Lessons-from-my-20s-by-ryan-allis

lessons
from my 20s
Ryan Allis

ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION
THIS presentation can be found
Online at
www.hive.org/20s

Lessons from my 20s
INTRODUCTION

Well, hello there
Hi there,
I’m Ryan. I’m an entrepreneur living in San Francisco.
I created this presentation in advance of my 30th
birthday on August 14, 2014 to share what I learned
in my twenties about life, entrepreneurship, and the
world. I hope you will find it useful!
If you have questions or thoughts, feel free to email me anytime via
ryan@connect.com.
Best,
Ryan Allis

TOPICS
THIS 1285 slide PRESENTATION COVERs What I’ve learned about
LIFE
entrepreneurship
The world
1
2
3
567 SlIDES
449 SLIDES
269 SLIDES

PART 1 TOPICS
PART 1 “LIFE” INCLUDES SECTIONS ON
GOALS
Purpose
vision
NETWORKS
MENTORS
HAPPINESS
Health
MEDITATION
HABITS
COMMUNICATION
Money
Investing
Love
values
Life LESSONS

PART 2 TOPICS
PART 2 “ENTREPRENEURSHIP” INCLUDES SECTIONS ON
The big opportunities
Entrepreneurship
Leadership
Business planning
Product development
Innovation
Venture capital
Marketing
Building systems
Building a team
Strategy & execution
Steps to get started

PART 3 TOPICS
PART 3 “THE WORLD” INCLUDES SECTIONS ON
Human rights
Human progress
Systems thinking
World 2050
Millennials
Climate change
The innovation age

TARGET AUDIENCE
MY PRIMARY TARGET AUDIENCE
IS MILLENNIALS 15-35
WHO ARE INTERESTED
IN MAKING A POSITIVE
DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD

MY MOTIVATION
MY MOTIVATION TO
COMPLETE THIS PROJECt
IS MY MOTHER PAULINE

MY MOTIVATION
SHE PASSED AWAY in 2012
FROM A BRAIN TUMOR

MY MOTIVATION
I WANTED TO DOCUMENT
ALL THE AMAZING
KNOWLEDGE SHE GAVE ME
IN HER 60 years

MY MOTIVATION
She inspired so many
to love everybody
Follow their bliss
and dream big

For some context, here is my background
Born 1984 in Pittsburgh, PA
SON OF A MINISTER from USA & A SOCIAL WORKER from UK
GREW UP IN Woonsocket, Rhode Island and Bradenton, florida
Started learning web development at age 12 in 1996
Majored in econ at UNC-Chapel Hill
Led a software COMPANY CALLED iConTACT from age18-27
Grew icontact to 300 employees then sold company for $170M in 2012
Started mission-driven angel fund called connect ventures in 2012
WENT TO Harvard business school FOR MBA in boston
LEFT HBS after first year TO launch CONNECT in SF
Now living in san francisco and loving it

And here are some of the Topics I’m Passionate about
THE ROLE OF BUSINESS & TECH IN MAKING THE WORLD BETTER
Purpose-driven companies & Social enterprise
CREATING A WORLD WITHOUT POVERTY
CREATING A SUSTAINABLE WORLD
BUILDING GREAT COMPANIES and cultures
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & Development economics
JOY AND HAPPINESS
SCIENCE & INNOVATION
Purpose-driven LEADERSHIP
TRAVEL & EXPLORATION
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC SERVICE
THE MIND & UNDERSTANDING OURSELVES

What I’m deeply passionate about
Helping CREATe An ABUNDANT, SUSTAINABle, and joyOUS WORLD FOR ALL PEOPLE
All people can live
peaceful, mindful, and
joyous lives
All people can live on a
sustainable planet with
clean energy
All people have access to
the six basic human needs
1 2 3

What I’m working on on today
These days I’m the ceo of connect and the chairman of hive in san francisco
www.connect.com
www.hive.org
Helping people and groups stay connected
A global network of leaders working
on creating a better world

If you enjoy this presentation also check out
www.hive.org/bookwww.startupguide.com

Let’s get started
All right Now
Let’s get started
1264 slides to go…

Lessons from my 20s
Part I:
LIFE

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 1
GOALs

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOALS
VERY FEW PEOPLE
ACTUALLY WRITE DOWN
THEIR GOALS

FEWER STILL
PRINT THEM OUT &
FRAME THEM

In my experience
Those who write down
& FRAME THEIR GOALS
ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE
HUMAN BEINGS AT CREATING
A BETTER WORLD

WHEN YOU WRITE a goal DOWN your
subconcious BRAIN BEGINS TO MORE actively
think about bringing into your life
THE PEOPLE, RESOURCES & KNOWLEDGE
YOU NEED TO ACHIEVE your GOALS

WHEN YOU know what you’re up to
In the world your mind can naturally
Filter opportunities to find those that
Match your goals

I STARTED WRITING DOWN MY GOALS AT 16
I STARTED WRITING DOWN MY GOALS
AT AGE 16 in the year 2000
AFTER MY MOM GAVE ME THE BOOK
THINK AND GROW RICH

THE FIRST EVER GOAL
I wrote down at age 16 was
“BUILD A COMPANY TO $1M IN SALES BY 21”

I MISSED MY FIRST BIG GOAL
I MISSED THIS GOAL
By 18 days
I TURNED 21 on August 14, 2005
iContact reached $1M in sales on
September 1, 2005

I wouldn’t have even come close
To achieving this goal had I not
Written it down
WRITTEN GOALS ARE INDEED POWERFUL
FOR FOCUSING THE MIND

REFLECTING ON GOALS
I’ve been AMAZED AT WHAT I’VE BEEN
ABLE TO SEE, and EXPERIENCE and
HOW LIFE HAS BEEN ENRICHED SINCE
I BEGAN WRITING DOWN GOALS
AND THEN PURSUING
THE HECK OUT OF THEM

REFLECTING ON GOALS
HERE ARE JUST A FEW
OF THE THINGS in life
I’ve been able to achieve
In my twenties due to
writing down my goals
And then pursuing them

What’s happened in my 20s due to writing my down GOALS
Age Goal Achieved
21 GREW icontact to $1M in sales
23 Raised $5M in venture capital Series A round for iContact
25 Raised $40M in venture capital Series B for icontact
26 icontact reached 300 employees and $50M in annual sales
Joined united nations foundation Global entrepreneur council
Got to Meetworld leaders like ban ki moon, kofi annan, bill clinton, barack obama
27 Sold icontact for $170M to a public company
Started impact investing firm Connect VENTURES
Visited kenya, Uganda, rwanda, egypt, ghana, Invested in off-grid electric in tanzania
Got into harvard business school
28 Invested in spacex, change.org, lendingclub in Silicon Valley
Completed year one of HBS MBA in boston
Started Connect in san francisco
29 FINISHED Losing 50 pounds (205 ! 155)
Started meditating daily
Connect passed 1 million users

Leading an amazing executive team

JOINING THE UN FOUNDATION GLOBAL ENTREPRENEUR COUNCIL

Co-chairing Tech for obama in 2012

ATTENDING HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
NEARLY ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
THAT YOU SET YOUR MIND TO
AND WORK HARD AT
FOR 10 years

An EXAMPLE
AS AN ExAMPLE HERE ARE
MY current GOALS

1 Year goals
GET CONNECT TO 2M MONTHLY ACTIVE USERS
RAISE SERIES A FOR CONNECT
GROW HIVE FROM 80 TO 300 GLOBAL MEMBERS
PUBLISH EVERYTHING I’VE LEARNED BY 30
MEDITATE OVER 300 TIMES (6X/WEEK)
VISIT ARGENTINA & ENGLAND

10 Year goals – by 2025
100m people use connect to stay connected
built hive into a global community of people working to
create a better world with 10 Profitable locations
traveled to over 50 countries exploring perpsectives on
Human potential and spirituality
Published a book on creating a better Life, Company, & world
Built a relationship with an amazing life partner
Become an extraordinary father

LIFETIME GOALS
Live a joyous, happy, and fully alive life
Be an extraordinary partner and father
Create a profitable hive in 1000 cities
BUILD a global community of extraordinary people
working on creating a better world

Never limit your dreams
My friends.
Do not limit y our dreams.

A quote
“Dream no small dreams
for they have no power to
move the hearts of men.”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer

Write down your goals
Here is a 12 step process
YOU Can use FOR WRITING DOWN
YOUR GOALs

Writing down your goals
You can do this 30 minute exercise
right Now Or put a time on your
calendar to
Come back to it

GOAL SETTING PROCESS
OPEN UP GOOGLE DOCS
CREATE HEADINGS For 1 YRs, 10 YRs, AND LIFETIME
THEN WRITE DOWN 5 TO 7 GOALS IN EACH CATEGORY
MAKE EVERYTHING FIT ON ONE PAGE
MAKE SURE ALL GOALS ARE MEASURABLE SO YOU’LL KNOW IF YOU GOT THERE OR NOT
1
2
3

PRINT OUT TWO COPIES
SIGN THEM
FRAME THEM
4
5
6

PUT ONE FRAME IN YOUR BEDRO0M
PUT ONE FRAME AT WORK
SHARE YOUR ONE-PAGER WITH A CLOSE FRIEND
7
8
9

10
11
12
DEC 26-31 CALCULATE RESULTS
GREEN = MADE IT
YELLOW = 50%+ there
RED = <50% there
UPDATE GOAL SHEET FOR THE NEXT YEAR
& REPRINT/RESIGN/PUT IN FRAME

MAKING YOUR GOALS AMBITIOUS ENOUGH
YOU SHOULD BE HITTING AROUND
OF YOUR GOALS
IF HIGHER, THEN
YOUR GOALS ARE NOT
AMBITIOUS ENOUGh
66%

GOALS REFLECTION
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME
YOU WROTE DOWN YOUR
GOALS?
CAN YOU FIND THEM?

GOALS REFLECTION
DO YOU THINK THE GOALS YOU SET
ARE USUALLY TOO AMBITIOUS?
OR NOT AMBITIOUS ENOUGH?

GOALS REFLECTION
WHAT IS THE MOST
AMBITIOUS GOAL
You’VE EVER SET?
DID you achieve it?
Why or why not?

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 2
PURPOSE

A quote
“When you grow up you tend to get told the
world is the way it is and your life is just to
live your life inside the world. Try not to
bash into the walls too much. Try to have a
nice family, have fun, save a little money…
That's a very limited life. Life can be much
broader once you discover one simple fact…
Everything around you that you call life was
made up by people that were no smarter
than you and you can change it, you can
influence it. Once you learn that, you'll never
be the same again.”
- Steve Jobs

AVOIDING THE VORTEX OF MEDIOCRITY
MOST PEOPLE NEVER create THEIR
LIFE PURPOSE
Instead they get sucked into the
Dreaded vortex of passionless mediocrity
(Don’t let this happen to you)

CREATING YOUR LIFE PURPOSE
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE
1. THOSE WHO LIVE WITH PURPOSE
2. THOSE WHO DO NOT

creating YOUR LIFE PURPOSE
THOSE WHO TAKE THE TIME TO CREATE
THEIR LIFE PURPOSE OFTEN ARE ABLE To
LIVE WITH EXTRAORDINARY ENERGY
AND MOTIVATION & OVERCOME CHALLENGES
Most could not dream of

A QUOTE
“Don’t ask what the world needs.
Ask what makes you come alive.
Because what the world needs is
People who have come alive.”
- HOWARD THURMAN!

