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My First Million

$50M Poker Pro Shares His Best Advice For Founders

with Daniel Negreanu

Published October 6, 2025
Visit Podcast Website

About This Episode

Poker pro Daniel Negreanu joins the hosts to explore the parallels between high-stakes poker and entrepreneurship, including reading people, managing risk, and handling emotional swings. He describes how he developed his observational skills, his early ups and downs in Las Vegas, and his philosophy on bankroll management and when to take big risks. The conversation broadens into emotional intelligence, personal responsibility, learning from rock bottom moments, and the importance of continually updating one's mental "software" to stay world-class in any field.

Topics Covered

Entrepreneurship Risk and uncertainty Pattern recognition Emotional empathy and cognitive empathy Personal Development Mentorship Investing Work ethic Poker strategy Emotional intelligence

Disclaimer: We provide independent summaries of podcasts and are not affiliated with or endorsed in any way by any podcast or creator. All podcast names and content are the property of their respective owners. The views and opinions expressed within the podcasts belong solely to the original hosts and guests and do not reflect the views or positions of Summapod.

Quick Takeaways

  • Negreanu consciously trained his ability to read people by observing strangers and profiling opponents, then looking for repeatable patterns in their behavior.
  • He advocates taking big risks when you have little to lose and becoming far more risk-averse once you have an established "bankroll" or life foundation.
  • Downswings and rock-bottom moments are where the biggest breakthroughs happen, because they force you to re-examine strategy and identity instead of coasting.
  • Negreanu distinguishes between loving the competitive craft of poker and degenerately chasing action, and he avoids unnecessary gambling once his life goals are met.
  • He emphasizes being emotionally responsible rather than a victim, reframing events by asking how you were responsible for your role in them.
  • A major leak for many competent players is staying too long when losing and quitting too early when winning, driven by short-term emotions instead of long-term EV.
  • Negreanu deliberately learns from younger players and new tools every few years, updating his "software" instead of clinging to past success.
  • He was deeply influenced by ideas like the "Be Do Have" model and Don Miguel Ruiz's "The Four Agreements," especially being impeccable with your word and not taking things personally.

Podcast Notes

Introduction and Daniel Negreanu's background

Host introduces Daniel Negreanu and his achievements

Host says he has watched Daniel on TV for half his life and describes him as a poker player with over $50 million in tournament cashes[0:24]
Host notes Daniel is known for his ability to read people, longevity in the game, personality, and building a brand around poker[0:32]
Daniel corrects the host that he has seven World Series of Poker bracelets, and jokes that it should be more[0:39]

Why a poker player on a business podcast

Host explains he is selfish because he's played poker his whole life and wanted to talk to Daniel[0:57]
Host argues there are many parallels between poker and business: investing, bankroll management, pot odds, and people-reading[1:01]
Daniel agrees and says poker players register as small businesses and must make smart decisions, invest, and look for positive expected value (plus EV) situations[1:36]

Evolution of poker and modern vs old-school styles

Host's view of poker's changing image

Host contrasts old-school poker heroes like Phil Ivey and Doyle Brunson with big personalities and cowboy vibes versus today's hoodies-and-sunglasses math kids[1:54]
He describes past personas: unreadable stone-cold player, talker, fearless risk-taker, versus modern deliberate number-crunchers[3:09]

Daniel on tools and combinatorics

Daniel says it's similar to chess: older players didn't have access to today's tools, which changes the game[2:43]
He tells how Doyle Brunson used to run simulations by hand with real cards, paper, and pencil, tallying which hand won over thousands of deals[2:55]
Now the same data is available at the click of a button, so the skillset is different and modern players are more deliberate and slower because they calculate more[3:09]
Daniel introduces counting combinations (combinatorics), e.g., understanding there are 16 possible ace-king combos (4 aces × 4 kings)[3:41]
He says top players count combinations and integrate that with pot odds, which is complex even for many poker players[3:32]

Romanticizing old-school swashbucklers

Host compares Babe Ruth's hungover, cigarette-smoking image with today's technically perfect athletes and says he prefers the former archetype[4:05]
Daniel cites John Daly as a modern example: Tiger Woods said if he were as talented as John Daly, he wouldn't need to practice so much[4:31]
Daniel describes Tiger waking at 4-5 a.m. to practice while John Daly is at the bar yet still shoots low scores, calling it romantic swashbuckler behavior[4:45]

Iconic poker moments that inspired Daniel

Chris Moneymaker and Rounders as watershed influences

Host recalls the 2003 Chris Moneymaker World Series of Poker win over Sammy Farha as the first poker boom he experienced, likening it to Willy Wonka getting a golden ticket[4:58]
Daniel calls Moneymaker's win a watershed moment: an amateur named "Chris Moneymaker" turning $40 online into a $10,000 seat and then beating a grizzled vet[5:36]
Daniel cites the movie "Rounders" and specifically the Johnny Chan vs Eric Seidel scene that Matt Damon watches as something he rewatched on tape as a teenager[6:00]
He recalls watching Phil Hellmuth, then in his twenties, beat Johnny Chan for the World Series title in 1989 and thinking as a 16-year-old, "I'm going to be the next that"[6:00]

The Scotty Nguyen "baby, you call, it all over" hand

Co-host brings up Daniel's story about Scotty Nguyen at the 1998 World Series of Poker final table[6:32]
Daniel says he was there in 1998, the year he won his first bracelet, watching Scotty Nguyen with his Michelob, cigarette, mullet, chains, and black-and-white outfit[6:37]
He recounts Scotty saying to opponent Kevin McBride, "baby, you call, going to be all over, baby" as psychological warfare[6:58]
• Daniel explains the context: multi-day, 14-hour sessions in smoke-filled rooms create extreme stress for a non-pro opponent facing a seasoned pro
• Scotty's line framed calling as relief from pain and suffering, which Daniel believes nudged McBride into calling and losing
Co-host likens Scotty's tactic to Conor McGregor's psychological warfare against Jose Aldo[7:42]

Reading people and applying it to business

Innate human ability to read emotions

Daniel starts his mini masterclass by saying even babies can sense whether their mother is happy or sad, showing humans are born with this skill[8:12]
He argues that as people age, they trust their instincts less, despite still having these capabilities[8:36]
He gives the example of meeting someone and instantly disliking them without clear reasons, calling it a clue worth trusting[8:38]

Training observational skills at the mall

As a teenager turning pro, Daniel would sit on a mall bench wearing sunglasses and observe passersby[8:55]
• He would mentally infer whether someone had been picked on, was confident or insecure, depressed or happy, or had been a football player, building fictional profiles
He says at the poker table he profiles everything: clothing, actions, origin, and more, assembling a puzzle about who the person is[9:19]
Daniel notes this is highly valuable in business, e.g., spotting overblown claims from someone bragging about record quarters[8:38]
• He suggests when someone lies, you mentally catalog how they look and behave while lying, so you can notice that pattern later

Example of a chewing-gum tell

Daniel recounts playing at World Series of Poker Europe where he noticed an opponent chewing gum during a hand, then stopping when he went all-in[10:01]
• He deliberately called to see the hand and confirmed the opponent was bluffing when he stopped chewing gum after shoving
Days later at the final table, the same opponent shoved while still chewing, and Daniel folded; later, when the opponent shoved and stopped chewing, Daniel called and busted him, again finding a bluff[10:11]
He reiterates that everyone can observe patterns like eye contact and body language that often signal discomfort and lying[9:52]

How to successfully lie in a pitch (from Daniel's perspective)

Asked how someone could lie to him to get investment, Daniel says certainty is key, though the best con artists are the best liars[9:59]
He warns that over-exuberant confidence is suspicious, and acknowledges that humility and admitting both good and bad realities makes a story more believable[10:14]
• He suggests telling the truth about one negative to bolster a lie about another positive; if you own a flaw in area B, area A sounds more credible
He adds that making eye contact and not appearing desperate are important traits for someone trying to persuade him[11:09]

Not appearing desperate and playing the long game

Daniel defines desperation in a pitch as front-loading the ask too early[11:09]
He advocates playing the long game: talk positively about a project but don't immediately ask for money; let the other person inquire if they are interested[11:24]
• He gives a script where the founder says they are fine and not desperate for investment, flipping the dynamic so the investor feels they "want in"

Other uncommon training Daniel did to improve

Daniel references the TV show "Heroes" and a character who steals others' abilities, using it as an analogy for how he modeled winning players[11:43]
As a young pro, he noticed the same players consistently winning and decided to "be" them for a week each, copying posture, chip placement, and thought patterns[12:17]
• He would spend one week trying to think like one successful player, take what worked, discard what didn't, then move on to emulate another, creating a "super player" built from many strengths
He notes that today people can watch him stream online for eight hours with hole cards and commentary, learning without risking money[13:27]
He emphasizes learning from those who are already successful and then thinking outside the box after absorbing their methods[12:41]

Reading people over Zoom vs real life and using relaxed settings

Getting better reads outside formal meetings

Asked about reading people over Zoom or phone, Daniel says you can, but he prefers to read people when they are relaxed[13:27]
He recommends dinner and drinks to talk about non-business topics, understand who people are, and disarm them[14:00]
He describes a poker tactic where he talks to the dealer instead of staring at the opponent after an all-in, joking and speculating to relax the opponent and draw out tells[14:04]
• In one example, he muses aloud about the opponent having ace-jack without looking at him; when the opponent's expression changes, Daniel infers strength or weakness based on the reaction
He compares this to business: you read people at the social dinner, not just in the stiff, rehearsed pitch setting[14:34]

Body language, eyes, smiles, and pulse as cues

Daniel says eyes are very telling, and so are smiles; he claims most people can distinguish fake from real smiles if shown examples[14:52]
• He explains that fake smiles mainly move the mouth, whereas real smiles involve more movement around the eyes and upper face
He notes body posture-stiff versus laid back-also communicates comfort or discomfort[15:11]
He mentions some players now look at neck pulse, prompting others to cover their necks with scarves[15:32]

George H. W. Bush vs Bill Clinton debate anecdote

Co-host recounts the 1992 presidential debate where George Bush Sr. briefly looked at his watch during a woman's question about groceries, which analysts say hurt him[15:46]
He contrasts Bush's behavior with Bill Clinton walking closer, asking her name and background, and expressing empathy[15:54]
He cites tests where people could predict the debate outcome from silent video (body language) but not from audio alone, underscoring visual communication's power[15:32]
Daniel agrees, likening looking at a watch or phone while someone talks to disrespect, versus putting the phone down and making eye contact as respect and empathy[16:41]

Daniel's poker origin story and risk philosophy

Learning poker from pool halls and early bankroll swings

Daniel started as a teenager playing snooker in Canada and got invited to home poker games[17:20]
• He brought a six-pack of beer and $10, quickly lost the money, drank the beer, and then just watched others play wildcard games like "follow the queen"
Initially he thought it was all luck, but noticed the same two or three players consistently winning, which intrigued him as a competitive person[17:28]
He bought a very basic poker book that nonetheless helped him start thinking about the game more sophisticatedly[17:22]
As a reckless teenager, he would build up money and then lose it, but friends recognized he was good and honorable, so they would loan him $500-$1,000 when he went broke[17:31]

