive. When you talk about how do you do that, what are the economic ways to do it, I think the way he's funding that is obviously through Starlink and the Starlink system. But I do believe he wants humanity to get to Mars.The problem with this now is that there hasn't been enough competition. Blue Origin hasn't given SpaceX competition. We saw all the problems that Boeing has had with their program, and so much of the national space enterprise is now in his hands. And if you remember when he had that fight and the breakup with Donald Trump, Elon, in a moment of peak, threatened to take away the Dragon spacecraft, which is the only way NASA can fly its astronauts anywhere to space, to the International Space Station. I think that was reckless and dangerous and that he regretted it, but yes, the goal to get to Mars is real, and whatever you think about Elon — and he certainly courts a controversy — SpaceX is really, really good at what they do, and what they've done is really unprecedented from an American industrial perspective.My earliest and clearest memory of America and space was the landing on Mars. I remember seeing the first pictures probably on CBS news, I think it was Dan Rather saying, “Here are the first pictures of the Martian landscape,” 1976, and if you would've asked me as a child then, I would've been like, “Yeah, so we're going to be walking on Mars,” but I was definitely hooked and I've been interested in space, but are you a space guy? How'd you end up on this beat, which I think is a fantastic beat? You've written two books about it. How did this happen?I did not grow up a space nerd, so I was born in 1973 —Christian, I said “space guy.” I didn't say “space nerd,” but yeah, that is exactly right.My first memory of space is actually the Challenger shuttle exploding. That was my memory. As a journalist, I was covering the military. I'd been embedded in Iraq, and my first book was an Iraq War book about the national guard's role in Iraq, and was covering the military. And then this guy, this was 10 years ago, 12 years ago, at this point, Elon holds a press conference at the National Press Club where SpaceX was suing the Pentagon for the right to compete for national security launch contracts, and he starts off the press conference not talking about the lawsuit, but talking about the attempts. This was early days of trying to land the Falcon 9 rocket and reuse it, and I didn't know what he was talking about. And I was like, what? And then I did some research and I was like, “He's trying to land and reuse the rockets? What?” Nobody was really covering it, so I started spending more time, and then it's the old adage, right? Follow the money. And if the richest guys in the world — Bezos Blue Origin, at the time, Richard Branson, Paul Allen had a space company — if they're investing large amounts of their own personal fortune into that, maybe we should be paying attention, and look at where we are now.On sale everywhere The Conservative Futurist: How To Create the Sci-Fi World We Were Promised Faster, Please! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fasterplease.substack.com/subscribe
What if the real key to exploding your business isn't just innovation—but mastering the art of pivoting through change? In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Blair LaCorte, CEO at LaCorte Ventures. Blair is a leader who has guided multiple companies from startup to IPO and through major industry disruptions. Blair's career includes C-level roles at ExoJet Vista, TPG, Autodesk, Sun Microsystems, and the world's largest live entertainment production company. He's currently training as an astronaut for Virgin Galactic, serves as Vice Chairman of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and has collaborated with icons like Richard Branson, Elon Musk, and Bill Clinton. In this candid conversation, Blair shares how to recognize when to pivot versus double down, why change is the ultimate business opportunity, and how to build lasting connections that fuel personal and professional growth. Key Takeaways: → The two essential skills every entrepreneur needs: fact-finding and quick-start decision-making. → How to tell if you're pivoting too much—or not enough. → Why change should be viewed as a profit opportunity, not a threat. → The biggest mistakes leaders make when reacting to disruption—and how to avoid them. → Why restructuring and scaling have more in common than most think. Blair LaCorte is a dynamic business executive with a diverse career spanning entertainment, aviation, AI, technology, aerospace, consulting, investing, and military logistics. Raised by entrepreneurs, he has held CEO and C-level roles at major companies like PRG, XOJET/Vista, TPG, Autodesk, and Sun Microsystems/Oracle. Blair has helped lead multiple startups to successful IPOs, including AEye Technologies and VerticalNet. Currently, he is an astronaut-in-training for Virgin Galactic and serves as Vice Chairman of the Buck Institute, a leader in longevity research. He also co-founded and facilitates a Mastermind group of 40 global CEOs. Known for his engaging leadership and strategic vision, Blair has served on nonprofit boards alongside luminaries like Steve Kerr, Phil Jackson, Richard Branson, Elon Musk, and Bill Clinton. Connect With Blair LaCorte: Website: https://mastermindinnovate.