The James Altucher Show – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, I analyze the surprising decision of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to suspend his presidential campaign and endorse Donald Trump, examining the potential ripple effects on the upcoming election. I address several key questions, such as how this decision could influence voter behavior, affect fundraising dynamics, and reshape election strategies for both Trump and Kamala Harris. I delved into my personal experience with RFK Jr., including his appearance on my podcast where he discussed his contentious views on vaccines, which I initially chose not to release due to their controversial nature and my inability to fact-check them at the time.

Additionally, I provide a historical perspective by examining past elections where third-party candidates acted as spoilers, such as Ralph Nader in the 2000 election and Theodore Roosevelt in the 1912 election. These examples highlight the significant impact a third-party candidate can have on election outcomes. The script further explores RFK Jr.'s speech and newly expressed concerns about chronic diseases, obesity, and ultra-processed foods in the U.S., comparing his claims with available data and trends.

I also address the concept of corporate capture of federal agencies like the FDA, providing examples of former FDA officials who moved to high-level positions in pharmaceutical companies. This discussion includes RFK Jr.'s claim that 50 percent of the FDA's funding comes from pharmaceutical companies through user fees, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

Moreover, I discuss RFK Jr.'s potential future role in a Trump administration, focusing on health policy issues, and his influence on current polling dynamics. I fact-check several of his statements and analyze their implications for American health and longevity, contrasting U.S. life expectancy with that of other countries. Finally, I explore economic policies proposed by Kamala Harris and their potential impact on the U.S. economy, emphasizing RFK Jr.'s emphasis on children's health and the possible consequences of his alignment with Trump for the upcoming election. This detailed analysis aims to provide viewers with a nuanced understanding of RFK Jr.'s endorsement and its broader political and social implications.

00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene
00:14 Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Campaign Suspension
00:47 Personal Reflections on Vaccines
04:03 Impact of Third-Party Candidates in Elections
06:38 Historical Spoiler Elections
13:23 RFK Jr.'s Concerns and Endorsement of Trump
22:49 Polling Dynamics and Election Predictions
27:52 RFK Jr.'s Potential Role in a Trump Administration
30:04 Fact-Checking RFK Jr.'s Claims on Health Issues
34:14 Big Pharma: Friend or Foe?
34:34 The Decline of Smoking and Its Impact on Life Expectancy
35:34 Comparing Life Expectancy Across Countries
37:01 The Role of Ultra-Processed Foods in American Health
39:37 RFK Jr.'s Controversial Views on Vaccines
41:43 The Impact of RFK Jr.'s Political Moves
46:39 Corporate Capture and Its Consequences
51:59 Economic Policies and Their Implications
54:46 RFK Jr.'s Focus on Children's Health
58:30 Final Thoughts and Listener Questions

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• My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!
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• I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com

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Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to “The James Altucher Show” wherever you get your podcasts: 

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"Marshall, you have the best name in the world for someone who’s going to write about leadership. I would hire you as a coach just for your name alone—Marshall Goldsmith, it just sounds perfect. For those who aren’t familiar, and I’ll do an intro, you’ve written an enormous number of successful leadership books, selling over 3 million copies. You’ve coached Fortune 500 CEOs, and you’re launching MarshallGoldsmith.AI, your new AI venture. Let’s get into what it means to be a good coach."

In this episode of The James Altucher Show, James welcomes Marshall Goldsmith, one of the world’s leading executive coaches and a best-selling author. Marshall shares his insights on leadership, coaching, and the often-overlooked distinction between happiness and achievement. With a career that spans decades, Marshall’s wisdom is not just theoretical; it’s backed by his experience coaching some of the most successful leaders in the world.

Listeners will discover why coaching isn’t just about offering advice but about working with those who are ready to make real changes. Marshall’s no-nonsense approach to identifying and working with key stakeholders, understanding the value of process over results, and the importance of daily habits for personal growth are just a few of the many lessons shared in this episode.

