Every new technology makes someone’s job irrelevant. Blockchain and its by-products—NFTs, smart contracts, and stablecoins—decentralize transactions that are traditionally moderated by middlemen and gatekeepers. If you’re one of those middlemen today, it may be time to find innovative ways to create value that people will pay you for.In This Episode:Technology eliminates people having to do predictable work in a process or system.Freed from doing predictable work, people can be creative elsewhere.The blockchain, which allows smart contracts and cryptocurrencies such as stablecoins, is a technology that eliminates middlemen and gatekeepers.NFTs allow creators to sell directly to buyers, and buyers to resell directly to each other.Originally, CryptoPunks’ pixelated cartoons were reselling for tens of thousands of dollars.Like Holland’s tulip bulb craze in the 1600s or the Japanese real estate craze in the 1980s, people are using these cartoons as an investment, believing they can sell them for much more later.Trust is the essence of capitalism.The internet has made it difficult to know whom to trust, but blockchain smart contracts solve that.Smart contracts are tiny programs plus data deployed on a blockchain, such as Ethereum, that automatically execute an exchange once the conditions have been met.Instead of having a third party such as Kickstarter hold all the money during a crowdfunding campaign and then take up to a 10% cut, a smart contract can eliminate that middleman at just the cost of hosting the smart contract on the network.Defi, or decentralized finance, works the same way to make secure loans available to people who were turned down by banks.Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that are pegged to a stable asset like the U.S. dollar or gold.Because they don’t fluctuate wildly, stablecoins can be used for reliable international payments.Stablecoins also cut out fees to banks and other institutions because there’s no currency exchange and no service charge for moving across borders.If you want intellectual property protection today, you must file copyrights and trademarks in every country for it to be enforceable everywhere.With the blockchain, Strategic Coach could upload its thinking tools in a similar way to smart contracts or NFTs to universally prove ownership of creation.CryptoPunks IBM article: “What are smart contracts on blockchain?” Forbes article: “An Introduction To Stablecoins” Your Life As A Strategy Circle by Dan Sullivan

There's a misconception that podcasting is a quick way to make money. But if you're only in it for the cash, you'll likely be disappointed. Start a podcast for the right reasons: to create value for your audience. When you focus on creating great content for your listeners, the money may show up in other ways. Dan Sullivan and Gord Vickman explain how Strategic Coach has seen consistent growth for decades by doing just that.In This Episode:Most entrepreneurs develop the courage to become entrepreneurs because they’re good salespeople.Marketing is what allows you to even have the opportunity to be in front of someone.If you see a problem, set out to solve it whether you get paid for it or not.You should do it because it’s valuable, regardless of the money you make.Don’t listen to the people who are trying to throw you into The Gap by saying, “Oh, you must do this. Because everyone else is doing it!”Don’t force people to learn something new in order to get value from you.A podcast is like a message in a bottle. Most will sink, but others wash up on a beach where somebody will read it and say, “I’ve been looking for that!”Existing clients listen to our podcasts faithfully. They come to the workshops and talk about the subjects that the podcasts cover.The goal of the Strategic Podcast Network is to attract people and marinate them in the content in hopes that they become successful, talented, ambitious entrepreneurs.It’s not tough to make money if your focus is on making other people successful.The Gap and The Gain by Ben Hardy and Dan SullivanThe Strategic Podcast Network features all our shows in one place10xTalk podcast, featuring Dan Sullivan and Joe PolishJoe Polish’s Genius NetworkInside Strategic Coach podcast featuring Dan Sullivan and Shannon Waller

Are you paranoid that you’ll soon be replaced a computer? What you might not realize is that no matter how fast a computer can process information, only humans can create meaning. Dan Sullivan and Gord Vickman discuss how technological breakthroughs actually affect human beings and the best ways for entrepreneurs to think about the coming wave of artificial intelligence.

Even if you have an enormous amount of money to invest, you can’t be sure you’re hiring the best person for a role unless you take certain factors into account. Gord and Dan share what you should really be looking for when you’re trying to make a splash in the marketplace, with many examples that have worked well in Dan’s more than 30-year entrepreneurial career.

When you feel bothered by something, it can be hard to figure out why, and this feeling always gets in the way of your productivity. Join Dan Sullivan and Gord Vickman to learn the best things to do when you’re bothered so you can move on with your life and continue creating great things.

Dan and Gord talk broadcasting, podcasting, and publishing, and why it's so crucial to be clear on what your core money-making business is. (Hint: It's probably not podcasting.) Also, who are the "Whos" to do the "Hows" that will create your bigger future?

Let’s revisit one of our most popular episodes to explain why plenty of shows have good content but fail to gain traction and intrigue. The reason is that content isn’t enough—you need to wrap it in a great story so it really sinks in. Dan Sullivan and Gord Vickman discuss why the best shows include the best stories.

Willard Bond, Strategic Coach's audio engineer, joins Gord and Dan to discuss the evolution of sound design. They delve into tips for pre- and post-production, the importance of ideas over technology, and the captivating effect of audio in creating mental images.

What qualities should you look for in a guest or cohost for your podcast? In this episode, Gord and Dan explore what makes any kind of collaboration great—which is much more than just sticking capabilities together—using examples from the world's most successful podcasts and Dan's own experience from his own shows.

Who isn’t in the room matters as much as who is, because people can be remarkably open when they know they’re with others who are at the same level. In this episode, Dan Sullivan and Gord Vickman explore the idea of how to determine your best audience — and what freedoms and rewards open up when you find that focus.