Founder of Eight Companies Explains: How to Take Massive Action (ft. Noah Kagan)

Podcast Summary

• Embrace Rejection for Personal Growth: Practice asking for small favors like a coffee discount to face rejection, identify areas of fear, and grow from discomfort

  Successful entrepreneur Noah Kagan encourages letting go of self-consciousness and embracing rejection. Despite his impressive accomplishments, he acknowledges the fear of rejection is a common barrier for many. However, he emphasizes that rejection isn't as bad as it seems and that practicing it can lead to personal growth and overcoming fear in various areas of life. The "coffee challenge" is a simple exercise he suggests, where one asks for a 10% discount on a coffee order and faces the fear of rejection. This experience can help individuals identify other areas in their lives where they've been holding back and encourage them to take action. Ultimately, Kagan's message is about being optimistic, mindful, and embracing the discomfort that comes with taking risks and pursuing goals.

• Start small to achieve greater rewards: Starting small can lead to significant progress, despite fears of rejection or failure. Identify your goals, believe in yourself, and take action to encounter new opportunities.

  Taking small steps towards your goals, such as initiating a simple conversation or asking for something you want, can lead to greater rewards than you might expect. The fear of rejection or failure can hold us back, but the benefits often outweigh the risks. It's important to identify what you truly desire and believe in yourself enough to take action. The more you practice asking and putting yourself out there, the more opportunities you'll encounter. Additionally, gaining clarity on what you want and feeling good about yourself are crucial components of living a fulfilling life. You don't need to wait for perfection or follow elaborate plans; start today by taking small steps towards your goals.

• Recognizing that our worth isn't defined by external validation: We all have good and bad days, and none of these experiences define us. Practice positive self-talk and focus on internal growth for self-acceptance.

  Our worth and value don't come from external validation, such as book sales or people's opinions. Instead, it's essential to recognize that we all have good and bad days, and none of these experiences define us as individuals. The pressure to be perfect and please others can be overwhelming, but practicing positive self-talk and understanding that our experiences are not unique can help alleviate this pressure. It's crucial to remember that everyone goes through ups and downs, and recognizing this can bring relief and perspective. Additionally, it's essential to focus on our internal growth and self-acceptance rather than seeking validation from external sources.

• Give a fuck about what truly matters: Identify what matters to you and give a passionate fuck about it, despite others' perceptions

  While some people may perceive you as not giving a fuck, it's important to identify what truly matters to you and give a fuck about those things, even if they may seem insignificant to others. The speaker shares that he is a low-stress person by nature but gets frustrated when people don't take him seriously when he does get upset. He is a stickler for things like being on time and hates mediocrity, especially in his team's work. He encourages experimentation and subtraction to help determine what you truly value in life. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of understanding that you can get what you want in life if you know what it is and have the determination to go after it. He shares that it took him a long time to figure out what he wanted after achieving many of his goals, but he did so through a combination of experimentation and self-reflection. Overall, the message is to give a fuck about the things that matter to you and not let others' perceptions deter you from pursuing your goals.

• Focusing on creating excitement and looking forward to things: Be intentional about daily, weekly, and monthly activities, surround yourself with optimistic friends, and maintain positive relationships to boost happiness and well-being.

  Achieving wealth and fame does not automatically lead to happiness. In fact, it can sometimes be a depressing period in one's life. Instead, it's essential to focus on creating excitement and looking forward to things in our daily, weekly, and monthly lives. This can be as simple as putting activities on the calendar or surrounding ourselves with high-quality, optimistic friends. Being intentional about the people we spend time with can significantly impact our overall happiness and well-being. Additionally, having a low tolerance for drama and toxicity can help maintain positive relationships and a positive outlook on life. Ultimately, it's not just about success but about the people and experiences that inspire us.

• Surrounding Ourselves with Positivity and Embracing Our Quirks: Embrace positivity, inspiring individuals, and unique traits for personal growth and happiness. Offer support to those who make mistakes instead of shunning them.

  The people we surround ourselves with significantly impact our lives and inspire us to achieve our goals. Surrounding ourselves with positive, inspiring individuals can lead us to do remarkable things. Additionally, accepting and embracing our unique personality traits, including our desire for attention, is essential for personal growth and happiness. Will Smith's love for fame and public attention serves as an example of how embracing our quirks can lead to a fulfilling life. It's important to remember that everyone, including celebrities, is human and makes mistakes. Instead of shunning those who make errors, we should offer support and encouragement, just as we would with a close friend. Ultimately, being true to ourselves and surrounding ourselves with positive influences can lead to a rich and rewarding life.