• Why the most successful leaders seek out coaching and how it helps them continue to grow.
• The critical difference between happiness and achievement, and why you shouldn’t confuse the two.
• How focusing on the process rather than the results can lead to greater success and satisfaction.
• Practical techniques for self-improvement that you can implement daily, including the power of active questioning.
• The unique challenges and opportunities presented by AI in the realm of coaching and personal development.

• 01:00 - Introduction and Name Discussion
• 02:04 - Marshall Goldsmith's Coaching Philosophy
• 02:13 - Success Stories: Alan Mullally and Hubert Jolie
• 04:00 - The Impact of Coaching on Leadership
• 08:16 - Coaching Techniques and Stakeholder Feedback
• 16:09 - Happiness and Achievement: Independent Variables
• 22:14 - Focusing on the Process, Not the Results
• 33:55 - The Key to Daily Happiness
• 34:16 - The Billionaire's Happiness Dilemma
• 35:30 - Three Pillars of a Fulfilling Life
• 37:44 - The Illusion of Achievement-Based Happiness
• 42:51 - Daily Questions for Self-Improvement
• 44:34 - The Importance of Being Coachable
• 59:40 - The AI Coaching Revolution
• 01:03:37 - Marshall Goldsmith's Journey to Coaching
• 01:05:55 - Final Thoughts and Reflections

• Marshall Goldsmith's Official Website
• MarshallGoldsmith.AI
• The Heart of Business by Hubert Joly
• Loonshots by Safi Bahcall

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• What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!
• Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!

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• Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!
• My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!
• Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.
• I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com

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Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to “The James Altucher Show” wherever you get your podcasts: 

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Drugs, chess, and rock and roll—Brian Lawlor has seen it all. I didn’t include the sex part because I don’t know, but he's been to jail. We talk all about that: how, why, when. But I was concerned—how did he survive? Interestingly, part of the way he survived was through chess.

Brian's story is riveting and valuable, touching on survival in general. We played a bunch of games. I’m not including the games in the podcast, but he surprised me with his skill. We’ll do a video on that later. But for now, here’s Brian Lawlor.

###Episode Description:

In this episode of "The James Altucher Show", James sits down with Brian Lawlor, a man who transformed his life from being a drug addict in and out of jail to becoming a successful composer and teacher. Brian shares his remarkable journey of overcoming addiction, finding solace in chess, and building a career in music against all odds. This episode is a powerful testament to the human spirit's resilience and the transformative power of passion and discipline.

• How Brian used chess as a tool for mental stability and personal growth.
• The impact of music on Brian's rehabilitation and how he built a career from it.
• Insights into the challenges and stigmas faced by former inmates trying to reintegrate into society.
• The importance of self-reinvention and finding new pathways to success.
• Practical advice for anyone struggling with addiction or looking to make a significant life change.

• 01:44 Brian's Jail Experience
• 02:42 Surviving Jail Through Chess and Ping Pong
• 04:00 The Reality of Jail Life
• 07:16 The Ping Pong Incident
• 18:52 Struggles with Addiction
• 28:32 Rebuilding Life After Jail
• 39:04 Exploring Musical Diversity
• 39:49 Classical Influences in Modern Music
• 41:07 Pop Music Production Insights
• 43:20 Favorite Bands and Musical Influences
• 44:28 Chess Journey and Early Experiences
• 46:51 Chess and Music: A Unique Intersection
• 51:56 Sound Sensitivity and Chess Commentary
• 55:04 Chess Tournaments and Personal Stories
• 01:06:02 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections

• Brian Lawlor’s Music Studio
• Book: “How to Reassess Your Chess” by Jeremy Silman
• Book: “My 60 Memorable Games” by Bobby Fischer
  Keywords: addiction recovery, peak performance, chess, music, rehabilitation, Brian Lawlor, James Altucher, resilience, reinvention.

------------

• What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!
• Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!

