92: Will it Make the Boat Go Faster? - Ben Hunt-Davis, Gold Medal Olympian, Author, Entrepreneur

Sam looks back on what we've learnt with 100 episodes of Growth Mindset. We cover some of the things he's done from talking with hitmen to living in the woods with a bunch of hippies. Learning through peoples stories is much better than theory and we hear more of Sam's story and what he has been up to over the past three years. From being an awkward human who didn't like speaking to becoming a stand up comedian and Tedx speaker. Sam has learnt a lot and made a million mistakes in the process.Overall we just hope you enjoy the podcast. Keep finding ways to push yourself everyday and take on ambitious challenges.Sam:StandUp Comedy Gig (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gadpM-_zYJs)Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/samjamsnaps/)Quora (https://www.quora.com/profile/Sam-Harris-58)Twitter (https://twitter.com/samharristweets)LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharris48/)Sam's blog - SamWebsterHarris.com (https://samwebsterharris.com/)Support the Show - Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/growthmindset)Subscribe!If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! Special Guest: Sam Harris. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

9 Mars 202023min

Growing up, Jason was diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder - tourette syndrome. Jason always had to inform his class about his condition to allow his peers and teachers to better understand where he is coming from. Realizing that public speaking was a strong suit of his, Jason did broadcasting as a radio dj in Minnesota. Jason got married and had a family. Understanding that he needed to provide more for his family, Jason became a salesperson, selling planners to schools that talked about productivity.At the age of 30, Jason had a freak infection that nearly killed him. The night I was rushed by ambulance to a hospital, a doctor told me, “You might die tonight”. The biggest epiphany Jason had during his recovery was understanding the source of his problems. To Jason, It was the three aspects of his little inner voice that played a major role for him to reconsider everything in his life:The Little Inner Bureaucrat was enforcing the rules of his life – telling him he had to be the best. He had to “win” or not play.The Little Inner Critic was gnawing away at his confidence – making him afraid to take a chance and risk failure. The Little Inner Ally was off hiding in the corner of his mind. Without it, he didn’t have the ambition or confidence I needed to test my limits.Jason realized he had to bring those different pieces of my little inner voice into balance to move forward. He has used this framework to help aspiring entrepreneurs from every walk of life stop dreaming and start doing.Jason and the Little Inner Voice (LIV)Website (http://littleinnervoice.com/)Podcast (http://littleinnervoice.com/episodes/)ABOUT THE HOSTMy name is Sam Harris. I am a British entrepreneur, investor and explorer. From hitchhiking across Kazakstan to programming AI doctors I am always pushing myself in the spirit of curiosity and Growth. My background is in Biology and Psychology with a passion for improving the world and human behaviour. I have built and sold companies from an early age and love coming up with unique ways to make life more enjoyable and meaningful.Sam:Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/samjamsnaps/)Quora (https://www.quora.com/profile/Sam-Harris-58)Twitter (https://twitter.com/samharristweets)LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharris48/)Sam's blog - SamWebsterHarris.com (https://samwebsterharris.com/)Support the Show - Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/growthmindset)TOP TIPSAcknowledge Your Strengths and Accept your WeaknessesKnowing your own strengths and weaknesses gives you a better understanding of yourself and how you function. It can be of tremendous value for your life and career. This awareness is invaluable because it will help you focus on the right things in an optimal wayAcknowledging your strengths will help you to become more resourceful during difficult moments of your life. You will be in an optimal position to take advantage of critical opportunities that only become available when you’re focused on the right kinds of things. On the other hand, acceptingding your weaknesses will allow you to garner the necessary support you need in pivotal areas where you require most assistance. You can, therefore, turn these weaknesses into strengths by acquiring the necessary support and resources you need to accomplish your goal.Make Every Moment CountDon’t count the days; rather count the moments of your life. Make every moment of your life counts, to make a significant change in your life.Our life is what we create. You also attract into your life, what you are and not some mysterious thing happening to you all the time. We never observe our life closely and thus miss to see the actual truth of life.Life throws opportunities every now and then. For that, it’s important that you stay present at the moment. When you are present at the moment, you can see the opportunities of life and make most out of it.It’s the present moment that brings all that you want in life.Listen and Trust Yourself MoreThink of something important in your life right now – a decision you’ve been on the fence about because you’re worried about making the wrong choice. If you listen to your inner wisdom, allow yourself to take a risk, and know that you can forgive yourself no matter what happens – the answer to the question “what should I do?” in this situation would be clearer. Listening to your intuition is one thing. But actually trusting it to the point of acting on it, takes real courage.Subscribe!If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! Special Guest: Jason Mueller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