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blair-lacorte-68084/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What do you do when you've lost it all?In this inspiring episode of the Your Message Received podcast, host John Duffin interviews Anil Gupta, best-selling author and renowned speaker, about his incredible journey from losing everything in the stock market crash to finding true happiness. Anil shares the transformative moment with his wife that changed his perspective, his struggles, and ultimately led to his ultimate triumphs. Learn about Anil's unique ‘G cubed' formula for happiness, how he met Richard Branson, and the importance of gratitude, growth, and giving. Don't miss Anil's actionable advice on how to navigate life's hardships and find joy, no matter the circumstances. Join us for an episode filled with practical wisdom and heartwarming stories.To learn more about "The Love Doctor" Anil Gupta-check out the link below. https://meetanil.com/00:00 Meeting Richard Branson: A Life-Changing Mastermind00:18 The Turning Point: Losing Everything in the Stock Market00:42 Welcome to Your Message Received Podcast01:48 Introducing Anil Gupta: Finding Joy and Happiness03:45 The Power of Authentic Love and Support11:03 From Optometrist to Life Coach: Anil's Journey11:19 The Influence of Tony Robbins17:22 The Impact of Helping Others18:54 Meeting Richard Branson: A Humble Icon23:17 Introducing an Unstressed Lifestyle24:28 The Three Gs of Happiness25:58 The Happiness Score in Action26:45 Overcoming Physical and Mental Challenges33:58 The Power of Kindness and Gratitude40:34 Creating Magical Moments43:14 Aspirations and Final Thoughts
Sometimes the right opportunity doesn't come knocking, you have to send the email.In this Bite-sized episode, I speak with Tom Gozney, founder of Gozney, about the moment that took his business from a small British startup to global recognition. After entering Virgin's Pitch to Rich competition, Tom didn't win but he did get something far more valuable: a personal email from Sir Richard Branson.What happened next was surreal. Tom replied boldly, saying Necker Island needed a Gozney oven. Weeks later, he found himself flying out to the Caribbean to install one of his ovens on Turtle Beach. He worked in the heat, wrote his wedding speech on the sand, and realised he'd built something extraordinary from his garden project.This story captures the heart of entrepreneurship: resilience, timing, and the confidence to reach out when others might hesitate.Key TakeawaysCreate your own luck. Tom's story shows how initiative opens doors that awards can't.Be bold with opportunity. One brave message led to a career-defining collaboration.Hard work pays off—literally. Installing ovens in Caribbean heat was proof that commitment builds credibility.Success often feels surreal. From home projects to Necker Island, progress often comes quietly until you look back.
Today, I am delighted to welcome Dan Veitkus, CEO & Managing Partner of Corsica Partners, LLC, a global executive search and strategic talent management firm specializing in recruiting executive leadership for private equity, venture and family office backed companies. Dan grew up in a family business and started his first company at the age of 13. Prior to entering the field of executive search and coaching, he served 20+ years as a business leader and executive for private and public companies ranging in size from $10M - $1B annual turnover in the telecom, software/SaaS and corporate learning sectors. Dan is an active advisor to CEOs and boards and a former distinguished mentor & executive coach for the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship, an organization founded by Richard Branson to support entrepreneurs by providing leadership development, mentoring and coaching to help launch and grow their businesses. Dan is the author of the Amazon Best Seller Straight Talk Your Way to Success. He also produced a Broadway Show, Dream Big: The Rudy Ruettiger Story, now available on Amazon Prime. Succession is easily one of the top three evergreen topics and challenges that UHNW families and their family offices contend with all the time. Dan explains why it is important that succession happens in the family office in a planful and smooth way. He highlights how succession in the family office is different from traditional corporate succession and business continuity practices and points out the unique distinctions of family office transitions and successions. Based on his extensive experience advising and recruiting talent for family offices, Dan offers his practical suggestions for family offices and family principals looking to hire key executive talent as part of their succession planning. He also offers practical tips for all the other stakeholders in the succession process, including the candidates looking to land the key role at a family office, but also the advisors, family office employees, and family members who participate in or are impacted by the leadership transition. Enjoy this insightful conversation with a leading talent and operations practitioner and advisor in the UHNW and family office space.