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• Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!
• My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!
• Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.
• I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com

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Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to “The James Altucher Show” wherever you get your podcasts: 

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Welcome back to "Hooked on the First Line," where James and master storyteller Cal Fussman dig deep into what makes the opening lines of novels so captivating. Today's focal point is the notoriously controversial but beautifully penned 'Lolita' by Vladimir Nabokov. 

"Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta." 

These opening lines are as alluring as they are unsettling, a fitting introduction to Nabokov's tale.

The episode doesn't stop at 'Lolita'; it branches out into the first lines of Nabokov's 'Ada' and 'Laughter in the Dark,' showing that the author's skill in gripping the reader is not a one-off but a recurring theme in his work. James and Cal talk about the stylistic elements, the melody in the words, and the ethical conundrums posed right from the first sentence. How do these lines affect our perception of the characters and the unfolding story? And how does Nabokov manage to lure us into complex emotional landscapes with just a few words? Discover the craftsmanship behind some of literature's most iconic opening lines.

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What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!

Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!

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Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!

My new book Skip the Line is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!

Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.

I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltucher.com/podcast.

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Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe  to “The James Altucher Show” wherever you get your podcasts: 

Apple Podcasts

Stitcher

iHeart Radio

Spotify

Follow me on Social Media:

YouTube

Twitter

Facebook

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• What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!
• Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!

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• Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!
• My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!
• Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.
• I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com

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Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to “The James Altucher Show” wherever you get your podcasts: 

