Ba Vojdaan با وجدان

In this episode, we meet John Foster, founder of Middle School MBA, an educational program that teaches business, economics, and entrepreneurship to middle school students. John explains the nuances of the program and its integrated approach to teaching these subjects at a younger age.

The conversation then shifts to angel investing, where John provides deep insights into what angel investing entails, the relationship between entrepreneurs and investors, and the impact of interest rates and market conditions on investments.

He highlights the importance of integrity and trust between the parties involved, discusses the potential effects of regulatory interventions, and shares his vision of an optimal market, free of burdensome governmental regulations.

In this interview with John, you'll discover:

01:10 Target Audience and Course Structure

02:03 Teaching Methods and Visual Models

02:52 Historical Context and Learning Capabilities

04:29 Understanding Angel Investing

06:41 The Role of Angel Investors

12:10 Ecosystem of Private Companies

17:17 The Entrepreneur-Investor Relationship

22:42 Investor Control and Due Diligence

25:09 The Essence of Angel Investing

26:30 High Risk, High Reward: The Angel Investor's Perspective

29:31 Revenue, Profit, and Company Valuation

37:48 Market Disruptions and Angel Investing

42:37 Optimizing Market Conditions

44:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Resources mentioned:

Middle School MBA

About the guest:

Author, executive, angel investor, and lifelong student of markets, John’s career failed its way through process engineering, operations, business management, M&A, and corporate strategy; finally failing big enough to exit. He now teaches kids the lowdown on business and entrepreneurship, hoping they will fail bigger and sooner.



The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!

Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.

Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!

I first heard of Bitcoin around the time it was first gaining steam, circa 2010ish. I guess due to certain circles where I spent my time and education, it was only natural that it would come up in conversation. While it remained mysterious, I was brave enough to invest a bit of my own USD into Bitcoin in the 2013 timeframe, and have kept up with it somewhat through the years.

What attracted me to the Bitcoin "craze" at that time was how people who's opinion I respect explained that it's not an investment opportunity - as most folks think of it today - but it actually mimics the most sound of forms of money in many ways.

So I wanted to bring on to the show someone who is informed on the right reasons to "invest" in Bitcoin. I use the quotes around the word invest because it's not a typical investment where you put a certain amount of government-issued currency then gain a return on it after a period of time. It's actually much more complex (or simple?) than that.

Bitcoin is a means of exchange to pay for stuff that circumvents governments entirely.

Wesley Schlemmer of the Bitcoin Bay joins us on today's episode to explain the basics of Bitcoin, the Blockchain, the basics of sound money and more. While the fallout from the FTX misdeeds will be felt for some time, the upside is that Bitcoin is on people's minds, and we have an opportunity to learn about it, and learn how to do it the way the creators of Bitcoin intended it to be used in the first place!

In this episode, you'll discover:

-Wesley's personal background and becoming familiar with crypto...01:15

-Cypher Punks and a short history of Bitcoin (Hint: It's not an investment opportunity!)...03:45

-What is the Blockchain, and what is its relation to cryptocurrency?...14:15

-What is sound money, and what makes Bitcoin a sound form of exchange?...19:20

• Three primary characteristics

1. Medium of exchange
2. Store of value
3. Unit of account

• Qualities of sound money

1. Durable
2. Fuingle
3. Divisible
4. Portable
5. Scarce

-How Bitcoin promotes self-responsibility..27:00

-What the heck happened with FTX, and what can we learn from it?...31:00

-How to get into the Bitcoin game without it being a risky investment scheme...37:38

Resources mentioned:

Bitcoin Bay website

Cypherpunk Manifesto

Info about blockchain wallets Wesley mentions

The Bitcoin Standard

Muun Bitcoin Wallets

Bisq

Terms mentioned:

Blockchain

Litecoin

Ethereum

Block Chimes

Cypher Punks

Panopticon

Difficulty of Adjustment

Privacy v. Secrecy

Hal Finney

Blocksize Wars

BTC Token v. Network

Unit of Account

SAT's (not a pre-college test)

Stock to Flow Ratio

Seed Phrase

The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!

Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.

Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!

با وجدان (transliterated to Ba Vojdaan) is a Persian word which translates to English as "Conscientious".

This phrase was introduced to me by my Persian wife, who herself displays a great deal of "Vojdaan" in her life. She and I were discussing potential names for a podcast that would identify with me and my values, and we both said at the same time, "conscientious." She then told me about this beautiful Persian word, and it stuck. She and I used this name for a joint podcast we did more or less for fun, but it's very much apropos for our day and age, so I've repurposed it for this show.

I don't know about you, but I'm alarmed by the lack of conviction and integrity in our culture. People are on "autopilot" morally and spiritually. Whatever the talking heads on the boob tube tell us to think, that's what we think.

Sure, this has always been a problem since the dawn of time, but it just seems more pronounced in recent years.

And no one notices.

And those who do notice...they seem to either not care, or have given up trying to make a difference.

This podcast is one man's response to this pandemic of moral laziness and apathy.

Carry yourself with "Vojdaan" and you'll instantly set yourself apart from the zombies inhabiting our land.

This podcast will show you how to do it, and allow you to interact with others who think the same way.

So subscribe to the podcast and reclaim your sanity with daily interviews featuring folks who refuse to march in step with the rhythm of the world that is driving us into despair and chaos.

And if you're able, would you be willing to leave a rating and review of the show while you're here on the app?

It really helps to build credibility for the show!

Some guy who calls himself a pastor declared "I have something to say."

This was in reference to what happened at the opening ceremony of the Olympics where Leonardo's depiction of the Last Supper was openly mocked with a gluttonous drag queen sitting in the place of Jesus, transvestites and other undesirables sitting in the place of the Holy Apostles.

When I heard about this via a Facebook post, I was so shocked at the image that it took me awhile to really process the gravity of the scene.

This didn't occur in some dive bar in a back alley.

This happened at the Olympics.

Even if you're not a Christian, this should be a wakeup call to the lengths these folks will go to promote their agenda of "diversity" while stopping at nothing to destroy the lives of anyone who dissents from their approved viewpoints.

But what was truly disturbing was how many people who identify as Christians rallied around a diatribe posted by a guy named Jacob Whitehead, who calls himself "a pastor".

Well, his comments revealed a great deal of ignorance and emotional immaturity; and to think that so many people applauded it is problematic.

In this podcast, I read Mr. Whitehead's comments in their entirety, and then give my own comments in response.

Here we go:

"I’m a pastor, and I have something to say.

Christians that get online and spew hate toward nonbelievers anger me much more than nonbelievers spewing hate toward my religion.

I have no idea what the table at the Olympics was supposed to represent, as the official statement contradicts the larger opinion. But what I can say is that every single person at that table would have been invited to Jesus’ table. Jesus not only spent His time on earth with sinners, He invited them to the very table everyone assumes the Olympic table represents.

Matthew was a tax collector.

Peter was about to deny Him.

Thomas was about to doubt His resurrection.

Judas was about to betray Him.

Jesus ate with them anyway.

Jesus was with “sinners” all of the time. In fact, it’s one of the reasons the church people hated Him and wanted Him dead.

Please allow this to serve as a reminder that people who are not Christians are not our responsibility to regulate. Jesus gave us an example to follow of welcoming everyone and pointing them toward the love of Jesus. Remember that God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance, not the shouting of His angry “followers.”

This doesn’t mean I condone any religion (especially my own) being mocked. In fact, it is wrong. But my heart doesn’t hurt for what they are doing to Jesus. My heart hurts for people that are likely not in a loving relationship with their Creator. Jesus doesn’t need me to shout about sinners sinning. He wants me to shout about the hope and the love they are missing out on.

Before you share an angry post, or shout at people that Jesus died for, think for a while, and ask yourself if He would do the same. To be honest, you already know the answer. He wouldn’t. He didn’t. He died for them just as much as He died for you. Angrily shouting at people that don’t know Jesus is in direct contradiction to the example He gave us on the cross.

Westboro Baptist sandwich signs should anger you much more than this. Jesus flipped tables on people in the temple, not people outside of it.

Remember that."



The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!

Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.

Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!

Today we are honored to welcome to the show Sage Dammers, founder of Addictive Wellness. Sage discusses his journey into the wellness industry, stemming from personal health challenges and a passion for creating health-boosting products such as delicious chocolate bars that are both delicious and packed with adaptogenic herbs which promote an optimized lifestyle!

Sage elaborates on his experiences with using herbs such as reishi, astragalus, cordyceps, and ashwagandha to improve overall wellbeing. The discussion touches on the importance of ingredient quality, challenges in mainstream medicine, and why you should take in news re: your health and lifestyle from mainstream sources with a hefty grain of salt!

The episode offers insights into the benefits of adaptogens and encourages listeners to explore healthier lifestyle choices incrementally.

In this interview with Sage Dammers, you'll discover:

02:41 The Health Benefits of Cacao

05:59 Understanding Candida

09:20 The Birth of Addictive Wellness

10:13 Elixir Bars and Global Ventures

18:36 The Concept of Adaptogenic Herbs

21:55 Balancing Energy and Calm with Adaptogens

22:13 The Science Behind Adaptogens

24:46 Ashwagandha: The Versatile Adaptogen

26:19 Chaga Mushroom and Other Noteworthy Adaptogens

29:10 Challenges with Mainstream Health Systems

32:04 Navigating Health Information and Resources

37:50 Practical Tips for Using Adaptogens

40:15 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Resources mentioned:

Addictive Wellness

Boundless by Ben Greenfield (audiobook narrated by James Newcomb)

About the guest:

Sage Dammers is the co-founder, CEO, product formulator, and chocolatier of Addictive Wellness. Fueled by a passionate desire to help people live the ultimate life and create a better world, Sage began as a teenager seeking out information that no mainstream school could offer in the areas of nutrition and traditional herbal systems of indigenous cultures.

He built his knowledge of superfood nutrition and traditional herbal systems, especially Taoist tonic herbalism. He has worked with and trained under the world’s leading master herbalists and nutrition and longevity experts in Costa Rica, Australia, Bali, China, and America.



The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!

Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.

Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!

Host James D. Newcomb shares his own background as a musician, family man, podcaster, world traveler, and more!

Today I share about my spiritual life within the confines of the Christian religion. I've been a churchgoer as long as I can remember; however, the journey has been, shall I say, interesting.

It was really a search for truth - a search that ended when I was introduced to the Orthodox Church interestingly enough through my own work as a narrator and producer of audiobooks. I was serendipitously hired to narrate/produce two separate audiobooks in 2018 and 2023 respectively, which convinced me that the Orthodox Church is where I was being led spiritually.

So this is my story.

Episode highlights:

01:30 Early Spiritual Experiences

06:53 The Bapticostals

10:15 Do we truly have free will when compelled to act by threat of eternal damnation?

15:10 The Calvinist Presbyterians

18:03 Messianic Judaism

20:48 Spiritual Purgatory in Korea

23:07 The non-Calvinist Presbyterians

27:53 Discovering the Orthodox Church

34:21 Conclusion: An Open Invitation

If you wish to ask me anything about what I've discussed in this podcast, or simply want to discuss any matter related to spirituality, please send me an email [email protected].

I would love to speak with you and answer any questions you might have!

The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!

Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.

Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!

In this episode, I share my decade-long journey in the world of podcasting, starting from his initial venture into audiobook recording in 2012 to my current role as the founder of a podcast production company.

You'll hear about the key figures who inspired me to get into the craft, experiences and experiments with various podcast shows through the years, successes, challenges, and the lessons learned along the way.

We close with the most important thing I've learned about doing a podcast. (And if you're thinking of getting into the podcasting craft, I've got a project in the works that might be of interest to you. Just listen in and get all the details!)

Episode highlights:

00:29 First Steps into Audiobook Recording

01:46 Discovering the World of Podcasting

03:30 Launching My First Podcast

04:38 Finding My Niche with Trumpet Dynamics

06:04 The Musicpreneur Experiment

08:57 Transition to Producing Shows for Others

13:24 The most important lesson I've learned

The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!

Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.

Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!

In this episode, James D. Newcomb shares his detailed journey from being surrounded by music from birth, influenced by a family of musicians and early school experiences, to becoming a skilled trumpet player.

He recounts pivotal moments in high school under a mentor, his time in military bands, and the significant impact of participating in the Drum and Bugle Corps.

James openly discusses the highs and lows of his musical career, his involvement in a strict church organization, and the shift in his priorities towards podcasting.

He concludes by reaffirming his renewed commitment to performance while balancing his successful podcasting career.

Episode highlights:

01:00 The Musical Roots: A Family Tradition

02:11 The Trumpet Resolution: A New Year's Promise

03:22 High School Years

06:24 Military Musician: Joining the Army Band

07:26 Drum Corps Experience: The Madison Scouts

11:41 Music Takes a Back Seat to Jesus

16:52 Still Got the Godos

18:40 Going Pro

22:50 Podcasting and Priorities: A New Focus

24:49 Future Plans: Embracing Performance Again

The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!

Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.

Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!

If you're praising your children, you're doing it wrong, says our guest on today's episode. Perhaps I've misinterpreted the message of our guest, Judy Arnall, who we recently heard on the show discussing her philosophy on unschooling.

But while we were discussing unschooling, I learned that Judy has written not THE book on parenting, but she's written a book on parenting. And it's a very good book. It's titled Discipline Without Distress, 135 Tools for Raising Caring Responsible Children Without Timeout, Spanking, Punishment, or Bribery .

It can be found at any major book retailer in physical or digital format, and I was fortunate enough to be able to have Judy again join me on a call and discuss some of the nuances of parenting, and why we should view ourselves more as tour guides to the yung'ins than disciplinarians.

Maybe unparenting is a more succinct way to put it.

In this episode, Judy discusses her unique approach to parenting. She emphasizes the importance of discipline over punishment, shares insights on avoiding praise addiction, and highlights the significance of fostering open communication and problem-solving skills in children.

Judy also articulates the benefits of non-punitive methods, proactive discipline, family meetings, and voluntary timeouts to build stronger, lifelong relationships with kids.

The conversation includes real-life examples and addresses parents' concerns about navigating a punitive society while encouraging a more empathetic and constructive parenting style.

In this interview with Judy Arnall, you'll discover:

02:09 Judy's Parenting Philosophy

04:16 Personal Parenting Experiences and Reflections

08:06 Why "punishment" as we understand it is ineffective

12:31 Encouragement vs. Praise

18:13 Understanding Discipline Over Punishment

24:01 Navigating Screen Time Boundaries

25:25 Collaborative Problem Solving

27:46 Realistic Expectations and Follow-Through

30:50 The Role of Rewards and Appreciation

35:57 Non-Punitive Parenting in a Punitive Society

39:22 Building Lifelong Relationships

41:27 Unique Parenting Tools

43:09 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Resources mentioned:

Discipline Without Distress, 135 Tools for Raising Caring Responsible Children Without Timeout, Spanking, Punishment, or Bribery by Judy Arnall

Judy's website

About the guest:

I will admit it. I’m a bit of a control freak. Actually, I need a lot of control, because I am “Type-A”, “Judgement,” “Gold color” or whatever those personality tests use to describe me. I need people to do things when I ask them to do it and I feel frustrated when they don’t listen to me. It’s often hard for me to remember that my partner and children are not trying to drive me crazy when they don’t listen to what I ask of them. It’s simply that my needs are just not on their radar for that moment.

Like many others who grew up in the 70’s, my parents used bribery and punishment to control their children. In spite of changing societal views on spanking, they did what their parents did and hung a wooden board in the kitchen called “The Board of Education.” We were regularly spanked as small children and as we got older, we were given “lines to write” in a type of home detention. We were also grounded, and had important outings and possessions taken away from us. I still remember the Halloween that I was grounded and watched my siblings eating their stash, while I had none.

Punishment...

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesdnewcomb.substack.com/subscribe

In today's episode, we discuss the concept of "unschooling", a learner-directed educational approach popularized by John Holt, contrasting it with traditional schooling.

Traditional? Actually what we know as "unschooling" was considered pretty normal until the Industrial Revolution introduced the concept of the 8-hour work day, parents working far from home. What to do with the kids?

Voila! The modern school environment was born. And while there are some pretty good public and even private institutions, even the best of intentions can't undo basic humanity and how we're programmed to learn how to live life, learn a trade or a profession, etc.

Our guest, Judy Arnall, is the author of 'Unschooling to University'. Judy shares her journey into unschooling driven by her dissatisfaction with authoritarian school environments and her commitment to non-punitive parenting.

Judy explains the benefits of unschooling, such as fostering a child's innate curiosity and self-directed learning, and addresses common concerns like gaps in knowledge and the role of screens in education. We also touch on the practicalities of unschooling, such as transitioning to formal learning for university preparation and overcoming societal misconceptions about educational authority.

The conversation includes Judy’s insights into brain development, discipline versus punishment, and the advantages of personalized, interest-driven education for children.

Be sure to tune in to my follow-up interview with Judy which focuses exclusively on the concept of non-punitive parenting. If you're exasperated with trying to get your kids to "do the right thing," you might want to give it a listen!

In this interview with Judy, you'll discover:

01:59 Judy's Journey into Unschooling

04:04 The Concept of Discipline vs. Punishment

05:04 Critique of Traditional Schooling Methods

07:21 Impact of Traditional Schooling on Children

08:14 Unschooling and Special Needs

09:28 Common Objections to Unschooling

15:09 The Role of Video Games in Education

18:43 Transitioning to Unschooling

24:44 Challenges and Considerations in Unschooling

26:22 Addressing Concerns About Unschooling

26:37 Teaching Commitment and Grit

27:22 Personal Experiences with Commitment

29:53 Managing Screen Time and Activities

31:30 Transitioning to Formal Education

33:49 The Role of Khan Academy

35:42 Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling

43:10 Parental Rights in Education

45:48 Resources for Unschooling

46:59 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Resources mentioned:

Unschooling to University

Judy Arnall's website

About the guest:

Judy Arnall, BA, CCFE (Certified Canadian Family Life Educator), DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster) is an international award winning professional keynote speaker and a well-known Canadian parenting expert, having given advice for television interviews on CBC, CTV, and Global as well as publications such as Chatelaine, Today’s Parent, Canadian Living, Parents magazine, and newspapers including The Globe and Mail, Sun Media and Postmedia News.

Judy is certified in the Brain Story and many training programs such as The Growing Brain: 0-5, by ZeroToThree.org, Terrific Toddlers by AHS-Alberta Health Services, P.E.T. Parent Effectiveness Training, Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting (Durrant), and Attached At The Heart by API-Attachment Parenting International.



The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!

Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the...

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesdnewcomb.substack.com/subscribe