Today, we have Polina Marinova Pompliano on the show to discuss her latest book: Hidden Genius: The Secret Ways of Thinking That Power the World’s Most Successful People

Polina is the founder of The Profile, a media organization that studies successful people and companies. Previously, she spent five years at FORTUNE where she covered technology and venture capital. 

This conversation isn’t your typical book about celebrities and geniuses. It doesn’t purport to idolize any single individual, because, as we talk about in this episode, if you idolize someone, you have to accept everything about them, the warts and all.

Instead, what we talk about and the books share are attributes, behaviors and skillsets possessed by these high performing individuals that we can take for ourselves and make our own.

Whether it’s the Mamba Mentality of Kobe mixed with the Pain tolerance of Amelia Boone and David Goggins. We can take the best skills, attributes and mindsets from some of the greatest athletes, creators and thinkers and make them our own.

This was one of the most fun conversations I’ve had and I hope you enjoy. 

Timestamps:

[06:24] Inspiration Without Idolization: How to gain inspiration from successful people without putting them on a pedestal.

[18:38] Creativity in the Kitchen: A conversation about creativity in storytelling, featuring stories from renowned chef Grant Achatz.

[13:02] Facing Resistance: Dealing with pushback from close friends and family when you’re trying to grow.

[26:50] Finding Your Creative Path: Tips on connecting, observing, and learning from greatness to fuel your creativity.

[40:53] Embracing Challenges: Why tackling challenges helps you prepare for important moments in life.

[50:04] Becoming Your Character: The importance of fully embodying the characters you portray in storytelling.

[53:53] The Power of Conflict: Polina analyzes Aaron Sorkin’s approach to storytelling, focusing on conflict and character motivation.

[01:02:55] Fluid Conversations: How to improve your conversational skills over time.

[01:19:41] Social Media Detox: The benefits of stepping back from social media to focus on your own thoughts.

[01:30:06] Defining Your Identity: Why it’s important to build your identity beyond outside influences and expectations.

Connect with Polina Pompliano:

Website – https://theprofile.substack.com

Twitter – https://x.com/polina_marinova

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/polinamarinova/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/polinampompliano/

Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/@PolinaMarinovaPompliano

Book by Polina Pompliano:

Hidden Genius: The Secret Ways of Thinking that Power the World's Most Successful People
by Polina Pompliano