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The FBI went to his high school when the 15-year-old Mr. X hacked into the largest Internet company in the world and stole 90 million credit card numbers.  "You are going to jail for a long time," they told him.  The day after he stole them he sent them back to the company and explained what their cybersecurity flaws were.  He thought they would thank him.  The FBI came to arrest him. "I was scared to death," he told me when we first met.  The head of the school, a three-star general, told them, "You guys better get out of here if you aren't writing this boy a check and saying thank you."  They left.  Then.  Two years later when Mr. X graduated he got "the call". The call that meant he wouldn't go to college.  The call that meant he would parachute into enemy fire, hack foreign governments, hack our own computers. "I've done so many things," he once told me. "You can't imagine."  The call from a three initial agency. More than one.  We met at a dinner. We were both obsessed with hacking and the latest flaws in computer security. We ignored every else and spoke for three hours.  And we haven't stopped talking since.  I don't mean this to be a conspiracy theory. There's already been rumors about "fake news", election hacking, etc.  There are bot armies. There are hackers taking down electric grids every day. Every company in the Fortune 500 is completely hacked. Your computer is hacked.  I've spent many years talking to people in the security space.  The reality is: the war is on.  And it's being fought with data. And it's being fought all over the world. And it's being fought every day.  Not just on election systems. Or at big companies. But on your computer. And the war is not always being fought by the people you expect. The enemies we were always trained to believe.  Mr. X spent time in special forces. Was in every overseas battle. Has been involved in more news stories than he likes to admit.  He's also built and sold two companies using his hacking abilities. He lives a good life now and doesn't want his voice e or identity to be revealed. So we distorted it for the podcast.  I asked him, "Do you still work for 'them' ".  He turned away and said, "You never stop working for them."  The goal of this isn't to scare people. Information is power.  And this is some of what I've learned from Mr. X.  1. IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A VOICE, YOU HAVE TO SPEAK “In the past, to go up against an institution, you need to be an institution.” Mr. X said. “Now more than ever, we need to stand up for what we believe in. We have these powerful, engaging tools to influence others, but we still leave it up to the powers that control us to influence us. If you believe something, share it. In other words, don't let the media "program" what you believe in. Don't let the online word "hack" into your brain. They already know more about you than you know about yourself. And they use that knowledge against you 24 hours a day.  If you want to have a voice, YOU HAVE TO SPEAK. 2. POLICE YOURSELF We were talking about computer security. He told me all the ways you could be hacked… that you would never think of.  “Let me ask yo, when’s the last time you updated your firmware on your router?”  I had no idea. “If I'm going in, I'm going through the router,” he said. “The majority of the fortune 500 use the same router… So you either trust the government to police data OR you need to be that person.” And that was just one weakness. Next time you are on your phone check out how many apps on your phone have permission to turn on your video camera and start recording and transmitting what they record without you being aware.  Don't think they aren't doing it.  3. HOW DID OSAMA BIN LADEN REALLY DIE? Was Osama Bin Laden really casually sleeping on the third floor of a building with no access out? Or was he a prisoner and we had lost our use for him?  Mr. X: "he was our prisoner for years. Then we had no use for him."  Always question everything the media and the government tells us. Always be a skeptic in a world where it's not in anyone's benefit to tell you the truth.  This is not conspiracy theory. The only truth is to trust the people you love. The people who love you.  This doesn't mean be irrational or paranoid or come up with crazy theories.  This means practice being a skeptic every day on every issue.  Practice skepticism. Not paranoia.  4. BE VULNERABLE TO GETTING SHUT DOWN I knew there were millions of questions I wanted to ask… but couldn’t. I asked anyway. “Are you still involved in the government?”  “I can’t say that,” he said. “Well, which agency were you in?” “I can’t say.” “Do people know it?” “Yes, let’s just say it’s a well-known 3 letter agency.” Ask. Get shut down. Ask again. When I do an interview, I don't want to harass people for an answer. But sometimes if you poke and prod from various directions while you build rapport, you can get the answer.  Not this time.  5. KNOW WHAT DRIVES YOU Mr. X started hacking when he was in military school.  Everything was regimented:  wake up first mess solute the flag go to class second mess second class change 15 minutes go to sports third mess after third mess, 2 hours of study hall, one hour of free time go to sleep do it all over again The school is isolated. And the students can’t leave campus.  The only way Mr. X could talk to girls was if he found them online. “We were heavily confined,” he said. But he kept hitting firewalls. So he started hacking. He learned everything he could. Not because he wanted to "attack" websites. But because he didn't want to be alone.  Always let the prison walls around you create your opportunities.  Censorship created his curiosity.  What frustrates you that can kickstart your curiosity.  6. LEARN YOUR PATTERNS Mr. X helped find one of the most well known serial killers in recent years and put him behind bars for life.  Mr. X was paid to find patterns. He watched terrorists. The example: “a burn phone.” This is what criminals use to cover their call history. They buy a cheap phone. Call a few people, throw it away and buy a new one.  So Mr. X wrote software.  Someone calls you, then you call 3-4 people. Those 3-4 people call 3-4 more people. It’s a tree of calling. And if they follow the branches then can find the roots. He analyzed the trees of one billion phone calls a day. He had access to all of our calls.  “Eventually, you realize that if a bunch of random numbers keep calling the same person that all those random numbers are the same guy,” Mr. X said.  People are patterns. Those patterns become your fingerprint.  He used that fingerprint to identify a notorious serial killer. Used GPS to track him down. Now the guy is in jail.  He used those fingerprints to track terrorists. "There were a lot of attacks stopped." 7. INTERESTS PRECEDE EDUCATION He wasn't educated about hacking or even computers. But he was passionate about it and learned everything he could.  “I found something I was interested in… and that was the best education I ever received.”  Find an interest. List every day the things you were interested in as a kid. It's never too late to learn now.  The one who loves what he does will always learn faster and better than the person who doesn't love it.  The one in love will compete better against the one who doesn't.  The one in love will be...happier.  8. TRUST THE INVISIBLE “You were saving lives,” I said.  “No, I wouldn’t say that.”  But I insisted. Because I feel we all have invisible threads of impact. We help and hurt people in ways we don’t know.  We all have our special abilities. And abilities to help and hurt without realizing. Always be healthy enough to know the difference.  Mr. X got married. Loves his family. Loves his work. "Some of my ex partners never escaped the mindset wer were programmed with." Reach for the positive when trapped in a negative. Love someone.  9. CHOOSE YOUR OWN NETWORTH Mr. X measures his net worth not by dollars, not by accomplishments or promotions. “My net worth is now in data," he said. He comes from hacker culture where the core belief is that information should be free.  Too often, we accept what's been given to us. "The rules" we were told to live by. The standards were set for us... But Mr. X proved you can set your own standards. You can choose the measurement of your net worth. Rich in relationships, rich in people, rich in joy, rich in knowledge... 10. LEARN EVERYTHING YOU CAN Mr. X found a pattern in his own life. He realized he loved hacking. And he loved detecting patterns. He got the same joy from both.  So he started reading books… and learned everything he could about computers, code, internet, backdoors and so on.  He used those abilities to fight wars. Then to help law enforcement track down criminals. And then to build massive companies that he sold.  I met Mr. X with his wife and daughters recently. I had never seen him so happy.  Sometimes the best pattern is the smile of your daughter. At least I think so.

