I love meeting people who beat the odds. Anthony Vennare was supposed to be a “dumb jock”. He wasn’t supposed to open a gym and find profitability within 2 months. He wasn’t supposed to raise millions of dollars to get more people working out. He wasn’t supposed to sign deals with massive healthcare companies and turn the world of digital content writing on its head.
Luckily, no one told him.
Today, Anthony is the co-founder and CEO of Fitt – a media and technology company that connects people to local health and fitness activities. They’ve got big plans for the future and anyone in the content & branding game needs to study what they’re doing.
I got him for 40 minutes over the weekend and hustled to get this episode out ASAP because it got me so fired up. Hope you enjoy it.
Attend my one-day conference January 27th in Pittsburgh. Learn more here.
Anthony’s Challenge; Leave behind everything in your life that is stuck in the status quo. Write down a plan and execute on one step every month in the new direction.
Resources
In this episode, Aaron Watson speaks with Dale Copeland about the likelihood of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
Dale Copeland, a professor at the University of Virginia, specializes in trade, war, and economic interdependence. Known for his theory of trade expectations, he explores how future trade expectations shape war and peace, challenging conventional views in works like Economic Interdependence and War.
Copeland argues the risk is lower than some believe, citing military, economic, and geopolitical constraints on Xi Jinping. We explore how trade dependencies shape global security and why China’s economic vulnerabilities serve as a key deterrent.
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Akshar Patel is the founder of The Emissary, a media platform that explores India's history, politics, and societal dynamics. He aims to provide nuanced insights into topics like caste, Hindutva, and economic growth, highlighting India's conservative social fabric and rapid economic rise. Patel has been featured on various podcasts discussing India's evolving landscape.
In this episode, we explore why India and the U.S. aren’t closer allies, who India’s primary adversary is, and how its global alignments are shifting. The discussion covers historical tensions, strategic relationships with Russia and China, Modi’s policies, economic reforms, and India’s growing digital influence. Tune in for a deep dive into India’s evolving role in the world and what it means for the future.
Connect with Akshar Patel
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Henry Olsen is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a former opinion columnist for The Washington Post . His writing focuses on American politics, populism, foreign affairs, and conservative thought. He has authored The Working Class Republican and The Four Faces of the Republican Party.
In this episode, we discuss the future of U.S. foreign policy in light of Donald Trump’s re-election and examine J.D. Vance’s emergence as a significant political figure and his potential to shape the Republican Party’s future. Additionally, we analyze insights from recent polling data to identify key battleground states in upcoming elections. Tune in for an in-depth analysis of these critical issues.
Connect with Henry Olsen
Watch this interview on our Youtube Channel
Jacob Shapiro is a geopolitical analyst who helps investors and businesses navigate the complexities of a multipolar world. Jacob oversees geopolitical analysis at Cognitive Investments and hosts the Jacob Shapiro podcast.
In this episode, we question longstanding alliances, explore the intricate balance of power in the Middle East, and contemplate the future of U.S. foreign policy in the region.
We begin by tracing the historical roots of the U.S.-Israel alliance, primarily forged during the Cold War and heavily influenced by U.S. energy dependencies in the Middle East. Shapiro explains how the fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of American energy independence from the shale revolution have significantly altered these dynamics, making Israel less of a strategic asset today.
Connect with Jacob Shapiro
Watch this interview on our YouTube Channel.
Alan shared an hour of his time to explain how he was able to retire at 35 and lays out the principles by which he lived.
Alan’s three core principles
Alan discusses the merits of going back to school to get a graduate degree. He also explains why living in a low-cost city like Pittsburgh was a boon and how he lost more than 100 lbs after he retired.
THIS EPISODE WAS RECORDED ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, INTERNATIONAL PODCASTING DAY, at the EPICAST NETWORK STUDIOS.
Alan’s Challenge; Keep a journal of all your expenses for one week and reflect on necessary vs. discretionary purchases. By investing savings in securities generating an average of 10%/year (i.e. total stock market funds), in 20 years, each dollar saved could turn into $7. If you’d rather have the $7, automate your savings.
Reading Suggestion; BogleHeads
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Shane Parrish is the founder, curator and wisdom seeker behind Farnam Street. He is also a bestselling author and entrepreneur known for his popular podcast The Knowledge Project and Brain Food newsletter.
Originally a personal blog where Shane could explore the discoveries made by others about decision-making, purposeful living, and the mechanics of the world, it swiftly transformed into a leading website for personal development.
Shane Parrish just released his book Clear Thinking. It is a book that equips you with the instruments to identify those pivotal moments capable of altering your path and influencing how you navigate the crucial gap between stimulus and response.
In this episode, Aaron and Shane discuss the importance of clear thinking, identifying blind spots, and making better decisions. They also explore the power of reading and the impact it can have on our lives.
Shane’s Challenge: I want to know which part of that book changed your life, which part of that book changed your thinking.
Connect with Shane Parrish
If you liked this interview, I'm confident you'd also enjoy the content on my YouTube channel. You will think more clearly after consuming some of the video essays on the channel, including our breakdown of why Apple is Screwed if China ends up invading Taiwan.
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David McCormick is the former CEO of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds. He has also previously worked in the Bush White House and as President of FreeMarkets, a Pittsburgh-based startup from the early 2000s.
He accomplished the sale of FreeMarkets to Ariba in 2004 for an estimated sum of $500 million and ensured that his team retained their jobs after the acquisition.
McCormick ran in the GOP primaries for Pennsylvania senator against Dr. Mehmet Oz in 2022. It is speculated that he may run again in 2024 against Democratic incumbent Bob Casey.
In this episode, Aaron and David talk about his winding career, his book Superpower In Peril, and the major points in his game plan to renew America.
David McCormick’s Challenge; Embrace the privilege and responsibility to be born in the greatest country in the world by registering to vote.
Connect with David McCormick
If you liked this interview, check out our episode about Storing Family Memories Forever & Losing $1 Billion w/ Glen Meakem
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Chris Powers is the Founder & Executive Chairman of Fort Capital. Fort Capital is a Fort Worth, Texas-based Real Estate Private Equity firm.
In 2016, Chris made the decision to focus on Class B Industrial full time and that is where the firm has dedicated the majority of its resources since.
After graduating in 2008, Chris started a leasing and property management business and flipped houses on the side. Wells Fargo gave him a $250,000 line of credit, and the plan was to keep flipping homes near TCU. Chris started buying foreclosed homes all over the Dallas Fort Worth area. From there, he started building high-end custom homes. He later got into land development and entitlement for several years, where he would assemble unentitled urban land and take the entitlement risk to develop from ground-up. He has since learned the value of focusing on a specific niche.
In this episode, Aaron and Chris talk about how he's built his team, how he balances the identity of investor and entrepreneur, and how focusing on a specific niche of real estate has led to stratospheric growth.
Chris Powers’ Challenge; if you don't have a mentor, go find someone that you trust that will pass their wisdom on to you.
Connect with Chris Powers
If you liked this interview, check out our episode with Brent B. Shore. His firm, Permanent Equity, specializes in buying small businesses and has built their specialty and niche focus.
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David Tobin is the Founder and Managing Partner of TobinLeff, where they help clients convert business value into family wealth.
David is a serial entrepreneur who has founded, grown, and sold four companies. David has worked with over 100 businesses to build value, retain key employees, and achieve profitable exits.
TobinLeff is an M&A advisory and exit planning firm that assists business owners in maximizing enterprise value and converting it into personal wealth. They offer consulting services to prepare companies for transactions, M&A services for acquisitions and sales to strategic buyers and private equity groups, and exit planning services such as management buy-out plans.
In this episode, Aaron and David talk about how these mergers and acquisition transactions occur, who the important parties are, what the most important terms are as a part of these deals, and a whole lot more.
David Tobin’s Challenge; Do vision planning, and make sure you have a mission that truly ties to this vision.
Connect with David Tobin Linkedin
If you liked this interview, check out our episode on How to Sell a Midsize Digital Agency w/ Amanda Dixon (Barney)
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Kevin Kelly co-founded Wired magazine in 1993, served as its Executive Editor for its first seven years, and was a pioneer from the early days of the internet. He is an author of several bestselling books and is a return guest on this podcast.
Kevin’s book Excellent Advice for Living is a small book of wisdom, in a pocketable format with 450 tweetable bits of advice that he wished he had known earlier. Kevin was prompted to collect these thoughts after a recent birthday caused him to reflect on which lessons he could pass to his children.
In this episode, Aaron and Kevin talk about aphorisms, why it was important for him to write this book now, and the impact he hopes he has on his family.
Kevin Kelly’s Challenge; Think about how to be a good ancestor. Work on one good thing that you think your future generation will thank you for, or thank your great grandparents for something that they have done that you’re proud and thankful for.
Connect with Kevin Kelly Twitter
Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier
If you liked this interview, check out our episode about Four Huge Startup Exits w/ Jason Wolfe
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Jason Wolfe is the definition of a serial entrepreneur. He sold MyCoupons.com for roughly $23 million in 2000, shortly before the DotCom bubble burst.
Jason rolled over his proceeds into successive wins with his companies Direct Response Technologies (acquired by Digital River for $22 million), Jambo Media (for $15 million) and Giftcards.com (by Blackhawk Network for $120 million).
Pretty impressive. Even more so when you consider how he grew up. After growing up in the Milton Hershey School, an orphanage founded by Milton Hershey, Jason was living out of his car.
He taught himself how to code by using books at the local library and CompUSA's 'Building the Perfect Web'. This led to building the first coupon website and launching his first internet business. From 1995 to 2000, Jason built the business, raising $500k in VC from Jupiter Media and garnering >$1 million in annual sales and 20 million page views per month.
Today, he is building GiftYa, GiveInKind, and PerfectGift, which have the potential to be his biggest businesses yet.
Jason’s Challenge; Give more. Be Kind. Pull someone else up.
Connect with Jason Wolfe Linkedin
jason@wolfe.com
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Lyn Askin is the founder and CEO of Raxxar Digital Marketing, a leading digital marketing agency based in Louisiana. Lyn has over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and has expertise in SEO, PPC, social media, and content marketing to create comprehensive campaigns that drive results.
Recently, Lyn’s agency has hit a new level, thanks in large part to implementing the Entrepreneur Operating System (EOS) outlined in the book Traction by Gino Wickman. His revenue triple, team size doubled, and profit 7xed in a short period of time.
Lyn was so impacted that he’s become a professional EOS implementer, helping business owners and leadership teams implement this powerful framework to improve their business processes, increase productivity, and drive growth.
In this episode Aaron and Lyn talk about his experience in the digital marketing industry, how he cracked the code in making his business much larger and more profitable, and how a personal health scare catalyzed change.
Lyn Askin’s Challenge; Sit with your leadership team, define and live your business’ Core Values.
Connect with Lyn Askin Linkedin
If you liked this interview, check out our episode about the Million Dollar Agencies and Elite Mindsets w/ Jordan Ross (8 Figure Agency)
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Jordan Ross is the founder and CEO of 8 Figure Agency. He is a systems expert with over 15 years of experience advising startups, mid-sized companies, and Fortune 500 organizations.
8 Figure Agency is a consultancy specializing in helping agencies scale their revenue and profitability. He and his team help agencies specializing in search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, and website design and development.
In this episode, Aaron and Jordan talk about how his consultancy helps marketing firms scale from 6 to 8 figures, the systems of success, what he learned from working at Amazon, and neuro linguistic programming.
Jordan Ross’ Challenge; Go all-in on yourself. Learn how to meditate and center yourself.
Connect with Jordan Ross Linkedin
If you liked this interview, check out our episode about Revenue in Year One Selling Saas Companies with Andrew Gazdecki
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Simon Huntley is a farmer and entrepreneur who is passionate about helping small farmers succeed. He is the founder and CEO of Harvie, a company that helps farmers sell their products directly to consumers through a customizable subscription service.
Harvie is a software platform that connects small farmers with consumers in their communities. The platform allows farmers to create customizable subscription services that offer weekly or bi-weekly deliveries of fresh, locally grown produce and other farm products.
Harvie works by allowing farmers to create their own subscription services on the platform. Farmers can choose the products they want to offer, set their own prices, and customize the delivery schedule. Consumers can then sign up for the service and receive regular deliveries of fresh, locally grown produce and other farm products..
For farmers, Harvie provides a way to sell their products directly to consumers without having to go through middlemen like distributors or grocery stores. This allows farmers to earn a higher profit margin and build a stronger relationship with their customers. For consumers, Harvie provides access to fresh, locally grown produce and other farm products that are often of higher quality than what is available in grocery stores.
Simon Huntley and Harvie are making it easier for small farmers to succeed by connecting them with consumers in their communities. With Harvie's customizable subscription service, farmers can sell their products directly to consumers, which benefits both parties.
In this episode, Aaron and Simon talk about the decades of experience how he has grown his company, how they’re able to do it bootstrapped, and the lessons he learned building the logistics infrastructure to serve this function.
Simon Huntley’s Challenge; Cook a meal for yourself and think about the people that made it possible.
Connect with Simon Huntley Linkedin
If you liked this interview, check out our episode with Christian Simmons who’s Changing the Liquor Landscape in Pennsylvania
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Spencer Krause is founder & Director of Product Development for SKA Custom Robots and Machines. With over twenty years of experience in executing electrical and mechanical projects, Spencer has worked on some of the hardest problems in the world of technology and led teams tackling novel and thrilling projects.
SKA Custom Robots & Machines is a contract-engineering firm that utilizes their expertise in mechatronics and hardware to solve robotics, mechanical systems, electrical engineering, design and software development problems for their clients.
Spencer is also the host of Collaborative, where he interviews other leaders in the industry and discusses the interesting challenges of building robots.
In this episode, Aaron and Spencer talk about being hired to solve bleeding edge technology problems, good client relations, and the future of autonomous robots.
Spencer Krause’s Challenge; Allot 15 minutes of your day to think about ways to make your job more efficient.
Connect with Spencer Krause Linkedin
If you liked this interview, check out our episode about Robot Pioneer Saving Lives & Improving Quality of Life w/ Jorgen Pedersen.
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Andy Berman is the co-founder of Vowel, a software that allows dynamic remote teams to inject artificial intelligence into their calls. In 2021, Vowel secured a venture round of $13.5 Million to pursue the goal of making meetings more useful.
Their virtual meeting platform has an embedded set of tools that aid in the planning, preparation, execution, and follow-up of meetings. Smart summaries, transcriptions, and search are already live for their users.
Andy is an experienced entrepreneur who previously founded Nanit, an industry-leading smart baby monitor.
In this episode, Aaron and Andy talk about competing with Zoom, the potential for AI to change the way we work, and how he thinks about building a compound start-up.
Andy Berman’s Challenge; Try Vowel and see if we can make your company more productive.
If you liked this interview, check out our episode about How AI Changes Healthcare Forever w/ Dr. Shiv Rao (Abridge)
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Anthony Constantino is the co-founder of Sticker Mule, one of the most popular custom sticker websites in the United States and Europe.
Sticker Mule was founded after Anthony was asked by his 72-year-old friend, his cofounder, how to use the internet. More than a decade later, Sticker Mule is one of the most popular custom sticker websites with over 100 employees world-wide and printing operations in the United States and Europe.
Anthony oversees an operation that spans 16 countries in 4 continents with customers including Google, Facebook, Twitter and many of the world’s best brands.
Anthony is also the founder of the new social media platform Stimulus and has spent most of the past four years in Mexico City, one of boxing’s biggest hubs. He became a pro boxer at the age of 39.
In this episode, Aaron and Anthony talk about how he started his company, the constraints he faced operationally, and the marketing strategy that they deployed for more than 12 years that continues to work for them.
Anthony Constantino’s Challenge; Go try something new.
If you liked this interview, check out our episode about 3 Generations of Family Business w/ Scott Heeter
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Adriane Schwager is the co-founder and CEO of GrowthAssistant, a global talent solution helping marketing teams focus on brand, strategy and results. They help startups and direct-to-consumer brands accelerate the growth of their businesses by offering full-time offshore employees to handle the manual tasks of marketing campaign management, design and reporting.
GrowthAssistant was founded in February 2021 and has already scaled to over $7 million in annual recurring revenue. More impressively, they’re completely bootstrapped..
They began offering companies digital marketing assistants and then graphic designers, but have expanded their offering to sales development, email marketing, business operations, and customer success.
In this episode, Aaron and Adriane talk about how she helps companies save money, how to be a more empathetic and clear-minded decision maker as the head of an organization, and how Jesse Puji laid the groundwork for her company to have enormous success after just 2 years in business.
Adriane Schwager’s Challenge: Write down every task you do for a day, put a check mark on the tasks you do more than once a week, then ask yourself which of the tasks you can document so you can delegate it and it’ll give you more time to focus on more high-level strategic work.
If you liked this interview, check out our episode about Gateway X and TikTok Ads w/ Jesse Pujji
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Daniela Osio is the Founder and CEO of the procurement-focused start-up Kloopify. Daniela is a former supply chain specialist for DuPont and was a CPIM certified and ISM 30 under 30 rising corporate start.
Today, she uses her expertise in logistics procurement, supply chain management, and risk management to run Kloopify, a data platform aimed at the global supply chain.
Kloopify introduces sustainability to the procurement process with the data, analytics, and visibility into the environmental impact of all purchases.
In this episode, Aaron and Daniela talk about procurement, its desperate need for innovation, and how her platform helps companies implement sustainability goals in their procurement process.
Daniela’s Challenge: Take a look at where you’re spending your money. Do you spend your money on companies that align with your personal goals?
If you liked this interview, check out our episode about the $2 Million to $80+ Million Family Business w/ Kristy Knichel
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