
Magic Minds
Dive into "Magic Minds" with host James Beshara, where wisdom and innovation meet comedy and storytelling from the world's most brilliant minds. From the heart of startup culture to the depths of philosophy, James engages with thinkers, doers, and artists to uncover secrets of creativity, productivity, and personal well-being. Inspired by his own transformative journey and the creation of Magic Mind, this podcast is a beacon for anyone looking to enhance their mental performance, self-growth, and perspectives. Join us to elevate your morning ritual and unlock your highest potential.
Latest episodes

Nov 17, 2023 • 13min
#140 - The Daily Vedantic
In today's episode James discusses his next chapter, The Daily Vedantic.
The Daily Vedantic is a daily podcast and YouTube channel dedicated to the timeless wisdom of the Upanishads (thedailyvedantic.co). Dating back to over 5,000 years ago, the source of nearly all Eastern Philosophy, and loved by Western giants from Emerson to Thoreau to Carl Jung and Alan Watts, studied daily by Joseph Campbell to Aldous Huxley to Arthur Schopenhauer and countless others, The Daily Vedantic aims to make this ancient philosophy as modern and accessible as it is simple, practical — and profound.
James Beshara (twitter.com/jamesbeshara) is a renowned startup founder of multiple companies, a prolific startup investor in 200+ others including some of the biggest startup names on the planet, a husband and father of three little girls, and philosophy student and teacher in Los Angeles.
James also co-hosts Yoga For Your Intellect (YFYI.co), a conversational podcast with his teach Joseph Emmett with episodes every two weeks (instagram.com/yogaforyourintellect).
James is a student of Swami Parthasarathy, the acclaimed author of Vedanta Treatise (Vedanta Treatise – The Eternities) and teacher at Vedanta Academy in Malavli, India. As James says often, when you’re ready for the real thing, Swami’s daily lectures are where the true wisdom and systematic discovery of the world’s oldest continually studied philosophy resides: vedantaworld.org
You can watch and listen to The Daily Vedantic on your favorite podcast platform here:
thedailyvedantic.co

Dec 27, 2022 • 1h 2min
#139 — Navigating (and Avoiding) a Mental Health Tragedy
A friend’s brother died by suicide last week. There are many resources online about how to avoid a mental health tragedy, but after losing my sister to major depression and suicide nearly twenty years ago, I’ve never come across a resource on how to navigate life after such a tragedy. And with estimates suggesting 1 in 5 people are suffering from a mental illness at any given point in time, and 1 in 20 suffering for a major mental illness (bipolar, schizophrenia, etc.), that means nearly all of us will either be directly or indirectly affected in one way or another by the tragic nature of mental illness. So at the request of another family member, I’ve decided to record what I often tell people that find themselves in this tragic and familiar situation.
Here are some of the resources and citations for some of the data I point to and links for more information:
https://www.nami.org/nami/media/nami-media/infographics/generalmhfacts.pdf
https://afsp.org/story/if-someone-tells-you-they-re-thinking-about-suicide-a-realconvo-guide-from-afsp/
https://twitter.com/jamesbeshara/status/1606051266680934402?s=20&t=K8zXPfi-_x_9MeigUooBRQ

Dec 14, 2022 • 1h 56min
#138 — Mind, Meaning, and You — Dr. John Vervaeke
https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine
Dr. John Vervaeke is an associate professor at the University of Toronto, where he teaches courses on thinking, reasoning, problem solving, and cognitive development. He also frequently teaches a course on neuroscientific cognitive scientific theories of consciousness. In addition to his work in cognitive science, Vervaeke is also interested in bridging the gap between spirituality and science. He has created several video series on these topics, including Awakening from the Meaning Crisis and To Awakening from the Meaning Crisis Round Two.
Awakening from the Meaning Crisis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncd6q9uIEdw&list=PLND1JCRq8Vuh3f0P5qjrSdb5eC1ZfZwWJ&ab_channel=JohnVervaeke
"The mind is between you and the world in a fundamental way. And that you shouldn't think of your mind just as between your brain and the world. But the way in which your brain is in your body is fundamentally relevant to the way in which your brain connects to the world. And you have to understand your mind as the intersection of those two connectivities, how you are connected to your body and how you're connected to the world. And that's where the mind actually is."
John Vervaeke, PhD believes that the mind is not just between the brain and the world, but also between the brain and the body. He says that the mind is a dynamic, self-organizing process that is constantly adapting to its environment. He also believes that the separation of cognition and emotion is a false dichotomy, and that both are deeply interwoven. Finally, he believes that the mind is perpetually susceptible to self-deception, and that wisdom is the ability to overcome this self-deception.
In this episode, you will learn the following:
1. The mind is not just in the brain – it is also between the brain and the body, and between the individual and the world.
2. Emotions and cognition are deeply intertwined, and neither can be understood in isolation from the other.
3. Most of our knowing is non-propositional – it is knowing how to do something, rather than knowing that something is true.
4. A rapid fire summary of some of the greatest philosophical minds of the last 2500 years including Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Buddha, Jesus Christ, St. Augustine, Plotinus, Henry Corbin, Carl Jung, and more.
Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at askbelowtheline@gmail.com or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline
Support Our Sponsors
Magic Mind
https://magicmind.co
About your host, James:
James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.
“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

Aug 25, 2022 • 1h 25min
#Voicemails — Word Association — Below the Line #137
https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine
On today's show, James Beshara is joined by friend and fellow founder/investor Ajay Mehta to play some word association and share what comes to mind when they hear the words, 'ETH', 'GPT3', 'Recession', 'India', 'Failure', and 'Elon'.
Follow Ajay: https://twitter.com/ajaymehta
GPT3
Support Our Sponsors
Magic Mind https://magicmind.co
Chargebee https://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTL
Shopify https://Shopify.com/BelowtheLine
About your host, James:
James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.
“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

Jul 19, 2022 • 2h 15min
#136 — Future Therapeutics — Dr. Dan Engle
https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine
On today's episode, James is joined by Dr. Dan Engle. Dan Engle is a psychiatrist with a clinical practice that combines aspects of regenerative medicine, psychedelic research, integrative spirituality, and peak performance. Dan was also a Co-Author on James' book, Beyond Coffee. James and Dr. Dan dive deep into Neurological Healthcare, concussions, and what the future looks like with new research and medicines. Enjoy!
More Dan Engle:
https://fullspectrummedicine.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Dose-Hope-Story-MDMA-Assisted-Psychotherapy/dp/1544521022/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
https://drdanengle.com/
https://www.instagram.com/drdanengle/
Concussion Testing: Testing: https://www.cnsvs.com/RemoteTest.html
Disclaimer - The information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical recommendation, diagnosis, or treatment. The use of information in this podcast is at one’s own discretion, and is not an endorsement of use given the complexity inherent in these medicines, and the current variable widespread illegality of their usage.
00:18 Intro
03:40 Dr. Dan’s Career Path
25:36 Neurologic Ramifications of Concussions
46:33 Psychedelics Use in Neurological Care
59:58 Resources with Dr. Dan
1:22:35 Medical Practices Continued
1:32:10 Magic Mind
1:53:33 The Future of Health Care
Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at askbelowtheline@gmail.com or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline
Support Our Sponsors
Magic Mind https://magicmind.co
Chargebee https://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTL
Shopify https://Shopify.com/BelowtheLine
About your host, James:
James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.
“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

Jul 6, 2022 • 1h 13min
#135 — The Economy of Giving — Vance Roush
https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine
Vance Roush is the Co-Founder and CEO at Overflow, an app that helps nonprofits and churches accept donations of publicly-traded stock. Vance talks with James about being a pastor and how initially he would avoid talking about his faith when looking for investors but eventually saw the benefits when he embraced it. They talk about some stats underlying charitable giving, and dissect some of the technicalities on how Overflow helps people and companies give in the most efficient way.
More Vance Roush:
https://twitter.com/vanceroush
https://www.instagram.com/vanceroush/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/Overflow_app https://www.overflow.co/
Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at askbelowtheline@gmail.com or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline
Support Our Sponsors
Magic Mind https://magicmind.co
Chargebee https://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTL
Shopify https://Shopify.com/BelowtheLine
About your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line. “Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

Jun 21, 2022 • 1h 57min
#134 — A Deep Dive on DAOs — Justin & J.P. Alanís
https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine
On today's episode, brothers and co-founders J.P. and Justin Alanís join James to take a deep dive into the world of DAOs, Decentralized Autonomous Organizations. J.P. and Justin also discuss their recently launched endeavor, Story DAO. Story DAO is a new kind of blockchain-based production platform where individuals have the opportunity to collaborate with established Hollywood writers and artists to create and co-own the next generation of culturally relevant story franchises. In this episode, Justin talks about what initially got him into the crypto/decentralized world and sheds light to what the future may hold with decentralized content. J.P. speaks about his career in Hollywood and how it has influenced his decision to join Justin on this Web3 journey. This conversation ranges from NFT's to how the media would look different if it were run by a decentralized organization.
Find out more about Story DAO:
https://www.storydao.xyz/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13TD8Uksj0g
Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at askbelowtheline@gmail.com
Follow Us:
Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline
Instagram @ instagram.com/gobelowtheline
Support Our Sponsors
Magic Mind https://magicmind.co
Chargebee https://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTL
Shopify https://Shopify.com/BelowtheLine
About your host, James:
James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.
“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

Jun 7, 2022 • 2h 22min
#133 — Pursuit of Clarity — Shapel Lacey
Comedian Shapel Lacey sits down with James Beshara to talk about his decision to move to LA, dealing with the loss of young ones at a young age, making the choice to quit drinking, and how daily journaling has been pivotal in his pursuit of clarity.
He also talks about the strategy of looking at his passion of stand up comedy as something he clocks and clocks out for, and the importance of living a full life to be a great stand up comic.
Find more Shapel Lacey
https://instagram.com/ShapelLacey
Check out his podcasts Shapel's World and KATS After Dark every week at https://www.youtube.com/c/ThicccBoy
https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine
Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640 // James questions directly at askbelowtheline@gmail.com // or follow us on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/gobelowtheline
Support Our Sponsors
Magic Mind https://magicmind.co
Chargebee https://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTL
Shopify https://Shopify.com/BelowtheLine
—
About your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 15 years, selling his last one to Airbnb, and invested in several multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.
“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

May 26, 2022 • 1h 25min
#Voicemails — Tech Bear Market? — Below the Line
https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine
In today’s episode, James is joined by his good friend Ajay Mehta to take callers from listeners.
00:21 Intro
11:20 Question 1: Is Tech heading for a bear market?
37:52 Question 2: One piece of advice that keeps returning in your career?
48:46 Best Piece of advice ever given to james
58:04 What is something you believe that no one else you know believes?
Hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640, email James questions directly at askbelowtheline@gmail.com or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/gobelowtheline
Support Our Sponsors
Magic Mind
https://magicmind.co
Chargebee
https://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTL
Shopify
https://Shopify.com/BelowtheLine
About your host, James:
James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 12 years, selling one (Tilt, acquired by Airbnb), and invested in a few multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.
“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.

May 21, 2022 • 49min
#131 — When the Walls Close In — Emergency Pod
For profitable, large businesses, a downturn can be great for recruiting and retaining talent as there is a flight to safety and security. For small businesses that have focused maniacally on profitability from day one, a downturn in the market is also managed relatively well.
This is in contrast to technology startups that often have to spend years building the product before they can monetize or spend the first few chapters of the company's life focusing on growth over revenue maximization. This means that in an economic downturn, these startups/teams/founders are the most vulnerable to shifting markets, especially those that are dependent on outside capital.
This episode is the resource for how to manage one's own psychology, as well as the psychology of the team around them when building and leading a business like this.
In the episode, I outline tactics like getting comfortable with the worst case scenario (in order to maximize the chances of the best case scenario), as well as outlining the five guidelines for managing and optimizing your psychology in the midst of circumstances that often present a “fog of war” type of scenario for most leaders. In short, I put this together for you to avoid that scenario.
The guidelines have more details within the episode, but they are here below as well for you to reference:
1. Assess and set *proper expectations* for yourself and the team.
2. Find and orient towards a *higher ideal*.
3. Manage your *mental wealth*.
4. Question everything, *especially your own assumptions* going into this new environment.
5. Find your *community of truth*.
Please let me know what I may have missed in the comments and share this with any creator that may be going through the extremely intense situation of feeling like the walls are closing in on them.
And if you are a creator in this scenario, please reach out to me on Twitter or Instagram if there's a way I can help.
https://twitter.com/jamesbeshara
https://www.instagram.com/jamesjbeshara
https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine
You can also always hit the show hotline and leave a question or comment for the show at 424-272-6640 // James questions directly at askbelowtheline@gmail.com // or follow us on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/gobelowtheline
Support Our Sponsors
Magic Mind https://magicmind.co
Chargebee https://chargebee.com/partners-signup and use promo code BTL
Shopify https://Shopify.com/BelowtheLine
—
About your host, James: James Beshara is a founder, investor, advisor, author, podcaster, and encourager based in Los Angeles, California. James has created startups for the last 15 years, selling his last one to Airbnb, and invested in several multi-billion dollar startups to date. He has spoken at places such as Y-Combinator, Harvard Business School, Stanford University, TechCrunch Disrupt, and has been featured in outlets like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, and Time Magazine. He’s been featured in Forbes, Time, and Inc Magazine’s “30 Under 30” lists and advises startups all around the world. All of this is his “above the line” version of his background. Hear the other 90% of the story in the intro episode of Below The Line.
“Below the Line with James Beshara" is brought to you by Another Podcast Network.