LIFE HAS NO MEANING
UNLESS YOU CREATE THE MEANING
FOR YOURSELF
LIFE HAS NO MEANING UNLESS…

SO let’s talk about Your
LIFE PURPOSE

DISCOVERING YOUR LIFE PURPOSE
IF YOU CAN GO THROUGH A PROCESS
TO CREATE YOUR PURPOSE
THEN YOU CAN ADD GREAT MEANING
AND MOTIVATIOn TO YOUR LIFE

Creating YOUR LIFE PURPOSE
Your purpose is not
Something you HAVE
Your purpose is
Something you CREATE

Once you have a clear purpose
and goals for your life you can direct
your life rather than letting outside
factors determine your direction

DISCOVERING YOUR LIFE PURPOSE
TO0 MANY PEOPLE ARE WAITING to
“FIND” THEIR PURPOSE
WHEN IN FACT purpose is something
you CREATE

Standing strong with a clear purpose
You will be able to much more easily
withstand criticism and challenges
when you are internally clear on your
Specific purpose on this planet

LIVING A PURPOSe-DRIVEN LIFE
THE COMMON DENOMINATOR AMONG EVERY
SINGLE HIGHLY DRIVEN AND SUCCESSFUL
PERSON I HAVE EVER MET, REGARDLESS OF FIELD,
IS THAT THEY HAVE COMMITED THEIR GOALS TO
WRITING AND CREATED FOR THEMSELVES A
PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE

Your LIFE IS YOUR MESSAGE
YOUR LIFE IS YOUR
MESSAGE TO THE WORLD
MAKE SURE IT IS
INSPIRING

Living a Purpose-driven life
Living a purpose-driven
Life is important to me
Here’s what I’ve created
As My purpose

MY life purpose
Help CREATe An ABUNDANT, SUSTAINABle, and joyOUS WORLD FOR ALL PEOPLE
All people can live
peaceful, mindful, and
joyous lives
All people can live on a
sustainable planet with
clean energy
All people have access to
the six basic human needs
1 2 3

Creating a Purpose-driven life
Everything I do is
Driven by this
Sense of purpose

MY LIFE PURPOSE
someday
ALL PEOPLE will
HAVE ACCESS TO the
SIX BASIC HUMAN NEEDS of
Food, water, shelter, medicine
Education and electricity

MY LIFE PURPOSE
Someday we will
LIVE IN A
SUSTAINABLE WORLD
POWERED BY RENEWABLE ENERGY

MY LIFE PURPOSE
Someday all
PEOPLE will be able
To LIVE PEACEFUl, MINDFUl
AND JOYOUS LIVES

your LIFE PURPOSE
The exercise on the following
Slides can help you
Create & refine
Your life purpose

your LIFE PURPOSE
You can do this 90 minute
Exercise right now or put a time
On your calendar to do it

EXERCISE: CREATE YOUR LIFE PURPOSE
LIFE PURPOSE EXERCISE Instructions:
1. Print out this section so you can write in it with pen
2. Use a timer to give yourself exactly 4 mins per question
3. Write out the answers in the ovals
4. At the end, you’ll bring it all together in a final one-page
worksheet that you can frame if you choose
5. This exercise should take 90 minutes to complete

What do you really love doing?
When am I most in flow/in the zone? What excites me? What makes me come alive and be joyous?
4 min

What does THE WORLD need?
What does humanity and the world need to thrive? List as many things as you can think of.
4 min

HOW CAN I CREATE WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS WHILE DOING WHAT I LOVE?
What are all the things you could do in life that would serve humanity in a big way
and allow you to do what you love? Brainstorm below.
4 min

WHAT ARE MY PERSONAL FINANCIAL GOALS?
What do you want your annual income to be in 10 years? In 20?
What do you want to have saved up in investments and savings by age 65?
4 min

HOW CAN I GET PAID TO DO WHAT I LOVE?
What could you do in life that would serve humanity in a big way, allow you to do what you love, and create economic
value that allows you to reach and surpass your personal financial goals?
4 min

DESCRIBE HOW THE WORLD WILL BE DIFFERENT IN 2050 because of you
Close your eyes for 5 minutes and imagine all the little details of how our world will be different in 2050 because of you.
Then write what you see.
4 min

WHAT IS THE CHANGE YOU ARE COMMITED TO?
What is so compelling to you that you might be willing to dedicate your life to making it happen?
In other words, what might be your “life purpose.” Use the space to brainstorm.
4 min

WHAT IS THE CHANGE YOU ARE COMMITED TO?
See if you answer the above question as simply as possible so that a 10 year old would understand it.
Try to do it in fewer than 15 words (no pressure, this is just a draft). This could be considered your “life purpose.”
4 min

POSSIBLE METRICS OF SUCCESS
What are some metrics to track whether your life purpose is being realized in the world over the next 35 years? Make these metrics
specific and quantitative so it will be clear when you’ve achieved the impact you want to make in your life.
Examples: Global infant mortality < 1%; Global energy from renewables >95%; Carbon dioxide under 350
PPM; Homelessness in Oakland, CA down by 80%
4 min

HOW MIGHT YOU MAKE THIS HAPPEN?
What can you create/build/do during your life to help make this world that you dream of real? It’s okay
if you aren’t completely sure yet. Brainstorm ideas.
4 min

LIFETIME GOALS
Brainstorm some goals for the rest of your life that align with the impact you want to make. Think about areas of life like
health, travel, experiences, adventures, work, finances, relationships, and impact.
4 min

10 YEAR GOALS
Brainstorm some goals for the next ten years that align with the impact you want to make. Think about areas of life like
health, travel, experiences, adventures, work, finances, relationships, and impact.
4 min

ONE YEAR GOALS
Brainstorm some goals for the next year that align with the impact you want to make. Think about areas of life like health,
travel, experiences, adventures, work, finances, relationships, and impact.
4 min

90 DAY Action plan
What are the very first action steps you can take over the next 90 days to start realizing your vision? Who should
you reach out to? What should you look into? What habits do want to start and stop?
4 min

YOUR DESIRED WAY OF BEING
As you go about your journey in life, how do you want to be inside and come across to others?
What words do you want to define you?
Examples: Joyous, mindful, alive, focused, driven, ambitious, kind, compassionate, loving
4 min

HOW OTHERS WILL REMEMBER YOU
People will help you reach your goals if they can remember what you’re all about. If often hard to discern what the people you meet are up to
and who they need to be connected to. Make it simple for others you meet to remember what you’re up to by finishing the below sentence
and making sure those you meet know what you’re up to in the world.
I will be known in my community as the
_______________________ ____________________
person.
Examples: “I will be known in the world as the sustainable energy person”
“I will be known in the world as the women’s rights advocate”
“I will be known in the world as the global leaders convener”
4 min

NOW BRING IT ALL TOGETHER
Worksheet!Instruc.ons!
On the next page is a blank life plan form.
Give yourself some time to review and reflect on all your answers from the brainstorming
session. Then print out and fill in the life plan form with a pen or pencil. Feel free to adjust
your answers as you go, but don’t worry too much about getting it perfect.
Consider this form as just a draft. You can print out another one anytime.
There are no right answers and you can re-do your life plan as often as you want. I find just
having something written down helps people a lot. I actually recommend re-doing this
exercise at the end of each year.
I suggest framing the page after you’re done and putting it up in your office or bedroom.
15 min

Life purpose
How I’ll make It happen
1 year goals
Life Plan of ___________________________________
10 year goals
90 day action plan
Signed on _______________, _______ 20___ X______________________________________
Metrics of success by 2050
My desired way of being
Lifetime goals
I will be known in my community as the ______________________________ ______________________________ person.

EXERCISE: CREATING YOUR LIFE PURPOSE
As an example
Here is my current “life plan”
In the 1 page format
I update it about 1x per year

Life purpose
Example: Life Plan of Ryan Allis
Building a movement that creates an abundant, sustainable, and joyous world for all people
1) All people have access to the 6 BHNs 2) 95% energy from renewable sources 3) 0 major conflicts globally as defined by the UCDP
1) Build Connect into a global platform for connecting communities
2) Build Hive into a global community of extraordinary leaders who are creating a better world.
Joyous, happy, fully alive
Lifetime goals10 year goals
1. 10 million people use Connect each day to stay connected
2. Grow Hive to 10 profitable global locations
3. Train others to hold Hive gatherings
4. Build a relationship with an amazing life partner
5. Travel widely to explore perspectives on human society, spirituality, and human
potential
6. Publish a book on creating an extraordinary life, world, and company
90 Day Action Plan
1. Be an extraordinary partner and father
2. Catalyze a movement that creates an abundant, sustainable, and joyous world
3. Create a Hive in 1000 cities around the world
4. Create the world’s most impactful network of global leaders
5. Explore widely and be a lifelong learner
6. Live a joyous, happy, and fully alive life
1. 1 million people us Connect each day to stay connected
2. Publish a book about making a difference in the world for initial feedback
3. Hold 4 Hive Global Leaders Programs in San Francisco
4. Visit South America for the first time
5. Build habit of meditating 6x per week
6. Deepen relationship with Nadia
Signed on _______________, _______ 20___ X______________________________________
Metrics of success by 2050:
How I’ll make It happen:
Desired way of being:
I will be known in my community as the global leadership person.
1 Year Goals
1. Hold September 2014 Hive Global Leaders Program
2. Get Connect to 1,000,000 users
3. Prepare Connect for Series A
4. Meditate daily
5. Travel with Nadia to England
6. Publish Everything I Learned By 30 Presentation

Once you have it Share your life plan
With five friends & mentors
In the next 14 days
AND GET THEIR FEEDBACK AND INPUT
THEY MAY BE ABLE TO CONNECT YOU TO
PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP

When you meet people you should
be able to CLEARLY express
Your life purpose
in 15 WORDS or less WITH
AUTHENTIC EXCITEMENT IN A WAY THAT
moves people WHEN YOU TELL THEM

A quote
“Each of us must make the personal choice to be a hero or
not, to be committed to something bigger than ourselves or
not, to go beyond the way we “wound up being” and have
the purpose of our lives and our careers be about something
that makes a difference or not, in other words, to be a leader
or not.”
– Werner Erhard

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 3
VISION

A POEM on life
“Short this life is, just one I’ve got, finite in tenure, whether I like it or not. Dead
is embracing fear, replacing dreams with ‘I cannot.’ Alive is taking a new step,
having a shot. I will do the impossible, I will change the world, I will give hope to
a despairing nation, I’ll give bread to a starving girl. I’ll break all the records, I’ll
do what’s never been done, I’ll give and know love, I’ll be a billionaire of fun.
What will you do with today, this hour, this minute? Will you fill with dull and
fear or will you live it? I will not tolerate any foe no matter weapon or munition,
especially if that foe is within me in the form of fear or lack of ambition. Short
this life is, just one I’ve got. Finite in tenure whether I like it or not. As sure as
the eagle I will fly, ’cos I choose, I choose to live until I die.”
- A.E. BALLAKISTEN

VISION
Great leaders
Have a clear purpose
And a clear vision of
the world they are
Working to create

VISION BOARds
let’s start by talking about
VISION Boards

VISION BOARds
When GOALs & DREAMS
BECOME VISUALIZED
THEY BECOME ONE BIG LEAP
CLOSER TO BECOMING
REAL

VISION BOARDS
VISION BOARDS
ARE WHITE POSTER BOARDS
COVERED WITH CUT OUT IMAGES
OF WHAT YOU WANT TO
SEE IN YOUR FUTURE
AND THE WORLD’S FUTURE

A Friend’s 2014 Vision board

VISION BOARD CREATING PROCESS
SEARCH FOR & PRINT OUT AT LEAST 5 IMAGES IN EACH OF THE BELOW CATEGORIES
FAMILY
CAREER
HEALTH
FINANCIAL
EDUCATION
QUOTES
TRAVEL
VALUES
Adventure
ART

VISION BOARD CREATION PROCESS
ONCE PRINTED & TORN OUT
CUT tO SIZE
THEN PASTE OR TAPE
ONTO YOUR VISION BOARD
THEN SHARE IT WITH A FRIEND
AND HANG IT IN YOUR BEDROOM

VISION BOARD REFLECTION
HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN
SINCE You’ve created a vision board?
DO YOU STILL HAVE IT?

VISION BOARD REFLECTION
WHAT ARE THE INSTANCES
IN YOUR LIFE IN WHICH
You’VE SEEN INTENTION
TURN INTO REALITY?

BUCKET LISTS
BUCKET LISTs
ALLOW YOU TO CAPTURE
YOUR DREAMS
THEY ARE another way to
CREATE YOUR FUTURE

BUCKET LISTS
YOU CAN CREATE THEM AS A LIST
OR EVEN BETTER
PUT THEM UP ON YOUR WALL WITH
POST-IT NOTES

BUCKET LISTS
YOU SHOULD UPDATE YOUR BUCKET LIST
ONCE PER YEAR
NEAR YOUR BIRTHDAY
OR THE LAST 5 DAYS OF THE YEAR

BUCKET LISTS
HERE’S MY LIFETIME
BUCKET LIST

MY BUCKET LIST
" HELP create a JOYOUS, SUSTAINABlE, and ABUNDANT WORLD
" Take CONNECT PUBLIC ON NASDAQ
" BUILD AN INVESTMENT FUND THAT INVESTS in SOLVING MAJOR HUMAN
CHALLENGES
" CREATE A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE WORKING
TOWARD CREATING A BETTER WORLD

MY BUCKET LIST
" FINISH MY MBA FROM HBS
" WRITE A BOOK ON HOW TO LIVE A PASSIONATE, MINDFUl,
HEALTHY LIFE
" SOMEDAY WORK IN PUBLIC SERVICE
" SOMEDAY LIVE ON ANOTHER CONTINENT

MY BUCKET LIST
# BUILD A COMPANY TO MORE THAN $1 Billion in SALES
# CREATE OVER 1 million jobs
# Visit 100 countries by age 50
# CLIMB MT. KILIMANJARO AND REACH UHURU PEAK

MY BUCKET LIST
" DRIVE on NEW ZEALAND’S HIGHWAY 6
" DRIVE on THE CARRETERA AUSTRAL IN CHILE
" HANG GILDE IN RIO DE JANEIRO
" Attend The Clinton Global Initiative

MY BUCKET LIST
" TRAVEL TO SPACE on VIRGIN GALACTIC
" MEDITATE WITH DEEPAK CHOPRA
" BE A GUEST ON THE DAILY SHOW
" SEE A CIRQUE DU SOLEIL SHOW

MY BUCKET LIST
" SPEAK IN FRONT OF 100,000 people
" GIVE A TED TALK
" ATTEND THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
" JOIN THE UN FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MY BUCKET LIST
" BE A HUSBAND WHO EMPOWERS MY WIFE TO ACHIEVE
HER WILDEST AND BOLDEST DREAMS
" BE A FATHER WHO INSPIRES HIS CHILDREN
" WATCH EVERY DISNEY AND PIXAr MOVIE WITH MY KIDS

RELATIONSHIP BUCKET LISTS
IF YOU ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP
TRY CREATING A BUCKET LIST
OF THINGS YOU WANT TO
DO TOGETHER

CREATING YOUR BUCKET LIST
NOW, GO AHEAD
GRAB SOME POST-iT NOTES OR
OPEN A GOOGLE DOC
AND START MAKING
YOUR BUCKET LIST

CREATING YOUR BUCKET LIST
WRITE DOWN ALL THE
AMAZING EXPERIENCES
YOU WANT TO HAVE OVER
THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
AND DREAM BIG

BUCKET LISTS REFLECTION
WHAT IS THE MOST EXCITING THING
You’VE DONE IN THE
LAST YEAR?

WHAT IS THE MOST EXCITING THING
LAST 10 YEARs?

WHAT IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL THING
LAST YEAR?

WHAT IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL THING
LAST 10 YEARs?

WHAT ONE THING, iF YOU DID IT in your life
WOULD BE EXTREMELY MEANINGFUL
TO YOU?

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 4
NETWORKS

PEOPLE
WHO YOU SURROUND
YOURSELF WITH
IS WHO YOU BECOME

PEOPLE
SURROUND YOURSELF ONLY
WITH SMART, COMPETENT
& POSITIVE PEOPLE
(Life is too short not to)

SELECTING YOUR FRIENDS CONCIOUSLY
YOUR FRIENDS
DETERMINE WHO
YOU BECOME

YOU SHOULD
ONLY SPEND TIME WITH
FRIENDS WHO INSPIRE YOU

IF YOUR FRIENDS Don’t
INSPIRE YOU THEN
FIND FRIENDS WHO DO!

BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE
DON’T LET CHANCE
DETERMINE WHO’S
IN YOUR LIFE

What carnegie knew
ANDREW CARNEGIE’s EPITAPH SAYS
“Here lies one who knew how to get around him men who
WERE CLEVERER THAN HIMSELF”

IT MIGHT TAKE 5 years
to completely change up
THE PEOPLE SURROUNDING YOU
BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY
WORTH IT

What I LOOK FOR IN MY FRIENDS
Joy
Compassion
Intelligence
Passion
Purpose

Intentionally SEEK OUT AMAZING FRIENDS
Random Friends
Chosen Friends
vs.
An ordinary lifeA high impact life

IF YOU Don’T LIVE IN An
INTELLECTUAL CENTER
C ONSIDER A MOVE

TO AVOID MEDIOCRITY
TO AVOID BEING MEDIOCRE
YOU MUST SEEK OUT PEOPLE
WHO ARE NOT MEDIOCRE
AND HANG OUT WITH THEM

Your EDUCATIONAL NETWORK
YOUR UNDERGRAD & GRADUATE SCHOOLS
ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT NETWORKS
SO PREPARE WELL AND GO TO THE
ABSOLUTE BEST SCHOOLS YOU CAN GET INTO
WHILE AVOIDING GETTING INTO MOUNTAINS OF DEBT

THESE schools have some
Of the best networks
So if you can, attend for undergrad,
Grad school, or take an exec program at
• Harvard
• Stanford
• MIT
• PRINCETON
• Penn
• Columbia
• Yale
• BROWN
• OXFORD
• CAMBRIDGE
• LSE
• uchicago

KNOWLEDGE IS CRITICAL SO IF YOU CANNOT
GET INTO OR AFFORD THE BEST SCHOOLS
THEN STILL TAKE THE BEST COURSES FREE
On edx or COURSERA

Your WORK NETWORK
YOUR COMPANY IS
YOUR MOST IMPORTANT NETWORK
SO CHOOSE YOUR COMPANY
VERY CAREFULLY
OR BUILD YOUR OWN

Your WORK NETWORK
WHY DO PEOPLE SPEND
832 WEEKS IN SCHOOL
THEN SPEND <4 WeEKs
ATTEMPTING TO GET A JOB
BY BLIND RESUME BLASTING?

WHAT CHANGE WILL YOU WORK TOWARD?
IF YOU DON’T LIKE YOUR JOB
FIND AN ORGANIZATION WHose MISSION
YOU’rE PASSIONATE ABOUT
AND DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET IN THERE

YOUR WORK NETWORK
ONLY GO TO WORK FOR A COMPANY
IF YOU DEEPLY BELIEVE IN THE
CHANGE THEY ARE TRYING TO
MAKE IN THE WORLD

YOUR WORK NETWORK
Don’t TAKE A JOB UNLESS
YOU’ll BE WORKING FOR SOMEONE
OF HIGH INTEGRITY WHO!
YOU WILL LEARN LOTS FROM

THE KEY NETWORKS TO LOOK INTO
HERE ARE SOME NETWORKS
PASSIONATE YOUNG PEOPLE
SHOULD GET INVOLVED WITH

ASPEN INSTITUTE FELLOWS
EMPACT 100
ENTREPRENEURS’ ORGANIZATION

FORTUNE BRAINSTORM
HIVE
KAIROS

NEXUS YOUTH SUMMIT
RENAISSANCE WEEKEND
SANDBOX
SINGULARITY UNIVERSITY

SKOLL WORLD FORUM
SOCIAL CAPITAL MARKETS
SOCIAL VENTURE NETWORK

STARTINGBLOC
SUMMIT SERIES
TECH STARS

TED
UNREASONABLE INSTITUTE
WEF YounG GLOBAL LEADERS

WHITE HOUSE FELLOWS
Y COMBINATOR
YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR COUNCIL
YOUNG PRESIDENTs’ ORGANIZATION

Your weekly roundtable
TO BUILD A STRONG SUPPORT NETWORK
CREATE A WEEKLY
DINNER ROUNDTABLE OF YOUR
CLOSEST 8 FRIENDS
Try EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 8pm

Programs I highly recommend for building relationships
Summit holds an annual large event for top entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, and artists.
Holds frequent gatherings at Powder Mountain in Eden, Utah.
StartingBloc holds five-day Institutes in New York, Los Angeles, D.C., Boston, and Boulder for
individuals who want to make a difference in the world
The Hive Global Leaders Program is a weekend program in San Francisco that brings together a
community of extraordinary leaders and entrepreneurs focused on creating a better world.
I highly recommend both the Summer Graduate Studies Program (GSP) or the week-long Executive
Program (EP). Focuses on using science and technology to solve major human challenges.
Nexus holds an annual Global Youth Summit in New York City that brings together some of the top
entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, and philanthropists
Social Innovation Summit is a two-day conference held annually in New York and California that brings
together the leading minds of the social, government, and business sectors
SOCAP (short for Social Capital Markets) is one of the best conferences for bringing together people
Passionate about creating positive change in the world

EXERCISE: CREATING YOUR INNER CIRCLE
You can do the following
20 minute Exercise now
Or put a time on your calendar
To return to it

ON A SHEET OF PAPER LIST
YOUR TOP 20 FRIENDS

NEXT, circle the names of THE 10
people WHO inspire you MOST
BASED ON WHAT THEY ARE DOING
WITH THEIR LIVES

Now, create a new list of 10 people
You aren’t very close with
who inspire you

Finally, combine the lists of 10 to create your
NEW INNER CIRCLE

SPEND YOUR TIME
WITH inspiring PEOPLE WHO ARE
UP TO SOMETHING BIG
IN THE WORLD
that will help others

IF YOU don’t know enough inspiring people
Who are up to something big in the world
Join the networks
Listed in the networks section
Of this presentation

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 5
MENTORS

TWO OPTIONS: Choose Carefully
No Mentors
Random Friends
Jedi Mentors
Chosen Friends
vs.
You
You
An ordinary lifeA high impact life

FINDING AMAZING Mentors
VERY VERY FEW PEOPLE
ACTUALLY HAVE
MENTORS

FINDING AMAZING Mentors
AND YET MENTORSHIP
IS CRUCIAL TO LIVING THE
LIFE YOU WANT

FINDING Mentors
WHO MENTORS YOU
DETERMINES WHO
YOU BECOME

FINDING Mentors
WHO MENTORS YOU
DETERMINES WHICH
NETWORKS YOU ACCESS

FINDING Mentors
WHO MENTORS YOU
DETERMINES WHERE IN LIFE
YOU WILL GO

FINDING Mentors
WHY DO PEOPLE SPEND
832 WEEKS IN SCHOOL
And 0 WEEKS SEEKING
AMAZING mentors?