GUEST BIO:Seth Dechtman is President of The Keynote Curators, securing top-tier speakers like Magic Johnson and Richard Branson for brands including Apple, Amazon, and Coca-Cola. A global strategist who's lived on four continents and speaks multiple languages, Seth brings instinctive matchmaking and strategic thinking to help event professionals find ideal speakers. His process: consult, curate, deliver, making clients look like rock stars. HIRE THEM TO SPEAK:Follow Seth Dechtman: LinkedinFollow Scott Bloom: eSpeakers BioFollow eSpeakers: eSpeakers Marketplace ABOUT NO MORE BAD EVENTS:Brought to you by eSpeakers and hosted by professional emcee, host, and keynote speaker Scott Bloom, No More Bad Events is where you'll hear from some of the top names in the event and speaking industry about what goes on behind the scenes at the world's most perfectly executed conferences, meetings, and more. Get ready to learn the secrets and strategies to help anyone in the event industry reach their goal of putting on nothing less than world-class events.Learn more at nomorebadevents.com. ABOUT THE HOST:A veteran comedian and television personality who has built a reputation as the go-to choice for business humor, Scott has hosted hundreds of events over two decades for big and small organizations alike. Scott has also hosted his own weekly VH1 series and recently co-hosted a national simulcast of the Grammy Awards from the Palace Theater.As the son of a successful salesman, he was exposed to the principles of building a business at an early age. As a comedian, Scott cut his teeth at renowned improv and comedy clubs. As a self-taught student of psychology, he's explored what makes people tick and has written a book (albeit a farce) on how to get through life. He's uniquely positioned to deliver significant notes on connecting people and making business seriously funny. And who doesn't like to laugh?Learn more about Scott: scottbloomconnects.com PRODUCED BY eSpeakers:When the perfect speaker is in front of the right audience, a kind of magic happens where organizations and individuals improve in substantial, long-term ways. eSpeakers exists to make this happen more often.eSpeakers is where the speaking industry does business on the web. Speakers, speaker managers, associations, and bureaus use our tools to organize, promote, and grow successful businesses. Event organizers think of eSpeakers first when they want to hire speakers for their meetings or events.The eSpeakers Marketplace technology lets us and our partner directories help meeting professionals worldwide connect directly with speakers for great engagements.Thousands of successful speakers, trainers, and coaches use eSpeakers to build their businesses and manage their calendars. Thousands of event organizers use our directories every day to find and hire speakers. Our tools are built for speakers, by speakers, to do things that only purpose-built systems can.Learn more at eSpeakers.com. SHOW CREDITS:Scott Bloom: Host | scottbloomconnects.comJoe Heaps: eSpeakers | jheaps@eSpeakers.com
Welcome to a very special edition of The Travel Diaries, where we're heading to a country that has enchanted so many of my guests over the years: Morocco.This Destination Special is a love letter to a place that casts a lifelong spell. In the first half, you'll hear unforgettable memories from past guests - Sir Michael Palin, Anya Hindmarch, Lyn Hughes, Sir Richard Branson, The Hairy Bikers, Amar Latif, and Jacqui Gifford - each sharing the moments that made Morocco magical for them: the colours of Marrakech, the silence of the Sahara, the scent of a tagine in the Atlas Mountains. Together, their voices weave a vivid tapestry of this extraordinary land.And it's no wonder UK visitor numbers are soaring. Morocco is that rare combination - just a short flight away, yet a complete change of pace: immersive, sensory, unforgettable.Then, in the second half, I'm joined by travel writer and Morocco expert Paula Hardy, who splits her time between the UK and Morocco. With over 15 years of experience, she takes us beyond the usual hotspots, from the Mediterranean feel of Tangier and Tetouan, to desert oases near Skoura, coastal towns like Asilah, and hidden Berber mountain villages. We dive into Morocco's traditions - crafts, cuisine and culture - and its exciting evolution, with high-speed trains, striking new architecture, and preparations for the 2030 World Cup.Whether you've visited before or it's been on your bucket list for years, this episode will open your eyes to a Morocco you may not yet know, and remind you why so many travellers return again and again.Destination Recap: Northern Morocco - Sir Michael Palin on why Morocco is his all-time favourite journeyMarrakech – Designer Anya Hindmarch and Wanderlust editor-in-chief Lyn Hughes on the city of artisans, colour and contrastsAtlas Mountains - Sir Richard Branson, The