
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

Aug 24, 2021 • 1h 47min
#114 — A Deep Dive into The Art World — Todd Kramer
Todd Kramer is one of the key pieces of the Art world today. He currently owns multiple Galleries, with his partner Ryan Ross, they have created a well know space for artists to grow their work. In today's episode we take a deep dive into the Art world. James and Todd speak about how Todd's obsession with Keith Haring got him into this world when he was 24. They also talk about how galleries work and how they can help build artists career by showcasing their work. To conclude the episode, James and Todd speak about NFTs, the new emerging digital art form that has taken over the conventional art space over the past few months.
https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine
Find more about Todd Kramer:
https://www.instagram.com/toddkramer
https://rkgallery.com/
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 Sponsor
Magic Mind
https://magicmind.co
(Use Code BTL at Checkout for 20% off)
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 17, 2021 • 1h 50min
#113 — From Navy Seal to $100 Million in Sales -- Randy Hetrick
Randy Hetrick is a Navy Seal turned into an Entrepreneur. He is the founder of TRX and now OutFit Training. From Navy Seal to 100 million in sales is the best way to describe Randy. In today's episode, James and Randy dive deep into the life of a Navy Seal and the process of becoming one. Randy also gives listeners a great story of how getting lost in the jungle, while leading a Seal team, has instilled many values and traits in himself that he uses daily during his Business side of life. He also explains how the stress from warfare is similar to the stress in entrepreneurship. To end the episode, Randy talks about how two women in his family influence his daily life by the way they lived their lives.
\Where to find Randy:
https://twitter.com/randyhetrick
https://www.instagram.com/randyhetrick
https://www.facebook.com/RandyHetrick
00:40 Intro
04:27 Randy’s Background
18:28 What it takes to be a Seal
27:25 Business compared to warfare
37:27 The most stressful moments as a seal
51:05 Experience as a seal to Entrepreneurship conversion
1:02:40 TRX
1:34:50 3 stories that shaped Randy
1:40:34 What takes up Randy’s headspace
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 Sponsor Magic Mind https://magicmind.co(Use Code BTL at Checkout for 20% off) 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 10, 2021 • 1h 45min
#112 — AdVentures at Google — Bill Maris
Bill Maris is the founder of Section 32, a venture capital fund investing at the frontiers of technology and healthcare. Prior to Section 32, Bill spent almost a decade at Google as the founder and first CEO of Google Venture. On today's episode, James and Bill take a deep dive into what it took bill to become the CEO of Google Ventures. They also speak about the patterns you see in Venture Capital and how a young investor can use these patterns to benefit with their future investments. To conclude the episode, James and Bill talk about the real problem with our society, mental health. They give examples of how we could come up with a solution and what the world will look like if we don't start thinking about these issues.
Find out more about
Bill Maris: https://www. section32.com/
00:27 Intro
02:16 Bill’s backstory
17:10 What to do after you sell your first business
27:45 Google Ventures
41:53 Being a Middle Man in the Tech World
51:24 Patterns with Investing in Venture Capital
57:30 Pieces of advice that changed Bill’s mind
1:06:44 Trends Bill follows
1:23:17 Mental Health
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 Sponsor
Magic Mind https://magicmind.co
(Use code BTL at checkout for 20% off)
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 28, 2021 • 1h 22min
#111 — Heart of a Lion — Michael Burns
https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine
Michael Burns is an Entertainment Executive and Vice Chairman of Lionsgate. He is an Original Co-Founder of Lionsgate when it was first started in 1999. Michael is also James' neighbor and was his first friend when James moved to Los Angeles. On today's episode, Michael talks about how the short squeeze in AMC has helped the movie industry profit as a whole. Michael and James also speak about the process of creating a film from beginning to end. They also speak about the library of films Lionsgate has produce over the past 20 years. To conclude the episode, Michael outlines the Pros and Cons of the modern day streaming service industry and how it has changed the way we view content.
Find out more information about Lionsgate Films:
https://www.lionsgate.com/ 00:23 Introduction
03:03 “Meme” Stocks
12:31 Streaming Services
18:15 Lionsgate’s Background
29:33 Movie Making 101
42:53 TV vs Movies
48:23 Attachments to failing shows
58:16 Lionsgate’s early struggles
1:04:30 Modern Day Lionsgate
1:09:54 Stories that have shaped Michael Burns
1:19:36 What takes up Michaels mindscape
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 Sponsor Magic Mind https://magicmind.co(Use code BTL at checkout for 20% off)
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 22, 2021 • 2h 5min
#110 — Build Your Fort — Chris Powers
https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine
Chris Powers is an entrepreneur with more than 16 years of real estate development and investment experience. He was also one of the first people to invest in host James Beshara's payment company tilt. In today's episode Chris and James speak about investing in your mindset, and the mistakes you can make when finding a cofounder. They discuss envy and how it affects your mind. They dissect about how hiring cheap work gets you cheap results and also how it will cost you more in the long run. To conclude the episode, Chris and James speak about an organization called YPO that Chris has been involved with for many years and how it effects his day to day work.
Find Chris Powers:
https://twitter.com/fortworthchris
https://open.spotify.com/show/4dLKPVTiXWmrFwd43iN2LZ (Podcast)
00:32 Intro
10:26 What excites Chris in business
22:00 Efficiencies on recruiting
33:12 Key pieces of advice for Chris
45:12 Handing off the CEO title
57:38 Founders Ego
1:09:58 Starting something new
1:19:03 All business is people trusting each other
1:29:26 Partnerships
1:44:40 3 stories that have shaped Chris
1:55:03 YPO’s effect on Chris
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 Sponsor 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.

Jul 16, 2021 • 30min
Top 10 Mistakes Founders Make With Startups — Below the (Hot)Line #12
https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine
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.

Jul 8, 2021 • 1h 14min
#109 — Nothing To Prove — Justin Kan
Justin Kan is an entrepreneur who is the co-founder of Justin.tv which is now Twitch.tv. He has now turned to creating more content online like vlogs and podcasts. Justin is also an angel investor, which is how James and Justin met. Justin was one of the first investors in James former company, Tilt. On todays episode, James and Justin speak about having a higher purpose for your work and being passionate about your startup. They also speak about Justin leaving Silicon Valley, where he has been living, and his future plans. To conclude the episode, James and Justin speak about what they look for in founders, when it comes to investing in startups.
Where to find Justin:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfRtwc6K_VU9N4OjNnU2P7g (Vlogs)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8xRInHClfOm5yhsR2jAgUg (Podcast)
https://twitter.com/justinkan
https://www.instagram.com/justinkan
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.

8 snips
Jun 30, 2021 • 52min
#108 — The Practice: Shipping Creative Work — Seth Godin
https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine
Seth Godin is a best selling author, entrepreneur and public speaker. Seth has wrote over 20 best selling books around the world. On this episode, James and Seth, talk about his new book "The Practice: Shipping Creative work" and what goes into "The Practice." In many ways, Seth is an antidote for all the messages you hear about short term success, he believes more in the long-term "process" or practice including all failures. Seth also speaks about the role of storytelling, the stories we tell ourselves and the relationship with those stories and our behavior. To end the episode, James and Seth speak about doing the work out of generosity.
Where to find Seth Godin:
https://www.seths.blog/
https://www.sethgodin.com/
https://www.twitter.com/thisissethsblog
https://www.instagram.com/sethgodin/
His most recent book: https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Shipping-Creative-Work/dp/0593328973
00:00 Intro
05:09 The Practice
6:52 Failures correlation with creativity
13:49 Silicon Valley Ecosystem
20:53 Authenticity is useless
27:20 Beginners Missteps
34:37 Storytelling
37:29 You’re artist when you tell yourself you are
40:41 Seth’s Workshop
46:30 Generosity
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.coNetSuite by Oracle https://netsuite.com/BTL
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 24, 2021 • 2h 10min
#107 — #DeepDive on Sales— Colin Coggins & Garret Brown
https://bit.ly/Go_BelowtheLine
Garrett Brown and Colin Coggins are two adjunct professors at University of Southern California at The Marshall School of Business. Garrett and Colin are so brilliant, their class has now became one of the most popular classes on campus. In this episode, James takes a deep dive into the world of sales. Garrett and Colin speak about the concept of "Everyone" is in sales. All of their insights are counter to what people would call a conventional way of sales. James also speaks to them about what shifted their mindset into what it takes to be a brilliant salesperson compared to a normal salesperson. They also spoke about what it means to sell with love instead of fear. To conclude the episode, Garrett and Colin talk about how "Happy Accidents" form a bond between seller and consumer.
Where to find Garrett and Colin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettjbrown
https://www.linkedin.com/in/colincoggins
Subscribe to their latest content and upcoming book:
https://www.agency18growth.com/
00:00 Intro
02:39 What comes to mind when you think of Sales
14:29 Being yourself when selling
31:03 The cycle of sales
54:14 Communicating out of fear or love
1:05:11 Teaching undergraduates about love in sales
1:10:49 How Garrett and Colin became a duo
1:25:03 Can you be great at sales if you don’t believe in the product?
1:29:20 Great sales people talk to themselves
1:41:19 Motivated speech 1:49:53 Process vs Results
1:56:31 Resilience in sales
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
NetSuite by Oracle https://netsuite.com/BTL
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 15, 2021 • 2h 5min
#106 — Music to a Creator’s Ears— Guster's Ryan Miller
Ryan Miller is the lead singer of Guster. After meeting James in a Clubhouse meeting, Ryan decided to come on the podcast and share his life experiences in a music career as a creator. In this episode, James and Ryan, speak about his ability to create new friendships wherever he goes based off energy. Ryan also gives his insight into what it was like being a touring musician during a pandemic and the lack of live shows. In the middle of the episode, Ryan announces that Guster will be headline Red Rocks Amphitheater this summer (Tickets Below). To conclude the episode, James and Ryan, speak about the differences between releasing music now vs his first album.
Where to find Ryan Miller:
https://www.instagram.com/ryancmiller/
https://twitter.com/guster
https://www.guster.com/
https://www.vermontpbs.org/makinfriends/
Tickets for Guster at Red Rocks Amphitheater: https://www.axs.com/events/403100/guster-tickets
00:00 Intro
02:30 Being a musician during a pandemic
10:35 Fascination with storytelling
34:46 Ryan’s superpowers
47:36 Friendships on tour
58:38 Connections between peers
1:08:44 Lowest moment of Ryan’s Career
1:13:32 Guster’s new album
1:34:29 Releasing albums in 2021 vs 1991
1:41:38 3 stories that have shaped Ryan
1:50:36 What takes up a lot of Ryan’s mindspace?
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 NetSuite by Oracle https://netsuite.com/BTL
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.