Future Self Podcast

http://robertingalls.com/17-blake-anderson/ (Link to the Blog Post)

The Epipen is back in the news, but for all the wrong reasons. This week, only a few short months since the consumer and congressional outrage over a 500% price increase on Mylan's EpiPen, Pharmaceutical company Kaleo released their answer to the anti-allergy giant in the form of Auvi-Q. Touted as an affordable alternative, the product was originally released in 2013 with a similar price tag to the EpiPen. However, the drug was later recalled due to manufacturing problems. This time Auvi-Q hit the market with a price tag of $4,500.00, seven times the current price of the EpiPen.

Kaleo has assured consumers that the high price tag is part of a complex effort to subsidize a program aimed at making the drug affordable for everyone. However, while Kaleo executive Spencer Williamson says he is encouraged by the number of insurance plans that he believes are going to cover Auvi-Q, others in the industry are not so optimistic. Adam Fein, president of Pembroke Consulting and author of drugchannels.net, compared Kaleo to Valeant Pharmaceuticals, which is under investigation by Congress, the Justice Department, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. “Frankly it sounds a lot like a Valeant strategy, where you set a very high list price and you only capture the reimbursement on a very small percentage of prescriptions" Fein said. “Instead of getting a reasonable price for everything, you are going to get nothing from most of the market and a lot from a very small percentage of the market. It’s almost an outdated strategy that seems designed to invite controversy.” (Forbes)

The Great & Powerful Woz This is where Blake Anderson and Renco Medical come in. Not only is Renco attacking the pricing structure of epinephrine pens, they're also redesigning the product. While Auvi-Q was the first to include audio instructions, the instructions were built into the disposable pen for a one-time use. Renco, in an effort to reduce consumer costs and waste, is building the instructions into an ergonomic carrying case, allowing for repeated use over the life of the product. And, a crucial element of the redesign effort is focused on making their injectors more intuitive to use, thereby reducing mistakes when seconds count.

For the initial round of funding Renco is turning to Indiegogo, launching their first campaign on February 21st. We'll update this post with the details when the campaign goes live.

In this episode we discuss not only what Blake is up to today, we also dig into his backstory, philosophy, and habits for success. Coming from a meager background, Blake has been a brilliant example of the success that can be achieved through a hard work and hustle lifestyle. It's clear from listening to him for five minutes that he truly does believe in people over profits, choosing to focus on providing value above all else.

Enjoy!

You can find Blake and Renco Medical on Facebook, https://twitter.com/rencomedical (Twitter), Instagram, https://www.linkedin.com/in/blake-anderson-867741114/ (LinkedIn), and www.rencomedical.com.

Content Links

Book Recommendation: The World Is Flat

You can find me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, & LinkedIn.

As always, the podcast is available for download from the iTunes Store, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, and TuneIn. You can also download the episode from the player at the top. And, please, if you enjoy the show hit that subscribe button and give us a 5-star rating in the iTunes store.

(Get a FREE month of Evernote Premium HERE) It's possible to be organized and unproductive, but it's impossible to maximize your productivity without organization. Organizing our thoughts and priorities has likely been around since we first began having thoughts and prioritizing them. For the bulk of those years the primary tools where pen and pad. But, over the last 15 years the public has become increasingly reliant on digital means to organize their personal and professional lives. (I can't fathom how I ever remembered to go anywhere before Google Calendar.)

While the first "app stores" popped up in the 90's, Apple brought apps front and center in our life with the launch of the iOS App Store in July 2008. And, with the emergence of cross-platform syncing, apps have created infinite opportunities to maximize our productivity. (Of course, our phones are also double-edged swords, creating limitless productivity-sabotaging distractions. Check out this episode where I lay out a few tips to crush those distractions vibrating from your pocket.)

If you've followed me at all you know it's no secret that I have an affinity for all things productivity related. So naturally I was all in on the 24/7 access to my entire workflow that apps provided. And, I simply love playing around with new apps. From discovering innovative ways to streamline my workflow to tinkering with new features and playing games, I love everything about them. The reality is though, once the novelty wears off, the majority of the new shiny apps I can't get enough of today will quickly be relegated to the graveyard that is page 2 of my phone's home screen. They may be fun today, but many just don't do the required heavy lifting every day to keep them around.

However, every once in a great while a new app enters my life and I quickly forget how I ever lived without it. Dropbox was one of the first such apps for me. (Remember the nightmare of tearing the house apart desperately searching for the floppy disk your term paper was saved on?) Since then I've become equally attached to a few other handy apps, but over the last year Evernote has emerged as an app I can't live without, and has solidified it's position on page one of my phone's home screen.

I first found Evernote in 2009, but it wasn't love at first sight. I had just made the switch to a Macbook and I was looking for an alternative to Microsoft's One Note, which didn't offer a Mac version at the time. I used it for a few weeks but it just didn't stick. I re-visited Evernote again my first year in practice to take notes during continuing education courses, but again, it just didn't stick. Then last summer I heard a mentor mention Evernote as their favorite app, so I decided to give it one more shot. I'm glad I did. I'm not certain if the app got that much better over the years, or if I should attribute it to user error, but Evernote has quickly risen to Dropbox-status in my life.

Initially I was just looking to takes notes, and while Evernote does that exceedingly well, it's so much more than a note-taking app. Here are six reasons you'll soon be giving Evernote some of that precious page-one real estate on your phone's home screen:

1. Never Forget While I may not have the eidetic memory of Sheldon Cooper, with Evernote I'm able to recall obscure details in an instant. In the last month I've turned to Evernote for my license plate number, a rarely-used account number, and a business idea I had while exercising. Evernote allows you to store and meticulously catalogue your business life, your personal life, and everything in between. And, the best part is all that information is accessible anywhere you have an internet connection. (Premium users have access to offline storage features as well)

2. Picture It This is one of my favorite uses of Evernote, I use it almost everyday. I take a quick shot of something and Evernote immediately saves it as a note. I use this for documents, post-it...

This week I sat down with John Azar of http://maccvp.com/ (MACC Venture Partners), a private equity commercial real estate firm in Gastonia, North Carolina. John has a compelling story and it was a privilege to have him in the studio this week.

John was born in Aleppo, Syria, into an upper-middle class family. Despite this, John's father insisted on instilling the value of hard work in his son, getting John his first job as a carpenter's assistant. Then, at sixteen years old, John's life was upended. During a period of civil unrest, John and his family were forced to flee Syria for the United States. John found himself in Charlotte, North Carolina, a place with few familiar faces and a language he didn't speak. Instead of easing his way into his new culture, John took the baptism by fire route. With only a handful of English phrases in his vocabulary, John enrolled in an English-only high school where he went on to graduate. After high school, John obtained a Bachelors Degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, as well as a Masters Degree from Boston University.

During his time in Boston, John co-founded and served as Managing Partner of Boston Venture Partners, a private equity consulting and finance firm specializing in real estate development and structured finance. Last year John returned to North Carolina to serve as Executive Vice President of MACC Venture Partners and the Capstone Multifamily Group, where he directs strategic development and growth.

You can find John on LinkedIn, Twitter @businessanarchy, as well as the MACC Venture Partners website and Facebook page.

Content Links Devil Take the Hindmost: A History of Financial Speculation

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster

Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space

Mastery

You can find me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, & http://www.linkedin.com/in/robertingalls (LinkedIn).

As always, the podcast is available for download from the iTunes Store, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, andTuneIn. And, please, if you enjoy the show hit that subscribe button and give us a 5-star rating in the iTunes store.

Are you thinking about taking the first step? Are you hesitating? Already moving toward your goals? Wherever you are right now I want to hear about it. Send me a message HERE.

This week I sat down with one of my favorite chefs and the owner of https://www.yelp.com/biz/chili-man-charlotte (Charlotte's #1 rated restaurant on YELP), Vic "The Chili Man" Werany. He's a man that marches to the beat of his own drum, consistently finds the funny in every situation, and is truly one of my all-around favorite humans.

You may recognize him from his viral Panthers playoff videos, his cameos in Super Bowl commercials, and the Johnny Knoxville movie Bad Grandpa, but his legendary culinary creations are what he's truly famous for. Crafting such delicious gems as the Bleu by You Dog (smoked bleu cheese, spicy bacon, creole aioli, and green onions), If Looks Could Kale (kale pesto, arugula, spinach, with a Parmesan cheese crisp), and Poblano Picasso (homemade pimento cheese, roasted poblano pepper strips, chili, and pepper aioli.) And, in a tip of the cap to vegetarians, you can find vegan chili dogs on Wednesdays. The favorite dog of Panthers MVP Quarterback and regular customer Cam Newton.

I've stood in line for years listening to Vic pontificate on everything from Panther's football to lingerie, so when I started the podcast he was on my early list of people I wanted to talk to. And, I have to tell you, he did not disappoint. Vic is a born storyteller, and in this episode he dishes on arresting Ric Flair the very same day his signature "Chili Man" monicker was born, playing alongside Johnny Knoxville on the big screen, and his #1 secret to success. (We found the Ric Flair video! You can watch it in all of its splendor on the http://robertingalls.com/14-chili-man (blog).)

You can find him on Facebook for catering and you can find him on the streets for lunch Tuesday-Friday at 4th and Tryon.

Read the whole post at robertingalls.com

This week I sat down with Charlotte's own Annemarie Pantazis. This interview is particulary special to me, not only because Annemarie has been a great friend and mentor to me, but because she is the perfect example of someone that made the difficult decisions everyday to put their future self first.

Long before she was an acclaimed workers' compensation attorney, at the tender age of seventeen she was cutting her teeth in a small law firm in her hometown. It was then that she decided that she was going to own her own law firm. Although she encountered hardships and failures along the way, she never lost sight of that goal.

Not only did she make good on that promise to herself, she's compiled a laundry list of impressive accolades along the way including: Captaining the rugby team at Willian & Mary, published Editorial Staff member of the Wake Forest University Law Review, Charlotte Business Journal's Top 40 Under 40, lecturing nationally on the Affordable Care Act, as well as authoring numerous publications including the aptly named Amazon Best Seller Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Influential Women in Business. (Annemarie is giving away five copies this week, listen to the episode for details.)

Outside her day job as one of the premier workers' compensation attorneys in the state, Annemarie is a treasure to the Charlotte community, regularly mentoring young professionals, sponsoring community events, and being a great cheerleader for the city of Charlotte.

Some of my favorite highlights of the episode include:

The biggest challenge to achieving your goals is patience.

Networking provides a social safety net when life gets tough.

You have to work in your business and on your business.

In business, sometimes you have to spend money on mission critical items.

Instead of getting the mindset that every dollar I spend is a dollar spent, you have to think that every dollar I spend is an opportunity to make two dollars. And, if someone will loan me that dollar, and then I can pay back that dollar and keep the other one, than that's a good use of money. Do not fear money, use it as a tool.

Don't limit yourself to one type of mentor or one person.

Read all the time.

Advice on life and motherhood from Kim Cattrall.

This interview was a lot of fun for me, and it's one of the most value packed episodes I've ever recorded. I'll see you back here next week where we'll be getting the skinny from Yelp's highest-rated food service in Charlotte, and one of the most genuine and funny people you'll ever meet, Vic "The Chili Man" Werany.

Content Links As promised, links to the content discussed in the episode: THIS WEEK the Udemy course catalogue is only $15. This deal expires October 12th @ 9am: Udemy $15 Sitewide Promo Code: OCT1UDEMY15

You can find me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, & http://www.linkedin.com/in/robertingalls (LinkedIn).

As always, the podcast is available for download from the iTunes Store, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, andTuneIn. You can also download this episode HERE. And, please, if you enjoy the show hit that subscribe button and give us a 5-star rating in the iTunes store.

Are you thinking about taking the first step? Are you hesitating? Already moving toward your goals? Wherever you are right now I want to hear about it. Send me a message HERE.

Books

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

The World is Flat

Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Influential Women in Business

Behind every successful businessperson or entrepreneur you're all but guaranteed to find a laundry list of high-value mentors that supported them on their journey. By now it's common knowledge that mentors are one of the fundamental building blocks of success, so why aren't we making the acquisition of mentors a priority? This week we’re going to break down my step-by-step strategies for discovering, developing, and retaining high-value mentors. (Because acquiring mentors and networking require a similar skill set, check out episode #9 Ten Things Networking Ninjas Know.) Mentors are important because they offer a unique perspective gained only through experience. They've been there, they've seen it, and they know what it takes to win. Now they are tasked with passing those skills on to you. Good mentors are similar to parents, once you're under their wing it becomes their personal mission to help you succeed. And, when you succeed they feel like they have succeeded. Of the young professionals I frequently talk to, one of the key obstacles I observe between them and success is the lack of a quality mentor. You can learn all of the right things, do all of the hard work, but, sometimes, if you don't know the right people, you're going to have trouble getting off the ground. The problem is, when you're just beginning to grow your network, finding high-value mentors can be challenging. That's why I broke down my proven methods for acquiring mentors. And, if you commit to following these strategies, I guarantee you will be courting your first high-value mentors in no time. Study Potential Mentors. When meeting a potential mentor, know more about them than they know about themselves. Have they written a book? Read it. Given recorded speeches? Watch them. You need to educate yourself on whatever it is your mentor has been up to. This has multiple benefits, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the person, you'll have a better idea if they are likely to be a good fit, and they will appreciate your sincere interest in them.

Choose Your Mentors Wisely. Not every successful person should be your mentor. Mentors are like any personal relationship, not everyone is suited for each other. The first step in choosing a mentor is identifying people that are living the life you want to live.

Articulate Why You Chose Them. Don't blindly chase "successful" mentors. Mentors should be able understand why it is you decided to seek them out. What is it about them that you find unique and enviable? What do you hope to gain from the relationship? (Hint: none of your answers should be "because you make a lot of money.")

Be Visible. If you want high-value mentors it helps to be in their line of sight. However, getting in the room with high-value mentors can be trickier than it sounds. This is where your personal network comes in handy (your network truly is your net worth.) The larger your network the more likely it is someone can introduce you to a potential mentor. You can learn my secrets to networking success here. Now, if you're the kind of person that is sitting and waiting for a high-value mentor to find you, I recommend investing your savings in the lottery as well. Both are equally viable paths to success.

Lead with Value. Just like networking, it's important to always be thinking "how can I provide value to my mentor?" Learning about them, what they do, and their accomplishments is one form of value. Your network is another valuable resource you can provide a mentor. The larger your circle the more likely it is you’ll be able to connect them with a valuable contact when the need arises.

Do Something, Do Anything. The last thing a mentor wants to hear is that you're "thinking about" doing something, or you "have a great idea" but you're "waiting for the right time." If you want to establish credibility you need to be doing something now. Even if it's engaging in the small steps, you need to be actively working on something,...

Hi, Future Self Friends! Thanks for following us to our new home here at RobertIngalls.com! We're still working hard behind the scenes to create the best website experience possible for you, so expect some significant functional and aesthetic updates in the coming weeks. However, none of that is going to stop us from pumping out fresh and valuable episodes of the Future Self Podcast every Friday. I had planned on discussing mentorship this week, but this post felt more appropriate on the official launch day of the new website. So, instead we'll be back here next Friday with the blueprint for acquiring high-value mentors. On August 29, 2016, my friend and former intern, Joshua Lee, received his letter informing him that he had passed the North Carolina Bar Examination. Celebrating with him that day led me to reflect on the day I received that same letter, exactly five years to the day earlier. I came home that evening and felt compelled to pen the following letter to myself. The goal of the Future Self Podcast is to encourage a daily lifestyle that our future selves will thank us for, so writing this letter as my future self has been on my to-do list since the day the podcast launched. However, until that day, I hadn't been able to find the proper words. For reasons that will become apparent in a moment, I thought it best to wait a few weeks before releasing the letter. Thanks for spending some time with me this week and I'll see you back here next Friday. Hey buddy, If my calculations are correct, you'll be getting this letter on Monday, August 29, 2011, the day you found out you passed the North Carolina Bar Exam. Congrats, my man! It's been easy to romanticize Bar study as the years have gone by, but you totally embraced the grind every single day, and you earned every bit of it. You worked harder for this than you have for anything in your life, and this experience is going to set the stage for how you mentally approach difficult situations for the rest of your life. Not to immediately derail the joy train, but it ain't all flowers and sunshine from here. She's leaving soon. She hasn't told you yet, but you have less than a month. You know it needs to happen but that's not going to make it any less painful. It's still going to feel tragic, but, as far as breakups go, it's not going to be protracted or unnecessarily complicated. I would advise you to skip the month of wallowing in self pity, but since you're going to do it anyway, at least go easy on the alcohol and fried food--every pound that goes on has to come back off. Seriously though, hang in there, my man, beautiful things are just around the corner. This is going to be your moment, your time to explore the depths of your consciousness and embrace your true self. Poignant moments are in store, moments that are going to alter the course of your life. Be mindfully present in those moments, they happen fast. You're going to start taking yourself and your personal development seriously, and people are going to notice. Some people won't like it. Stay the course, resistance is part of transformation. You're going to date a few girls, a couple nice ones even, but they won't last long. You have a renewed sense of purpose and you don't have time to dawdle on the wrong relationships anymore. "You'll know when you know." Shittiest, trite love advice ever, amiright? Well, I've got news. In 156 days, on a chilly Wednesday night in February, you're going to walk into one of your favorite bars and see a woman you've never seen before, and you're gonna know. Right now as I’m writing this she's in your living room packing. No, no, no...not that again ;) Your first place together is a cozy little rental, but after three years you're starting to outgrow it. So, next month you're closing on your new home together. Right now she's packing pictures. Pictures from your trip to Fenway Park your first summer together (Yankees won!), pictures from the weekend she took you to Charleston...

It was a short week and it’s going to be a short episode. We do have a big announcement this week though! Beginning next Friday, September 16, 2016, the Future Self Podcast will be permanently relocating to a new home. Initially my goal for this show was to create a resource for clients to find clear and concise answers to their estate planning questions. But, I also wanted to create an equally valuable resource that addressed the very real day-to-day concerns of my average client; a resource where clients could find advice on implementing positive habits and decision-making strategies, and a place for straight-forward tips they could implement in their life immediately to start seeing results.

What I didn’t anticipate was the overwhelming response I was going to get from clients and new listeners. The bulk of the questions and feedback I received focused on goal-setting and developing strategies to take control of their lives. As that happened the podcast began to shift from it's primary focus of estate planning. My primary goal for this website is to provide only the highest quality, relevant content for my estate planning clients. That's why it makes sense now to move the podcast to it's own space where it can grow and take on a life of it's own.

On next week's episode we’re going to be discussing acquiring high-value mentors, and I'll be giving you my step-by-step blueprint for getting and keeping these high-value mentors. So, whether you’re having trouble making the connections you need to take yourself to the next level or you’re just looking to tighten up your game, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

It's no secret that having a large social group, or network, is a valuable resource. So, why are so few people actively engaged in building their network? In this post I'm going to answer that question and give you strategies to start expanding your own network today.

Can you answer YES to any of these questions?

Do you think networking feels sleazy or artificial?

Do you get nervous and overwhelmed when you don’t know anyone in the room?

Do you find yourself not knowing what to say to new people at a networking event?

Do you find excuses to avoid networking events?

You're not alone. Perhaps the most pervasive stigma networking faces is the perception that it's all about getting something in return. Far from it. It's about getting out and making friends. Good networkers understand that the goal of networking is to develop personal relationships with people you genuinely connect with. It's just a happy bonus that our friends are more comfortable recommending us for jobs or referring clients our way.

As for that anxiety? Even the most adept networkers can get a touch of nerves staring at a room full of strangers. They succeed because they consciously develop strategies to overcome it. A colleague of mine was late for a networking breakfast this week. When he arrived everyone was already sitting and all eyes turned to him. A seasoned networker, instead of stammering in embarrassment, he made a quick joke that broke any tension while he grabbed his seat. I know him well, he doesn’t have some innate natural charm. He nailed it because he’s done it a thousand times before. Networking, like all skills, takes disciplined practice.

I know the idea of networking can be scary, but I also know how vitally important it is to your career. Start implementing these strategies today and soon you'll be crushing that anxiety and making valuable connections.

Link to the full post HERE

Content Links As promised, links to the content discussed in the episode: https://www.khanacademy.org/ (Khan Academy), iTunes University, Code Academy, Udemy

You can find me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, & LinkedIn.

As always, the podcast is available for download from the iTunes Store, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, and TuneIn. And, please, if you enjoy the show hit that subscribe button and give us a 5-star rating in the iTunes store.

Are you thinking about taking the first step? Are you hesitating? Already moving toward your goals? Wherever you are right now I want to hear about it. Send me a message HERE.

This week I sat down with the most recognizable face (and beard) in the Charlotte startup scene, Mr. Jeff Brokaw. When he isn't mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs, Jeff is an Associate with the Venture Capital firm SierraMaya360, an early stage startup investment firm, as well as the director of the Charlotte Chapter of Startup Grind, a global startup community powered by Google for Entrepreneurs.

You may have seen him at events, and perhaps heard his story, but in this episode we get under the hood and find out what makes him tick. Jeff dishes on everything from launching his first web hosting company at age 14, to his day-to-day routine in the venture capital world. He also hits on some of his lesser-known pre-teen business ventures (Jeff's Shiny Shoes!), and what you should, and more importantly, shouldn't, be saying when you're pitching to an investor. Jeff's also lays down his blueprint for courting high-value mentors in any field.

As always, the podcast is available for download from the iTunes Store, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, and TuneIn. And, please, if you enjoy the show hit that subscribe button and give us a 5-star rating in the iTunes store.

As promised, links to the content discussed in the episode:

http://fundersandfounders.com/how-elon-musk-started/ (The life of Elon Musk Infographic)

https://www.khanacademy.org/ (Khan Academy), iTunes University, Code Academy, Udemy

Are you thinking about taking the first step? Are you hesitating? Already moving toward your goals? Wherever you are right now I want to hear about it. Send me a message HERE.

The following links are for the books discussed during the episode. Every book we discuss and link is a personal recommendation of mine or the current guest. The links found on this page are affiliate links, so a portion of any purchase from these links benefits the show. If you dig these books or have a book recommendation of your own please let us know in the comments or shoot us a message.

Zero to One, The Power of Habit, Extreme Ownership, Start With Why, Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future