Hairy Bikers, and blind adventurer Amar Latif on Berber villages, snow-topped peaks and mountain escapesOuarzazate (the “door to the desert”) - Travel & Leisure Editor Jacqui Gifford on this cinematic frontier townPaula's Destination Recap:Tangier Villa Mabrouka, TangierAsilahTetouan Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay Dar Ambrosia, Asilah Mimi Calpe, TangierM'HamidErfoud Iriki Taroudant Dar Ahlam, OuarzazateSkouraMarrakechOualidia Riad Mina, Marrakech Berber Lodge, Marrakech Riad L'Atelier, MarrakechRosemary, Marrakech Tribalista, Marrakech The Memory RoadThanks so much for listening today. I'll be back with some fabulous Christmas specials in December. In the meantime, come and follow me on Instagram, I'm @hollyrubenstein, and you'll also find me on TikTok - I'd love to hear from you. Remember there's the first 15 seasons to catch up on, that's over 160 episodes to keep you busy. And visit TheTravelDiariesPodcast.com for everything else podcast-related. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Story of the Week (DR):Citi's Jane Fraser consolidates power with board chair vote — and a $25 million-plus bonus to boota one-time equity award (the Award), consisting of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) with a grant date value of $25 million and 1.055 million Citigroup stock optionsthe Compensation, Performance Management and Culture CommitteeDuncan P. Hennes (Chair)*Peter B. Henry*Other directorships: Nike, Inc., Analog Devices, Inc., National Bureau of Economic Research (Board), The Economic Club of New York (Board), Protiviti (Advisory Board), Biospring Partners (Advisory Board), Makena Capital (Advisory Board), and Two Bridges Football Club (Board)Renée J. JamesOther directorships: Oracle Corporation, Sabre Corporation, Vodafone Group Plc, President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (Member and Prior Chair), and University of Oregon (Trustee)Gary M. Reiner*Diana L. Taylor*Other directorships: Brookfield Corporation, Accion (Chair), Columbia Business School (Board of Overseers),Friends of Hudson River Park (Chair), Mailman School of Public Health (Board of Overseers), The Economic Club of New York (Member), Council on Foreign Relations (Member), Hot Bread Kitchen (Board Chair), Cold Spring Harbor Lab (Member), and New York City Ballet (Board Chair)Casper W. von KoskullCommittee Meetings in 2024: 15Citi elected CEO Jane Fraser as ChairJohn Dugan, who served as Chair of Citi's Board since 2019, will become Lead Independent DirectorCEO armies MMElon Musk Wants ‘Strong Influence' Over the ‘Robot Army' He's BuildingIn a Tesla earnings call Wednesday, the world's richest man pondered the future of his company's Optimus robots—and his control over them.“If we build this robot army, do I have at least a strong influence over this robot army?” he told investors. “Not control, but a strong influence… I don't feel comfortable building that robot army unless I have a strong influence.”His repeated use of the word “army” certainly stands out, suggesting the robot could eventually be used as a weapon. Is Musk considering having his robots be deployed as soldiers?Elon Musk Threatens to Leave Tesla if Shareholders Don't Approve His Trillion-Dollar Pay Package – Warns, “Which Other Automotive CEO Would You Like to Run Tesla Because It Won't Be Me”Secret Plans Reveal Amazon Plot to Replace 600,000 Workers With Robot ArmyThe ongoing CEO/Trump Oligarchical BromanceTrump pardons convicted Binance founder Changpeng ZhaoZhao, who is widely known as CZ, had pleaded guilty in 2023 to enabling money laundering while CEO of the huge cryptocurrency exchange.Zhao's plea was part of a $4.3 billion settlement Binance reached with the DOJ in 2023.The pardon of Zhao, widely known as CZ, came two months after The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump family's own crypto venture, which has generated about $4.5 billion since the 2024 election, has been helped by “a partnership with an under-the-radar trading platform quietly administered by Binance.”NBC News, citing a public disclosure filing from Monday, reported that Binance in September had retained the services of the lobbyist Charles McDowell, who is a friend of the president's son, Donald Trump Jr.Trump calls off planned 'surge' of federal forces in San Francisco after talking to Jensen Huang and Marc BenioffHere are the donors contributing to Trump's White House ballroomIn summary: techbros, oil, tobacco, cryptoCorporationsAltria Group, tobacco (donated $1 million to Trump's 2025 inauguration fund)Amazon (donated $1 million to Trump's 2025 inauguration fund)Apple (donated $1 million to Trump's 2025 inauguration fund)Booz Allen HamiltonCaterpillarCoinbase (donated $1 million to Trump's 2025 inauguration fund)In February, the SEC dropped a pending case against the firm.Comcast Corporation (donated $1 million to Trump's 2025 inauguration fund)Google (donated $1 million to Trump's 2025 inauguration fund)$22 million toward the ballroom came from a settlement Trump reached with the Google-owned video site YouTube, ending a lawsuit he brought over the company's 2021 decision to suspend his account in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.Hard Rock InternationalHP Inc.Lockheed MartinIn an emailed statement, the company said it was “grateful for the opportunity to help bring the President's vision to reality and make this addition to the People's House, a powerful symbol of the American ideals we work to defend every day.”Meta Platforms (donated $1 million to Trump's 2025 inauguration fund)In January, Meta agreed to pay $25 million to settle a 2021 lawsuit brought by Trump that alleged the company's suspension of his social media accounts after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol amounted to an act of censorship.Micron Technology (donated $1 million to Trump's 2025 inauguration fund)MicrosoftNextEra Energy (donated $1 million to Trump's 2025 inauguration fund)Palantir TechnologiesHas won hundreds of millions of dollars in new and expanded business since Trump's second term began, including contracts at the FAA, CDC, and further contracts with the U.S. military.Ripple (donated $4.9 million to Trump's 2025 inauguration fund)In March, the company's CEO announced that the SEC would drop its long-running litigation over whether its cryptocurrency is a security.Reynolds American, tobacco company.T-MobileTether AmericaThe company, which has ties to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, is the issuer of the world's largest stablecoin, a type of cryptocurrency designed to hold a steady value.Union Pacific RailroadIndividualsStefan E. Brodie: an American businessman, convicted felon, and political donor known for co-founding The Bro-Tech Corporation (Purolite Company), a chemical manufacturing firmHarold Hamm: the billionaire oil executive played a key role in helping Trump raise funds from oil industry donors during the 2024 electionBenjamin Leon Jr., the health-care company founder was nominated as U.S. Ambassador to Spain in March.The Lutnick Family: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is a billionaire and former Wall Street executive.Isaac “Ike” Perlmutter: former Marvel NEO who donated over $25 million towards the 2024 Republican campaign.Stephen A. Schwarzman: Blackstone CEO who donated $40 million to Republican organizations for last year's election.Konstantin Sokolov: private equity investor.Kelly Loeffler and Jeff Sprecher: Loeffler is head of the Small Business Administration; Sprecher is CEO/CHair/founder of Intercontinental ExchangePaolo Tiramani: founder of prefabricated homes company BOXABL Cameron Winklevoss and Tyler Winklevoss: co-founders of crypto platform Gemini.Activist investor group that includes Travis Kelce aims to revive struggling Six FlagsTravis Kelce is part of an activist investor group (with JANA Partners and others) that has acquired roughly a 9 % economic interest in Six Flags. The group's stated intention is to engage with Six Flags' management and board to improve performance, guest experience, marketing, etc. In the reporting by Reuters, it explicitly says that “Consumer executive Glenn Murphy and technology executive Dave Habiger … could, along with Kelce, serve as potential board nominees.”Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Hundreds of Power Players, From Steve Wozniak to Steve Bannon to Richard Branson, Just Signed a Letter Calling for Prohibition on Development of AI Superintelligence"Nobody developing these AI systems has been asking humanity if this is OK."The letter cites recent polling from FLI, which was cofounded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Max Tegmark, showing that only five percent of Americans are in favor of the rapid and unregulated development of advanced AI toolsMM: Linda McMahon mixed up AI and A.1. — so of course now the steak sauce is all over itAssholiest of the Week (MM):Robot armies DRSecret Plans Reveal Amazon Plot to Replace 600,000 Workers With Robot ArmyElon Musk defends $1 trillion pay package: ‘I just don't feel comfortable building a robot army here and then being oustedMeta tells some employees their jobs are being replaced by tech: read the memoAWS Outage That Took Down Internet Came After Amazon Fired Tons of Workers in Favor of AIUS firm's Star Wars-style humanoid robot soldier brings sci-fi to battlefield2024: What Is a ‘Clanker'? New Slur for Robots Catches On (it's also from Star Wars)Fake retirementJeff Bezos Says He's the 'Least Retired Person in the World'...And He'll 'Never Retire Because Work Is Too Much Fun'In our data, there are 251 US board chairs that are executives at the company, WERE the CEO, but are NOT the CEO now - that's 251 Jeff Bezos' who get paid like a CEO to work how they want