• Practice patience and non-judgment towards others: By practicing patience and non-judgment, we can foster better relationships and create a more positive environment for ourselves and others. Even in challenging situations, it's possible to try again and improve.

  It's important to practice patience and non-judgment towards others, even in challenging situations. As the speaker mentioned, this can be applied to various aspects of life, including business and relationships. It's easy to write people off or form negative opinions based on limited information, but people are complex and multifaceted. The coffee challenge example illustrates this idea well - even if an experience doesn't feel good at first, it's possible to try again and improve. The same principle can be applied to interactions with others. The speaker also emphasized the importance of being less judgmental as a culture, especially in the age of social media where people are quick to form opinions based on tweets or political views. By practicing patience and non-judgment, we can foster better relationships and create a more positive environment for ourselves and others. Additionally, the speaker shared personal experiences of trying to start businesses and the importance of having a platform like Shopify to make the process easier. Overall, the discussion highlights the importance of patience, non-judgment, and having the right tools to overcome challenges.

• The power of focusing on personal growth and unique values: Understanding that everyone has unique values and beliefs, focusing on personal growth, practicing positive self-talk, and persisting through setbacks can lead to significant achievements.

  We all grapple with feelings of inadequacy and the belief that there's always more to achieve. Noah's story illustrates the importance of understanding that everyone has unique values and beliefs, and it's essential to focus on personal growth rather than comparing ourselves to others. The process of success is often long and filled with setbacks, but taking consistent action and practicing positive self-talk can lead to significant achievements. Noah's journey from blogging to building a successful business is a testament to the power of persistence and the importance of not letting fear hold us back. Ultimately, the key is to focus on proving ourselves right rather than trying to prove others wrong and finding ways to feel worthy in our own unique way.

• Finding what makes you proud and aligning it with your career or business: Aligning what makes you proud with your career or business can lead to a more fulfilling and successful life. Listen to your inner voice and face challenges to unlock rewards.

  Finding what truly makes you proud of yourself and aligning it with your career or business can lead to a more fulfilling and successful life. This was a lesson Mark learned through his own experiences, starting with his early days of promotion and moving on to creating his own businesses like AppSumo. However, even with success, he found himself feeling unsatisfied until he took control and focused on what made him proud, rather than external pressures or expectations. It's essential to remember that money can be a tool for achieving what makes you proud, but it's not the end goal itself. Additionally, facing fears and challenges, whether it's through someone quitting on you or self-imposed obstacles, can lead to significant rewards. Overall, the key is to listen to the voice inside your head urging you to pursue what makes you proud and not let fear hold you back.

• Embracing Trust and Self-Acceptance for Successful Leadership: Trust your team, vision, and self. Embrace weaknesses, show initiative, and continuously learn to close skill gaps.

  Trust and self-acceptance are crucial elements for successful leadership. The speaker shared her personal journey, emphasizing the importance of trusting her team, her vision, and herself. She encourages everyone to embrace their weaknesses and be the best version of themselves in their business endeavors. The speaker also emphasized the importance of initiative and showing what you can do rather than just telling. She shared her experience of getting hired at Facebook and Mint by being proactive and demonstrating her understanding of the customer and the business. The speaker concluded by emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and improvement to close any skill gaps. Overall, her message was about trusting oneself and taking initiative to succeed in business.

• From a single step to a successful business: Discover opportunities by pursuing passions, apply for jobs despite lack of experience, and start small, compounding success over time.

  Passion and determination can lead to unexpected opportunities. The speaker shares her experience of discovering Mint and landing a job there despite having no marketing experience. She encourages everyone to apply for jobs they're excited about, even if they're not fully qualified, and to show employers their commitment by taking action before being hired. Additionally, the speaker emphasizes the power of starting small and compounding success over time. From a dollar to a multi-billion dollar business, every success story begins with a single step. Don't underestimate the potential impact of your first customer or project. Keep going, reinvest, and improve, and you may end up with a successful business or accomplishment.

• Starting with friends and family as your initial audience: Begin with loved ones for feedback, validate content's appeal, and enjoy the process. Address small successes, pivot when necessary, and seize opportunities for growth.

  When starting a blog, Substack, or newsletter, your initial audience should be friends and family. Their engagement and feedback serve as the first test for your content's appeal. If they consistently read and share your work, it's a good sign that you're on the right track. Additionally, it's essential to be proud of your content and genuinely enjoy it, as your audience will sense your authenticity. Another crucial aspect is recognizing the value of small successes and addressing existing problems. Instead of investing time and resources into a failing project, consider pivoting or selling it to someone who is passionate about it. In business, identifying and catering to customers' needs, even if they seem insignificant, can lead to significant growth. Lastly, practice taking quick actions and seizing opportunities. By selling a product or service within 60 seconds, you can validate its demand and potentially gain a large customer base. This mindset of hustling and starting can lead to valuable experiences and successes. In summary, focusing on friends and family for initial feedback, enjoying your content, addressing small successes, and seizing opportunities are essential strategies for bloggers, content creators, and entrepreneurs.

• Focus on achievable goals and seek advice: Setting overly ambitious goals can lead to burnout. Instead, focus on smaller objectives and seek advice from experienced individuals to increase chances of long-term success.

  Setting overly ambitious goals can lead to burnout and may not yield the desired results in the short term. Instead, focusing on smaller, achievable objectives and consistently working towards them can lead to long-term success. The speaker also emphasized the importance of seeking advice from those who have experience in the area you're trying to succeed in, rather than just looking for validation. Additionally, the speaker discussed the importance of prioritizing what you care about and giving fewer fucks about things that don't matter to you, while still maintaining a good business ethic of providing value to your audience. The speaker's experience with YouTube involved creating anxiety-driven content and approaching a large number of people for interviews, but found it to be worth it due to the potential impact on their audience.

• The power of asking questions: Asking questions can reveal valuable insights and unexpected discoveries, leading to new connections and learning opportunities.

  Asking questions can lead to valuable insights and connections. The speaker shared his experience of producing videos in Newport Beach, where he discovered that many wealthy individuals weren't flashing their wealth, and people often made assumptions based on appearances. He encourages asking questions to understand people's backgrounds and how they achieved success. The speaker also shares his experience of knocking on doors and being surprised by the responses he received. He emphasizes that asking is a skill that can be practiced and encourages shifting the way questions are asked to increase the likelihood of a positive response. The speaker also shares an example of a woman who bought a $15 million house through her husband's fruit stand business. Overall, the takeaway is that asking questions can lead to unexpected discoveries and inspire us to learn from others' experiences.

• Creating compelling content requires finding repeatable themes and executing them effectively, despite challenges: Finding repeatable themes and executing them effectively is key to creating compelling content, but the process can be challenging and emotionally draining.

  Creating compelling content that resonates with an audience requires finding repeatable themes that people are interested in, such as stories about billionaires or overcoming fears. However, even with a great concept, the execution can be challenging and may not translate perfectly to real life or the camera. The process can be time-consuming, emotionally draining, and logistically complex. For instance, a "Man on the Street" video may require days to find the right person for a 10-minute video. But the effort is worth it when the final product is successful, such as a coaching video where a shy person is pushed out of their comfort zone and becomes confident, or a video about starting a business that involves traveling to a different country to source materials. Ultimately, the key is to persist through the difficulties and stay committed to bringing the best content possible to the audience.

• From humble beginnings to significant accomplishments: Consistently putting in effort, learning to adapt, focusing on gratitude, and embracing the present moment can lead to future successes

  Starting small and consistently putting in effort can lead to significant accomplishments in the future. This was evident in the speaker's journey from humble beginnings to achieving success with their creative projects. However, it's important to remember that with growth comes new challenges and the need to adapt to new norms. The speaker shared how they've learned to manage fame and attention as just another system to be managed, like a business. Additionally, the speaker emphasized the importance of gratitude and focusing on the present moment to find joy and fulfillment in the journey towards future successes. As Liz Gilbert suggests, every moment in time is a separate version of ourselves, and we can thank our past selves for the choices we've made and look forward to the gratitude we'll feel from our future selves.

• Embracing the concept of 'not giving a fuck' for personal growth: Recognize when you're ready for recognition, learn to say no, and focus on things that align with your values for personal and professional growth.

  Understanding and managing what you care about is essential for personal and professional growth. The speaker, who gained fame from writing about not giving a fuck, views this concept as a system that requires planning, contingencies, and team training. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing when you're ready for recognition and learning to say no to things that don't align with your values. The speaker also shared his personal journey of embracing the "Fuck It" attitude, acknowledging the challenges of being pigeonholed by it, and eventually finding joy in focusing on things that bring him pleasure. The idea of owning a word or phrase, like "not giving a fuck," can be a powerful tool for individuals to analyze their values, beliefs, and energy allocation. Overall, the speaker encourages everyone to embrace the concept and use it as a lens for self-discovery and action.