FINDING Mentors
No really, WHY DO PEOPLE SPEND
16 years IN SCHOOL
And No time looking
For mentors?

FINDING Mentors
SO, HOW DO YOU FIND
AMAZING HIGH-INTEGRITY
MENTORS?

FINDING MENTORS WITHIN NETWORKS
ONE OF THE BEST WAYs
TO MEET AMAZING MENTORS
IS BY JOINING THE ORGANIZATIONS
LISTED IN THE NETWORKS SECTION
OF THIS PRESENTATION

KEEP EMAILS to potential mentors SHORT
the shorter your emails to very busy people are
The higher the chance
Of a reply
TRY EMAILS WITH JUST 1-2 sentences and you’ll be amazed at the reply rates

EXAMPLE EMAIL TO A potential MENTOR
WHAT MOST PEOPLE SEND: WHAT YOU SHOULD ACTUALLY SEND:
Sally--I’m also really passionate about [ex:
solar panel efficiency]. What do you [insert
short relevant question]?
Best,
Your Name
What a busy professional thinks who gets this:
“Don’t have enough time to reply to this. Maybe
I’ll get back to this later.”
What a busy professional thinks who gets this:
“I’m glad they respect my time. Will only take 30
seconds to reply so might as well do it now.”

RESEARCH AMAZING PEOPLE
ANOTHER WAY IS TO USE THE INTERNET
TO FIND PEOPLE WHO
• ARE BRILLIANT & CARING
• ARE 10-20 YRS AHEAD OF YOU
• SHARE SIMILAR PASSION

RESEARCH AMAZING PEOPLE
FIND 20 POTENTIAL MENTORS
WHO ARE “YOU”
IN 15 YEARS

CONVINCING SOMEONE TO MENTOR YOU
AND CONVINCE 2 of THEM
THAT you’RE WORTH
INVESTING TIME INTO

CONVINCING SOMEONE TO MENTOR YOU
IDEALLY GET INTRODUCED TO THEM
BY ONE OF THEIR
TRUSTED CONNECTIONS

GETTING IN TOUCH WITH MENTORS
GET IN TOUCH VIA TWITTER
EMAIL, LINKEDIn, or fedex
OR BY SHOWING UP AT THEIR
OFFICE IF NEEDED AND ASKING
TO SPEAK WITH THEM

SEND THEM A
BULKY FEDEX PACKAGE
IF YOU MUST

IMPORTANT PEOPLE
LIKE OPENING
FEDEX PACKAGES

MESsAGES BUSY PEOPLE RECEIVE MONTHLY
EMAILS: 5,000
TEXTS: 1,000
LETTERS: 500
Linkedin: 50
Twitter: 30
FEDEX: 10

USE TWITTER TO GET IN TOUCH WITH WELL KNOWN PEOPLE
IMPORTANT PEOPLE
ALSO LIKE
@Messages on Twitter

BE KINDLY PERSISTENT
MOST PEOPLE GIVE UP
AFTER SENDING 1 EMAIL
Don’T GIVE UP
This is your life we’re talking about here

PURSUE THEM REPEATEDLY IN A KIND WAY
They will almost always respect your persistence
• EXPLAIN YOUR PASSION FOR THE SAME THING
• Explain the “why” behind what you do
• Explain how you MAY BE ABLE TO HELP THEM
• Be 100% authentic

STAY AT IT FOR
6 Months
IF THAT’s
WHAT IT TAKES

THESE ARE PEOPLE
WHO CAN CHANGE
CHANGE YOUR WHOLE LIFE
DO WHAT IT TAKES

START SLOW if needed with potential mentors
Most people will eventually
Agree to a coffee or lunch
But if not, ask to start with
1-2 quick Questions via email

AT YOUR FIRST MEETING WITH A MENTOR…
BE AUTHENTIC
BE SUPER INFORMED about them
BUILD TRUST
Then stay in touch every 8 weeks with quick emails

BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIP WITH A MENTOR
SEND VERY BRIEF QUESTIONS ON EMAIL EVERY COUPLE MONTHS
GO TO THE SAME EVENTS
DEVELOP THE RELATIONSHIP

Three keys to achieving your dreams
1. SURROUNd YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE
2. INVEST IN YOUR formal and informal
EDUCATION
3. WORK FOR A COMPANY whose mission you are
deeply passionate about

Three keys to achieving your dreams
DO THESE THINGS
AND You’ll BE ON TRACK
TO ACHIEVE YOUR MOST
AMBITIOUS GOALS

Learning to be a jedi
JOIN NETWORKS of other inspiring people
LIVE A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH
AMAZINGLY SMART & CARING
PEOPLE And YOU WILL BE ON
THE PATH TO BECOMING A JEDI

BE A PADAWAN like in star wars
Padawan (n.)
“An individual on a CONSCIOUS journey to become a jedi”
PADAWAN IS
SANSKRIT FOR “learner”

What IS A JEDI?
Jedi (n.)
“A highly competent, super-connected, and deeply
compassionate SOUL & SYSTEMS THINKER, working at the highest
levels of societal structuring, whose passion has been fully
unleashed toward achieving an identified deeply meaningful
mission that awakens them with extraordinary focus and
immense energy daily.”

The jedi checklist
# Highly competent
# Super-connected
# Deeply compassionate
# SYSTEMS THINKER
# Working to IMPROVE THE WORLD
# Identified meaningful mission
# Passion unleashed on achieving mission
# Extraordinary focus
# Immense vibrant energy

FINDING A JEDI MENTOR
NOW YOU KNOW THE
TRUE MEANING OF
FINDING YOURSELF a
JEDI MASTER MENTOR

FINDING A JEDI MENTOR
Who’S YOUR JEDI MENTOR
YOUNG PADAWAN?
Wait, YOU Don’T hAVE ONE?
Don’t let this be the CASE
6 months from now

STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS
ONE CAN SEE MUCH FURTHER BY STANDING
ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS
SO FIND MENTORS WHO Are
GIANTS iN THEIR FIELD
And stand on their shoulders

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 6
HAPPINESS

THE GREAT ENGIMA OF LIFE
TO KNOW HAPPINESS
ONE MUST KNOW
SUFFERING

THE IMPORTANCE OF CRUCIBLE MOMENNTS
IN ORDER TO TRULY FEEL THE HEIGHTS OF
HAPPINESS
ONE MUST HAVE FELT the DEPTHS OF
SUFFERING

CHOOSING TO BE HAPPY
“A PERSON CAN MAKE HIMSELF HAPPY
OR MISERABLE regardless of what
IS HAPPENING OUTSIDE just by changing
THE CONTENTS OF CONCIOUSNESS”
- MIHALI Csikszentmihali!

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
“THE ABILITY TO PERSERVERE
DESPITE OBSTACLES & SETBACKS
IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TRAIT
FOR SUCCEEDING IN LIFE.”
- MIHALI Csikszentmihali!

FORGING YOUR CHARACTER
THE MORE DIFFICULTIES
& CRUCIBLE MOMENTS
YOU HAVE FACED
THE STRONGER
YOUR RESOLVE WILL BE

THE HOTTER THE TEMPERATURE
THE IRON IS FORGED IN
THE STRONGer THE STEEL

The element of struggle in life
SO DON’T
BE AFRAID
OF STRUGGLE

Don’t be afraid of struggle
OFTEN THE GREATEST INDIVIDUALS
ARE THOSE WHO HAVE
BEEN THROUGH THE MOST

My struggles
• MY MOM’s death FROM BRAIN CANCER in 2012
• CHRONIC NECK PAIN FROM A 2001 CAR CRASH
• HELpING MY DAD THROUGH PROSTATE CANCER
• Dealing with a 65 person layoff following the sale of icontact
We all go through really hard times.
It is our response to the crucible moments that can make us great.

HAPPINESS in many
Cases is A CHOICE

LEARN TO CONTROL
WHAT is IN YOUR THOUGHTS &
CONSCIOUSNESS

HAPPINESS
TRUE HAPPINESS
OCCURS WHEN
YOUR INHIBITIONS OF
REVEALING YOUR TRUE SELF
ARE EXTINCT!

HAPPINESS
TRUE HAPPINESS
OCCURS WHEN YOU CAN
FULLY EXPRESS YOURSELF
& BRING YOUR FULL PASSION
INTO YOUR DAILY WORK

HAPPINESS
TRUE HAPPINESS
OCCURS WHEN YOur
Daily work IS ACTUALLY THE
the greatest CONTRIBUTION
you can make TO HUMANITY
WITH THE GIFTS YOU HAVE

HAPPINESS
TRUE HAPPINESS
OCCURS WHEN
YOU ARE MAKING A
DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES
OF OTHERS

HAPPINESS
HAPPINESS
Comes from being
Completely present
And in flow in a
moment

HAPPINESS
THERE IS NEVER ANYTHING
ELSE OTHER THAN THIS
moment

THE PAST & THE FUTURE
Past PRESENT FUTURE
Most people spend
their mental energy
thinking about either
the past
Or thinking about
the future

FOCUS ON THE PRESENT
Past PRESENT FUTURE
Happiness comes when you focus
on enjoying the present moment
and don’t worry about what
happened in the past and whatever
may come in the future.

Your mindset affects your happiness
your mindset is your
how you interpret
What happens in your life

Your mindset affects your happiness
You can decide whether you want to
Live in an ordinary world
Full of stress & Suffering
Or an extraordinary world
Full of wonder and possibility

THE ORDINARY “DEFAULT” WORLD
The
Ordinary
World
anxiety
fear
scarcity
danger
anger
mistrust
reason
disappointment
desperation
victimization
manipulation
resignation
frustration
upset
limitation
cynicism
defensive
greed
insecure
inaction

THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD is created by a mindset shift
happiness
fun
caring
inventive
adventurous
acceptance
laughter
self-expressed
compassionate
unreasonable
possibility
generous
empathy
authenticity
unstoppable
creativity
openness
fearless
kindness
caring
The
Extraordinary
World

LIVING WITH JOY
LIVING WITH JOYFULLNESS and ease
is a choice That you can make

Programs I highly recommend for personal growth
Includes the Landmark Forum, Advanced Course, and Self-Expression and Leadership Program
Available now in 24 countries.
Includes the Happiness Program and the Art of Silence Program. Now operating in 152 countries.
I highly recommend taking Inner Engineering program, available in both India and the USA. Also
available online at www.innerengineering.com though in-person is best.
A three-day summer camp 2 hours north of San Francisco in which you lock your phones/laptops
away and play joyfully like you’re a child again.
The Hive Global Leaders Program brings together a community of extraordinary leaders and
entrepreneurs focused on creating a better world. Help every few months in SF. I am the Chairman of Hive.
Burning Man is an annual event in the Nevada desert the week before Labor Day in late-August.
I’ve now been twice and I highly recommend everyone go.

Meditation exercise
You can do the following
10 minute Mindset exercise now
To return to it

Exercise: Mindset shift
On a sheet of paper
Write down for 5 minutes
how your life would be
Different if you never worried
And were never anxious

Exercise: Mindset shift
On a sheet of paper
Write down for 5 minutes
All the things that are holding you
Back that you can just give up
And choose to put in the past

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 7
health

HEALTH
At age 25
I WAS A STRESSED OUT
208 pound
East coast CEO

HEALTH
My mind often raced
I even had two anxiety
Attacks from the stress

HEALTH
Now At age 30
I AM A much calmer
158 pound
west coast CEO

HEALTH LEARNINGS
Between age 24 and 30 I…
- Lost 50 pounds
- Fixed BAD neck pain
- Went from Anxious to calm
Here’s EXACTLY WHAT I DID…

THE TWO THINGS I DID
1. Changed what I ate
2. STARTED doing a 30 minute per
morning yoga and Breathing
home practice

WHAT YOU EAT IS WHO YOU BECOME
THE FOOD WE EAT
LITERALLY BECOMES US
As nutrients are
absorbed and used

CHANGING MY DIET MADE A HUGE IMPACT
What I’d OFTEN Eat in 2008 What I OFTEN Eat Today
Bread
Hot pockets
Subs
Pasta
Pretzels
Fries
Mayonnaise
Beer/Wine/Soda
Coffee
Chicken / Steak / Fish
Quinoa / Lentils / Beans / Tofu / Tempeh
Eggs
Almonds
Kale / Brussels Sprouts / Broccoli / Avocado
Sweet potatoes / carrots / CHIA Seeds
BANANas / Berries
Protein shakes
Water / Tea / Almond milk
Cut most of this stuff out!
(I was eating way too many carbs)
(I cut out 80% of the carbs)

DIET MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
A COMBINATION OF
HIGH CALORIE & HIGH-SALT DIET
WITH LITTLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND INCREASED OBESITY
GREATLY DECREASEs THE ABILITY OF THE BODY
TO CURE ITSELF FROM CANCEROUS CELLS

REDUCING YOUR RISK OF CANCER
78% of CANCER IS CAUSED BY
TOBACCO, DIET, SUNLight, and alcohol
30%
35%
10%
10%
4%
7%
3%
Tobacco
Diet
Sunlight
Other
Viruses
Occupational
Alcohol

Don’t smoke
TOBACCO CAUSES
30% of CANCER CASES
AND CONTAIN 4000
HARMFUL CHEMICALs AND
TOXIC CARCINOGENS

MENTAL HEALTH
IN A FAST-mOVING ORGANIZATION
MENTAL HEALTH IS JUST AS
IMPORTANT AS PHYSICAL HEALTH

MENTAL HEALTH
Be sure you’re taking time
To eat well, sleep well
And get into nature
Away from your laptop and phone

MENTAL HEALTH
At least every 3 months
Do a complete digital detox
With no phones/laptops
For at least 72 hours

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 8
MEDITATION

MEDITATION
I USED TO THINK
MEDITATION WAS
Complete bs

MEDITATION
I had no idea how to
Do it right

MEDITATION
I thought meditation
Meant just sitting there

MEDITATION
WHEN I LEARNED HOW TO
BREATHe PROPERLY DURING MEDITATION
EVERYTHING CHANGED

MEDITATION
MY MIND BECAME CLEAR
AND I WAS WAY MORE CALM
& EFFECTIVE AT WORK

MEDITATION
I took two 4 day programs on meditation
Both I’d highly HIGHLY recommend
1. Art of living happiness program
2. ISHA Foundation inner engineering course

MEDITATION
I took the 4 day
ISHA FOUNDATION INNER ENGINEERING COURSE
In coimbatore, INDIA IN January 2014

MEDITATION
I also took the 4 day
Art of living happiness program
In palo alto in March 2014

YOGA
THE BASIC YOGA TECHNIQUE “SUN SALUTATION” greatly reduced my neck pain
See http://bit.ly/sunsalutations

MEDITATION
I now do three “sun salutations”
Every morning and my neck pain is
85% better

MY CURRENT Morning 30 minute routine…
3 sun salutations 5 mins
Alternate nostril breathing 2 mins
Sudarshan kriya Breathing 15 mins
KEEPING EYES CLOSED 5 mins
You can learn these routines through the Art of
Living Happiness Program which is $395 and
available in many countries and cities

MEDITATION
When I meditate with my eyes cLOSED
I am able to see a deeply calming
Purple light
(Strange I know, but true)

MEDITATION
There are many good techniques
And I am only at the beginning
of the learning process

SILENT RETREATS
In June 2014 I did a 3 day
art of living silence course
I found that spending 3 days in silence
Was extremely beneficial to calming the mind
And made me way more productive at work

SILENT RETREATS
After the 3 days in silence
I found myself becoming naturally
More collaborative at work

SILENT RETREATS
Here are some of the most magnificent
Silent & ZEN retreats you can visit
Art of Silence - http://www.artofliving.org/art-silence-program
Vipassana - http://www.dhamma.org/
Green Gulch – http://www.sfzc.org/ggf/
Esalen - http://www.esalen.org/
Vendata Society - http://sfvedanta.org/retreat/

MEDITATION
THEse four BREATHING TECHNIQUEs have been very helpful to me
Here’s where you can learn a bit more…
Bhastrika - http://bit.ly/bhastrikademo
Three stage pranayama - http://bit.ly/3stagebreathing
Alternate nostril breathing - http://bit.ly/alternatenostrils
Rapid nostril breathing - http://bit.ly/rapidnostril

MEDITATION Programs I RECOMMEND
Includes the Happiness
Program and the Art of Silence
Program. Now operating in 152
countries.
Take the Inner Engineering
program, available in both India
and the USA. Also online at
www.innerengineering.com though
in-person is best.

Meditation exercise
You can do the following 10 minute
Meditation exercise now
To return to it

EXERCISE: alternate nostril breathing
First watch the video on
Alternate nostril breathing
(bit.Ly/alternatenostrils)
Now, sit on the ground cross legged
Follow the video instructions for 5 minutes
Afterward, make note of how your brain feels

Exercise: Sun salutation
Get on the floor and actually try to do 2 sun salutations
Video at http://bit.ly/sunsalutationvideo

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 9
HABITS

A quote on habits
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
Mahatma Gandhi

A QUOTE ON HABITS
“We are what we
repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not
an act, but a habit.”
ARISTOTLE

A QUOTE ON HABITS
“Our character is basically a
composite of our habits. Because
they are consistent, often
unconscious patterns, they
constantly, daily, express our
character.”
Stephen Covey

HABITS
WHAT YOU DO REPEATEDLY
CREATES YOUR LIFE
And your results

HABITS
THERE IS GREAT POWER in
HACKING YOUR
HABITS

HABITS
IF You’re not getting the
RESULTS YOU WANT IN LIFE
ADJUST YOUR HABITS

HABITS in my life I am cultivating
BE POSITIVE
Always DO WHAT I SAY I’ll DO
UNDERCOMMIT / OVERDELIVER
BE TRANSPARENT
GET TRACK OF TASKS
REVIEW GOALS ANNUALLY
PLAN FOR THE FUTURE
SEEK OUT AMAZING PEOPLE
IDENTIFY MENTORS
Give hugs not handshakes
SHARE WHAT I LEARN WITH OTHERS
STAY IN TOUCH WITH my NETWORK
CONTINUALLY LEARN
READ
WATCH EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS
EXERCISE
EAT HEALTHY FOODS
SPEND TIME IN NATURE
DAILY MEDITATION
COMMUNICATE OFTEN
Watch 30min/wk of tv
SEEK TO UNDERSTAND FIRST

HABITS
WHAT ARE some NEW HABITS IN
YOUR LIFE THAT YOU
WANT TO ADD?

habits exercise
habits exercise now
To return to it

EXERCISE: HABITS
FIRst, Get a sheet of paper and
And write down all your HABITS
you want to stART

EXERCISE: HABITS
Now write down all
All the habits
you want to stOP

EXERCISE: HABITS
Now write down all
All the habits
you want to CONTINUE

EXERCISE: HABITS
Next, write down bullets of how
You’d be Be better off if you
IMPLEMENTED YOUR new habit system

EXERCISE: HABITS
NOW make a weekly plan to
ACTUALLY Implement the
HABITS IN YOUR LIFE THAT
CREATE THE RESULTS YOU WANT

EXERCISE: HABITS
FINALLY, open up your calendar
And put your new habits
ACTUALLY ON YOUR CALENDAR on REPEAT

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 10
COMMUNICATION

HUMAN COMMUNICATION
WHEN YOU TALK
TO PEOPLE
LOOK THEM IN THE EYE

HUMAN COMMUNICATION
WHEN YOU GREET PEOPLE
BOUND UP TO THEM WITH
ENERGY EXCITEMENT

HUMAN COMMUNICATION
WHEN YOU TALK
TO PEOPLE
SMILE

HUMAN COMMUNICATION
WHEN YOU TALK
TO PEOPLE
BE JOYOUS NOT STRESSED

HUMAN COMMUNICATION
ALWAYS LET
YOUR
PASSION SHINE THROUGH

HUMAN COMMUNICATION
RESTATE THE OTHER
PERSON’S Point
BEFORE YOU ADD
YOUR OWN

HUMAN COMMUNICATION
USE THIS FORMULA
WHEN TALKING WITH PEOPLE..
RESTATE THEIR POINT
and ONLY THEN…
ADD YOUR OWN POINT

HUMAN COMMUNICATION
NEVER NEVER NEVER
START A SENTENCE WITH
BUT

HUMAN COMMUNICATION
INSTEAD OF THE WORD
BUT USE THE WORD
AND

HUMAN COMMUNICATION
AVOID SAYING
THE WORDS
UM and UH
(Instead just pause)

HUMAN COMMUNICATION
AVOID THE INFORMAL
uSAGE OF THE WORD
LIKE
(Ex: “She was like oh my gosh I can’t believe she did that” or “I walked like 30 miles”

DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS
ANYTIME YOU HAVE
SOMETHING DIFFICULT
TO COMMUNICATE
DO IT IN PERSON
(Or at worst, on Google Hangout or Skype)

KEEP EMAILS SHORT
AVOID SENDING
EMAILS WITH MORE THAN
5 sentences

KEEP EMAILS SHORT
AVOID SENDING
EMAILS WITH
EMOTIONAL CONTENT

GIVING PRESENTATIONS
FOR PRESENTATIONS
you will give to others
NEVER HAVE MORE than
15 WORDS ON A SLIDE

IDEALLY USE 1 powerful
PICTURE
AND NO MORE THAN
10 WORDS

OR SOMETIMES
NO WORDS
AT ALL

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 11
MONEY

The middle class versus the rich
“Individuals in the middle class accumulate more debt as they
become more successful. A pay raise qualifies them to borrow
more money from the bank so they can buy personal items like
bigger cars, vacation homes, boats, and motor homes. Their
wage income comes in and is spent on current expenses and
only then on paying off their personal debt. So as their income
increases, so does their personal debt. This is what we call the
rat race.”
- Robert kiyosaki

The rich have their money work for them
“The rich have their assets work for them.
They have gained control over their
expenses (by saving and investing money
each month) and focus on acquiring or
building assets. Their businesses pay more
of their expenses, and they have few, if
any, personal liabilities.”
- Robert Kiyosaki

WHICH FINANCIAL PATH WILL YOU TAKE?
THERE ARE TWO SEGMENTS OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD
PEOPLE WHO PAY INTEREST ON LOANS AND WORK FOR COMPANIES
PEOPLE WHO RECEIVE INTEREST ON LOANS and own PARTS Of companies
1
2
WHICH SEGMENT DO YOU WANT TO BE IN?

THE TOPIC OF MONEY
MONEY IS A REALLY
IMPORTANT TOPIC
TO UNDERSTAND

THE TOPIC OF MONEY
MONEY IS SIMPLY
A STORE OF VALUE
WHICH ENABLES
TWO PARTIES TO EXCHANGE
EVEN IF they cannot barter

YOUR NET WORTH
INCLUDING ALL YOUR SAVINGS, INVESTMENTs
AND DEBT WHAT IS YOUR
NET WORTH RIGHT NOW?

AVERAGE MEDIAN NET WORTH IN THE USA
THE AVERAGE NET WORTH of AN AMERICAN IS
$301,140
Source: Credit Suiss Global Wealth Report, 2013

AVERAGE MEDIAN NET WORTH IN USA
BUT THE MEDIAn Net worth of AN AMERICAN IS
$44,911
Source: Credit Suiss Global Wealth Report, 2013

ARE YOU AHEAD OR BEHIND?
Let’s say your goal IS TO have a net worth of $1M by Age 60
IF YOU start at age 20 and progress linearly you’d need to be at $250k by 30
1000000
900000
800000
700000
600000
500000
400000
300000
200000
100000
0
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60

Money compounds
Fortunately, money compounds, so you actually only need to
Be at $70,000 in net worth by age 30 to be on track for $1M in net worth by 60
1000000
900000
800000
700000
600000
500000
400000
300000
200000
100000
0
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
Assumes you save $5,000 per year starting at age 20, and you invest iat a 7% after inflation return

3 Key Lessons about Money
HERE ARE THREE
KEY LESSONS
ABOUT MONEY

3 Lessons about Money
SPEND LESS MONEY
THAN YOU EARN
EVERY MONTH
1

2 NEVER GO INTO DEBT
FOR SOMETHING THAT
YOU DO NOT NEED

3 SAVE EARLY IN LIFE
AS the law of compound
INTEREST HELPS A LOT
OVER TIME

EASY IN THEORY
THESE 3 LESSONS may sound extremely basic
YET still so many people
Go into debt for things they don’t need
and frequently spend
more than they earn

THE 6 STEPS TO BUILDING WEALTH
HERE ARE SIX STEPS
TO BUILDING
WEALTH

These 6 steps are easy to
Understand but Most people
Don’t do them

Calculate how much you
Earn after taxes each month
1

2 ENSURE YOUR ARE SPENDING LESS
Than you earn after taxes
Each month
Monthly income after tax
$4000
Monthly spending
$3000
!

3 PAY OFF all Your DEBT
Starting with the highest
Interest rates first

4 Start Saving
$1,000 each month
(This step, in practice, is often the hardest, yet the most important)

5 After building up 3 months
Of salary in your savings
Account, start investing
Start investing $1000 per
month as early as you can in
life
Do this consistently for
30 years and you’ll have
$1 million

6 THEN USE THE CASH FLOW FROM YOUR
INVESTMENTS TO MAKE MORE INVESTMENTS

The six steps to building wealth
1. Calculate your after tax income
2. Be sure you’re SPENDING LESS THAN YOU MAKE
3. PAY OFF your DEBT
4. BUILD UP 3 months of SAVINGS
5. Start investing
6. THEN Re-INVEST THE RETURNS

Becoming FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT
THERE ARE TWO MAIN WAYS TO BECOME
A MILLIONAIRE
1) Build a business
2) Or Save Invest wisely for 30 years

Becoming FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT
If entrepreneurship isn’t for you…
Here’s how to become a millionaire Automatically
1. Save $1000 per month
2. Invest it at a 7% after inflation
return
3. Don’t take any out for 30 years

WHAT You’LL HAVE IF YOU SAVE INVEST
Monthly
SAVINGS
20 Yrs 25 Yrs 30 Yrs 35 Yrs 40 Yrs 45 Yrs 50 Yrs
$1,000 $0.52M $0.81M $1.22M $1.81M $2.64M $3.82M $5.50M
$2,000 $1.05M $1.63M $2.45M $3.63M $5.29M $7.65M $10.99M
$3,000 $1.57M $2.44M $3.68M $5.44M $7.94M $11.47M $16.49M
$4,000 $2.09M $3.26M $4.91M $7.25M $10.58M $15.29M $21.97M
ASSUMES 7% AFTER INFLATION ANNUAL RETURN FROM INVESTING | ADD ADDITIONAL TIME TO PAY OFF ANY CURRENT DEBT

My journey to financial independence
I was born in 1984. I grew up in a middle class
American family. My dad was an epsicopalian
minister from pennsylvania. My mom was a
part-time social worker from England. Our
family earned about $40,000 per year.

I was very fortunate to
Have two parents who
Supported Me and encouraged
me to Follow my dreams

I started my first business at 11
Helping senior citizens in florida
use the internet for $5/hour

I started getting into
Web development
In 1996 when I was 12

At16 (back In 2000)
I was a NORMAL TEENAGER GROWING UP IN
bradenton florida earning AROUND
$3000/yr AS A PART TIME WEB developer

Then I read two books that
changed my life and opened
My eyes to a whole new world
1. Rich Dad Poor Dad
2. Think And Grow Rich

After reading these two books at 16
I set an ambitious goal to build a
Company to $1 Million in sales by
Age 21

From age 16 to 21
I worked extremely hard
To make this goal real

At 18 While in college at unc I
started Icontact and by 2005
We reached $1 Million in sales
When I was 21

We then raised venture capital
And hired a strong
Executive team and grew to
$50M in annual sales

in 2012 we sold icontact for $170 million
to a software company called vocus.
I was 27. I decided to go back to school at
harvard business school for an mba while
working on a new start-up called
connect

Anything is possible
I found that anything was possible if I:
• set my mind to it
• worked really hard to make it happen
• surrounded myself with positive people
who helped me Grow Learn
• Cared about customers Employees

Creating your financial plan
So that was my story
over the last 18 years
Now let’s talk about
You

18 years from now, your financial
Situation will be a function of the plan
you put in place And the actions you take
today

Here’s how to create a basic
Financial plan

Financial plan exercise
Financial plan exercise now
To return to it

EXERCISE: Creating a basic financial plan
This exercise should take about 30 minutes. You can do it now or come back to it.
1. Calculate your current monthly income after taxes
2. Calculate your current total monthly expenses
3. Add up your savings, investments, and other assets
4. Calculate the total amount of debt you have
5. Set a goal for your monthly income and expenses 2 years
from now
6. Use these figures to fill out the sheet on the next page

Exercise: Creating A BASIC Financial Plan
Assets
Financial Plan of __________
Debts
Income
Present Monthly
Expenses
Net Worth
Cashflow
24 Months From Now Monthly Goal
Signed X__________________________ this ____ day of _____ 20_____
Income
Expenses
Cashflow

FiLLING out your one-page
Financial plan Will be helpful
As we move into the next section
On investing

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 12
INVESTING

LEARNING HOW TO INVEST
saving MONEY is the first step
Learning how to invest IT is the second

Stocks and bonds
THERE ARE TWO TYPES
OF INVEStMENTS
STOCKs BONds

BONDS
BONDS are loans
to other organizations
IN WHICH YOU EARN A FIXED
INTEREST RATE RETURN

BONDS
BONDS usally pay annual interest
Between 0.25% and 15%

BONDS
THE RISKIER THE BOND
THE HIGHER THE INTEREST RATE PAID

STOCKS
STOCK is Partial
OWNERSHIP of a company
Which entitles the owner
To part of the profits of a company

STOCKS
WITH STOCKS YOU MAKE
MONEY WHEN THE VALUE
OF THE COMPANY GOES UP

STOCKS
THE VALUE OF A COMPANY
GOES UP WHEN THE
Company’s profits go up
(or are expected to go up)

STOCKS
THE VALUE OF A COMPANY
GOES down WHEN THE
Company’s profits go Down
(or are expected to go down)

DIFFERENT TYPES OF STOCKS AND BONDS
STOCKS
Mutual Funds
Index Funds/ETFS
Small Cap Stocks
MID CAP STOCKS
LARGE CAP STOCKS
VALUE STOCKS
GROWTH STOCKS
Emerging Market Stocks
options
VENTURE capital FUNDS
PRIVATE COMPANIES
BONDS
Savings Accounts
Treasury Bonds
Municipal Bonds
Corporate Bonds
P2p LENDING

HOW TO BECOME A MILLIONAIRE in 30 years
HERE IS A SIMPLIFIED EXAMPLE
OF HOW YOU CAN HAVE
$1M in 30 years

To have $1m in 30 years
SAVE $1k every month
AND INVEST IT
Assumes a 7% per year after inflation annual return

To have $1m in 20 years
SAVE $2k every month
AND INVEST IT
Assumes a 7% per year after inflation annual return

AVERAGE INVESTMENT RETURNS
HERE IS A TABLE OF
AVERAGE YEARLY RETURNS BY
TYPE OF INVESTMENT

Investment Type Approx. Avg. Annual Return After Inflation (2.8%)
Savings Accounts 0.10% -2.70%
Certificates of Deposit 1.10% -1.70%
Treasury Bonds 2.50% -0.30%
Municipal Bonds 4.50% 1.70%
Corporate Bonds 6% 3.20%
LendingClub A-d Notes 8.30% 5.50%
Rental Real Estate 8.60% 5.80%
Dow Jones Index Fund 11.10% 8.30%
SP 500 Index Fund 11.30% 8.50%
LendingClub E-F Notes 11.70% 8.90%
SP 500 and DJIA is the CAGR for the last 80 years from 1933 until 2013

PAST RETURNS
Aren’t ensured in the future
But they are STILL HELPFUL to see

LENDINGCLUB
ONE INTERESTING
INVESTMENT OPTION IS
LENDINGCLUB

LENDINGCLUB
Since 2007 LENDINGCLUB notes HAVE
HAD an annual average return of
5.5% AFTER INFLATION AND
DEFAULTS

LENDINGCLUB
And Since 2007 LENDINGCLUB “E” and “F” notes
HAVE HAD an annual average return of
8.9% AFTER INFLATION AND
DEFAULTS
Past performance is definitely no guarantee of future performance, yet
8.9% after weathering a big recession in 2008-2009 is pretty good.

MARKET INDEX FUNDS
The DJIA and SP 500 Index funds
HAVE HAD an annual average return
After inflation of
8.4% Since 1933
Look up these symbols:
Dow Jones Index Fund – DIA
SP 500 Index Fund - SPY

INVESTING IN STOCKS
As a rule of thumb
Companies are usually worth
BETWEEN 5x and 20x their
ANNUAL NET PROFITS

INVESTING IN STOCKS
Net profits is another word for
Earnings

INVESTING IN STOCKS
The multiple of EARNINGS
A company is worth Is called a
PE Ratio

INVESTING IN STOCKS
P/E RATIO is:
PRICE
EARNINGS

INVESTING IN STOCKS
Here’s the July 2014 p/e Ratio of A few well known companies
COMPANY PRICE TO EARNINGS RATIO
IBM 12.30
WELLS FARGO 12.74
APPLE 15.77
MICROSOFT 16.91
BANK OF AMERICA 25.25
GOOGLE 29.86
FACEBOOK 97.52

INVESTING IN STOCKS
THE BEST MEASURE OF
WHETHER A STOCK MARKET
IS OVERVALUED
Is the SHILLER PE RATIO
See multpl.com/shiller-pe/

INVESTING IN STOCKS
THE AVERAGE ALL TIME SHILLER p/E RATIO IS
16.55

INVESTING IN STOCKS
This means that on average since 1890
The average company has been valued at
16.55 times it’s an annual net profits

INVESTING IN STOCKS
AS OF august 2014
the US STOCK market is getting overvalued
THE CURRENT SHILLER PE RATIO IS
25.54

THE STOCK MARKET IS GETTING OVERVALUED AGAIN
Time to Get Ready for an Historic Crash
Time to Sell
Time to Buy
Shiller PE Ratio for the SP 500 1871-2014, as of August 9, 2014

INVESTING IN STOCKS
WHEN PE RATIOs ARE
over 25
WATCH OUT for a crash

INVESTING IN STOCKS
WHEN PE RATIOs ARE
Under 15
It’s time to LOOK AT INVESTING!