24 Feb 202052min

Heather Thorkelson is a Canadian dual business owner living in rural Sweden. She runs a business consulting practice that helps small-to-medium business owners grow their bottom line without adding busy-work. She also runs a bespoke polar expedition company that takes discerning travelers on once-in-a-lifetime expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic. But more than anything, Heather is an incurable entrepreneur. She feels deeply that our traditional work environment (the 9-5) goes against what humans need to be mentally healthyHeather Thorkelson is a successful serial entrepreneur, lifestyle business coach and consultant, founder of the Republic Of Freedom, and co-founder of Twin Tracks Expedition, a polar expedition company. She specializes in creating standout experiences where her clients embrace new adventures and become a better human being.After meeting her Swedish husband in Antarctica while on another project, they established a home base in Sweden and run their companies from wherever they choose to be.Suffice to say that Heather has had the opportunity to see the world through a different lens.ABOUT THE HOSTMy name is Sam Harris. I am a British entrepreneur, investor and explorer. From hitchhiking across Kazakstan to programming AI doctors I am always pushing myself in the spirit of curiosity and Growth. My background is in Biology and Psychology with a passion for improving the world and human behaviour. I have built and sold companies from an early age and love coming up with unique ways to make life more enjoyable and meaningful.Sam:Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/samjamsnaps/)Quora (https://www.quora.com/profile/Sam-Harris-58)Twitter (https://twitter.com/samharristweets)LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharris48/)Sam's blog - SamWebsterHarris.com (https://samwebsterharris.com/)Support the Show - Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/growthmindset)Top Tips:Having help does wondersAsking for help can be difficult. It can chip away at our pride, make us question our own abilities, sometimes create paralyzing anxiety, and yes, sometimes, to some people, make us appear weak. But it doesn’t have to. Because asking for help can also do something else — it can help us create better results.Confident people often ask others for help, not only because they’re secure enough to let it be known they need help but they know that trying to do everything themselves is not always the best use of their time, skills or energy and that it can leave them feeling overwhelmed and stressed and then they can’t do things properly. Confident people find someone who’s good at what they need to learn or get done and then ask for their help and guidance. They know that asking, ‘Can you help me?’ shows respect for the other person’s knowledge and abilities. Otherwise, they wouldn’t ask.Refusing to ask for help is counter-productive; you’re more likely to berate yourself when you can’t get it done well or on time, which only serves to knock your self-esteem and confidence further.Build a networkActive networking is vital to career growth. Networking is all about building long-term relationships and a good reputation over time. It involves meeting and getting to know people who you can assist and who can potentially help you in return. Your network includes everyone from friends and family to work colleagues and members of groups to which you belong.The most obvious benefit of networking is to meet potential clients and/or generate referrals which you can then follow up on to hopefully add to your client base. Networking can also help you identify opportunities for partnerships, joint ventures, or new areas of expansion for your business. In addition to the potential of increasing your business you can often find solutions to your own business problems or needs by networking.Live life to the fullestNo matter who a person is, what they are currently doing, how much money they have in the bank, and so on, everyone can start living life to the fullest.You just never know what may happen in the future, so taking advantage of the time you have now is very important. No one ever wants their life to flash before their eyes and wonder whether their life was meaningful or not, whether they had a good time, or whether they regret past decisions.Be open to new things and tackle your fears.When was the last time you did something new? So many people live inside their comfort zone when they actually need to branch out every now and then.Yes, stepping outside of your box can be tough, but what if it completely opened your eyes and changed your whole outlook on life? Wouldn’t that be amazing?If you want to learn how to live life to the fullest, this is something you need to do every now and then. You could even give yourself a goal to try something new each day, each week, or each monthSubscribe!If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! Special Guest: Heather Thorkelson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17 Feb 202052min

Spence Green is the co-founder and CEO at Lilt, a San Francisco-based startup that builds intelligent software to automate translation for businesses. Spence and his partner, John DeNero, started Lilt because they believed that a person’s native language shouldn’t limit their ability to learn, grow, and support themselves. Social problems such as social inequity - resources in a given society are distributed unevenly - rarely have satisfactory technical solutions. Steady advances in computational linguistics have brought us to a time at which universal information access is not just a dream. Insights Why an automated translator is important for the corporate world? A CEO’s job and how he influences the organizational culture. Bringing people from stabilized occupations to take the risk to join a start-up. How automated translators are going to increase the efficiency of multilingual content publishing and marketing. Books The Effective Executive - Peter Drucker (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060833459/?tag=devonfir-20) Managing Oneself: The Key to Success - Peter Drucker (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Managing-Oneself-Peter-F-Drucker/dp/163369304X/ref=sr_1_4?crid=106CDRCKL3IAY&keywords=peter+drucker&qid=1581614768&sprefix=peter+dru%2Caps%2C404&sr=8-4) Introduction to Deep Learning (The MIT Press) (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Introduction-Deep-Learning-MIT-Press/dp/0262039516/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=charniak&qid=1581614712&s=books&sr=8-1) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Feb 202045min

Petra Velzeboer is a therapist, facilitator and executive coach. Through depression, anxiety, alcohol dependence and suicidal thoughts she reached her rock bottom at 25 and decided she had a choice: to learn how to truly live or to end her life now. Over a decade of experimenting on strategies for success and learning everything about mindset and psychology, her life is 100% different than what it might have been! Her goal is to teach others who are near their rock bottom, to help them learn the fast track for improving their lives! Petra and Adversity to AdvantageConnect on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-velzeboer/)Adversity to Advatange Podcast (https://open.spotify.com/show/3aeOVpgH3FPcEGnbB9QVLl?si=vyUccu6pRhuwzcPjJykQAg)Listen Notes (https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/adversity-to-advantage-by-petra-velzeboer-eaO362gizp_/)Website (http://petravelzeboer.com/podcast)Twitter (https://twitter.com/PetraVelzeboer)ABOUT THE HOSTMy name is Sam Harris. I am a British entrepreneur, investor and explorer. From hitchhiking across Kazakstan to programming AI doctors I am always pushing myself in the spirit of curiosity and Growth. My background is in Biology and Psychology with a passion for improving the world and human behaviour. I have built and sold companies from an early age and love coming up with unique ways to make life more enjoyable and meaningful.Sam:Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/samjamsnaps/)Quora (https://www.quora.com/profile/Sam-Harris-58)Twitter (https://twitter.com/samharristweets)LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharris48/)Sam's blog - SamWebsterHarris.com (https://samwebsterharris.com/)Support the Show - Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/growthmindset)Episode SummaryWe go deep on the topic of a growth mindset: what it means, how building a growth mindset can essentially solve all your problems and the tricky situations.Sam found himself in which allowed him to practice these ideas. Sam shares how he’s learned to make good out of any situation by embracing fear! We discuss:Developing a Growth MindsetThe journey to becoming an entrepreneurHow to get excited by your FEARShowing up and coping with negative experiencesThe effect of relentless action on our mental healthHabits & Practices to continue Growth MindsetSetting your mindset up for growthEveryone has the ability to learn any skill through hard work and perseverance, it really boils down to your mindset. Fear stops us from challenging ourselves. Crisis & trauma can sometimes be the catalyst for something better!Top TipsDon't be so Afraid of FailureSurvive, Don't Fall Apart and Life Goes OnResilience. It’s the secret ingredient to success. If you can figure out how to stay the course and get back in the game after failure, you’ll go places and you’ll make the difference you were intended to make.If you are going places, failure is just part of the deal, but that’s ok. You can fix failure. You can’t fix the things you never tried. You can’t undo those things you never attempted in the first place. If you stop trying, you’ll always wonder about what could have been. That kind of regret is a heavy burden that a lot of people will bear because they played it safe, or maybe even failed a time or two and gave up.Skill BreaksWe are living in a time when we do most of our work using our minds. We sit in front of computers to develop ideas and create stuff with our minds. The more new things you try, the more active your brain will be.Even if you suck at something, the experience of learning and trying it out will still develop your mind.Plan to learn a new skill every year. Pick up playing an instrument every year. Spend time learning this instrument like this will be something that you’re going to play for the rest of your life.The next year learn to play a new sport. Something that you’ve never tried before. This will both improve your muscles and your mind.Embrace the Things that Scares You"An individual develops courage by doing courageous acts" — AristotleFear is a bully. It tells you what to do, and when you obey it, it gains power. However, when you acknowledge what fear tells you but do the opposite, you build courage.The most effective, scientific approach to eliminating fear is to systematically expose yourself to the thing that scares you, starting small and building tolerance as you work your way up.The more you face fear down, the more control you have. Once we understand that, we can systematically expose ourselves to the things that scare us, and in that way, propel ourselves forward.Subscribe!If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! Special Guests: Petra Velzeboer and Sam Harris. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

5 Feb 202059min

"LOSERS quit when they fail and WINNERS fail 'till they succeed"Francis Dinha has been key in orchestrating growth at OpenVPN Technologies, by building a viable business model to assure the Company's continued success. OpenVPN Inc. is a privately held company based in the Pleasanton, California, integrating a suite of leading-edge networking and software technologies. OpenVPN has designed and deployed virtual private network software that provides secure, reliable, and scalable communication services, not only fulfilling the requirements of the traditional remote access solution, but also offering next generation Cloud VPN Software & Services (Private Tunnel) to address the growing demands for securing & protecting the exchange of information across the Internet.Before founding OpenVPN, Francis was the CEO at Iraq Development and Investment projects where he played a principal role in architecting a joint venture to win the mobile communication license in Iraq.He was also the founder and CTO of PacketStream, Inc. PacketStream's main business is the development and marketing of system solutions that enable dynamic Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning of IP networks, including the Internet.InsightsLife in Iraq for a Catholic Christian during wartimes. Moving from Iraq to Sweden – the change that our guest experienced and how he feels about it. From Sweden to the United States – how Francis’s life has changed completely.The contrast in life a few decades ago compared to life today.What we take for granted today was a luxury back then.Why Francis always envisioned moving out of Iraq due to his rebellious and freedom-oriented mindset. Extensive information about the evolution of open VPN and how it affected the industry’s advancements. What is expected of the industry in the coming years with respect to increased security, cloud technology, and open-source technology.Francis and OpenVPN:Connect on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/francis-dinha-4268141/)OpenVPN Website (https://openvpn.net/)PrivateTunnel Website (https://www.privatetunnel.com/)ABOUT THE HOSTMy name is Sam Harris. I am a British entrepreneur, investor and explorer. From hitchhiking across Kazakstan to programming AI doctors I am always pushing myself in the spirit of curiosity and Growth. My background is in Biology and Psychology with a passion for improving the world and human behaviour. I have built and sold companies from an early age and love coming up with unique ways to make life more enjoyable and meaningful.Sam:Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/samjamsnaps/)Quora (https://www.quora.com/profile/Sam-Harris-58)Twitter (https://twitter.com/samharristweets)LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharris48/)Sam's blog - SamWebsterHarris.com (https://samwebsterharris.com/)Support the Show - Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/growthmindset)Episode SummaryFrom having moved to Baghdad at the age of five and sold goods to survive at the age of eleven, Francis progressed to become the seasoned and expert technologist that he is now. Learn how our guest suffered through the time he spent in Iraq and what it was like to be in such a country during wartime. He also explains why he always thought of moving out due to his rebellious nature. I was thinking, well, I’m going to move out of this country because this is this is not how I want to live. So, I was pretty much very rebellious, had a long hair and, you know, play guitar, and I just want to have a free society. Francis expresses his beliefs and explains why it is important for him. How he was raised, how his faith influenced his life, and what he thinks about having faith. I believe that you have to have faith. You have to believe in something that is greater than you.He also emphasizes the importance of faith in the modern world and explains how it works today compared to how it used to be back thenEven in the system we have right now, the environment we have in this world. People believing in something. And it doesn’t matter what’s right and wrong, they don’t rationalize.Our guest also has much to share with the audience in terms of different political systems and how they impact people’s routine lives.The way people look at political figures and politics in general is a bit stupid and you should definitely think more about what it is that you want rather than being on team or team B intensity of fighting over something that doesn’t even matter.Having moved across different political and social systems while moving from Iraq to Sweden to the United States, Francis has learned much and more. How different countries varied in terms of the freedom offered to citizens. I enjoy that free society, but also, I enjoy the kind of the structure in Sweden. I mean, the way they are thinking, the way they build their system in terms of the society, in terms of the welfare system.Our guest also helps us develop an outlook of abundance towards life – how lives of the people from all financial and social classes have improved over time and what we take for granted now is what was considered prestigious back then. All the things that we’re used to are the kind of things that people didn’t have. If you move years ago, you kind of feel like shit healthcare and like horrible food and so on. Our guest also explains how he started his businesses and what he has learned from his experience in the corporate world. This is one of that Steve Jobs’ philosophy. You know that you don’t hire people, that you tell them what you do. You have to hire smart people to tell you what to do.He also shares valuable insight on open VPN and cloud technologies – how they evolved and where they are expected to be in the coming years. We’re going to be launching a new product by the end of the year. It’s our own cloud and that’s targeting almost all businesses. And the idea of that cloud is really to build another secure layer on top of the Internet that you can construct Europe network. I call it VPN on demand. So, on demand, you would be able to do side to side. You would be able to do remote access. You would be able to do a lot of things on the basically online and on the web, pretty much. But we have the infrastructure to do allow you to build. It’s like a toolbox. But it’s really on the cloud itself to allow you to interconnect, you know, all the resources, all the sites you have your users and provide access, control and provide the level of security.He also explains how he hires people for his company and how he incentivizes people to join them while being transparent and straightforward as well. Being a CEO, he knows much and more about the running of a company and its leadership. For us, it’s very hard because there are a lot of these people who can work for bigger companies, but they can’t work for us because they really have to take the initiative to do things. And we make it very clear to them, here is what we’re doing. This is what we have. This is a technology. This is where our vision is. So, we have to treat this as a sales job, too. I mean, as a CEO, you are really a salesperson all the time because you have to sell your idea even to the people you’re hiring.He also explains why the security provided by VPN and cloud is important to companies and what role it plays for them. From a security perspective, I believe VPN is going to play that role in terms of being the connectivity layers that that tunnelling layer that you can connect all these devices into a network.Gain valuable insight on all the aspects of technological advancements – the good and the bad. It facilitates the good deeds as well as the bad deeds. *When you distribute things and you make it peer to peer, then the bad actors come in and take advantage of the technology. And you will see a lot of and you’re seeing already, you know, a lot of frauds, a lot of problems that comes along with it to get some more random questions. *Top TipsStarting Multiple BusinessesOwning multiple companies create a great deal of complexity as well as sometimes pitfalls. However the benefits can be many things. If you have businesses that complement each other very commonly we can save each other money. For example, if you have businesses of complementary services, sometimes you may be able to use one company to recruit clients for another. If you were a marketing company, you could use your video production company or artist representation company to help your clients make commercials (you may also be able to take lower revenue on each as you are getting both sides of the transaction. This may lower your price so you can improve your bids and get more clients.)You don’t have to be a millionaire or an influential person to consider running more than one business, although a large budget would probably make it easier!It is certainly possible to run multiple businesses successfully, but it requires organisation and discipline to do so.Not Fearing FailureFear of failure is a significant obstacle that stands between you and your goals. But it doesn’t have to be.Fear of failure is the intense worry you experience when you imagine all the horrible things that could happen if you failed to achieve a goal. The intense worry increases the odds of holding back or giving up. Being successful relies to a large extent on your ability to leverage fear.Start by setting small goals that will help build your confidence. Learn how to explore and evaluate all possible outcomes rationally and develop contingency plans; and practice thinking positively. By moving forward slowly but steadily, you'll begin to overcome your fear.Surround Yourself with the Best and LeverageLeadership is a team sport. It is not about what one person does, but instead the cumulative actions of everyone in an organization. The best leaders surround themselves with intrinsically motivated individuals who will not only perform at a high level with little oversight but will also push the leader to reflect and grow continually. Steve Jobs famously said, “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”Depending on others for guidance and wisdom is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it a definitive sign of strength. Effective leadership relies on making smart decisions. Make it easy on yourself. Hire or surround yourself with smart people, get out of their way, and don’t be afraid to let them “tell” you what to do.Subscribe!If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! Special Guest: Francis Dinha. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2 Feb 20201h 5min

Shifra Khan, a 16 year old BCI developer and Nanotech enthusiast, is on a mission to solve some of humanity’s biggest problems. Shifra is working on identifying huge economically incentivized problems within different industries, roles, and technologies.Being part of TKS - The Knowledge Society, a global community of the world's most curious, driven, and ambitious people that want to make an impact, Shifra honed her abilities as an innovator and an activator. Contact UsYou can find out more about us and chat about anything you likeShifra:LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shifrakhan/)Medium (https://medium.com/@shifrakhancah)Twitter (https://twitter.com/ShifraKhan)ABOUT THE HOSTMy name is Sam Harris. I am a British entrepreneur, investor and explorer. From hitchhiking across Kazakstan to programming AI doctors I am always pushing myself in the spirit of curiosity and Growth. My background is in Biology and Psychology with a passion for improving the world and human behaviour. I have built and sold companies from an early age and love coming up with unique ways to make life more enjoyable and meaningful.Sam:Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/samjamsnaps/)Quora (https://www.quora.com/profile/Sam-Harris-58)Twitter (https://twitter.com/samharristweets)LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharris48/)Sam's blog - SamWebsterHarris.com (https://samwebsterharris.com/)Support the Show - Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/growthmindset)SAM’S TAKE HOME TIPSGetting Unconventional Success by taking the Unconventional PathThe path to success is different for each of us and the path to success is no longer linear. You can create literally anything you want that you're passionate about. You have to take charge of your path, own your differences, and cultivate habits that will allow you to succeed in any environment.Stay CuriousEven if you are not sure what you want to do, pay attention to what you love. If you have an expansive curiosity, don’t feel pressured. At the same time, you will need a clear vision to guide your career and give it forward momentum. Man up, or shall I say, Woman up!Once you’ve found your own theme, try to get exposure to every aspect of that industry or process. Even if your career path seems unclear, your talents and interest could one day bloom into something truly amazing.The mindset is you got to learn to figure stuff out"If we can train Olympic level athletes from a young age, why can't we train Olympic level CEOs and innovators?< SchoolingShifra was actually part of the an Ivy league for 2 years and transitioned to an online school and TKS full-time.It's all about getting unconventional success by taking an unconventional path Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

27 Jan 20201h 16min