
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


When millions are on the line it is easy to make excuses for the people around you.
Morgan sits down with David Packouz, the real life arms dealer behind the movie War Dogs, to unpack the moment he realised exactly who he was in business with and the lesson it took everything to learn.
This is the conversation about money, morals and the decisions that define you.
Listen to the full episode here → https://open.spotify.com/episode/6IiZcRRBrNn4VEay8gLofP?si=_Klh9131QRCfEFIG2oTt_g
Dream Fest Details
👉 https://dreamfest2026.com
Connect with David and War Dogs Academy
👉 https://davidpackouz.com👉 https://wardogsacademy.com
Connect with Me
https://www.youtube.com/@morgantnelson
https://www.instagram.com/morgantnelson
👇 Join my Free Skool Community 👇
https://www.skool.com/dream-out-loud/about?ref=b30af20dcf024f8f9eaf71bd232e6311
Join the Dream Out Loud Facebook Community → https://bit.ly/49QXClW
Download the FREE Life By Design Productivity Planner →
https://planner.morgantnelson.com/optinplanner
Every person you have ever met falls into one of four personality types. Once you know which one they are you will know exactly what motivates them, what drives their behaviour and how to get them on your side in any conversation.In this episode, Morgan breaks down the four personality colours, how to spot each one in seconds and exactly how to communicate with them in sales, leadership and everyday life.Listen to find out which one you are and how to use this to your advantage.👇 Join my Free Skool Communityhttps://www.skool.com/dream-out-loud/about?ref=b30af20dcf024f8f9eaf71bd232e6311Dream Fest Details 👉 https://dreamfest2026.comConnect with Mehttps://www.youtube.com/@morgantnelsonhttps://www.instagram.com/morgantnelsonJoin the Dream Out Loud Facebook Community → https://bit.ly/49QXClWDownload the FREE Life By Design Productivity Planner → https://planner.morgantnelson.com/optinplanner
A 25 year old with no military background won a $300 million US government arms contract. And he did it by believing his own lies so convincingly that everyone else believed them too.
Morgan sits down with David Packouz, the real life arms dealer behind the movie War Dogs, to reveal what Hollywood got right, what it exaggerated and the truth behind one of the most audacious deals in history.
Listen to the full episode here → https://open.spotify.com/episode/6IiZcRRBrNn4VEay8gLofP?si=_Klh9131QRCfEFIG2oTt_g
Dream Fest Registration 👉 https://dreamfest2026.com
Connect with David and War Dogs Academy
👉 https://davidpackouz.com👉 https://wardogsacademy.com
Connect with Me
https://www.youtube.com/@morgantnelson
https://www.instagram.com/morgantnelson
👇 Join my Free Skool Community 👇
https://www.skool.com/dream-out-loud/about?ref=b30af20dcf024f8f9eaf71bd232e6311
Join the Dream Out Loud Facebook Community → https://bit.ly/49QXClW
Download the FREE Life By Design Productivity Planner → https://planner.morgantnelson.com/optinplanner
The most dangerous liar is the one who believes their own lies. That's how he won a $300M government contract.
Morgan sits down with David Packouz, the real-life arms dealer behind the movie War Dogs, to reveal what Hollywood got right, what it exaggerated, and the truth behind the $300M U.S. government contract.
Listen to the full episode here → https://open.spotify.com/episode/6IiZcRRBrNn4VEay8gLofP?si=_Klh9131QRCfEFIG2oTt_g
Dreamfest Registration
👉 Register Here : https://dreamfest2026.com
Connect with David and War Dogs Academy
👉 Learn more about David: https://davidpackouz.com
👉 War Dogs Academy: https://wardogsacademy.com
Connect with Me https://www.youtube.com/@morgantnelson
https://www.instagram.com/morgantnelson
👇👇 Join my Free Skool Community 👇👇
https://www.skool.com/dream-out-loud/about?ref=b30af20dcf024f8f9eaf71bd232e6311
Join the Dream Out Loud Facebook Community
https://bit.ly/49QXClW
Download the FREE Life By Design Productivity Planner
https://planner.morgantnelson.com/optinplanner
Episode Summary
In this episode, Morgan sits down with David Packouz, the real-life arms dealer portrayed by Miles Teller in the hit film War Dogs.
David shares the true story behind the $300 million U.S. government contract that inspired the movie, revealing what Hollywood got right, what it exaggerated, and what actually happened behind the scenes. From winning government contracts in his early twenties to navigating international arms deals, federal investigations, betrayal, and public scrutiny, David offers a firsthand account of one of the most fascinating business stories of the last two decades.The conversation explores the psychology of ambition, risk-taking, business partnerships, ethics, and the lessons David learned from working alongside the notorious Ephraim Diveroli. David also breaks down the realities of government contracting, the infamous ammunition scandal, and how he rebuilt his life after the collapse of the business.
Today, David is a successful entrepreneur, inventor, and educator, helping others build legitimate businesses while applying the lessons learned from one of the most extraordinary chapters of his life.
Episode Timestamps
00:00 Intro: The Real Story Behind War Dogs
01:56 How Accurate Was the Movie?
03:45 What Hollywood Got Wrong
05:36 The Albania Kidnapping Scene Explained
07:27 The Truth About The Triangle of Death
08:13 Who Was Ephraim Diveroli Really?
10:30 Why David Avoided Prison & Ephraim Didn't
17:36 Suing Ephraim After The Fallout
21:04 From Massage Therapist to Government Contractor
26:57 How Two Young Men Won Massive Military Contracts
27:20 Dreamfest
28:09 Why The Government Uses Private Contractors
33:11 The Real Triangle of Death Story
39:26 The “Save The King” Package
41:25 Ignoring Red Flags & Working With The Wrong People
44:57 The Psychology Behind Bad Decisions
45:45 The Chinese Ammunition Scandal
54:08 How The Business Finally Collapsed
59:01 Business Lessons From The Arms Dealing World
01:00:54 Why Reputation Beats Short-Term Wins
01:03:51 Hard Lessons About Contracts & Trust
01:06:00 Building Singular Sound & War Dogs Academy
01:11:51 Dreamfest Reminder
01:12:55 Advice To His 18-Year-Old Self
About David Packouz
David Packouz is an entrepreneur, inventor, musician, and former government contractor best known as the real-life inspiration behind the movie War Dogs.In his early twenties, David became involved in federal arms contracting and helped secure a $300 million ammunition contract for the U.S. military during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. His story later became the basis for the Hollywood film starring Miles Teller and Jonah Hill.Following the events that made him famous, David transitioned into entrepreneurship, founding multiple successful businesses including Singular Sound, creator of the BeatBuddy drum machine pedal, and InstaFloss. He also co-founded War Dogs Academy, where he teaches aspiring entrepreneurs how to pursue government contracting opportunities legally and ethically.
Dreamfest Registration
👉 Register Here : https://dreamfest2026.com
Connect with David and War Dogs Academy
👉 Learn more about David: https://davidpackouz.com
👉 War Dogs Academy: https://wardogsacademy.com
Connect with Me
https://www.youtube.com/@morgantnelson
https://www.instagram.com/morgantnelson
👇👇 Join my Free Skool Community 👇👇
https://www.skool.com/dream-out-loud/about?ref=b30af20dcf024f8f9eaf71bd232e6311
Join the Dream Out Loud Facebook Community
https://bit.ly/49QXClW
Download the FREE Life By Design Productivity Plannerhttps://planner.morgantnelson.com/optinplanner
You are giving away more information than you think. And it happens every time someone stops asking questions.
Morgan sits down with former military operator and behavioural expert Chase Hughes to break down the art of elicitation - how to get anyone to open up, spot deception and get the truth without asking a single question.
Listen To The Full Episode Here → https://open.spotify.com/episode/5hY0xVZh6t4aH6DA5wdY7P?si=YshRR2u8QdqZxDG52JajCA
Dream Fest Details 👉 https://dreamfest2026.com
Connect with Chase & NCI
https://www.instagram.com/chasehughesofficial
https://www.nci.university/
Connect with Me
https://www.youtube.com/@morgantnelson
https://www.instagram.com/morgantnelson
👇 Join my Free Skool Community 👇
https://www.skool.com/dream-outloud/about?ref=b30af20dcf024f8f9eaf71bd232e6311
Join the Dream Out Loud Facebook Community → https://bit.ly/49QXClW
The CIA can influence anyone to do almost anything, from sharing state secrets to betraying their own country.So in this video I break down the exact tactics they use, and how you can apply them in your business, sales, marketing, and relationships to influence anyone you want.
⊳ Join my Free Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/dream-out-loud/about?ref=b30af20dcf024f8f9eaf71bd232e6311
The way you communicate is either landing or it is not. Most people never figure out why.
Morgan sits down with a former military operator and behavioural expert Chase Hughes to break down the neuroscience of metaphors and why they make your message impossible to ignore.
Listen To The Full Episode Here → https://open.spotify.com/episode/5hY0xVZh6t4aH6DA5wdY7P?si=YshRR2u8QdqZxDG52JajCA
Dream Fest Details 👉 https://dreamfest2026.com
Connect with Chase & NCIhttps://www.instagram.com/chasehughesofficialhttps://www.nci.university/
Connect with Mehttps://www.youtube.com/@morgantnelson
https://www.instagram.com/morgantnelson
👇 Join my Free Skool Community 👇https://www.skool.com/dream-outloud/about?ref=b30af20dcf024f8f9eaf71bd232e6311
Everyone gets lied to every single day. The problem is you are looking for all the wrong signs. Former military operator and behavioural expert Chase Hughes sits down with Morgan to expose exactly what elite interrogators actually look for when detecting deception.
Listen To The Full Episode Here → https://open.spotify.com/episode/5hY0xVZh6t4aH6DA5wdY7P?si=YshRR2u8QdqZxDG52JajCA
Dream Fest Details 👉 https://dreamfest2026.com
Connect with Chase & NCI
https://www.instagram.com/chasehughesofficialhttps://www.nci.university/
Connect with Me
https://www.youtube.com/@morgantnelson
https://www.instagram.com/morgantnelson
👇 Join my Free Skool Community 👇
https://www.skool.com/dream-outloud/about?ref=b30af20dcf024f8f9eaf71bd232e6311
Join the Dream Out Loud Facebook Community → https://bit.ly/49QXClW
Episode Summary
In this episode, Morgan sits down with former military operator, behavioral expert, and communication specialist Chase Hughes to break down the hidden psychology behind influence, persuasion, and human behavior.
Chase shares how elite interrogation and behavioral techniques can be applied to sales, leadership, negotiation, relationships, and everyday communication. From identity framing and covert influence to metaphors, elicitation, and detecting deception, this episode dives deep into how people make decisions often without realizing it.
The conversation explores why resonance matters more than persuasion, how to guide people toward their own conclusions, and the neuroscience behind trust, communication, and compliance. Chase also explains how these same principles are used in military intelligence, legal trials, and high-level sales environments.
This episode is a masterclass in influence, communication, and understanding human nature.
Episode Timestamps
0:00 Intro & The Psychology of Influence
0:51 Meet Chase Hughes
2:06 Taking Control of Conversations
4:06 Resonance vs Persuasion
6:08 Identity & Human Behavior
9:09 The Power of Identity Framing
12:10 Metaphors & Influence
15:08 Overcoming Fear & Rejection
17:57 Dreamfest
18:51 The Neuroscience of Communication
21:31 Plato, Persuasion & Human Nature
24:11 Influence in Sales & Trials
28:21 Selling Through Human Psychology
31:02 Why Scripts Don’t Work
32:39 Elicitation & Getting People to Open Up
37:55 Detecting Lies & Behavioral Changes
43:18 The Confession Formula Explained
46:22 Using Influence in Everyday Life
47:14 Social Anxiety & Confidence
47:28 Dreamfest Reminder
48:42 NCI Sales & Human-Based Selling
50:16 Building Better Relationships Through Communication
51:13 Final Advice to His Younger Self
About Chase Hughes
Chase Hughes is a former military operator, behavioral profiling expert, and founder of Neuro-Cognitive Intelligence (NCI).
After serving 20 years in the military, Chase transitioned into teaching advanced human behavior, influence, and interrogation techniques used by intelligence agencies, law enforcement, and high-level negotiators around the world.
Today, he trains professionals in communication, sales, behavioral analysis, and leadership through the lens of neuroscience and psychology. His work focuses on helping people understand how humans think, make decisions, and build trust.
Dreamfest Details
https://dreamfest2026.com
Connect with Chase & NCI
https://www.instagram.com/chasehughesofficial
https://www.nci.university/
Connect with Me
https://www.youtube.com/@morgantnelson
https://www.instagram.com/morgantnelson
👇👇 Join my Free Skool Community 👇👇
https://www.skool.com/dream-out-loud/about?ref=b30af20dcf024f8f9eaf71bd232e6311
Join the Dream Out Loud Facebook Community
https://bit.ly/49QXClW
Download the FREE Life By Design Productivity Planner
https://planner.morgantnelson.com/optinplanner
From the publisher's feed

227,448 Listeners

21,050 Listeners

4,445 Listeners

8,343 Listeners

125 Listeners

3 Listeners

18,908 Listeners

11 Listeners