Taking shots in Vegas and moving from big fish to sucker

Daniel describes going to Las Vegas with $3,000 and losing it all in 24 hours, then spending three days broke, which he considers a learning experience[18:12]
He repeatedly went back and forth between Toronto and Vegas, transitioning from big fish in a small pond to facing top pros[18:07]
He recalls a defining moment: after losing his money in a seven-handed game at 4 a.m., he came back from the bathroom to find everyone gone and realized he had been the sucker they were playing for[19:30]
• He memorized the faces of those players, including "Hawaiian Bill" in Hawaiian shirts who later became a mentor when Daniel recognized his skill
He walked from the casino to his motel many times wondering what he was doing with his life, but each morning he woke up ready to try again[18:09]

Analogy to business risk-taking in your twenties

Daniel parallels early poker risk-taking to small businesses: with little to lose, you can and should take shots[18:28]
He recounts speaking at Kraft Foods and using a bankroll analogy: with $500 you can risk it all to grow, but with $2 million you can't risk going back to $500[19:32]
He advised Kraft not to radically change their mac and cheese if it was working, because once you have a big "bankroll" or brand, you should be more risk-averse[20:07]
He explicitly says you should take risk when you're on the low end of the totem pole, especially in your twenties, and be far more cautious once established[20:49]
Despite being a professional gambler, Daniel says he is very risk-averse in investing, using safe instruments and avoiding needless gambles now that he has his dream life[21:24]

Building a financial base, degeneracy, and motivation beyond money

Thinking you are set, then going broke again

Daniel says that after a strong 1999 including winning the U.S. Poker Championship, he had $400-500k and thought he'd never go broke again[22:33]
In 2000 he got complacent living the Vegas life-strip clubs, dinners, gambling loosely-and by year-end the money was gone[22:06]
He observed many peers repeating a pattern of building a bankroll, blowing it all, and rebuilding, often due to lacking a deeper foundation or "why"[21:48]
• He believes some subconsciously self-sabotage to lose their money so they can reclaim the purpose of needing to make money again
He resolved not to be that guy and by his late twenties or early thirties felt he had things figured out and wouldn't go broke again, even while playing higher stakes[22:45]

Watching extreme boom-and-bust degeneracy

Daniel recalls a player who built a bankroll from a few thousand to $2 million, then played the biggest game with women, cocaine, and drinking[23:01]
Within about three days, that man lost everything and was asking Daniel for $500, which shocked Daniel as a cautionary example[23:11]
He cites the story of Archie Karras at Binion's Horseshoe, who ran up to about $45 million, then lost it all, and later built to $17-18 million and lost that too[24:29]
Daniel calls such figures degenerates whose lives revolve entirely around gambling, and says he can't relate to billionaires obsessed with making more money that doesn't change their life[23:51]

Money, experiences, and Bill Perkins' "Die With Zero"

Daniel mentions his billionaire friend Bill Perkins and his book "Die With Zero" about using money as a tool for happiness[24:41]
He says real happiness comes from experiences, not bigger yachts, watches, or cars; memories like trips with friends endure more than material items[24:31]
He argues that chasing material objects as a sole source of happiness can make you vehemently unhappy due to diminishing returns[24:39]
Asked what motivates him now that extra money wouldn't change his life much, Daniel says he simply loves competing and the battle of wits in poker[24:43]
He clarifies that money was never the end goal; it was a tool to let him play bigger games and ultimately to secure freedom in his 30s, 40s, and 50s to do what he wants without a day job[25:03]

Best players, focus, and staying calm under pressure

Phil Ivey vs Daniel's different paths

Daniel names Phil Ivey, his friend of 30 years, as the best overall poker player in the world across all games[26:28]
He says their paths diverged when poker got popular on TV: Phil ignored media and focused solely on playing long hours, while Daniel embraced the business and branding side[26:16]
Daniel enjoyed being on camera and speaking and leveraged those opportunities, but acknowledges that split focus limited how intensely he could approach the game compared to Phil[27:24]
He describes Phil as a quiet assassin who pays attention to everything and is extremely good at table selection based on who is winning and vulnerable[27:28]
• Phil might leave a game after 15-20 minutes if the "wrong guys" are winning (meaning they'll play well), or stay for days if he senses opponents are vulnerable and capable of going off for big numbers

Keeping calm under pressure and focusing on inputs

Asked how to coach a novice to be calm under pressure in three days, Daniel says it's virtually impossible because managing stress is deeply personal and experiential[27:30]
He suggests long-term practices like meditation or yoga retreats to become more centered, but says a new environment's stress can't be fully insulated against in a short time[28:37]
For experienced players, he focuses them on fundamentals and on being input-focused, not output-focused: making good decisions rather than obsessing over short-term results[28:08]
• He gives the example of going all-in with aces vs nine-four: losing occasionally doesn't mean you made a mistake; in the long run it's profitable
He compares poker to investing in markets where external uncontrollable events can ruin a good decision, emphasizing learning from actual mistakes while not fixating on bad luck[28:46]
Daniel says poker is like a big puzzle where you keep plugging leaks, recognizing repeated situations and choosing the better response the second time[28:37]

Common leaks for intermediate players

Daniel says the biggest leak for 99% of poker players and gamblers is playing shorter when winning and much longer when losing[29:39]
He shares data from his friend Evelyn, who won small amounts nine out of ten days but had one marathon 31-hour losing session that wiped out her gains[28:42]
• Her winning days were 1-4 hours each, but her big losing day involved her staying far longer, chasing losses to "get even today"
Daniel stresses the game doesn't end today; it's a month- or year-long endeavor, and people tend to play worst when emotionally affected by losses[30:10]
He says very few players can be robotic about losses, so it's better to play when your mental state is good and you're winning than when you're tilted and chasing losses[30:22]

Flow, self-judgment, and using altered states

Inner Game of Tennis and trusting self two

Co-host summarizes "The Inner Game of Tennis" about self one (conscious, judgmental mind) vs self two (body and intuition), arguing that hot streaks happen when self two leads[31:05]
Daniel connects this to golf, where most people have technical swing thoughts, but at one point his swing thought was simply a meaningless lyric, "nothing from nothing is nothing," to quiet analysis and just swing[31:22]

Alcohol as a temporary way to lower inhibition

Daniel calls alcohol a secret weapon he doesn't use often but says a slightly buzzed state can reduce fear and rationalization, letting instincts drive decisions[32:51]
He mentions Bill Smith, a player described as weakest when sober, a mess when drunk, but the best in the world when just a little drunk, due to optimal inhibition reduction[33:41]
Daniel says the ideal is to reach that trusting, instinctive state without alcohol, and he has worked on simply acting when he feels something is right instead of overthinking[33:25]

Napping, creativity, and hypnagogic states

Co-host describes a Paris sleep study where participants who took a short nap solved a complex pattern at three times the rate of those who didn't nap[34:05]
He notes that Edison and Einstein reportedly napped while holding a spoon to wake at the moment of dropping into sleep, using that hypnagogic state for creativity[33:23]
Daniel responds that sleep is crucial for poker, likening the mind to a computer that needs shutdown and reboot to process information[34:19]
He says he's a big fan of naps and has played in Europe with jet lag so bad he'd rest his head on the table and feel the cards hit his extended hand to wake up[34:41]

Emotional intelligence, responsibility, and coaching

Choice Center emotional intelligence course

Daniel says he took an emotional intelligence course in Vegas in 2013 called Choice Center after his manager Brian, a buttoned-up lawyer type, recommended it[36:01]
He went in expecting a business seminar but found a deep dive into what makes you tick, where you decided things about yourself, and what parts of you work or don't work[36:37]
Initially he hated it but stuck with it because he trusted Brian, and he now calls it transformational and life-changing[36:36]

Victim vs responsible mindset and "response-able"

Daniel learned to distinguish between being a victim of circumstance and being completely responsible for where you are and your decisions[36:32]
He clarifies you're not responsible for events like weather or a car crash, but you are responsible for your response to them[37:21]
He breaks down "responsible" as "response able," stating that the difference between those who succeed and fail often lies in how they respond to events[37:37]
He recounts an example from the course: two mothers lost children in drunk driving accidents; one spiraled into depression and lost her family, the other grieved and then founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving[38:06]
Daniel emphasizes that the event was the same but their different responses led to radically different life trajectories[37:52]

Rewriting your story from victim to responsible

Daniel describes an exercise where you first tell a story as a victim, then must retell the same story assuming 100% responsibility for everything that happened[38:52]
He applied it to a past breakup where he had cast himself as the victim; retelling it as responsible made him see signs and choices he had ignored[39:31]
He says this freed him from the victim label and later helped him become the man who could rekindle that relationship in a healthier way[39:45]
He notes that Choice Center is roughly a 100-day process with two intensive weekends plus coaching calls, and you learn how to coach others[40:11]

Coaching by asking, "how would you coach yourself?"

Daniel says that when coaching, he often asks people how they would coach themselves on the issue, and they usually lay out a good plan[39:43]
He points out that this shows they already know the answers; a good coach asks questions that help you see and articulate what is possible[40:59]

Handling downswings, rock bottom, and breakthroughs

Downswings as opportunities for breakthroughs

Daniel calls downswings the most important part of becoming a professional poker player because how you deal with them determines your trajectory[42:15]
He says breakdowns-when things are going badly-are opportunities for breakthroughs because they force deeper introspection and strategic adjustment[41:47]
He stresses that when results are fine, you may not delve into your strategy, but bad times push you to ask whether what you're doing works and what needs to change[43:29]
He compares this to life: rock bottom is often a decision point where you either accept your situation and stay there or reinvent yourself and do things differently[43:54]

JK Rowling quote on rock bottom

Co-host quotes JK Rowling describing how her greatest fear had been realized, yet she was still alive with a daughter, a typewriter, and a big idea, so rock bottom became the solid foundation to rebuild her life[44:14]
Daniel says the quote encapsulates what they are discussing and relates it back to his own low points and growth[43:39]
He notes that the emotional intelligence course was prompted by his own rock-bottom-feeling breakup and that he still uses its tools daily to catch and correct his own bad behaviors faster[45:17]

Continuous learning, Four Agreements, and keeping your word

Negreanu's content diet and "The Four Agreements"

Asked what he reads and listens to, Daniel mentions Don Miguel Ruiz's book "The Four Agreements" as a simple, impactful read[47:01]
He summarizes the four agreements: be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions, and always do your best[46:58]
He says "do your best" is key because you will fail at the other three sometimes, but doing your best keeps you in a good place[46:58]
He takes being impeccable with his word very seriously, both to others and to himself, to the point where being four minutes late to a 9:00 a.m. commitment feels like a broken agreement[47:22]
He criticizes people who are consistently late and don't acknowledge it as disrespecting others' time, and he says it makes him distrust their word[47:53]

Keeping your word to yourself and self-sabotage

Co-host admits being better at keeping his word to others than to himself, describing daily calls with a food coach where he often rationalizes breaking commitments about eating and sleep[48:17]
He shares his coach's insight that the small food choices aren't themselves catastrophic, but repeatedly breaking your word to yourself erodes self-trust and can "kill you" over time[48:14]
He observes he is persuasive and can talk himself into anything, so he doesn't want to weaponize that skill against himself by constantly renegotiating personal commitments[49:13]

Continuous learning from younger players

The host notes that in research on Daniel he saw Daniel say he never wanted to be the old head criticizing young players; instead, Daniel wanted to learn from them and be coached by them too[49:39]
Daniel recalls being 22-23 and noticing established pros scoffing at his plays while he felt he was already much better, which made him vow not to become that kind of older player[50:03]
He says every three to four years he updates his "software" by learning the latest methods and tools younger players use, then combines those with his 30 years of wisdom[49:19]
He warns that if you stop learning, you fall behind by definition because others continue improving with new ideas, solvers, and approaches[50:31]

Closing remarks

Appreciation and final reflections

Co-host tells Daniel he belongs in the category of people who can teach about life through their domain, like investors such as Warren Buffett do through investing[51:11]
He says he will likely never seriously play poker, but Daniel has offered many ideas that will change his life outside of poker[52:05]
Daniel reiterates that he is sharing what has worked for him, and listeners can adopt what resonates, just as he studies what worked for other successful people[51:57]
The hosts thank Daniel for coming on, and he responds that it was fun[52:25]

Lessons Learned

Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.

1

Treat downswings and breakdowns as the moments where you do your deepest learning, using them to examine your strategy, beliefs, and habits instead of only lamenting bad luck.

Reflection Questions:

  • • When was the last time a setback forced you to scrutinize your approach, and what did you actually change as a result?
  • • How could you reframe a current "breakdown" in your work or life as a chance to redesign your strategy rather than evidence that you are failing?
  • • What is one concrete behavior or system you will review and adjust the next time you hit a downswing instead of immediately trying to "get even"?
2

Take your biggest calculated risks when you have the least to lose, and become progressively more risk-averse as your "bankroll" of money, reputation, or responsibilities grows.

Reflection Questions:

  • • In which area of your life are you still acting as if you have a lot to lose, even though your actual downside is small?
  • • How might your strategy change if you deliberately treated your twenties or an early-stage project as the time to swing bigger, knowing you can rebuild from a low base?
  • • What current assets-savings, brand, or relationships-are now valuable enough that you should protect them with tighter risk rules instead of gambling them for marginal gains?
3

Your ability to read people improves dramatically when you consciously observe patterns in their behavior and remember how they look and act when they are honest versus when they are bluffing.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What small physical or verbal cues have you noticed in colleagues or partners that tend to show up when they are uncomfortable or not being straightforward?
  • • How could you create more relaxed, low-stakes interactions (like casual meals) with important counterparts so you can observe their authentic baseline behavior?
  • • This week, what situation will you intentionally enter in "observation mode" to practice noticing patterns instead of just participating on autopilot?
4

Shifting from a victim mindset to full responsibility-focusing on how you responded and what you chose-gives you power to rewrite your story and change future outcomes.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Which recurring story about being wronged or unlucky do you tell yourself, and how would that story sound if you described yourself as 100% responsible for your part in it?
  • • How might your behavior change in a current conflict if you focused only on what you can control-your response-instead of the other person's actions?
  • • What is one past event you could journal about twice, first as a victim and then as fully responsible, to see what new options or insights emerge?
5

Being impeccable with your word-especially to yourself-builds self-trust and long-term power, while casually breaking promises erodes your ability to rely on your own commitments.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where do you most frequently break small promises to yourself (sleep, food, work habits), and how does that show up in your confidence?
  • • How would your decisions this month differ if you treated your own commitments with the same seriousness you reserve for promises made to others?
  • • What is one specific, modest promise you will make to yourself today-and keep-to start rebuilding your internal sense that your word actually means something?
6

Continuous learning-regularly updating your "software" with new tools, methods, and perspectives-prevents you from becoming the out-of-touch expert who gets surpassed by the next generation.

Reflection Questions:

  • • In your field, what are the new practices or tools that younger or newer people are using that you have quietly dismissed or ignored?
  • • How could you set up a deliberate cycle (for example, every 3-4 years) to study and adopt the best of what the next generation is doing while combining it with your own experience?
  • • Which person who is 10-15 years younger than you could you ask to "coach" you on what they are seeing and doing differently, and when will you have that conversation?

Episode Summary - Notes by Finley

$50M Poker Pro Shares His Best Advice For Founders
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