without any accountabilityThey don't give press conferences or earnings callsThey don't answer to the CEO, they answer to themselvesThey control the board without having to answer to it122 of them are NOT family or founder firms - meaning they were just the CEO and they're sticking aroundThat includes Donald Umpleby at CaterpillarAt Schwab, Charles Schwab is a CO-chair with ex-CEO Walter Bettinger II, and the board has a THIRD CEO on it in Richard WursterThe average TSR performance of these people is .477 - below averageIn zero situations is it worth having any of these people on the boardBoysTrump says Jensen Huang and Mark Benioff helped convince him not to send troops to San FranciscoCiti CEO's $25 Million Bonus Is Excessive, Top Bank Analyst Mike Mayo SaysElon Musk got feisty about his $1 trillion pay package in the final minutes of Tesla's earnings callMicrosoft CEO Satya Nadella's annual pay jumps to $96.5 millionPalmer Luckey says he told Anduril investors they can't complain if he takes time off to be on 'Survivor'Elon Musk Accuses Head of NASA of Being “Gay”Bill Ackman calls Trump the 'most pro-business president we've ever had'Integrity for sportsWhile the Trump Administration inserts itself in every crypto venture with no oversight, openly insider trades, and Congress does the same, heaven forbid it happen in sports… Chauncey Billups, others arrested in FBI probe linking NBA to Mafia gambling ringHeadliniest of the WeekDR: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has one question he likes to ask every entrepreneur: ‘Why does your company deserve to exist?'MM: SPEED ROUNDTesla recalls over 63,000 Cybertrucks due to the front lights being too brightMosquitoes found in Iceland for first timeCracker Barrel CEO Says Logo Update Wasn't 'Woke' — Just Easier to ReadReading IS woke!McDonald's CEO says he eats at the chain '3 or 4 times a week'Who Won the Week?DR: obviously JaneMM: MosquitosPredictionsDR: In 2070, future MetaSoul (née Facebook/Meta Platforms) CEO August Zuckerberg has one question she likes to ask every non-AI human: ‘Why do you deserve to exist?'MM: McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski goes from his reported weight of 158lbs to 220lbs inside a year
An open letter released Wednesday has called for a ban on the development of artificial intelligence systems considered to be “superintelligent” until there is broad scientific consensus that such technologies can be created both safely and in a manner the public supports. The statement, issued by the nonprofit Future of Life Institute, has been signed by more than 700 individuals, including Nobel laureates, technology industry veterans, policymakers, artists, and public figures such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The letter reflects deep and accelerating concerns over projects undertaken by technology giants like Google, OpenAI, and Meta Platforms that are seeking to build artificial intelligence capable of outperforming humans on virtually every cognitive task. According to the letter, such ambitions have raised fears about unemployment due to automation, loss of human control and dignity, national security risks, and the possibility of far-reaching social or existential harms. “We call for a prohibition on the development of superintelligence, not lifted before there is broad scientific consensus that it will be done safely and controllably, and strong public buy-in,” the statement reads. Signatories include AI pioneers Yoshua Bengio and Geoffrey Hinton, both recipients of the Turing Award, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, businessman Richard Branson, and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Pentagon personnel could soon be told to participate in new training programs designed to prepare them for anticipated advancements in biotechnology and its convergence with other critical and emerging technologies, like quantum computing and AI. House lawmakers recently passed an amendment en bloc in their version of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act that would mandate the secretary of defense to set up such trainings, no later than one year after the legislation's enactment. Biotechnology refers to a multidisciplinary field that involves the application of biological systems or the use of living organisms, like yeast and bacteria, to produce products or solve complex problems. These technologies are expected to revolutionize defense, energy, manufacturing and other sectors globally in the not-so-distant future — particularly as they are increasingly paired with and powered by AI. And while the U.S. historically has demonstrated many underlying strengths in the field, recent research suggests the government may be falling behind China, where biotechnology research efforts and investments have surged since the early 2000s. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.
"The NOW CDs, as they are often called, started in the UK in 1998 with Richard Branson. They were a hit out of the gate, each crafted to a specific formula. They are a professionally made mix tape. We have the full history and a good bit of trivia about the series."
October 22, 2025: In this episode of Future Ready Today, Jacob Morgan unpacks five powerful stories defining the next era of leadership and work: 1️⃣ Amazon's 600,000 Robots – A leaked roadmap shows how automation will replace or reconfigure hundreds of thousands of jobs, raising urgent questions about reskilling and purpose. 2️⃣ OpenAI's New Browser “Atlas” – The company behind ChatGPT is reimagining web navigation with built-in reasoning. For HR, it signals how internal AI layers could soon connect every system and agent inside organizations. 3️⃣ Global Petition to Ban AI Superintelligence – Over 3,000 global figures, from Richard Branson to Steve Bannon, call for limits on AI's cognitive reach. 4️⃣ Gartner's Report on HR Resilience – The top priorities for CHROs in 2025 include embedding adaptability into culture and responsibly operationalizing AI. 5️⃣ The AI Rebellion Inside Electronic Arts – Employees are pushing back on AI mandates they don't trust, revealing the widening gap between leadership enthusiasm and workforce skepticism.
MRKT Matrix - Wednesday, October 22nd Dow closes down 300 points on trade fears, latest earnings (CNBC) Government shutdown becomes 2nd longest in U.S. history (CNBC) China's Phone Makers Are Chasing Xiaomi, Not Apple (Bloomberg) Is the Flurry of Circular AI Deals a Win-Win—or Sign of a Bubble? (WSJ) Amazon's switch to robots over human warehouse employees will save it up to $4 billion a year, Morgan Stanley says (CNBC) AI is already taking white-collar jobs. Economists warn there's ‘much more in the tank' (CNBC) Hundreds of public figures, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Virgin's Richard Branson urge AI ‘superintelligence' ban (CNBC) Meta Cutting Roughly 600 AI Jobs as Company Aims to Move Faster (Bloomberg) Google claims ‘quantum advantage' again - but researchers are skeptical (Nature) --- Subscribe to our newsletter: https://riskreversalmedia.beehiiv.com/subscribe MRKT Matrix by RiskReversal Media is a daily AI powered podcast bringing you the top stories moving financial markets Story curation by RiskReversal, scripts by Perplexity Pro, voice by ElevenLabs
Mark Thompson and Byron Loflin have been inside more boardrooms than most people could ever imagine — advising Fortune 500 CEOs, coaching global founders, and helping shape the leadership culture of the world's most powerful companies.In this rare, unfiltered conversation, they break down the real psychology of leadership — what happens when power, purpose, and pressure collide. They reveal the patterns they've seen across hundreds of top performers: how extraordinary leaders build trust when things fall apart, the silent habits that keep them grounded, and the mistakes that quietly destroy credibility.Mark, one of the world's leading executive coaches and a confidant to icons like Richard Branson, shares stories from decades spent observing what drives genuine greatness. Byron, as Global Head of Board Engagement at Nasdaq, opens a window into how boards think, how trust is earned at the highest levels, and how leaders survive the scrutiny of modern governance.Together, they dismantle myths about charisma and control — and instead uncover what truly sustains leadership: empathy, self-awareness, and the willingness to tell the truth when it costs the most.
Derek Champagne talks with Sramana Mitra. Sramana is the founder and CEO of One Million by One Million (1Mby1M), the world's first and only global virtual incubator/accelerator. Its goal is to help a million entrepreneurs globally reach a million dollars in annual revenue, build a trillion dollars in global GDP, and create 10 million jobs.Since its founding in 2010, 1Mby1M has become a powerful platform for democratization of entrepreneurship acceleration.Sramana also developed 1Mby1M's Incubator-in-a-Box methodology for Corporate Incubation that is used by enterprises to manage internal and external innovation endeavors.In 2015, LinkedIn named Sramana one of their Top 10 Influencers alongside Bill Gates and Richard Branson.Sramana has been an entrepreneur and a strategy consultant in Silicon Valley since 1994. Her fields of experience span from hardcore technology disciplines like Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing and Semiconductors, to sophisticated consumer marketing industries including e-commerce, fashion and education.As an entrepreneur CEO, Sramana founded three companies: Dais (off-shore software services), Intarka (sales lead generation and qualification software using Artificial Intelligence algorithms; VC: NEA) and Uuma (online personalized store for selling clothes using Expert Systems software; VC: Redwood). Two of these were acquired, while the third received an acquisition offer from Ralph Lauren which the company did not accept.As strategy consultant, Sramana has consulted with over 80 companies, including public companies such as SAP, Cadence Design Systems, Webex, KLA-Tencor, Best Buy, MercadoLibre and Tessera among others. Her work has also included numerous startups and VCs.Sramana has a Masters degree in EECS from MIT and a Bachelors degree in Computer Science and Economics from Smith College.From 2000 to 2004, Sramana chaired the MIT Club of Northern California's entrepreneurship program in Silicon Valley.Learn more at www.1Mby1M.comBusiness Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576
You might expect my favorite interviews to be with Richard Branson, Tony Robbins, or Barbara Corcoran. But one that surprised me — and stuck with me more than most — was with Scooter Braun. In this episode, I share the lessons Scooter taught me about resilience, humility, and the real human side of entrepreneurship. From his honesty about burnout and blind spots, to Jeff Bezos' reminder that true success is simply about evolving, this conversation hit me harder than most. Here's what you'll take away:• Why resilience and self-reflection matter more than achievements• The trap of chasing milestones instead of being present• Why building a family and community beats building an empire If you've ever felt the pressure to keep proving yourself, this episode will remind you that success isn't just about what you build — it's about who you become along the way. This is a brand new solo series I'm testing, and I'd love your feedback. Email me directly at nathan@foundr.com — I read every reply. Hope you enjoy it. SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to https://your.omnisend.com/foundr to get started. HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING? → Starting from scratch? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application → Already have a store? Apply here → https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application BOOST REVENUE WITHOUT MORE ADS We use Aftersell for simple post-purchase offers that lift sales fast. https://try.aftersell.app/ptiz4gnmvff7 to get started. CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/ FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES YouTube → https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt Website → https://www.foundr.com Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/foundr/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/foundr Twitter → https://www.twitter.com/foundr LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/ Podcast → https://www.foundr.com/podcast
This week on the Rockonteurs podcast, we welcome a true visionary of the music business.Guy and Gary welcome Richard Branson to Rockonteurs to discuss the early days of the Virgin empire, one that was built on music and culture. Richard shares tales of starting a small record shop in London to sell his favourite new records, to signing some of the biggest artists in the world. The Keith Richards story will go down as one of our all time favourites. www.Virgin.comInstagram @rockonteurs @guyprattofficial @garyjkemp @gimmesugarproductions @RichardBranson Listen to the podcast and watch some of our latest episodes on our Rockonteurs YouTube channel.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rockonteursFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/RockonteursTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therockonteursProduced by Ben Jones for Gimme Sugar Productions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Pablos Holman is a hacker and inventor and the author of Deep Future: Creating Technology that Matters, the indispensable guide to deep tech. Previously, Pablos worked on spaceships at Blue Origin and helped build The Intellectual Ventures Lab to invent a wide variety of breakthroughs. Pablos also hosts the Deep Future Podcast and is managing partner at Deep Future.This episode is brought to you by:Cresset prestigious family office for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs: https://cressetcapital.com/timMaui Nui Venison, delicious, nutrient-dense, and responsible red meat: https://mauinuivenison.com/lp/timAG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://drinkag1.com/timTimestamps:00:00 Intro02:12 The hacker mindset33:05 Nuclear52:35 Autonomous ships58:48 Pragmatic optimism01:00:29 Risk tolerance01:04:50 Blue Origin01:11:59 Zero Effect philosophy01:34:43 China01:43:07 Taiwan01:45:04 AI01:50:42 Salsa02:08:44 Deep tech investing*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim's email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim's books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.