Steve Schlafman is a good bud and startup investor for RRE ventures.  He's also someone whose work ethic and hustle I genuinely admire. We’ve had a lot of entrepreneurs on this show, but today I wanted to bring someone on the other side of the table on.

Steve sees 100’s if not thousands of companies a year and has to distill amongst all the people building things which ones he things are going to make it.  One of the cool things about this job, is you get to see patterns amongst companies and individuals.

What type of company wins? What do the founders look like?

We’ll pick Steve’s brain on these types of questions, and unpack what entrepreneurs should know before pitching a venture capitalist. My favorite part of the episode is hearing some stories from the trenches about the lengths some entrepreneurs have taken to make their company successful…

After 3 people asked me about how to be beaming with joy in a 24 hour period, I wanted to share this gratitude practice that has been a big part of creating the deepest and lasting sense of inner joy I've ever had. Everyone can do this and it only takes a few minutes a day. It's even backed by Science!

Steve Sims runs The Bluefish which is probably coolest company in the world. They deliver world class experiences to people and in the process make the impossible happen. This episode is chock full of stories of resourcefulness and mindsets that have helped Steve create the premier executive concierge service in the world. If you want to live the high life and access experiences Steve provides, listen to his advice in this episode and you'll be on your way. 

Ben Altman from Charisma On Command comes on the show to chat how you can make an amazing first impression on people. Whether you're walking into the room at a networking event or meeting someone at the bar, we all want to know how to leave that person wanting more....the framework Ben proposes rings true in my life and is definitely something you can apply in any situation. Definitely worth a listen!

Jayson Gaignard, creator of Mastermind Talks, comes on the show to discuss what it takes to throw a world class event. The origin story of Mastermind Talks contains the ultimate hustle move by Jason and it's the one event that every person I've talked to says is by far and away a home run. There's a whole lot more in this episode than just creating a world class experience...we'll dive into some philosophy stuff and business tips that you can use to attract A+ players in your life like Jayson has.

Maren Kate Donovan the CEO of Zirtual comes on the show to talk about how we can massively increase our productivity and happiness by using Virtual Assistants. We'll give specific instances where you can use them as well as the best ways to work with them. We also talk about Zirtual as a business and where its headed which is pretty exciting!

Stephan Aarstol founder of Tower Paddle Boards comes on the show to talk about the origin story of his company Tower Paddle Boards. Stephan's company was named one of the top 10 companies to go on Shark Tank and he provides a ton of insight into what it is actually like before, during, and after the show. We'll touch on a framework you can use to evaluate and disrupt ecommerce verticals as well as some very smart strategies Stephan has used to grow his business. 

Chris Walker comes on the show to chat about how to naturally boost the hormone responsible for energy, aptitude to put on muscle, and positive emotions...testosterone. Seriously, what guy doesn't want more of these things? We'll cover things like diet, exercise, and the many other variables which for the most part can be optimized to make your perform at higher levels. Boom!

John Lee Dumas, host of Entrepreneur on Fire, comes on the show to discuss the mindsets and tactics he's used to quickly skyrocket to the top of itunes. This episode will cover everything from how he has learned to scale himself to the ways you should be approaching a crowded market. We'll also get a behind the scenes look at John's 6 figure a month business. 

Vanessa Van Edwards from The Science Of People comes on the show to talk about body language, alpha traits, the science of first impressions and these crucial things called micro-expressions. Don't think this stuff matters? Well studies say that people who understand these things make more money, have more love, and are happier. If this isn't incentive to tune in, I don't know what is. Oh and we'll also talk about lie detection : )

Justin Mares, Co-Author of Traction Book comes on the show to talk about something everyone in business wants to know...how to get more customers! This episode is a blueprint for how to approach acquiring users and a framework that anyone can use in their business whether we're talking about software or book marketing. Justin is a marketing champ and I gurantee you'll get some amazing ideas and strategies by listening to this episode.

Charisma is something we all want, yet few people have really taken the time to codify it and lay it out in a way that we can develop more of it. One of my best buds and former roommates comes on the show today to decode charisma and teach you how to turn it on in an instant. Charlie used to be incredibly shy and now he's got that "it" factor that makes him a magnet anywhere he goes. Learn how he developed it here!

Have an idea for a product that should be in your favorite retail store and trying to figure out how to make that happen? Brandon Rickman whose products have sold more than 20 million dollars worth of goods in places like Wal-Mart and Home Depot comes on to the show to lay out step by step how to go from idea to retail stores. This is the most comprehensive breakdown I've ever seen!

Best selling author and publishing expert Tucker Max comes on the show to share what it takes to create a book that reaches mainstream popularity. We talk about the publishing industry, why you should consider publishing a book, and how media will change in the next few years. A must listen for anyone that has ever thought of writing a book.

Aubrey Marcus, the CEO and Founder of human optimization company Onnit Labs comes on the show to chat about how he's taken Onnit from a few sales a day to one of the fastest growing companies in his space. We talk about podcast marketing, supplements, and some marketing and growth tactics that anyone looking to start something should consider.

Tony Robbins has been an amazing influence on me. This podcast is a behind the scenes of my experience at the event and discussion around the biggest takeaways for me. Whether your current focus is personal development or business expansion, I think there is plenty of game-changing ideas in here.

Trevor Owens comes on to the show to chat about how he's been able to connect with some incredible people that eventually became trusted mentors, advisors, and investors. The caliber of people in his life is truly amazing ranging from investors like Mark Suster and Dave McClure to entrepreneurs like Seth Godin and Scott Heiferman. You'll learn exactly how he did this with an initial cold email and we'll actually break down the logic behind each one. This is truly a unique episode and plays into some excellent psychology that is imperative for anyone looking to start relationships via cold email should understand. 

Sebastian Marshall, one of the best thinkers online in my opinion comes on the show to talk about a sleiu of mindsets that can dramatically benefit your life. We talk about everything from the intersection of biochemistry and performance to practicing directive thinking and impulse control, but I can pretty much guarantee you’ll leave this conversation with some new ideas to chew on and strategies to implement.

This is the first episode of our live mentor series. Successful entrepreneur Spencer Fry comes on the show to give live advice and feedback to social media marketing company Biznobo. We'll talk about how to get your first customers, start charging, and think about boostrapping in the early days.

NFL Veteran and media personality Ross Tucker comes on the show to talk about taking control of your life. Ross is an excellent example of someone whose made the most of out many opportunities and we talk about how he's been able to accomplish this on the show. A great listen for motivation and real stories of hustling for the life you want.

Chris Bailey comes on the show to discuss what he learned after spending a year focusing on maximizing productivity. Chris did a ton of experiments and the end results are pretty fascinating and eye-opening. Definitely a must listen for people who want to increase their productivity.

Jordan Harbinger from the Art of Charm comes on to the show to talk about how to best present yourself in social situations. Having a magnetic personality probably opens more doors than anything else so this is definitely a listen. Jordan is also hilarious which makes this an entertaining episode. 

Our brains work in such a way that the questions we ask ourselves determine what we choose to focus on and thus the actions we decide to take. In this episode, I share how I purposefully use specific questions in a variety of instances to maximize performance and make sure that my life is taking the path I want it too. 

Jerry Colonna, renown startup investor and founder of CEO Bootcamp comes on the show to talk about how we can manage our emotions as entrepreneurs. This gets deep and is such an important topic for everyone out there looking to get involved in startups and entrepreneurship.

Wiley Cerilli, the Founder of Singleplatform and a personal inspiration, comes on the show to talk about building his company which I was fortunate enough to be a part of. We cover everything from specific pre-selling strategies and sales mindsets to CEO advice and what it takes to be successful. This is a personal favorite episode and Wiley is the man.

Oren Klaff, Best Selling Author of Pitch Anything who raised billions of dollars to help take companies public comes on the show to share his innovative method for presenting and persuading. I have to say his approach is original and codified so that anyone can use this strategy with success. Great for anyone looking to make an amazing impression. 

