Get Yourself Optimized®

My guest today is Rich German, who is a bestselling author, speaker, and business/lifestyle coach. He has conducted over 18,000 individual coaching sessions and co-founded the JV Insider Circle. With its focus on joint ventures, the JV Insider Circle is a powerful community that helps speakers, authors, and coaches grow their businesses. Each year they host a live event called JVX, a three-day experience, which helps cultivate relationships geared towards building lasting joint ventures. Rich's first two books, Living the Law of Attraction and Monetize Your Passion, are content-rich books that help people improve their lives and financial situations. Rich has a passion for helping entrepreneurs cultivate a life that allows them to take care of their own mind, body, and spirit, and to enjoy the things they are most passionate about. Rich teaches what he knows to be true--it is possible to create a lifestyle that you love. Rich has a love for the ocean and the creatures that live in it. Years ago Rich made spending time on his paddleboard a priority. He has structured his life in a way that he is able to spend hours a day interacting with the dolphins and whales that call Laguna Beach, California their home. On a whim he started taking pictures and then video, and posting them on his Facebook page. (Check out his images here.) His photos are breathtaking! His time on the water has given him a mission to restore, protect, and sustain the ocean. He created Project O, with a short-term goal of raising awareness through art, film, outreach activities, and media coverage. The long-term goal of Project O is to help change laws in order to protect the oceans. Rich has compiled 95 of his most amazing images into a beautiful new coffee-table book called Blue Laguna. The sale of his new book will help fund Project O's mission of protecting the ocean for our generation and generations to come. Connect with Rich German: Pre-order Rich's book here to help support his work through Project O.Rich GermanJV Insider CircleFind Rich on Facebook In this episode: [02:55] - Rich talks about how his new book came to be. [05:30] - Rich describes his love for the water and his amazing connection with the dolphins and whales near Laguna Beach drove him to begin filming his experiences, and then sharing them on his Facebook page. [06:27] - Rich tells us about having one of his videos go viral. Watch it here. [07:18] - We hear about him receiving massive media exposure last year, as well as exposure from top ocean organizations such as PETA, Save the Whales, Black Fish, and The Cove. [08:49] - Rich tells us that he estimates that since 2010 he has been out in the water paddling about 2100 times, has spent over 5000 hours on the water, and paddled over 15,000 miles. [10:40] - Rich talks about 100% of the proceeds from the pre-order of his book going to help fund Project O. Pre-order Rich's book here. [11:15] - We discuss the process of creating a non-profit. [13:48] - Rich speaks about creating Project O, with a short-term goal of raising awareness through art, film, outreach activities, and media coverage, and a long-term goal of changing laws in order to protect the ocean. [14:04] - Rich explains the benefits of no-take zones, areas that cannot be fished. [15:33] - He tells us why it is important to him to approach activism from a place of love instead of a place of fear. [16:32] - Rich tells of his determination to set up a lifestyle that gave him time to pursue his passions, particularly his love for the ocean. He gets into how his focus on collaboration, working together to create a better result, influenced his decision to create his own foundation versus joining one that already existed. [19:37] - Rich tells us why he is not the guy to talk about the pros and cons of setting up a 501(c)(3). [20:30] - We talk about how burnout played a role in Rich leaving the coaching company he was working for and creating the JV Insider Circle and the JVX Experience. [24:26] - Rich reminds us that when he created his company, he looked first at what kind of lifestyle he wanted, then created a business to satisfy those needs. [27:32] - Rich explains why solopreneurs, people who generally work from home and alone, especially need avenues to build relationships, support, and partnerships in their business. [28:13] - We learn how Rich was able to leverage his time by moving from one-on-one coaching to building a community that is six hundred-to-one and in the process taking his income up five to ten times. [30:00] - Rich talks about creating his million-dollar JV Insider Circle by continually niching down until he was only solving one problem, teaching people how to do joint ventures. [32:15] - We chat about the power of being focused. Stephan gives a great exercise in being focused that comes from Warren Buffett. Read more about that here. [33:10] - Rich tells us how avoiding "shiny-object