You can read my show notes here:

https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/mr-x/

And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts!

------------

• What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!
• Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!

------------

• Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!
• My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!
• Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.
• I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com

------------

Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to “The James Altucher Show” wherever you get your podcasts: 

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Follow me on social media:

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"Everyone has their own talent," Erika said. "And my talent is expressing through writing songs and from singing them."

She wrote “Despacito" - the fastest song to hit 3 billion downloads in the history of music. Now it’s past 4 billion. That’s half the planet.  I asked how she did it. “Let’s say I want to write a song that gets 4 billion views," I said. "What should my first few steps be?” "You know what…" she said. “I don’t think about the numbers. I think the main thing is for you to connect with the world."

She has a beautiful way of thinking. And it bleeds into her art. Often, my mind is full of fears and it clouds my creativity. So I asked if she’s afraid of losing. Or not topping herself. What if “Despacito” was it? Her peak?  "Everyone asks me that," she said. "People are always asking, ‘Do you feel pressure? What are you going to do next?’ And I say, "You know what... this is such a gift. I’m not putting any pressure on myself because I think doing that is seeing life from the ego eyes. I'm not thinking I'm going to top this. I’m just going to keep doing quality work. I'm trying to evolve."

That's the key to having an "abundance mentality." And the key to pursuing your talent.

Make sure to read the full show notes here:

https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/erika-ender/

And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts!

------------

• What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!
• Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!

------------

• Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!
• My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!
• Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.
• I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com

------------

Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to “The James Altucher Show” wherever you get your podcasts: 

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Comedy is brutal. If the audience doesn't know you, they WILL judge you. That's true for most things (you can't walk down the sidewalk in New York City without being judged at least a hundred times).

Bonnie said you have to know your audience. I wondered "how though?" I gave an example, "Okay so do you try to figure out how old the audience is, what gender they are, sexual orientation, race, how much they drank or didn't drink, etc.?"

"No, I usually just think, 'Okay, blue collar, I'll do my marriage stuff."

It was that easy. That's professionalism. That's professional judgement. That's comedy. And the path to likability.

Bonnie has a joke about using the GPS.

"In Brooklyn I'm not going to do driving material. I have a really funny GPS joke that I can't do in the city because nobody drives. "I'm so immature about it," she said. She makes fun of the audience... They didn't ALWAYS live in the city. "Sometimes it irritates me. I'm like I know you understand what GPS is, if you saw this in a movie you'd get it, so don't just sit there like 'oh not my experience'."

I learned you can lose likability as quickly as you gain it, though. And that scared me. But Bonnie doesn't care. "I like when the audience is scared for you. If they don't laugh at something I think is funny, I lash out. Sometimes we start in a love fest, then I insult them and them maybe we still end in a love fest."

