How can you build your network of influencers? Ignore the obvious. Don't do what everyone else is doing.

Don't send the people congratulations on their birthdays. Everyone else is doing that.

Instead, notice them and acknowledge their work.

James does this about four times a day, every day, and he has built up a huge network.

You can, too.

Listen to today's episode, and start building your network.

Regards,

David Newman

P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more.

Your friend's spouse is cheating and you know about it. What should you do?

This exact situation happened to James once and he decided to stay out of it. By saying something, he would have injected himself into his friend's relationship. He thought it was better to let them work it out themselves.

This is a tough question, but you can't be the solution to every problem.

Listen here to today's episode, and...

Be there for your friends.

Regards,

David Newma

P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more.

Scott Young spent $2,000 and got a "degree" from MIT... And he never had to leave his house.

He calls it the "MIT Challenge."

Scott believes you might learn better without having to go to college for four years.

He spent four years getting a business degree and he still had a longing to learn computer science. But he didn't want to spend four more years of his life in school and accumulate all that debt.

He wanted the education, but not the school.

He has taken a few classes online before and thought, "If you can learn a class, why not an entire degree?"

But when he was done, would anyone hire him?

Listen today to find out.

Regards,

David Newman

P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more.

I can't seem to make new friends...

Today's question is from someone who's recently out of prison and can't find a true friend except his wife.

James and Claudia each define what a true friend is.

To find new friends, you have to put yourself out there.

And you have to be a good friend to get new good friends.

Regards,

David Newman

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Claudia is upset...

United Airlines grounded all their flights recently due to a computer glitch. This glitch had nothing to do with their airplanes. People just couldn't check in.

United probably has layers and layers, and more layers, of new software laid over old software, millions of lines of code and bug fixes on top of bug fixes.

James says this is the preverbial "canary in the coalmine" problem for United.

Fix this or its end is near.

James relates this to the employee who every two weeks gets his same paycheck. He should always have a plan B and a plan C in place, just in case.

Regards,

David Newman

P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more.

Did mastering chess change James life? 

Yes. It has opened all sorts of doors for him and taught him to look at everything a little differently.

He spent his youth studying everything about chess. 

He learned how to learn, and he learned how to lose.

Regards,

David Newman

P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more.

Taylor Pearson talks with James today about The End of Jobs, he wrote the book on it.

James says about Taylors book “ The most important thing about The End of Jobs is that entrepreneurship is not a choice you can make at your leisure”.

“This is something that is actually happening.  The train is leaving the station. You have to either jump on the train or lose your chance forever. Now is the time…”

James asks Taylor what he would do if he wanted to start a new seven figure a year job right now but you had no experience.

Taylor says he’d become an apprentice; there are plenty of great entrepreneurs looking for talented young people to help them grow their businesses.

That’s exactly what he did and he tells James his story.

They talk about how entrepreneurs are leveraging the democracy of the Long Tail to get rich, how others are using Amazon as their store front to drop shipping or as a testing ground before they launch their own website.

As more and more jobs are being outsourced the question remains…

Where is this all going?

The trend is clear. The middle class is dying. 

You can choose to exit up or you can choose you exit down.

Make your choice.

Regards,

David Newman

P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more.

James' practice of working to improve four areas of his life (physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental) just 1% a day led to today’s question: How does James' daily practice turn into money?

He turns this question around. What if you did the exact opposite of his daily practice? Could that ever lead to money?

Instead of being healthy, you stayed up all night drinking. Instead of exercising your idea muscle, you just vegged out all day.

Do you think this would turn into money?

Create your "“scene" – the people that will help you and those whom you help.

Don’t have a goal other than improving 1% today.

Regards,

David Newman

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A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more.

So, you've gone ahead and created 10 great ideas, sent them over to a company to try to help them, and someone from the company has written back and said...

We don't need your ideas.

James is curious about what his original letter said. What you say when you send your ideas is extremely important...

Make sure you don't give them more work while you think you're helping them.

Just keep sending out your ideas, keep trying to help people. If they say, "No thanks," try again in a few months.

And remember: Don't ask for anything in return.

Regards,

David Newman

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Mac Lethal (born David McCleary Sheldon) is another overnight success, 17 years in the making.

In November 2011, he released a video on YouTube of him rapping over the beat to "Look at Me Now" while he prepared pancakes in his kitchen.

The video became a viral hit and got millions of views in a matter of days, but he'd been practicing his craft for years and years.

As he tells James on the extended version of Ask Altucher, high school bored him so he started writing rap songs in study hall.

Rapping wasn't his passion, but it worked. As he became better at it he became much more passionate...

By 2011 he'd finally made it. Today he often spends hours listening to rappers and learning from them.

He tells James that he believes it takes 20 years to become a real master at your trade.

It takes you a couple of years to move past a beginner, and by year five you start to find your voice and stop mimicking others.

By year 15 you finally focus and become an authentic voice.

But he didn't stop there. He's written a book, Texts From Bennett that was optioned by FX.

Most things you try probably won't work, but keep trying and eventually one good idea will slip through... And no one will remember your prior mistakes.

This is a great interview and you'll want listen to the entire conversation.

Listen to today's show and you can find Mac here and here.

Regards,

David Newman

P.S. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

A great new resource shows a clever way to start a business, get a new job, find a retirement career, publish a book, make extra money in your spare time, and more.