339: Michele Rigby Assad | My Secret Life in the CIA

Austin Meyer (@x_plane_austin) is the software developer of flight simulator X-Plane and aircraft sensor fallback Xavion, an entrepreneur fighting against the unjust incursion of patent trolls, and producer of the documentary The Patent Scam. What We Discuss with Austin Meyer: How the patent troll industry shakes down innocent victims through legal loopholes for massive profits. What might put someone unwittingly on the radar of a patent troll. Why virtually anybody can be the target of a patent troll thanks to the way current patent laws are written. What Austin discovered when he tried to confront his own patent trolls personally at their legally registered offices. Why patent trolls are repeatedly able to get away with frivolous lawsuits that any reasonable jury would laugh out of court. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://jordanharbinger.com/326 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

17 Mar 20201h 10min

Your monster of a mother-in-law says hurtful things to you about your husband when he leaves the room, and now insists on telling you how you'll be raising the child you're expecting soon. How can you shut down her rude commentary without causing a scene? We'll try to find answers to this and more here on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Jason DeFillippo (@jpdef) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://jordanharbinger.com/325. On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: Your aunt wants to sell the run-down family business because she's sick of running it, but you'd like to buy her out and turn it into something really profitable. How can you approach the deal without coming off as insulting? Your monster of a mother-in-law says hurtful things to you about your husband when he leaves the room, and now insists on telling you how you'll be raising the child you're expecting soon. How can you shut down her rude commentary without causing a scene? Your mother recently rejoined a religion that requires cult-like obedience, and her views on medical care are drastically different from yours. Aside from general concern that she's thrown her lot in with a bad crowd, how do you break it to her that you no longer want to have her as your power of attorney? Since the sudden death of a close friend, your husband seems to be extra reliant on you for emotional support to the point that it's stifling your career ambitions. How can you bring up concerns without hurting his feelings and making him think you're trying to abandon him? You're a mechanical engineer with a goal of launching a startup focused around a specific sector of small-scale robotic automation. Your problem? You're not sure where to begin. Is it a realistic goal? Are you aiming too high? Or are your fears just holding you back? You're taking our free Six-Minute Networking course, but you've always been highly introverted and never built much of a network to revive. What tips do we have for starting a new network from the ground up? Life Pro Tip: When you rent or lease a car, take a photo of the dash and the mileage, and a video walking around the car. It will save you having to argue nonsense charges later. Recommendation of the Week: Babies Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com! Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

13 Mar 202042min

Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) is a vertical skateboarding legend who enjoys household name status these days, but as we learn in discussing his book How Did I Get Here?: The Ascent of an Unlikely CEO, the journey’s been far from easy.[Featured photo by J. Grant Brittain via Tony Hawk's Instagram] What We Discuss with Tony Hawk: Why taking risks is important for the sake of progress. How personal success can be gauged independently of financial success. Why your personal brand needs to be genuine and something you’re willing to protect. Why it's important to learn everything about your craft -- even if you've "got a guy who handles that." What The Tony Hawk Foundation does for underserved communities. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://jordanharbinger.com/324 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

12 Mar 202047min

Laura Gassner Otting (@heylgo) is a motivational keynote speaker and the author of Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life. What We Discuss with Laura Gassner Otting: Everyone has a scorecard that defines success, and it's totally limiting you -- even if you don't realize you have one. Why, when you don't define success in your own terms, finding your purpose and carving your own path becomes impossible. How you can learn to ignore the rules that created your limits. What you can do to align your energies with your actions. How to do work that actually satisfies and fulfills you, regardless of the unsolicited opinions of others. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://jordanharbinger.com/323 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

10 Mar 20201h

You finally landed an interview with a high-end Italian furniture company for a position that falls in line with your career aspirations. You're super qualified except for one thing: the job posting listed "fluent in Italian" as a requirement, and you're definitely not. Should you be up front with them and let them know immediately that you don't speak Italian but say you're willing to learn it, or should you accept the interview and tell them you're not fluent when you meet with them in person? We'll try to find answers to this and more here on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Jason DeFillippo (@jpdef) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://jordanharbinger.com/322. On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: Is it ever worth it to mislead a potential employer to get a foot in the door with the intention of making things right later? Your parents had an acrimonious divorce and your mother holds it against you that you still talk to your father. How do you draw the line in communicating with your mom? When it comes to taking classes online, you've become an expert at gaming the system in ways that might be considered cheating. But isn't this just being resourceful? You've disappointed a mentor by taking time out from your studies for self-care. How can you salvage the professional relationship while not putting your mental health at risk? What's it like to bust counterfeiters for fun and profit? Here's a perspective you might enjoy if you dug the recent episode with Kris Buckner. Life Pro Tip: Forget to take your vitamins every day? Put a small Post-it style calendar next to them, which will give you an at-a-glance reminder. Recommendation of the Week: Narcos Mexico Season 2 A quick shout out to Tomas Conefrey! Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com! Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger. Connect with Jason on Twitter at @jpdef and Instagram at @JPD, join his See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

6 Mar 202041min

Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) joins us for this deep dive exploring how to ask for advice the wrong way, how to ask for advice the right way, and the difference it can make between ignorance and understanding, failure and success. What We Discuss with Gabriel Mizrahi: Are you actually asking for advice, or are you just seeking permission and encouragement to do something that might just be a terrible idea? When you don't get the advice (i.e., validation) you were hoping for, do you somehow hold it against the person you asked? When asking for advice, is your request overly vague, or is it specific, intentional, and explicit in detailing what you need? Are you asking for advice when you don't know where to go, or are you asking for advice when you've gone as far as you can? Asking for advice the right way is half the battle. The other half is being willing to listen to it. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://jordanharbinger.com/321 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking -- our free networking and relationship development mini course -- at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here -- even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

5 Mar 202054min

Dennis Carroll is the former USAID director for pandemic influenza and emerging threats. He currently works with The Global Virome Project, an international initiative that seeks to proactively identify, prepare for, and stop viral threats before they become pandemics. What We Discuss with Dennis Carroll: What’s the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic? Why the occurrence of a future flu epidemic is not a matter of if but when. Vaccine hesitancy (e.g., “anti-vax” hysteria) is one of the top 10 health threats in the entire world. What can we expect from — and how do we prepare for — a worst-case pandemic scenario, and how worried should we be about the current coronavirus threat? Why our incursions into wildlife populations expose humanity to greater health risks than ever before. And much more… Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://jordanharbinger.com/320 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

3 Mar 20201h 1min

You were laid off, your wife's business is in the red, and you have a baby on the way. In spite of occasionally inconsiderate guests being a drag, renting your spare room through Airbnb is the only thing bringing in steady money right now. Should you shut down the business that doesn't make money and focus on how you can make Airbnb a more sustainable and tolerable source of income? This and more on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Jason DeFillippo (@jpdef) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in! Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://jordanharbinger.com/319. On This Week's Feedback Friday, We Discuss: Should you shut down your business that's in the red to focus on renting your spare room through Airbnb? Given that everyone has limited time and energy, how do you decide what to pursue and what to let go of, and vet opportunities to ensure they're worth the effort? What can you do to help your friend cope with the serious social anxiety that has literally driven her to drink? As a recovering addict, you know following through with the attraction you feel for a fellow recovering addict would be a poorly timed mistake -- right? Is it rude to offer unsolicited feedback on someone's resume when you notice room for improvement -- even when asked to share it with the people in your network? Life Pro Tip: Make a checklist of things you need when traveling and stick it on your closet door (or in your phone's notes app). Every time you realize you forgot to pack something, add it to the list when you get back. It saves you time running around trying to remember what you will need each time you have to pack. Recommendation of the Week: Generation Wealth A quick shout out to Sam Windham! Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com! Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger. Connect with Jason on Twitter at @jpdef and Instagram at @JPD, join his podcasting... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

28 Feb 202044min