Aaron Ross, best selling author of Predictable Revenue, shares the secret sauce of how he created a system at Salesforce that was responsible for an addition 100 million dollars in recurring revenue. We chat everything from strategies to mistakes people are making in sales and lead generation. This is a good one!

Noah Lehmann-Haupt, the founder of Gotham Dream cars comes on the show and shares how he built the world's largest exotic rental car company. This interview has everything from awesome business advice to crazy car stories that sound like a grand theft auto plot.

Stefan Pylarinos from Project Life Mastery comes on to the show and discusses how he's been able to publish over 100 books on kindle to print cash while he sleeps. We also dive into some awesome personal development topics like building routines that put us into a peak state. I finish the episode by sharing my favorite peak state jingles in the mindshare segment.

Cold emails enable us to be one touch point from anyone in the world. In this episode I reveal some unorthodox strategies throughout the cold email process that can help you connect with anyone in the world. You'll get everything from highly effective scripts to unconventional ways to find decision makers.

Ameer Rosic shares ways we can naturally increase our energy levels in this conversation. We talk about everything from when the best time to work out is, the ideal sleep time, and  how to eat for optimal health in this episode.

Chris Taylor, the CEO of Actionable Books, discusses how to get employees and colleagues to bring their best work every single day. This is a fascinating conversation from someone who is running their company remotely, yet is still able to run a successful company.

Ted Alling shares how he built a 500 million dollar company in the trucking industry with pure grit and determination. We're going to dive into some hardcore sales tactics and inspiring stories in this conversation. Ted's a total badass.

Mike Hrostoski reveals some big time conversational mistakes people make when trying to attract abundance into their lives. We'll get authentic in this conversation and talk about fear, anxiety, and how to overcome it.

What if there is one thing we were all made to do? And if we spent majority of our time focused on it, we could unlock new levels of potential. This concept is called your unique ability and Andy is convinced it's the secret to greatness. We explore this topic and other parts of entrepreneurship in this interview with Andy Drish.

Habits literally determine the quality of your life. James Clear comes on to the show to do a deep dive on decoding habit formation. We riff on a ton of different human behavior stuff and dig into why people fail at creating empowering habits and how to combat this.

Shane Snow, the founder of Contently, Forbes 30 Under 30, and journalist amongst some of the web's most popular publications shares with us some unique strategies to working smarter and getting more results. We talk about the concept of unique access and how he went from an Iowa farm boy to badass startup founder.

This episodes gives you a behind the scenes to the exact financials and marketing strategy I used to become a #1 best seller on Amazon. Even if you don't plan on publishing a book, you'll learn plenty of meaty marketing tactics that can be replicated for any launch. You'll also learn how much money a #1 best seller makes on Kindle.

Derek Flanrzaich, founder of Greatist.com, shares the marketing strategies and ideas that fuel the fastest growing health and wellness site on the internet. You'll learn his repeatable formulas for success and how he went from a dude with a blog to millions of unique visitors a month in just a short time.

In this episode, Hiten Shah reveals some of his key mindsets for starting businesses and maximizing learning in his daily life. We discuss everything from how to take advantage of industry access and get inside the heads of your customers, to how to best leverage your time and be a good person.

Renown health and productivity Ari Meisel reveals his productivity system that helps us stress less, reclaim our minds, and make everything easier. If you're interested in ways to optimize your health, mind, and begin taking advantage of virtual assistants, you're going to absolutely love this episode.

In this interview with Mark Divine, the founder of Sealfit and best-selling author, we talk about the importance of mental exercises to maximize our potential. Mark shares strategies for hitting your "mind gym" that he's used to help the world's most elite warriors 20X their potential.

Charlie provides an interesting take on how working more isn't necessarily the secret to better work and relationships. This advice goes against everything mos of us are fed our entire lives which is why it's so incredibly compelling.

In this interview with Noah Kagan, Noah reveals some of the key frameworks he uses to constantly improve his business and life. We'll cover everything from how he handles rejection to some juicy marketing tactics you can put in practice today. 

Welcome to the very first episode of The Competitive Edge. In this episode, I introduce this new podcast and talk about my personal journey with my friend Ben Altman.