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#71 - Rigging the Game: Reducing Risk and Maximizing Success with Dan Nicholson
In this episode of Peak Performance Perspectives Podcast, host Mark Talukdar sits down with Dan Nicholson, entrepreneur, author, and founder of Nth Degree CPAs, to uncover powerful insights into achieving peak performance in both business and life. Dan, who has been recognized four times as a Top 40 Under 40 Accountant, shares his unique perspectives on living life on your own terms and why this is the ultimate definition of success.
The conversation kicks off with Dan answering the key question: What does peak performance mean to you? Dan’s answer will surprise you, as he focuses less on productivity hacks or typical business strategies and instead emphasizes creating a life of minimal compromise. For him, peak performance means living the life you want, with as little sacrifice as possible. This episode isn’t just about succeeding in business but about achieving success holistically, incorporating health, wealth, relationships, and personal fulfillment.
Listeners are taken on a journey through Dan’s personal and professional evolution, where he candidly discusses how his entrepreneurial spirit started young and how his career in accounting developed alongside his desire to create a life that truly aligned with his values. He also shares the pivotal moment in 2008 that pushed him into starting his own firm—a decision that came from an unexpected ultimatum at work, igniting his path to becoming an unconventional CPA.
One of the standout parts of this episode is Dan’s concept of the solvable problem. He breaks down how so many of us chase goals without clarity, often getting caught up in the whirlwind of daily life. Dan explains the importance of identifying the solvable problems in your life and taking micro-steps towards them, emphasizing that you don’t need massive action all at once—just small, manageable steps that build momentum. He believes that 80% of the life you dream of can be achieved within 12 months if you focus on the right areas and make intentional choices.
Dan also shares some of the most common financial mistakes that entrepreneurs make and offers actionable advice on how to avoid them. For example, many business owners don’t have clear financial rules or systems, which leads them into poor decision-making and cash flow problems. Dan's firm helps business owners unlearn these common financial pitfalls and teaches them how to create better systems that align with their desired lifestyle. His strategy involves applying money rules that remove emotional decision-making and ensure long-term financial security.
This episode isn’t just about numbers and finance, though. Dan emphasizes that energy management is often more important than time management. He explains how rethinking how we spend our time and energy can have a huge impact on achieving peak performance in all aspects of life. During the pandemic, for example, many people realized that they didn’t want more time at home, but rather they wanted to be more present during their time at home—a key distinction Dan helps his clients recognize and optimize for.
Dan's unique approach to business and life is also reflected in his best-selling book, Rigging the Game, where he challenges conventional financial advice and shows readers how to set themselves up for success by creating rules and systems that are personalized to their goals. His work encourages people to lean into their uniqueness and make calculated decisions that reduce unnecessary risk while increasing upside potential.
For entrepreneurs, business owners, and anyone seeking more balance in their life, Dan’s strategies provide a refreshing and attainable path to success. This episode is filled with actionable advice, insightful stories, and practical steps you can start implementing today to live your life with more freedom, less stress, and greater fulfillment.
Peak Performance: Living life on your own terms with as little compromise as possible.
The Solvable Problem: How to identify what’s holding you back and how to solve it by taking small, intentional steps.
Money Rules: Creating a financial system that removes emotional decision-making and sets you up for success.
Energy vs. Time Management: Why managing your energy is more important than managing your time.
Financial Mistakes: Common errors small business owners make and how to avoid them by creating better systems.
Decision-Making in Business: The importance of understanding your unique wealth type and making decisions that align with your goals.
Rigging the Game: Dan’s strategy for reducing risk and increasing potential through better financial decisions.
This episode is a must-listen for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and anyone who wants to live a life of true freedom and fulfillment. Dan’s wisdom, experience, and practical advice make it easy to start living life on your own terms today.
Offer:
Wealth Type Assessment Free https://www.wealthtype.com/
Meet our Guest:
Dan founded Nth Degree CPAs in Seattle in 2008, aiming to help small business owners optimize their financial strategies through good accounting and tax practices. A Seattle University Summa Cum Laude graduate, he has extensive experience in finance and accounting with top firms and was selected for a prestigious fellowship with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board. Outside of his professional life, Dan is a dedicated family man, active in his local community, and an avid sports fan who has completed three Half-Ironman triathlons.