ANGEL INVESTING
ANGEL INVESTING
IS PURCHASING OWNERSHIP
In EARLY STAGE
PRIVATE COMPANIES

ANGEL INVESTING
CHECK Out
ANGELLIST FUNDABLE
TO SEE EARLY STAGE COMPANIES
YOU CAN INVEST IN

ANGEL INVESTING
ANGEL investing
Is highly risky
But if you invest in the right firms
Highly lucrative

MY portfolio
Since 2009 I have invested In THESE PRIVATE COMPANIES

MY portfolio
I focus on investing in companies
Which are solving
Major human challenges
That when solved will
Make the world a better place

What “going public” means
“Going public” means selling part of a
company to investors via a public market
like the New York Stock exchange or the
nasdaq

What “going public” means
Companies go public in order to
1. Raise capital for growth
2. Create a market for their shares
3. Enable employees to gain liquidity for their
options

How to properly value a company
THE BEST WAY TO DETERMINE THE
TRUE VALUE OF A PUBLIC COMPANY IS
TO CREATE A DISCOUNTED CASH FLOW (DCF)
FORECAST

How Buffet invests
BUFFET’s investing method
INVOLVES UNDERSTANDING A FIRM WELL
CALCULATING WHAT HE BELIEVEs
THE fiRM IS ACTUALLY WORTH using dcf
THEN PURCHASING SHARES WHEN
Enough of a margin of safety exists

How Buffet works
WARREN BUFFET IN ESSENCE
CREATES DCF MODELS ON EACH COMPANY
HE INVESTS IN AND ENSURES THERE’S A
BIG MARGIN OF SAFETy BETWEEN WHAT HE
THINKS THE FIRM IS WORTH AND WHAT
THE MARKET THINKS THE FIRM IS WORTH

BECOMING A VALUe-ORIENTED INVESTOR
1. Avoid stocks with pe ratios over 25, unless they have extremely high
REVENUE growth (over 50% year)
2. Learn how to create a dcf valuation
3. Have the discipline to create a DCF valuation for every public
company investment you make
4. invest only when you have a 30% margin of safety between what your
DCF model says the company is worth and what the market sayS

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 13
LOVE

WHAT LOVE MEANS TO ME
Laughter
Optimism
Vibrant
Energy

SIX STEPS TO BUILDING A GREAT RELATIONSHIP
TELL THE TRUTH
BUILD TRUST
BE VULNERABLE
GIVE TIME
FOLLOW THROUGH
SHOW CARE WITH YOUR ACTIONS

A GREAT WOMAN CAN
MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE
TO A GREAT MAN

A GREAT MAN CAN
TO A GREAT WOMAN

A GREAT pARTNER CAN
FOR ANYONE

The partner you choose makes a huge impact on your life
THE PARTNER YOU CHOOSE
TO BUILD A LIFE WITH
MAKES A HUGE IMPACT
ON YOUR ABILITY TO REACH YOUR POTENTIAL
LIVE WITH JOY AND POSiTIVITY
AND TRULY CHANGE THE WORLD

LOVING YOURSELF FIRST
BEFORE you CAN FIND
SOMEONE ELSE TO FALL IN LOVE WITH You
YOU MUST LOVE YOURSELF FIRST

BE AMAZING BEFORE YOU LOOK
BECAUSE TO FIND AN AMAZING PARTNER
YOU YOURSELF MUST FIRST BE
AMAZING

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS FIRST
TO FIND A PARTNER WHO IS
FOLLOWING THEIR DREAMS
You must first be following
YOUR DREAMs

LIVE WITH PASSION FIRST
LIVING PASSIONATEly
You Yourself must first be
LIVING PASSIONATELY

TO FIND A JEDI YOU MUST BECOME A JEDI
ON THE PATH TO BEING A JEDI
You Yourself must first be
ON THE PATH

Yep, MARRY A JEDI
WHEN TWO JEDIS marry
ALL KINDS OF CRAZY GOOD SHIT
HAPPENS in the universe

HOW TO WIN A HEART
Here’s what I’ve
LEARNED SO FAR ABOUt
WINNING THE HEART

HOW TO WIN A HEART
Don’t lead
Your partner on
(Be open and transparent about your intentions with the relationship)

HOW TO WIN A HEART
FOLLOW THE
GOLDEN RULE
IN ALL RELATIONSHIPS

HOW TO WIN A HEART
BE PLAYFUL
And let the little kid
Inside out!

HOW TO WIN A HEART
PUSH YOUR PARTNER
TO GET BETTER AND
BECOME THE BEST
VERSION OF THEMSELVES

HOW TO WIN Ryan’s HEART
GIVE LOTS OF
NECK MASSAGES

HOW TO WIN A HEART
NEVER EVER
TAKE THEM
FOR GRANTED

HOW TO WIN A HEART
NEVER STOP
BUYING THEM
FLOWERS

HOW TO WIN A HEART
A LONG PARTNERSHIP
REQUIRES MUTUAL RESPECT
A ND SHARED GOALS

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 14
VALUES

GLOBAL VALUES SYSTEMS
ACROSS MANY religion or spiritual traditions
a key guideline is to be able to care for others
Let’s look at a few global values systems
Origin
Concept Name
Description
Judaism
Tikkun Olam
The concept of repairing the world
Sanskrit
Ahimsa
A philosophy of do no harm
Confucian
Li
A set of norms that teaches brotherliness and community
Islamic
Ummah
A perspective on a supranational community
Christian
Golden Rule
A practice of treating others as you want to be treated
South Africa
Ubuntu
A spirit of cooperation between people of all colors and creeds

My CORE VALUE
HERE IS MY CORE VALUE…
DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU’D
HAVE DONE UNTO YOURSELF

EXPAND YOUR EMPATHY CIRCLE AND CARE FOR ALL PEOPLE
Species
Gender
Religion
Na1on
Community
Family
YYoouu

What is it to be human?
“To be human is to have the ability to transcend
our egocentric preconditioning and care so
DEEPLY FOR OUR CHILDREn, PARTNERS, FRIENDS
or even strangers that we WOULD PUT THEIR
INTEREST ABOVE OUR OWN NO MATTER WHAT IT
MIGHT COST US PERSONALLY “
- RAY KURZWEIL!

My VALUES
HERE ARE THE 50 VALUES
I HOLD DEARLY AND DO
MY BEST TO
ALWAYS LIVE BY

ACCEPTANCE
I shall recognize the
Uniqueness and humanity
OF THOSE WHO DIFFER
FROM MYSELF

ACTION
THOUGH DELIBERATE
CAREFUL I SHALL HAVE
A BIAS TOWARD
ACTION

ADAPTATION
I shall MAINTAIN in A STATE
ABLE TO FLOW, LEARN MODIFY
MYSELF TO FIT NEW
SURROUNDINGS OR OCCURENCES

ANALYSIS
I shall analyze what I do and
DO NOT DO AND ATTEMPT TO DERIVE
INHERENT LAWS, AXIOMS, TENANTS
AND GUIDEPOSTS BASED ON THE EFFECTS
OF MY ACTIONS INACTIONS

BEST EFFORT
I shall PUT FORTH MY FULL
AND BEST EFFORT WITHIN THE
BOUNDARIES OF PROPER PHYSICAL
MENTAL HEALTH

CHALLENGE
I shall often challenge MYSELF
STEP OUTSIDE MY COMFORT ZONE
SO AS TO REACH
WORTHY GOALS

COLLABORATION
I shall WORK COLLABORATIVELY
WITH OTHERS WHO ARE BETTER THAN
I AM AT WHAT THEY DO

COMMITMENT
I shall UPHOLD MY
COMMITMENTS AND
UNDER-PROMISe AND
OVER-DELIVER

COMMUNICATION
I shall MAKE IT A PRIORITY
TO LEARN TO COMMUNICATE
EXTREMELY WELL
WITH OTHERS

CONFIDENCE
I shall ALWAYS BE
CONFIDENT OPTIMISTIC AND
SET MY GOALS HIGH

CONTENTMENT
I shall BE ONLY
WHERE I AM AND SAVOR
EVERYTHING ABOUT THAT
MOMENT

DETAIl
I shall NOT DALLY
NEEDLESSLY IN DETAIl
BUT EXAMINE TO THE FULL
EXTENT NEEDED

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCIOUSNESS
THOUGH I SHALL PROMOTE THE MASTERY OF NATURE
FOR THE BETTERMENT OF LIVING CONDITIONS OF HUMANS
I SHALL NEVER FORGET THAT THE EARTH SHOULD
BE TREATED AS PRECIOUS AND THAT SUSTAINABILITY
MUST BE REQUIRED IF WE ARE TO SURVIVE AS A SPECIES

FOCUS
I shall RECOGNIZE THAT
WHILE I CAN DO ANYTHING
I CAN’T DO
EVERYTHING

FORGIVENESS
I shall FORGIVE THOSe
WHO HAVE MENDED WAYS
INCLUDING MYSELF

GENEROSITY
I shall GIVE TO OTHERS
HOWEVER I AM
BEST AND MOST ABLE

HEALTH
I shall maintain my health and EAT
sleep Exercise IN SUCH A MANNER AS
TO MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF ENERGY
I SHALL ELIMINATE NEAGATIVE ENERGY AS
MY BODY IS A TEMPLE THAT
HOUSES MY
SPIRIT

HONESTY
I shall BE HONEST AND
FORTHRIGHT IN ALL
REPRESENTATIONS of
And Deliberations with
MYSELF

HUMILITY
I shall NOT BE AFRAID TO
ASK FOR HELP AND NOT
ASSUME MYSELF
ABOVE ANOTHER

INDUSTRY
I shall LOSE NO TIME AND ALWAYS
BE EMPLOYED IN SOMETHING USEFUl
REFLECTION AND RELAXATION SHALL
BE INCLUDED IN THE DEFINITION OF
USEFUL

INTEGRITY
I SHALL ACT WITH INTEGRITY
AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH
WHAT I SAY I WILL DO

JUSTICE
I shall WRONG
NO oNE

KINDNESS
I SHALL LIVE A LIFE OF
KINDNESS COMPASSION.
THERE’S NO REASON NOT TO.

LEARNING
I shall be continously
LEARNinG AND I SHALL
CONTINOUSLY READ

LISTENING
I SHALL STRIVE TO
LISTEN UNDERSTAND
BEFORE I SPEAK

MENTORSHIP
I shall GIVE THE
KNOWLEDGE I HAVE AND
WILL GAIN
TO OTHERS

MISTAKES
I shall STRIVE TO LEARN
FROM THE MISTAKES
I MAKE AND TO NOT MAKE
TWICE

NATURE
I shall CONSERVE AND
PROTECT NATURE
AND ENSURE IT REMAINS
FOR MY GRANDCHILDREN

OPTIMISM
I shall ALWAYS
SEE THE GLASS AS
HALF FULL

ORGANIZATION
I shall KEEP MY LIFE
BELONGINGS IN ORDEr
WHILE KEEPING SPACE FOR
EXHUBERENCE CREATIVITY

PASSION
I shall ALWAYS
STRIVE FOR THAT
WHICH I BELIEVE

PERSERVERANCE
I shall NOT GIVE UP NOR
GIVE IN TOO SOON AS LONG
AS I FEEL A GOAL IS
WORTHY OF THE EFFORT

PLANNING
I shall PLAN FOR MY LIFE
AND UPComing EVENTS

POSITIVITY
I shall be positive
DURING ALL TIMES AND
BELIEVE IN THE POWER oF A
POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE

PREPARATION
I shall ATTEMPT TO ENTER
EACH SITUATION WITH AN
INTELLECTUAL FRAMEWORK
PRIMED READY

PRESENCE
I shall FOCUS MY COMPLETE
ATTENTION ON THE SINGLE
INDIVIDUAL I AM
SPEAKING WITH

PUNCTUALITY
I shall be on
TIME

REFLECTION
I shall TAKE MOMENTS TO
REVIEW WHAT HAS BEEN DONE
AND EXAMINE SOCIETY AND MY
BEING, GOALS, and HABITS

RESPECT
I shall RESPECT
ALL OTHERS

SACRIFICE
I shall SAVE INVEST FOR
TODAY SO AS TO GAIN FOR
TOMORROW

SINCERITY
I SHALL BE SINCERE AND
ONLY TALK ABOUT
PEOPLE IN AN
EMPOWERING WAY

SPIRITUALITY
I shall REALIZE I AM A
VERY SMALL PART OF THE
UNIVERSE AND HAVE GREAT
GRATITUDE FOR LIFE

SOLITITUDE
I SHALL HAVE A PERIOD OF PEACE
AND SOLITUDE AT THE BEGINNING
OF EACH DAY IN WHICH I SHALL
GIVE THANKS AND ENVISION
THE DAY AHEAD

SPONTANEITY
I SHALL PERFORM WEEKLY
EITHER An ACT OF KINDNESS
OR AN ACTIVITY WHICH I HAVE
NEVER DONE BEFORE

SUPERFICIALITY
I SHALL NOT FOCUS
ON THE OUTER
BUT ON THE INNER

TEACHING
I shall TRANSFER BOTH
KNOWLEDGE ENERGY
IN TEACHING

TRANQULITY
I shall NOT BE DISTURBED
BY TRIFLES OR BY THAT
WHICH IS NOT TRULY
IMPORTANT

TRANSPARENCY
I shall LIVE A PUBLIC
LIFE AND SHARE
THE CONTENTS OF MY
Dreams PLANS

TRAVEL
I shall MAKE A PRIORITY
TO SEE AND EXPLORE
THE WORLD

WORK ETHIC
I shall WORK BOTH HARD
AND INTELLIGENTLY AND
NOT LEAVE FOR TOMORROW
WHAT CAN BE DONE
TODAY

BEN FRANKLIN’s 13 Values
1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. Order: Let all your things have their places; let each part of
your business have its time.
3. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform
without fail what you resolve.
4. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or
yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

6. Moderation: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so
much as you think they deserve.
7. Industry: Lose no time; be always employed in something
useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
8. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or
habitation.
9. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents
common or unavoidable.

9. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling
conversation.
10. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak,
speak accordingly.
11. Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your
duty.
12. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness,
weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

IN SUMMARY ON VALUES
YOUR LIFE WILL BE ENRICHED AND
YOU WILL SLEEP SOUNDLY AT NIGHT
KNOWING YOU ARE LIVING WITH A CONsCIOUS
SET OF VALUES

Financial plan exercise
Values exercise now
To return to it

Exercise: VALUES
Write down the 10 most important
Values to you?

CONNECT COMPANY VALUES CIRCA 2012

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 14
LIFE LESSoNS

LIFE Lessons from 2005
I’ve been KEEPING TRACK OF
THE major LESSONS I’ve learned
Each YEAR Since 2005

LISTEN TO THAT LITTLE VOICE
in the back of your HEAD
It’s usually alerting
You to something
Important

YOU CAN
ACHIEVE ANYTHING
YOU SET YOUR MIND TO

Don’t let
Non-communication
Lead to the
Degeneration of a
Relationship

Don’t AVOID DOING
THINGS JUST BECAUSE
THEY MAY CAUSE CONFLICT!

AT THE END OF THE DAY
Impact INTEGRITY is
What matters!

NEVER Say “BUT”
INSTEAD SAY
“YES, AND.”

THERE ARE TWO WAYS
TO DETERMINE THE RULES OF LIFE
TALKING TO SMART PEOPLE
and TRIAL AND ERROR
EITHER WAY
START LEARNING EARLY

IF SOMEBODY SUES YOU
GO TALK TO THEM IN PERSON
IMMEDIATELY

NETWORKING
Isn’T ABOUT BUSINESS CARDS
IT’s about building
Meaningful relationships

2.4 Billion
PEOPLE
LIVE ON LESS THAN
TWO DOLLARS PER DAY
Source: World Bank

EVERY Day 18,000
CHILDREN UNDER 5 DIE
Source: World Bank
MOST FROM PREVENTABLE
DISEASE AND LOW NUTRITION.
THIS DOESN’t HAVE TO HAPPEN.

80% OF HUMAN BEINGS
LIVE oN LESS THAN
$10 PER DAY
Source: World Bank
So IF YOU’RE LIVING ON MORE
THAN $10 PER DAY
Count your blessings

LIFE IS PRECIOUS
AND CAN END ANYTIME
SO EXPRESS GRATITUDE DAILY
AND TELL THOSE YOU LOVE
THAT YOU LOVE THEM

THE WORLD HAS
MORE OPPORTUNITIES
THAN YOU MIGHT THINK
so DEFINE YOUR PURPOSE
THEN SEEK THEM OUT

PoSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS
OCCUR WHEN YOU
ASSOCIATE WITH
EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE

GRATITUDE
IS AN EXTREMELY POWERFUL
CHARACTER ATTRIBUTE

HUMANS
HAVE A DEEP DESIRE
In THEIR LIVES FOR
LOVE AND AFFECTIOn

IF THERE’S ONE
THING YOU “OVERDo”
IN LIFE MAKE IT
COMMUNICATIon

LET YOUR INNER CHILD
COME OUT DAILY
AND SILLY DANCE

AVOID GETTING
MARRIED
UNTIL YOU’RE ABLE TO
FULLY FINANCIALLY
SUPPORT YOURSELF

AVOID HAVING CHILDREN
UNTIL YOU CAN
SAFELY FINANCIALLY
AFFORD CHILDREN

GOOD HEALTH
IS EVERYTHING

Don’t ever
LET YOUR MIND
LIMIT YOURSELF

One way to avoid
CRITICISM
IS TO DO NOTHING STAND FOR NOTHING
THE WORLD WILL THEN
LEAVE YOU ALONE

IF YOU’re up to
something that matters
in the world
CRITICISM is inevitable
It comes with the territory

ARROGANCE IS NOT
OVER-CONFIDENCE
It is being
DISMISSIVE OF OTHERS

IT TAKES ten years TO
BECOME GREAT AT SOMETHING
Thus You can only
BECOME GREAT
AT 6 or 7 things
CHOOSE CAREFULLY

DO SOMETHING WONDERFUL
EACH DAY WITH
INFECTIOUS ENTHUSIASM

JUST SAY
“OK GOOD”
TO L IFE

CANCER
IS HORRIBLE

WE ALL HAVE
CHALLENGES
It’s how you INTERPRET
RESPOND TO THEM
THAT COUNTS

PEOPLE GENERALLY
ACT CONSISTENTLY
WITH WHAT IS EXPECTED
OF THEM

MANY PEOPLE
IN THE UNITED STATES
ARE NOT AUTHENTICALLY
HAPPY

THERE IS BEAUTY
IN UNDERSTANDING
NUANCE

ASK FOR
ADVICE
MORE OFTEN

TO achieve big goals
You need TO
FOCUS

THERE IS GREAT
POWER IN A
HANDWRITTEN NOTE

FIND A WAY TO
MAKE ALL NEGOTIATIONS
BENEFIT
BOTH SIDES

THE BEST MEDICINE
FOR STRESS
IS BREATHING!

THE 2nd BEST MEDICINE
FOR STRESS
IS LAUGHTER!

TRAVEL THE
WORLD FOR AT LEAST
3 weeks per year!

EVERY WEEK
WATCH a
TED VIDEO

SPEND MORE HOURS
READING THAN YOU DO
WATCHING TV!

LIMIT TELEVISION
To 30 minutes
PER WEEK!

INVESTING in AFRICA NOW
IS LIKE INVESTING IN INDIA
In 1985!

NEARLY SUPER-HUMAN
FEATS ARE POSSIBLE
WHEN YOU ARE DEEPLY
PASSIONATE ABOUT
YOUR MISSION

Life lessons exercise
Life lessons exercise now
To return to it

Exercise: life lessons
Write down the 3 most important
Life lessons
You have ever learned

Lessons from my 20s
PART I, Section 15
Sage advice

FAVORITE QUOTES on LIVING
LIFE IS EITHER
DARING ADVENTURE
OR NOTHING
- HELEN KELLER!

ABOve
ALL
TRY SOMETHING
- FRANKLIN D. ROoSEVELT!

ONE WHO MAKES
NO MISTAKES
MAKES NOTHING - GIACOMO CASANOVA!

DO ONE THING
EVERYDAY
THAT SCARES YOU - ELEANOR ROOSEVELT!

NEVER DOUBT THAT
A SMALL GROUP OF
THOUGHFUL, COMMITTED CITIZENS
CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
- MARGARET MEAD!

Don’t chase
THE PAPER
CHASE THE DREAM!
- P DIDDY!

FAR BETTER IT IS TO DARE MIGHTY THINGS
THAN TO RANK WITH TIMID SPIRITS
WHO KNOW NEITHER
VICTORY NOR DEFEAT - THEODORE ROOSEVELT!

HERE’S TO THE CRAZY ONES.
THE MISFITS, REBELS, TROUBLEMAKERS
THE ONES WHO SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY
BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CRAZY ENOUGH
TO THINK THEY CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
ARE THE ONES WHO DO
- STEVE JOBS!

WHETHER YOU THINK YOU CAN
OR YOU CANNOT
YOU ARE RIGHT - HENRY FORD!

FOLLOW YOUR
BLISS
- JOSEPH CAMBELL!

UNTIL ONE IS COMMITTED, THERE IS HESITANCY
THE CHANCE TO DRAW BACK.
WHATEVER YOU CAN DO, BEGIN IN.
BOLDNESS HAS GENIUS, POWER, MAGIC IN IT.
BEGIN IT NOW.
- W.H. Murray!

BEAUTY
IS THE ABSENCE
OF THE SUPERFLUOUS
- Greek SCHOLARS!

SIMPLICITY
IS THE ULTIMATE
SOPHISTICATION
- Greek SCHOLARS!
- LEONARDO DE VINCI!

Lessons from my 20s
Part II:
entrepreneurship

PART 2 TOPICS
PART 2 “ENTREPRENEURSHIP” INCLUDES SECTIONS ON
Entrepreneurship
The big opportunities
Leadership
Business Planning
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Innovation
Venture Capital
Marketing
Building systems
BUILDING A TEAM
STRATEGY EXECUTION
Steps to get started

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