Dreams Are Messages From The Deep– Dune

Explosive Growth Mastermind

I decided to join a Mastermind this year. I wanted to be able to meet, and learn from, entrepreneurs around the country and world. I wanted to learn how these entrepreneurs are approaching life, personal freedom and money by building their own business. I decided to join Jeff Hoffman’s ‘Explosive Growth’ Mastermind. I’ve heard Jeff speak in the past (once in Austin) and his career arc really inspires me (especially since he also started his career as a software engineer after graduating from Yale’s CS Program).

And yes, as I mentioned in this interview, my undergraduate degree is in Political Science, but I have been a software engineer for over 20 years. To me, this means many things: First, you may not yet realize how your real passion can generate income when you enter, or leave, college; Secondly, you are not pidgeon-holed to work in a field you get your degree in; Third, college and grades have little to no bearing on professional aptitude; Fourth, your college education has little to no bearing on your aptitude to be an entrepreneur and your ability to make money.

Your own curiosity, learnability, drive and discipline are the secrets to success. Focus on how your passions intersect with your drive to bring value to the market.

Bring value to the market you must! Yoda

In Episode 33 of our podcast, we discuss Michael Woolridge’s book, ‘A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence’, where we briefly touch on Robin Dunbar’s theory for why human brains evolved more quickly than other primates. According to Dunbar, humans are so mentally advanced because of our brain’s ability to hold roughly 150 social connections at any given time (beneficial in war, tribe building, etc).

It’s interesting to relate this to Jeff’s comments on how social interactions and connections are probably the most important and beneficial aspects of a college education today, as the professional benefits (especially relative to return on investment) are highly questionable (in my opinion).

Jeff encourages young people to not be afraid to try new things in order to find a vocation that fits. And don’t shy away from identifying, and tracking down, mentors to help you build the knowledge and confidence you need to get to where you dream of going.

The trick is in listening as dreams bubble-up from the depths, and then in figuring out how to achieve them.

Behind The Scenes

This interview was filmed, and produced, by Emmy Award winning film producer, Shawn Vela and crew: Tyler, Jeff and Kai. Makeup was skillfully applied by @ralimakeup. Thank you guys, you are all inspiring and amazing!!

Dedication

This blog is dedicated to my three kids: Matthew, Claire and Evelyn. Fight mediocrity; Strive to be great; always love your Dad!

Relevant Links

• Explosive Growth Mastermind
• Shawn Vela
• Brandon T. Adams
• @ralimakeup
• Rise and Record
• Explosive Growth Mastermind
• Priceline.com
• William Shatner Goes To Space and Priceline Offers $200 Off Fares