My son NL (age 11) joins me again for a movie review. This time, we enter the Marvel universe and take on the newest Avengers film, “Captain America Civil War”.
Category: Podcast
Episode 66: The End of School, with Zak Slayback
Is it time to end school as we know it? Zak Slayback makes the case in his new book, The End of School.
Zak excelled in school the whole way through, resulting in a scholarship to an Ivy League university. Yet what he mastered weren’t skills and habits for success in life and career, but a host of dangerous mindsets that he’s had to fight against. Zak describes why he had to ‘deschool’ himself and why you might need to as well.
Visit zakslayback.com for more of Zak’s work.
This and all episodes are available on SoundCloud, iTunes, YouTube, and Stitcher.
Episode 65.5: FwTK – ‘Valley of the Shadow of Debt’, Patriarchy, Anarchy, Basketball, Internet Fame, and Listener Questions
Today we tackle a little bit of everything in this Fridays with TK episode, merged with “Ask Isaac”.
- The Valley of the Shadow of Debt and how to avoid it.
- Are boys are girls treated differently? What does it mean?
- How to sell unpopular ideas? Should you reform or revolutionize?
- What does Kobe Bryant’s 20 year tenure with a single team mean?
- Can we survive without government?
- What’s up with the graph about physicians and administrators?
- How do you deal with internet fame you didn’t want?
Mentioned in the episode: Robert Anton Wilson, Karl Hess, James P. Carse, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Kobe Bryant, John Hasnas, Howard Thurman, and probably more I’m forgetting.
Thanks to: Anonymous, Artie Duncanson, Phil Gross, Harold Serrano, Harry Miller, Byron Matthews, Phil Trubey, and Jim Taylor for submitting questions. Submit your own any time via Ask Isaac!
This and all episodes are available on SoundCloud, iTunes, YouTube, and Stitcher.
Episode 65: Jeremy McLellan is a Business, Man
*Forgive the echo in the audio. New microphone and live interview gave us some issues.
Some forty episodes ago, comedy was just a side gig for Jeremy McLellan but now he is moving to make it his full-time job. On this episode we talk about corporate vs bar comedy and whether things that we like doing become less likable when people start doing them as their income sources.
Reputation is king in the comedy business, so we also covered the issue of joke thieving, dealing with hecklers, offending people, apologizing and other strategies, as well as one of the biggest questions every business faces – what is my price?
Check him out on Facebook, or check out his website.
This and all episodes are available on SoundCloud, iTunes, YouTube, and Stitcher.
Episode 64: Don’t Get Mad at Millennials – Declan Wilson on the Good Side of Gen Y
Declan Wilson, author of The Millennial Way, and curator of the blog A Millennial Type, joins me to discuss chasing dreams and Gen Y.
Declan is documenting his own personal efforts to transition from a 9 to 5 job to full-time writing and fatherhood. We discuss the extent to which stereotypes about Millennials are true and whether all this talk about “lifestyle design” and fulfillment is just cheesy motivational claptrap.
This and all episodes are available on SoundCloud, iTunes, YouTube, and Stitcher.
Episode 63.5: Fridays with TK – “How I Was Almost Luke Perry”
What does it mean to sell out, water down, or compromise who you are?
What are the unseen costs of doing so, and the unseen benefits of resisting?
Today we discuss this in depth, including stories about how TK could have been as cool as Beverly Hills 90210’s Luke Perry if he hadn’t given in to peer pressure and how I nearly ended up a drug dealer.
Here’s Paul Graham’s essay referenced in today’s show.
Also mentioned were the books The Education of Millionaires, and, The Last Safe Investment.
This and all episodes are available on SoundCloud, iTunes, YouTube, and Stitcher.
Episode 63: The School Sucks Project, with Brett Veinotte
I’ve been a big fan of the School Sucks Podcast for a few years now, so it was awesome to have Brett on the show to discuss his work and what motivated him to launch it.
We discuss his personal history, the history of schooling, why conspiracy theories are valuable learning tools, and much more.
Check out all things School Sucks here!
This and all episodes are available on SoundCloud, iTunes, YouTube, and Stitcher.
Episode 62.5: Fridays with TK – Entrepreneurship for Young Minds
*Weird audio issues today, forgive the sound anomalies.
I’m kicking off what (I think) will be a regular feature on the podcast. A Friday “tweener” episode where TK Coleman comes on to talk about…whatever comes up!
Today we discuss entrepreneurship, whether the word is too broadly used, the difference between entrepreneurship as an action and entrepreneurship as a career.
Check out the 60-day Teen Entrepreneurship Course discussed on the show and use the promo code “PODCAST” for a 30% discount.
This and all episodes are available on SoundCloud, iTunes, YouTube, and Stitcher.
Episode 62: Rants about Unschooling, Credentials, and Plan B’s
This and all episodes are also available on SoundCloud, iTunes, YouTube, and Stitcher.
Episode 61: Revolutionary Parenting, with Kevin Geary
Kevin Geary believes that both praise and punishment are crippling kids. The host of Revolutionary Parent Radio joins me to discuss how he arrived at his unconventional approach to parenting and teaching and what it looks like in practice. The idea that kids can, will, and want to reason and be treated like actual autonomous humans deserving of respect and honesty isn’t so radical on its face, but it’s so rare in practice it’s come to be viewed as radical. Kevin walks through some of the critiques and responses in this awesome, engaging episode.
Kevin is an entrepreneur who runs Rebootedbody.com and also has a site dedicated to lighting techniques for photography, Learningtolight.com.
This and all episodes are also available on SoundCloud, iTunes, YouTube, and Stitcher.
Ask Isaac: ‘Business Bores Me’, Ecuador, Blogging Tips, and Startup Stuff
Some questions have accumulated and it’s time for an Ask Isaac episode! I really enjoy doing these because there’s no logistical stress with a guest, no prep work, and I get to talk directly to listeners, which feels kind of intimate (as weird as that sounds since I’m just talking into a mic in a room by myself). Plus, the questions are always fun and I like wrestling with them verbally.
*If you love the show (or even can mildly tolerate it), please review it on iTunes!*
As you may know, I recently spent a couple of weeks in Ecuador with my family and there were a couple of questions regarding that adventure. I was interviewed in depth about the trip on the (excellent) World Wanderers Podcast. The episode should be live soon.
Other questions that were answered here:
- Why ‘Ask Isaac’ episodes aren’t numbered?
- A father asks about whether his daughter who is an average, B student who is not sure about her path and who was turned off from business by her econ class, would be a good candidate for Praxis? (I cheated and had TK Coleman provide an answer which I echoed and emphasized the need to focus on creating value.)
- Keri would like to start blogging every day and she wonders how do I do it. Do you pick a niche to stick to? Where does inspiration come from?
- Another question on blogging comes from Peter who asks how I handle editing of my posts. Do I edit immediately or do I post as soon as I write it down? (Yes)
- Philip wonders whether some people are unfit for a startup and what is the one characteristic needed in order to thrive in a startup?
(NOTE: For some reason, the sound is a little tinny on this episode. It seems like my mic settings were a bit off. Sorry! Just pretend it’s more “authentic” that way, like a scratchy vinyl record.)
Send me questions anytime about anything. I love to get them and will respond!
Sponsor Spot: If you want to spend a year apprenticing with an entrepreneur and building your own brand, skills, experience, confidence, network, and knowledge, apply to Praxis today. The program cost nets out to $0. What you earn equals what you pay. Zero debt, zero BS, zero wasting away killing time. One year will change your life.
This and all episodes are also available on SoundCloud, iTunes, YouTube, and Stitcher.
Episode 60: Quitting Your Job and Biking the Country, with Anna Loehing and Peter Neiger
This episode sponsored by Praxis, a one-year apprenticeship with an entrepreneur for those who want to stop being boring and do awesome stuff!
There is a world of difference between driving a car and riding a bike when it comes to experiencing the world around you. A chapter in, “Why Haven’t You Read This Book?” was written by one of our guests today, who join me to talk about why they chose to quit their “normal” lives and embark on a nationwide journey by bicycle.
Both Anna and Peter are employed and are working while traveling and we talk about how they manage it all, problems that they faced, as well as about their experiences and impressions about human nature.
I asked them for their recommendation on podcasts and books, as well as who could try such extensive biking tours.
You can follow them up on their Facebook profiles and their page Shifts and Higgles.
This and all episodes are also available on SoundCloud, iTunes, YouTube, and Stitcher.
Episode 59: Taylor Pearson on the End of Jobs
Is accounting the riskiest career? Is entrepreneurship the safest? Today’s guest says yes, because the world is changing and “jobs” are being replaced by the ability to adapt and create value outside preset rules.
Technology has dramatically reduced transaction costs when it comes to education and employment. Taylor Pearson, author of a bestselling book The End of Jobs, joins me to talk about risk and antifragility when it comes to jobs and occupation.
Beyond entrepreneurship, we discussed the ongoing democratization of tools of production and creation of new markets.
Visit his website taylorpearson.me
If you want more than a job, check out show sponsor Praxis for a one-year apprenticeship with an entrepreneur and life-changing projects and challenges. discoverpraxis.com
This and all episodes are also available on SoundCloud, iTunes, YouTube, and Stitcher.
Episode 58: Beyond the Business
This episode is an interview that I gave to a local radio station on their weekly show, Beyond the Business. The show is about entrepreneurs in Charleston, their story, and what influenced them to do what they do today.
The hosts asked some good questions and we talked about growing up in Michigan, my education, and the work experience that I had prior to starting Praxis. We also discussed how Praxis came about, some things I would change if I were launching Praxis today, and the Willing-To-Fail test for whether you are ready to dive into entrepreneurial waters.
This and all episodes are also available on SoundCloud, iTunes, YouTube, and Stitcher.
Episode 57: Thaddeus Russell on the Launch of Renegade University
Thaddeus Russell comes back to the show to talk about his upcoming project called Renegade University. RU will be a combination of online lectures, readings and interactive seminars based on his book A Renegade History of the United States and an attitude of individualism and free inquiry.
We also talked about where Thaddeus sees renegades today and how culture changes over time so that black market activities become legal and accepted. We cover his upcoming book that deals with US interventionism abroad and the blowback that ensued, as well as the vastness of pop culture influence, along with what he thinks is wrong with modern universities and current protests over racism and diversity.
Check out more about Thaddeus and the Renegade University at thaddeusrussell.com
This episode sponsored by Praxis and the Foundation for Economic Education.
Check out FEE seminars to learn about economics and entrepreneurship this summer!
This and all episodes are also available on SoundCloud, iTunes, YouTube, and Stitcher.