Tipper X: I broke the law, I wore body wire for FBI 52 times and then... with Tom Hardin

Is it possible to transform your life on the eve of your 40th birthday, and experience meaning, vitality, and purpose like you've never before imagined? Rich Roll is a wonderful example of how a person can transform his life. Overweight and burdened by his own demons, on the eve of his 40th birthday, Rich began a transformation that resulted in him becoming an accomplished vegan, ultra-endurance athlete, wellness & plant-based nutrition advocate, and motivational speaker. His wife, Julie Piatt, is an accomplished yoga teacher, chef, artist, and musician. Their recent book collaboration, The Plantpower Way, includes guidance, recipes, and outstand photography that is designed to guide the reader to long-term wellness in body, mind, and spirit. Together they join Claudia and me for this episode that is in the spirit of a great chat around the dining room table with good friends. Some of the topics we discuss over tea include: Working together as a married couple and the relationship of the family The positivity created by being vulnerable and feeling uncertain of what to do at times The differences between divine love and human love What happens in your life when you follow your childhood dreams How doing podcasts benefit our lives Challenging labels to expand your growth Quieting the negative voice on your head by meditation and investing yourself into helping others And letting go - surrender as a powerful tool   While that list may sound very serious, we also share a lot of laughs throughout the episode. Rich and Julie are fascinating people on an interesting journey to wherever life takes them. It was great fun to share of bit of time with them. Links and Resources To find out more about Rich, and his books on fitness, health, and mindfullness, go to RichRoll.com. The Rich Roll Podcast I also highly encourage you to learn more about Julie Piatt. She has wonderful articles on meditation, yoga, nutrition, and family. Julie's Jai Release Meditation Program Julie's music (aka SriMati) on CDBaby Rich and Julie just launched their new book about the benefits and approaches to a plant-based diet. The Plantpower Way is not only a beautiful book, but also packed with recipes, guidance on how to transition to a plant-based diet, and many of the benefits of following this type of nutrition plan.   Thanks so much for listening! ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

11 Aug 20151h 41min

The infamous Miami-based rap group 2 Live Crew caused quite a stir in the early 90s when its provocative lyrics and album covers caught the attention of Tipper Gore and the like. Luther Campbell (once Luke Skywalker) of 2 Live, drove out of his way to talk with me about what it's like to work against the politicians and the money-making machine of the music industry. His new book - The Book of Luke: My Fight for Truth, Justice, and Liberty City - drops on Tuesday (August 4), and he offers a few tips for us who are trying to change the game and re-invent the way we do business. Luke calls me an innovative individual, but I am sincerely inspired by his ability to constantly stand out and re-invent himself. "I try to be a trendsetter," he says. "I never liked being a follower." Take his new book, for example. It's not necessarily a fashionable thing for hip-hop artists to write and release books, but Luke wants to break down barriers and start a new conversation. In these pages he covers what it was like to be coming up on the scene in Miami and how he changed the game for the better. It wasn't his original plan, but it's funny how things work out the way they're supposed to. "I wanted to be a promoter," Luke says of his first career move. As a DJ in Miami, it was his job to play new tracks and bring in unknown artists to perform. Finding labels for these artists was impossible. Without any labels in the South willing to sign, Luke created his own. He took his creative energy and his business smarts to help these artists sell their skills and see their success top the charts. But with this success came a bit of backlash from women's groups, politicians, and even fellow artists who did not respect his knack for sampling and reworking songs, film, and television into explosively sexy dance tracks. That was all part of the game, though, and Luke was conscious of every business decision he made. His technique? "I would plan my album releases alongside bigger album releases so people would see it in the store. My album covers would hook you in." Tricks like this can lead you to success, but you have to be prepared for any criticism that comes your way - even one in the form of a lawsuit. What Luke learned from his experience can apply to all of us who are struggling to start and succeed at our own business ventures. I've noticed that successful people always have someone coming after them, and not necessarily in a good way. "We live in a world where all you have to do is get people to complain, then they'll target you," Luke says. So how do you counteract this target? Keep fighting... That's why he put fight in the book title. "It is hard to beat the machine," he says. "But you can put some dents in it, and you can make people think. You can fight against the machine... [and] put the pressure on the machine to change." Luther Campbell's experience through the ins and outs and ups and downs of the music industry is cataloged in his new book, and the way he performs under pressure is inspiring. What you can take away from this interview and his book is how important it is not to take orders from anyone but yourself. As you explore your own business techniques, remember Luke's words: "Never stand down for anything." Links and Resources: Luke Records Uncle Luke TV The Book of Luke: My Fight for Truth, Justice, and Liberty City Winningthe Supreme Court case against Acuff-Rose. Ray Orbison spoof @unclelukereal1 P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?   A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

4 Aug 201554min

Tom Rath knows the secret to happiness. On today's show, I talk with him about his new book, Are You Fully Charged?, and with it, he offers key insights into finding the happiness and passion you need to feel fulfilled in your work and in your daily life. With over 5 million copies of his books sold worldwide, Tom knows what inspires you and what hinders you. He also knows what you can do to overcome your own personal weaknesses to build a better and stronger business within yourself. I had some specific questions to discuss with him during this show, and his practical answers and optimistic perspective will definitely kick start your quest for meaning in your life. When it comes to finding meaning, the best place to start is a book. "I read a lot of books out there, especially in the business field," Tom says. He recommends taking the information you find in books and applying it to your day-to-day business in order to stay grounded in the goals that matter. By breaking down your goals into daily, achievable objectives rather than wide-ranging, extensive ideas, you are more likely to succeed and to learn more regarding your success. And when you take charge of your own learning in this way, you take charge of your own motivation, which is the most powerful tool in your arsenal when it comes to achieving happiness. Ultimately, Tom wants us to start living every day like we have to do something that will leave an impression long after we're gone. In order to do this, we have to continue to seek new ways to be motivated. Motivation and happiness go hand in hand, and that's Tom's secret. He shares more on his secret to happiness with me today, including: *How to seek out ways to inspire fellow business partners, friends, and family *How to seek out groups and peers that will continue to motivate you *How to find a healthy balance between luck and talent that leads to success *How to cover and hone your natural talents, whatever they may be The last point is the topic we spend the most time discussing. If you are worried that you have no unique talents, squash that fear immediately. "There is something you can do better than anyone else in the world," Tom states, and if you focus on grooming that talent, even in your spare time, you will find yourself much happier. Tom Rath's points from his new book, Are You Fully Charged?, will help you recognize these talents and motivation in yourself, which in turn will help you find meaning in your work and in your life. Links and Resources Tom Rath.org Tom's books Bounce by Mathew Syed . P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?   A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

29 Jul 201554min

Scott Young spent $2,000 and got a "degree" from MIT... And he never had to leave his house. He calls it the "MIT Challenge." Scott believes you might learn better without having to go to college for four years. He spent four years getting a business degree and he still had a longing to learn computer science. But he didn't want to spend four more years of his life in school and accumulate all that debt. He wanted the education, but not the school. He has taken a few classes online before and thought, "If you can learn a class, why not an entire degree?" But when he was done, would anyone hire him? Listen today to find out. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?   A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

25 Jul 201525min

My guest today, author Oliver Burkeman, has a strong opinion on the power of positive thinking: he can't stand it. In his book, The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking,Oliver writes in a humorous and thoughtful way about how self-help books are ineffective. Oliver believes we should coexist with both our positive and negative thoughts, be attached to neither, and take the actions we need to take without giving into emotions. His approach is partly Stoic: he believes that telling people that everything will work out doesn't replenish their optimism tanks. He also believes it can be paralyzing for people to think that whatever success they are seeking must be realized. We talk a bit in-depth about one of Oliver's favorite quotes from Shoma Morita: "Give up on yourself. Begin taking action now, while being neurotic or imperfect, or a procrastinator or unhealthy or lazy or any other label by which you inaccurately describe yourself. Go ahead and be the best imperfect person you can be and get started on those things you want to accomplish before you die." Oliver and I discuss some of the books we enjoy like: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment byEckhart Tolle, and The Art of Taking Action by GreggKrech, among others. We also take a look at the self-help books we don't find helpful. Oliver's book is an insightful and creative look at the negativity of positive thinking. Links and resources mentioned in the show: Oliver Burkeman's website  Oliver's book, The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking Susan Jeffers' book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway A Guide to Spiritual EnlightenmentbyEckhart Tolle   The Art of Taking Actionby GreggKrech ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

21 Jul 20151h 7min

Mac Lethal (born David McCleary Sheldon) is another overnight success, 17 years in the making. In November 2011, he released a video on YouTube of him rapping over the beat to "Look at Me Now" while he prepared pancakes in his kitchen. The video became a viral hit and got millions of views in a matter of days, but he'd been practicing his craft for years and years. As he tells James on the extended version of Ask Altucher, high school bored him so he started writing rap songs in study hall. Rapping wasn't his passion, but it worked. As he became better at it he became much more passionate... By 2011 he'd finally made it. Today he often spends hours listening to rappers and learning from them. He tells James that he believes it takes 20 years to become a real master at your trade. It takes you a couple of years to move past a beginner, and by year five you start to find your voice and stop mimicking others. By year 15 you finally focus and become an authentic voice. But he didn't stop there. He's written a book, Texts From Bennett that was optioned by FX. Most things you try probably won't work, but keep trying and eventually one good idea will slip through... And no one will remember your prior mistakes. This is a great interview and you'll want listen to the entire conversation. Listen to today's show and you can find Mac here and here. Regards, David Newman P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?   A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

19 Jul 20151h 4min

A lot of people call Jim Kwik a brain expert. On today's show, he gives us a sneak peek into his seminars that teach people how to optimize their brains to be more productive and powerful every day. "With great power comes great responsibility." Jim reverses the iconic saying to put normal people in control of their own accelerated learning: With great responsibility comes great power.  When you take control of your own learning techniques, you are capable of great things. What if you were born with superpowers but nobody showed you how to use them? You may not feel like you can excel at accelerated learning, but that does not mean you aren't capable. Jim reveals that even he experienced learning difficulties as a child after an accidental fall when he was in kindergarten. "It took me two years longer to learn how to read," he says, and because of these difficulties, he was able to find new ways to learn and excel. Your brain never stops learning. You may have been told that your memory is fixed, like your shoe size, but that is not the case. Learning new things creates more brain cells and will help you live a longer life. But how can you continue to learn new things? Jim breaks down a few of his techniques and key anecdotal lessons, including: *How to distance yourself from your own self-talk and break the trance of "I can't." *How to ask new and exciting questions in order to learn new things. *How to take an active approach to learning in order to get the most out of your experiences. *How to incorporate EFT, or emotional freedom techniques, into your learning style. *How to improve memory through the location method. Jim takes the time to share a few of his tricks and techniques for boosting charisma to improve your memory and conquer your fears of public speaking. He reminds us to be present in the moment in order to find the motivation we need. This will also help us remember the new information and recall it from memory just as easily. Unleash your cape... Links and Resources   For free seminars on speed-reading and memorization, check out Jim Kwik's site www.freememoryseminar.com. The three videos will start you on your way to memory improvement. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

14 Jul 20151h 23min

Brett McKay is the founder of The Art of Manliness, a website dedicated to delivering inspiring, actionable, and life changing advice to both men and women. A lot of times men just need a little more help being organized and getting their lives together than women do. As James says, "Women just grow up faster." Brett's wife Kate is also his business partner. While there are many advantages to having your spouse involved with your business, it also introduces the difficulty of separating work time from personal time. Even during dedicated work time it sometimes is hard to clearly define roles and responsibilities in the business. This is a theme that spans most business relationships, but generally your business partner isn't also the person you share a bed with each night. Brett keeps it simple by living by the mantra that both you and your spouse should "Seek to Serve Each Other." This doesn't need to be an equal relationship all the time. Go out of your way to be generous and giving to your loved ones. The Art of Manliness is currently publishing blog posts, podcast episodes, and videos about how to live well as a man in the modern world. As opposed to many of the existing Men's publications, The Art of Manliness is geared toward slightly older, professional men, and isn't focused on how to have six-pack abs or toe-curling sex for 5 hours every day. There are professional tips, parenting tips for men, and what some may call "Old Fashioned" advice that men can take to live a better, more fulfilling life. The site is currently experiencing revenues in the high six-figures-per-year range, and has been publishing consistently this entire time. As James has recounted before, it often takes 4 or 5 years to change your life, "Choose Yourself," and create the reality that you want. Brett gives advice on how to grow a site like he has with today's social media and sharing tools. He is a big advocate of "Guest Posting" on other blogs as a way to increase your reach online. The age of the solo blog is slowly going away. Today, sites like The Art of Manliness, with guest contributors, allow for a diverse set of voices and perspectives that one single person could never give. To make it easier on the site you're looking to guest post on, do most of the work for them. This includes image formatting, sizing, tagging, and including a scope of what type of post you would like to submit for that site. Digging into some of the more popular posts on the site, James and Brett discuss a few key topics: *Regarding Minimalism, Brett and James discuss how trying to be minimalist often leads to an obsession with the things you do have. Instead of just focusing on having things, even if it's fewer things, both advocate spending your time and money on experiences. This has been scientifically proven to increase happiness and is a great way to parent, as well as live your life if you don't have children. *The concept of Antifragility applies not only to the financial markets, as originally described by Nasim Taleb, but also to many aspects of everyday life. Health, fitness, engineering, women's health and vitality, and even society in general all experience aspects of Antifragility. We can all do things today to increase our Antifragility and be less susceptible to the trials of life. The redundancies in our lives can also increase Antifragility. *The Art of Manliness closely mirrors a lot of the topics that James has written about time and time again, including Integrity. Until very recently the term Manliness meant not only physical strength but to be a man of virtue. This theme holds true through all of Brett's website, and is helping to bring back a better way of life for men. *Bringing back some of the older-style manly characteristics includes being decisive and leading in relationships. Gender roles can often get complicated by stereotypes and... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

12 Jul 20151h 17min