syndrome" and following up on great ideas can set you apart from other entrepreneurs. [33:31] - Check out the interview that Rich and Stephan did on the Marketing Speak podcast. In that episode, Rich gets into details about how to set up a joint-venture partnership, how to leverage friendships and acquaintances to get a better list, and why doing mutually beneficial promotions is a crucial part of growing your business. You can listen to that here. [34:15] - Rich responds to Frank Kern's idea that "The money is in the list." Rich reminds us that it is not about growing a big list; it is about the impact you can make through the list. [36:10] - Rich recommends asking the question, "Who is already talking to the audience that I want to be talking to?" [37:05] - Stephan recommends the book Thousand True Fans by Kevin Kelly, which talks about the benefit of having an audience who is proactively engaging with you and the community instead of passively consuming information. [38:40] - Rich gets into the details of his offer to give a free ticket to the JVX event (November 3-5, 2016) to the listeners of Optimized Geek. [38:48] - Rich talks about the role that training and education play in the JV Insider Circle. [41:59] - We talk about the remarkable things that happen at JVX, including JV Match Cards; top-notch education about joint ventures; "Shark Attack," which will feature an all-star panel that includes Christian Mickelsen and Loral Langemeier; and opportunities to network that are off the charts! Do you have your free ticket yet? [44:50] - Rich gives us a key tip about creating informational products, "Your program or product needs to solve just one problem." He explains why he thinks this is such a key point. Links and Resources: Pre-order Rich's book here to help support his work through Project O. Rich German JV Insider Circle Find Rich on Facebook Match.com Living the Law of Attraction Monetize Your Passion Warren Buffett's tips to get focused Shark Tank Marketing Speak - Episode 20 - Guest Rich German Thousand True Fans Christian Mickelsen Loral Langemeier A free gift for Optimized Geek podcast listeners: JVX Ticket Page

Shanda Sumpter is the founder of HeartCore Business. She is passionate about helping people build businesses that don't burn them out. She is a coach, speaker, and author. Shanda's book is called Core Calling: How to Build a Business That Gives You a Freedom Lifestyle in 2 Years or Less! She is also the creator of the wildly popular Zone Event. When Shanda started her career in the commercial real-estate business with Coldwell Banker, she used emails to build a 170-million-dollar real-estate empire in just fourteen months. Five years ago she headed out on her own and started her own business, which she has grown to over five million dollars in sales and 121,000 names on her email list. Shanda is a self-proclaimed "recovering workaholic" who has bucked the work-till-you-drop mentality, to build a business that gives her the freedom to spend time with her partner, Ash, and her son, Zack; travel the world; and take time to enjoy life. Shanda has taught thousands of entrepreneurs around the world to build businesses they love and live a freedom lifestyle, working on their own terms. Connect with Shanda Sumpter at: www.heartcorebusiness.com/about/ or @HeartCoreWomen on Twitter You'll Learn: 01:52 – Shanda talks with us about what a freedom lifestyle means. 03:48 – She tells us, "Freedom, for me, is truly spending time intimately with people but also making a huge difference in the world and making more than enough money than you could possibly spend." 07:18 – We hear about Shanda's use of "flex time" and how that has evolved over time. She explains how endurance training both changed how she "flexed" but also helped her become a strong finisher in every part of her life. 09:57 – We discuss how the logistics of flex time work for Shanda every month, including using email autoresponders; specific voice-mail messages; and being unavailable for calls, texts, and emails. 12:20 – Shanda tells us why HeartCore Business offers paid, unlimited vacation to their employees, and why that works so well. 13:35 – We hear how working as a team is the way that everyone, including Shanda, in her company is able to take the time off they need to stay refreshed and at the top of their game. 15:42 – Stephan asked how to answer listeners who think this type of flexibility is impossible for their business and life. 16:51 – Shanda stresses, "My company didn't grow because I worked harder; my company grew because I actually broke the scarcity in my mindset by changing my schedule like this." 18:05 – Shanda relates stories of clients who have experienced great changes in their professional and personal lives by adopting flex time. 23:30 – We hear how abundance comes from creating a plan and a schedule that works to serve you. 23:58 – Stephan and Shanda discuss the benefit of doing "tempos," intense times (90 days) of doing very specific projects several times a year, and why you can actually make more money by doing less overall and doing more in targeted areas. 25:00 - We hear Shanda's excitement about The Zone Event. 27:42 – Shanda tells us her experience of starting her business, working seven days a week, and only making $2000 profit for the whole year. She explains how being strategic with her time has grown her company to five million dollars last year in sales, with a 35-37% profit margin. 30:08 – We get into the importance of taking care of our physical and spiritual needs, and being generous with our resources. 31:34 – Shanda tells us how the Bible has become her favorite personal-development book. 33:42 – We get into the technical marketing side of The Zone Event and talk about "swipe files" and "evergreen webinars." 37:20 – Shanda talks to us about creating a consulting or coaching company and why she believes "the most powerful coaching/consulting business on the planet is the one your life has already taught you." 42:49 – She tells us about the four coaches she currently has in her life. 43:22 – We hear of the value of finding the areas in your life that you are resistant to and moving toward those areas. 44:33 – Shanda talks about the size of her team at HeartCore Business, how they work together, how they stay motivated, and how they are compensated. 48:38 – She tells us about her company's process of reviewing their work throughout the year and says, "Wealth is built by retaining clients; it's not built on just getting them." 49:22 – Stephan and Shanda begin to talk about insurance as a wealth-building tool. 51:34 – Stephan reminds listeners of the Optimized Geek, Episode #32, with Ray Poteet, about being your own bank and setting up Infinite Banking. 53:53 – Stephan talks about types of insurance, including Key-Man, Errors & Omission, Disability, Travel, Liability, Medical, and Life insurance. Links and Resources: HeartCore Business Core Calling: How to Build a Business That Gives You a Freedom Lifestyle in 2 Years or Less! The Zone Event Optimized Geek, Episode #32, with Ray Poteet David J. D'arcangelo Thank you for listening! As always, thank you for tuning in. Please feel free to contact me or leave a comment. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it! - Stephan

Dr. Michael Breus is a PhD in Clinical Psychology and board certified in Clinical Psychology and Clinical Sleep Disorders. He has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show over thirty times and Dr. Oz wrote the foreword for his new book, The Power of When. Dr. Breus has had many national media appearances, including interviews on CNN, Oprah, The View, Anderson Cooper, Rachel Ray, The Doctors, and The Today Show. In this conversation, you will hear Dr. Breus talk about the idea of chronotypes. Through his assessment tool, The Power of When Quiz, you are able to learn which category you fall into:lions, bears, wolves or dolphins. Most self-help books tell you what to do or how to do it. They don't tell you when to do it, like The Power of When does. After determining your chronotype, you will have a better idea of what your body's schedule is and how your hormones function throughout the day. Dr. Breus shares how you can determine what your personal sleep need is and what to avoid to ensure that your sleep is high quality. Connect with Dr. Michael Breus! TheSleepDoctor.com @TheSleepDoctor on Twitter The Sleep Doctor, Michael Breus, PhD on Facebook You'll Learn [2:37] - Dr. Breus talks about chronotypes and why he developed an assessment tool to classify people into four categories. [7:03] - Your chronotype category indicates how your hormones will function throughout the day. [9:22] - Dr. Breus talks about the how chronotypes can and can't change. [11:41] - The challenges of being in a relationship with a different chronotype, in regards to schedule. [15:36] - Dr. Breus talks about the PER3 Gene and how it impacts your sleep drive. [16:36] - Dr. Breus explains sleep drive and circadian rhythm. [18:50] - The 8-hour sleep need is a myth and how to determine your personal sleep need. [21:39] - Dr. Breus breaks down the sleep cycles. [23:44] - Why our circadian rhythm causes us to hate Monday mornings. [25:48] - Dr. Breus talks about sleep monitoring. [29:19] - The science behind "no screens in bed", except televisions. This leads to a discussion on blue light. [36:23] - Dr. Breus talks about sleep while traveling and he shares what is in his sleep kit. [37:05] - Dr. Breus addresses the issues of melatonin supplements. [38:39] - Dr. Breus shares his thoughts on caffeine and explains why you shouldn't drink coffee right after you wake up. [42:11] - You are more likely to sustain an injury if you exercise in the morning, before your body's core temperature has had a chance to rise. [44:38] - Dr. Breus explains narcolepsy, insomnia, and the inability to turn off your brain. [49:48] - Dr. Breus shares some breathing exercises for sleep. Links and Resources The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan Goodnight: The Sleep Doctor's 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health The Power of When Quiz Jawbone Up Oura Ring Beddit Aura Withings S+ The Neuro On Flux App Dream Essentials Thank you for listening! As always, thank you for tuning in. Please feel free to contact me or leave a comment. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it! - Stephan

Dr. Daniel Amen is a neuroscientist, physician, double board certified psychiatrist, and ten-time New York Times bestselling author. He believes that brain health is central to all health and success. You may have heard of his book Change Your Brain, Change Your Life.. He's got a new book out called The Brain Warrior's Way. He's also the founder of Amen Clinics EPISODE Our brains are more connected to our nutritional intake than we think. Our brains are also delicate organs that we take for granted - but we can damage them physically and emotionally over time. PTSD is a form of emotional damage to our brain, and TBI is a form of physical damage, often seen in athletes who play contact sports. The good news is, a lot of this damage is preventable, and even reversible. We discuss: how nutrition and brain health are connected the diseases that are caused by having brain injury the process of scanning the brain and looking at problem areas how to reverse damage and prevent future damage For complete shownotes and more, please visit www.optimizedgeek.com LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED Change Your Brain, Change Your Life The Brain Warrior's Way Amen Clinics Concussion brainmdhealth.com brainwarrioswaylive.com GET OPTIMIZED! Food can either be a medicine or a poison - be mindful of what you put into your body and listen to how your body responds Think carefully about participating or allowing your children to participate in contact sports. The long term repercussions on the brain can be severely damaging Consider taking fish oil supplements - they are great brain boosters and also protect your brain from the deterioration that happens as we age THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! As always, thank you for tuning in. Please feel free to drop by the website to contact me or leave a comment. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it! -Stephan STAY CONNECTED Reboot and Improve Your Life - Free Guide | Twitter | Facebook

Hal Elrod died for six minutes at the age of 20 after being hit head-on by a drunk driver. He was told by doctors that he would never walk again. Not only did he walk, he ran a 52 mile ultra-marathon, became a hall of fame business achiever, an international keynote speaker, and a number one bestselling author of The Miracle Morning and Taking Life Head On!. EPISODE Finding your version of success could begin by simply waking up earlier each day. Hal Elrod went from rock bottom to showing up in his life intentionally, determined to turn his life around and help others to do the same. While searching the habits of highly successful people, he combined six of the most powerful personal development methods to create a rockstar morning routine that anyone can commit to. We Discuss: How Hal went from rock bottom to changing the lives of others. How to show up powerfully in your day. The six steps of the Miracle Morning, and how to customize them. How to wake up earlier, so you can become more successful. LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED The Miracle Morning Taking Life Head On! (The Hal Elrod Story) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Rich Dad's Cashflow Quadrant The Miracle Morning Community Hal on Rich Dad Radio 7 Minute Workout App Zeo Personal Sleep Manager Best Year Ever Blueprint Hal Elrod GET OPTIMIZED! Accept your reality, make the best of it, and focus on what's in your control. This allows you to stay optimistic and positive while working through struggles, and come out better than before. Beat the snooze button and commit to your morning routine during that first 30 to 60 minutes of your day, every day. This will accelerate how quickly you can create the results that you want. Hal wasn't a morning person, but committed to practicing the Miracle Morning, and it changed his whole life. Read the book for more awesome tips on how to incorporate Miracle Mornings into your day. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! As always, thank you for tuning in. Please feel free to drop by the website to contact me or leave a comment. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it! -Stephan STAY CONNECTED Reboot and Improve Your Life - Free Guide | Twitter | Facebook

Andy and Kay Walker are the co-authors of Super You: How Technology is Revolutionizing What It Means to Be Human. Andy is one of North America's top technology analysts and a futurist keynote speaker. He was a co-host of the internationally-syndicated TV show, Call for Help. Andy is also the author of four other books including, You Call This the Future?. Kay is a celebrated lifehacker and personal development coach, and the founder of the Awesome Life Club. EPISODE The future is bright-within the next ten years, we may be able to live forever, use stem cells to transform our genetics, and we may even become more machine than human. Andy and Kay Walker share how to combat disease, improve mental health, and forever change your life through revolutionizing humanity and using science to better your life. We Discuss: The future of technology. Extended life extension and the ability to live forever. How genetic editing can create children without disease. Body modification and stem cells for plastic surgery. LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED Super You: How Technology is Revolutionizing What It Means to Be Human Call for Help TV Show You Call This the Future? Awesome Life Club David Sinclair Nir Barzilai Dr. Adam Gazzaley Jeffrey Steinberg Metformin FAQ Lumosity CRISPR Anthony Atala Daniel Timms Aubrey de Grey SENS Research Foundation 23andMe Simplified Genetics Erik Sprague-The Lizardman Ray Kurzweil Vernor Vinge Email Andy Email Kay GET OPTIMIZED! To be able to live forever, you may just need to make it another 13 years. Don't get taken out by anything else, and the technology will be available to you. Try Metformin as a longevity supplement. Although it's currently a prescription pill, Andy's FAQ can help answer how this diabetes medication may have anti-aging properties. Read Super You: How Technology is Revolutionizing What It Means to Be Human for more information on the advances in longevity, genetics, nanotech, and robotics. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! As always, thank you for tuning in. Please feel free to drop by the website to contact me or leave a comment. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it! -Stephan

Steve Hill is the co-founder of JOLT, and the director of Mind Warriors. He is the author of JOLT Challenge: The Self Intelligence Experience. Over the past 12 years, Steve has been instrumental in the design and delivery of JOLT's experiential training programs. His passion is for developing human potential, and he has also studied metaphor and clean language, and is a qualified NLP practitioner. EPISODE Creativity can create happiness, boost your morale, help employee relationships, and even allow your business to grow and succeed. Steve Hill began working in improv and bringing classes into corporations, and noticed that the mentality of the employees would change during their performance. Change your mindset and tap into your imaginative side to redefine your workplace and life. We Discuss: How you can build confidence through improv. Creating corporate happiness through positive activities. The alternative therapies that can shape your experiences. Creating a routine to become more aware of your troubles.

Fred Gallo is a practicing clinical psychologist who suffered a severe auto accident and had a near-death experience, which brought on frequent panic attacks. He began learning energy psychology to overcome his health obstacles. He's published eight books, including Energy Psychology, Energy Diagnostic and Treatment Methods, The Neurophysics of Human Behavior, Energy Tapping, and Energy Psychology in Psychotherapy. EPISODE You don't have to live with health or psychological problems forever. Our fears and health issues can be deeply rooted into our belief system, and to become emotionally free, we have to disrupt that pattern. Fred Gallo practices "tapping" and EFT, or emotional freedom techniques, and this practice allows people to overcome their deepest fears, and rid themselves of pain. We Discuss: What "tapping" is, and how it can benefit you. Where on your body to tap for the best results. Introducing muscle testing and positive affirmations into tapping. Real success stories of overcoming fears and disease. LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED Energy Psychology Energy Diagnostic and Treatment Methods The Neurophysics of Human Behavior Energy Tapping Energy Psychology in Psychotherapy The Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology Energy Psychology-Fred's Website Fred's Seminars EFT Videos by Gary Craig on YouTube EFT Videos by Dawson Church on YouTube GET OPTIMIZED! When you tune in the particular problem, there will likely be emotional components of it, and it may not be easy to accept at first. Be open and receptive to change. To make sure that you don't go back into an old pattern, you have to give the new pattern a chance to go into entropy. Continue your work, as it may take several sessions to do so. Psychological problems can create a blocked energy, and tapping is a way of moving the energy. Go to one of Fred's seminars to learn more! THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! As always, thank you for tuning in. Please feel free to drop by the website to contact me or leave a comment. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it! -Stephan STAY CONNECTED Reboot and Improve Your Life - Free Guide | Twitter | Facebook

Dr. Daniel Kraft is a Stanford and Harvard-trained physician, scientist, and inventor. He's the faculty chair for medicine and neuroscience at Singularity University, and the founder of the Exponential Medicine Annual Conference. He's the founder of IntelliMedicine, RegenMed Systems, and the inventor of MarrowMiner. You can find Daniel on Twitter @Daniel_Kraft. EPISODE Medicine and healthcare is transforming, and is becoming more proactive. Instead of waiting to fall ill, we can take preventative steps to halt diseases before they start, and lessen our chances of needing aggressive treatments. Dr. Daniel Kraft discusses how to plan for a long and healthy life, and the new and exciting types of therapies that are becoming available. We Discuss: How the healthcare field is changing. The new and exciting treatments that are becoming available. The best apps and tools to use for health. How hospice and home healthcare is evolving. LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED Singularity University Exponential Medicine Annual Conference IntelliMedicine MarrowMiner RegenMed Systems X Prize Foundation Zeo Personal Sleep Manager Healbe GoBe HealthKit Muse 23andMe Veritas uBiome Headspace focus@will Omada Health Lark app Wii Fit Withings Moodies Spire Lumo Lift UPRIGHT CRISPR The White House Cancer Moonshot Summit Simplified Genetics X-VIVO 19 Labs Matternet Honor Exponential Medicine The Global Summit Daniel on Twitter GET OPTIMIZED! Prevent sickness and disease by getting enough sleep, enough vitamins and nutrients, and committing to daily movement and exercise. Use a program like HealthKit to learn more about the current state of your health. Track your data on a spreadsheet to see what areas you can improve, and what is already working for you. Check out Exponential Medicine on October 8th-11th, 2016 for more on how to re-imagine health and medicine. They will have musicians, patients, pharma, new devices and even investors. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! As always, thank you for tuning in. Please feel free to drop by the website to contact me or leave a comment. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it! -Stephan STAY CONNECTED Reboot and Improve Your Life - Free Guide | Twitter | Facebook

Mark Dhamma is an executive health and mindset coach, a fitness model, and a corporate speaker. He focuses on helping people look, feel, and perform at their best by optimizing their health and mindset. He is an expert on optimization of your biology and mindset, and has a master's degree in positive psychology. EPISODE Living a happier and more fulfilled life starts with awareness. What brings you happiness? What is holding you back? How happy are you, really, in this moment? While there are many questions that we have around our own happiness, positive psychology and the PERMA method can help to answer them all. Find your joy and change your life, today. We Discuss: What the PERMA acronym stands for. How to find your happiness score, and how to improve it. Using mediation to find your "flow" and create more joy. Why you should use positive reinforcements to find more awareness. LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED Mark's PERMA Quiz Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi The Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler Deep Work by Cal Newport Cal Newport on The Optimized Geek Jaiya on The Optimized Geek Harville and Helen on The Optimized Geek You're A Fraud, And You Know It! Imposter Syndrome: The Plague For Successful People Elissa Fisher Harris on The Optimized Geek Mike Vardy on The Optimized Geek Bart Baggett on The Optimized Geek Ken Dubner on The Optimized Geek Brian Clark on Marketing Speak The Happiness Hypothesis by Dr. Jonathan Haidt Michael Morelli on The Optimized Geek Way of Life app The Game by Neil Strauss GET OPTIMIZED! Find ways to get into the "flow". Meditation or activities that require focus are great ways to become fully immersed in what you are doing. Other people matter. Humans are social and crave relationships, so meet new people often and keep those that you care about close to you. Take Mark's quiz for your evaluation on PERMA and to receive personalized tips on how to increase your own happiness and your well-being score. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! As always, thank you for tuning in. Please feel free to drop by the website to contact me or leave a comment. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it! -Stephan STAY CONNECTED Reboot and Improve Your Life - Free Guide | Twitter | Facebook