Matthew Ory is a defense attorney, commercial real-estate developer, and quasi-venture capitalist. He occupies a special place, not only in my life, but in the Man Overseas sphere. I've written about Matt on the blog and referenced him on a big podcast.

Matt was my roommate for four years—three years at Nicholls State University and one year during his first year of law school in Houston. Living with Matt helped me to realize the importance of surrounding yourself with people who not only encourage and inspire you, but also plan to do big things with their life.

On this podcast, you'll hear someone who has an appetite for life & success that is infectious. Matt's burning desire to succeed fuels high stress-levels, which he uses to his advantage.

His sense of urgency, he says, stems from his dad. Dr. Dirk Ory, even at 81 years old, takes 10,000-15,000 steps every day, never eats fast food and exercises every morning.

We discuss:

• Riding in a Mardi Gras parade

• Discipline learned playing college basebal

• No excuses.

• Why he decided to become a real estate investor

• Habits & hard work

• Living with a sense of urgency

• Growth vs. Enough

• Focus under duress

• Accountability

Relationships:

• Caring for yourself to care for others

• How to think about friends (as you get older)

• Comparing work ethic vs. intelligence

• A true friend is a low-maintenance friend

Mike Ory (Matt's brother):

• Mike always saw the good in people

• Had uncanny mental tenacity—read lots of SEAL books

• Selfless to the end—diverted funds to those he considered less fortunate

• So many people attended Mike's funeral that the start was delayed

Lessons from Pain:

• What Matt went through at the end of Mike's life

• Being a trans following trauma

• How to approach a friend who has just lost someone close to them

• He remembers Mike every day, but still can't talk about him

• Mike's spirit is with him at all times—it drives him

• Crushing blow—sky is now the limit

• Holding himself accountable to Mike

Being a Criminal Defense Attorney:

• The stress of being a criminal defense attorney

• Operating on others' demise

• Things he wish he'd known in undergrad

• Advice to those considering law

• Whether movies are accurate portrayals of law

• Biggest misconception of defense attorneys

• The business side of being an attorney

• What he looks for when hiring

• The gratitude he feels for how hard his staff works

When I started the podcast back in March, I hoped to land guests like Josh Loeske. He was someone I really looked up to as a kid, giving me an example of someone I wanted to be like.

Josh was not only the starting quarterback at the local 5A high school, but had a way about him that I admired. He was low ego, high “serve those around him”—none of his achievements as an adult are surprising.

He is now CEO/Owner of Quality Sitework Material (QSM). He attributes much of his success in life and business to Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), a global peer-to-peer network of more than 12,000 influential business owners with 163 chapters in 52 countries.

In 2016, he received EO New Orleans Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Additionally, Josh is a loving husband, caring father, and the sort of friend everyone should have.

We discuss similarities between sports and business, and how the leadership qualities he learned playing sports help him in his career.

Our discussion:

• Josh attended University of Arkansas-Monticello

• Played college football and earned a Degree in Biology

• I visited UAM with Josh’s family when he was a high school senior and I was 11

• Josh’s younger brother, Jacob (“Snake”), and I, were good friends

Josh’s values:

• Achieve beyond imagination – celebrate successes, but never settle for good enough

• Devour knowledge – the more he learns, the more he realizes he doesn’t know

• He strives to be completely dependable

• He’s open to new ideas and continues the search for understanding

Josh’s interests:

• Biohacking for “health span”

• Books – we discuss several

• Business (especially entrepreneurship)

• Human History – we discuss Sapiens by Yuval Harari, one of our favorite books

Entrepreneur Organization (EO):

• How much the EO forum has helped him

• Learning from others’ mistakes

• Good personal life helps him to become a good business person

Benefits of Good Habits:

• His meditation habit

• Books on his book shelf

• Getting sufficient sleep

• Efficient workouts in the morning

• Reducing sugar

• His experience with a Keto diet

Questions Asked:

• Do you think you benefited more from the education side of college or the experience of playing college sports?

• How did the transition happen from studying Biology to becoming a CEO?

• When someone asks what you do, do you say CEO or Entrepreneur?

• How do you think about being of service to other people in your career?

• When was the last time you thought you weren’t good enough?

• How often do you think about death?

• What is your favorite 80s band?

• What is your favorite biography?

• What are you most grateful for?

I was more excited about this week’s guest than any other. His name is Mr. Tom Abadie. He is the man who first taught me the values of discipline, preparation, and teamwork. His way of coaching had a profound impact on me when I needed it most.

He started coaching our All-Star basketball team when I was 10 years old. As 11-year olds, he coached our team to a State Championship in Louisiana. When I was 12 years old, he coached us to a World Championship in 1993.

In the locker room after the Championship Game, Assistant Coach David Pope said to our team, “This may not mean much to you now, but someday you guys are really going to appreciate this [Championship].” God was he right.

Born in New Orleans, La., on December 15, 1948, “Coach Tom,” as I’ve always called him, grew up one of seven children. He attended Redemptorist High School, where he played basketball and baseball in the competitive New Orleans Catholic League.

As a senior, he signed to play centerfield at Nicholls State University (pictured)—I would sign to do the same 30 years later. His college coach was Raymond E. Didier, who he said was a disciplinarian but fair man. When I played ball at NSU, we played at Ray E. Didier Field, which is now affectionately known as “The Did.”

Tom is now retired. He invested diligently in his employer’s 401K plan while working in the oilfield for 43 years, including the last 15 years as a salesman for a New Orleans company. He and wife, Judy, still live in Thibodaux, LA. They enjoy traveling and spending time with their 6 grandchildren.

My guest is Dom Brightmon, a toastmaster and bestselling author from Baltimore, Maryland. Dom works as a full-time librarian and likes to spend most of his time reading a book or writing a book.

He talks about becoming a better speaker and shares tips on how to think better. Dom also shares the men who've most influenced him and many book recommendations.

Also included is an interesting story about the Levi Strauss empire. The man who invented denim created billions in generational wealth.

Julia Va is a young woman from Vlodivostok, Russia, whose passion for travel has taken her around the world.

Born in 1991, Julia's dad strongly encouraged her to learn English. She decided to study Tourism after traveling to Thailand with her family as a teenager.

She also gives interesting insight into what it was like growing up in Russia in the 90s. Also, I ask her opinon of Vladimir Putin.

James Lowery from ReThinktheRatRace.com shares exactly how he and wife Emily achieved their financial independence number is just three years.

I'm confident after hearing James's inspirational story, you'll want to accelerate your own path toward early retirement. He shares the math behind FIRE (financial independence retire early). Hint: You must accumulate 25x your annual spending or be able to live on 4% of your net worth per year.

But those number won't tell you how to get there in three years. For that, you'll need to tune in!

Ted Agon is an author and speaker who has lived a rich life filled with exploration and adventure!

He gained life-altering perspectives from other cultures and languages, and has been largely influenced by living in the environments of three of the world's largest religions.

Josh is a sharp young attorney from Toronto. He runs his own law firm by day, and by night helps solopreneurs navigate the difficult and often lonely journey of starting a business.

If a friend of mine asked me about starting their own business, I'd say, "You should talk to my buddy Josh." He's been through the ups and downs of starting his own businesses, and generously shares his thoughts, struggles, and triumphs in a 3-times a week email.

My guest is a native Houstonian with a passion for real estate and interior design. She got her real estate license and started successfully flipping houses after being inspired by HGTV.

She says HGTV has increased competition for flips: "Now everybody thinks they can do it." But Laura is successful because she's willing to do things others aren't willing to do. Plus, as you'll see in this interview, she's uniquely confident, personable and likable.

This interview could be used as a "how-to" manual for getting started flipping houses. It will also give you a sense of the tenacity required to be a highly profitable house flipper.

Joe Wells is a writer, real estate investor and self-development junkie.

He grew up in Moravia, New York, population 1,220. Following a three-month internship his senior year of college, he accepted a job to work as a Consultant in New York City. Six years later, he’s still in NYC.

Joe is taking a unique path to financial independence because he needs time-freedom before the 4% rule. He is aggressively saving & investing, and keeping his expenses low—not an easy thing to do working in Manhattan.

Having discussions with young men like Joe, a voracious learner who lives with intention and purpose, is one of my joys in life. I hope you enjoy our chat as much as I did.

Our discussion includes:

• How writing helps Joe to formulate his thoughts better

• How Joe & roommate, Pat Dunden, got interested in getting better

• The value of good roommates

• Brainstorming different business ideas

• Self-improvement through reading books and listening to podcasts

• Co-authoring a 50-page book for high school seniors

• Teaching what he and Pat wish they knew in college and first job