Connect with Him:
https://www.facebook.com/CertaintyUDan https://www.youtube.com/@riggingthegame https://www.instagram.com/dannicholsoncpa/ https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2FDan_P_Nicholson https://www.riggingthegame.com/
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By Mark TalukdarIn this episode of Peak Performance Perspectives Podcast, host Mark Talukdar sits down with Dan Nicholson, entrepreneur, author, and founder of Nth Degree CPAs, to uncover powerful insights into achieving peak performance in both business and life. Dan, who has been recognized four times as a Top 40 Under 40 Accountant, shares his unique perspectives on living life on your own terms and why this is the ultimate definition of success.
The conversation kicks off with Dan answering the key question: What does peak performance mean to you? Dan’s answer will surprise you, as he focuses less on productivity hacks or typical business strategies and instead emphasizes creating a life of minimal compromise. For him, peak performance means living the life you want, with as little sacrifice as possible. This episode isn’t just about succeeding in business but about achieving success holistically, incorporating health, wealth, relationships, and personal fulfillment.
Listeners are taken on a journey through Dan’s personal and professional evolution, where he candidly discusses how his entrepreneurial spirit started young and how his career in accounting developed alongside his desire to create a life that truly aligned with his values. He also shares the pivotal moment in 2008 that pushed him into starting his own firm—a decision that came from an unexpected ultimatum at work, igniting his path to becoming an unconventional CPA.
One of the standout parts of this episode is Dan’s concept of the solvable problem. He breaks down how so many of us chase goals without clarity, often getting caught up in the whirlwind of daily life. Dan explains the importance of identifying the solvable problems in your life and taking micro-steps towards them, emphasizing that you don’t need massive action all at once—just small, manageable steps that build momentum. He believes that 80% of the life you dream of can be achieved within 12 months if you focus on the right areas and make intentional choices.
Dan also shares some of the most common financial mistakes that entrepreneurs make and offers actionable advice on how to avoid them. For example, many business owners don’t have clear financial rules or systems, which leads them into poor decision-making and cash flow problems. Dan's firm helps business owners unlearn these common financial pitfalls and teaches them how to create better systems that align with their desired lifestyle. His strategy involves applying money rules that remove emotional decision-making and ensure long-term financial security.
This episode isn’t just about numbers and finance, though. Dan emphasizes that energy management is often more important than time management. He explains how rethinking how we spend our time and energy can have a huge impact on achieving peak performance in all aspects of life. During the pandemic, for example, many people realized that they didn’t want more time at home, but rather they wanted to be more present during their time at home—a key distinction Dan helps his clients recognize and optimize for.
Dan's unique approach to business and life is also reflected in his best-selling book, Rigging the Game, where he challenges conventional financial advice and shows readers how to set themselves up for success by creating rules and systems that are personalized to their goals. His work encourages people to lean into their uniqueness and make calculated decisions that reduce unnecessary risk while increasing upside potential.
For entrepreneurs, business owners, and anyone seeking more balance in their life, Dan’s strategies provide a refreshing and attainable path to success. This episode is filled with actionable advice, insightful stories, and practical steps you can start implementing today to live your life with more freedom, less stress, and greater fulfillment.
Peak Performance: Living life on your own terms with as little compromise as possible.
The Solvable Problem: How to identify what’s holding you back and how to solve it by taking small, intentional steps.
Money Rules: Creating a financial system that removes emotional decision-making and sets you up for success.
Energy vs. Time Management: Why managing your energy is more important than managing your time.
Financial Mistakes: Common errors small business owners make and how to avoid them by creating better systems.
Decision-Making in Business: The importance of understanding your unique wealth type and making decisions that align with your goals.
Rigging the Game: Dan’s strategy for reducing risk and increasing potential through better financial decisions.
This episode is a must-listen for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and anyone who wants to live a life of true freedom and fulfillment. Dan’s wisdom, experience, and practical advice make it easy to start living life on your own terms today.
Offer:
Wealth Type Assessment Free https://www.wealthtype.com/
Meet our Guest:
Dan founded Nth Degree CPAs in Seattle in 2008, aiming to help small business owners optimize their financial strategies through good accounting and tax practices. A Seattle University Summa Cum Laude graduate, he has extensive experience in finance and accounting with top firms and was selected for a prestigious fellowship with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board. Outside of his professional life, Dan is a dedicated family man, active in his local community, and an avid sports fan who has completed three Half-Ironman triathlons.
Connect with Him:
https://www.facebook.com/CertaintyUDan https://www.youtube.com/@riggingthegame https://www.instagram.com/dannicholsoncpa/ https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2FDan_P_Nicholson https://www.riggingthegame.com/