Spread Great Ideas: The Podcast

On this episode, I invite Phil Craig onto the show. He is the leader of South Africa's Referendum Party — a single-issue party whose goal is to call a referendum on the Western Cape province seceding from South Africa. According to polls, 68% of Western Cape voters support holding a referendum, and 58% support independence.

We talk about South African politics and economics, why the Western Cape is so different from other provinces, internal and external migration trends in South Africa, what a free and independent Western Cape province would look like, and why Westerners (and especially Americans) who believe in political self-determination should care about this issue for moral as well as geopolitical reasons. I admire Phil's efforts!

Favorite Phil Craig Quote

"Since 1945, almost every single conflict around the world has its source in the denial of self-determination... It's not people looking to assert their right to self-determination that's the problem; it's when countries deny people the right to live out their existence as they see fit where problems start." - Phil Craig

Additional Resources

• Referendum Party on Facebook
• Phil Craig on Twitter
• Referendum Party

Tom Kineshanko is the co-founder of the Swiss cryptocurrency hedge fund, Protos, which utilizes an interesting (and proprietary!) trading strategy for those HODLers who want to hold a long-term position in the top 10 cryptocurrencies.

We talk about his experience in crypto, including the current threats and opportunities, the macro environment we find ourselves living in with QE, MMT, the weaponization of the U.S. dollar by Washington, etc., how crypto stacks up against gold, who is (and isn't) talking their own book in the crypto world, which countries are the most crypto friendly (hello Zug, Switzerland!), how much someone should allocate to crypto in their portfolio, and part of the philosophy of liberty underpinning Satoshi Nakamoto's vision for bitcoin.

If you want to know more about crypto, professional money management, and why Switzerland is such a desirable locale then this episode is for you.

Favorite Tom Kineshanko Quote

"Life is super short. I want to spend time serving people who I like, doing something that I think is interesting and matters. I think crypto matters because we need a new financial system. We need a new way of collaborating." - Tom Kineshanko

Tom's Links

• Tom Kineshanko | Protos
• Tom Kineshanko | LinkedIn

Other Relevant Links

• 2018 Cryptocurrency Crash – "Crypto Winter"
• Crypto Brawl: Alex Mashinsky vs. Nouriel Roubini "Dr. Doom"
• Paul Graham
• Zug, Switzerland

James Swanwick is an Australian-American entrepreneur who owns three successful businesses all designed to help people improve their lives, a former ESPN Sportscenter anchor, a fascinating conversationalist, and a well-rounded self-made man with a big heart.

Our chat ran the gamut. We covered relationships, politics (including Trump!), business, philosophy, self-help courses we recommend (and those we don't), our thoughts on living in California and Bali, the best ways we've found for creating accountability, affirming the truth vs. becoming delusional, how to tailor your communication style for men and women, people's quest for identity in a post-religious world, and what is (and isn't) your responsibility.

This was a really fun, wide-ranging discussion.

Favorite Quote:

"I'm trying to avoid the pain of mediocrity, which is the most painful thing for me ever…I have an absolute disdain for knowing what I could be and am not."

James' Links:

• Maximum Life Summit
• Swanwick Sleep
• The 30 Day No Alcohol Challenge
• Project 90
• @jamesswanwick on Instagram
• The James Swanwick Show Podcast

Other Relevant Links:

• Landmark Forum
• Mark Manson | What's the Point of Self-Improvement Anyway?
• "We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons." - Jim Rohn
• Peter Shallard | Commit Action
• Never Eat Alone | Keith Ferrazzi
• Ram Dass
• Tai Lopez
• Tim Ferriss and the 4-Hour Work Week
• Lynne E. Sheridan

P.S. If you liked the show, please leave a review on whichever podcast platform you listened to it on. Positive reviews help others find our work. And if you didn't like the show, please send an email to [email protected] to let us know why so that we can do better next time. Thanks!

Lavinia Iosub is a fellow expat entrepreneur who originally hails from Romania and now runs a unique combo of a business incubator, remote team management, coworking space, and consultancy service here in Bali called Livit.

(Basically, if you're looking to build a remote team, scale your existing remote team, learn how to properly be a digital nomad, or just get a cool, calm place to work from in Bali so you can actually get some things done whilst you're here - then Lavinia and Livit are going to be interesting for you.)

We talk about hiring in Indonesia vs. the Western democracies, synchronous vs. asynchronous communication, how to scale successfully, the different work style personality types, her take on the future of remote work and being a long-term, successful digital nomad, finding and maintaining a healthy work/life balance, an obscure Dutch social scientist who classified why people from certain cultures act the way they do, what holacracy is all about (a new term to me), and more.

Favorite Quote:

"Rewards can have very different natures, they can be tangible or intangible…Somebody who works in our welcoming and hospitality part just recently said to me, 'This is the first company I've ever been employed at where I can save money and have vacation time to visit other countries.' To me, I live for things like that. I want people to travel, I want people to develop themselves, they'll come back as better contributors."

Lavinia's Links:

• Livit International
• Triatma Mulya Stenden: Home
• Lavinia Iosub | Project Getaway
• The Ideas Lab Podcast: Lavinia Iosub
• @LaviniaIosub on Twitter

Other Relevant Links:

• Holacracy | Evolve Your Organization
• REWORK | Basecamp
• Twist
• Gretchen Rubin
• Geert Hofstede

P.S. If you liked the show, please leave a review on whichever podcast platform you listened to it on. Positive reviews help others find our work. And if you didn't like the show, please send an email to [email protected] to let us know why so that we can do better next time. Thanks!

Andrei Ivanou, a Belarusian native, and I sit down to learn more about the fascinating, oft-forgotten country of Belarus. Belarus has the dubious honor of being the longest-running European dictatorship thanks to their leader, Alexander Lukashenko, who seized power in 1994 following the power vacuum that was created by the fall of the USSR. A military man, Lukashenko is often referred to as бацька ("dad") by Belarusians because he oversees everything and dominates the country.

If you're like me before this episode, you don't much about Belarus - or even where it's located. (Hint: It's sandwiched predominantly between Russia, Poland, and Ukraine on the eastern edge of Europe.) Nor have you given it much thought in terms of what life is like there. Yet for Europeans, it's often viewed as a bridge between East and West. And for Russia, it's long been one of its closest allies because it serves as a critical land buffer between Moscow and the EU across the North European Plain.

Andrei and I discuss what's changed since the fall of the USSR, what it's like to live in a dictatorship (especially after having lived in the U.S.), what's being smuggled into and out of the country, how much locals actually make and which surprising job is the best-paid, the sort of economic propaganda put forward by the press, why Belarusian women are known worldwide for their beauty, how to travel there (spoiler alert: It's not that easy), and more.

Andrei is the CSPO at TechVice, one of the companies which my software company, CallerSmart, works with. If you'd like to learn more about Belarus and get a "boots on the ground" taste of what life is actually like under "daddy" in Europe's last dictatorship, then this episode is for you.

Andrei's Links:

• TechVice
• CallerSmart

Other Relevant Links:

• Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko
• "It's not the people who vote that count. It's the people who count the votes."
• Digital Nomads: The best city you've never been to | Sovereign Man
• Chernobyl: The Wildlife Haven Created When People Left
• In Secretive Belarus, Chernobyl's Impact Is Breathtakingly Grim

P.S. If you liked the show, please leave a review on whichever podcast platform you listened to it on. Positive reviews help others find our work. And if you didn't like the show, please send an email to [email protected] to let us know why so that we can do better next time. Thanks!

Rodolfo Young spent two years in silent practice. He wasn't sitting in some ashram somewhere. He was out in the world - and chose not to speak. We talk about what he learned during those two years, why he decided to do this (including the heartbreak that was the catalyst), and how others received him as they spoke to him and he didn't reply.

In addition, we go into some fascinating mental models such as understanding the ego as an ice block, how an umbrella in the rain is useful for understanding our desire to share what we've learned whilst also not imposing ourselves on another, cultivating curiosity, and how true choice carries with it the burden of responsibility (and why that's actually a good thing).

Rodolfo is ex-U.S. military (he served during the Iraq War doing PsyOps), a TedX speaker, an American expat, a fellow Ubudian, a motivational speaker, and an all-around thoughtful and inspiring guy. His goal is to touch a million hearts. Please have a listen and appreciate someone who has probably gone deeper into his own heart and psyche than most!

Rodolfo's Links:

• Rodolfo Young TEDxUbud - The Art of Holding Space
• RodolfoYoung.com
• @rodolfo_young on Instagram
• Rodolfo Young on Youtube
• Rodolfo Young Almaflow Experience
• Rodolfo Young's Books on Amazon

Other Relevant Links:

• Radio Free Europe
• American Sniper
• Vipassana Meditations
• Landmark Forum
• The Magic of Thinking Big
• Tony Robbins NLP
• The Slight Edge

P.S. If you liked the show, please leave a review on whichever podcast platform you listened to it on. Positive reviews help others find our work. And if you didn't like the show, please send an email to [email protected] to let us know why so that we can do better next time. Thanks!

Freya Savage is an impressive, multi-faceted woman: An established entrepreneur, a devotee to plant-based health & wellness, a certified raw food chef, an ultra-marathoner, and a successful financial planner. She's heavily involved in food & health as well as finance, which whilst it might seem like an unusual combination at first glance, in Freya's view this combo all revolves around the same thing: Wealth.

In this episode Freya and I discuss a variety of topics including different methods of building a successful, location independent business, establishing one's boundaries and healthy routines, what to keep in mind when starting on a new endeavor, how to own your attractiveness, and why (and how!) to make time & space for yourself in an increasingly busy world.

Freya's Links:

• @freya_savage_ on Instagram
• Wealthy Rebels With a Cause on Facebook
• FreyaSavage.com
• Full Power with Freya Savage

Other Relevant Links:

• Product Launch Formula
• Hedonic Treadmill

P.S. If you liked the show, please leave a review on whichever podcast platform you listened to it on. Positive reviews help others find our work. And if you didn't like the show, please send an email to [email protected] to let us know why so that we can do better next time. Thanks!

Aurimas Juodka, AJ for short, is a "gentle giant" - intimidating in stature and size, yet very pleasant and thoughtful when you chat with him. Originally from Lithuania, we met at DMSS and geeked out on biohacking, SE Asian hotspots, the health benefits to eating organ meats and intermittent fasting, Bali's hidden gems, key biomarkers and how to track them, and what a healthy lifestyle in a truly holistic manner entails.

In this podcast we cover these topics as well as what what AJ considers the six fundamentals for ultimate health:

• Sleep
• Stress Management
• Nutrition
• Movement
• Environment
• Mindset

AJ's goal is to help people go from good-to-great and reach their optimal health. Listen if you're interested in bringing your body to its peak potential as we also discuss cryogenic therapy, infrared saunas, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy...you know, the usual biohacking stuff. :)

AJ's Links:

• The High Performance Retreat
• Thriving Wellness
• Well With AJ
• Well With AJ on Instagram

Other Relevant Links:

• Oura Ring
• VieLight
• Blue Light Blocking Glasses
• AccuPressure Mat
• RFID Blocking Phone Case
• Radiation Free Tubular Headphones

P.S. If you liked the show, please leave a review on whichever podcast platform you listened to it on. Positive reviews help others find our work. And if you didn't like the show, please send an email to [email protected] to let us know why so that we can do better next time. Thanks!