Smart People Podcast

We are stuck, stymied, frustrated. But it needn’t be this way. There is a formula for success that’s been followed by the icons of history—from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant to Steve Jobs—a formula that let them turn obstacles into opportunities. Faced with impossible situations, they found the astounding triumphs we all seek. These men and women were not exceptionally brilliant, lucky, or gifted. Their success came from timeless philosophical principles laid down by a Roman emperor who struggled to articulate a method for excellence in any and all situations. In this episode we speak with Ryan Holiday, author of the bestselling book, The Obstacle Is the Way, as he reveals what these principles are, and how to turn our own adversity into advantage. Ryan Holiday is a media strategist and prominent writer on strategy and business. After dropping out of college at nineteen to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multiplatinum musicians. He served as director of marketing at American Apparel for many years, where his campaigns have been used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google and written about in AdAge, the New York Times, and Fast Company. His first book, Trust Me I’m Lying —which the Financial Times called an “astonishing, disturbing book”—was a debut bestseller and is taught in colleges around the world. He is the author of two other books and is now published in 16 languages. He currently lives in Austin, Texas with his rebellious puppy, Hanno and pet goats ____ "Wealth is created by scarcity. It's the fact that there are not many people who have been successful at the thing you are trying to do that makes it worth doing." - Ryan Holliday Quotes from Ryan: What we learn in this episode: How to find what you want to be when you grow up? Why are obstacles a good thing? What is stoicism? Resources: The Obstacle Is the Way http://ryanholiday.net/ Twitter: @ryanholiday -- This episode is brought to you by: Sidekick: Go to getsidekick.com/smartpeople to get your first month of Sidekick for free. WealthFront: The automated investment service that makes it easy to invest your money the right way. Visit wealthfront.com/smartpeople to to get your first $10,000 managed for free. Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is it like to be a co-founder of one of the largest, most innovative tech companies on the planet? What are the necessary ingredients of a successful startup? How can people better leverage technology to be more productive? These are just a portion of the questions we get answered by our guest this week, VP of Marketing and Co-Founder of Evernote, Andrew Sinkov. Join us as we discuss how Evernote went from a company on the brink of bankruptcy, to one of the most used and most loved tech companies around.  Evernote builds apps and products that are defining the way individuals and teams work today. As one workspace that lives across your phone, tablet, and computer, Evernote is the place you wrtire free from distraction, collect information, find what you need, and present your ideas to the world. Whatever you're working toward, Evernote's job is to make sure you get there. Evernote is an independent, privately held company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founder in 2007, Evernote products reach more than 100 million users worldwide - wither nearly 400 employees and growing. ______ "When people start companies, they are trying to make something like this happen. And there is not a rule book for this. There is a ton of luck necessary, but you also have to build the right team, have the right people, make the right decisions, work with the right investors, etc. And even when you have all those things, it still doesn't necessarily work out." - Andrew Sinkov Quotes from Andrew: What we learn in this episode: What is the average day like for the Co-Founder of Evernote? What was the evolution of Evernote - specifically from startup to massive tech company? How did the mission of Evernote change over time? Does Andrew believe Silicon Valley is in a "tech/startup" bubble? Resources: https://evernote.com/ https://blog.evernote.com/ https://appcenter.evernote.com/ http://restartgtd.com/howto/how-to-install-evernote-web-clipper-in-google-chrome/ Twitter: @sinkov -- This episode is brought to you by: Sidekick: Go to getsidekick.com/smartpeople to get your first month of Sidekick for free. Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for FREE with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the show our guest is a man that needs to no introduction. You know him for his iconic role in the cult classic movie, "The Goonies", and for starting a 3 decade long fad of the "truffle shuffle" - welcome Jeff Cohen (Chunk). Of course we talk with Jeff at length about his child acting career, what it was like to work with Steven Spielberg, and how it feels to play a lead role in one of the best movies of all time (yes - I truly believe that). But that was 30 years ago! What is Jeff up to now? Jeff is a founding partner of an entertainment law firm and he just wrote his first book called The Dealmaker's Ten Commandments: Ten Essential Tools for Business Forged in the Trenches of Hollywood. In this book, Jeff draws on his experience in the cut-throat world of Hollywood to provide a practical, no-nonsense methodology for negotiating deals, managing your time and handling crisis, all at the highest level. Join us as we talk to Chunk... all grown up. Jeff attended the University of California, Berkeley, earning a B.S. in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business in 1996.  After his time at Berkeley, Cohen graduated from the UCLA School of Law in 2000 and later became an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles. In 2002, he co-founded the Cohen & Gardner firm in Beverly Hills. Jeff was recently named to The Hollywood Reporter's Next Generation: Hollywood's Top 35 Executives 35 and Under. ____ "Acting is the greatest job in the world. No matter what they say, no one intentionally gives up acting." - Jeff Cohen Quotes from Chunk.... I mean Jeff: "Wherever I go there is a little 10 year old doing the truffle shuffle right behind me." "When I was a kid actor I wanted to be Spanky from the Little Rascals. That was my goal. I was a little chubby kid and I grew up watching the Little Rascals." "I had a little taste of fame without being so famous that I couldn't do something else. I could still hold an entry level job and work my way up through the ranks." "Everyone is on the same side... their own." "Ultimately, the exercise of economic combat is not to show everybody how smart you are, or to yell the loudest. The point is to make a deal, because if you don't make a deal you don't get paid." What we learn in this episode: What's it like to be a child actor? What is life like in Hollywood, both as an actor and an entertainment lawyer? What are the 10 commandments for "deal making"? Resources: The Dealmaker's Ten Commandments: Ten Essential Tools for Business Forged in the Trenches of Hollywood Twitter: @Jeff_B_Cohen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-KRGgMB78Y -- This episode is brought to you by: Sidekick: Go to getsidekick.com/smartpeople to get your first month of Sidekick for free. WealthFront: The automated investment service that makes it easy to invest your money the right way. Visit wealthfront.com/smartpeople to to get your first $10,000 managed for free. Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've all been taught the golden rule - "treat others as you want to be treated". Our parents raise us with the best intentions - they tell us to be nice to one another, and not to step on others to get ahead. But is that actually good advice? Is it better to have high moral character and put others first, or is it a dog eat dog world where nice guys finish last? This week we speak with Fred Kiel, co-founder of KRW International, leadership researcher, and author of the new book, Return on Character: The Real Reason Leaders and Their Companies Win. In this book (and episode), Fred summarizes seven years of research on the connection between the character of the CEO and return on assets. As part of this research, Fred and his team embarked on a landmark study of more than 100 CEOs and over 8,000 of their employees' to determine once and for all if the character of a leader really has an impact on a company's financial success. Prior to focusing on business advising, Fred founded a successful private practice in Minneapolis which became the major employer of professionals in that market. His interest in business advising eventually won out, and a bit over two decades ago, he sold his practice and co-founded KRW International. Fred has served on the boards of several philanthropic organizations, including Augsburg College Youth and Family Institute, Graywolf Press, Walk-In Counseling Center, and the Lyra Concert. He currently serves on the board of the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center. He also served on the adjunct staff of the Center for Creative Leadership for nearly ten years and served two terms on the Board of Psychology for the state of Minnesota. ____ "We are born to be both self-concerned and to be concerned for the common good. Which one of those sides 'wins' is dependent upon our environment and our experiences as we grow up." - Fred Kiel Quotes from Fred: What we learn in this episode: What does it take to be a strong leader? What does it mean to be moral? What are the 4 moral principles? What are the two eulogies that you have and how do you want to shape them? Resources: Return on Character: The Real Reason Leaders and Their Companies Win returnoncharacter.com Fred Kiel TedX Talk -- This episode is brought to you by: Sidekick: Go to getsidekick.com/smartpeople to get your first month of Sidekick for free. Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for FREE with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know that the alcohol that gets you drunk in a beer or a cocktail is actually the waste products of billions of dead yeast organisms? Or that most of our crops were initially grown to make alcohol and only later were actually used for food? These are just some of the crazy facts that we learn this week as we interview New York Times Best Selling author, Amy Stewart. Amy is the author of 7 books, and perhaps her most popular is the one we focus on this week, The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks. This fascinating concoction of biology, chemistry, history, etymology, and mixology will make you the most popular guest at any cocktail party. Amy Stewart is the author of seven books. She has written six nonfiction books on the perils and pleasures of the natural world, including four New York Times bestsellers: The Drunken Botanist, Wicked Bugs, Wicked Plants, and Flower Confidential.  She lives in Eureka, California, with her husband Scott Brown, who is a rare book dealer. They own a bookstore calledEureka Books.  Since her first book was published in 2001, Stewart has appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition and Fresh Air, she’s been profiled in the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle, and she’s been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, Good Morning America, the PBS documentary The Botany of Desire, and–believe it or not– TLC’s Cake Boss. Amy has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and many other newspapers and magazines. She is the co-founder of the popular blog GardenRant. ____ "Next time you have a beer or a cocktail, just remember what you are drinking is the waste products of billions of dead yeast organisms." - Amy Stewart Quotes from Amy: What we learn in this episode: How did humans discover alcohol? How is alcohol made?  