Her process is her art. She has hundred of jokes. "The premises just come," she said. She takes from life. The premises are there all the time," she said. "I just write whatever happens to be in front of me." Right now she's working on a joke: "what if your therapist was a Syrian refugee?"

I think I did more laughing than questioning in this interview. I hope you do too.  

You can read my show notes here:

https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/bonnie-mcfarlane/

And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts!

------------

• What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!
• Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!

------------

• Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!
• My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!
• Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.
• I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com

------------

Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to “The James Altucher Show” wherever you get your podcasts: 

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AJ’s about to launch a TV show. A few months ago he started a podcast. He’s 49 years old. And it all started because he decided to write a book on a weird idea he had. “I wonder what it would be like to live the Bible.” It’s especially weird if you consider the fact that he’s Jewish. AJ is a living example that anyone at age 49 could've decided to do this idea. Anyone at ANY age could’ve done this idea.

He told me to be curious about everything. "Even things you're not curious about." That didn't make sense to me. How do you do that? 

"Read books you don’t think are interesting," he said. Explore new podcasts, watch old movies. Then observe yourself. One of the original Saturday Night Live writers, Alan Zweibel, said you need to have two heads. "The head that's having an experience and the head that's observing.”

That's how you find your next big idea or small step forward in your life. You peel back the layers crusted on top of yourself. You dig into fresh layers and discover something new. AJ calls is "Fun-comfortable" (it's the intersection between discomfort and curiosity). 

This episode teaches you how to find that intersection. 

Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out the show notes here:

https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/aj-jacobs-3/

And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts!

------------

• What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!
• Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!

------------

• Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!
• My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!
• Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.
• I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com

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Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to “The James Altucher Show” wherever you get your podcasts: 

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Follow me on social media:

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"If you do not do what you love, that’s on you," Gary said. Years ago, no one believed you could choose yourself. You needed gatekeepers. Now we have YouTube, Instagram. “Now it’s the standard,” Gary said. If you cut out all the reason why you can't do something, then you cut out all the infrastructural and financial problems stopping you. "The only thing left is your f-cking head." Gary set up this example (and this podcast is full of them):

Pokemon. Imagine this is your passion. First, you blog. Then it becomes a video blog. Then a podcast. “Let's say you become the foremost Pokemon gal, 'Sally the Pokemon Gal.' You’re owning it. You go to Comic-Con, you get random sponsorships on your blog. You’re getting by. And then, Pokemon-GO comes out. Now you're on CNN and FOX. You’re getting paid $5,000 to give a talk. The world has just walked in to you." That's key. "Everybody who’s listening right now is looking for trends. They’re trying to walk to where the world is now and by the time they get there, the world moved on. If you go to your thing and set a f-cking flag on your thing, the world comes to you." 

Read the full article (and top 10 lessons I Learned from Gary Vaynerchuk: 

https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/gary-vaynerchuck/

And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts!

------------

• What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!
• Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!

------------

• Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!
• My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!
• Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.
• I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com

------------

Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to “The James Altucher Show” wherever you get your podcasts: 

• Apple Podcasts
• iHeart Radio
• Spotify

Follow me on social media:

• YouTube
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• Facebook
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“Life is inherently risky. We make up all of these rules in life about what’s gonna keep us safe," Amy Morin told me. She's the author "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do." It was originally just a list she wrote for herself. Her husband died suddenly. Just after the three-year anniversary of her mom's death. “I thought my mission in life was to teach people how to be mentally strong, and I didn’t realize how much I was going to need mental strength," she said. This podcast teaches you the skills to become mentally strong. To practice every day. 

Make sure to read the full show notes here:

https://jamesaltucher.com/2017/10/amy-morin/

And don't forget to subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts!

------------

• What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!
• Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!

------------

• Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!
• My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!
• Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.
• I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com

------------

Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to “The James Altucher Show” wherever you get your podcasts: 

• Apple Podcasts
• iHeart Radio
• Spotify

Follow me on social media:

• YouTube
• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn