Podcasts about technical services

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Morgan Housel is the New York Times Bestselling author of The Psychology of Money, Same As Ever, and The Art of Spending Money. His books have sold over 10million copies and have been translated into more than 60 languages. This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Notes: Morgan dedicated The Art of Spending Money to "Kellie the Unicorn" (his sister Kellie) after she was diagnosed with colon cancer and asked him to fulfill her long-running joke request. Sometimes book dedications "mean nothing to the reader, but they can mean everything to the author." People Who Bet on You - Brian Richards (Motley Fool boss) bet on Morgan when he didn't have to, providing unconditional support for a mediocre college writer. Craig Shapiro (Collaborative Fund) pursued Morgan for months to join his tiny VC firm as a full-time blogger when it wasn't a business necessity. What money can't buy - Morgan once heard a story from a priest that he'll never forget… It's from a priest who delivers the last rites in hospitals. He described the difference between what kids say to their parents when they're about to die. The priest tells them to tell their parents what they're most grateful for… In families with lots of problems, the kids usually talk about something that costs money. In the best families, the ones with solid relationships, the kids say the same thing every time. “Thank you for believing in me.” Making vs. Spending Money - "There are literally tens of thousands of books written on how to make money... There are virtually no books written about how to spend money." Most people assume spending needs no guidance, but wealthy people often demonstrate this isn't true. The Internal vs. External Scoreboard - Donald Crowhurst (fake sailor who killed himself seeking external validation) vs. Bernard Moitessier (expert sailor who quit before winning to avoid attention and live authentically). Modern society pushes us toward Crowhurst's external validation while we actually want Moitessier's internal satisfaction. The simplest formula for a pretty nice life: independence plus purpose. The independence to do what you want, and the wisdom to want to do meaningful things. Chuck Feeney's Wealth Example - The duty-free store billionaire first lived the stereotypical rich lifestyle, realized he didn't like it, then chose to live modestly and give away $10 billion. "I was happy when I was giving money away, and I was not happy when I wasn't giving money away." Every Dollar of Debt - "Every dollar of debt that you have is a piece of your future that someone else owns." Debt narrows the range of outcomes you can endure in an unknowable future. Money and Happiness Research - Recent studies show that earning more money only helps if you're already happy, joyful, and content. For depressed, anxious people, more money doesn't improve well-being. "It leverages whoever you are in either direction." What Money Can't Buy - The book is "40% about how to spend money to make yourself happier and 60% about realizing what money cannot do for you." Relationships, health, and personal fulfillment must come first. “Comedians are the best thought leaders because they understand how the world works, but they want to make you laugh rather than making themselves feel smart.” "Nobody gives a shit about anything other than how you make them feel." Vacation - Morgan realized while building sandcastles with his kids on the beach in Maui (10/10 experience) that building Legos at home with them was almost as good (9/10). The real value was "uninterrupted time with my family," which required travel to avoid daily distractions but pointed to what actually mattered. Ambition - Morgan's career drive crystallized while kayaking past $25 million mansions on Lake Washington in 2010: "I need to work harder. I want one of those one day." This wasn't envy but ambition - though he notes the line between inspiration and envy is thin, especially once you know the person. A high savings rate is not "saving" but is "purchasing independence." Each saved dollar buys freedom to handle life's unknowable future without someone else's schedule dictating his choices. Why Spending Is Complicated People try to fill emotional holes with material purchases Society tells us what we should like, which may not align with our actual preferences We chase peer comparison rather than personal satisfaction We overestimate the social rewards of nice possessions The Independence Framework Save money not for retirement but for freedom to handle uncertainty Debt narrows your options when life throws curveballs Independence means being able to do what you want, with whom you want, for as long as you want The Internal Scorecard "No one's watching. No one's thinking about you." When people notice your possessions, they're either imagining themselves having them or envying you for them Neither response gives you the social validation you're seeking Use money to buy independence rather than others' admiration Relationship Investments Focus on what creates "uninterrupted time with people you love" Consider how purchases enable deeper connections (bigger kitchen for family dinners) vs. impressing others Remember that belief and support matter more than material provision Purpose Morgan's purpose became clear the moment he became a father: "There. That's it... I don't matter anymore. That's the only thing that matters right there." Purpose can be parenthood, work, religion, or community, but it needs to be bigger than yourself. "Comedians are the best thought leaders because they understand how the world works, but they want to make you laugh rather than making themselves feel smart." They deliver profound psychological and social insights while focusing on how they make you feel, not their own status. Regret -- Gerontologist Carl Pillemer interviewed 1,000 Americans aged 90-100. Not a single one said, "I wish I earned more money" or "I wish I worked harder." Nearly all said "I wish I spent more time with my kids" and "I wish I were nicer to my spouse." Inspiration vs. Envy -- Morgan credits James Clear as inspiration for "The Psychology of Money" and describes him as incredibly successful yet humble and kind. This creates pure inspiration without envy, unlike other successful writers whose personalities trigger competitive feelings.

Namibia's colonial history casts a long shadow over the country's present. Contemporary authors and artists confront the legacies of German and South African colonial rule and engage creatively with the persistent remnants of the past. In their works, the archive remains both an invaluable and fraught resource for accessing obscured histories.  In Troubling Archives: History and Memory in Namibian Literature and Art (Transcript, 2025) Julia Rensing examines how writers and artists from Namibia and South Africa navigate archival silences, omissions, and power structures to renegotiate historical narratives and address intergenerational trauma. Their creative practices challenge conventional understandings of archives and forms of commemoration, highlighting the diverse experiences that shape Namibian society and memory cultures. This book is available open access. Download a free PDF from the publisher's website. Some of the artists and artworks discussed in this book and interview include: Ulla Dentlinger's Where are you from? ‘Playing White' under Apartheid Tshiwa Trudie Amulungu's Taming My Elephant Vitjitua Ndjiharine, including the installations Ikono Wall/Mirrored Reality and s We Shall Not Be Moved Nicola Brandt, including The Crushing Actuality of the Past and the video installation Indifference  André Brink's novel The Other Side of Silence Julia Rensing is a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for African Studies at the University of Basel, Switzerland. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Namibia's colonial history casts a long shadow over the country's present. Contemporary authors and artists confront the legacies of German and South African colonial rule and engage creatively with the persistent remnants of the past. In their works, the archive remains both an invaluable and fraught resource for accessing obscured histories.  In Troubling Archives: History and Memory in Namibian Literature and Art (Transcript, 2025) Julia Rensing examines how writers and artists from Namibia and South Africa navigate archival silences, omissions, and power structures to renegotiate historical narratives and address intergenerational trauma. Their creative practices challenge conventional understandings of archives and forms of commemoration, highlighting the diverse experiences that shape Namibian society and memory cultures. This book is available open access. Download a free PDF from the publisher's website. Some of the artists and artworks discussed in this book and interview include: Ulla Dentlinger's Where are you from? ‘Playing White' under Apartheid Tshiwa Trudie Amulungu's Taming My Elephant Vitjitua Ndjiharine, including the installations Ikono Wall/Mirrored Reality and s We Shall Not Be Moved Nicola Brandt, including The Crushing Actuality of the Past and the video installation Indifference  André Brink's novel The Other Side of Silence Julia Rensing is a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for African Studies at the University of Basel, Switzerland. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Namibia's colonial history casts a long shadow over the country's present. Contemporary authors and artists confront the legacies of German and South African colonial rule and engage creatively with the persistent remnants of the past. In their works, the archive remains both an invaluable and fraught resource for accessing obscured histories.  In Troubling Archives: History and Memory in Namibian Literature and Art (Transcript, 2025) Julia Rensing examines how writers and artists from Namibia and South Africa navigate archival silences, omissions, and power structures to renegotiate historical narratives and address intergenerational trauma. Their creative practices challenge conventional understandings of archives and forms of commemoration, highlighting the diverse experiences that shape Namibian society and memory cultures. This book is available open access. Download a free PDF from the publisher's website. Some of the artists and artworks discussed in this book and interview include: Ulla Dentlinger's Where are you from? ‘Playing White' under Apartheid Tshiwa Trudie Amulungu's Taming My Elephant Vitjitua Ndjiharine, including the installations Ikono Wall/Mirrored Reality and s We Shall Not Be Moved Nicola Brandt, including The Crushing Actuality of the Past and the video installation Indifference  André Brink's novel The Other Side of Silence Julia Rensing is a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for African Studies at the University of Basel, Switzerland. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/german-studies

Namibia's colonial history casts a long shadow over the country's present. Contemporary authors and artists confront the legacies of German and South African colonial rule and engage creatively with the persistent remnants of the past. In their works, the archive remains both an invaluable and fraught resource for accessing obscured histories.  In Troubling Archives: History and Memory in Namibian Literature and Art (Transcript, 2025) Julia Rensing examines how writers and artists from Namibia and South Africa navigate archival silences, omissions, and power structures to renegotiate historical narratives and address intergenerational trauma. Their creative practices challenge conventional understandings of archives and forms of commemoration, highlighting the diverse experiences that shape Namibian society and memory cultures. This book is available open access. Download a free PDF from the publisher's website. Some of the artists and artworks discussed in this book and interview include: Ulla Dentlinger's Where are you from? ‘Playing White' under Apartheid Tshiwa Trudie Amulungu's Taming My Elephant Vitjitua Ndjiharine, including the installations Ikono Wall/Mirrored Reality and s We Shall Not Be Moved Nicola Brandt, including The Crushing Actuality of the Past and the video installation Indifference  André Brink's novel The Other Side of Silence Julia Rensing is a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for African Studies at the University of Basel, Switzerland. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies

Mark Graham, Vice President of Technical Services for the National Roofing Contractors Association, joined us to talk about some current, technical events going on in the commercial roofing industry. Listen in as Mark talks about the new code adoptions in Wisconsin and New York, and more. Sponsored by

Namibia's colonial history casts a long shadow over the country's present. Contemporary authors and artists confront the legacies of German and South African colonial rule and engage creatively with the persistent remnants of the past. In their works, the archive remains both an invaluable and fraught resource for accessing obscured histories.  In Troubling Archives: History and Memory in Namibian Literature and Art (Transcript, 2025) Julia Rensing examines how writers and artists from Namibia and South Africa navigate archival silences, omissions, and power structures to renegotiate historical narratives and address intergenerational trauma. Their creative practices challenge conventional understandings of archives and forms of commemoration, highlighting the diverse experiences that shape Namibian society and memory cultures. This book is available open access. Download a free PDF from the publisher's website. Some of the artists and artworks discussed in this book and interview include: Ulla Dentlinger's Where are you from? ‘Playing White' under Apartheid Tshiwa Trudie Amulungu's Taming My Elephant Vitjitua Ndjiharine, including the installations Ikono Wall/Mirrored Reality and s We Shall Not Be Moved Nicola Brandt, including The Crushing Actuality of the Past and the video installation Indifference  André Brink's novel The Other Side of Silence Julia Rensing is a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for African Studies at the University of Basel, Switzerland. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/photography

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Guest: Jake Tapper is an award-winning broadcaster and chief Washington correspondent, currently anchoring The Lead with Jake Tapper every day on CNN. He's also the #1 New York Times best-selling author of 7 books, including The Outpost (which was later made into a movie), Original Sin, and most recently Race Against Terror. Notes: Be So Good They Can't Ignore You. Jake: I'm in control of how hard I work. It is our responsibility to work so hard that we become the obvious choice for the job or the promotion. Be So Good They Can't Ignore You. "I had to be so good that even though maybe on a broadcasting level I wouldn't be the number one pick... they had to give it to me." The one leadership skill that is massively important to develop… Don't insulate yourself with “yes” people. You have to have truth tellers in your life. Who are your foxhole friends? Who are the people who are willing and able to tell you the truth? Who are the ones who love you and care about you enough to let you know when you've messed up? Those people are gold. We all need them. Rejection: Dr. Seuss was rejected by 47 publishers. Rejection is part of life. You have to stay in the game for a chance to win it. Keep going. And nobody will give you a job to be nice. What value do you bring to a company? How will you make your boss's life better? You get hired to solve a problem, not because someone wants to be nice. Pinned tweet since 2017 – "To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle." -- George Orwell. A reminder to see obvious truths being obscured by spin or wishful thinking. "You Can Always Tell Them No" - Ted Koppel's crucial advice to young Jake about maintaining journalistic integrity and not compromising values for opportunities. This became a career-defining principle that Jake still follows 20 years later. The Jar Jar Binks Theory of Leadership - Successful leaders often remove critics from their inner circle, creating dangerous echo chambers. "Great people often achieve as much as they can to the point that they are able to remove from their inner circle anyone who tells them they're being an asshole or making a wrong decision." Constructive vs. Destructive Criticism - Jake learned to distinguish between useful feedback and personal attacks: "Very few of my critics are people that I actually care what they think... folks who understand I'm just trying to be a good faith operative here." Curiosity as Career Driver - Deep curiosity drove Jake from reading microfiche about MASH as a kid to investigating complex stories as an adult: "I find something interesting and I wanna find out everything I can about it." Rejection as Constant Reality - Even at his career peak, Jake faces daily rejection: "I get rejected every day... it doesn't matter that I've had New York Times bestsellers before... it's part of life." Humility Enables Learning - Accepting expertise gaps allows growth: "Having the humility to accept that I am not an expert on any particular thing... I'm a journalist, which means I try to be an expert on whatever I'm covering at that moment." Leadership Lessons From Powerful People The Inner Circle Problem: Leaders systematically remove critics until surrounded only by yes-people, creating dangerous blind spots. Jake witnessed this pattern with Joe Biden (surrounded by aides and family who weren't honest about his declining acuity) and across industries. The Solution: Intentionally maintain truth-tellers in your inner circle who care about you personally but will challenge you professionally. Creating Truth-Telling Environments: Jake encourages healthy disagreement with executive producers, acknowledges power imbalances that make criticism harder for junior staff, and creates indirect channels for feedback ("some people on the staff think..."). The Criticism Paradox: Public leaders face constant harsh criticism, making them naturally defensive. Understanding this context helps leaders distinguish between constructive feedback that improves performance versus personal attacks that serve no purpose. Following Curiosity Despite Opposition Jake's major works were all advised against by professionals: The Outpost (no military expertise) The Atlantic story of freeing a wrongly imprisoned man Biden book (started the day after the election, despite uncertainty) Key Insight: "Every single one of them, people were telling me not to do it... It's been following my curiosities even when people told me I'm not interested in that." The Hard Work Advantage: Jake couldn't compete on appearance or natural broadcasting ability, so he outworked everyone: broke stories constantly, used blogs when he couldn't get on air, and made himself impossible to ignore through sheer output. Dealing with Rejection Expect constant rejection even at a career peak Don't take rejection personally unless there's constructive feedback Use rejection as data, not judgment of worth Keep creating regardless of immediate acceptance The Wave Metaphor: Like Tom Hanks in Cast Away, timing the waves - "every code can be cracked" if you persist and find the right timing. Key Elements for Writers: Strong structure: "Act one, chase your hero up a tree. Act two: throw rocks at your hero. Act three, get your hero out of the tree." Good editor who pushes back - be willing to "kill your darlings" Life Philosophy The Acceleration Mindset: At 56, Jake is speeding up output: "I don't know how much longer I have this window where people are paying attention... relevance is ephemeral... when it leaves, it looks fucking brutal." For Young People: "So much of life is rejection... You cannot stop it... don't take it personally." Focus on developing skills and delivering value: "Nobody will give you a job to be nice... They'll do it because you have something they want." Time Sacrifice Awareness: Success requires acknowledging costs: "What I cried about is the stuff I missed that I wasn't there for because I was chasing a story or on assignment." Time Stamps: 02:46 Jake's Dedication to Influential Figures 05:05 Hot Mic Moment in Alaska 06:59 Preparing for Big Interviews & When to Follow Up 09:01 Dealing with Criticism 12:07 The Story Behind Jake's Pinned Tweet 13:48 Race Against Terror: The New Book 18:29 Balancing Multiple Roles 20:47 Chasing Your Own Curiosity  23:58 Sacrifices for Career Success 29:00 The Importance of Humility in Leadership 31:08 Surrounding Yourself with Truth Tellers 34:18 Healthy Tension in Team Dynamics 37:15 Understanding the Pressure on Public Figures 40:09 Empathy in Leadership 45:17 Balancing Career and Family 49:00 Advice for Aspiring Journalists and Writers 52:01 The Reality of Rejection and Hard Work 57:26 The Importance of Structure and Editing in Writing 01:01:16 End of the Podcast Club

Archival Research in Historical Organisation Studies: Theorising Silences offers an accessible account of theorising the archive, contesting the narrow definitions of the archive with a view beyond a mere repository of documents. Scholars Gabrielle Durepos and Amy Thurlow discuss the ways that business archives have marginalized various populations and themes by providing two frameworks for examining the processes that have led to previous exclusions from archives. Ultimately, the authors seek to redress these absences and contribute to a better future. Gabrielle (Gabie) Durepos is an Associate Professor in the Department of Business and Tourism, at Mount Saint Vincent University and Amy Thurlow is a Professor of Communication Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Here is an audio preview of one of the new shows coming out on our Strange Midnight AV YouTube channel. Originally produced for classrooms between 1976 and 1985, this data collection program was part of the OTS (Office of Technical Services) behavioral guidance system for students aged 8–13. Designed to assess cognitive flexibility, emotional response latency, and subconscious susceptibility, the program employed animated hosts familiar to children through popular Saturday morning cartoons. ⚠️ NOTICE TO VIEWERS: This video was never intended for public broadcast. Restored and digitized for analysis only.

Archival Research in Historical Organisation Studies: Theorising Silences offers an accessible account of theorising the archive, contesting the narrow definitions of the archive with a view beyond a mere repository of documents. Scholars Gabrielle Durepos and Amy Thurlow discuss the ways that business archives have marginalized various populations and themes by providing two frameworks for examining the processes that have led to previous exclusions from archives. Ultimately, the authors seek to redress these absences and contribute to a better future. Gabrielle (Gabie) Durepos is an Associate Professor in the Department of Business and Tourism, at Mount Saint Vincent University and Amy Thurlow is a Professor of Communication Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications

Archival Research in Historical Organisation Studies: Theorising Silences offers an accessible account of theorising the archive, contesting the narrow definitions of the archive with a view beyond a mere repository of documents. Scholars Gabrielle Durepos and Amy Thurlow discuss the ways that business archives have marginalized various populations and themes by providing two frameworks for examining the processes that have led to previous exclusions from archives. Ultimately, the authors seek to redress these absences and contribute to a better future. Gabrielle (Gabie) Durepos is an Associate Professor in the Department of Business and Tourism, at Mount Saint Vincent University and Amy Thurlow is a Professor of Communication Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Sukhinder Singh Cassidy is the CEO of Xero. Xero is a cloud-based accounting software designed for small businesses. They did $2.1 billion in revenue last year. Over the past 25 years, Sukhinder has had leadership roles at Google, Amazon, and StubHub. Notes: Key Learnings Strategic CEO Job Search Criteria – Sukhinder had four non-negotiables: macro tailwinds/good market, customer she could be passionate about, strong business model, and a role where she could "learn for miles" for 5-8 years. Only two companies met her criteria in 18 months of searching. "Sell, Interview, Sell" Hiring Process – First meeting is 50% selling the opportunity to attract top talent. Only after candidates lean in do you shift to intensive interviewing with leadership team exposure. The Virtuous Cycle Framework – Customer at the top, supported by "high purpose, high performance, high people" culture. "It's an 'and,' not an 'or'" - you don't get to choose just one element. Back-Channeling is Critical – Reference checking happens throughout the entire interview process, not just at the end. "The most important thing is not just front channel... it's all the back channel." Values Alignment Over Pure Qualifications – "Go where my values fit and my strengths are valued." Cultural fit becomes the deciding factor in close hiring calls, not competence. The Layoff Leadership Test – Six weeks after joining, Sukhinder laid off 900 people based on McKinsey benchmarking. Showed consistency between the outside-in analysis presented to the board and transparent communication to employees. Portfolio of Bets Strategy – Balance growth, profitability, and customer happiness through diversified initiatives ranging from "safe moves" to "flyers," with clear probability assessments. Consistency as Culture Foundation – "Culture means consistency of message and what's important." Authenticity through change, not resistance to change. The 10-Slide CEO Interview Deck Framework: Vision statement (destination in 2-3 years) Outside-in market analysis Competitive landscape SWOT analysis of current position Five key strategic moves Implementation approach ("the how") Estimated outcomes with probability ranges Practical Application: Job Search Strategy – Define 4-5 non-negotiable criteria upfront. Be willing to wait for roles that truly meet your standards rather than taking "the job before the job." Interview Preparation – Always build a comprehensive thesis deck even if not requested. Use it to clarify your own thinking and demonstrate strategic capability. Hiring Excellence – Spend equal time selling the opportunity and evaluating candidates. Use diverse interview panels and back-channel extensively throughout the process. Cultural Leadership – Be consistent in messaging across all stakeholders (board, investors, employees). Authenticity enables trust during periods of change. Strategic Planning – Frame initiatives as a portfolio of bets with clear probability assessments. Balance growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction rather than optimizing for one. Leadership Hiring Process: The CEO interviews top 2-3 levels even without hiring authority Diverse interviewer panels with "bar raisers" Business problem-solving presentations in the final rounds Multiple leadership team interactions before the final decision Life Lessons: Patience in Career Progression – Sometimes the right opportunity requires waiting. Sukhinder was frustrated during 18 months of searching but found the perfect fit. Preparation Separates Candidates – The depth of strategic thinking demonstrated in final presentations often determines CEO selections. Culture Survives Through Consistency – Not avoiding change, but maintaining consistent values and communication approach through inevitable changes. Leadership Requires Tough Decisions – Laying off 900 people six weeks into the role, but doing it transparently and based on clear data/analysis. Value Creation Through Alignment – Finding roles where your strengths are valued and values align creates exponentially better outcomes than pure skill matching. Systems Thinking Builds Trust – Sharing appropriate "behind the scenes" context helps teams understand difficult decisions and builds long-term credibility. Early Career Focus – "Do great work for great people." Find talented leaders to apprentice under and work exceptionally hard to maximize learning. Authenticity Enables Performance – Being genuine about challenges and changes builds stronger relationships than trying to maintain artificial stability. Strategic Communication – Frame personal asks in terms of organizational benefits. Make it about solving their problems, not your desires. The Xero Transformation: Financial Performance: $2.1B revenue, 21% YoY growth while maintaining profitability Cultural Approach: "High purpose, high performance, high people" - no choosing between them Strategic Moves: Pricing/packaging optimization, sales motion transformation, customer experience reimagining (new dashboard with 3000+ customer inputs) Leadership Philosophy: Provide a "systems view" to employees, share investor-level insights appropriately, and maintain authenticity during difficult decisions

Apply to be in my next Learning Leader Circle - https://learningleader.com/leadership-circles/ This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Notes: Key Learnings The Mad Scientist Emotional Profile – High achievers typically have both high positive and high negative affect. "Hustlers, hard workers, strivers, entrepreneurs, ambitious people, they're in that quadrant of high positive, high negative affect." This creates intensity but requires management of negative emotions. Dangerous Negative Affect Management – People try to manage high negative affect through alcohol, excessive internet use/pornography, and workaholism. "The isms, the addictions, they're almost all negative affect management techniques." Two Best Ways to Manage Negative Affect: Faith, Spirituality, Philosophy - "Every day, go deep" into transcendent practices Physical Exercise - "Go pick up heavy things" - resistance training moderates negative emotions Arthur's 4:30 AM Protocol – Wakes at 4:30, works out 4:45-5:45, attends mass 6:30-7:00, then has high-protein breakfast with dark coffee at 7:45 for 4 hours of peak creative focus. "I get four hours of creative concentration with maximum dopamine." Exercise Reduces Unhappiness, Doesn't Create Happiness – "Working out hard... moderates negative affect. It makes you less unhappy" rather than directly increasing positive emotions. The Failure Journal Method – Write down failures/disappointments, return after 3 weeks to note learnings, return after 2 more months to identify good things that resulted. This installs learning in the prefrontal cortex rather than letting it "float around limbically." Early Success Can Be Dangerous – Scholars rejected for early research grants outperformed those with early success. "Much better is when you do the work and build yourself up... be a wholesaler before you become a retailer." Management Doesn't Provide Flow – "There's one kind of job where you don't get flow, and that's management... you're getting jerked from thing to thing to thing." Being CEO was "satisfying, but not enjoyable." Intelligence Must Serve Others – "Intelligence is just another gift... whether or not it makes you happier depends on whether or not you're using it to make other people happier." Denigrating others for lower intelligence indicates misusing your gift. The Arrival Fallacy – Olympic gold medalists often experience depression after winning because positive emotion comes from progress toward goals, not achieving them. "Your positive emotion doesn't exist to give you a permanent good day." Two Midlife Crisis Solutions: Focus on what age gives you rather than takes away Choose subtraction over addition - appreciate what you no longer have to do Making Changes Stick Requires Three Elements: Understand the science - Know why something works Change your habits - Actually implement different behaviors Teach it - Explain it to others to cement learning in the prefrontal cortex The Happiness Formula – "Use things, love people, worship the divine" instead of the natural impulses to "love things, use people, and worship yourself." Multi-generational Living Benefits – Arthur lives with adult children and grandchildren: "The research is clear that the closer you are to your grandchildren... the better it is for everybody." Quotes: "I get four hours of creative concentration with maximum dopamine in my prefrontal cortex... ordinarily I would get an hour and a half, two hours of real clarity." "The isms, the addictions, they're almost all negative affect management techniques." "Working out hard... makes you less unhappy. The research is very clear." "Being the boss isn't that fun. It just isn't." "I have carefully accounted for all of my days of happiness. They add up to 14." (Emir of Cordoba) "What's first prize in a pie eating contest? The answer is pie. So I hope you like pie." "Beware the corner office boys. Beware the corner office." "Use things, love people, worship the divine." "Watch one, do one, teach one." (Harvard Medical School) "Don't trust your impulses. Your impulses are to love things, use people, and worship yourself." Life Lessons Develop Daily Discipline Early - A Consistent morning routine with exercise and spiritual practice creates optimal brain chemistry for peak performance throughout the day. Manage High Achievement Personality - If you're a driven person, recognize you likely have high negative affect that needs healthy management through exercise and transcendent practices. Reframe Career Setbacks - Early failures often build stronger foundations than early successes. Use disappointments as learning opportunities through systematic reflection. Question Management Ambitions - Consider whether you enjoy management or just want the status/money. Management roles inherently provide less flow and enjoyment. Use Intelligence to Serve Others - Your cognitive gifts should lift others up, not put them down. Intelligence without service leads to unhappiness. Focus on Progress, Not Arrival - Derive satisfaction from forward momentum in meaningful work rather than achieving specific goals that won't provide lasting happiness. Embrace What Age Gives - In life transitions, focus on new capabilities and freedoms rather than what you're losing or leaving behind. Teach What You Learn - The most effective way to cement new habits and insights is to explain them to others. Teaching accelerates your own learning. Choose Subtraction - Happiness often comes from eliminating negative elements (bad meetings, toxic relationships) rather than adding more positive ones. Build Multi-Generational Relationships - Prioritize time with family across generations. The research strongly supports benefits for all parties. Exercise for Mental Health - View physical training as medication for negative emotions rather than just physical fitness. Cultivate Transcendent Practices - Whether religious, philosophical, or spiritual, daily engagement with something larger than yourself moderates negative emotions and provides meaning. Time Stamps: 00:10 Arthur's Fitness and Health Routine 02:01 Link Between Fitness and Happiness 04:03 Managing Negative Emotions 06:23 Morning Routines 13:24 The Importance of Failure 22:26 The Reality of Promotions and Leadership 27:56 The Power of Intelligence: A Double-Edged Sword 28:28 Using Gifts to Spread Happiness 29:20 The Impact of Helping Others 33:28 Avoiding the Arrival Fallacy 36:36 Redefining Retirement and Midlife 47:39 The Importance of Teaching and Learning 51:28 Life Advice 53:01 EOPC (End of the Podcast Club)

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Shaka Sengor spent 19 years in prison for killing a man. He's transformed his life through not making excuses and taking full ownership of his decisions. Now, he's a New York Times best-selling author who has been called a “soul igniter” by Oprah. His latest book is called How to Be Free. Notes: The Permanence of Split-Second Decisions – At 17, shot three times on a Detroit corner. At 19, he killed a man in a conflict after creating a narrative that he would "shoot first." Sentenced to 17-40 years for second-degree murder. "I try to teach young people about understanding the permanence of a 30-second decision." Books as Portals to Freedom – Read over 1,500 books during 19-year incarceration, starting with street literature (Pimp, Black Gangster) as a gateway to philosophy (Plato, Marcus Aurelius). "Books allowed me to escape in the most literal sense... a portal into other worlds." Prison Mentors Changed Everything – Lifers became his guides: "These are men serving life sentences who came equipped with wisdom about what's on the other side... they guided me to books that shattered old narratives and opened possibilities." Reading Creates Writing Excellence – Speed-reading skill from age 8 (learned during punishments with encyclopedias) combined with voracious prison reading, led to becoming a NY Times bestselling author. "You have to be a practitioner of the craft every day." Journaling as Transformation Tool – "It was the most healing experience I've ever had to speak to my truth, speak to the pain points." Uses 20 different journals, writes everywhere - planes, shower thoughts on phone, margins of books. Hidden Prisons We All Carry – "The most powerful prisons aren't the ones made of concrete and steel. They're the ones we carry with us, built from grief, anger, shame, trauma." Everyone has internal prisons that can be opened. Vulnerability as Strength, Not Manipulation – Authentic vulnerability vs. weaponized oversharing. "Human beings have this innate ability to suss out the truth. Authenticity and vulnerability is the super unlock... being true to your center." Community Through Shared Truth – Prison taught extreme friendship criteria: "Are they willing to serve a life sentence for you or die for you?" Now applies accountability standards: showing up consistently, being loyal to family first. Violence Born from Fear – "Reactionary violence is typically born out of fear, being afraid." Prison taught him to see "the child in people" who are acting out, leading to empathy instead of escalation. Voluntary Hardship Builds Resilience – Monthly 3-day fasts in solitary confinement prepared him for food deprivation punishment. "None of us get through life without suffering... that extra hour a week can change your life's outcomes." Composure Through Self-Awareness – Developed through journaling about times he wasn't composed. "Once you've written it down, you own it. When you own it, you can control it. When you can control it, it's easy to become composed." Remove All Excuses – Florence Nightingale quote: "I never gave or took any excuse." Despite a felony record, a violent crime conviction, and 20 years in prison, he chose to "lead a great life" by removing every excuse. The Ben Horowitz Friendship – Unlikely brotherhood with VC billionaire, starting from Oprah's introduction, bonding over music and culture until 3 AM conversations. Shows authentic relationships transcend backgrounds. Quotes: "I try to teach young people about understanding the permanence of a 30-second decision." "I was in prison before I stepped foot in a cell, and I was free before they ever let me out." "The most powerful prisons aren't the ones made of concrete and steel. They're the ones we carry with us." "Books allowed me to escape... a portal into other worlds." "Once you've written it down, you own it. When you own it, you can control it." "I never gave or took any excuse." (Florence Nightingale) "Master your thinking, master your destiny." "Violence is typically born out of fear, being afraid." "If you can see the child in the person that's acting out... it equips you to have more empathy." "None of us gets through life without suffering. At some point, we're all gonna go through adversity." "I chose to lead a great life... I removed every excuse." Life Lessons: Face Your Internal Prisons – Identify the shame, anger, grief, and trauma that create mental prisons. Recognize that these have doors that can be opened through conscious work Use Reading as Escape and Growth – Books provide mental freedom regardless of physical circumstances. Start with what interests you, then expand to broader learning. Practice Voluntary Hardship – Choose difficult challenges (fasting, extra work, taking stairs) to build resilience for inevitable adversity you don't choose. Journal for Self-Awareness – Write down thoughts, patterns, and reactions to own and control them. Use various methods - handwritten, voice memos, and margins of books. Build Authentic Community – Surround yourself with people who will hold you accountable and tell you the truth. Apply the highest standards to friendship selection. Transform Fear into Empathy – When facing conflict, look for the "child" in the other person. Understanding their fear reduces your reactionary responses. Develop Composure Through Practice – Review past moments of losing control to build awareness. Use this knowledge to respond rather than react in future situations. Remove All Excuses – Whatever your circumstances, choose to pursue greatness rather than accepting limitations. The past doesn't define the future unless you let it. Share Your Truth Vulnerably – Authentic storytelling about pain and growth helps others escape their own prisons. Vulnerability is strength when used to serve others. Create Evidence of Resilience – Completing self-imposed challenges builds confidence for handling external adversities. Each victory creates proof you can handle hard things. Choose Your Narrative – You can change the story handed down to you. Reject limiting beliefs about what's possible based on background or circumstances. Apply to be part of my Learning Leader Circle  

Archives are not only sources for history but have their own histories too, which shape how historians can tell stories of the past. In Managing Paperwork in Mamluk Cairo: Archives, Waqf and Society (Edinburgh UP, 2025), Daisy Livingston explores the archival history of one of the most powerful polities of the late-medieval Middle East: the ‘Mamluk' sultanate of Cairo. Relying on surviving original documents, Livingston focuses on archival practices connected to waqf, the pious endowments that became one of the characteristic features of late-medieval Islamic societies. By centering a close exploration of documents connected to processes of endowment and property exchange, this book sheds light on a startling culture of document accumulation that was shared by the diverse social groups involved in founding and managing endowments: sultans and emirs, qadis, legal notaries, and scribes. Emphasizing the documents' life cycles from production, to preservation, to disposal and loss, it argues for the use of surviving documents to tell their own archival histories. Daisy Livingston is Associate Professor of Medieval Islamic History in the Department of History at Durham University. As a historian of the medieval Middle East, in particular Egypt between the tenth and sixteenth centuries, her research focuses on various aspects of documentary culture, especially histories of archiving. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Archives are not only sources for history but have their own histories too, which shape how historians can tell stories of the past. In Managing Paperwork in Mamluk Cairo: Archives, Waqf and Society (Edinburgh UP, 2025), Daisy Livingston explores the archival history of one of the most powerful polities of the late-medieval Middle East: the ‘Mamluk' sultanate of Cairo. Relying on surviving original documents, Livingston focuses on archival practices connected to waqf, the pious endowments that became one of the characteristic features of late-medieval Islamic societies. By centering a close exploration of documents connected to processes of endowment and property exchange, this book sheds light on a startling culture of document accumulation that was shared by the diverse social groups involved in founding and managing endowments: sultans and emirs, qadis, legal notaries, and scribes. Emphasizing the documents' life cycles from production, to preservation, to disposal and loss, it argues for the use of surviving documents to tell their own archival histories. Daisy Livingston is Associate Professor of Medieval Islamic History in the Department of History at Durham University. As a historian of the medieval Middle East, in particular Egypt between the tenth and sixteenth centuries, her research focuses on various aspects of documentary culture, especially histories of archiving. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

Archives are not only sources for history but have their own histories too, which shape how historians can tell stories of the past. In Managing Paperwork in Mamluk Cairo: Archives, Waqf and Society (Edinburgh UP, 2025), Daisy Livingston explores the archival history of one of the most powerful polities of the late-medieval Middle East: the ‘Mamluk' sultanate of Cairo. Relying on surviving original documents, Livingston focuses on archival practices connected to waqf, the pious endowments that became one of the characteristic features of late-medieval Islamic societies. By centering a close exploration of documents connected to processes of endowment and property exchange, this book sheds light on a startling culture of document accumulation that was shared by the diverse social groups involved in founding and managing endowments: sultans and emirs, qadis, legal notaries, and scribes. Emphasizing the documents' life cycles from production, to preservation, to disposal and loss, it argues for the use of surviving documents to tell their own archival histories. Daisy Livingston is Associate Professor of Medieval Islamic History in the Department of History at Durham University. As a historian of the medieval Middle East, in particular Egypt between the tenth and sixteenth centuries, her research focuses on various aspects of documentary culture, especially histories of archiving. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies

Archives are not only sources for history but have their own histories too, which shape how historians can tell stories of the past. In Managing Paperwork in Mamluk Cairo: Archives, Waqf and Society (Edinburgh UP, 2025), Daisy Livingston explores the archival history of one of the most powerful polities of the late-medieval Middle East: the ‘Mamluk' sultanate of Cairo. Relying on surviving original documents, Livingston focuses on archival practices connected to waqf, the pious endowments that became one of the characteristic features of late-medieval Islamic societies. By centering a close exploration of documents connected to processes of endowment and property exchange, this book sheds light on a startling culture of document accumulation that was shared by the diverse social groups involved in founding and managing endowments: sultans and emirs, qadis, legal notaries, and scribes. Emphasizing the documents' life cycles from production, to preservation, to disposal and loss, it argues for the use of surviving documents to tell their own archival histories. Daisy Livingston is Associate Professor of Medieval Islamic History in the Department of History at Durham University. As a historian of the medieval Middle East, in particular Egypt between the tenth and sixteenth centuries, her research focuses on various aspects of documentary culture, especially histories of archiving. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. My guest: Michelle “Mace” Curran is a combat veteran, former fighter pilot, and only the second woman in history to fly as the Lead Solo for the Thunderbirds, the U.S. Air Force's elite demonstration squadron. Now on a new mission, she's using her story to inspire others. She is the best-selling author of The Flipside: How to Invert Your Perspective and Turn Fear Into Your Superpower. How to run "debrief" so that giving and getting feedback becomes embedded in your culture. The biggest mistake Michelle made when she became a new fighter pilot, and what you can learn from it. Early Exposure to Male-Dominated Environments – Michelle's dad took her hunting with guys starting at age 7, teaching her she "belonged in any room" she wanted to pursue. This early experience prepared her for being 1 of only 2% female fighter pilots. Parents Who Believed in Wild Dreams – Parents worked multiple jobs to afford camps (criminal justice, archaeology) whenever Michelle showed interest in something new. Taught her that opportunities weren't just possibilities - "I could go after it." The Lone Wolf Trap – When struggling in her first squadron, Michelle was afraid to ask questions because she thought it would show she didn't belong. "I wouldn't even ask questions because I felt like asking a question was just so uncomfortable." Three Years of Struggling in Silence – Despite performing well in the air, Michelle spent three years "belly crawling, pulling myself by my fingernails" because she felt pressure to represent all women perfectly. The Fresh Start Power – Moving from Japan to Texas gave her a reset: "No one here knows about my divorce. No one here knows all these struggles I've been going through." Sometimes you need a clean slate to rebuild. Curiosity + Vulnerability = Community – The breakthrough came when fellow pilots asked pointed questions beyond platitudes: "How are you actually doing?" Real curiosity that goes deeper than "let me know if you need anything." The Near Head-On Collision Story – Flying inverted at 500 mph, passing within 80 feet of another jet using only eyeballs for distance measurement. When her student pilot aimed straight at her, she had 2.5 seconds to decide whether to move or hold position. Learning from Mistakes, Not Punishing Them – After the near-collision, Michelle chose teaching over berating: "What is the most productive way we can respond to get the most learning from that?" The student learned faster because he found the boundary. The Debrief Culture Framework – Start with objectives, go through segments systematically, ask "why" five times to find root causes, create specific lesson learned, and share with the entire organization so others don't repeat mistakes. Rank Comes Off in Debriefs – Even generals sit in debriefs led by mid-level captains who are the real tactical experts. "Status comes off" - expertise matters more than hierarchy when analyzing performance. The Teaching-Learning Loop – Moving from student (year 1) to instructor (year 2) creates exponential learning: "Your students will teach you more than you probably learned when you were a student." Time Distortion Under Extreme Stress – During the near-collision, Michelle experienced "the craziest temporal distortion" where "time slows down" but "you can't do anything faster than you normally can." Build Competence First, Then Serve Others – Advice for young people: Spend 6-8 years building skills and confidence, then "reach a hand back" to mentor others. Both phases are essential for maximum impact. Quotes: "They endlessly believed in every wild dream I set my sights on." "I learned my vocabulary of profanity expanded greatly... but I also learned I could hang in that environment." "I went into it naively thinking that it didn't matter at all... and it's a little bit different as you get into the military." "There's no fear when you're present. Fear is a future thing." "Curiosity plus vulnerability equals community." "What is the most productive way we can respond at this point to get the most learning from that?" "More learning happens in the debrief than actually does during the flight itself." "The egos that people see in Hollywood around fighter pilots... what they don't show is the humility that has to happen behind the scenes." "It's not self-centered to spend that first six to eight years focused on learning and honing skills." "You get to reach a hand back... and it becomes one of the most fulfilling things for you as well." Life Lessons: Expose Children to Challenging Environments Early – Like Michelle's hunting trips, give kids experience in situations where they're the minority or outsider to build confidence. Support Wild Dreams with Action – Don't just say you believe in someone's goals - invest time and money in giving them exposure to those fields. Ask for Help Before You're Drowning – The biggest mistake is thinking asking questions shows weakness. Everyone expects beginners to have questions. Create Psychological Safety for Mistakes – Focus on learning from errors rather than punishing them. The response to mistakes determines future trust and performance. Build Debrief Culture in Your Organization – Set clear objectives, analyze systematically, find root causes, create specific action items, and share lessons broadly. Use Fresh Starts Strategically – Sometimes changing environments gives you the reset needed to implement new behaviors and shed old baggage. Go Beyond Surface-Level Check-ins – Real community comes from curiosity that goes deeper than "how are you?" Be willing to ask uncomfortable follow-up questions. Practice Temporal Awareness Under Stress – In high-stakes situations, your brain may speed up while time seems to slow down. Prepare for this distortion through practice. Separate Expertise from Hierarchy – The most knowledgeable person should lead analysis sessions, regardless of their position in the org chart. Balance Self-Development with Service – Early career should focus on building competence; mid-career should emphasize mentoring others. Accept That High Performance Requires High Standards – Like the Thunderbirds' 70-foot separation at 500 mph, excellence often means operating with minimal margin for error. Apply to be part of my Learning Leader Circle

Here is an audio preview of one of the new shows coming out on our Strange Midnight AV YouTube channel. Originally produced for classrooms between 1976 and 1985, this data collection program was part of the OTS (Office of Technical Services) behavioral guidance system for students aged 8–13. Designed to assess cognitive flexibility, emotional response latency, and subconscious susceptibility, the program employed animated hosts familiar to children through popular Saturday morning cartoons. ⚠️ NOTICE TO VIEWERS: This video was never intended for public broadcast. Restored and digitized for analysis only.

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader My guest: Sam Lessin is a Partner at Slow Ventures, with prior experience as Vice President of Product Management at Facebook and CEO of Drop.io. His career highlights include serving as a key executive at Facebook, leading product management efforts, and successfully co-founding Fin. His current role at Slow Ventures involves investing in innovative startups across various sectors, showcasing his expertise in entrepreneurship and venture capital. Notes: Key Learnings The 4:30 AM Advantage – Sam's father would be at his desk by 4:30 AM every day, saying, "It's easy to look smart if you have a several-hour head start on everyone else." Early work creates compounding advantages over time. Either Be Early or Be Late, Don't Be On Time – Father's wisdom about timing and seasons. Start your career super early to get ahead, or strategically wait and come in later. Timing matters more than perfect preparation. Joy as the Ultimate Competitive Advantage – "I just don't think that in the long run, angry people win." Look for joyful people in hiring and partnerships because joy is sustainable while anger burns out. Type Two Fun Builds Resilience – Type 1 fun is enjoyable while doing it (rollercoaster). Type 2 fun "completely sucks while you're doing it, but there's joy on the other side" (climbing mountains, marathons). Entrepreneurs need Type 2 fun experiences. Practice Voluntary Hardship – Sam ran a sub-3-hour marathon and got a pilot's license not for love of activities, but for "practice moments" of perseverance. Creates evidence that you can handle business adversity. Right Person, Right Opportunity, Right Time – Don't ask "is this a great person?" Ask, "Is it the right person at the right moment?" Success requires all three elements to align, not just talent. Write Publicly for Intellectual Receipts – "If you can't write the check, write me the thesis and timestamp it." Writing creates accountability, proves thinking ability, and builds reputation over time. Nobody Knows What They're Doing – Working at Bain taught Sam that even prestigious companies "have no idea what you're doing." This is liberating—you can figure it out too. Big Things Take Time (Slow Ventures Philosophy) – Most success isn't quick wins. Venmo took "so many turns of the crank." Be patient finding the right wind, then sail fast when you catch it. Embrace Being Wrong Most of the Time – Seed investing means "you're mostly wrong, you mostly lose money." Success comes from being very right occasionally, not being right consistently. The Solana 2000x Return Story – Put in $400K, returned 2000x to LPs. Success came from the intersection of thesis (looking for "Ethereum killer") and relationships (following Raj Gokal through multiple startups). Use Humor and Authenticity as Filters – Slow Ventures website looks like a law firm in tuxedos "on purpose." If you don't think it's funny, "you're not who we want to invest in." Writing Pushes Away Wrong People – "I really like to be not liked by the people I don't want to work with." Authentic writing attracts the right people and repels the wrong ones. Manufacturing Hardship for Privileged Kids – "Tiger Dad" sports culture might be a misguided attempt to create necessary adversity for wealthy children who lack natural hardships. I loved the throughline of this whole conversation being about his dad, working exceptionally hard, and having joy and excitement for the journey. Maybe it was the near-death experiences that his dad had that led to that mindset. Regardless, it's something we can all learn from. We want to be around optimistic people who have joy and love for what they're doing… Nobody knows what they're doing. We're all figuring it out as we go. You'll never learn unless you go out and do the thing. Figure it out as you go. Just get started. And iterate. Learn. Try again. And keep going. Advice from Sam – Write publicly. You don't know what you think until you get your thoughts out of your head onto the page. And if you publish them, you have a record of the journey. Also, you might attract someone to work with. That is how Jack Raines (guest on episode #539) caught Sam's attention, and now they work together. Useful Quotes: "It's easy to look smart if you have a several-hour head start on everyone else." "I just don't think that in the long run, angry people win." "Either be early or be late, don't be on time." "The right question is, is it the right person at the right moment?" "Writing is thinking. If you can't write, you can't think." "I feel like a tenured professor of capitalism—responsible to make a lot of money over the long term by being very right every once in a while with permission to be wrong all the time." "One of the most insulting things you can call someone is a market participant." "The beauty of the internet is so big. The right people find you." "Big things take time." "Life's short. Is this really what you're spending your time on?" Apply to be part of my next Learning Leader Circle. Time Stamps: 00:11 Sam's Dad's Unique Career Path 00:39 Life Lessons from My Dad 04:35 The Trade-offs of Hard Work 06:57 Betting on the Right People 07:23 The Importance of Joy in Success 10:39 Overcoming Hardships and Building Resilience 20:40 My Journey: From Harvard to Bain 26:06 Joining Facebook and Learning from Mark Zuckerberg 29:36 Balancing Joy and Competitive Spirit 30:15 The Story of Rippling and Parker 31:48 The Solana Investment Journey 34:33 The Importance of Writing and Public Thought 41:07 The Philosophy Behind Slow Ventures 52:54 Advice for Aspiring Venture Capitalists 55:46 Future Plans

Researchers and archivists have spent decades digitizing and cataloguing, but what does the future hold for book history? Network Analysis for Book Historians: Digital Labour and Data Visualization Techniques (ARC Humanities Press, 2025) explores the potential of network analysis as a method for medieval and early modern book history. Through case studies of the Cotton Library, the Digital Index of Middle English Verse, and the Pforzheimer Collection, Liz Fischer offers a blueprint for drawing on extant scholarly resources to visualize relationships between people, text, and books. Such visualizations serve as a new form of reference work with the potential to offer new, broad insights into the history of book collecting, compilation, and use. This volume gives a realistic look at the decision-making involved in digital humanities work, and emphasizes the value of so-called "mechanical" labour in scholarship.  Liz Fischer is an independent scholar and full-time consultant working with GLAM institutions on data and AI. Fischer's current research focuses on applications of network analysis to book history. Liz's general interests include medieval & early modern English book history, craftsmanship, antiquarianism, and digital humanities, and areas of specialty in the DH world include network analysis, collections-as-data, workflow automation, and web development. Check out the Atlas of a Medieval Life: The Itineraries of Roger de Breynton, discussed in this episode! Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Researchers and archivists have spent decades digitizing and cataloguing, but what does the future hold for book history? Network Analysis for Book Historians: Digital Labour and Data Visualization Techniques (ARC Humanities Press, 2025) explores the potential of network analysis as a method for medieval and early modern book history. Through case studies of the Cotton Library, the Digital Index of Middle English Verse, and the Pforzheimer Collection, Liz Fischer offers a blueprint for drawing on extant scholarly resources to visualize relationships between people, text, and books. Such visualizations serve as a new form of reference work with the potential to offer new, broad insights into the history of book collecting, compilation, and use. This volume gives a realistic look at the decision-making involved in digital humanities work, and emphasizes the value of so-called "mechanical" labour in scholarship.  Liz Fischer is an independent scholar and full-time consultant working with GLAM institutions on data and AI. Fischer's current research focuses on applications of network analysis to book history. Liz's general interests include medieval & early modern English book history, craftsmanship, antiquarianism, and digital humanities, and areas of specialty in the DH world include network analysis, collections-as-data, workflow automation, and web development. Check out the Atlas of a Medieval Life: The Itineraries of Roger de Breynton, discussed in this episode! Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Researchers and archivists have spent decades digitizing and cataloguing, but what does the future hold for book history? Network Analysis for Book Historians: Digital Labour and Data Visualization Techniques (ARC Humanities Press, 2025) explores the potential of network analysis as a method for medieval and early modern book history. Through case studies of the Cotton Library, the Digital Index of Middle English Verse, and the Pforzheimer Collection, Liz Fischer offers a blueprint for drawing on extant scholarly resources to visualize relationships between people, text, and books. Such visualizations serve as a new form of reference work with the potential to offer new, broad insights into the history of book collecting, compilation, and use. This volume gives a realistic look at the decision-making involved in digital humanities work, and emphasizes the value of so-called "mechanical" labour in scholarship.  Liz Fischer is an independent scholar and full-time consultant working with GLAM institutions on data and AI. Fischer's current research focuses on applications of network analysis to book history. Liz's general interests include medieval & early modern English book history, craftsmanship, antiquarianism, and digital humanities, and areas of specialty in the DH world include network analysis, collections-as-data, workflow automation, and web development. Check out the Atlas of a Medieval Life: The Itineraries of Roger de Breynton, discussed in this episode! Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba's Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader My Guest: Ed Latimore is a professional heavyweight boxer, best-selling author, and veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard. He earned a degree in Physics from Duquesne University. Ed has gained recognition for overcoming personal struggles with addiction and poverty. We recorded this at our 2025 Learning Leader Growth Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona. He's the author of Hard Lessons From The Hurt Business.  Notes: Key Learnings The Heaviest Weight at the Gym is the Front Door – Starting is often the hardest part. "Zero to one is the hardest part" in any endeavor. Once you begin, momentum builds, but that first step requires the most effort. How You Feel is Irrelevant – "How you feel about doing something is irrelevant. If it is vital to your success, you've gotta bump to the wall a bunch of times." Discipline isn't about motivation—it's about doing what's necessary regardless of feelings. Sobriety: The Hardest Fight – 13+ years sober, describing it as "the hardest fight I've ever had." The turning point came during basic training when he built an identity completely free of alcohol for the first time in his adult life. From Being Liked to Being Respected – "When people like you, they want to party with you... When people respect you, you start getting invited back to family events." Shifted focus from seeking approval through partying to earning respect through character. The Baby Shower Revelation – Breakthrough moment when friends showed up with gifts for his unborn child, "all because he is my human." Realized people genuinely cared about him, which became the foundation for believing he mattered. Taking Ownership vs. Playing Victim – "A judge and a jury do not care about my terrible upbringing if I commit a crime." Despite growing up next to a crack house with family addiction issues, I chose accountability over excuses. Net Positive Impact Philosophy – Goal with raising children: "Make sure they are a net positive, they make things better. At the very least, let's make sure they don't mess anything up." Everyone has an impact on the world for better or worse. Practice Until You Can't Forget – Boxing taught the overlearning principle: going beyond basic competency to automatic response. "We practice until we can't forget... Either you get it or you'll make a mistake, and you probably won't make the mistake more than twice." Tolerance for Boredom Builds Excellence – "If you can be bored, you can go really far because a lot of it is just repetition of really basic things." Elite performers master fundamentals through unglamorous repetition. Body Language Shapes Internal State – "You smile, you feel happy... puff up your chest and the testosterone flows." Physical presentation affects how you feel internally and influences others around you. Fear vs. Responsibility Evolution – Early motivation came from fear of embarrassment; current motivation comes from a sense of responsibility to others. Shift from avoiding personal failure to ensuring others are taken care of. Redefining "At Your Best" – Past definition: having enough money, time, and no worries. Current definition: "Everyone in the house is taken care of." Evolution from internal satisfaction to external impact. Strategic Hardship Introduction – For teaching children without trauma: "Introduce hardships strategically and with awareness." Like weight training—incremental challenges build strength; too much too soon causes injury. Useful Quotes: "How you feel about doing something is irrelevant. If it is vital to your success, you've gotta bump to the wall a bunch of times." "The heaviest weight at the gym is the front door." "When people like you, they want to party with you... When people respect you, you start getting invited back to family events." "You have an impact on the world, for better or worse, that makes a huge difference in allowing a person to not destroy themselves." "We practice until we can't forget." "If you can be bored, you can go really far." "I've had my ego dragged through the mud a lot." "What do you want your obituary to say? I didn't just dabble." "When you're completely selfless, then you're fearless. It's the 'what's gonna happen to me' that creates the fear." "Everyone's always either walking in love or fear." "I hope my kid remembers that I was a present happy dude." Life Lessons: Discipline Over Mood – Make decisions based on necessity, not feelings. Success comes from identifying what must be done and executing consistently. Identity Building Without Vices – Spend time in environments completely free from your struggles to build new neural pathways and self-concept. Overlearning for Mastery – Practice skills beyond basic competency until they become automatic responses under pressure. Authentic Accountability – Find mentors who "live what they're yelling at you about." Real influence comes from demonstrated behavior, not just words. Incremental Challenge Builds Resilience – Introduce difficulties gradually to build strength rather than overwhelming with too much too soon. Present Moment Parenting – Model calm behavior during stressful situations because children mirror your emotional energy. External Focus Creates Fulfillment – Shift from personal satisfaction to ensuring others are taken care of for a deeper sense of purpose. Childhood Dreams Reveal True Interests – "What did you want to do when you were 10-12?" Often reveals authentic passions before social conditioning. Breaking Generational Cycles – Consciously choose different patterns than your upbringing to create better outcomes for the next generation. Humility Through Struggle – Getting "ego dragged through the mud" builds character and perspective that success alone cannot provide. Luck Recognition Builds Gratitude – "The only difference between you and me is that I was lucky." Understanding the role of circumstances builds empathy.   Apply to be part of my next Learning Leader Circle.

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader My Guest: Tim Ferriss is the author of five #1 New York Times bestsellers (including The 4-Hour Work Week, Tools of Titans, and Tribe of Mentors). His podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, has been listened to more than a billion times. Tim was an early investor in Uber, Shopify, Twitter, Alibaba, and many others. He's the creator of a new card game called COYOTE. Decision making - How can I win even if I lose? He viewed angel investing like his personal MBA. Instead of paying for business school, he invested in companies and learned about business by working with actual businesses. He didn't expect to make money on those investments. That was just a bonus. Think, “How can I win even if I lose?” Tim won with those investments, regardless of whether he made money or not on them. Key Takeaways and Learnings: Parents Who Foster Curiosity – Tim's mother created a "books are always in budget" policy despite tight finances. Used remainder tables at bookstores to expose him to random, off-menu knowledge that sparked lifelong curiosity about unconventional topics. Curiosity-Driven Exploration – When Tim showed interest in marine biology, his mom found Frank Mundus (inspiration for Jaws character), arranged a meeting, and created low-cost adventures like crab fishing with chicken bones to fuel his interests. The Mask You Wear Becomes You – "Be very careful what you pretend to be" - spent years presenting as overly serious to be taken seriously, which created a recursive feedback loop. Now embraces more play and laughter to avoid burnout.  Fiction and Poetry as Life Teachers – Shifted from non-fiction purist to reading more fiction/poetry. Recommends "Ozymandias" as a monthly reminder that all achievements fade: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings. Look on my works, ye mighty and despair. Nothing beside remains." Internal vs External Scorecards – Money and fame amplify whatever's underneath, like alcohol or power. "If you have certain insecurities or paranoia, all of those are going to be amplified. If you're generous, that's also gonna be the case." Effectiveness Over Efficiency – "Effectiveness is doing the right things, efficiency is doing things well, but doing something well does not make it important." Focus on choosing the right targets rather than optimizing everything. Strategic Slack in Systems – Moved away from filling every 10 minutes. Takes 10 minutes each morning with coffee to read fiction/poetry/meditate to prove "you do not have to front flip out of bed and land in a full sprint." How to Win Even If You Fail – Project selection framework: "How can I win even if I fail?" Focus on relationships built and skills acquired that transfer beyond the project if external metrics don't pan out. The COYOTE Game Philosophy – Created a card game to address the social isolation epidemic. "People don't have a shortage of productivity advice... It's taking some steam out of the system and actually enjoying what you have worked so hard for." Social Bonds as Foundation – "It's the relationships, stupid." Countries rated happiest fundamentally come down to social ties. In-person social interactions are down 70% in certain age groups over the last 10 years. Podcasting as Relationship Building – "My goal is not to have 100% of my audience like any episode... but I do want 10% of my audience to love each episode." The personal is the most universal. Fame's Hidden Costs – With the audience size of major cities comes proportional number of unstable people. "If you have a small village, you're gonna have one village idiot... "How many crazy people are there in New York City?" "Be suspicious of what you want."   Tim read me the poem by Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley "If more information were the answer, we'd all be billionaires with six-pack abs." Be a talent scout - You don't need a huge network. A+ players in one area know A+ players in others. Seek out people who are great at what they do, regardless of what they do. Study what makes them great at that thing. Then you'll probably meet other A+ players. Also, it's on us to strive to be an A+ player at what we do. Be so good at whatever your thing is that other A+ players want to meet you. Tim has been very good at that. Quotes: "Be very careful what you pretend to be... the mask you wear often becomes the person you are." "Be suspicious of what you want." (Rumi) "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings. Look on my works, ye mighty and despair. Nothing beside remains." "Effectiveness is doing the right things, efficiency is doing things well, but doing something well does not make it important." "How can I win even if I fail?" "The personal is the most universal." "It's the relationships, stupid." "If more information were the answer, then we'd all be billionaires with six-pack abs." "Follow your curiosity and obsessions with great rigor. Do that and I like your chances." "The superheroes you have in your mind are nearly all walking flaws who've maximized one or two strengths." "You don't need a huge network... the super A+ players tend to know other A+ players." Life Lessons: Cultivate Childhood Curiosity – Create "always yes" policies for learning and exploration. Use constraints (like remainder tables) to discover unexpected interests. Embrace Strategic Experimentation – View life as a series of 6-12-month projects with 2-4 week experiments. Design studies to get feedback, not just chase outcomes. Balance Seriousness with Play – Taking yourself too seriously leads to burnout. Build in recovery phases and "deloading" periods across all life areas. Choose Projects for Learning – Select opportunities based on relationships you'll build and skills you'll acquire, not just potential external rewards. Start With Personal Pain Points – Best opportunities often come from solving problems you personally understand deeply, then expanding adjacent. Build Safety Nets First – Like Arnold's real estate, before acting, create financial/emotional cushions that allow you to say no and wait for right opportunities. Quality Over Quantity in Relationships – Better to have deep connections with fewer people than surface-level networks with many. Morning Rituals Create Calm – Prove to your nervous system you don't have to be frantic by taking 10 minutes each morning for something peaceful. Scratch Your Own Itch – Whether in podcasting, investing, or any pursuit, follow genuine personal interest for sustainable energy and authentic results. Prepare for Success Taxes – Fame and wealth amplify existing traits. Address insecurities and develop strong boundaries before scaling. Value Present Experience – Focus on daily energy in/out rather than constantly deferring happiness to future achievements. Apply to be part of my next Learning Leader Circle. Time Stamps 00:38 Tim's Childhood and Parental Influence 01:15 Curiosity and Lifelong Learning 02:56 Marine Biology and Childhood Adventures 07:06 Influence of Mentors and Teaching Aspirations 08:45 Thoughts on Parenthood and Relationships 12:11 Balancing Seriousness and Humor 25:15 Effectiveness vs. Efficiency 30:50 Creating Slack and Self-Care 34:41 The Importance of Social Bonds and Play 41:07 Meeting a Game-Changing Partner 42:13 The Importance of Analog Social Interaction 42:55 Podcasting: A Platform for Deep Connections 43:30 The Evolution and Challenges of Podcasting 43:47 The Art of Interviewing 49:18 Navigating Fame and Public Exposure 01:04:26 The Philosophy of Risk and Experimentation 01:10:27 Spotting Talent and Following Curiosity 01:20:37 Closing Thoughts and Future Endeavors

Kristie Grzywinski, Director of Technical Services at SQF Institute, discusses why librarians are a great fit to work in associations. During our conversation, she mentioned Association for Women in Science, why we should not eat raw cookie dough, as well as how to cut your risk of food borne illness. Kristie also recommends Spoke and Bird and Good Ambler for good coffee in Chicago.

Intro:Today's guest, Anthony Marchese, grew up on the shop floor of his family's elevator controls business — literally riding his tricycle between controller panels. From those early days to designing New York City's first inclined elevator, Anthony's journey is a blend of legacy, innovation, and vision for the future.Anthony is currently Vice President Technical Services at VDA and a member of the VDA new product committee. In this interview, we talk predictive maintenance, elevating performance with smart tech, and what it takes to thrive in a rapidly changing industry. Join us as we dig into this exciting topic. Summary:Anthony Marchese, Vice President of Technical Services at VDA, discussed his journey in the elevator industry, influenced by his family's legacy. He highlighted his work on New York City's first inclined elevator and emphasized the importance of predictive maintenance using advanced sensors for vibrational analysis, temperature, and water infiltration. Marchese stressed the need for proactive maintenance to avoid catastrophic events and the importance of embracing technology to optimize performance. He encouraged young professionals to be enthusiastic and take risks, citing Jim Valvano's inspirational speech as a guiding principle.

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Guest: Nick Maggiulli is the Chief Operating Officer and Data Scientist at Ritholtz Wealth Management. He is the best-selling author of Just Keep Buying: Proven Ways to Save Money and Build Your Wealth, and his latest book is called The Wealth Ladder. Nick is also the author of OfDollarsAndData.com, a blog focused on the intersection of data and personal finance. Notes: Money works as an enhancer, not a solution: Like salt enhances food flavors, money amplifies existing life experiences but has little value by itself without relationships, health, and purpose. "Money by itself is useless... without friends, family, without your health, it doesn't add much... it enhances all the other parts of life." Nick beat his dad's friends at chess when he was 5 years old because he practiced more than they did. He got more reps. He did the work. It's not that he was a chess prodigy. He just worked harder than his opponents did. And he still does that today. Practice creates expertise beyond intelligence: At five years old, Maggiulli could beat adults at chess not because he was smarter, but because he had more practice. Consistent effort over time can outcompete raw talent. "I could beat them, not because I was smarter than them, only because I had practiced something... In this very specific realm, I could beat them." Consistent writing builds compound advantages: Writing 10 hours every weekend for nine years created opportunities including book deals and career advancement. The discipline of regular practice compounds over time. "I've been writing for nine years... I spend 10 hours a week every single week for almost a decade now, and that helps over time." The most expensive thing people own is their ego. How do you add value when you're in a job that doesn't have a clear scoreboard (like sales)? Think... What gets accomplished that otherwise wouldn't have without you? Add value through time savings and efficiency: In roles where impact isn't immediately measurable, focus on how much time and effort you save others. Create systems that make your colleagues more efficient. "How do I save our operations team time? How do I save our compliance team time... I'm designing better oars that'll give us 10% more efficiency." Money amplifies existing happiness: Research shows that if you're already happy, more money will make you happier. But if you're unhappy and not poor, more money won't solve your problems. "If you're happy already, more money will make you happier... but if you aren't poor and you aren't happy, more money's not gonna do a thing." Ego is the most expensive thing people own: Trying to appear wealthier than you are prevents actual wealth building. Focus on substance over status symbols. "People in level three that wanna look like people in level four end up spending so much money to keep up with the Joneses." Follow your interests for long-term success: Passion sustains you through inevitable obstacles and rejection. Maggiulli wrote for three years without earning money because he genuinely enjoyed it. "Follow your interest because when you follow your interest, you're more likely to keep going when you face obstacles." The "Die with Zero" philosophy, advocated by Bill Perkins, encourages people to prioritize experiences and fulfillment over accumulating maximum wealth, suggesting spending money strategically to maximize lifetime enjoyment. Nick defines six levels of wealth based on net worth, ranging from $0 to over $100 million. These levels are: Level 1: $0-$10,000 (paycheck-to-paycheck), Level 2: $10,000-$100,000 (grocery freedom), Level 3: $100,000-$1 million (restaurant freedom), Level 4: $1 million-$10 million (travel freedom), Level 5: $10 million-$100 million (house freedom), and Level 6: $100 million+ (philanthropic freedom).  Nick also notes a shift in asset allocation as one progresses through the levels. In the lower levels, a larger portion of wealth is tied up in non-income-producing assets like cars, while higher levels see a greater emphasis on income-producing assets like stocks and real estate. Wealth strategies must evolve by level: The approach that gets you to level four ($1M-$10M) won't get you to level five ($10M-$100M). Higher wealth levels typically require entrepreneurship or equity ownership. "The strategy that you use to get into level four is not going to be the strategy that gets you out." Know when "enough" is enough: Level four wealth ($1M-$10M) may be sufficient for most people. The sacrifices required to reach higher levels often aren't worth the marginal benefits. "The rational response for an American household once they get into level four is... maybe I take my foot off the gas and just enjoy life more." As a data scientist, Nick leverages data to provide business intelligence insights at Ritholtz Wealth Management, where he also serves as Chief Operating Officer. His work involves analyzing data to answer business questions, identify trends, and build predictive models. For example, he might analyze lead conversion rates, client attrition, or investment patterns to inform business decisions. Financial independence requires separate identities: Maintain individual financial accounts within marriage for independence and easier asset division. Pool resources for shared expenses while preserving autonomy. "Everyone needs to have their own accounts. They need to have their own money... especially important for women." Nick and his wife have a joint + separate bank account(s). Here's how it works: All of your income and your partner's income flows into this joint account. That income is used to pay for all shared expenses. Any excess left in the account (above a certain threshold) can either be left in the account or distributed equally between you and your partner (to your separate accounts). Apply to be part of my Learning Leader Circle  

Unlock the secrets of precision CNC machining for cylinder heads and boost your engine's performance!In this exclusive webinar, Anthony Usher (President of MEC CNC) and Chuck Lynch (VP of Technical Services, AERA) share advanced machining methods for cylinder heads that are transforming the performance and racing industry. From valve guide honing to valve seat machining challenges, you'll discover how precision manufacturing can dramatically improve power, longevity, and efficiency.

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Ryan Petersen is the founder and CEO of Flexport, a technology-driven global logistics company. He's a leading voice in supply chain innovation and has been at the forefront of solving major trade and shipping challenges worldwide. Notes: “Arrogance is its own form of stupidity.” The Tweetstorm That Saved Christmas: Ryan shares the now-legendary story of how he rented a boat, brought tacos, and took another high-powered CEO with him to tour the Port of Long Beach during the supply chain crisis. His viral Twitter thread sparked immediate action, California Governor Gavin Newsom called within hours, and the policy changed shortly after. A masterclass in “doing the thing.” Frontline Obsession & Gemba Walks: Why Ryan frequently travels the world (visiting 19 countries last year) to meet employees and customers. He explains the power of Gemba walks, being physically present on the frontlines, and how it shapes his leadership. How He Runs Flexport: Ryan's leadership playbook includes: Managing through writing. Every one of his 26 teams writes a six-page memo monthly, followed by deep conversations. Daily conversations with 30-40 employees to stay connected. Living Flexport's values: Empower Clients, Play the Long Game, Act Like an Entrepreneur, Commit to the Vision, Ask Why 5 Times. Leadership & Decision-Making: He shares his “must-haves” for hiring leaders: Relentless Work Ethic Intellectual Curiosity Humility (“Even wise people are wrong 30% of the time.”) Reliability Charisma Lessons from Mentors: Ryan talks about advice from Paul Graham (Y Combinator) and Brian Chesky (Airbnb), including how gathering your top leaders in person sparks innovation and alignment. Hard Decisions & Mistakes: He candidly discusses Flexport's CEO transition gone wrong, hiring Dave Clark from Amazon, and what he learned from that difficult chapter. Personal Growth & Life Philosophy: Ryan shares his approach to lifelong learning, inspired by Charlie Munger and René Girard. He emphasizes reading widely, asking questions, and choosing role models wisely. "We're all imitative people. Choose your role models wisely." “We're making global trade as simple and reliable as flipping a light switch.” “Even wise people are wrong 30% of the time. You must stay humble.”

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Go to www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Guest: Blaine Anderson is a dating coach and matchmaker. She's helped more than 3,000 happy clients attract and build long-term relationships. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and she earned a deal with Mark Cuban on Shark Tank. Notes: Someone asked Charlie Munger… How do I get a great wife? Deserve one. The best way to find a good spouse is to deserve one, he often said. In business, this translates to working hard and behaving with integrity consistently over time. “To get what you want, you have to deserve what you want.” What is the #1 reason you don't get a second date? You talk about yourself too much.  When you go out to eat with someone, what percentage of the time are you talking? Aim to talk 30% and listen 70%. The reason we don't get the second date or the follow-up meeting with the prospect is because we are talking too much. Pull conversational threads: Avoid rapid-fire questioning by following up on answers with related questions. Share brief personal connections to create dialogue rather than interrogation. "You want to pull the conversational thread... ask a follow-up question about that same thing. That's where you can start having a conversation." Marketing your trajectory matters: People want to know you're going places. Share your goals, dreams, and aspirations authentically to demonstrate upward momentum. "You want to find the balance of sharing things about yourself that indicate you are on an upward trajectory... from a place of getting to know one another." Nice guys need boundaries: Being overly accommodating to people you barely know signals weakness. Hold boundaries and don't put others before yourself too quickly. "The general problem with the nice guy is he's putting other people before himself, including people he doesn't know very well." Confidence must be genuine: Authentic confidence comes from actually becoming confident through mastery, not just faking body language. Get genuinely good at something. "You have to become that... get really good at something... picking something in your life and getting really good at it is gonna help you build confidence." Don't rush to the close: Whether in dating or sales, focus on building connection and trust before asking for commitment. The close is the period at the end of a long sentence. "If you approach a woman or you approach a deal and you're just trying to get to the final step... you're going to rush through a lot of the important and essential steps." High-value people are in demand: Present yourself as someone others want to be around. People are naturally drawn to those who appear sought-after by others. "We want the thing that's in demand. We want the thing that other humans recognize as high value." Genuine curiosity creates connection: Being authentically interested in others' experiences is a powerful form of respect and love. Ask questions that take conversations deeper. "Your underlying emotion is important... becoming a genuinely curious person who is interested in meeting another human." Physical fitness affects confidence: Looking and feeling good about yourself impacts how you show up in every interaction. Invest in your physical health. "You gotta feel good about how you look... who wants to partner up with a slug? Nobody." "You should always be dating your partner, whether it's your first date, your 40th date, or you've been married for 40 years."' "The close is the period at the end of a very long sentence." "Deserve one." - Charlie Munger's advice on getting a great spouse Women want 3 things - social status, to be desired, flirty/fun… They want an optimist. If things aren't going well, look in the mirror. Take accountability. Her Twitter profile picture. Show the whites of your eyes. Smile. She has two tattoos. Omega is her middle name. Cactus for Tucson, AZ. How to build genuine confidence? Get good at something. Become an expert. Work really really hard. Be in great physical shape. It's hard to be confident if you don't like how you look. Sounds harsh, but it's true. Confidence comes from evidence. Create some evidence for youself by consistently working hard and getting great at something. That confidence will ooze out of you wherever you go. Shark Tank. Scary, anxious, nervous. Did a deal with Mark Cuban. Advice - If you're building a business, listen to what your customers want. What does your ideal client want? Build that.

It's no secret that the craft-brewing industry is facing headwinds, and with that comes brewery closures and a flourishing used-equipment market. But as we all know, buying and integrating used equipment doesn't mean just plug and play: It requires strategic planning, thorough integration, thoughtful modernization, and on-the-fly creative problem solving. If you're building a new brewery, an expansion brewery, or upsizing the brewhouse in your current facility by combining used and new equipment, this episode is designed to help you maximize value and optimize your operations. This episode is brought to you interruption-free by First Key Consulting (https://firstkey.com). First Key is the leading brewing and beverage industry consulting firm, having worked around the world in more than 50 countries for more than 35 years. First Key has some of the most talented, interesting, and experienced experts who provide their clients with independent and comprehensive advice and work with them to implement solutions in every area of their business. Service areas include strategy and finance, engineering, operations, supply chain and sustainability, marketing and sales, and people and organizational performance. For more background information, including client case studies and leadership group, please visit www.firstkey.com (https://firstkey.com). Panelists for this episode include: Mike Gerhart, Senior Advisor, Technical Services at First Key Consulting (https://firstkey.com) Mike works with breweries of all sizes and scales to optimize performance, scale operations, and navigate complex projects from greenfield builds to existing facility equipment integrations. Before joining First Key, Mike had more than 25 years of experience working with breweries such as Hill Farmstead, Dogfish Head, Otter Creek, and Coors. Reach out to Mike directly at mike.gerhart@firstkey.com. (mailto:mike.gerhart@firstkey.com) Andy Joynt, Director of Brewing at Big Grove Brewery (https://biggrove.com) Andy is responsible for all beer made at Big Grove's five different operations, including two production facilities and three taprooms. Under Andy's leadership, Big Grove has become the number one top selling craft beer in Iowa, surpassing Blue Moon and Leinenkugel's. Big Grove has received multiple awards including World Beer Cup, GABF, and U.S. Open Beer.  Tim Wolf, Senior Advisor, Engineering Services at First Key Consulting (https://firstkey.com) Tim focuses on capital project management, process, utilities, and packaging engineering, as well as operational improvements projects. Before joining First Key, Tim spent 15 years with AB InBev in engineering and project management roles where he worked on various brewery projects across the 18 breweries in North America. He also managed and led integration and expansion projects for their craft breweries. Reach out to Tim directly at tim.wolf@firstkey.com. (mailto:tim.wolf@firstkey.com)

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for all show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Go to www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Anthony Scaramucci served as the White House Director of Communications for President Donald Trump from July 21 to July 31, 2017. He was at Harvard Law School with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. He's the founder and managing partner of SkyBridge Capital. And he's the founder and Chairman of the SALT conference.  Leadership through service: True leadership isn't about personal glory but about making others better and helping them succeed in their roles. Derek Jeter exemplified this by never caring about personal statistics, only team success. "If you're on the team, it's not about me, right? It's about you. How am I gonna make you better? Or how am I gonna make you feel good about your role? How am I gonna get you to think that I'm here to help you?" Flexibility and decision-making under pressure: Football taught Scaramucci the importance of reading situations quickly and making audibles at the line of scrimmage - skills that translate directly to business and life leadership. "You can't just say, okay, here's the game plan, right? Because that's what Mike Tyson says, right? You have the plan until you get punched in the face, or all battle plans go by the wayside with contact with the enemy." Resilience through adversity: Getting "your ass kicked" early in life builds the resilience needed for future challenges in business and politics. Early defeats teach you how to bounce back from failure. "That's called resilience, right? You gotta get over that... That's how you gotta get your ass kicked. Here I was... and I just remember feeling so puny... So how you gotta get over that." The confidence battle starts within: The first fight in life is with yourself - believing you're good enough and worthy to compete. Henry Ford's principle applies: "If you think you can or you can't, you are right." "The first fight is with yourself. Am I good enough? Am I worthy? Can I get to the game? Can I believe in myself enough so that I'm standing next to someone else who believes in themselves that I compete?" Accountability in relationships: When Scaramucci's marriage was in crisis, taking full accountability for his mistakes rather than deflecting blame was crucial to rebuilding the relationship. "I owe my wife Deirdre, a debt of gratitude for actually really loving me because I was off the rails on a few things... she's like, Hey, I'm not having this, so if you love me, get your shit together." Life coaching vs. therapy approach: Life coaching focuses on progression and future action ("What are we doing today to be better?") rather than regression into past issues. "I feel that therapy is a regression. Life coaching is a progression... forget about the past. What the hell are you gonna do? What are we doing today to make yourself a better person?" Forgiveness as liberation: Choosing to forgive both others and yourself removes the "millstone of regret" that weighs you down and prevents forward progress. "I can take that millstone of regret and leave it behind me, take it off of my neck and leave it behind me... human frailty and not judging it is not just you judging others, but also yourself." The comfortable outsider advantage: Being comfortable with your outsider status while still being able to operate in elite circles provides authentic confidence and relatability across all social levels. "I am a comfortable outsider. I'm not an insider... but I'm comfortable with it. You know, like guys like Trump or Rudy, they're uncomfortable. Outsiders... But I'm a comfortable outsider. I don't need to do that." Intellectual curiosity + neuroplasticity: Combining genuine curiosity about others with the ability to adapt and change allows you to move successfully between different social and professional circles. "Find your superpower... I think your superpower is very similar to my superpower... intellectual curiosity. And so if you can blend intellectual curiosity with neuroplasticity, meaning you can adopt and change... then you can move in various circles." Pivot for survival: Successful businesses and careers require constant reinvention. SkyBridge's conference business and pivot to Bitcoin were survival strategies that became major successes. "We were going outta business... This was an accidental survivor strategy. This was a pivot that we were making in order to stay in business. This was not some mastermind plan."

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Go to www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Jim Murphy is a mental performance coach for some of the most accomplished professional athletes in the world. Formerly a professional baseball player, he now focuses on helping others. You may have heard of him if you were watching the Philadelphia Eagles' playoff run last season, and star wide receiver AJ Brown was reading Jim's book Inner Excellence on the sideline between offensive series. Notes: The first 11 days of 2025, Inner Excellence (originally published 16 years ago) sold about 25 copies… What happened on January 12? AJ Brown was shown on TV reading it in between offensive series. It then sold 200,000 copies in 20 days. Fear is a concern about the future. Give the best of what you have today. Be present. Heart, will, spirit = the deepest part of you When we're at our best, there's no thought of self. 5 greatest needs That we have value Love and acceptance Integrity Purpose beyond self Growth Dick Vermiel's coaching style - Coach the person first. Then the sport (or the thing you're doing). The same is true for any leadership role. People won't care what you think unless they know you actually care about them. 4 Daily Goals Give the best of what you have today Be present. Fear is a future thing. Be grateful Focus on what you can control Anxiety is a mind with too many thoughts and concerns. Need to face our fears. 3 Key Areas: Belief - expand what you think is possible. Freedom - play like a kid (let it rip). Focus - Be fully present Status vs amazing experiences. Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Joy comes from love. Love can come from weaknesses. Ego - Always comparing, creates a fear of screwing up Rory McIlroy – Didn't care if he made the cut at the US Open. Played free and made a few birdies at the end of the second round and made the cut. Jim's Dedication: “My father, Donald C. Murphy. The one who greatly influenced me to think deeply about what to love and what to let go of. I love you. See you soon.” His dad worked on the Apollo 11 mission. The first lunar landing. Grade yourself on presence. 4 daily goals. Rate them 1-10. Anxiety is a sign that someone isn't present. Jim has always struggled with being self-centered. Be non-judgmental. Share unconditional love. Ricky Scruggs - Former teammate and roommate in pro baseball. He invited me to the desert in 2003. Led me to take the risk to leave the safety of family and friends to pursue a meaningful life. What about for those people who say your stuff is "woo-woo?"  “I get paid to help people perform better. And that's what happens when you work with me.” “My whole life, I obsessed about being a superstar, being rich and famous. What I now realize is what I've always wanted was to feel fully alive. I've realized since that what I always really wanted was to feel fully alive. That's what Inner Excellence is about. Pursuing a full life and letting everything else be added. We're created for relationships." Among Jim's strengths is that he listens and doesn't judge. That's what many people want. “I have this one client, a pro athlete. He said, ‘Jim, I smoke, I gamble, I drink. I do all these things, but I don't think you do all those things. Do you think we can work together?' I said, ‘If you don't judge me for not doing those things, I won't judge you for doing those things.' We became great friends.” Resonance Key #3 - Love Your Opponent. “The opponent is not the enemy– they're our partner in the dance.” – Phil Jackson

The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Larry Connor is an entrepreneur, non-profit activist investor, and adventurist. In business, he is best known for founding The Connor Group, a real estate investment firm, and growing it from $0 to $5 billion in assets. Outside of work, Larry lives an adventurous life. Within a 12 month period Larry did something that had never been done before. He completed 3 dives to the deepest part of the ocean (the Mariana Trench) AND traveled to the International Space Station as an astronaut. In addition to that, Larry is a private pilot and was part of a Le Mans racing team that has won championships. “At The Connor Group, we don't have, and never will have, a mission statement. We have culture. When you have the latter, the former is not necessary.” The culture is built on 5 core values, on which we don't compromise: Do the right thing People count Live the Circle of Success Think long-term, not short-term Relentless pursuit of excellence “We exist, quite simply, to be the best.” “We don't hire for experience. We don't hire for knowledge. We don't care where you went to school. We hire for personality traits. Especially in leadership roles. You have to have the big 6. You have to have all 6. They are: 1. Be able to motivate and inspire others. 2. Self-accountability and ability to hold others accountable in an honest, direct manner. 3. Organizational multi-tasking. The speed of the game is fast. 4. Cultural fit. 5. Grit. Doing the thing that others say are impossible. 6. Work orientation. If you want to come in at 8:30, take a 90-minute lunch, and leave at 4:30, The Connor Group is not for you. “People never outperform their own self-image. So aim high!” “Mediocre people don't like high achievers and high achievers don't like mediocre people.” “By definition, if you want to be exceptional, you have to be different. If you're like everybody else, you're going to end up like everybody else.” In 2008, Larry said, “We simply decided we weren't going to participate in the global recession.” 3 P's - People, Plan, Process People's performances are measured through daily, weekly, and monthly IAMs (Individual Accountability Meetings). Clear expectations and clear management. When I asked him about becoming a billionaire, Larry immediately jumped to the impact he's having on others. “There are far more important standards than money. How well have you treated your associates? Have you made them better people? How much have you done to help other people? Have you made a difference?” All of that is available to all of us regardless of us being a billionaire or not. The company headquarters are next door to a hangar that houses a working model of the “Wright B Flyer” - The Wright Brothers' first production airplane.

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk ​The Arena​ gives you direct access to some of the most respected coaching minds in the world. Led by HOFer Sherri Coale, Brook Cupps, Geron Stokes, and Eli Leiker. Leaders who have built winning programs, led at the highest levels, and shaped the next generation of elite performers. The Arena is a Learning Leader Circle for Coaches only. We are opening applications now for our first cohort. If you'd like to be part of it, ​CLICK HERE to apply​. Once the cohort is full, we will be pausing applications. This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader In Patient Pursuit of Greatness – In the spring of 2012, General McChrystal was teaching a leadership class at Yale. That's when he met Tony Reno. He said about the meeting, “Not many things materially affect my trajectory. But this time was different. What was different? Coach Reno.” The goal of the program: “Leave the jersey better than you found it.”  The team creed, a pledge written by players on Team 142 (the 2014 squad), as they do at the start of every practice: “I vow to believe in the process, I am mentally and physically tough, I compete with passion and overcome any challenges. I stand tall alongside my family at all times, I challenge my brother, believe in him, hold him accountable. As I create my own path I always put team before myself, I strive for excellence on and off the field, I hold myself to a higher standard. I am a Yale football player.” Standards - Every player must recite the creed. The younger players are coached by the older players. The brick tradition - At each practice, one player presents his brick, then adds it to the others in the tunnel-- a visual reminder of the team's solidarity. Reno instituted the tradition to build camaraderie through candid reflection. Hero, Hometown, Hardship, Highlight. Someone who has impacted you. One word for the season. His players went to bat for him. On December 28, Casey Gerald '09, a cornerback, and 63 other former players sent a letter endorsing Coach Reno's candidacy to athletic director Tom Beckett, and later to president Richard Levin and provost Peter Salovey. 12 days later, he earned the job. Gettysburg Retreat: Yale's football team takes an annual retreat to Gettysburg with McChrystal to focus on leadership, bonding, and team culture. Presidential Leadership - Lead people, but don't do it for them. When his players host recruits, they will tell Coach Reno if their character aligns with being a Yale football player.  Coach Reno names a player of the day for each practice. The one who lives out their values and the Yale football player creed. Life/Career advice - Help you become the best version of yourself in all you do. Make you an elite leader. Maximize you as a football player. Help you find your passion.

The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver.  www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Katie Gatti Tassin is the author of the "Money with Katie" newsletter and podcast, both acquired by Morning Brew in 2022. Katie provides fresh personal finance advice with a unique outlook, coupled with deep, self-taught knowledge.  Before founding Money with Katie in 2020, she worked professionally in marketing and user experience design for Southwest Airlines, Dell Technologies, and Meta. She's the author of Rich Girl Nation: Taking Charge of Our Financial Futures. Notes: If you're not curious about it, you're not going to give it your all. But if you are, you can become relentless. Chase your curiosity and obsessions with great rigor. That passion and love for whatever the thing is can lead to big opportunities in your life. Do you want 100% of a grape or 25% of a watermelon? Advice Katie got when she was considering accepting the offer to be acquired by Morning Brew. The importance of having a coach. Katie talked about the life-changing impact her coach, Elizabeth, has had on her. Ambitious, motivated people who have high standards need help, too. In fact, maybe as much as anyone. It's worth it to invest in yourself and find a person to talk with 1 on 1. Parents - High expectations, straight A's or bust. Driven, hard to turn it off. The Morning Brew acquisition - Money with Katie. Worked at Meta and did Money with Katie at the same time. Left for the acquisition. Austin Rief (CEO) DM'd her on Twitter and made an offer during their first 30-minute conversation. Big lesson - Your IP is everything. Book Dedication - “To the anonymous guy who 'works in finance' that used to relentlessly comment on my nascent website in 2018, urging me to quit writing about money and 'keep it to myself. I hope you're well." Acknowledgments - “Mom, for all those quiet days spent sitting on the floor of the Lents branch library or wandering the stacks at Barnes & Noble. Dad, for spending your time after work at the kitchen table with me every time my homework involved numbers, and for being my number one fan.” How much money do you need to be financially free? Katie breaks down the 4% rule, why it works, and how it can be personalized and optimized for each person's retirement needs. High Standards Can Be a Double-Edged Sword – "I am an incredibly driven person because of the people who raised me... But I also have a really hard time with turning it off. I can become very narrow-minded and obsessive about the things that I'm doing." Turn Critics Into Fuel – Katie dedicated her book to an anonymous finance professional who told her to "quit writing about money" and "keep it to herself." Sometimes the best fuel comes from those who doubt you. Money Transparency in Families Creates Advantages – Katie's parents openly discussed finances, including sharing their income. "I never really thought of it as something that was taboo... made it a lot easier for me now as an adult." The Power of Life Coaching for Entrepreneurs – After initial skepticism, Katie found a life coach who told her, "You are way too in your head. You are way too concerned with the minutia. You don't even know where you wanna go yet." Intellectual Property is Everything in Negotiations – "Your intellectual property is the most valuable thing that you are negotiating over... The primary value of the thing that I'm spending 60 hours a week working on needs to be accruing to me." The 25x Rule for Financial Freedom – Based on the 4% withdrawal rule: "Once you have accumulated 25 times your annual spending... You should theoretically be able to use 4% of that amount every year, withdraw it, and live on it." Marriage Changes Everything Financially – "Marriage is the most legally significant thing you will do in your life other than die, and you don't get so much as a leaflet about how your rights have just changed." Prenups Aren't About Distrust – They're about legal protection, especially for anyone who might leave the workforce. "If you spend decades out of the workforce... You need to ensure that if your partnership ends someday... You will have a certain amount of income." Desire Drives Excellence – "If you're not curious about it, you are not going to give it your all... There is such a difference in outcomes. If I am really into something that I'm working on, it's gonna be second to none."

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Kirk Herbstreit is the voice of college football. A former Centerville High School and Ohio State University Quarterback, Kirk has been the lead Analyst for ESPN's College Gameday since 1996. He calls the biggest games in college football on Saturday nights, and he broadcasts the college National Championship. Beyond college football, Kirk is also the lead analyst for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video. Kirk has been nominated for 19 Sports Emmy Awards and has won 5 times. This conversation was recorded in front of about 300 people in Centerville, Ohio. Kirk's dog Peter was with us on stage when he wasn't wandering around in the audience. Kirk's emotional moment after Ohio State's national championship was about his authentic connection to Coach Day, his son (who was on the team), and all the players. "I try so hard to be impartial. I try so hard to be just objective and fair. It's almost like the culmination of just a release." Showing authentic emotion and humanity makes leaders more relatable and trustworthy, not weaker. Bob Gregg and Ron Ullery's impact: "They didn't tear your knees out, but they just made sure as a 16, 17, 18-year-old that you knew this ain't about you. It's about us." This foundation created a work ethic that translates across all of life. The most prepared broadcaster in the world - "When I started in 1996 on college game day, unless you were a Big 10 fan, you had no idea who I was. So my idea of trying to build my brand was they're gonna know me from my work ethic." "They're gonna know me from my work ethic. They're gonna know me like, damn, I don't know who that dude is, but he seems to know what he's talking about." "I prepare a hundred percent, and I use 20% for all three shows." Over-preparation creates confidence and the ability to handle any direction conversations might go. When you're not the most naturally gifted, becoming the most prepared person in the room creates a competitive advantage. High School Football Builds Life Skills – "I'm such an advocate for high school football because of my own experience... It's about what these guys are doing... simple old school values, like hard work and perseverance and facing adversity." "I could choose to be embarrassed of who I was on national TV, or choose to have a bit of a chip on my shoulder. And I was kind of a chip on my shoulder guy my whole life." Feeling underestimated can fuel extraordinary preparation and performance when channeled constructively. Deal with Imposter Syndrome when he started broadcasting NFL games for Amazon on Thursday nights: "I didn't even go to an NFL camp, and here I am calling NFL Games as the expert game analyst. And so, and I'm working with freaking Al Michaels." "I don't deserve your respect in my brain until I earn it." College Football's Current Crisis – "The players went from our era. You had no say to now they have all to say... It's like the world is upside down right now when it comes to that aspect of it." "Who fixes it? The NCAA doesn't fix it... No one's worried about the global view of the sport. They're worried about their region... who's in charge? No one's the boss." "They're great players, but they're a dime a dozen. Like you're on a conveyor belt as a player. There's other players coming right behind you." Kirk supports true name, image, likeness marketing but opposes pay-for-play: "I am a fan of, if Jeremiah Smith becomes Jeremiah Smith after he gets there... if he can make money in marketing... But not, a guy is over at Bowling Green... and LSU needs a left guard and they're just like, Hey, how much does it take?" "These coaches are a little bit hesitant on how hard they're gonna be on these guys because they don't wanna believe. Imagine being a coach and you're worried about, is this guy gonna leave if I really do what I want to do with him?" Mental Health Through Faith – "For me, it's my faith... daily devotional prayer and really trying to connect helps me... having very honest conversation with family and friends and opening up." The Value of Chosen Hardship – My perspective: "I think you gotta keep doing that stuff... choose to do really hard things every day to prove to myself that I can keep doing hard things so that when adversity strikes, I'm prepared." Generational Empathy – "This generation, I can't imagine going through what they go through, whether it's Snapchat and middle school... just everybody being in your business and everything online." The Lee Corso Legacy – "He was hot takes before we knew what Hot Takes were... our relationship really changed was off air... he was a really good listener... like Yoda or like Don Corleone." The best mentoring relationships evolve from one-directional learning to mutual care and support. The Lunatic Fringe - "There's 90% of Ohio State fans that whether they win or they lose, they're proud of 'em... every fan base has that 10% that we're all embarrassed of."

The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Tom Ryan is the head wrestling coach at Ohio State University. In college, he wrestled for perhaps the greatest wrestling coach of all time, Dan Gable, at Iowa, where he was a two-time Big Ten champion and a two-time NCAA All-American. As a coach at Ohio State, he's won numerous national coach of the year honors, has coached more than 75 All-Americans, and led the Buckeyes to a national championship in 2015. We filmed this in his office in Columbus, OH, after spending the morning watching some of his championship wrestlers practice. It was one of the coolest days I've had in a long time. Notes: “My first workout after driving from Syracuse to Iowa was a soul-cleanser. I collapsed in my car outside the arena. I couldn't stop crying.” "It was a line in the sand moment for me. Where are you going or staying? Because I could have turned around, I could have went right back. But it was this sense of knowing that you were in the right place." It's amazing that Tom decided to leave Syracuse with no guarantee of even making the team at Iowa, let alone a scholarship. He shows up on day 1, and Coach Gable didn't even know who he was! Crazy. And then he goes on to earn his spot and become an All-American. Competitive Spirit from Early Age: "There's certainly an element of competitive spirit... even in second grade, we were on the playground... if you lose, you're fighting somebody. You just wanna win, you wanna win everything you do." Why go to Iowa? The Will to Be Great – "I wanted to be elite at something. And by trial and error, it was almost trial and error... I wasn't gonna end my career with not knowing how high I could climb." Key Learnings from Dan Gable: Emotional Control – "He wasn't a yeller. He wasn't a screamer... The reason why he didn't need to yell was his competence." Focus on Situation, Not Person – "It was never personal... He would focus on the situation and not you as a person. You never felt attacked. It was just bluntly, your single leg needs improvement." Balance of Freedom and Accountability – "Too much freedom. Not good... You can drive someone crazy with discipline and rituals and rules... It's just this happy medium." One of the most emotional moments in my 10+ years of recording this podcast, Tom shared the story of the day his 5-year-old son, Teague, had a heart attack and tragically passed away. The room went silent. And Tom went deep into the impact that it has had on him and his family. This is something I cannot imagine happening. I am grateful that Tom was willing to share and be so vulnerable. I love Tom Ryan, and I am lucky to have been in Columbus with him. The interview with Ohio State: "I wasn't their first choice... But ultimately, I was a leader that had learned. I learned under the best." He prepared extensively, attacked his weaknesses proactively, and wasn't afraid to discuss his faith. Chosen vs. Unchosen Suffering – The concept of "chosen suffering" came after experiencing unchosen suffering (losing Teague). "Wrestling has never brought me to my knees... I never got there in wrestling... but when I lost Teague in 2004, that I referred to as unchosen suffering." Chosen Suffering = Deep Love – "Chosen suffering is a fancy word for love because you will suffer the most for the things you love the most." The willingness to endure difficulty stems from profound love for what you're pursuing. Traits of Elite Performers: Ungodly Effort – "In all studies ever performed on elite behavior... one is an ungodly effort. And I think effort stems from... effort over time is a byproduct of deep love." High Capacity to Learn – Elite athletes have exceptional skill development abilities Living in Truth – "The capacity to live in truth. To really be honest with yourself and be okay with it... really strong self-assessment." Daily Discipline – "The discipline to do it daily... to work on your shortcomings and really be good enough to look in the mirror and say, I love you, but you got some problems." Being Coachable – "Most people wanna be coached until they're getting coached." Great performers actively seek feedback, while good ones want to be left alone. Three-Pronged Leadership Philosophy: Example – Walk the walk and display the behaviors you want to see Truth in Love – "Too much truth can demoralize someone... too much love, you're patronizing me. Stop it. Gimme the truth." Embracing Pain and Suffering – "We're gonna make decisions that weren't right... and we're gonna accept them and we're gonna grow from them." The 3 Success Pillars: Your Mind - Internal you. Where your thoughts originate. Your Relationships - Who you allow to influence your decisions. Your Environment - The setting that will build you or break you. The world doesn't care what we're after, nor does it care about our principles. It doesn't care about you or me, nor will it change for us. It doesn't owe us anything. The world is heading in a direction, spinning on its axis, and there's little we can do to change that. What we can change, however, is what we do. We can control our direction. We must continuously develop our core and worldview to help us navigate the temptations of the world. What happened on the morning of April 23, 2024? Coach Ryan had been on his way to OSU for an early morning workout with colleagues when his SUV, traveling at about 65 miles per hour, struck the semitrailer. Physical Trauma vs. Emotional Trauma – "When we lost Teague, I was healthy, I was physically healthy, I was mentally healthy... when I hit this tractor trailer at full speed... the physical trauma that occurred was surreal. And I wasn't ready." "I went into a terrible depression... I was sad when I lost my son, but I wasn't depressed... But in this, I was suicidal for a little bit." Coach Ryan openly shared his mental health struggles with family and got help. The #1 indicator of sustained success is emotional control. Two-word mantra — keep working. Physical Suffering as Mental Training – "Every single time I bike, there comes a moment in the bike ride where I realize I'm a sissy... there's a humbling, there's humility piece that you get from suffering." Choose the Hard Thing  - "I can always come up with an excuse why I'm not gonna do squats... And then I have to pause and say, dude. Get under the bar... getting under the bar... builds confidence for everything else in life." (that was from me) Discipline as a Superpower – "Discipline is a superpower. It's available to everybody." The transferable skill of choosing difficulty when you don't want to.  

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Go to www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader William von Hippel grew up in Alaska, got his B.A. at Yale and his PhD at the University of Michigan, and taught for a dozen years at Ohio State University before finding his way to Australia, where he is a professor of psychology at the University of Queensland. He's the author of multiple books. A few months ago, he published The Social Paradox: Autonomy, Connection, and Why We Need Both to Find Happiness. Notes   Why do people who have comfortable lives filled with freedom and abundance still feel unhappy? Need two things… Connection and autonomy. Are leaders born or made? Yes. Like most things, it's not a black and white answer. The key is to use your unique strengths to effectively inspire others to do the work that must be done to achieve the goals of the team or company. How happy is Bill? He scores high on the genetics polygene(?) score. Some people are more genetically wired to be happy than others. You can fight against your genes and win. It's just harder for you than others with better genetics. What's my path of genetic least resistance? If you have low willpower, get the potato chips out of the house. Know yourself. Be yourself plus 20%. Overconfidence can be a good thing. Especially earlier in your career. Fake it til you make it. It can be good a lot of the time. He was overconfident as a new assistant professor, and it helped him. How you receive feedback is critical. Be honest, be kind His dad moved the family to Alaska because he didn't love being told what to do. He was a heart surgeon. Bill moved to Australia. A hard place to make friends because they don't move around much. He made connections with others who had moved there from out of the country. Life/Career advice: Too many choices can be bad. What are the elements of a job that I enjoy? What are my strengths? Leaders - It's lonely at the top. You need a group you can trust and enjoy their company. Google study - They do everything in teams. What's needed? Psychological safety. You need to be able to disagree with each other. Give feedback. It's on the leader to create healthy disagreement. And receive feedback in a way that encourages more of it. I was surprised by how much of our happiness, health, and strength were based purely on our genetics. Some people are just born happier, healthier, and stronger than you. It doesn't mean you can't be happy, healthy, or strong. It just means that you need to work harder to make it happen. That's life!

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Go to www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Rich Gotham is the President of the Boston Celtics. He is responsible for all aspects of the Celtics' business operations. In addition, he works closely with Celtics ownership, basketball operations staff, and the NBA on basketball-related matters, as well as team and league initiatives. He succeeds “Red” Auerbach as Celtics team President and serves on the NBA Board of Governors. Since joining the Celtics in 2003, he's helped grow team revenues by over 300%, and they've won two NBA championships. Notes: Must-haves when making hiring decisions for a leadership role: Work ethic, self-awareness, a catalyst for positive energy, purpose-driven, and care ("give a shit"). At the time, the Celtics were run like a mom-and-pop shop. Rich was brought in to help them run like a professional business. Rich was recruited to the Celtics by new owner (at the time), Wyc Grousbeck. 3 different people told Wyc that he should talk to Rich. – Add value. Leave people better than you found them. They will refer you to others for big jobs without you even knowing it. Celtic pride - grew up there, made you proud to be from Boston. "Different here." 18-time champs. Pressure from fans to win: It beats indifference. Making bets on potential - Hiring Brad Stevens. Danny Ainge did a great job selling it to Brad. Watching Payton Pritchard warm up. He cares. Working with the Bruins and Red Sox leaders – Lower the ego, put yourself in their shoes. Seek first to understand. And find a way to get it done. Rich went outside of the office to meet regularly with a leader of the Boston Bruins to get their lease squared away. That had been an issue for decades, and he helped get it figured out so both sides could win. Advice - You have to have self-belief, believe in your ability. Don't let that get chipped away. Why should they pick you? Be vulnerable. Leave others better than you found them.

The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes. This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Go to www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Notes "Average players want to be left alone. Good players want some coaching. Great players want the truth."  It is not a company's job to give work-life balance to someone. And he is not balanced. He's on 24/7. It was refreshing to hear the real story from someone who is running a company. As Dr. Julie Gurner said on episode #538, “People will tell you in books that you have to live a 'balanced life,' but if we are completely honest, almost all great things are born from periods of imbalance.” Make the most of your 2% moments. 98% of the time, life is just happening… But every once in a while, you'll have the 2% opportunities. Like when he met his wife, or interviewed with Kendra Scott. It's on us as leaders to be ready to make the most of those 2% moments. Tom's relationship with Kendra: “We've been through so many hard things together.” Those hard times can forge a strong relationship, or they can break you. Remember that the next time you're going through something tough with someone else. It's an opportunity to fortify a relationship. Hiring - Play your position well. Know what you're good at. Don't have to like teammates, but do need to love them. Learn from mistakes. Work is like family. But you don't fire your family... Discipline comes from a place of love. Read: The Way of the Shepherd Goal maniac - After failing at his first job interview, he asked for another shot and showed up the next day with pages of goals. Tom's Strengths - immediate urgency, insatiable need to win, good problem solver, better when things are hard. How do you navigate slow walkers? It's hard. Need patience and thoughtfulness too. What are the must-haves to be hired as a leader with Tom? Good human. Win + Kindness + Compassion. Tom claims that he is not a good interviewer. Gets help from the team. It is a rigorous process. He wants people who have gone through hard things. "Living through struggle makes people better." Grit.

Canadian podcasting duo Darren Grimes and Graham Dunlop of Grimerica discuss censorship, the new king of Canada Mark Carney, cataclysmic cycles, and more funky stuff! Watch on BitChute / Brighteon / Rumble / Substack / YouTube Geopolitics & Empire · Grimerica: Censorship, Conspiracy, Carney, & Cataclysmic Cycles! #551 *Support Geopolitics & Empire! Become a Member https://geopoliticsandempire.substack.com Donate https://geopoliticsandempire.com/donations Consult https://geopoliticsandempire.com/consultation **Visit Our Affiliates & Sponsors! Above Phone https://abovephone.com/?above=geopolitics easyDNS (15% off with GEOPOLITICS) https://easydns.com Escape Technocracy course (15% off with GEOPOLITICS) https://escapethetechnocracy.com/geopolitics PassVult https://passvult.com Sociatates Civis (CitizenHR, CitizenIT, CitizenPL) https://societates-civis.com Wise Wolf Gold https://www.wolfpack.gold/?ref=geopolitics Websites Grimerica https://grimerica.ca Grimerica Outlawed https://grimericaoutlawed.ca The Eh-List https://eh-list.ca Contact at the Cabin https://contactatthecabin.com Adultbrain Publishing https://adultbrain.ca About Darren Grimes Darren Grimes spent his formative years raised by his mother in Northern Ontario Canada. Darren spent his early adulthood working in the steel industry, eventually landing him in Calgary Alberta. During this time Darren and friend Graham Dunlop started The Grimerica Podcast, an interview podcast about all the things they and their podcast community find interesting in the world, which helped lead him to many, many rabbit holes. Today Darren raises two young daughters in Alberta, Canada, working as a podcast host, author and entrepreneur. Darren spends a lot of time with his family and hunting and fishing.. His skeptical approach to the phenomena investigated on The Grimerica Show is tempered by his libertarian leanings, though this combination frequently leads him to crush the dreams of anyone looking for a high-rated synchronicity. Working in high steel construction has given him the privilege of having a bird's-eye perspective on a variety of subject matter, both literally and figuratively. His avoidance of cameras has nothing to do with paranoia, taking his picture will, very literally, steal his soul. Someday, Darren hopes to bust a few caps in Sasquatch, while he has more than a few caps swirling around in his own head. He is not as clean and sober as Graham. About Graham Dunlop Graham's primary passions are podcasting, researching, and helping others. Obsessed with learning and self-improvement, Graham and Darren started The Grimerica Podcast in 2013. Their show has continued to grow into a sizable and loving community. Most recently he's pursued a spin-off podcast, Grimerica Outlawed, and has narrated various audiobooks. A fast-paced life of corporate ladder climbing and competitive sports eventually took its toll, and Graham got completely clean and sober in 2008. Every year since then has been an escalating pursuit into the esoteric, occult, and spiritual arenas. Somewhere along the way he found time to travel around the world, become a Reiki master, get certified in Addiction Studies, facilitate Buddhist meditative recovery meetings, coach hockey, and lead numerous CE-5 expeditions (Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind). His journey has been one of achievement and compassion. Other professional management experiences includes Operations Manager at Premsteel Fabricators and several director positions with ACRO Aerospace: Director of Business Excellence, Director of Technical Services, and Director of Purchasing. However Graham's current focus is on raising his awareness, and enjoying living outside the city with the love of his life, Marija. In what spare time he has, he makes his mark in the imagination of others with the unparalleled skill of Dungeon Master Supreme.

The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Go to www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Stanley McChrystal is a retired four-star general. Stan is the former commander of the nation's premier military counter-terrorism force, Joint Special Operations Command (also known as JSOC). His command included more than 150,000 troops from 45 allied countries. Since he retired from the Army, Stan has written multiple best-selling books including, Team of Teams, and most recently, On Character. The most crucial discipline is to think for yourself. To a sad degree, we're lazy. People comment on things they haven't watched or read, but have seen comments by others who align with their political party. They aren't thinking for themselves (this is why it's almost impossible to align completely with one political party for me). If you find yourself saying “I just do” or  “that's what I heard,” that's not thinking. Being Obsessed – “I am convinced that few truly great achievements are reached by individuals with an impressive work-life balance, and the price of greatness, in a word, is great. In the end, I'm an advocate for obsession." The Ranger Effect – The value of unwavering standards.Created near the end of Vietnam when the Army had lowered its standards. They created 2 units of Rangers to raise the standard. It permeated the entire Army. How does a leader do this in Corporate America? Clearly establish expectations. You cannot have a “say-do” gap. The leader must demonstrate the values on a constant basis. BE what you want. Discipline to hold people accountable. “My major takeaway at almost 70 years old is conclusive. I wish I'd thought more, been more contemplative about my convictions, and been more deliberate about the person I sought to be.” Stan's mom — she died on New Year's Day 1971 at age 45. Stan was 16. Had 6 kids. Mary Bright McChrystal. Writes about her in the civil rights chapter. “I accept no belief or claim to truth automatically or unconditionally.” White Water Rafting – When the subject of America's involvement in Afghanistan arises, Stan is frequently asked, what he might do differently if given the chance to do it all over again. Answer: “Go white water rafting.” In Patient Pursuit of Greatness – In the spring of 2012, Stan was teaching a leadership class at Yale. That's when he met their football coach, Tony Reno: “Not many things materially affect my trajectory. But this time was different. What was different? Coach Reno.” Choosing to Lead – Leadership is not a title or position. It's a choice. “Embrace the suck” – “Why suck a little, when you can suck a lot?” Eat one meal a day. It's built on being undisciplined with food. If you only eat dinner, you can eat a lot for that one meal. Self-Discipline - Most important attribute for a leader. Wife Annie - Dependent on her. Kind, thoughtful, caring. Life/Career Advice: Have the discipline to decide want you want to be. Be intentional. LISTEN: Don't just talk. Be respectful. Don't be afraid to fail. Try it, get back up. Try again.  

The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Go to www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Episode #632: Nick Huber is an entrepreneur who owns stakes in 11 companies, including a real estate private equity firm and several agencies. His portfolio of companies employs over 325 people living all over the world. Nick lives with his wife and 3 children in Athens, Georgia. He's the author of the book, The Sweaty Startup: How to get rich doing boring things. Notes: Sales is the foundation of Every Business. From Nick's mentor, Dan Cohen: “If you don't like sales, I suggest you give up now and go get a regular job. You're wasting your time.” “Life as an entrepreneur is sales.” To succeed in this world, you must have the cooperation of other people. The attributes of winners: Abundance mindset A sense of urgency Not afraid to stand up and call you out. The story of his VP of Finance, Kevin. He called Nick out on deals he tried to make while Kevin was on vacation. Make good decisions Aren't afraid to get their hands dirty and do the work The Four Fundamental Truths of Life 1. You can't do it alone. 2. You can't make people do anything. 3. Everyone in this world is selfish. 4. It isn't about you. So how do we use these four fundamental truths of life to get what we want? Sales. We sell ourselves and our ideas. We convince other people that their lives will be better if they trust us, work for us, buy from us, and more. Networking. Don't go to events telling others to help you. Become someone worth knowing. Do something of value that makes others want to come to you… The story about the guy wrangling carts on a cold night at the Walmart in Ithaca, New York Nick credits a lot of his success to his parents, Tim and Susan, for raising him around a dinner table of positivity and curiosity. They made him feel as if he could accomplish anything and taught him to see the world through a lens of opportunity. Change your mind: Nick has a note taped to his mirror in the bathroom that says, “Change your mind on something today.” The most valuable trait of an entrepreneur: A sense of urgency. Most people walk slow, think slow, move slow, and make decisions slow. They lollygag around life. No energy. No excitement. Do uncomfortable things. Make the calls. Start a lawn care business if you're a kid. Decision making - You have to practice it. It's a muscle Decathlon at Cornell - Brutally hard. 10 events. You never do your best in all of them. You take L's. Have to respond and go to the next event. Struggle with grace. Ego - Need to balance belief with humility. There are two types of people in the world. Those who are humble. And those that are about to be humbled. “You're interviewing for your next job every single day.” Hiring is like hunting. Always looking. Life/Career Advice: "Don't be a doctor or a lawyer. What game are you playing? What does winning look like? Most people aren't thoughtful enough about that."  

The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Bert Bean is the CEO of Insight Global. Insight Global is a 4.3-billion-dollar, industry-leading talent and technical services firm based in Atlanta, GA. Bert started with Insight Global in 2005 as a Recruiter and has since worked his way up within the company, exemplifying Insight Global's “promote from within” culture. Sam Kaufman is the Chief Revenue Officer of Insight Global. Sam began his career as an entry-level recruiter in 2004, and he has earned many promotions throughout his career. I initially started working with Sam as his executive coach in March 2020, and then mid-2021, we formalized a bigger partnership with Insight Global, becoming the presenting sponsor of The Learning Leader Show, and we broadened my role working with leaders throughout the company. It's been so much fun. Notes Insight Global is a $4.3B business. Insight Global grew 9.2% last year, while the industry declined 9%. How is Insight Global winning while all other staffing firms are losing? A lot of companies will succumb to the idea that it's just gonna be a bad year, but our people are like, no, we'll just figure it out. We'll pivot. We'll move industries. We'll change accounts, we'll change our focus. We'll sell different services. And that's really what we've done. “Many in our industry are losing hope. That's not us. This is where we thrive.” "Our people's ability to show up, keep going, um, do new things, evolve, is really, I think it's second to none. And that's been a huge part of our story." The whole world is soft. We love leaders like Laura Downey. She's so driven, so hardcore. A beast. She's in Canada. She just reaches right out to me like we're old friends. If I could get a bunch of Laura Downey's, it's game over. Obsession: A through-point for the entire conversation was obsession. Being obsessed with caring for people. Being obsessed with doing hard things like running 20 miles to work. Being obsessed with how prepared you are for a big meeting. Being obsessed with your standards. Holding yourself accountable to them and others. The leaders who sustain excellence over time are obsessed with their craft. Potential over experience - “If you want to build a culture of commitment and care, you have to choose potential over experience.” Things to look for when promoting a leader: Hard decision making Strategic bets Simplifying complex problems  “The most important skill as a CEO is getting to the truth. It's really hard because it's really scary. Normal humans find every excuse not to deal with harsh truths.” ­-- Ben Horowitz The baseball on Bert's desk from the Atlanta Braves is an example of what not to do. The overall brand of Sam Kaufman = CARE Hiring in India - One of our folks that's doing the interviews asks this individual if, if they want a bottle of water, gives 'em a bottle of water, and this person says, wow, of all the places I've been to interview, nobody's offered me a single drink of water or treated me like a human being. Bert:  I grew up in a small town in Alabama and was a very average kind of kid. But my mom was always like, you can do anything you want. Don't ever let somebody tell you you can't. You can be you, you can be the fastest runner in the world if you want. Sam: I get in here at 5:30 every day because I have a couple thousand people that started where I started, and I am obsessed with the idea that they should have the best career ever. Bert: I think a lot of people don't ever get a chance to suffer on their own terms. Yeah. You know, like to, to enter the pain cave on their own terms. And that's a really cool thing to, to step into that and to figure out, all right, do you have the stuff or do you not? You know? And I think all of us deep down are afraid to answer that question. I just gotta know if I can do it. I have to know that. I like that challenge. I put in the work, I put in the training. And then when you do it, you're like, I knew I had that in me, and it just is so reassuring to me. Bert: I love a sense of accomplishment. I love a sense of accomplishment. Uh, I love that I can do something hard. I've always, you know, I lived in Yellowstone National Park for a summer in college, so I fell in love with the American West and I loved seeing mountains and being like, why can't I just stand on that? Sam: The last couple years, I've spent a few hours kind of every morning working what I need to be talking about and what does my voice sound like? And through the course of a couple years of working on it now, I gotta run a call with a couple thousand people this afternoon, and it's like, oh, I'll just go do that next because I'm, I'm ready for that. Sam: I'm a person they can count on when they need them. And that's what sales really is. And that's what sales will teach you. And so for, you know, for my organization, if I want my people to see that, I want them to learn that. Bert's Tattoo – Be The Light

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader Bio: As an owner of IMPACT, Marcus Sheridan has established one of the country's most successful digital sales and marketing agencies. He is the author of the international best-seller They Ask, You Answer… His new book is called Endless Customers: A Proven System to Build Trust, Drive Sales, and Become the Market Leader. Notes: The 4 Pillars of a Known and Trusted Brand: Say what others won't say Show what others won't show Sell how others won't sell Be More Human than others are willing to be 75% of all buyers prefer a seller-free sales experience. Create great self-service tools to help your buyers make buying decisions. The buyer's journey - They want to know what it will cost. So, tell them. Have a client story for every objection. Collect them. Tell those stories. The story of Steve Sheinkopf and Yale Appliance… ($37m to over $100m). “That means obsessing over their questions, fears, worries, and concerns. Answer every single question honestly and transparently, right there on your website, for everyone to see.” “Tackle topics your competitors are afraid to touch. Break the unwritten rules of your industry. When you focus solely on empowering your buyers with the information and experience they crave, something incredible will happen: You'll earn their trust. And when you earn their trust, you earn their business. Do this consistently, and you'll capture the market's attention, transform your company, and see numbers you never imagined.” The 5 Components of Endless Customers: The Right Content The Right Website The Right Sales Activity The Rich Technology The Right Culture of Performance Path Finders - Help others come up with solutions. Your favorite mentor didn't tell you the answers, they helped you figure it out on your own (by asking you questions). The #1 thing that will dictate your income is your ability to communicate. As Morgan Housel would say, “Best story wins.” It is worth it to work on this skill. The excuse that you don't have enough time is lame and not true. Focus on becoming a better writer and speaker. It's too important not to. Piece of feedback most often given - Say that, but in half the words. Be concise. Be willing to say what others won't. And the idea of going direct. Go Direct – Viral essay written by LuLu Cheng Meservey. Going direct means crafting and telling your own story, without being dependent on intermediaries. Marcus called me by my name (both Hawk and Ryan) a lot during our conversation. It felt natural and flowed well. It worked. This is taught in sales training and can feel manipulative if not done well. Listen to how Marcus used my name enough to make me feel special, but not too much that it felt like a sales tactic to get me to like him. Book title = "I want. I wish." I want Atomic Habits. I wish I had "Endless Customers."

The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk. Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes. This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire 1 person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world have the hustle and grit to deliver. Go to www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader At 27, Anne-Laure had her dream job at Google. She quit. "Are you sure?" "No." She was focusing on a narrow vision of success. Anne-Laure was most curious about the brain, neuroscience, and why we think the way we do. She went back to school to learn more. Writing - First, to clarify thinking. Works as a forcing function for that. You need to create your own version of it. You do that by writing. The generation effect. You remember it better that way. Next, it created a magnet of people to her. The meaning behind the name "Ness" is "The state of being." Goal setting - What are the traps of linear goals? We think we know what we want. We assume we'll always want the same thing. The arrival fallacy. Think we'll be so happy when we get it, but usually we aren't. Instead focus on the process, the daily behaviors. And run continual experiments. Through those experiments, you'll probably figure out what you want to accomplish. Or you might even stumble into it. Practical goals - Was it useful? Focus on the process. There is nuance. How do you hold others accountable? It's more than just the number. Do the work to understand the nuance, the details behind the number. Too many managers are lazy. Collaborate with uncertainty. Understand why you're scared of it. Comes from a long time ago. That's no longer a thing. You don't just want your team to survive. You want them to thrive. Don't cling to the first obvious conclusion. Do more work. What about vision for a CEO? Instead of focusing on being #1 in the marketplace, focus on your approach. Your values, your mission. Focus on your company's daily behaviors more than beating someone else. Be curious and ambitious.  Escape the tyranny of purpose. People are obsessed with finding theirs. People have more than one purpose. It changes over time. You can reinvent yourself. It can make people miserable if they haven't found it. I suggested that hers is what she has on Ness Labs website: "To help people become the scientist of their own lives." She said that it is for her work. Procrastination - Instead of getting rid of it, reframe it. Say hello, you're here again; what are you telling me? A tool for it: Triple check - Head, Heart, Hand. Her grandmother Oma was the final person she thanked in her acknowledgement. Moved from Algeria to France. Didn't speak the language. Her parents always encouraged her that she could do anything. Show up. Do it. Try. How do you keep going after the honeymoon of a new project or idea? Keep iterating and trying new things. Have others help you. Sergey Brin got tired of the ad business at Google, so he had someone else run it and he created a lab inside of Google for new ideas. Don't let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It's your place in the world; it's your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live.—Mae Jemison, American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut