The School of Greatness Hall of Fame

If you’ve never seen a Chicken Soup for the Soul book, I don’t know where you’ve been. But did you know that the same original author of that wildly successful series (7 NYT best-sellers at the same time!) is also one of the experts interviewed in The Secret? And did you know he coaches some of the top leaders and entrepreneurs in the world? Actually, you might. Today’s guest on The School of Greatness has an incredible bio and reputation and it was an honor to sit down with him for this interview. Jack Canfield has given so much wisdom, coaching, service, and insight into the world of self-improvement, positive mindset, and success that it’s hard to imagine it without him. His landmark book The Success Principles has been out for 10 years. But I wanted to take the opportunity to talk to him about it in person because it is one of the first books that helped turn the light on in my mind. In our conversation, we go over a lot (and Jack references a ton of books and people I link below). But our discussion keeps coming back to the basic, core success principles his book is founded on. Ideas like gratitude, abundance, kindness, clarity. You know, my favorites. If you haven’t heard Jack speak before, you’re in for a treat. He is an incredible human, speaker, thought leader, and giver. I am so excited to bring you this episode with the legendary Jack Canfield. In this episode you will learn:How The Success Principles takes the inspiration from Chicken Soup books and shows you HOWThat kids in China learn English in schools by reading Chicken Soup booksHis tips for networking at events if you’re shy (stand by the door and act like it’s your party)How to visualize positive outcomes instead of negative ones to overcome fearWhy he volunteered to be a chauffeur for someone he wanted to learn fromThe Steps of Forgiveness: 1 – Own your anger 2 – Take responsibility 3 – Explain what you want 4 – Express forgivenessHow negative self-talk affects our brains (science on this!)What uncommon appreciation is – verbally appreciate someone five times a dayHow to go on a “rampage of appreciation”What to look for when making an investment (go where there is a line of people waiting)How he manages his emails (so he only gets a few a day) – answer your emails in one block at a timeThe daily review: at the end of your day, ask yourself how you could have improved on your day in relation to your goals and then visualize those changesPlus much more…

A few years ago, I was working like crazy and not taking care of my health. In fact, I was eating as much sugar as I wanted, all the time, and sitting at  my computer all day. But I finally realized a change needed to happen. So I didn’t eat sugar for 28 days . . . and guess what? I lost 28 pounds and found my abs again. I talked about this experience a while back with my friend Abel James on his podcast Fat-Burning Man and today on The School of Greatness he’s coming on as my guest to talk about his experiences in getting healthy. Abel has a pretty awesome story himself about his transition from overworked and unhealthy consultant to incredibly fit and healthy entrepreneur. In his new book, he goes over all the tips and guidelines he’s discovered that have helped him transform his diet and body. Don’t be alarmed when you hear him talk about not eating much til dinner on a typical day – he explains why and it makes sense. Abel is an awesome guy and I got re-inspired to eat better during our conversation. Open your mind to the Wild Diet in Episode 158 with Fat-Burning Man Abel James. In This Episode, You Will Learn: Where the vast majority of animal products (beef, chicken, eggs, dairy) come from (not what you think)How under-eating during the day (mostly raw foods) and eating a big meal at night (cooked foods) is good for youWhy hydrating yourself constantly is so important to warding off hungerWhat “fat adapted” is and how to get your body to that stateThat healthy fats are one of the best things you eat every dayHow the comfort food we were raised on is not our grandma’s whole grain cookies (they are designed to be addictive)The benefit of working out a little, just some basic movements, first thing in the morningWhy he doesn’t use any tech devices in the morningHow to fall asleep right away and wake up earlyPlus much more…

I’m going to take a wild guess that you already know that sleep affects how well you function. You’re also probably aware that sleep quality is part of the equation (not just quantity). But did you realize that what time of day you go to bed, what you do for the two hours leading up to that, and what you do when you wake up have a big impact on your sleep? Because I’m obsessed with learning how to optimize everything for greatness that I can, I’ve started paying more attention to the little habits in my life that can have big results. So when I heard about today’s guest on The School of Greatness, Shawn Stevenson, I knew I had to get him on the show. Shawn is not only a sleep expert and best-selling author, but he has spent the last ten plus years studying how to optimize all parts of your daily routine to help you function at maximum capacity. He is a fountain of knowledge about everything from eating right to setting up your bedroom to how sex affects sleep! I asked him a ton of questions and he gave helpful answers to all of them. If you’re one of many who struggle to get quality sleep, this episode is a must-listen. In This Episode, You Will Learn: Why cutting down on our sleep demolishes the rest of our workWhy quality of sleep is more important than quantity of sleepHow exercising early in your day helps you sleep better (even just 5 minutes)That cortisol is the arch-nemesis of melatoninWhat kind of water we need to be drinking (and why water quality is so important)What BPA is and how to avoid drinking itWhy kids have so much more energy than adultsWhy we crave sugar when we are sleep-deprivedThe difference between our willpower and our biology (and how to stack them both in your favor)Why 10 pm is the optimal bedtimeHow eating late at night effects your cortisol levels (and thus your sleep)How you can get sleep benefits from meditationPlus much more…

Let’s say you were the youngest ever news anchor at CNN – and then at CNBC, covering major financial stories. You also reported during one of the biggest financial crises of the century. You have interviewed and rubbed shoulders with the who’s who of the financial world for years. But you don’t know that much about how to manage your own money. Let me introduce you to the motivation behind today’s guest on  The School of Greatness. Nicole Lapin is an incredibly successful and talented reporter and television personality, but it wasn’t until years into her career that she faced the truth about her own financial ignorance. After years of study, credentials, and re-shaping her financial health, she is releasing a new book, Rich Bitch, where she tells the stories of her own journey while offering her best tips to creating a rich life. I met Nicole through our mutual friend James Altucher (a money genius himself) and we had a great conversation about the inspiration behind her book. While her work is largely focused on helping women take control of their finances and learn the language of money, her insight and tips are useful for anyone. She even takes me to task for how I’m investing and I pick up some advice during the interview. If you’re interested in finally understanding the myths surrounding investing and healthy finances, you’re going to love Episode 128 with Nicole Lapin. In This Episode, You Will Learn:How finance is like a language you have to learnHer story of what motivated her to get into finance (hint: she had to buy a plane ticket with actual paper money)Why she wrote her book of money “confessions”The idea of “financial dieting”How to set finance goals around the three F’s: fun, finance, and familyWhy it’s important to come up with a sustainable spending planWhy you should never buy a house just as an investmentThe reason you should think of ALL your time as billable hoursWhat to account for with your savings plans: essentials, endgame, and extrasWhy you should talk about how much you make with your friends (and ask them as well)Plus much more…

When a 60 foot rogue wave crashed into the ship, everyone on board thought they were going to die. This week on The School of Greatness, the founder of Pencils of Promise shares the story of how this near death experience inspired him to make his mark on the world. Pencils of Promise was born then and has gone on to build 200 schools and positively impacted 200,000 lives. In this interview we talk about what it takes to be an ordinary person, have an idea and turn it into something extraordinary. Welcome to episode 56 with the amazing social entrepreneur, Adam Braun. In This Episode, You Will Learn:About the schools Pencils of Promise has builtThe powerful impact of bringing Mozambicans into the familyAbout Adam’s life and death experience while on a Semester at SeaThe single question revealed in such a deep purposeThe value of a definite purposeHow lessons learned at Bain Capital supported the creation of PoPTo infuse your work with purposeAbout the humble beginnings of Pencils of PromiseFinding the courage to pursue your passionTo shift your way of being to create your visionAbout the physical existence of ideasTo cultivate honesty while thriving in uncertaintyHow to build a remarkable business and team of volunteersAbout the massive results that can be found outside of the comfort zoneThe first step when finding ones purposeWhat it means to “Never take a ‘No’ from someone who can’t say ‘Yes'”Keys to getting in front of the decision makers and persuading themThe power of vulnerability when growing a businessHow to get out of your own way for massive resultsPlus much more…

Our next guest has mastered this at a young age and is inspiring hundreds of thousands of people around the world to live a similar lifestyle. What’s more amazing is he only started speaking English two years ago (he grew up speaking French) as he wanted to be able to connect and inspire his fans in their language. Get ready to step into your greatness during this episode with Marc Fitt. In This Episode, You Will Learn:What motivates Marc Fitt’s unparalleled fitnessThe surprising story of Marc’s first salesA basic breakdown on how to start an e-commerce businessWhat “Beyond Yourself” really meansThe mindset, diet and routine that empowers high level fitnessA secret to having a diet that supports a killer bodySleep habits of the super fitWhich is more important, food or exerciseWhat it’s like to have followers in English, yet not speak EnglishThe event that woke him up to living his passionThe next step for Marc FittA super fit man’s perspective of drinking, being drunk and alcoholPlus much more…

The next professor on the School of Greatness is known as the “Three Foot Giant”. He grew up suffering from a condition in which his brittle bones were incredibly prone to damage.  He broke more than 200 bones in his lifetime and the emotional and physical pain he endured is incredible. He persevered through his condition and become a Clinical Therapist, reached millions of people around the world, become friends with Sir Richard Branson, President Clinton, and his Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.  He is one of the most powerful and vulnerable  guests we’ve ever had on. Please welcome, Sean Stephenson. In This Episode, You Will Learn:What it was like Growing Up With Osteogenesis ImperfectaThe Value in Facing and Persevering Through FearAbout Your Infinite BeingThe Unique Realities of Unconditional LoveHow to Leave Anyone BreathlessSecrets to Courageous VulnerabilityThe Difference between Airing Your Dirty Laundry and Being Courageously VulnerableHow the Scariest Things to Overcome are on the InsideThe Role of Decisiveness in MasculinityPlus much more…

No one has mastered the art of staying focused on your goal and working tirelessly towards it like legend and icon, Kobe Bryant. Kobe is widely regarded as one of the best basketball players of all time. He’s won five NBA championships with the Lakers and led the NBA in scoring during two seasons. He’s an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team. He holds the NBA record for the most seasons played with one franchise for an entire career: 20 seasons. In 2018, he received an Academy Award for his animated short “Dear Basketball.” He also just launched a podcast called The Punies that teaches kids morals and history in a really fun way. Kobe’s known for what he calls his Mamba Mentality, but it’s his big heart that is truly admirable. He is constantly reinventing himself and continuing to pursue new dreams. There is so much power in his energy and presence. I know you’re really going to love this one. So get ready to learn all about Mamba Mentality and how to embrace failure on Episode 691. Some Questions I Ask:Who was your greatest teacher? (7:10)What are some other things you do to raise the level of your teammates? (17:00)What’s been your greatest challenge since leaving the game? (20:30)What’s a constant theme in your life? (24:40)Why is storytelling important to you? (25:39)What’s your greatest weakness? (34:35) In This Episode, You Will Learn:All about the “Mamba Mentality” (12:20)Why he has a passion of storytelling (26:00)Why you should be excited about failure (27:10)Kobe’s greatest moment in 20 seasons of basketball (36:14)Kobe’s daily routine (39:00)Plus much more…

Can you remember a defining moment in your life that led you to where you are now? You know, the moment you knew your town stunted your growth so you moved to “the big city”.  Or when you finally got sick and tired of working that corporate job and started your own business. There are specific moments we experience that define and direct our thoughts and actions throughout the rest of our life. I’m fascinated by these moments.  They show me why someone is successful and living their dreams and why others aren’t. On this weeks episode of  the School of Greatness I dive into those defining moments of our next guest who is a New York Times best selling author and serial entrepreneur.  During the episode he reveals how he built his empire, what you can do to build powerful habits in your business and life, and the art of becoming the best at everything you do. Welcome to episode number 75 with the mind behind I Will Teach You to Be Rich, Ramit Sethi. In This Episode, You Will Learn: How Ramit’s debt reduction process helped me get out of debtAbout Ramit’s love for systems (and why you need them in your life)How his passion for learning about money and psychology came from a big lossThe guilty pleasures and hobbies that Ramit loved as a kidThe power of the negative self talk Ramit inflicted on himself and how he reframed it for improvementRamit’s perception on the biggest mistake people make when starting a businessHow to find amazing  A players to grow you business teamRamit’s Powerful 21 Day Hiring ProcedureThe importance of discipline and clear expectations with great teamsThe important tool when marketing (I bet you can’t guess his answer)How challenges evolve as business growsPlus much more…

The next guest on The School of Greatness has been studying leadership and what it takes to make the impossible a reality for years.  He has worked with top level CEOs, military leaders and everything in between to understand what separates organizations that thrive with those that only survive. You might know him from his wildly successful TED talk, Start with Why, which is one of the most watched of all time.  So welcome to the 50th episode of the show with Simon Sinek. In This Episode, You Will Learn: The Amazing Story of Where the Title Came FromMarine Corp. Lessons on LeadershipThe Single Most Profound Quality for Excellence in LeadershipThe Role of Vulnerability in LeadershipThe Remarkable Trait of Presidential Leadership in AmericaEgo and Conceit – Where Most People Get it WrongThe 2 Defining Events that Led Simon into the Study of LeadershipEarly lessons of Start with Why: Show up to Give.Core Traits of Effective LeadersTo Cultivate Brilliant Active ListeningOne of the Easiest Tricks for Effective ListeningAbout Leadership Potential vs. MarriagePlus much more…