What plants and/or grains are used to make each style of alcohol? Resources: The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks http://www.amystewart.com/ @Amy_Stewart Amy's Favorite Alcohol: Strega Cocchi Americano Woodford Reserve -- This episode is brought to you by: Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. WealthFront: The automated investment service that makes it easy to invest your money the right way. Visit wealthfront.com/smartpeople to to get your first $10,000 managed for free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the shift in gender roles, many children are no longer being raised primarily by their mothers. With dual income families increasing in popularity, child care is often outsourced to a neighbor, grandparents, or a nanny. But what is the effect on children? Contrary to conventional wisdom, growing up with a working mother is unlikely to harm children socially and economically when they become adults. The working mother study, authored by Harvard Business School professor Kathleen McGinn, HBS researcher Mayra Ruiz Castro, and Elizabeth Long Lingo of Mt. Holyoke College, found that women with working mothers performed better in the workplace, earning more and possessing more powerful positions than their peers with stay-at-home mothers. In the United States, adult daughters of working mothers earned 23 percent more than those whose mothers had not worked during their during the daughters' childhoods, earning an annual average income of $35,474 compared to $28,894. Over 33 percent held supervisory positions, compared to roughly 25 percent of their counterparts from more traditional households. The "working mother effect" actually improves future prospects, especially for adult daughters of mothers who worked outside the home before their daughters were 14 years old, according to recent findings based on a comprehensive survey of 50,000 adults aged 18 to 60 in 25 nations worldwide in 2002 and 2012. This week we interview one of the leading researchers in the HBS Gender Initiative, Harvard Professor Dr. Kathleen McGinn. One of the main goals Harvard Business School wants to achieve with the Gender Initiative is to ground discussions about gender in rigorous research so that people can make better- informed decisions for themselves, their families, their companies, and their communities.  ____ "There is a slight positive effect for maternal employment on children's achievement in school and on their behavior in school." - Kathleen McGinn Quotes from Kathleen: What we learn in this episode: What does gender mean to a "white, middle-class male"? Is it a good idea for a corporation to set a quota for number of employed minorities and women? Are children raised by stay at home moms happier? Resources: HBS Gender Initiative Women and Public Policy Website -- This episode is brought to you by: Animoto: Visit Animoto.com/smartpeople and use promo code “SMARTPEOPLE” to get 15% off to receive 15% off an Annual Pro subscription! Aspiration: At Aspiration, their investment strategies are built for the middle class. Signing up takes as little as $500 and five minutes of your time. You can sign up and find out more information at aspiration.com/smartpeople Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever sought a job or hired someone, applied to college or guided your child into a good kindergarten, asked someone out on a date or been asked out, you’ve participated in a kind of market. Most of the study of economics deals with commodity markets, where the price of a good connects sellers and buyers. But what about other kinds of “goods,” like a spot in the Yale freshman class or a position at Google? This is the territory of matching markets, where “sellers” and “buyers” must choose each other, and price isn’t the only factor determining who gets what.  Our guest this week, Alvin E. Roth, is one of the world’s leading experts on matching markets. He has even designed several of them, including the exchange that places medical students in residencies and the system that increases the number of kidney transplants by better matching donors to patients. Alvin is the Craig and Susan McCaw Professor of Economics at Stanford University. He is also the Gund Professor of Economics and Business Administration Emeritus at Harvard University. He works in the areas of game theory, experimental economics and market design. He is also the author of the fantastic new book, Who Gets What — and Why: The New Economics of Matchmaking and Market Design, and in 2012 he won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences "for the theory of stable allocations and the practice of market design" ...whatever that means. ____ "Markets are what people do. It's how we get along with each other. When you're not alone and you're interacting with other people there is a good chance you're engaged in some kind of marketplace." - Alvin Roth Quotes from Alvin: What we learn in this episode: What is the true definition of a market? What are matching markets and what are some examples? What is a repugnant transaction? What's a great trick to increase your chances of being accepted to the college of your choice? Resources: Who Gets What — and Why: The New Economics of Matchmaking and Market Design http://marketdesigner.blogspot.com/ http://web.stanford.edu/~alroth/ -- This episode is brought to you by: Animoto: Visit Animoto.com/smartpeople and use promo code “SMARTPEOPLE” to get 15% off to receive 15% off an Annual Pro subscription! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Early birds and night owls are born, not made. Sleep patterns are the primary result of the highly individualized biological clocks we inherit, but these clocks also regulate bodily functions from digestion to hormone levels to cognition. Living at odds with our internal timepieces can make us chronically sleep deprived and more likely to smoke, gain weight, feel depressed, fall ill, and fail geometry. By understanding and respecting our internal time, we can live better. In this episode we interview Till Roenneberg, professor of chronobiology at the Institute of Medical Psychology at LMU in Munich, Germany, and author of the book, Internal Time: Chronotypes, Social Jet Lag, and Why You're So Tired. ____ "We don't even know how much sleep somebody needs. We can calculate how much sleep someone gets, but we don't know if it's the amount they need. And we know there is a genetic individual difference between how much sleep people need." - Till Roenneberg Quotes from Till: What we learn in this episode: What is chronobiology? What is the difference between a night own and an early bird? Is it genetic or environmental? The science behind out circadian rhythm. How can you adjust your circadian rhythm? Resources: Internal Time: Chronotypes, Social Jet Lag, and Why You're So Tired Twitter: @TillRoen  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5ylqK-aPX8 Get the F.Lux software we discussed -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for FREE with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have all heard the axiom, "It's better to give than to receive." And although it sounds good in theory, is it actually true? What about in the cut throat business of selling? Many people are arguing that the old days of pressure sales are gone and a new era is upon us, yet we are reluctant to believe it. If you've ever been in sales, you have probably felt the pressure of "convincing" someone to buy. Well this week you will learn not only how to improve your sales game, but to become successful in all areas of life while also adding value to the world. By following the 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success, you can tap into the natural rhythm of a free-market economy and achieve your goals. Our guest this week is Bob Burg, a sought after speaker and best-selling author. One of his most popular books, The Go-Giver has sold over 250,000 copies. Bob Burg shares information on topics vital to the success of today’s businessperson. He speaks for corporations and associations internationally, including fortune 500 companies, franchises, and numerous direct sales organizations. Bob regularly addresses audiences ranging in size from 50 to 16,000 — sharing the platform with notables including today’s top thought leaders, broadcast personalities, Olympic athletes and political leaders including a former United States President. The Go-Giver shot to #6 on The Wall Street Journal’s Business Bestsellers list just three weeks after its release and reached #9 on BusinessWeek. Since its release it has consistently stayed in the top 25 on 800ceoread’s Business Book Best Seller List. It’s an international bestseller and has been translated into 21 languages. It is Bob’s fourth book to sell over 250,000 copies. ____ "Nobody is going to buy from you because you have a quota to meet. They are going to buy from you because there is more value in doing so than in not doing so." - Bob Burg Quotes from Bob: What we learn in this episode: What are the keys to providing value? How can you become a better salesman? Should a boss aim for commitment or compliance? Why? What are the 5 laws of stratospheric success? Resources: The Go-Giver: A Little Story About A Powerful Business Idea www.burg.com Twitter: @bobburg Bob recommends: How to Master the Art of Selling Think and Grow Rich As a Man Thinketh Psycho-Cybernetics The Magic of Thinking Big How to Win Friends and Influence People Peace, Power and Plenty -- This episode is brought to you by: Animoto: Visit Animoto.com/smartpeople and use promo code “SMARTPEOPLE” to get 15% off to receive 15% off an Annual Pro subscription! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Aspiration: At Aspiration, their investment strategies are built for the middle class. Signing up takes as little as $500 and five minutes of your time. You can sign up and find out more information at aspiration.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all understand that technology is addicting. Every passing year, we become more dependent on our gadgets to get us through the day. And although it can seem like a harmless problem, this addiction has deadly consequences. Perhaps the best way to illustrate the problem is to examine the implications of using a smart phone while driving. Consider this - more than 3,000 teens die each year in crashes caused by texting while driving. That is 300 more deaths a year than drunk driving. Why do we still continue to use our phones in the car, despite the consequences? This week we interview Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Matt Richtel. Matt is the author of the New York Times Bestseller, A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention. In the book, and this episode, Matt explains what technology is doing to our brains through the true story of a deadly car crash that was caused by texting a driving. We not only learn about the neuroscience, but we finally see the real life implications of our addictions. Matt Richtel is a novelist, cartoonist and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New York Times. He writes about technology, its impact on society, and how it changes the way we how we work, play, and relate to each other. His 2010 series, ‘Our Brain On Computers‘ focuses on how constant use of our devices impacts not only our behavior but our thought processes and even our neurology. His 2009 series about the dangers of multitasking while driving won the Pulitzer for national reporting. Matt joined the Times in 2000 and has written on range of topics, including Internet gambling, identity theft, corporate espionage, video games, mobile communications, the dot com boom and bust, and the pornography industry. He was a Loeb award finalist for his work on the Hewlett-Packard spying scandal and the winner of best project from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers for his work on distracted driving. ____ "Social information is engrained in us. So when the phone rings, it is a piece of social information that is nearly impossible to ignore." - Matt Richtel Quotes from Matt: What we learn in this episode: What is happening in the brain when we text and drive? How does a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist decide what story to cover? How does Skinnerian Theory play a role in explaining our infatuation with our smart phones? Resources: A Deadly Wandering: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in the Age of Attention Twitter: @mrichtel https://mattrichtel.wordpress.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcQY14n_Xe4 -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for free with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Aspiration: At Aspiration, their investment strategies are built for the middle class. Signing up takes as little as $500 and five minutes of your time. You can sign up and find out more information at aspiration.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices