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34: Hacking Your Time, Habits, Productivity, and More with Sebastian Marshall Nov 30, 2017

Show notes

If you're spending less than an hour a day on whatever's most important to you, that's something you can pretty easily take up to ninety or a hundred and twenty minutes and get more than fifty to a hundred percent more on results.

In this episode of Nat Chat, I'm joined by Sebastian Marshall. Sebastian and I delved into a lot about productivity, life and habit tracking, and developing really good systems for achieving your highest output. He's been writing on his blog for eight years and runs a company now called Ultra Working, where he helps individuals and companies get the most out of their day-to-day systems.

Sebastian's a great person to learn from for those wanting to optimize their systems for high output and productivity, and to become more disciplined with their habits.

We do get a bit in the weeds about time tracking in the beginning, so if that's not as interesting to you feel free to skip ahead. There's a TON here and we share a lot of interests, so we dove deep on the finer points of productivity.

We covered a ton, including:

The huge advantages of tracking your life, habits, and work
Hacking your productivity and achieving more in less time
Developing high-output systems and outlining templates for those systems
Getting started with pursuing projects that you're interested in
How Sebastian and I began hacking productivity and more
Minimizing boredom and benefiting from failure

And much more. Please enjoy, and reach out to Sebastian on Twitter!

If you enjoyed this episode and our discussion on productivity and time management, be sure to check out my episode with Chris Sparks, where we discuss tons of great productivity advice and more. Also, if you want to hear more about using failure to grow, check out my episode with Matthew Barby, where we discuss this and more.

Find Sebastian online:

Mentioned in the show:

Ultra Working [1:34]
Rescue Time [2:46]
Lights Spreadsheet [4:59]
Sebastian's resources [9:17], [25:46], and [59:24]
The Strategic Review [18:10]
Getting Stuff Done Like a Boss [29:50]
Things app for Mac [30:19]
Growth Machine [45:02]
Posttraumatic growth [56:15]
Key Decision Analysis [59:51]
Ivan Mazour's website [1:02:02]
M/M/1 Queuing Theory [1:02:35]
Ambition Life Calendar [1:05:25]
Give Get Win [1:09:28]

Books mentioned:

Gateless [20:58]
Sebastian's books [29:20]
The Power of Habit [39:29] (Nat's Notes)
The Willpower Instinct [39:30] (Nat's Notes)
Principles [56:35] (Nat's Notes)

People mentioned:

Peter Drucker [20:23] "What gets measured, gets managed."
Kai Zau [20:58]
Tiago Forte [29:49]
Justin Mares [44:15] (Nat Chat episode with Justin)
Tasha Meys [50:23] (Nat Chat episode with Tasha)
Charlie Hoehn [51:28] (Nat Chat episode with Charlie)
Toyotomi Hideyoshi [53:18]
Ray Dalio [56:35]
Ivan Mazour [59:29]

1:15 - Introduction to Sebastian and some major problems today with people not tracking their time properly or investing their time as wisely as they should.4:21 - What Sebastian's current tracking system looks like after seven years of refining it, how to follow it on your own, and some advice for others looking to successfully adhere to their own system.

13:09 - Why this tracking system works very well and some discussion on why you may feel like you're doing well, but if you take a closer look, you're not. A bit on your emotions fooling you.

17:33 - Sebastian on what he tracks, how he tracks it, and what everyone else should be doing if they're starting to track things. (You don't have to track everything) "For a lot of juice out of life, pick the one or two activities that are really the most important to you and just track those."

20:30 - Some of the things that led to Sebastian and Kaizo starting Ultra Working. Also, a bit on what Ultra Working does and what their goals are.

22:50 - How the program developed, some results that the company has had with people, and some more on what they do at Ultra Working.

25:26 - The work cycle system, how you can benefit from it, and a bit on both how and why it works.

29:35 - Nat's personal system for getting things done and the ranking aspect of it. Also, a bit on how Sebastian ranks his system and some discussion on the importance of pre-estimating how long things are going to take.

34:44 - Thoughts on overestimating how much you actually work, scheduling more in less time, and the negative impact of bragging about working hard if there's not much to show for it. "Don't tell me how hard you've worked, tell me what you've got to show for it."

38:22 - How Nat got into productivity hacking and how accelerating productivity has helped him in various ways.

42:01 - Nat on minimizing boredom and some tactics everyone can use for minimizing boredom.

46:47 - Discussion on the pleasure of succeeding, taking control of things, and making progress on things. Also, how someone can get into the habit of being analytical and productive, and finding that first thing that gets you on the track towards that. "You need some big thing to happen, probably a bad thing, to motivate you to action."

52:12 - How finding mastery in one thing, transfers well to mastering other things and a bit on the benefits of hitting rock bottom as a way to become better (post-traumatic growth).

56:34 - Tracking the things that you do wrong, asking yourself what you could have done differently, being open to failure, and learning from these failures.

59:18 - Another method that you can try for improving your decision making, especially with difficult decisions.

1:03:25 - Sebastian's current long-term goals and projects. Also, some of Ultra Working's recent projects.

1:07:22 - Some discussion on how useful being proficient with math can be and working more with numbers. Also, some closing thoughts and where you can reach out to Sebastian at.

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe at https://nateliason.com/podcast

"Most people are very subjectively analyzing how their life is going, and with most people, their emotions are lying to them."

"Failure's more demoralizing to people than success is pleasing and exciting."

33: Top Twenty Poker Professional to High-End Productivity Coach with Chris Sparks Nov 24, 2017

Show notes

Find one thing that if you did it every day, would ensure that you move forward, and then make sure that it happens every day.

In this episode of Nat Chat, I'm joined by Chris Sparks. Chris shares his story with getting heavily involved in poker while still in college. Chris had planned to get into advertising but instead went all in with playing poker. After a year, he was living in a multi-million dollar mansion in Los Angeles up until 2011 when the US shut down online poker, seizing all of the money that he and his friends had in their exchanges. He went to London, continuing to pursue poker and travel, but soon began getting into more entrepreneurial projects. Currently, he's now a high-end productivity coach.

Chris is an excellent person to emulate for those wanting to become highly productive and efficient, as well as successful.

We cover a wide range of topics, including:

Tons of advice for those looking to be more productive and successful
Chris' story on becoming a worldwide top-twenty online poker player
Becoming more efficient at learning things
Chris' advice from traveling and top-performers
Building positive habits and commonly found productivity-hindering habits
Chris' personal system for improvement and productivity

And much more. Please enjoy, and reach out to Chris on Twitter!

If you enjoyed this episode and our discussion on self-education and entrepreneurship, check out my episode with Zak Slayback, as well as my episode with Connor Grooms.

Find Chris online:

Mentioned in the show:

The Cools [9:17]
Gin rummy [14:09]
Coachella [29:56]
Chris' Medium page [52:04]
The Forcing Function [54:15]

Books mentioned:

Getting Things Done [48:31]
The Motivation Hacker [48:35] (Nat's Notes)
So Good They Can't Ignore You [48:40] (Nat's Notes)

People mentioned:

Chris Moneymaker [13:45]
Cal Newport [48:38]

1:30 - Intro to Chris, a bit of background on him and his story, and why he currently won't go back to the UK.

7:24 - Chris' time in Europe, what came next for him after getting out of the poker scene, and how he got into more entrepreneurial projects.

9:50 - Chris detailing his two-year traveling experiences and working on his bucket list. Also, some of the major things he did while traveling and detailing some of the powerful lessons that he learned.

12:57 - Chris' really interesting story with poker and becoming one of the top twenty professional online poker players in the world. Also, his original career path and what made him stray away from that, eventually to consider playing poker as his full-time job.

18:25 - Chris' experiences in Brazil and some life-changing moments he had there.

21:00 - How Chris learned to play poker so well, what that process looked like, and how you can emulate this to improve your own learning abilities.

24:13 - Chris moving to LA from Detroit with some of his closest poker friends, him detailing some crazy stories from that, and then going on to live in a multi-million dollar mansion there.

29:23 - How long Chris lived in that mansion, his experience with losing most of his net worth to the government, and his reaction to getting the news that the US banned online poker.

31:57 - Chris' story with learning marketing, google analytics, and getting into productivity coaching after losing most of his money

34:26 - Some of the first things that Chris worked on with various entrepreneurs in productivity coaching.

38:07 - Some productivity and prioritization advice from Chris to others.

40:59 - The common bad habits that Chris notices with his clients and some more powerful productivity and positive habit forming advice. "True success comes from small improvements every day."

44:24 - Chris' personal system for reflection and system improvement. Also, some tactical pieces of information and advice that you can apply to your own life.

47:53 - What has helped Chris out the most with learning the mechanics of productivity. Some advice for others, as well. "Getting access to what all of the other top-performers are doing and deconstructing that."

49:52 - What Chris was first sharing and helping others out with in the beginning. Advice for others looking to be successful also mentioned here. "If anyone finds it useful, it's selfish to not share it."

54:03 - Wrap-up and where to find Chris online.

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe at https://nateliason.com/podcast

The biggest thing that you can do, particularly in college, where you'll never have as much serendipity and exposure to people from all over who have all of this free time and opportunity to do things, is to work on projects together, do things that scare you, take advantage of the massive amount of resources at your school that you're already paying for, and take on opportunities to expand your skillset through projects and activities.

32: Starting Your Own Media Company and Skipping College with Hannah Phillips Nov 16, 2017

Show notes

Just work on doing things for you and developing skills while doing it.

In this episode of Nat Chat, I'm joined by Hannah Phillips. Hannah started her own media company while still in high school which began with photography. Not long after, it quickly grew into branding and social media management, as well. By the time she was ready to go to college, she was making enough money to support herself and decided to focus on her business instead. She did end up going through Praxis, which was discussed in my episodes with Zak Slayback and Aaron Watson. Through it all, she's been able to develop her skills in photography, media, and social media marketing, and grow this business that's supporting her, despite her only being 20 years old.

Hannah is an excellent person to learn from for those of you with a creative ability or for those that just want to get into something entrepreneurial.

We cover a wide range of topics, including:

How Hannah started and grew a successful media company
How she primarily learned through self-education
Getting accepted into Praxis and what the curriculum looks like there
How others can pursue a similar, artistic lifestyle
A couple of Hannah's favorite books
Advice for those wanting to get into entrepreneurial pursuits

And much more. Please enjoy, and reach out to Hannah on Instagram!

If you enjoyed this episode and the bits on sidestepping college and self-education, be sure to check out my episode with Zak Slayback, as well as my episode with Bekah Lundy. If you enjoyed our discussion on entrepreneurial endeavors, be sure to check out my episode with Justin Mares and my episode with Tasha Meys.

Find Hannah online:

Mentioned in the show:

Books mentioned:

People mentioned:

Zak Slayback [0:41] (Nat Chat episode with Zak)
Aaron Watson [1:27] (Nat Chat episode with Aaron)
Chris Bosh [20:28]
Oren Klaff [21:25]

1:18 - Introduction to Hannah, her association with a previous podcast guest, Aaron Watson, and how she got into Praxis.

2:15 - How Hannah got started with doing photography for the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds, a professional ultimate frisbee team.

4:31 - Hannah's first professional clients that she had for her photography and her thoughts on whether she's always been interested in sports photography.

5:34 - How long Hannah's been professional photographing and when she started her media company. Also, Hannah speaking about when her business first started to become profitable and detailing a bit on her company's journey.

7:06 - The main things that Hannah focused on in the beginning of her company and detailing a bit on what she does now.

8:01 - How Hannah learned branding, consulting, social media marketing, and other skills.

8:47 - Hannah discussing her decision on not going to college and instead, working on her company full-time and self-educating herself.

10:12 - How Hannah found the confidence to not go to college and be okay. Also, her experience with being homeschooled.

12:13 - Hannah discussing her homeschooling experience a bit more, some discussion on self-directed learning, and what her education looked like in the later years. Also, advice for others looking to learn more and become more successful.

14:26 - Whether or not Hannah did any mentoring and her experience with giving speeches. Some discussion on her journey with Praxis and the impact it had, as well.

16:54 - What the application and qualification process for Praxis looks like, and what you have to prove. Also, what the curriculum looked like for Praxis.

19:56 - Some of the books that Praxis required students to read and Hannah discussing a couple of her favorite books. Some detail on pitching and sales, too.

23:06 - Hannah's favorite person that she's working with currently and what she does for that person. Afterwards, a bit about her experiences with Instagram marketing.

25:40 - How she got linked up with a marketing company while in Praxis and her speaking about cutting her apprenticeship short with that company.

27:30 - Hannah's speaking about her financial security and her long-term goals with her company, HP Media. Also, Hannah's thoughts on why so many artistic and creative people don't make a job out of those skills.

31:20 - Hannah's first project that she did outside of the school environment and what her first photography project for someone else was.

33:02 - Some things not mentioned so far that Hannah believes is really important for entrepreneurial success.

34:10 - Hannah's biggest challenge she's had from making her business her lifestyle and how she maintains her motivation.

36:10 - Some habits and small things that have helped Hannah do her best work.

38:36 - Wrap-up, some last pieces of advice from Hannah for others looking to be more successful and happy, and where to find Hannah online.

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe at https://nateliason.com/podcast

Work on goals and projects that are in no way school or work related, just because that gives you something to feel good about accomplishing.

31: Quitting College to Learn Programming in 7 Months with Bekah Lundy Nov 09, 2017

Show notes

The most effective way of learning for me was just failing over and over again. Being in a place where you don't know anything and where you have to force yourself to learn.

In this episode of Nat Chat, I'm joined by Bekah Lundy. Bekah started off as a student of The University of Minnesota, where after a year, she started to get into web development and realized normal college just wasn't for her. She left and went through a coding boot camp called Turing. Seven months later, she started working as a developer for a start-up called Apto in Boulder, Colorado.

Bekah's story is a great example for those who are wanting to leave a traditional career route to pursue things that they're actually passionate about.

We cover a wide range of topics, including:

Self-educating yourself
Finding the confidence to stray from the traditional career path
Learning to program and code
Using failure as a way to accelerate learning
Being passionate about your work
Turing, the effective coding boot camp

And much more. Please enjoy, and reach out to Bekah on Twitter!

If you enjoyed our discussion on learning, self-education, and leaving college, be sure to check out my episode with Zak Slayback, and my episode with Connor Grooms. If you want to learn more about coding, check out my episode with Max Friedman, and my episode with Darwish Gani, where we discuss coding in detail and much more.

Find Bekah Online:

Mentioned in the show:

University of Minnesota [0:22]
Turing [0:32]
Apto [0:38]
My journey to becoming a 19-year-old Full Stack engineer [0:41]
Full Stack [0:41]
Codecademy [5:40]
Harvard [11:32]
Stanford [11:45]
Number Guesser project [16:18]
Codewars [35:50]

People mentioned:

Mark Zuckerberg [11:32]

1:29 - Introduction to Bekah, what she does, and where she works.

2:36 - Bekah's story on leaving college and becoming a 19-year-old Full Stack engineer.

8:50 - How Bekah found the confidence to take the leap, leave college, and go to Turing, a coding boot camp, instead.

11:17 - Some discussion on the option of temporarily dropping out, and maybe returning later. Also, how important and useful temporarily dropping out can be. Some information on the flaws of college learning, as well.

15:28 - What Bekah's project-based learning and education looked like at Turing.

19:19 - Bekah's experience with learning to be comfortable with failing over and over again, as well as self-education.

21:57 - Techniques that Bekah learned from Turing that helped her with learning to be comfortable with failing quickly. Also, how people could incorporate these techniques without an organization teaching them.

24:22 - Bekah's experience with learning on her own and doing side projects before she went to Turing.

25:07 - Some major resources that helped Bekah with learning to code and program.

25:56 - What the application process is like for Turing.

29:02 - The other boot camps that Bekah looked at before deciding upon Turing and the factors that mattered the most to her when deciding.

31:02 - What the tuition is like for Turing and some information on scholarship programs.

32:05 - What the hiring process looked like after completing Turing.

34:47 - Bekah's thoughts on what she'd do if money were no longer a concern for her.

35:38 - What Bekah does in her free time to keep her coding skills sharp and updated.

36:19 - Some last thoughts on leaving college, learning to code, and going against the traditional route.

36:58 - Wrap-up and where to find Bekah online.

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe at https://nateliason.com/podcast

So many students don't realize that it's an option to do this soft drop-out, go try something else and if it doesn't work out, you can always come back.

30: How an Ideal Mentorship Can Teach You More than College with Cory Ames Nov 02, 2017

Show notes

Seeking out experiences where you're forced to learn, will create so many of these moments, where you're going to look at things completely differently when you're done.

In this episode of Nat Chat, I'm joined by Cory Ames. Cory was going to college at Gonzaga University where he took on an apprenticeship with a marketing agency. His apprenticeship with that agency quickly earned him bigger and bigger roles, where within a couple of years, he was actually running the whole company while being only 23 years old. He figured everything out on his own through various projects in college and by reaching out to others to learn from them. Currently, Cory's out of that marketing agency and is working on some of his own projects.

Cory's a great model to follow for those wanting to pursue their goals, those wanting to self-educate themselves, and for those wanting to get into entrepreneurial pursuits.

We cover a wide range of topics, including:

Deconstructing skills and learning them on your own
Self-educating yourself outside of the college environment
His journey towards running a multi-million dollar company at only 23 years old
Finding the confidence to leave school and pursue your goals
Promoting your skillset and finding clients for your skills
Resources and books that have helped Cory out along the way

And much more. Please enjoy, and reach out to Cory on Twitter!

If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more on self-education, be sure to check out my episode with Zak Slayback and my episode with Zen Dude Fitness, where we go in-depth on self-educating yourself and much more. You'll also like my episode with Tasha Meys, where we discuss finding mentors, promoting your skillset, and more.

Find Cory Online:

Mentioned in the show:

Books mentioned:

The 4-Hour Chef [3:25] (Nat's Notes)
The Art of Learning [3:30] (Nat's Notes)
The 4-Hour Workweek [8:08] (Nat's Notes)
Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got [36:55]

People mentioned:

Casey Ames [1:35]
Taylor Pearson [1:36] (Nat Chat episode with Taylor)
Tim Ferriss [3:25]
Josh Waitzkin [3:30]
Tommy Griffith [16:30]
Blake Boles [23:19] (Nat Chat episode with Blake)
Jay Abraham [37:10]

1:17 - Intro to Cory, what he's currently working on, and him detailing his experience with learning photography. Also, how he's finding people to reach out to, to learn photography.

5:34 - Some of the things Cory's learned so far with photography within the deconstruction phase.

6:59 - How long Cory has been learning photography and some things he's been doing for income.

7:27 - Cory's journey to becoming CEO of a multi-million dollar marketing company being only 23 years old.

9:07 - What Cory was first doing for that marketing company and discussion on how large the company was. Also, what happened after he got the job there.

12:25 - What gave Cory the confidence to leave school and not go back. Also, some info on Cory's affiliate website.

14:55 - How Cory learned SEO and a few resources that were really helpful for him learning SEO.

17:29 - Some other projects and things that helped Cory with self-educating himself.

19:43 - What Cory was studying while he was in college and what steered him away from college the most. Also, detailing some of the pros and cons of college.

23:03 - Cory's experience with traveling to South America and some lessons that he learned while there. Also, his experiences and his traveling after leaving South America and living in Austin, Texas.

27:13 - How the team at the marketing company worked together and his thoughts on managing travel and working.

29:57 - Cory's progression from the lead SEO role to then leading the company. Also, why he resigned from the company.

33:20 - Some things that happened after Cory resigned and what he plans to work on in the future.

36:18 - How Cory finds the clients to work with and some advice he has for others wanting to find clients.

37:55 - Some big long-term goals and projects that Cory's currently striving for.

39:14 - Some thoughts on working with the state and local level of politics.

40:39 - The life-changing books that Cory's read and experiences that he's had.

43:02 - Wrap-up, where to find Cory online, and where to reach out to him at.

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe at https://nateliason.com/podcast

Build skills that can help other people, and then just have enough conversations about it with other people and their projects.

29: What If Students Learned What They Want To? Unschooling and More with Blake Boles Oct 26, 2017

Show notes

Unschooling is more about self-directed learning, finding out what you're interested in, and going really deep into something.

In this episode of Nat Chat, I'm joined by Blake Boles. While in college, Blake stumbled upon a book that really opened his eyes to the world of unschooling, alternative education, and how students could be learning better outside of the traditional systems. Shortly after graduating, he worked in California doing outdoor education and then ran off to South America for three months, where he decided he wanted to work within the alternative education field while also traveling. He then started Unschool Adventures, where he takes students on two-month trips to interesting places around the world.

Blake is an excellent guy to follow if you're into the alternative education and unschooling movement, as well as the digital nomad space.

We covered a wide range of topics, including:

Alternative educational systems
The unschooling movement and its goals
Finding the motivation to leave the traditional school system
Fixing the existing school systems
The importance of self-directed learning
Turning your passions into a career

And much more. Please enjoy, and reach out to Blake on his website!

If you enjoyed this episode and the bits on turning your passion into a career, you'll like my episode with Tasha Meys, where we talk about that and more. If you want more on the schooling system, be sure to listen to my episode with William Deresiewicz, where we discuss that in-depth.

Find Blake Online:

Mentioned in the show:

Unschool Adventures [0:55]
Lonely Planet [3:27]
Summerhill School [9:05]
Astro Camp [9:41]
Not Back to School Camp [13:41]
Couchsurfing [34:16]
Minerva [34:37] (Nat Chat episode with the founder)
Liberated Learners [36:49]
North Star [36:54]
Lord of the Flies [37:53]
Arthur Morgan school [40:20]
Mooc [43:12]
Blakes website [51:44]
Blake's newsletter [51:44]
How to Live Nowhere [52:47]

Books mentioned:

Dumbing Us Down [11:11]
A Different Kind of Teacher [11:13]
Excellent Sheep [30:15] (Nat's Notes) (Nat Chat episode)
The Art of Self-directed Learning [51:44] (Blake's other books)

People mentioned:

John Taylor Gatto [8:04]
William Deresiewicz [30:15] (Nat Chat episode)

1:50 - Intro to Blake, some background on what he does, and some information on his business Unschool Adventures, where he takes unschooled teenagers on international trips. Also, how he figures out which places to take his students and some details on what they learn.

5:50 - Why Blake chose to do these trips for a younger crowd and who these students are.

7:06 - How Blake got involved in the unschooling movement, some of his experiences growing up with it, and his education.

11:23 - What Blake did before he started getting into the unschool movement and his transformational travel experience to South America. Also, how he started his lifestyle business and its beginnings.

16:32 - What made Blake choose to get into unschooling compared to other alternative schooling methods and him discussing some of the homeschooling laws in Germany and in the US.

20:11 - Blake's thoughts on social integration with unschooling and some in-depth information on the social aspect of unschooling. Also, how it can be really beneficial for sociability.

25:11 - Blake's thoughts on whether it requires a certain type of person for unschooling and on whether it could work for every kid.

28:41 - Wealthy students sometimes having it the worst with going to these top schools and the negative aspects of the social pressure that they face with those schools. Blake's thoughts on changing the existing school systems or whether it's okay for a certain type of person. Also, the lack of self-efficacy with these traditional compared to unschooled students.

33:00 - Whether or not Blake was always comfortable figuring things out on his own and some of the things that helped him out the most with self-directed learning.

34:29 - Blake's thoughts on other alternative schooling programs and his thoughts on the practical issue that families interested in unschooling face, which is that the parents working often or that there's only one parent. Also, which alternative school models Blake recommends the most.

39:19 - Whether or not Blake has thought about starting a center modeled after these other effective self-directed learning centers. Also, some of his future plans within the unschooling space.

42:16 - Blake's ideas for fixing the education problem at the parental level, some more thoughts on how Blake's parents helped him out regarding education, how parents can help their children more in regards to education, and where he started when he began questioning the education system.

46:37 - Blake detailing the de-schooling process and talking about the transition phases between mentally demanding periods of life.

49:10 - Some last thoughts from Blake and some thoughts on the extreme social comparison that can be made between unschooled students and regular students.

51:44 - Wrap-up and where to find Blake online.

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe at https://nateliason.com/podcast

Unrestricted travel, in general, is such a great corollary for self-directed learning for having to figure out who you are and what you want to do, because no one's going to hold your hand or make it easy for you or if they do, they're going to charge you a bunch of money.

28: Creating a Career from Art, Travel, and Instagram with Tasha Meys Oct 19, 2017

Show notes

Taking action in anything is going to have a much better result than doing nothing.

In this episode, I'm joined by Tasha Meys. Tasha grew up in New Zealand and studied psychology, which she quickly got out of when she realized it wasn't for her, going on to study food and nutrition instead. Around her sophomore year of college, she decided that she needed a portfolio for getting jobs post-graduation and got really into Instagram. Shortly after graduating, she began to get solicited by large brands wanting to be promoted on her Instagram page. Now, she consults companies on how to grow their own social media influence and helps others do the same.

Tasha is a great example of someone who turned their passion into a fulfilling and successful lifestyle and is a great person to emulate if you want to do something similar.

We cover a wide range of topics, including:

Reaching out and finding good mentors
Improving your confidence with online publicity
Growing your social media influence
Bringing your skills to the table with social platforms
Gaining more financial independence through social media
Tasha's pivotal book recommendations

And much more. Please enjoy, and reach out to Tasha on Instagram!

If you enjoyed this episode and liked the sections on travel, be sure to check out my episode with Connor Grooms, and if you want to learn more about finding valuable mentors be sure to listen to my episode with Charlie Hoehn, where we go in-depth on that. Lastly, if you're interested in finding your passion, you'll enjoy my episode with Thomas Frank.

Find Tasha Online:

Mentioned in the show:

Books mentioned:

Color Me Creative [3:58]
Color Me Inspired [4:01]
The Defining Decade [35:20] (Nat's Notes)
Awaken the Giant Within [35:30] (Nat's Notes)

People mentioned:

Kristina Webb [3:47]
Harper Collins [3:55]

0:00 - Intro to the show and some background information on Tasha.

1:13 - Tasha's introduction, her detailing some of her traveling experiences, and a few of her business and writing experiences.

4:23 - How Tasha got involved with work based around Instagram, how she gained following on her Instagram, and what she studied in college.

8:58 - Tasha detailing what her college experience in New Zealand was like.

13:04 - What Tasha got into after graduating, how she landed her first social media managing job for a company in New Zealand, and then into work around Instagram.

16:46 - How Tasha learned how to successfully grow her Instagram and make a career out of that space.

18:30 - How Tasha overcame some of these personal barriers in the beginning of her Instagram career, promoted her work, and sharing advice that you can use.

21:58 - One of the biggest lessons that Tasha's learned from her journey with Instagram, and her speaking on finding and learning from mentors.

24:45 - What Tasha's process for reaching out to others looks like and some thoughts on being successful.

26:37 - When Tasha and her business partner started getting into consulting work, how long they've been working on their business, and how many clients they typically work with.

30:15 - What Tasha's long-term goals are for the business and her own Instagram.

33:14 - How Tasha's parents felt when she left the company in New Zealand to fly to America to work on Instagram.

34:30 - Some books that were pivotal to Tasha's way of thinking and where she gets a lot of her information and advice from.

37:59 - Some last pieces of advice from Tasha and some things that she wished she'd known before starting all of this.

39:26 - Wrap-up and where to find Tasha online.

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe at https://nateliason.com/podcast

"Literally just ask someone that's doing exactly what you want to do about how they got there."

27: When to Quit Your Job and Pursue Your Passion with Aaron Watson Oct 12, 2017

Show notes

Get with the people who are a couple steps ahead of where you want to be, and learn from them.

In this episode, I'm joined by Aaron Watson. Aaron and I were introduced via Zak Slayback, who came on for episode 25. Like Zak, Aaron is also passionate about the education, self-education, and self-improvement scene. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and went straight into an insurance sales job. Pretty soon into it, he realized that it wasn't for him and left to start a podcast called "Going Deep with Aaron," where he's done over 250 episodes.

If you've ever thought that your job just wasn't for you and that you wanted to go do something else that's more exciting and rewarding, Aaron is a perfect model of how you can do that.

We cover a wide range of topics, including:

Starting struggles with entrepreneurial endeavors
Aaron's lessons from over 250 podcast guests
Finding the drive to work harder than your peers
Advice for growing your content and growing a podcast
Self-educating yourself outside of college
Aaron's pivotal book recommendations

And much more. Please enjoy, and reach out to Aaron on Twitter!

If you enjoyed our discussion on straying from the traditional path to pursue your passions and self-educating yourself, you'll enjoy my episode with Zak Slayback, my episode with Connor Grooms, and my episode with Taylor Pearson.

Find Aaron Online:

Mentioned in the show:

Aaron's podcast, Going Deep [1:22]
Aaron's Going Deep conference event in Pittsburgh on January 27th [1:27] (event code "Nat Chat" for discount, automatically applied in the above link)
Aaron's podcast episodes on cryptocurrency and the blockchain [2:29]
University of Pittsburgh's ultimate frisbee team [5:34]
Pittsburgh Thunderbirds [5:44]
NPR [17:00]
Econ Talk [20:42]
George Mason [20:48]
Libsyn [21:19]
AUDL [22:25]
TopScore [27:33]
Weebly [28:38]
Squarespace [28:38]
Wix [28:38]
Conversations with Tyler Cohen podcast [39:18]
Invest Like the Best [39:20]
Nathan Latka's The Top Entrepreneurs [39:28]
Aaron's Newsletter [44:30]
The Waiter's Pad [44:43]
Made You Think podcast [45:58]
412 Food Rescue [48:05]

Books mentioned:

Aaron's book recommendation page (new books every month)
The Fish That Ate the Whale [39:49]
The Power of Myth [40:54] (Nat's Notes) (Made You Think episode)
The Gospel According to Larry [42:25]
Antifragile [42:45] (Antifragile Nat Chat episode)
Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live [43:34]
Uncensored History of ESPN [43:34]
Uncensored History of the CAA [43:34]
Casino Healthcare [45:38]
The Internet of Money [47:03]
Blockchain Revolution [47:04]

People mentioned:

Zak Slayback [0:07] (Zak's Nat Chat episode)
Nathan Latka [6:57]
Barry Ritholtz [8:44] (Aaron's podcast episode with him)
Seth Godin [19:55]
Russ Roberts [20:42]
Taylor Pearson [29:18] (Taylor's Nat Chat episode)
Justin Mares [31:33] (Justin's Nat Chat episode)
Samuel Zemurray [39:49]
Joseph Campbell [40:54]
Nassim Nicholas Taleb [42:45]
James Andrew Miller [43:30]
Mike Deriano [44:43]
Patrick O'Shaugnessy [44:48]
Dan Morris Monroe [45:38]
Neil Soni [45:57]
Leah Lizarondo [47:29]
Ed Latimore [47:29] (Twitter)
Dan Bull [47:29]
Adam Haritan [47:29]

1:43 - Introduction to Aaron and how he chooses topics to talk about on his podcast.

3:26 - When Aaron started his podcast and how he found the drive to work harder than other people out there. Also, how this hard work has paid off for him.

6:49 - How Aaron balances his schedule between the sports, his podcast, and his branding job.

7:43 - Some of the biggest lessons Aaron's learned from his podcast and from over 250 people.

11:20 - What Aaron was doing when he started his podcast and what his journey after graduation looked like.

14:22 - What Aaron was doing for money at the time that he was starting his podcast.

15:47 - How Aaron figured out how to effectively manage his podcast and interview people.

18:32 - Advice from Aaron on getting your content out there and how he managed to get his first few podcast guests.

22:25 - The power of circles of influence. Aaron's example with professional ultimate frisbee leagues (AUDL) and speaking to entrepreneurs in that field.

24:36 - Aaron's future plans for the podcast and where he plans to take it. Also, the usefulness of having an audience following for testing business ideas before you market them.

27:31 - How Aaron landed his job being the VP of sales for TopScore and what made him move on from that job. Also, how he landed a job with Nick Latka.

32:35 - Aaron's journey through college and what he studied. Also, some of his entrepreneurial experiences with ultimate frisbee.

35:48 - How Aaron's parents reacted to him leaving the insurance company to start his podcast.

38:04 - Aaron's advice for others looking to get into entrepreneurial type work, and to get out of the consumption mindset and into the creation mindset.

42:09 - Some pivotal books that Aaron's read and recommends to others.

44:29 - How Aarons decides which books to read and invest in.

46:19 - Some last thoughts from Aaron on learning Blockchain technology and some information regarding his event in Pittsburgh on January 29th.

50:11 - Wrap-up and where to find Aaron online.

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe at https://nateliason.com/podcast

You see somebody from the outside and they're super impressive, super built-up, and then you get to know them and it's like "Oh, okay, they just worked really hard at this and they've earned that prestige, but they're not that different from any of us."

26: Escaping Boring Jobs to Jump Rope and Look Good Naked with Zen Dude Fitness Oct 05, 2017

Show notes

"Different things are going to work for different people, but eating too much is bad for everyone."

In this episode of Nat Chat, I'm joined by Dan Witmer and Brandon Epstein, who together, are Zen Dude Fitness. Zen Dude Fitness is essentially a health, fitness, coaching, and lifestyle brand that's specifically focused on jumping rope for fat loss and health. They have millions of views on YouTube, have done meetups all over the country, and have a really inspiring story. They both turned their mutual passion and interest of jumping rope, being healthy, and having fun into a really successful business where they've helped millions of people live healthier lifestyles. If you're someone who wants to improve their health or just wanting tips to grow your business, these guys are excellent teachers and have a lot of great advice.

We cover a wide range of topics, including:

Becoming fit and healthy by jumping rope
Debunking common diet and food myths
Advice for getting the body that you want
Common errors in the fitness industry
Growing a business by self-education
Getting more enjoyment from exercise

And much more. Please enjoy, and check out Zen Dude Fitness on YouTube!

If you enjoyed our discussion on improving your health and the bits on self-education, you should check out my episode with Connor Grooms and my episode with Zak Slayback, where in each of these we discuss more health topics, self-educating yourself, becoming successful, and more.

Find Zen Dude Fitness Online:

Mentioned in the show:

People mentioned:

Armi Legge [23:30]
Gary Vaynerchuk [38:20]

1:20 - Intro to the Zen Dudes and some information on what Zen Dude Fitness is all about.

3:15 - What running the business looks like for them on a daily basis, what they focus on, and how their popularity progressed over time.

5:41 - Why and how they made the decision to move to Colombia to help the company get off the ground. Also, some information on how they started the company and discussing their mission for the company.

10:31 - How Dan decided to make the move from a very lucrative job to pursuing his passion and working on Zen Dude Fitness with Brandon.

12:36 - What Brandon did before working on Zen Dude Fitness.

15:48 - The time when they both noticed that Zen Dude Fitness was doing really well and when it could be their full-time jobs. Also, how they incorporated jumping rope into the business.

18:36 - Both of them quitting weight training to solely jump rope for health, while still maintaining a very muscular physique.

20:48 - Some very common fitness errors that Dan and Brandon see a lot of people make.

23:06 - Their top recommendations for people wanting to get the body that they want and wanting to be healthy. Also, their thoughts on some very common dietary misconceptions out there and discussing some solid advice for your diet.

30:15 - Some outdated and false diet information that is still being regarded as true today, such as eating saturated fats, high salt intake, skipping breakfast, and eating lots of cholesterol as being bad for you.

34:37 - How they both find quality information and do their research.

36:30 - How they learned how to grow the YouTube channel and the Zen Dude business, without having a background in business development. Self-educating themselves on video editing and other skills.

39:08 - How they both survived at the start of the business when they had little to no income and discussing what some of their largest learning mistakes were.

42:39 - Some of the main sources of income they have from the business. Also, some really valuable advice on affiliates, building relationships with other companies and prioritizing gaining influence at the start of your business.

47:43 - The future of Zen Dude Fitness, what they may get into, and their goal for the company.

53:05 - Wrap-up and where to find the Zen Dudes online.

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe at https://nateliason.com/podcast

"It's not something that they really actually want. They just think they want it because there's this image that's sold on the internet."

25: The End of School and Building a Valuable Skillset with Zak Slayback Sep 28, 2017

Show notes

"For a lot of jobs, it's actually a lot easier to get hired, promoted, and to continue growing in that job without the degree than you think it is. You just need to be creative."

In this episode of Nat Chat, I'm joined by Zak Slayback. Zak dropped out of the University of Pennsylvania when he realized that college just wasn't for him. Since then, he's worked on business development, published his own book, become the head of publishing for an online publication called The Mission, and much more.

He's had experience going outside of the school system, learning on your own, developing that reputation and that skill set, and getting to work with some really respected people in his field. He's a perfect example of how you can be successful without necessarily having a college education.

We cover a wide range of topics, including:

Flaws with receiving degrees and with the education system
Getting great apprenticeships
Zak's top book recommendations
Using self-education to your advantage
Understanding opportunity cost and improving your success with it
Important skills you need to develop for success
Techniques for achieving your goals

And much more. Please enjoy, and reach out to Zak on Twitter!

If you enjoyed this episode and want more on getting apprenticeships, you'll love my episode with Charlie Hoehn. You should also check out my episode with Ben Nelson, where we discuss major flaws in the education system and how we can improve our learning. Lastly, check out my episode with Connor Grooms, where we discuss self-education, accelerating our learning, and more.

Find Zak Online:

Mentioned in the show:

University of Pennsylvania [0:27]
The Mission [0:43]
Medium [0:43]
The State Policy Network [1:47]
The Big Five Personality Index [3:42]
Joe Rogan Podcast [6:04] (episode mentioned)
Quest Nutrition [6:04]
Uber [7:05]
Praxis [8:55]
Grove City College [10:37]
Python [15:03]
Javascript [15:05]
C-Suite [16:37]
Thinktink [20:22]
Christian Science Monitor [20:30]
Duquesne University [20:40]
University of Arizona [23:02]
Moving From New York to Austin (What Salary Do You Actually Need?) [36:15]
Georgetown University [37:10]
Clarium Capital [38:30]
Weebly [40:48]
Audacity [41:14]
Carnegie Mellon [45:10]
Leverage Research [49:14]
Paradigm Academy [49:15]
Ambition Mapping [52:03] Article at [53:17]
SEC [52:28]
Let Me Google That For You [53:20]
Get Ahead Book Site [59:10]
Zak's Podcast [59:55]
Kindle [1:01:15]

Books mentioned:

The End of School [0:38]
Deep Work [28:45] (Nat's Notes)
Excellent Sheep [34:05] (Nat Chat episode) (Nat's Notes)
How to Lie with Statistics [36:50] (Nat's Notes)
Recession Proof Graduate [41:28]
The Fountainhead [54:40]
Value-Focused Thinking [55:18]
Unlimited Power [55:47]
Awaken the Giant Within [55:58] (Nat's Notes)
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics [57:14]
Goethe's Faust [57:22]

People mentioned:

Joe Rogan [6:04]
Milton Freeman [7:48]
Ron Paul [7:48]
Bill Peduto [7:48]
Cal Newport [28:45]
William Deresiewicz [34:05] (Nat Chat episode)
Peter Thiel [38:30]
Bill Gates [39:54]
Charlie Hoehn [41:28] (Nat Chat episode)
Ramit Sethi [41:55]
Tucker Max [41:55]
Tim Ferriss [41:55]
Seth Godin [41:55]
Jordan Peterson [50:06]
Tony Robbins [51:08]
Ayn Rand [55:02]
Aristotle [57:14]
James Altucher [58:27]

1:38 - Intro to Zak and a few thoughts on the flaws of nonprofits.

4:23 - The main issues with nonprofit organizations and some solutions for these issues.

8:06 - How Zak got invited to various talks and some information on what he talks about.

8:55 - The goal for Praxis, what they do, and how they help people find jobs through apprenticeships. Also, some thoughts on college and why it's ineffective at preparing students for jobs.

13:22 - How Zak convinces employers to hire people who don't have a college education and shows them their skill sets. Also, some more info on Praxis.

17:49 - How Zak started working with Praxis and received his job there. Also, some thoughts and advice with personality traits.

22:39 - Some of the projects Zak worked on in college and what he was studying in college.

23:24 - How and when Zak decided to leave his university to work on other things. Also, some powerful advice for those who are pursuing a degree.

25:29 - How Zak's parents took his decision to leave college.

27:34 - When Zak made the switch to do more writing. Also, some advice for those who want to be a better writer and then him detailing what his recent book is about.

29:30 - Zak's job as the head of publishing for The Mission and a few of the things that he writes about there.

30:35 - Zak's goal for the educational system and what he wants to see change. Some more advice for people in college or planning to go to college.

34:02 - The flawed statistics with salaries, people getting trapped into these rare high salary jobs, and people trying to make their college decision based on which one has the higher reported median income.

37:55 - Some great kinds of work that tend to work really well for kids going straight in and doing apprenticeships.

39:05 - An important skill that you need to develop for success and how to learn it. Learning about opportunity cost and apprenticeships.

46:08 - Some things that helped Zak learn more about himself and his interests. Also a bit on the self-authoring program.

49:55 - What the self-authoring program is, how it works, and how it can benefit your life. Also, how you can achieve your goals easier and what you can do if you're struggling to reach your goals.

54:33 - Some of Zak's favorite books that impacted and helped him the most.

57:45 - Getting a free book from Zak's website each week and some information on his upcoming book "How to Get Ahead When You Have Nothing to Offer" and when it will be released.

59:13 - Wrap-up, some last thoughts in general, his podcasts, and where to find Zak online.

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe at https://nateliason.com/podcast

"I think that leaving a university is going to be a better decision for a lot more people than people think."

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