BigDeal

Today’s episode breaks down the exact behaviors, communication strategies, and mindset shifts that separate people who get overlooked from people who command respect instantly. From the snap judgments people make in the blink of an eye to the dark arts of leadership nobody will tell you about, you'll learn why being liked is overrated, how to balance authenticity with strategy, and the specific moves that earned respect in male dominated finance and tech rooms. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the way you look, stand, and carry yourself can command respect before you say a word The Clap Back Principle: Why your reaction to disrespect can make or break your authority Why the best leaders aren’t always liked, and how being too friendly can undermine your authority The Context Framework: A simple shift in communication that earns lasting respect and loyalty Why being too honest, authentic, and accessible can actually make people respect you less ___________ (00:00:00) Introduction: People Win Because They're…

Suzy Welch is a bestselling author, NYU professor, and one of the most sought after career coaches in the world. She's taught thousands of students how to build lives that actually work, and in this episode, she breaks down why following your passion is terrible advice, how to figure out who you really are, and the exact frameworks that separate people who build the lives they want from people who stay stuck wishing. In this episode, you'll learn: Why following your passion is terrible advice The Gen Z values crisis that is making finding work so hard The 10-10-10 framework Why only 2% of people are living fully authentic lives Why failure is your entrance fee into the “Society of Interesting People” Code for 20% off The Values Bridge: BIGDEAL Link to Suzy's accounts: lnk.to/suzywelch!bigdeal ___________ (00:00:00) Introduction: Follow Your Passion Is Terrible Advice(00:01:08) The Three-Legged Stool: Passion, Aptitude, and Values(00:07:31) Gen Z's Values Crisis: The 2% Problem(00:10:52) The Values Bridge:…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: how do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… the 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: https://contrarianthinking.biz/stopcaring You've been telling yourself the same story. That you need everyone to believe in you. That you need permission to go big. That if you just explain yourself better, the haters will finally understand. Here's the truth: the only thing between you and the life you want is believing you need approval from people who aren't even in the arena. This episode breaks down why the exact thing people make fun of you for is probably what they wish they were doing instead, how to stop giving everyone equal voting rights over your life, and the hidden cost of caring what people think. From Kanye's refusal to defend himself to Dolly Parton being criticized for her wigs, you'll learn why greatness has been annoying people since…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: how do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… the 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: https://contrarianthinking.biz/drk You've been telling yourself the same story. That you're stuck. That you need more motivation. That if you just work harder, everything will fall into place. Here's the truth: you're not stuck because you lack effort, you're stuck because you're solving the wrong problem. Dr. K is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist who spent years training to become a monk before revolutionizing mental health on the internet. He's worked with everyone from billionaires to young men living in their parents' basements, and in this episode, he breaks down why most people fail, how to dissolve problems instead of solving them, and the exact frameworks the 1% elite use to master their minds and win. This episode breaks down why understanding…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: how do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… the 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: https://contrarianthinking.biz/burnout You've been telling yourself the same story. That you're burned out. That you need a break. That you've worked too hard for too long. Here's the truth: you're not burned out, your systems are just broken. Most people aren't exhausted from working too much, they're exhausted from doing too much of what they hate, what they're not good at, and what doesn't make them money. This episode breaks down why you're calling it burnout when you actually just have a job you don't like, even if you own the company. From the CATO process that cuts the chaos to the hero complex that's secretly killing your business, you'll learn how to stop being the ball hog, start building a team better than you, and finally create a business…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: https://contrarianthinking.biz/bored Todya’s episode breaks down the hidden superpower behind every high performer: boredom tolerance. Most people fail because they can't sit still long enough for their work to compound. From the attrition moat that clears your competition to the GRIT framework that keeps you in the game, you'll learn why the crowd thins out by commitment, not talent, and how staying boring makes you rich. ___________ (00:00:00) Introduction: The Hidden Superpower Every High Performer Has (00:00:50) The Attrition Moat: Why Commitment Beats Talent Every Time (00:02:39) The MailChimp Story: Eight Years of Boring That Built Billions (00:04:08) The Novelty Cliff: When Your Brain Stops Rewarding You (00:05:33) Wanting vs Liking: The…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out! https://contrarianthinking.biz/hudson Joe Hudson is one of the most sought after CEO coaches in the world, mentoring founders from Mark Pincus to Sam Altman and turning struggling companies into billion dollar businesses. He's spent decades unlocking the hidden patterns that keep high performers stuck, and in this episode, he breaks down why work ethic is overrated, how self-reliance is secretly killing your growth, and the exact frameworks billionaire CEOs use to make great decisions without burning out. In this episode, you'll learn: Why work ethic is way overrated The golden algorithm Why shame is the lock that holds bad habits in place The “no” doctrine Why self-reliance is the biggest trap for entrepreneurs ___________ (00:00:00) Introduction: Work…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/raiseyourprices The only thing between you and the income you want is believing you need permission to charge what you're worth. In this episode, you'll learn: The “Fear Tax” Why discounting is a death spiral and how Bed Bath & Beyond went bankrupt The value split pricing model: how to charge 10% to 30% of the value you create so your client keeps 70% to 90% of the upside and everybody wins The Seven Deadly Pricing Sins My five step repricing framework ___________ (00:00:00) Introduction: The Fear Tax and Why You're Underpriced (00:00:50) Jenny's Splendid Ice Cream: The $2 Scoop That Almost Killed a Dream (00:03:38) The Seven Deadly Pricing Sins: How to Identify Your Mistakes (00:05:45) Chris Doe on Pricing Psychology:…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: https://contrarianthinking.biz/bigdeal-yung-pueblo You’ve been telling yourself the same story: you need more time to start meditating, the perfect conditions to find peace, or for everything to settle before clarity comes. But the only thing between you and the life you want may be believing you need something you don’t already have. Yung Pueblo is a bestselling author with millions of followers who has spent more than a year of his life in silent meditation retreats and meditates two hours every day. In this episode, you'll learn: Why pain has a magnetic force that can pull you toward evolution or trap you in darkness, and how building awareness through meditation creates the spacious mind you need to choose skillfully The slow down framework: how…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is about building a business that makes more money without needing more of you. I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: https://contrarianthinking.biz/bigdeal-strength You’ve been telling yourself the same story: nobody can do it as well as you, your clients need you specifically, and if you step back, everything will fall apart. But most people don’t fail because they pick the wrong business. They fail because they become the bottleneck, mistaking being needed for being successful. This episode breaks down the three types of bottlenecks that destroy businesses and the four-step framework for escaping the trap of heroism. From Sam Walton’s obsession with control to Michael Jordan learning to trust his team, you’ll learn why your business can only grow to the size of your current self, and how to finally grow beyond it. In this episode, you'll learn: The three bottlenecks killing your business:…

Thanks to SoFi for sponsoring this episode! Looking for funding to help grow your business? Get started at SoFi.com/Codie. #SoFiPartner #ad My new book, Own Or Be Owned, is all about building a business so good it doesn't need you. I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: https://contrarianthinking.biz/bigdeal-sexton -cs You've been telling yourself the same story. That you need to work harder on your marriage. That you need to read more books, take more courses, find the perfect framework. Here's the truth: the only thing between you and the relationship you want is believing you need something you don't already have. James Sexton is one of the world's most famous divorce attorneys who has represented clients in more than a thousand divorces. He's seen every way a marriage can fail and every pattern that predicts it. In this episode, he breaks down the exact signs that a relationship is ending, why disconnection happens…

My new book, Own Or Be Owned, is all about building a business so good it doesn't need you. I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: https://contrarianthinking.biz/bigdeal-adelman -cs You’ve been telling yourself the same story. That you need more money to start. That you need the perfect idea. That becoming a billionaire is either impossible or reserved for the lucky. Here’s the truth: the only thing between you and the wealth you want is believing you need something you don’t have. David Adelman is a billionaire co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and investor in more than 90 companies. He built his empire from scratch by turning student housing from a mom and pop industry into a billion dollar asset class. In this episode, he breaks down how to spot great opportunities, structure deals where both sides win, and build wealth from the ground up without a silver spoon or trust fund. In this episode, you'll learn: Why great…

My new book, Own Or Be Owned, is all about building a business so good it doesn't need you. I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: https://contrarianthinking.biz/bigdeal-godin - cs This episode breaks down the exact frameworks for building a business that makes money without you, why 70% of businesses never sell because of owner dependency, and the three paths every owner is on whether they know it or not. From the five lies that keep you chained to your desk to the embed, solve, exit method that frees your time while growing revenue, you'll learn how to engineer presence without dependence and why the real measure of success is whether your business runs better in the weeks you're not there. In this episode, you'll learn: The lifer gut check: five yes or no questions that reveal whether you're an owner or an inmate, and why three or more yeses means your business owns you, not the other way around Why money only buys…

My new book, Own Or Be Owned, is all about building a business so good it doesn't need you. I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out:https://contrarianthinking.biz/bigdeal-godin - cs And one more thing for the business owners: stop making million dollar decisions alone! Join the Contrarian Growth Boardroom and get a board of advisors to help with every decision: https://contrarianthinking.biz/bdbr The only thing between you and the life you want is the story you’ve been telling yourself. Seth Godin is one of the most influential thinkers of our time and the author of 21 bestselling books, including Purple Cow, Linchpin, and The Dip. He survived 800 rejection letters in a single year, has published a blog post every day for 26 years, and has spent decades helping people escape mediocrity. In this episode, he shares the frameworks for getting unstuck, why the best winners know when to quit, and how to untangle the invisible…

My new book, Own Or Be Owned, is all about building a business so good it doesn't need you. I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: https://contrarianthinking.biz/manifestation - cs You've been visualizing success. Watching the vision board. Repeating the affirmations. Trusting the universe to deliver. Here's the truth: the more vividly you fantasize about success, the worse you perform. And the science proves it. The Secret sold 30 million copies by promising that if you visualize wealth hard enough, the universe will deliver it. But two decades of research shows the opposite. NYU psychologists tracked college graduates and found that students who spent the most time in positive fantasies about their dream jobs sent out fewer applications, got fewer offers, and earned lower salaries two years later. Your brain books the fantasy as a partial payment on the real thing, giving you the reward before you've done the work.…

Use the free CAC Calculator I made with HubSpot for Startups: https://clickhubspot.com/0dda8a #ad #hubspot My new book, Own Or Be Owned, is all about building a business so good it doesn't need you. I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: https://contrarianthinking.biz/bigdeal-speak - cs You've been talking. A lot. But nobody's listening. You're explaining your ideas, pitching your vision, trying to convince your team, and somehow the room just glazes over. Here's the truth: the problem isn't that people don't care. It's that you haven't learned how to make them care. And great ideas die every single day because the person behind them can't communicate well enough to make them stick. Communication isn't a soft skill. It's the highest ROI skill you'll ever build. It's how you raise capital, close deals, lead teams, and turn strangers into believers. The difference between someone who gets funded and someone who gets…

Thanks to SoFi for sponsoring this episode! Looking for funding to help grow your business? Get started at SoFi.com/Codie. #SoFiPartner #ad My new book, Own Or Be Owned, is all about building a business so good it doesn't need you. I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal - cs You've been telling yourself the same story. That you need more resources to start. That you need the perfect plan before you move. That one viral hit will solve everything. Here's the truth: the reason you're not where you want to be isn't because you haven't found the right thing. It's because you keep quitting before it compounds. Dhar Mann is one of the most watched creators on the internet, generating over 80 billion lifetime views and earning $65 million last year. But in 2013, he was broke, depressed, and two weeks from eviction. In this episode, he breaks down the exact frameworks that took him from…

My new book, Own Or Be Owned, is all about building a business so good it doesn't need you. I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You've been avoiding the conversation. The one where you tell someone the truth they need to hear but don't want to face. You soften it, delay it, wrap it in compliments, and call it kindness. Here's the truth: every time you avoid hard feedback, you're not protecting them. You're stealing from their future. And the longer you wait, the more expensive it gets for both of you. Great leaders don't avoid difficult conversations. They run toward them. They understand that soft feedback isn't kindness, it's vanity disguised as care. This episode breaks down the exact framework for giving feedback that makes people better, not bitter, why most workplace drama exists because people refuse to talk directly, and the one leadership mistake that turns you…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You've been telling yourself the same story. That you need more money to start. That you need the perfect plan before you move. That fear is the reason you're stuck. Here's the truth: the only thing holding you back is the belief that something outside of you has to change before you can begin. Robert Herjavec went from arriving in America with nothing to building and selling companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He's one of the most recognizable faces on Shark Tank, and in this episode, he breaks down the exact mindset shifts that turned urgency into wealth, why most people quit before they compound, and the leadership mistake that quietly destroys great companies. From structuring earnouts with…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You've been chasing the next thing. The next idea, the next strategy, the next opportunity that finally feels exciting enough to stick with. Here's the truth: the reason you're not rich yet isn't because you haven't found the right thing. It's because you keep quitting the last thing before it compounds. Most people don't fail because they pick wrong. They fail because they reset the clock every time Tuesday starts looking like Monday. They mistake boredom for a signal to move when boredom is actually the price of admission. The people who build real wealth aren't the ones who never get bored. They're the ones who don't let boredom make their decisions. In this episode, you'll learn: Why almost nobody gets…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You've been staring at AI like it's a magic trick you'll never understand. You've watched everyone else claim they're 10x more productive while you're still Googling how to write a better prompt. Here's the truth: AI isn't going to replace you because it's smarter. It's going to replace you because someone else learned how to use it and you didn't. Geoff Woods is the author of The AI Driven Leader and has spent years teaching normal people how to use AI to solve real problems, not just write better emails. He's worked with venture backed companies, public corporations, and CEOs racing toward exits, and in this episode, he's breaking down the exact framework that turns AI from a glorified search engine into a…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal The Amazon Kindle Scribe feels just like writing on paper and helps keep pages of notes organized and easy to read. Get yours here https://amzn.to/4peFOKQ What’s the #1 money habit that separates winners from losers? What stops the thousand small cuts you're making every single day that you refuse to see? Caleb Hammer has reviewed thousands of financial disasters on his show Financial Audit, and he's breaking down the tactics that separates people who build wealth from people who stay stuck forever. From collections to car loans to OnlyFans subscriptions, he's seen it all. And in this episode, he's pulling back the curtain on what actually works, what's killing your future, and why most people would rather…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You've been waiting for access. Waiting for someone to notice. Waiting for permission to enter the rooms where real wealth gets built. Here's the truth: the 1% didn't get there by being the smartest. They got there by knowing how to speak the language, earn trust before they needed it, and stay grounded when everyone else started lying to them. This episode breaks down the exact framework for breaking into circles you don't belong in yet, staying there once you're invited, and becoming the person everyone wants to keep around. Because networking advice for broke people doesn't work when you're trying to reach people who already have everything. The game changes. And if you don't know the new rules, you'll…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You've been standing on the sidelines. Watching your voice shrink every time the room gets uncomfortable. Letting fear dictate what you say, who you become, and how small you're willing to stay just to avoid the backlash. Here's the truth: the cost of silence is always higher than the cost of speaking up. And the moment you stop apologizing for what you believe is the moment you stop living someone else's script. Zuby is an Oxford educated rapper, bestselling author, and one of the most uncompromising independent thinkers alive. He's built a career using his voice to challenge narratives, spark real conversations, and inspire millions to stop waiting for permission to live boldly. In this episode, he breaks…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You're doing everything yourself. You're answering every email, attending every meeting, and somehow still ending every week exhausted with nothing meaningful to show for it. Here's the truth: buying back your time isn't a luxury you earn after you get rich. It's actually how you get rich in the first place. This episode breaks down the exact dollar per hour math that decides what to delegate first, the three person hiring ladder tied to your revenue, and the Four D’s framework that stops your calendar from filling up with everyone else's priorities. Because time is the only asset you can't make more of. And if you don't value yours, nobody else will either. In this episode, you'll learn: Why billionaires…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You've been undercharging. You've been giving away too much. And every time a client pushes back on price, you fold before they even finish the sentence. Here's the truth: the problem isn't your pricing. It's your positioning. And the moment you stop apologizing for your value is the moment everything changes. Chris Do is the founder of The Futur and has taught hundreds of thousands of creatives, entrepreneurs, and builders how to charge what they're actually worth. He's built a career mastering the art of negotiation, personal branding, and pricing psychology, and in this episode, he's breaking down the exact frameworks that separate people who get paid like amateurs from people who get paid like experts.…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You've been waiting for the right moment to start. For things to feel easier. For someone to tell you you're ready. But here's the truth: the pain of regret will always hurt more than the pain of failure. And the only way forward is through. This episode is 14 minutes of the lessons that took 39 years to learn. From getting fired and heartbroken to losing half a business overnight, these are the moments that built everything. The hard truths about cutting out losers, betting on yourself, and learning to smile when pressure shows up. Because winners don't avoid the fight. They get excited by it. In this episode, you'll learn: Why getting fired or pushed out is often the greatest gift you'll ever receive and…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal What if everything you think you know about success is wrong? What if the biggest risks aren't reckless, they're required? And what if the person everyone loves to hate is actually the one we should all be studying? Eric Jorgenson spent five years studying Elon Musk and distilled everything into his new book, The Book of Elon. He's the bestselling author of The Almanack of Naval Ravikant and has built a career decoding how the world's most effective people think, operate, and win. In this episode, we break down the exact frameworks Elon uses to build companies that rewrite entire industries, why he takes insane risks that would bankrupt most people, and how his relentless focus on speed, truth, and deletion…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal The best investors in the world aren't gambling. They're copying. They're patient. And they're finding asymmetric bets where the downside is capped and the upside is unlimited.Mohnish Pabrai is a legendary investor who turned $1 million into $14 million in five years by openly copying Warren Buffett's playbook, and now manages $1.4 billion using the exact same principles that built Berkshire Hathaway. No secret formulas. No complex algorithms. Just discipline, patience, and the willingness to look for weird things that make no sense.In this episode, you'll learn:* Why you don't need original ideas to make money and how shameless cloning beats innovation every time* The 10 bet rule: why concentrating your…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You've got the skill. You've got the product. But every time you talk to a wealthy buyer, you drop your price before they even ask. Here's the truth: broke people buy for price. Rich people buy for risk mitigation. And if you're still leading with "affordable," you've already lost the sale. In this episode, you'll learn: The four currencies wealthy buyers protect above all else: time, risk, reputation, and control, and why price doesn't even make the list Why ego kills deals and how to turn your buyer into an ally instead of making them defend their identity The EGO framework: Earn, Gap, Outcome, and how to diagnose instead of describe so you sound like an expert, not a salesperson How to anchor the…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You work harder than half your team. You deliver results. But somehow, the person who talks a good game in meetings just got promoted ahead of you. Here's the truth: hard work doesn't get you promoted. Visibility, advocacy, and understanding the game do. Ethan Evans is a retired Amazon VP who spent over 15 years building billion dollar businesses inside one of the most demanding companies on earth. He went from getting fired twice early in his career to running Prime Video, Twitch sponsorships, the Amazon Appstore, and a t-shirt printing business that now does over a billion dollars a year. He worked directly with Jeff Bezos, survived public failures, learned how to navigate corporate politics without losing…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You've got a product idea. Maybe you've even built the thing. But now you're stuck on the part that actually matters: getting people to give you money before you've spent a fortune building inventory, hiring a team, or raising venture capital that'll own your company before you do. Everett Taylor is the CEO of Kickstarter, the platform that's helped creators raise over $8 billion and launch everything from billion dollar companies to side hustles that print cash. He came up through the mailroom, got stabbed working a parking lot, and built his career by learning how to sell himself before he had anything to sell. Now he runs one of the most creative funding platforms in the world and he's breaking down…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You've been planning to start that business for months. Maybe years. But you still haven't made the first move. Here's the truth: you're not lazy. You're stuck in a neurological loop that's hijacking your brain before you even realize it. This episode breaks that loop and gives you the exact protocol to rewire your brain for execution instead of avoidance. In this episode, you'll learn: The procrastination equation: why your motivation equals expectancy times value divided by impulsiveness times delay, and how to solve for the variables that are killing your progress The four traps that disguise procrastination as productivity: planning theater, research mode, waiting to feel ready, and the future self…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: What if everything you've been told about success is backwards? Malcolm Gladwell has spent decades challenging the obvious. He's the bestselling author of The Tipping Point, Outliers, Blink, and David and Goliath, and host of the Revisionist History podcast. In this conversation, he breaks down the counterintuitive strategies that separate the top 1% from everyone else. From why you should be a big fish in a small pond, to why remote work killed his career before it started, to why the best hires don't think anything is hard at all. In this episode, you'll learn: The running partner rule: why your mentor should be one step ahead, not ten How constraints build strength and why too much comfort kills resilience The feedback framework that works:…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: What if the smartest money move you could make wasn't raising venture capital at all? What if taking the wrong check, even a big one, could kill your company before it ever had a chance to win? Ankur Jain is the billionaire founder and CEO of Bilt Rewards, an $11 billion company that's rewriting the rules of housing, hospitality, and how millions of Americans build wealth. He started by solving a problem everyone ignored: why doesn't paying rent help you buy a home? Then he spent 18 months fighting regulators to change the law. No revenue. No product. Just belief and a refusal to quit. Today, Bilt operates like a network of mini startups inside one platform, caps teams at 25 people, and only raises money from customers who actually want the product to…

(Note: we had a technical issue that affected the first 12 minutes of Eric’s camera feed, so you’ll see a bit more wide cam than usual in the beginning. Our apologies!) My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal Why is it that people with half your talent and twice your luck seem to be winning all the time? Because they understand leverage. And you're still trading hours for dollars. Eric Jorgenson spent a decade studying Naval Ravikant, one of the most influential entrepreneurs and thinkers in Silicon Valley, and distilled his wisdom into his classic book “The Almanack of Naval Ravikant”. In this episode, we break down the exact frameworks Naval used to build wealth, happiness, and freedom without getting crushed by the game everyone else is…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You think way more than you do… and that's a problem. While you're sitting there planning, researching, and perfecting your strategy, someone less qualified just shipped a worse version of your idea and they're already winning. Because doers beat thinkers every single time. In this episode, you'll learn: The one week method that gets more done in seven days than most people do in 12 months Why discipline is a design problem, not a character flaw, and how to engineer ease into your life How James Dyson built 5,127 prototypes before his breakthrough and why failed attempts are tuition The DOER framework: design the cue, open tiny, engineer reward, repeat until identity catches up Why shame keeps you stuck and…

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My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal What if the richest man who ever lived wasn't a tech genius, a Wall Street titan, or a Silicon Valley disruptor? What if he was a 16 year old bookkeeper who studied invoices like scripture and built a $400 billion fortune by doing the opposite of what everyone else thought was smart? John D. Rockefeller became the wealthiest human being in history not by chasing oil wells, but by controlling the choke points everyone else ignored. He bought boring businesses, borrowed aggressively, moved before windows closed, and built a system so efficient that breaking it apart only made him richer. His playbook wasn't luck. It was discipline, leverage, and ruthless clarity about where real money gets made. In this…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal What if the skill that changes everything isn't marketing, networking, or even hard work? What if it's just learning how to shut up and listen? Sales isn't manipulation. It's communication with intent. And the people who master it never go broke. Shelby Sapp went from knocking doors at 18 to training tens of thousands of closers who now pull in $20K to $60K a month. She built her foundation in door to door pest control, got the cops called on her, had water thrown in her face, and came out with skin so thick that internet hate doesn't even register. Now she teaches women how to sell luxury, close rich people, and never discount their worth. In this conversation, she breaks down the exact frameworks, tonality…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal What if the people who told you no weren't protecting you at all? What if they were protecting THEMSELVES from the discomfort of watching you try something they never dared? The gatekeepers never guard the gate for your benefit. They stand there because they can't bring themselves to walk through it. In today’s episode, I’m giving you the raw truth about what it takes to come back when everyone counts you out. From Wall Street to laundromats, from golden handcuffs to real freedom, this is the story of how the chip on your shoulder becomes your greatest asset and why the loneliest moments are where everything gets built. You'll learn: The ladder trap and how to know if you're climbing against the wrong…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal What if the most powerful moves in business happen BEFORE you even walk into the room? Jeremy Zimmer built one of Hollywood's most dominant agencies from a boutique small business to a global empire by understanding one thing: deals are won or lost long before anyone sits down to negotiate. Jeremy Zimmer is the co-founder and former CEO of United Talent Agency (UTA), representing names like Christopher Nolan, M. Night Shyamalan, Charlize Theron, Harrison Ford, and Samuel L. Jackson. He started in the William Morris mailroom after flunking out of college and getting stabbed working a parking lot. He built UTA into a powerhouse through 19 acquisitions in 13 years, stood up to Harvey Weinstein before anyone…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal What if the way you think is costing you everything? Your brain filters 11 million bits of information per second, but only 50 make it through to your conscious awareness. That tiny keyhole shapes your entire reality. And in the age of AI, if you don't learn to control it, someone else will. Emily McDonald (@emonthebrain) is one of the most followed neuroscientists in the world. She has a PhD in neuroscience, studies how the brain constructs reality, and teaches people how to rewire their brains to win. In this episode, she breaks down the science of how your brain filters opportunity, why discipline makes you more attractive, and why AI is quietly destroying your ability to think critically. You'll learn:…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal What do you say when your mind goes blank in a high stakes moment? Why do some people choke under pressure, while others sound sharp instantly? How do you organize your thoughts fast enough to respond with clarity and confidence? This episode answers all of that, and gets into so much more, including: Why your brain flips into survival mode and how to stay in control when it does How to use simple frameworks like PACE to respond clearly without rambling What actually makes someone sound confident on the spot and why pausing beats filler words every time How to structure your answers so you sound sharp, not scattered How to build a mental library of stories, frameworks, and opinions so you’re never caught off…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You did everything right. The degree, the job, the money. So why does it still feel empty? Dr. Arthur Brooks is a Harvard professor, bestselling author, and the happiness scientist billionaires call when their success stops working. In this episode, he breaks down the science of why high achievers feel trapped in a simulation of love, progress, and purpose — while feeling nothing real. You'll learn: - Why boredom is critical for meaning, and why eliminating it makes life emptier - The 3 meaning questions AI can never answer for you - Why resisting pain creates more suffering than the pain itself - Why algorithms have hijacked your brain, and how to take it back - The difference between resume virtues and…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal You're mid-sentence and you watch it happen in real time. The other person's eyes go soft. They nod, but it's the nod of someone who stopped hearing you sentences ago. What happened? You weren't boring, or wrong… you just lost their attention. It happens to smart people constantly. People who genuinely have something worth saying. And the reason isn't intelligence or charisma or confidence. It's the structure and psychology of the way you speak. It's learnable. But most people never study it because we weren't taught how to have conversations this way. In this episode, you'll learn: Why your brain processes language at 400 words per minute but you only speak 125 The information gap theory and how to engineer…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal What if the things holding you back aren’t real? Your brain processes 11 million bits of information per second, but you only consciously attend to 50. That tiny keyhole of attention shapes your entire reality — and most people never realize they're looking through the wrong lens. Nir Eyal has spent years researching how beliefs shape behavior, attention, and outcomes. He's the bestselling author of Hooked, Indistractable, and now Beyond Belief. In this conversation, he breaks down the neuroscience of perception, why your limiting beliefs are quietly destroying your potential, and how to rewire your brain to see opportunities others miss. You'll learn: How a man had surgery with zero anesthesia using only…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal If AI can write, code, and think cheaper than you — what's left? Your edge isn't intelligence anymore. It's taste, focus, and emotional depth. You'll learn: Why taste is your only moat in a world of infinite AI output How emotion and vulnerability are what machines can't replicate Why the 80/20 rule is now 99/1 — and where to focus Why imperfection is the new differentiator How the best founders used judgment, not effort, to win The winners won't be the hardest workers. They'll be the ones who protect their attention and refuse to let a machine do their thinking. Head to https://beehiiv.link/gukwct to start your newsletter today! Use CODIE30 for 30% off your first 3 months. ___________ 00:00:00 Introduction…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal What if the voice in your head could predict your success? 2 Chainz built a multi-decade music and business empire by trusting one thing: his intuition. 2 Chainz is a rapper, entrepreneur, and now author with 20+ years in the game — from collaborating with Ye, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne, to running the Escobar restaurant brand, and now releasing his new book, The Voice in My Head is God. From turning Atlanta real estate into a 9-location restaurant franchise, to rebranding at 34 and winning a Grammy, to buying back his masters — he's proof that ideas and instinct compound harder than anything Wall Street offers. In this conversation, you'll learn: Why ideas are currency — and how to protect them before they…

My new book Own Or Be Owned is out now! I wrote Own or Be Owned to answer one question: How do you make more money, less miserably? I broke it into the 12 Profit Levers… The 12 levers I've seen determine whether you print cash or hate your life. Check it out: → https://contrarianthinking.biz/oobo_bigdeal In this BigDeal rerun, Scott Galloway breaks down how the American Dream's playbook — degree, home, wealth — is broken. Housing costs have tripled relative to income. Two-thirds of young men aren't going to college. One in three men under 30 doesn't have a girlfriend. And the wealthiest generation in history is systematically extracting wealth from the youngest through tax policy, artificial scarcity, and a rigged economic structure most people never see. Scott Galloway has built and lost hundreds of millions. He's an NYU Stern professor, serial entrepreneur, and one of the most honest voices on what's actually happening in the economy and the future of young people. In this conversation, he breaks down the…