The Business Method: Interviewing Billionaires, Billion Dollar Founders & the World’s Most Successful People 🎧🔥

Veena Sidhu ~ Founder at Dream Catcher Enterprise

~ Current Series ~

100 Interviews with 100 Major Influencers

Have you ever seen someone walk in the room and just by their charisma, and their energy they captivate everyone else. I once heard about the International Grammy Award winning singer Rihanna. People said even when she was young she would just walk in a room, and she would captivate everyone. When I see someone like that, my first thought is, ‘Who is that person? and “How can I meet them.? I know for many people it can be kind of intimidating to attempt to connect with that person that everyone is noticing, but for me my mindset is, “I want to understand the charisma that person has, and I want to put that person in my friend circle.’

Today’s guest is that person. I first noticed her at a business conference on an island in Croatia full of very successful entrepreneurs, and thought leaders. There were a couple hundred people there, and her charisma seemed to be everywhere. I thought to myself, who is that person, and I want to meet her!” and so I did. Not surprisingly she turned out to be a powerhouse entrepreneur, and one of the most successful women I have ever met. Her name is Veena Sidhu, and she is currently the founder of Dream Catcher Enterprise, where her company helps 7-figure businesses scale to 8-figures and beyond through systems, processes, and marketing, but that is really just scratching the surface of who she is. 

Throughout her career, Veena spent a significant amount of time working with and building Mindvalley, one of the world’s largest personal-development companies. There Veena was the co-founder and CEO of Mindvalley’s external affiliates and partnerships startup, which grew from $250k a year to $2.5 million in the first year, and $4 million in the second year. Her third year at the company she was made Senior Partner of Mindvalley group of companies, and led as Director of Sales and Publishing.

She also helped launch its former course platform — Mindvalley Academy, and oversaw operations of multiple other teams including Content Marketing, Course Creation, Technology, Apps, and Events. Vishen Lakhiana, the founder of Mindvalley said “Veena is one of the singular best people he brought into the company!”

Currently, in addition to running Dream Catcher Enterprise, Veena works with the government of Malaysia on multiple projects.

02:20  Who is Veena Sidhu?

04:49  Working With Mindvalley

07:08 Choosing Joy

17:21 Changing Habits

20:02 Changing Your Mindset

24:25 Veena on Her Passion & Energy

30:02 The Impact of 2020

35:03 Never Burn Bridges

41:46 Why Self-Education is Vital For Entrepreneurs

50:46 Daily Routines

56:22 Final Tips

58:11 Where To Find Veena

Contact Info:

https://www.veenasidhu.com/

Website: https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/veena-sidhu

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-method-podcast/id1069958541?mt=2

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVidXNpbmVzc21ldGhvZC5wb2RiZWFuLmNvbS9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2q8Q9t78sCL6kNkWlnV1Po

Thanh Pham ~ Founder at Asian Efficiency

~ Current Series ~

100 Interviews with 100 Major Influencers

Today, we have a friend Thanh Pham joining the podcast. Thanh is known as one of the top productivity experts in the world. In this interview, Thanh and I nerd out on all his top-productivity techniques. 

Thanh is the founder of Asian Efficiency, and the host of The Productivity Show that he runs with his partner Brooks. On The Productivity Show, they have over 300 episodes, 9 million downloads in total, and around 200,000 downloads per month. Now he's been named as one of the top thought leaders in the productivity industry. 

Thanh teaches workshops all over the world. In the past 10 years, he's helped approximately 15,000 people become more productive from workshops, online training, and courses. During the interview, we talk about Thanh’s daily routine, his weekly planning, his work-life balance, how he created his own system for productivity, some of the productivity tactics that actually make him less productive, which ironically, maybe not so ironically make me less productive as well. Thanh and I discuss his Rule-of-Three, why he does more short-term planning, instead of long term planning, and we talk about the number one thing that helps people become super productive.

Anybody can learn something from this interview!

     02:12  Who is Thanh Pham?

     03:30  Asian Efficiency

     07:00  Thanh’s Entrepreneurial Journey

     09:50  Productivity Hacks That Decreased Productivity

     14:42  Why Sleep & Recovery are Trending

      17:20  Sleeping Habits

      26:11  The Power of Staycations

     30:58  Digital Detoxing Tips

     35:00  Thanh’s Personal Productivity System

     44:02  Short-term Planning vs Long-term Planning

     48:20  How To Prioritize

     52:05  Achieving Work/Life Balance

01:04:13  Changes in Productivity Strategies

01:14:18  Where to Find Thanh

Contact Info:

https://www.asianefficiency.com/

Website: https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/thanh-pham

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-method-podcast/id1069958541?mt=2

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVidXNpbmVzc21ldGhvZC5wb2RiZWFuLmNvbS9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2q8Q9t78sCL6kNkWlnV1Po

David Hauser ~ Founder of GrassHopper.com

~ Current Series ~

100 Interviews with 100 Major Influencers

On the mic today we are joined by an individual who sold the company he and his partner built for $170 Million. David Hauser is a serial entrepreneur who has founded or co-founded multiple companies over the years, making his largest exit from Grasshopper.com. David and his partner are 100% focused on building companies that focus on rapid growth, and delayed gratification for themselves. This is how they took Grasshopper to $1 Million in year one, scaling it to $30 Million annual revenue then selling it after 12 years for the amount mentioned earlier for $170 Million. 

David not only co-founded Grasshopper he also started Chargify that was invested into by Mark Cuban himself half a million dollars over a short three email exchange. David founded ReturnPath, SuperFat, invested in Intercom, Unbounce, Broove, The Hustle and 50+ more companies.  He is also a founding member of National Entrepreneurs’ Day, and has been featured in Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30!

 02:27  Who is David Hauser?

     11:11  Starting a Company His Second Year in College

     14:23  Making $1 Million While Still in College

     23:47  A Growth Business vs. A Lifestyle Business

     28:25  Making the Decision to Sell for $170 Million

     37:09  Remote Teams vs. Teams in an Office

     39:47  Letting Go of Team Members that Get You to $5 Million But Can’t Get    You to $10 Million

     43:44  Why Happiness & Freedom Don’t Come With Massive Amounts of Money

     51:58  Valuing Experience Over Things

     54:02  Importance of Catching People Doing Good Things

     56:58  How You Do One Things is How You Do Everything

     58:20  Work Hard Be Nice

01:05:36  Life Changing Books 

01:10:45  Where to Find David 

Contact Info:

https://www.davidhauser.com/

Website: https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/david-hauser

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-method-podcast/id1069958541?mt=2

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVidXNpbmVzc21ldGhvZC5wb2RiZWFuLmNvbS9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2q8Q9t78sCL6kNkWlnV1Po

Monty Moran ~ Author of Love is Free, Guac is Extra

~ Current Series ~

100 Interviews with 100 Major Influencers

Today on the podcast, we have the former CEO of everyone’s favorite Mexican grill, Chipotle.  Monty Moran was the co-CEO of Chipotle, growing their valuation from a few million to $23 billion over his decade with the company. They went from 8 restaurants to 2,000 globally, from a few hundred employees to over 75,000. His whole philosophy of leadership is centered around love. Truly hearing, seeing, and understanding the people around him, and working to make each of the 75,000 Chipotle employees better and happier every day.

Today, the day of this recording Oct. 20th, 2020 is the release of Monty’s book ‘Love is Free. Guac is Extra.: How Vulnerability, Empowerment, and Curiosity Built an Unstoppable Team’. During his time with Chipotle Monty met one-on-one with somewhere around the number of 20,000 Chipotle employees making this a foundation to understand what his employees were going through, and used this strategy to build a culture that took Chipotle from a regional burrito chain to a global superstar. Today, Monty shares behind the scenes of Chipotle, the decision making processes they used, how he managed priorities, and the incredible culture that allowed for this rapid growth!

   02:20  Who is Monty Moran?

   05:21  From Law to Chipotle

   09:06  Building an Awesome Culture

   20:27  Building Empowered Teams

   38:24  Leadership Needs to Care

   43:27  The Importance of Being Vulnerable

   54:06  Strategies for Rapid Retail Growth

   58:04  Monty on Being a Top Performer

1:10:17  Where to Find Monty

Contact Info:

http://loveisfree.com/

Website: https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/monty-moran

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-method-podcast/id1069958541?mt=2

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVidXNpbmVzc21ldGhvZC5wb2RiZWFuLmNvbS9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2q8Q9t78sCL6kNkWlnV1Po

Kevin Zhang ~ CEO of Kreator eCommerce

~ Current Series ~

Kevin is a 24-year-old serial eCommerce entrepreneur who has successfully built multiple 7-figure brands and is the CEO of Kreator eCommerce, a global business that features over 60 team members with facilities in 3 countries.

Starting with only $3K saved from a summer job, Kevin became a self-made millionaire at the age of 23, only one year after graduating college.  Although Kevin is young in terms of age, his traditional approach to business basics has helped him to achieve acclaim within the eCommerce community for building a $20+M business in his first year as an entrepreneur.  He is highly sought after as both an investor and strategic advisor for organizations focused on eCommerce and has helped these organizations strengthen their digital strategy, ranging from a luxury fashion brand frequented by A-list celebrities to a 9-figure gaming company.

Kevin is the son of Chinese immigrants who came to America in pursuit of the American Dream, Kevin has a passion for elevating those around him and views eCommerce as a means of extending opportunity to driven, hardworking individuals from all backgrounds. Aside from his own ventures, Kevin is also active in the world of entrepreneurship education. He also focuses his time on Generation E – a movement he founded to provide high quality, free eCommerce education for all. He has a vision for inspiring and empowering one million new entrepreneurs. 

    02:15 Who is Kevin Zhang?

    05:19 Hitting $20 Million in 1 Year

    15:15 Choosing Entrepreneurship Over Corporate Success

    18:35 Kevin on His Business Model

    30:05 Using Outsourcing & Automation For Scalability

    44:31 Kevin on Productivity

 1:01:30 Where To Find Kevin

Contact Info:

Website: https://www.kevinzhang.com/hey

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kevinzhangofficial/

Website: https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/kevin-zhang

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-method-podcast/id1069958541?mt=2

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVidXNpbmVzc21ldGhvZC5wb2RiZWFuLmNvbS9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2q8Q9t78sCL6kNkWlnV1Po

Sachit Gupta ~ Founder of Platforms Media

~ Current Series ~

Today we welcome Sachit Gupta to the podcast. Sachit is the founder of Platforms Media and one of the genius minds behind some of the biggest names in the podcasting world today. Sachit has worked personally with Andrew Warner's Mixergy podcast for numerous years and helped Andrew and the Mixergy team create a sustainable,  very successfully monetized podcast, selling $70,000 worth of advertisement for his show in just one day! He was also essential to help Tim Ferriss grow his podcasts working with Tim for  three years, and then Sachit has also helped Seth Godin create and build his podcast as well. 

Sachit has a really great story about how he started out in India and it was his dream to live and build a successful career in the US.  He was inspired, believe it or not, by these three amazing people Tim Ferriss, Andrew Warner, & Seth Godin by reading their books and studying their strategies. He had a dream to meet all three of those entrepreneurs and one day and thank them for how they helped him change his life. Coming around to  full circle, all three of  those people later became clients of his. 

Towards the end of the podcast, we talk deeply about podcasting in today’s world. Sachit actually launched his own personal podcast, getting it up on the Top-25 charts across all  podcasts in the United States. We address where podcasting is going in the next decade, some hacks, tips and strategies that both him and I use for growing our podcasts.  It's an incredible episode. Without further ado, let's hop into the show with Sachit Gupta.  

     02:00  Who is Sachit Gupta?

     09:38  Sachit’s Journey

      37:46  Getting Advertisers vs Keeping Advertisers

     46:12  Working with Tim Ferriss, Andrew Warner & Seth Godin

     52:59  Strategies to Monetize Podcast

     58:00  Sachit on Launching His Own Podcast

01:03:25  Using Banners to Advertise

01:05:45  Podcasting in the next Decade

01:26:00  Where to Find Sachit

Contact Info:

https://www.platformsmedia.com/

Website: https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/sachit-gupta

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-method-podcast/id1069958541?mt=2

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVidXNpbmVzc21ldGhvZC5wb2RiZWFuLmNvbS9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2q8Q9t78sCL6kNkWlnV1Po

Scott Carney ~ Author of Wedge

~ Current Series ~

Could you imagine climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in record time with no training? How about spending 5 hours in an 180 degree sauna? Most people think these are nearly impossible feats but our guest today has done them both. 

Today on the podcast we are welcoming back for the second time superhuman performance hacker, investigative journalist, and anthropologist Scott Carney. He is the author of numerous books including the New York Times Bestseller ‘What Doesn’t Kill Us” that talks about his experience studying with Wim Hof who holds 28 world records for various superhuman acts.

From this experience Scott learned how to hack his body, and train his mind to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in record time with no training, and just wearing shorts. Scott also spent 5 hours in a sauna that would kill most humans. He has a new book out titled “The Wedge”. In Scott’s new book, he addresses how people can “Wedge” control over their automatic physiological responses, and control their bodies and minds to perform superhuman tasks.  Scott has worked in some of the most dangerous and unlikely corners of the world as an investigative journalist. He has writings that have appeared in Wired, Men's Journal, Playboy, and Fast Company. He has been the subject of many TV programs including NPR, and National Geographic TV. Scott won the Payne Award for Ethics for his story which tracked an international kidnapping-to-adoption ring, and he is with us on the podcast today. 

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7mfneAq0s4

   02:06: Who is Scott Carney?

   08:32: Optimizing Your Living Space During Covid

   19:07: Altering Your Consciousness

   27:48: Trouble Sleeping? Try This

   37:47: 5 Hours in 180 Degrees

   55:42: Where To Find Scott

Contact Info:

Website: https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/scott-carney

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-method-podcast/id1069958541?mt=2

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVidXNpbmVzc21ldGhvZC5wb2RiZWFuLmNvbS9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2q8Q9t78sCL6kNkWlnV1Po

Greg McKeown ~ Author of Essentialism

~ Current Series ~

Hey listeners, I want to welcome you all to a very special podcast that we are recording today!  Why is it special?  Because today we have one of my favorite thought leaders and author of a book that is without a doubt one of my top-10 reads of all time. You know when you find a book or a philosophy, or a quote that sings to your soul, and changes everything for you, this author’s book did that for me. 

His name is Greg McKeown and he is the author of Essentialism. Essentialism is a NYTimes Bestseller. It has sold more than 1 million copies around the world, it has been translated in 25 different languages, and voted a Top 20 Book on Leadership by both Amazon and Goodreads. The philosophy of Essentialism has been taught by Facebook, Apple, Pixar, Google, Twitter, and I am sure thousands of other businesses around the world. The ideas and strategies in the book have been featured in Time Magazine, The New York Times, Fast Company, Politico, Inc Magazine, Harvard Business Review, NPR, NBC, Fox, & The Steve Harvey Show. 

This book is one book that I couldn’t put down when I read it, I’ve easily recommended it to dozens of people... and also recommend it to all of you. I’ve read it twice now, applied the principles of Essentialism for years, and it will forever be on my bookshelf as a re-readable. 

So, who can get value out of this podcast? I am going to answer that question by quoting a passage from Greg’s book. “Now let me ask you this: have you ever found yourself stretched too thin? Have you ever felt both overworked and underutilised? Have you ever found yourself majoring in minor activities? Do you ever feel busy but not productive? Like you're always in motion, but never getting anywhere?” 

I think guys, that relates to pretty much everyone. We have all been there multiple times in our lives. So, if that relates to you, grab something to take notes and get ready because without further adieu the author of Essentialism, Greg McKeown. 

     02:45: Who is Greg McKeown?

     06:29: Greg on Adapting During Covid

     11:14: The Birth of Essentialism

     15:58: Decision Fatigue

     21:59: Priority Isn’t Plural

     27:23: In Order to Have Focus, We Need to Escape to Focus &          Creating Boundaries

     31:44: How Does Greg Play?

     40:09: The Race To The South Pole

     42:44: Choosing Between Two ‘Hell Yes’ Decisions

Contact Info:

https://gregmckeown.com/

Website: https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/natalie-sisson

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-method-podcast/id1069958541?mt=2

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVidXNpbmVzc21ldGhvZC5wb2RiZWFuLmNvbS9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2q8Q9t78sCL6kNkWlnV1Po

Ryan Begelman ~ Co-Founder of Summit Series & Biznow Media

~ Current Series ~

Ryan Begelman is the cofounder of Summit Series and the former CEO and co-owners of BizNow Media. In 2008, Ryan bought into Bisnow Media, became CEO, and bootstrapped it with its founders, Mark and Elliott from $1,000,000 to $20,000,000 in revenue with $7,000,000 annual profit. In 2016, he led the sale of Bisnow to a private equity firm for $50,000,000 and today, Bisnow is the largest producer of commercial real estate news, conferences, and webinars. Bisnow's now has 80 employees operating in 28 metro markets and hosts over 300 annual conferences attracting more than 70,000 attendees. 

I first learned about Ryan when I read Steven Kotler’s book Stealing Fire. In the book they tell the story of 3 young guys that want to rub shoulders with giants and how they got there. Ryan and his buddies came up with an idea to host a ski trip for some of the world's top entrepreneurs and thought leaders. Nineteen people showed up and thus started what is now called Summit Series.

Summit Series began as an event series with a mission to unite world leaders through events designed to catalyze positive personal and collective growth.They gather leaders and feature icons like Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Jessica Alba, and Al Gore. 

I thought that idea was really creative and smart, but then as when I learned the next part of the story was one of the boldest, smartest, most genius moves I had ever heard of.  After creating Summit, Ryan and his friends decided they wanted to take their ‘community building’ to the next level and buy a mountain….yes a mountain...where thought leaders and entrepreneurs could live, work, visit and enjoy. So they acquired America’s largest ski resort for $40,000,000 Powder Mountain, where they created an actual town of entrepreneurs and successful people that go to the mountain for conferences, vacation, visiting, and living. Current to date, they have sold over $160,000,000 in homesites. 

   02:08: Intro 

   11:28: Getting Involved with Bisnow Media

   14:57: How Ryan and His Partners Got Connect w/ Some of the World’s Top     Entrepreneurs and Creating Summit Series

   23:33: Creating an Entrepreneur Event at The White House

   30:23: What Ryan & His Team Did When They Were Worried No One Important in Washington D.C. Would Come to Their Event at the White House

   38:01: Ryan & His Team Decide to Buy a $40,000,000 Mountain

   48:17: How Ryan Balances Running Multiple Businesses and a Mountain 

   48:25: Why Ryan Always Have Multiple Apprentices

   55:35: The Most Fulling Aspect of Creating a Community of Successful People

   56:44: The Most Impressive People Ryan Has Met From Summit Series

1:00:15: Ryan on Mental Fitness

Contact Info:

• Subscribe at RyanBegelman.com and I will occasionally send you insights.   

Website: https://www.thebusinessmethod.com/natalie-sisson

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-business-method-podcast/id1069958541?mt=2

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVidXNpbmVzc21ldGhvZC5wb2RiZWFuLmNvbS9mZWVkLnhtbA%3D%3D

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2q8Q9t78sCL6kNkWlnV1Po